Aether Apparel Military Jacket

by | Jul 20, 2012 | Product Reviews, Uncategorized

Followers of Velospeak may recall my review of the Aether Apparel Military Jacket a few short weeks ago. I felt I needed to add to the previous post, and tell the story of my day in Zurich, touring the city by bike. It started as a nice day, maybe a bit cool, but nice. The cooler weather dictated wearing the Military Jacket. We rode across all of Zurich before stopping for a quick lunch. On exiting the restaurant, the sky opened up, and it began to pour rain. The bikes had to be returned to the rental kiosk across town, so I buttoned the jacket up, and rode several miles in a strong rain. The Military Jacket lived up to its claims, and kept me perfectly dry. I had already experienced its extreme comfort, but now I’ve had a run in with rain, and it performed perfectly. Aether Apparel have created an incredibly solid performer that is perfect for life in the city.



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Schindelhauer Bikes

by | Jul 19, 2012 | Uncategorized

I had the chance to check out Schindelhauer Bikes at Stilrad, and was very impressed with some of their designs. Especially attractive is the Ludwig XIV, a Carbon Belt Drive bike with a Rohloff 14 speed hub. It has a smattering of Shimano parts, including Shimano disc brakes, and is outfitted with a Brooks leather saddle. It’s a simple and clean design lending itself to everyday use.



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BMC Gran Fondo GF01

by | Jul 18, 2012 | Product Reviews, Uncategorized

I have had the opportunity of testing the new BMC Gran Fondo GF01 for about a week. In that time, I’ve managed to get about 60 miles and over 8000 feet of climbing on the bike. It’s a wonderful way of testing a new bike, and the BMC did not disappoint.

First, the specs. The bike is equipped with the Shimano Ultegra electronic gruppo, Easton bars and stem, BMC seat post, Fizik Aliante saddle, and Easton EA 90 wheels shod with Continental 28C Grand Prix 4 Season tires. In my opinion, the most important factor in the parts spec are the tires. The bike was designed for 28C tires, part of the overall theme of a Gran Fondo bike, or one day classics ride. The overall vision for this bike is comfort, without sacrificing climbing and racing abilities.

Thirty plus mile rides are always a good indicator of the comfort of a bike, so I was happy to get in one such ride. It started with 10 miles of climbing and a 2600 foot elevation gain. The grade for a good portion of that ten miles is 12% or better. The BMC was smooth and extremely comfortable. It climbed with prowess, and felt well connected to the road. Climbing is never easy for me, but the BMC seemed to make it palatable. A quick photo opportunity at the top, and I was off on the descent. This is where the bike really shines. I tend to go fast downhill, albeit with a certain sense of caution. In LA, on my Cervelo, I routinely hit 42 MPH on descents. The BMC bettered my time, easily allowing me to hit speeds of 46 MPH without really trying. I was pleasantly surprised at how stable it felt going so fast, and how well it handled in the hairpin turns. The bike did all the work for me. I really didn’t have to think about it at all. The bike tracked well through the corners, and descended perfectly.

Cobblestones and rough road are another reason to ride the Gran Fondo. You hardly notice the rough spots, and the cobblestones are easily handled by the confident frame and fork. Two features of the bike are TCC (tuned compliance concept) and “angle compliance”. In laymen’s terms, this means the frame has features designed into it to make for a smooth ride over any rough spots. This is noticeable in the design of the front fork and the rear dropouts. The fork has a bend at the bottom to absorb shock before it gets to the cockpit, and the rear dropouts are designed to absorb shock before it reaches the saddle. The 28C tires are also a big help, as the extra rubber really adds to the shock suppression. The BMC engineers have really put a lot of thought into the design of the Gran Fondo, and the reward is perfect ride quality.

The BMC Gran Fondo is a bicycle perfectly suited to those looking for a Pro Level bike that can easily sustain long hours in the saddle with an incredibly high comfort level. I suspect if this bike were in my hands, it would be my “go to” bike for almost all rides. Commutes to centuries are all the domain of the BMC Gran Fondo.



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Cervo Rosso

by | Jul 16, 2012 | Uncategorized

Yesterday I had a visit with Cervo Rosso, makers of performance cycling wear. I had to go ahead and post a photo of their VW Combi, as it is a stunning automobile, and also a ’66, a year I am partial to. Cervo Rosso’s latest product comes in the form of the CORSA S3 jersey, as well as the CR Strada S3 bibs. Both look to be amazing products, using the latest in Italian fabrics. A very good looking kit indeed. I will post more details in the future.



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BMC Impec Factory

by | Jul 13, 2012 | Uncategorized


Yesterday I had the opportunity to tour the BMC Impec bicycle factory in Grenchen, Switzerland. The tour followed the entire process, from start to finish, of the production of the Impec frame. I, for one, love factories and assembly line production, and this tour did not disappoint. The most remarkable part of the process is the carbon braiding machine. It is a huge wheel that actually braids the carbon to spec. Different lengths can be achieved as well as different shapes. The engineer that led us on the tour, pointed out that to get this machine to do what they wanted to do, was no easy feat. Lots of testing went into the process before the final product was achieved. Because of the amount of research and testing, BMC are now able to carefully control the entire process, meaning the final product is consistent and perfect. This leads to being able to produce exactly what they set out to do with the Impec. I find it remarkable that BMC set out to make a machine to produce carbon, when almost the entire cycling industry relies on Taiwanese factories for carbon. And to top it off, they are doing it in Switzerland. Hats off to BMC.



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Flyer R Series

by | Jul 11, 2012 | Uncategorized

Yesterday I visited the Swiss Museum of Transport (Verkehrshaus der Schweiz) in Lucerne. Part of the museum is dedicated to testing different modes of transportation such as the Chevrolet Volt, Segways, and a fleet of electric bicycles from a Swiss Company called Flyer. The model I tested was similar to the one pictured above. I have a love/hate relationship with electric bikes based mostly on their weird looks. This has been changing as of late because the design is getting better, and they are becoming more practical and are now more than just a novelty item. This was my first turn on an electric bike, albeit on a small testing track within the museum grounds. This particular bike worked with an assist mode, meaning you do have to pedal to propel the bike. There are different levels of assist you can set from a handlebar mounted lever. I chose high, as I wanted the full effect, and the bike flew down the road with little effort. I also tried a Flyer towing a kids trailer with one of my kids installed, and it was effortless. Pedaling down the road takes little effort, yet you are pedaling to make it go. The controls for the electric motor are quite simple, with the remainder of the bike similar to a standard bike. Electric bikes have come a long way, and in the future, once they become more affordable, I think they will take a big percentage of the cycling market.



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