Art’s Cyclery Blog

After months of hype and speculation, Cervélo has finally released the specifications for the P5 time trial super-bike. The bike is a complete re-design of the P4, with a ton of new features and a visually striking profile. The P5 brakes new ground on several fronts, perhaps most notably is the utilization of hydraulic brakes, which are produced by Magura. The motto for the P5 is “Simply Faster,” which according to Cervélo’s co-founder and CEO means, the bike “is not only fast, but simple and easy to live with.”

The new P5 will be available in two models - one for triathlon and one that is UCI legal. This is the tri version.

Frameset

The P5 frameset is Cervélo’s most aerodynamic ever, with a time saving of ~30-seconds in a 40-kilometer time trial, according to Cervélo. The P5 also features the BBright bottom bracket for ultimate power transfer and ComfortPly technology which removes unnecessary material to reduce vibration and improve ride quality. The P5 frame is the same on the triathlon and time trial versions of the bike, which means there aren’t any ridiculously deep tube shapes like the down tube on the Specialized Shiv. The fork on the tri version features much deeper blades than the UCI legal model and has a fairing that covers the hydraulic brake caliper. The P5 is also optimized to handle wider tires because of the trend toward wider wheels, popularized by Zipp and HED.

Aerobar

The integrated Aduro aerobar has been designed by Cervélo and manufactured by 3T. It features 100% hidden cables that eliminate aero drag and engineered cable paths that minimize bends and maximize shifting performance. The Arduro can be set up in three stack height configurations for over 11cm of adjustment and consists of only a few parts so assembly and adjustments are easy. Designed to match perfectly with the brake, fork and frame, the front end forms a single aerodynamic body for “flawless aerodynamic performance,” according to Cervélo.

The 3T aerobars have 11cm of stack height adjustability.

Brakes

The P5 is the first time trial bike to utilize hydraulic rim brakes in production. Made by Magura, the RT 8TTT system is compatible with all road wheels and mounts to any standard basebar. Stopping power is abundant with quick response to rider input. Plus, this hydraulic system is lighter than most cable brake setups.

The Magura RT 8TT hydraulic system is low maintenance and lighter than most cable setups.

Storage and Hydration

Designed for speed and versatility, a full range of sleek and intuitive storage solutions have been custom designed for the P5. From a bottle cage mount between the aerobar pads to a Shimano Di2 battery holder inside the frame’s HiddenPocket to multiple locations for nutrition, the P5 mates optimal aero locations with east of access.

A bottle cage will fit neatly between the aerobars and a storage box attached to the top tube.

Availability and Pricing

We expect the P5 to arrive around mid March. The tri frameset will retail for $6,500 while the complete Di2 bike will be $10,000. The UCI frameset will go for $4,500 and the complete Dura-Ace bike will be $6,500.

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The 2012 Garmin-Barracuda Team Jersey.

We can’t wait for the Tour Down Under to start this weekend so we can finally talk about racing again. But until then, we are left to discuss other news, such as Garmin-Cervelo’s new team name and kit.

Garmin-Cervelo will now be known as Garmin-Barracuda and is reverting back to the argyle design that graced the Slipstream jerseys of yesteryear. In case you were wondering, Barracuda Networks is a software company that provides security, networking and storage solutions. It’s too bad Cervelo is no longer a title sponsor, but it’s great that the team could pick up another high-profile sponsor.

Check out the aero dimples.

The new kit is very similar to the special edition Tour de France jersey the team raced in last year with blue argyle on the bottom and white across the mid-section. Castelli improved what is already the most comfortable pair of bib shorts on the planet by adding dimples on the fabric of the thighs to reduce aerodynamic drag. Castelli also claims the Aero Race Jersey will save 10 watts at 40km/h compared to a standard cycling jersey.

We can’t help but take note how many teams will be sporting blue motifs in 2012. One of the best parts about watching cycling on TV is the dazzling rainbow of colors that comprise the mercurial globule that is the Pro Peloton. This year, Garmin-Barracuda, Saxo Bank, Omega Pharma-Quick Step and Team Sky will all ride in kits that feature some shade of blue as the primary color. Can you imagine a four-man breakaway forming with a rider from each of these teams? It’d be more than a little tough to tell them apart.

Another interesting tidbit that came out of this announcement was that mountain bike brake manufacturer Magura has signed on as a Garmin-Barracuda team sponsor. Rumor has it that Magura is launching some new road components this year, possibly hydraulic brakes for road and TT frames. After months of hype, Cervelo will finally unveil the new P5 triathlon/TT bike on January 18th, perhaps outfitted with some fancy new Magura brakes? We’ll soon find out and you can bet we’ll have more information about it here when the news brakes, pun definitely intended.

We’ll leave you with this video of Garmin-Barracuda pro Christophe Le Mevel training in the new kit on a snowy European mountain. If you are the type of rider who hides in the basement spending lonely hours on the trainer, this will hopefully inspire you to get out and ride.

Click on the image to see the video.

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A few Pro Tour teams have revealed their fancy new kit designs for 2012 recently, most notably Omega Pharma-Quick Step and Lotto-Belisol. These kits are, for the most part, tame and rather conventional, which got us thinking about some of the ugliest, most repulsive Pro cycling kits of all time.

As a euro-centric sport, cycling comes off as a sport full of outlandish characters by our American standards for professional athletics. Tight spandex, colorful outfits, shaved legs…the list of emasculating traits goes on and on. And perhaps these peculiar personalities provide the fuel to create the excessively colorful, creative and ghastly designs that frequent the peloton year after year.

Sometimes the graphic risks pay off, resulting in fan favorite kits like the argyle of the Garmin-Slipstream team or the jelly beans scattered across the Jelly Belly jerseys. But more often than not, these forays that push the limits of cycling fashion result in epic failures. We’ve compiled the five most atrocious designs below. We also acknowledge that some of you may feel differently, which is why there’s a comment section so you can participate in this discussion too. But if you seriously think any of these kits are attractive, you need your sanity checked.

Did a box of crayons melt all over this guy?

#5 - Mapei

I know some people loved the bright colors randomly blocked across the Mapei kits, but how can you expect to be taken seriously wearing this? I mean look at this guy, does he look very intimidating? He looks like a pre-schooler who spent an hour unsupervised with a set of watercolor paints, which is probably the point because Mapei did evolve from a small paint producer.

Mapei was one of the strongest teamsof the late 90s with a powerful stable of classics riders, winning Paris-Roubaix five times between 1995 and 2000. But they will unfortunately be remembered for their hideously colorful kits rather than their results on the road.

#4 - Rock Racing

The bad boys of Rock Racing.

The polar opposite of the Mapei kit comes from Rock Racing, with the team’s “Bad Boy” persona enforced by its anarchist kit design. Full of skulls, stars, stripes, wings, anarchy symbols and bright colors, Rock Racing unveiled 17 different kit designs in three forgettable seasons. The team does get points for being different - everything new feels weird at first because it’s different. But cycling wasn’t ready for Rock Racing. This band of cycling outcasts comprised of riders tainted by doping scandals was pretty bad-ass, showing up to races with tricked out Escalades and hot chicks in team-branded apparel. The problem was, they just weren’t likable, and their kits were probably the biggest reason.

#3 - Acqua & Sapone - Zebra

One of Mario's nicknames was ironically The Lion King.

Not even the great Mario Cipollini could make this one look good. I would love to know who actually came up with this and how they could have possibly thought zebra stripes were a good idea. Of all the animal prints, it has to be one of the lamest. Now tiger stripes, that’s at least an intimidating animal that would justify some possible design cues. Zebras are basically weird horses, you can’t even ride one because they have never been domesticated.

#2 - Saeco  - Super Mario’s muscle suit

WTF?

This one raises more questions than the zebra kit. It is in no way aesthetically pleasing by any metric you can come up with, unless it had some pleasant aroma I’m not aware of, but I find that highly unlikely. I give credit for creativity, but what is the point of the muscles? I just don’t get it, but this is from a man who was quoted as saying, “If I weren’t a professional cyclist, I’d be a porn star,” so nothing he did was really that much of a surprise.

His antics and showmanship were good for the sport. Where the guys of Rock Racing were annoyingly unconventional, Mario the Magnificent was captivating and flamboyant. However, this kit is in no way acceptable and all images should be censored from the internet from here forth.

#1 - Footon-Servetto

“Kids, cover your eyes, for some reason those men are riding in the nude…oh never mind, it’s just the ugliest kit I’ve ever seen,” said the cycling fan to his children. If these kits were actually gold instead of flesh, they would still look horrible, but they may have looked decent enough to make it off this list. Someone clearly made a mistake in the factory, using caucasian-flesh instead of bronzey gold to construct this kit. If the jerseys matched their bikes, they would have been in much better shape.

And how about that footprint on the front? First of all, you can’t even tell what the image is of while the rider is on his bike because he is hunched over the handlebars. To me, the footprint is a reminder that this kit design is the doormat of all kit designs.

(For a good laugh that ranks high on the unintentional comedy scale, check out this video from the team’s kit unveiling in 2010.)

Let these failures be lessons to those graphic designers out there so we can learn from our mistakes and never, ever repeat this ugly chapter of cycling’s rich history.

These poor cyclists look embarrassed. I would be too if I had to race in a flesh-toned kit.

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With the calendar year winding down and the holiday shopping season in full swing, we wanted to compile a list of the best products 2011 had to offer. The products on this list were picked by our staff of buyers, an enlightened collection of cyclists with expertise in every genre of two-wheeled machines. We have sorted through literally thousands of products to bring you our top picks for Gear of the Year. The products on the list stand out to us because they meet one or more of the criteria on the list below:

1. Revolutionary
2. Technological and functional superiority
3. Aesthetically awesome

So there you have it. Without any further ado, hype or puffery, we present our first annual Gear of the Year list, starting with bikes.

Road Bike of the Year

Cervelo S5

Thor Hushovd rode the S5 to two stage wins at the 2011 Tour de France.

Cervélo has been the pioneer in aero road bike design since 1996 and the S5 is the latest evolution in Cervélo’s lineup of wind-cheating machines. Evolving from the S3, the S5 is stiffer and more aerodynamic. The most obvious visual difference of the S5 compared to the S3 is the extended rear wheel cutout, which smoothes airflow from the frame to the wheel. Another aero advantage is the dropped downtube, which minimizes turbulence behind the fork crown. The seat stays of the S5 have also been designed to shield the rear brake, further improving aerodynamics. The BB area is massive thanks to the BBright bottom bracket; an improvement on the BB30 design.

The S5 had an impressive 2011 campaign, most notably in the Tour de France where Thor Hushovd rode it to two stage wins and a week in the Yellow Jersey. Not a bad debut for the bike of the year.

Honorable mentions go to the Specialized Venge, ridden my Mark Cavendish to a road world championship and the BMC Team Machine, ridden by Cadel Evans to victory at the Tour de France.

Mountain Bike of the Year

Yeti SB-66

The SB-66 in classic Yeti Turquoise.

Revolutionary. There is no other word that better describe Yeti’s newest 6” travel trail/all-mountain bike dubbed the SB-66. The “Switch Technology” suspension that sets this Yeti apart from other bikes utilizes a unique eccentric pivot above the bottom bracket to build a bike that takes the best characteristics of two radically different suspension designs and combines them while eliminating their drawbacks. Another improvement is a nearly flat suspensionleverage curve. This means the amount of leverage the rear wheel has over the shock stays essentially unchanged as it moves though the full range of travel. All this adds up to a bike that pedals and climbs crisply without sacrificing small bump sensitivity.

HED Aredennes SL Wheelset - $1,099.99

The HED Ardennes SL is our best selling wheelset, and understandably so. It delivers a tubular-like ride quality without limiting you to only using certain tires like tubeless compatible wheels do. It’s under 1,500 grams for the set, rolls insanely well, is stiff and aerodynamic. Lastly, with the new graphics, it just looks better than ever. What’s not to love?

Garmin Edge 800 - $449.99-$649.99

The Garmin Edge 800 will show you just about any metric you want to see, in just about any combination.

Garmin’s Edge 800 is the ultimate companion to have along with you on almost any bike ride—it always knows the way and can tell you just how far you’ve come, how far you have to go, and give you multiple options on how to get there. With maps available for almost everywhere on planet Earth, you can just start pedaling and make it back home before dark no matter where you are, even if you’ve never been there before, and you’ll be able to find all the Thai restaurants on the way.

It’s hard to assign one feature that makes the Edge 800 so remarkable, besides the high-resolution, touch-screen display, the near-perfect GPS capabilities of Garmin’s GPS chip, the ANT+ capabilities for speed/cadence and power, and the high-level of customization. Custom maps can be used as well, such as those showing all the cycling routes and trails in an area, or any map you can find. Training regimens can be programmed and a virtual training partner used to help push you along. When you’re done riding, you can upload your data to Garmin’s own Garmin Connect to compare with others, view your route, or look for new routes. Available as a basic speed/distance setup or with cadence and heart rate for training as well, the Edge 800 is our choice for gadget of the year.

We had trouble keeping the Hans Dampf in stock all year.

Schwalbe Hans Dampf Tire- $66.99

The tire of the year award goes to the Schwalbe Hans Dampf. It takes one seriously awesome tire to virtually surpass all other mountain tires in sales and be more expensive (and it’s only been available since April!). The Hans Dampf is the perfect all mountain and trail tire. It rolls well, grips even better, is tubeless compatible, light for its size and level of protection, and performs exceptionally on every type of terrain. Jack of All Trades indeed.

Lezyne Dirt Floor Drive Pump - $59.99-$109.99

We love the distinct look of the Classic Dirt Drive.

There is no better way to inflate your mountain bike tires than with Lezyne’s Dirt Floor Drive floor pump. Designed specifically for larger-volume mountain bike tires, the Dirt Floor Drive outperforms traditional floor pumps by a margin of at least two-to-one. This innovative pump makes life easier for dirt riders everywhere. Sorry roadies, the DFD will only pump up to seventy PSI; it’s for mountain bikes only!

For Gear of the Year honors, aesthetics is as important as performance, and the DFD comes up aces in the looks category as well. Depending on the model you purchase—Classic, Alloy, or CNC—you’ll get a classy, varnished wood or stylish aluminum handle topping off the oversized piston. Sitting inside a huge barrel, the piston can push enough air to seat tubeless tires with only normal pumping effort required. We know, we use these pumps all the time. Tubeless or conventional tires are inflated in half the time it takes to inflate a tire on a traditional high-pressure pump. Looking at the taller/wider than average Dirt Floor Drive chassis and minimalist base, you might wonder about its ability to remain upright in a cramped workspace. Don’t, because the cleverly designed base is as sturdy as they come, employing a tripod design, which uses an oversized pressure gauge as one of the supports.

What puts the latest version of the DFD into elite status is the new ABS Flip Thread Chuck. Thread-on capability for both Presta and Schrader valves, and push-button pressure release (ABS stands for Air Bleed System), allows you to effortlessly remove the chuck from your valve with no loss of pressure or damage to the valve core. Of course, if you prefer to press rather than thread on, the DFD also comes with Lezyne’s Speed Fit Chuck, which fits Presta valves only.

Giro Factor and Code Shoes - $289.99

Our staff loved Giro's shoes so much, nearly half our employees placed special orders for them.

Our favorite shoes came from an unlikely source, not heavyweights Specialized, Sidi or Shimano, but we felt newcomer Giro created the best all-around product with the top-end Factor road shoe and Code mountain shoe. The best part about these shoes is the refined fit, which feels so perfectly dialed in, they’re ready to wear right out of the box. The unrivaled fit is largely thanks to Giro’s SuperNatural Fit Kit, which provides three different arch options to customize the amount of support. Stiff carbon soles, supple yet supportive uppers and effective closure systems leave nothing to be desired. We predict Giro will carve out a huge chunk of the market in 2012 and wouldn’t be surprised to see their shoe lineup expand in years to come. An Honorable Mention goes to the Fizik R1 and R3 for the classic, retro styling and handmade Italian craftsmanship.

Swiftwick Olefin Four Aspire - $15.99/pair

Socks are socks, right? Wrong. Socks are really important - if your feet are uncomfortable, it can significantly affect your performance. Our staff is totally sold on the amazing comfort and durability of Swiftwick socks. Once you try them, they’ll be your go-to socks for every ride. Features that set the Aspire Four apart from the rest - 200-needle construction, Olefin material with seamless toe and a four inch compressive cuff. As a special bonus, you can save 15% when you buy two or more pairs! We absolutely love this sock and think you will too, which is why it made the list.

Giro Aeon Helmet - $199.99-$249.99

The aeon is crazy light and extremely well ventilated.

After years of developing an extended high-end road helmet line, Giro has finally streamlined its offerings and settled on the Aeon as the do-it-all, race-level brain case. Merging the weight of the Prolight with the ventilation of the Ionos, Giro has created the perfect helmet in the Aeon.

Registering 219 grams in a size medium, with all straps and retention systems in place, the Aeon would be a Mini Flyweight boxer. As a helmet, the Aeon disappears once you strap it on your head, thanks in equal measures to the lack of grams, the Roc Loc 5 retention system, and its design. Keeping contact points with your head minimal makes the Aeon very comfortable, and moves material to the outside of the helmet, increasing impact resistance. Upon first look, the Roc Loc 5 looks like it might be a bit obtrusive, as there is no padding on it’s plastic frame. The plastic is soft and pliable, however, and combined with the shape of the “pads” the Roc Loc 5 is as light, comfortable, and as easy to use as any tension device on the market.

If you had to judge by the defunct Prolight, there must be a trade-off between feather-weight and ventilation. The Aeon proves that isn’t true, with more vents than on an old leather hairnet helmet. Giro took advantage of two different technologies to create the Aeon; a reinforcing frame called the SL Rollcage, and a special EPS foam. Since the new thermoformed SL Rollcage—basically a second shell under the outer shell—is so effective, Giro was able to use a lower-density foam to keep weight down. Thin webbing with tiny adjusters also contribute to the increased airflow on your skin, and of course reduce weight as well.

An Honorable Mention goes out to the Kask Vertigo for its revolutionary retention system.

Shimano XTR M985 Shadow Plus Rear Derailleur

After checking out the new XTR Shadow rear derailleur , one of our mechanics remarked, “This is a real monkey touching the monolith moment’” Who can disagree? The Shimano XTR M985 Shadow Plus Rear Derailleur is a revolution in rear derailleur design, allowing the cage to swing backward, but limiting forward motion. The result is a chain that stays in tension, never slapping the stays. This derailleur is a chain guide and rear derailleur all in one.

The result of this technology is a much quieter bike and far fewer dropped chains. One employee here experimented using this derailleur with a single front chainring and only a bash guard to guide the chain. Over a one-mile trail littered with softball sized rocks, the chain never dropped. He plans on removing the bash ring soon. We can’t think of a better endorsement than that. We can’t wait to see this technology spread to all levels of mountain derailleurs.

Gore Ride-On Cable Sets - $36.99-$54.99

Cables are often overlooked and frankly a little unglamorous, but since installing Gore Professional Ride-On cables last October (2010 mind you), Brad, our components buyer, hasn’t needed to adjust his derailleurs once after the cables broke in. This bears repeating: he hasn’t even touched his cable adjustments in over a year and they still work like new. And yes, he does ride… a lot.

Niterider Pro 3000 - $649.99

Apparently Niterider grew tired of the slow-paced lumens competition, seeing each manufacturer’s output creep up by a couple-hundred L-M’s each year. In an effort to put some distance between themselves and their adversaries, Niterider teamed up with the Cree LED company (who have been supplying Light and Motion for years) and came up with the unbelievable Pro 3000, more than doubling last year’s high-output lamp without a price increase.

3000 Lumens! Are you kidding me?

The Niterider Pro 3000 uses a single head housing and two reflectors loaded with three LED bulbs each. Niterider’s mounting hardware is solid and secure—once you get the light aimed where you want it and tightened down, it won’t move. Another distinguishing feature to all the Niterider Pro series lights is the ability to customize output levels, and thus, burn times as well. This would come in handy for racing where you want a climbing mode to save energy and a descending mode to maximize visibility, with no shuffling through medium output and flash modes. All these things are nice, but really, it’s the sheer power of the Niterider Pro 3000 that we most appreciate. It’s like riding with the sun!

Runner up: Light and Motion Seca 1400. This was a tough choice since the Seca is much lighter, has a much lower profile, and has a smaller battery. In the end, though, we just couldn’t overlook the huge output of the Pro 3000.

So there you have it, our favorite products of 2011. If there are any awesome products you’ve been riding that should have made our list, or if you think any of these suck, we’d love to hear from you. Just leave a comment below.

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When Fizik introduced its first saddle, the Arione, it rocked the saddle world. Now they have done it again with the Kurve saddles. But rather then reinvent the saddle, Fizik takes a cue from the best saddles of old and updates the technology to work with modern materials. They’ve put a premium on comfort above all else, and the result is the Kurve platform. The Fizik Kurve saddles feature a two part system that is designed to give you unprecedented comfort on the bike.

The Re:Flex base and Mobius rail

It starts with a 3 layer carbon fabric base (or shell) that has adjustable tension (read: flexibility/firmness) so you can tailor the saddle feel to your preferences. The 3 layer fabric, called Re:Flex Dynamic Interface, is designed with only 1 layer beneath more critical parts such as your sit bones and perineal nerve so that it flexes easily under those areas. The second part of the system is the Mobius one-piece, forged, aluminum rail. The Mobius rail is designed as a spring held in compression by the base and the “Tuner” you choose (more on that in a moment). You therefore have the flexing of the base and the springing of the rail complementing each other to provide comfort. The Mobius rail holds the base at the very ends of the saddle. This is a key design point. Most other saddles, including Fizik’s, have the rails attached to the base underneath the sit-bones area, which consequently increases pressure there. By supporting the saddle at the very front and rear of the base, the entire saddle is able to flex and move with your body.

The Kurve saddles are tunable to your preferences by placing soft or hard “Tuners” at the nose of the saddle. The Tuners control the tension of the base. Higher tension equals less flex. Lower tension equals more. This is old technology and Fizik is keen to borrow it from sister company Brooks and implement it in a modern design.

The most common Fizik technologies have also found their way in to the Kurve saddles. Wing Flex technology allows full unhindered movement for your legs and a supple microtex cover provides that little extra bit of softness over the base. Padding is kept to a minimum since comfort is derived primarily through the flexing of the base.

The Kurve Snake shares its basic shape with the Arione CX saddle

Though the price may scare some away, the reviews around the cycling world so far have only given high praise. With an understanding of the  Kurve saddle design, it’s not hard to see that most everyone could benefit from riding one. They currently come in Bull, Chameleon, and Snake models. Each corresponds to the Aliante, Antares, and Arione, respectively.

If you’ve never quite found the current crop of saddles available to be comfortable enough, take a look at the Fizik Kurve saddles. Kurve saddles can be purchased here.

Bradstone Gear, Road cycling, Fizik, Kurve, Saddle

Van Cleve Racing Team Jersey

Clipless pedals, tubeless tires, carbon fiber, aero frames and wide rims all have one thing in common: they were game changers in the world of cycling. It is not often that you come across game changers, but when you do, it is always exciting. We believe that Van Cleve Racing has developed a game changing line of cycling apparel and are pleased to announce that Art’s Cyclery.com is the exclusive distributor for Van Cleve Racing cycling apparel. As part of this announcement we are offering an introductory 20% discount on all Van Cleve Racing gear. Just use the code VANCLEVE20 at checkout.

What makes Van Cleve Racing kits a game changer? Well, unlike most of the hyped-up high-tech components out there, Van Cleve makes no wild claims to proprietary technology when it comes to their garment’s construction. What makes this new kit so exciting is its back-to-basics design and innovative use of faux finishes.

Members of the Van Cleve Racing Team out on a training ride.

Van Cleve’s departure from the brightly colored pajama-esque styles we are used to seeing recalls the ever-evolving history of rock-and-roll. Elvis Presley was the foil for stodgy big band jazz. The Beatles’ music was a response to the boring folk songs and urbane, sanitized pop of the early sixties. The Clash and The Ramones battled against the overwrought prog-rock of the 70’s. Nirvana shook up the over-synthed world of “altnerative” rock with a three piece line-up and a healthy dose of distorted guitar.

However, Van Cleve Racing isn’t about angst or fighting the system like any of these rockers were. But they are about getting back to that straight ahead three-chord sound that is the antidote for the diseases of an overcomplicated, over-done, hyper-real world. They have accomplished this through a simple design aesthetic that hearkens back to the bicycle craze of the 1890’s when the safety bike first became available in the United States. This era of two-wheeled excitement had a certain purity to it. All of the bikes were single-speeds and riders wore clothes to ride in that are nicer than you or I are likely to be seen wearing at a wedding, let alone out on a bike. As impractical as those victorian styles were, they sure looked good.

The Nikola Jersey up close

Van Cleve Racing has distilled the essence of this early racing gear and infused it into modern fabrics and then cut those fabrics to fit like the best cycling kits available on the market today. Van Cleve’s “Team” kit recalls the wool sweaters and shorts of early track racers, while their “Nikola” kit with its herringbone faux finish references the suits worn by gentleman racers out on the roads. What makes these kits unique is that they aren’t just retro throwbacks, they have a modern edge to them that truly looks “pro” while maintaining a sense of victorian class.

Beyond the great styling of these kits, they just plain work great. Made by Voler, the fit works with most body types and isn’t overly tight or loose. The chamois on the bib shorts is made of a high quality multi-density foam with a wicking inner cover that never rubs the wrong way. Plus, it is as comfortable on both long and short rides as any other manufacturer’s bibs we’ve tried.

The Nikola Bibs

One last thing, the guys behind Van Cleve Racing are local and hail from our home town of San Luis Obispo, CA. They are real cyclocross nuts that also spend plenty of time on the road and the dirt in the off season. Perhaps their most endearing quality is that they bring a sense of humor to an industry that is often characterized by too many graphs and charts detailing new improvements to frame stiffness, compliance and the like. Some evidence of this sense of humor can be found in Van Cleve Racing’s press releases that are typically written in victorian prose and the tongue-in-cheek old-timey phrases they print on the collars of all their jerseys.

So lighten up and try out one of Van Cleve Racing’s new kits. We guarantee that wearing either one of the Van Cleve kits will make you the classiest looking rider at your next group ride. Order now with the code VANCLEVE20 to get 20% off.

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Certain things are inevitable in life. Death and taxes are good examples, but for we who ride - winter time woes are also inevitable. For example, if you ride at all in the winter chances are good you will flat. Chances are also good you will need to adjust your brakes and derailleurs much more often than normal. All this is due to water and grime gumming up your cables and causing debris to cling to your tires. There are ways around these winter cycling frustrations, and although I haven’t gone a full winter yet on the products I’m about to share with you, chances look good for a low-frustration year.

Over 800 miles and no cuts or slits on the DDs

In general it’s a good idea to change your tires and tubes, cables, and brake pads for the winter time. It’s best to have tires that can stand up to a constant barrage of pebbles, thistles and thorns, and anything else you’ll find on the road. The wet weather causes objects that your tires normally roll over in the summer to stick to your tires and remain there for a while. To combat this,  I’m trying out some Schwalbe Ultremo DD tires. A little background on the DDs; DD stands for Double Defense and is Schwalbe’s most durable race tire. It features two layers of defense.. shocking right? The first is a super densely woven puncture belt underneath the tread patch. The second is Schwalbe’s Snakeskin fabric from bead to bead, which is similar to the Duraskin we’re all familiar with on Conti’s but doesn’t look any different than a normal sidewall - which is quite nice actually. What makes the DDs a race tire is they still weigh a svelte 225 grams in 23c width, feature a folding bead, and use Schwalbe’s Triple Nano Compound tread. Recently, there has been a ludicrous amount of road construction going on in our area. I don’t mind the road repair (though I prefer it when it’s necessary) I just wish Cal Trans would clean up after itself. Instead, they leave little fresh chunks of asphalt strewn across the bike lane and shoulder. It’s one of the best proving grounds for road tires.

I’ve had these tires on for two months and put around 800 miles on them, including a gran fondo. They corner well, roll smoothly, and I haven’t flatted yet in spite of 2 wet rides and picking up a staple. What’s more encouraging is when I closely inspect the tread, there are no visible slashes or cuts after repeated asphalt abuse. I would highly recommend these to any one who needs a durable tire for the winter.

The GHP II compound pads are proven stoppers in wet weather

The go-to brake pad for the winter is the Swissstop GHP II pad. These are amazing wet weather pads. If you’ve ever needed to stop quickly in the wet, more than likely you’ve noticed greatly increased stopping distances and virtually no stopping power. These pads respond in the wet like normal pads do in the dry. Enough said. If your winters are wet these are a must, if you live somewhere like Arizona the Original Black pads will better suit your needs.

Lastly, let’s talk about the Gore Ride-On Professional Cable Kits. These immediately made a huge difference in my shifting and braking performance. What’s interesting is that Sram does some clever marketing saying that these cables come with their RED groups. I have Sram RED, bought it aftermarket and can confirm that that is not true at all. What comes with the RED group is a hybrid system that is closest to the Gore Ride-On Low Friction Cable Kit. The Professional kit is a whole different animal. For starters, it’s a fully sealed system. Second, it’s compression-less. The Pro system was designed to appease Pro Tour mechanics who wanted a fully sealed system that was lighter than the Low-Friction Sealed system. The Pro system uses 4mm shift housing to accomplish this and saves about 20 grams per cable. The housing is pre-lubed which would normally make for an easy install; more on that later. Another nice feature exclusive to the Pro Kits is the Teflon coating starts a few inches down the cable.

Grub seals keep the gunk out

The reason for this is the Teflon coating eventually comes off - especially where it comes in contact with mechanical zones such as the shifter mechanism. This is typically where the Teflon coating will come apart and sometimes gum up the shifter.  Starting the coating outside the shifter body solves this problem.

Installation was slightly annoying. The cables come with Campy ends and Sram/Shimano ends so you have to cut off one of the ends to fit your system. However, inserting a shift cable into Sram shift levers is one of the biggest pains in road bike maintenance and it’s only exacerbated by a freshly cut cable. After 30 minutes of coaxing I got the cables through. It was smooth sailing after that. Once installed, the Professional Kits made my shift action light and quick. And it hasn’t changed at all since. Best of all, I don’t have to worry about it changing because the system is totally weather sealed. I’m definitely most excited about this change to my bike. I really like these cables!

These are the basics of getting your road steed ready for winter. Not only is it nice to get your bike running fresh again, but these changes will make it more enjoyable over the long haul. For more information on the products mentioned visit our website at artscyclery.com.

Bradstone Gear, Product Reviews, Road Road Biking, tires

SRAM's new Limited Edition Red Gruppo with yellow graphics

SRAM is releasing a Limited Edition Red Groupset with Yellow graphics to pay tribute to the Tour de France. You’ll see these components on the bikes of Lance and Alberto. The black polished brake levers will feature the Tour issue oversized SRAM logo in yellow, as seen on Team Saxo Bank and Astana bikes. Features and benefits stay the same as the SRAM Red, and it remains the world’s lightest gruppo. These components will be available in September and the cost will be about the same as a Red group. If you’d like to pre-order this gruppo, e-mail us at info@artscyclery.com.

Evan Industry, Road

We’ve all seen them on the bikes of a select few pros, and we finally got our hands on a set. They’re gone now, but we snuck them in for a few high resolution images before they were taken away from us. The “they” were a prototype set of Shimano Carbon Dura Ace pedals. We didn’t have too much time with them but what we can say is they are pretty sweet. Only a tad lighter than the current 7800 pedals, these new carbon variants are huge in comparison. They are at least 5 mm wider per pedal than the current 7800 pedals which means there should be no shortage of power transfer. I did get a chance to put a pedal on our trusty gram counter here and found one new DA carbon pedal to weigh a competitive 124 grams, putting the pair at just over a half pound. This makes them about the same weight as the Mavic SL Ti pedals. The bearings and spindle look to be the same as the current pedal, however the stack height looks like it may have been lowered. Otherwise the pedals seem similar in function to the current 7800 pedals. Here’s the images; check your twitter account for an update on when Artscyclery.com will be getting some to sell. Enjoy.

The new Dura Ace pedals have a huge body

yet remain ultra thin and sleek.

Hammer On.

Bradstone Gear, Road

It’s no secret that here in California we’re spoiled in regards to weather. The ability to even be able to ride this time of year is a privilege. I think however, that our inexperience with the weather has some what scared us out of riding when it turns foul. Not I however! This fearless blogger has now braved 4 days of rain soaked riding and many more where the roads were significantly wet; it would’ve been more, but again, it’s California. I’ve learned a few things while hammering in the rain that may come in handy should you ever choose to ride regardless of the weather.

Check your tires after every wet ride

Water is an interesting substance. When forced between bicycle rubber and pavement, it tends to grab every piece of debris (small rocks, glass, splinters, etc.) in the road, pick it up and swing it around the tire so that you run over it every revolution of the wheel. This has an especially degrading effect on your tire, as you can imagine. When it’s not raining, tires tend to not pick up the debris, but watch out when it is. I learned that it’s a great idea to check your tires after every wet ride. Go over them with a pair of tweezers to pull out anything that may cause a flat next time you go out. You may be surprised at what you find. I personally have discovered that not all tires are suited to the wet weather. My first ride out in the rain on my stock Specialized Mondo Pro IIs rewarded me with a flat rear tire. My second rain ride resulted in the same and a significant hole in the tire.

Some road debris lodged in my tire after my first rain ride

To the left are some examples of the debris I found in my tire after my first ride out. You’ll notice that each is a different substance - a rock, a piece of glass, and a metal shard. I actually found much more but these were the biggest examples. I put them on a sticky note for reference. As you can see, it’s a very good idea to check your tires after every wet whether ride.

Get a Set of Rain Worthy Tires

After my second flat I decided to upgrade to a good set of rain worthy tires. I called around and Vittoria was happy to let me try out a set of Open Pavé CG’s. If that sounds unfamiliar to you, think Paris Roubaix. Since 1978, 16 Paris Roubaixs have been won on Pavé Evo CGs - the most recent victory coming in 2007 by Stuart O’ Grady with CSC, shown below. The tire is designed specifically for the slippery cobbles and wet weather that characterizes the Hell of the North. It’s easily identified from all other tires by it’s trade mark green stripe which also separates it from any other tire in Vittoria’s line.

O' Grady on his way to Roubaix victory

It’s easy to mistake the Open Pavé Evo CG for a Corsa Evo CX, but beyond it’s skin, the Pavé Evo CG is an entirely different animal. Starting with the casing, it has a true 320 tpi casing where 80% is polycotton and the other 20% is Kevlar, making it one of the strongest casings on the market. It also only comes in one size, 700×24c. The larger volume helps the tire absorb more of the pavés ( for those who aren’t fluent in French, Pavé means “paving stone” hence the name) or any other road condition you may encounter. For 2010, the tread design is slightly different also, with the chevron blocks being slightly taller than on a Corsa Evo. The tire also employs Vittoria’s PRB 2.0 which is a strip of material under the tread that increases puncture resistance by 40% over the older versions. The question now is did it live up to the hype? I answer that with a resounding yes! Having just gotten off the Specialized tires, I had a great standard to compare the Pavé Evos to.

Unlike my Mondo Pro IIs, the Pavé Evos don’t pick up water nearly as much. I don’t know how but my guess is it has something to do with the tread pattern. Because of this, the tires haven’t seemed to pick any road debris and thus after 5 or 6 wet rides, I still haven’t had a flat. In fact, my tires still look almost new, with virtually no slits or tears in the tread. This is the biggest difference; other than the fact that I still haven’t gotten a flat, the tires grip well and the 24c size combined with such a high tpi count is heavenly to ride on. Pavé Evo CGs are fast and smooth. Lastly, as with all Vittoria Open tubulars, you really get the sense that you’re installing a nice tire. Many tires give the impression that they shouldn’t cost as much as they do, but Vittoria’s handmade tires look the part. You instantly recognize the 320 tpi handmade difference just looking at the inside of the tire. Open Pavé Evo CGs will soon be available from us here at Arts. We wanted to make sure they worked before we sold them to you, and they most definitely do.  In the mean time Continental Ultra Gatorskins are the standard for wet weather performance, and Vittoria’s Rubino Tech is also a wet weather champion.

My last little bit of wet weather advice is get a good set of fenders. I’ve learned this one the hard way. I’ve got some SKS Raceblades which are light, easy to mount and keep the water off my back and bike. What more could you want? Now get off the trainer and get out there!

Hammer On

Bradstone Gear, Road