GamJams.net: Where Mid-Atlantic bike racers roll: GamJams Tech: Premes, Picks, Promos

As a cyclist, the search for newer and better gear is constant — there's always something else out there. Premes, Picks, Promos will highlight both the next big thing and the sleeper deal.

As the parent of a nearly-3-year-old boy, I don't have a lot of time to read. Check that — I don't have a lot of time to read things that aren't kids books ("1-2-3 To the Zoo!") or short magazine articles. For that reason alone, the VeloNews 2010 Tour de France Guide is a valuable commodity.

But even if my reading schedule wasn't determined by the whims of a toddler, this year's guide is a must-have. Coming in at just under 200 pages, it features enough quick-hit articles and easy-to-read summaries that you can put it down to, say, chase a kid who claims he's going to poop on the floor, and get right back into it when the disaster has been averted.

Plus, it's surprisingly informational, even if you follow pro cycling on a regular basis. The stage-by-stage breakdowns are always nice, especially when the road heads for the clouds. And most of the individual stage pieces have commentary from riders to offer a bit of insight on potential team tactics.

For all of the opportunities to make it into an Armstrong-Contador guide, VeloNews did well to show us the whole race. Each of the major teams has its own feature story. There's both a Contador cover and an Armstrong cover, and they share the first feature story inside. And that's about it.

For this year's Tour, Bernard Hinault gives us his take on each team on the profile page. Like his typical interview comments, The Badger doesn't mince words. He uses his three paragraphs on Footon-Servetto (nee Saunier Duval) to scold the team. "I'm not even going to say that I'm happy to see (manager Mauro) Gianetti's team in the Tour; the last time he came, with (Ricardo) Ricco as leader, he left us with a real mess."

Ouch, Badger. Ouch.

Head to the newsstands to find it — it'll probably cost you between $8 and $10, but it'll be worth it.

Follow-up and preview

As Mike mentioned in last week's comments, that PRO Digital Carbon bar tape did not stay clean. My original review back in April questioned the tape's ability to come clean once it got gunked up. I've tried Simple Green, White Lightning Clean Streak (which removes everything just short of skin) and good old rubbing alcohol.

That tape is not coming clean.

So, my final recommendation to you is this: Get the PRO Digital Carbon bar tape ... in black only. It has a great feel to it, it holds up to daily use well and doesn't get slippery in the wet. If the white stuff could stay clean, it'd be the perfect tape.

I'm going to unroll some black Digital Carbon on a new build later today. Along the way, I'll be installing the Bontrager Node 1 computer and a DuoTrap sensor. While the sensor, which fits into the 6 Series Madone frame without zip-ties, is nice, I'm more interested in the all-in-one approach of the Node 1 computer.

I mentioned last week that I prefer heart rate and speed to be separate, larger numbers. So this new setup will test my ... well, I guess my ability to read small numbers while cross-eyed.

In addition to being GamJams Tech Editor, Bryan Redemske manages the Trek Bicycle Store of Omaha, is a professional writer and a Cat 3 racer. He drinks a lot of coffee.