by Velospeak | Feb 18, 2014 | Uncategorized
I spied the new Chrome Knurled Welded Bag collection at Interbike last year and was really impressed. They are lightweight and waterproof bags ready to conquer any type of camping or travel. They are now available on the Chrome website as well as your LBS.
Chrome created Knurled Welded™ Waterproof Rolltops for bike camping, adventure biking, and all weather commuting – when weight matters and getting wet is not an option. Knurled Welded™ Rolltops are made with our proprietary welding technology that combines RF welding with a mechanical interlock to create the toughest, lightest 100% waterproof bags. Each bag has a watertight rolltop closure for submersible water protection, a Hypalon® Molle loop system for expandability, and five-bar webbing haul straps for hand carrying. Go Farther. Stay Dryer. Guaranteed for Life.
The Knurled Welded line consists of Saddle Bag and Front Rack Duffle Rolltop. Knurled Welded Rolldtop Duffle and Saddle Bag Rolltop work on the bike and off. Both bags leave the hardware on the bike where it should be. The Result is a saddle bag and front rack duffle you can carry around.
Boomproof
800lbs pull strength, 600 Denier, Waterproof Construction
Waterproof
150% more contact surface welds than other waterproof technology
Lightweight
70% lighter then traditional waterproof bags
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by Velospeak | Feb 18, 2014 | Uncategorized
Registration for the upcoming Red Hook Crit opened yesterday, the 17th of February. A collaboration between Stanridge Speed and Ben EINE will produce two bicycles to be raced in the crit by Katie Arnold and Evan Murphy. Make sure you catch the quote from Ben Eine at the bottom of this post. Too funny.
Stanridge Cycles is excited to announce our collaboration with Ben EINE for the Red Hook Crit this year. EINE is a world renowned graffiti artist who has collaborated with Banksy and has work hanging in the White House. Ben will be hand painting the two iconic Stanridge High Street frames that will be raced during this years Red Hook series.
The custom bikes will be piloted by elite cyclocross racer Katie Arnold, and previous Red Hook winner Evan Murphy. Look for more from Stanridge as the bikes are done and race day approaches.
“The ego, it’s the only thing that drives us forward isn’t it? You know it’s a competition. If you’re not going to take it fucking seriously than why bother doing it? You know you want to be the biggest and the best, up in the most amount of places, the most amount of photographs over the fucking internet in the most amount of countries in the world… stupid. It’s just mad. We were kids. 20 years later Banksy’s up for an Oscar and I’ve got a painting in the White House. You can’t make this shit up…. It’s just fucking mad.” -EINE
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by Velospeak | Feb 18, 2014 | Uncategorized
A spectacular limited edition Affinity Cycles Kissena World Champions Edition is available starting today. This frame set is limited to 40 pieces, so best to jump on this sooner than later.
We are celebrating 7 years of Affinity with our greatest achievement…the Kissena World Champions edition frame set and rainbow striped jersey.
Affinity Cycles is proud to have won 2 World Championship victories in both the match sprints and scratch race. Plus, with over 20 US National and European championships, the Kissena is the most celebrated and trusted aluminum track frame in the industry. We’ve custom designed our exclusive track frame with gold foil rainbow striped graphics, indigo sparkle blue paint and a CNC machined head tube. Only 40 World Champion frames are available, they can be purchased along with the new Affinity World Championship Jersey through the Affinity website as well as select retailers.
The jersey is also available for pre order here for the next 2 weeks and all Affinity frames sets and complete builds are available now.
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by Velospeak | Feb 14, 2014 | Made in the USA, Product Reviews, Uncategorized
I’ve been a bit radio silent, but that’s a good thing, at least for me. It means the weekend was full of riding. Saturday was an incredibly pleasant jaunt in Griffith Park, in perfect weather, and with plenty of like-minded people along for the ride. Griffith Park is my favorite place in Los Angeles, and I marvel that such a place exists in the middle of the city. I did several turns up and down the different climbs, and in the end climbed over 3000 feet. Great day. Then, on Sunday, I rode with a good friend up Nichols Canyon, and then west along Mulholland. Not as much climbing, but we managed to get in close to 35 miles cruising the streets of LA. Excellent weekend of riding. And, one reason for the fun this weekend, and every weekend for the past few months, has been the Calfee Dragonfly you see pictured above. I’ve had this bike approximately two months, and I am close to giving up the TR6 for the bike. OK, maybe not the Triumph, but oh how I would love to own this bicycle. Calfee appeals to me on many levels, but first and foremost, is the fact that the bike is homegrown-made right here in beautiful California. There are few carbon frame manufacturers in the US, so few in fact, they can easily be counted on your fingers. Calfee is one of the most established. Craig Calfee started building carbon frames back in 1987. In 1991, Calfee built 18 frames for Greg Lemond’s Team Z, and branded as Lemond frames, these were the first carbon fiber bikes to race in the Tour de France. In 1997, Calfee Design was founded, and shortly thereafter, in 2000, the Dragonfly debuted. I’m skipping over a lot of history, but the overall gist is that Craig Calfee has been in this business a very long time, and has been an instrumental innovator in bicycle design.
So, I’d been eying the Dragonfly since I first saw it, and this year at Interbike, I was able to set up a test. I received the bike at the end of November, and I have been using it exclusively since then. There is always a bit of a break-in period when riding a different bike, and I was worried that this would be the case with the Dragonfly. Surprisingly, this did not happen. A few simple adjustments of the saddle, and off I went. The bike immediately felt welcoming. The ride quality of the Dragonfly, especially the way the bike smooths out the bumps and potholes, which are commonplace here in Los Angeles, is incredible and unmatched by any other bike I’ve ridden. As a professed weight weenie with a sub 14lb bike at home, I was thinking the 15lb Dragonfly might be a bit more work up my local climb, but this fear was completely unwarranted. The Dragonfly climbs as well or better than any other bike I’ve ridden. One other very important aspect of a bike’s design is how well it descends. Most bikes will go down a hill quickly with little effort, but how stable and in control you, as the rider, feel is what’s truly important. One of my local test routes to suss out this particular quality is the descent on Topanga Canyon Boulevard down to the ocean. I admit, on this particular occasion, I was not trying to set any kind of speed record, but once I got home and checked the Strava account of the ride, I found I reached 53.9 mph on the descent. What’s important to note is that during that descent, the Dragonfly felt perfectly stable the entire time. Never did the bike twitch or shudder in any way that told me I needed to slow down. I suppose this could be looked at as a dangerous trait, but I am all for stability while descending. I prefer to rely on my better judgement to slow down, rather than have the bike signal me with shudders and shakes. The ride quality of the Dragonfly is excellent, and I admit I have trouble thinking of going back to my personal ride after these last few months of riding near perfection.
Another point to make about Calfee’s designs is the battery integration for the newer electronic gruppos. When I first spied electronic shifting on a bike, I felt as if the design process was never really completed. Shimano, and then Campagnolo, both attached the battery to the exterior of the frame, sort of like an afterthought. It always bothered me to see the battery, and apparently it also bothered Craig Calfee. He was the first to devise a system of hiding the battery in the seat tube. To take it a step further, he also hid the control unit in the stem, and concealed all the wiring through the bars, into the stem, and on through the frame, down to the derailleurs. The system is absolutely seamless, and aside from seeing the small motors on the derailleurs, you’d be hard pressed to notice the bike has electronic shifting. To charge the battery, there is a discreet port on the seat post, making the process as simple as plugging the bike into the wall. The integration is perfect.
Lastly, Calfee Design is known for their masterful carbon frame repairs and modifications. A friend took a Cervelo R3 SL to Calfee for a custom modification to conceal the battery in the seat post tube. The work done was flawless, and the repaint perfect. I’ve also seen photos of work done on cracked carbon frames, and they look like new when completed. Craig Calfee’s reputation in this is without comparison, and if I ever needed to repair a frame, he’d be the only person I’d speak to about it. Calfee has mastered carbon frame design, and the Dragonfly is just one beautiful example of his work. Maybe the Triumph should go on the block. Hmmm.
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by Velospeak | Feb 12, 2014 | Uncategorized
Last week I was sent an invitation to build my own Timbuk2 Classic Messenger Bag. This is not an invitation only affair, as anyone can log on to the Timbuk2 site and build their own bag. The bag you see above is the very bag I created. In essence, a Classic Messenger designed by me. This is not only an aesthetic build, as you are also able to choose interior organization, left or right handed strap, additional drink pockets, and a host of other features. The possibilities for customization are endless, and I spent the better part of an evening having a great time trying to nail down the perfect combination of looks and utility. I finished my creation quite late last Tuesday evening. My made to order bag arrived in the post yesterday. So, one short week is all I had to wait to receive my custom, made in San Francisco, Classic Messenger bag. A very impressive turnaround time indeed. Even more impressive is the quality of the finished product. This bag is beautiful, and so far, incredibly functional. I am also impressed with the price point, as this bag, fully loaded with just about every option and premium material, comes in at $232.00. I think this is an amazing deal for a completely customized bag. I will report back at a later date with a long term test, but for now, if in need of a made to order messenger bag, punch up Timbuk2. Just beware of being lulled into several hours of fun designing your own dream bag.
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by Velospeak | Feb 12, 2014 | Uncategorized
Wow, I wish I was in NYC for the opening of the Greg Lemond exhibit at the Rapha Cycle Club. Greg Lemond will be in attendance for the opening night festivities on Thursday. The exhibition contains highlights from Greg Lemond’s personal collection, such as the 1991 Tour de France Lemond/Calfee bicycle, the first carbon frame to race in the tour. An excerpt from the invitation follows, as well as a selected list of some of the bikes in the exhibition.
Opening this Friday, February 14th, the Rapha Cycle Club New York City is hosting an exhibition of selected memorabilia of three-time Tour de France winner, Greg LeMond. Greg has lent us some of his most prized possessions to display alongside his own recently launched bike line, giving fans of one of America’s greatest riders a glimpse into his past – and future.
Ahead of the exhibition, and to mark the launch of Rapha’s own To the Sun collection, the Rapha blog now features an exclusive interview with Greg LeMond.
Bicycles:
1986 TDF Look/Hinault
1989 TDF TT Bottechia
1989 World Championship LeMond /TVT (carbon tube)
1990 TDF LeMond/TVT (carbon tube)
1989 TDF Bottechia
1991 TDF LeMond/Calfee (first full carbon frame)
The full collection of 2014 LeMond Bicycles
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by Velospeak | Feb 11, 2014 | Uncategorized
The Chrome 415 Work Boot was released last year, and was reviewed on these very pages. I really liked the boots, and now, for those who like super bright colors, there is a limited release 415 Work Boot in red leather. They are available now, and should prove to be quite the stand out.
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by Velospeak | Feb 10, 2014 | Uncategorized
Yesterday the temperature in LA never really got above 65, so it was the perfect occasion to try the Café du Cycliste Heidi Winter Jacket. It is not often I write about a piece after just one use, but I felt compelled to do so in this case, as most of the nation is in the thick of a brutal winter, and this jacket might help some folks alleviate the winter blues. On one fairly long ride, I came to love the Heidi. The comfort exceeded my expectations, and the performance is top notch. The jacket has windproof panels on the chest, shoulder and sleeve face, making for a garment that effectively shields you from the numbing effects of a cold wind against a sweaty torso. Those panels, combined with the shoulder zip vents, make for a piece that can easily be worn for the entire ride in cooler temperatures. Yesterday ranged between 48 and 65 degrees, and it definitely seemed like the perfect temperature window for the Heidi. When I started to heat up a bit, I unzipped the shoulder vents, and immediately felt the cooling effects. Zipped back up, the jacket effectively kept me warm for the rest of the ride. It should be noted I wore a base layer and simple short sleeved jersey under the jacket. I mention this because, the Heidi has a brushed interior that is incredibly comfortable against the skin, and my bare arms were able to experience the luxurious materials. My other reason for liking the Heidi as much as I do is the look of the jacket. It is definitely a performance piece, but it would also look well worn off the bike. In this day of super technical looking clothing, it’s nice to see a piece come along that is simple and pure in design. I think the good folks at Café du Cycliste are designing great looking and super high performing clothing for those of us who live life on the bike.
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by Velospeak | Feb 10, 2014 | Uncategorized
This coming Sunday, the 16th, is the inaugural Los Angeles Bicycle Commuter Festival and Summit. The following press release details the event, and tickets can be bought here.
AIDS/Lifecycle and the Bicycle Culture Institute announce a day-long festival and summit to entertain, educate, connect and inspire bicycle commuting in Los Angeles.
festival environment to connect with rides, community groups and brands.
indoor and outdoor workshops on fun DIY beginner topics.
$10 tickets include panels, workshops, festival and healthy snacks.
Press conference at noon
Los Angeles, January 31, 2014 – Riding bikes is fun! AIDS/Lifecycle and the Bicycle Culture Institute bring together everyone you need to learn about rides, local groups, advocacy, staying safe and getting inspired. The festival is focused on connecting the most innovative and friendly cycling folks and teaching new bicyclists (or helping sport/recreational riders) learn the basics of riding for transportation.
We encourage everyone to bring friends and family; enjoy indoor and outdoor workshops, and two open air festival areas. Festival areas encourage talking directly with people representing local bike groups: from cicLAvia and the Los Angeles County Bicycle Coalition to L.A. Bike Trains and SoCal Cross; cycling brands BERN, Abus and Lezyne; local favorite commuter bike shops Orange 20, Flying Pigeon and many more.
“This festival is geared to anyone who isn’t yet confident about riding a bicycle in LA. But we’ve put together such an incredible roster of vendors, workshops and people that we know this will appeal to existing cycling communities – and that’s great because it gives us a chance to have fun together while learning about how to make the bicycle a desirable transportation choice,” says organizer Nona Varnado. “We’ve also worked with Good Eggs LA to make sure we’ve got healthy snacks including vegan and gluten free options.”
Tickets are only $10 and include full access to opening panel, workshops, both festival areas and light food/beverage. Tickets are available at Brown Paper Tickets (http://bicyclecommuterfestival.bpt.me/) in advance and at the box office. An amazing silent auction will allow attendees to bid on the coolest new 2014 bike stuff. Proceeds benefit the Bicycle Culture Institute’s work including L.A. Bike Trains.
SCHEDULE:
12:00-12:45 Press Conference – festival areas open
1:00-1:45 Opening Panel
2:00-2:45 Workshops Round 1
2:45-3:30 Break: explore & “snack time!”
3:30-4:30 Workshops Round 2
5:00-6:00 Closing Remarks/ Raffle Winner announced
6:00-7:00 Party & Open festival
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by Velospeak | Feb 6, 2014 | Uncategorized
The media is writing about cycling in all its different forms. Daniel Engber’s Who Made That Tricycle ? in Sunday’s New York Times Magazine is a brief history of the tricycle, and it follows the evolution through to the Big Wheel. The accompanying photo was shot by Jens Mortensen for the New York Times.
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