Dario Pegoretti, a sneak peak at what's new...

February 25, 2011, 2:27 pm

≫ Next: Pegoretti at NAHBS 2011

Here just a couple shots, see how many changes you can find. Ian is flying to Austin right now and will be talking to Dario for a while tomorrow at the hand built bike show. He'll be getting all the information on what's new for these bikes and even a bit of the why...

For now, enjoy!

There are actually quite a few things that Dario has done to this frameset. How many can you find? We'll fill you in on everything in a few days...

Day is Done

We really, really like this one...

No, we LOVE this one!

Simple elegance

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Pegoretti at NAHBS 2011

March 8, 2011, 4:02 pm

≫ Next: Pegoretti Love #3 custom front end

≪ Previous: Dario Pegoretti, a sneak peak at what's new...

When Chad asked if I wanted to check out the North American Handmade Bicycle Show in Austin Texas, I jumped at the chance. It's a showcase of the world's top talent in the handmade bike world. Having worked at AC a few years back, as well as founding the AC elite team in 2008, I'd be visiting with some old friends in the industry.

On Saturday morning I finagled my way into the show an hour early in order to meet up with Dario Pegoretti and Giorgio Andretta. Giorgio is the man responsible for bringing Pegoretti bicycles to the U.S., and a good friend of the Above Category family. Dario is equal parts genius, artist, alchemist, and jester. I've spent time with him on his almost yearly pilgrimages to the Above Category shop in Mill Valley, and had the great honor to visit him in his workshop in Caldonazzo, Italy (I wrote about that trip here). He also sponsored our team with custom frames in 2009, which was an incredible privilege!

NAHBS is big, and it took me a while to find the Pegoretti booth. Wandering through the early-morning empty aisles of the show, I heard a familiar voice boom out. "Ciao Ian!" and there was Dario, wandering the aisles himself, in search of espresso.

Dario (R) and Giorgio (L) explained the many enhancements Dario has been working on... One of the most exciting is a brand new Pegoretti fork...

It's still in the prototype phase, and right now they only have six of them produced. Please remember that some of these details might change. This is what he told me about the new design:

The crown of the fork is very broad, mimicking the structure of traditional steel forks, to increase strength and stiffness. In Dario's words: "A very classic design." Also notice the aluminum cap. As Dario said, there's no point in having a flawless fork if you can't seat it perfectly in the headset!

The fork is all carbon, including the dropouts. In order to achieve the right balance of strength, light weight, and ride quality, it uses a blend of four different carbons. It's wide enough to allow 25mm tires, and possibly 28mm (depending on the final design). This is to accommodate a growing interest in riding wider tires.

The bowed shape creates a straight line leading down to the dropouts, increasing stiffness and absorbing shock.

"Falz" means "Sickle" in an Italian dialect.

The fork will be available in 45 and 50mm rake. Dario is still tweaking it, experimenting with different layups to further increase torsional stiffness. It's a race fork, and one that other frame builders have already expressed an interest in!

Check back for more from Pegoretti... the Falz fork is just one of many new developments. I'll be posting the rest over the next few days.

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Pegoretti Love #3 custom front end

March 10, 2011, 2:52 pm

≫ Next: My dream bike... 20 years ago

≪ Previous: Pegoretti at NAHBS 2011

Here are a few shots of a Pegoretti Love #3 that we had some custom work done to. The guys and gals at Spectrum nailed the fork perfectly, from matching the off white of Dario's frame to the artwork itself. This takes the aesthetic of this bike to the next level and there is going to be one very happy cyclist in Tennessee riding around on it this spring!

The complete frame set. You'd never know that Dario didn't do the fork as well...

Color match on the individual colors was spot on with the frame...

Dario Pegoretti set inside the fork leg is a nice touch...

Even the font is a match!

Projects like this are something we've been doing for a long time. Reading through our old blogs is a great way to see some of the things we've been doing. We are curious to see what Dario has up his sleeve with his new fork regarding finishing. We'd love to see him paint the forks to match his frames in house as designing the artwork, shipping the frame (for color matching) and fork to our painter is neither easy nor cheap. But the end result is worth it! Thanks for reading and give us a shout to see what we can do for you.

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My dream bike... 20 years ago

March 14, 2011, 3:51 pm

≫ Next: Last week at Above Category, in pictures Vol. II

≪ Previous: Pegoretti Love #3 custom front end

It's times like this that I wish I'd had paid more attention in my English/Lit and writing classes. Not sure if I can really put into words the feelings that I had as I unpacked this bike from the box it came in this morning. Being able to explain just how many good memories this bike has invoked in just one afternoon of staring at it.

I forget which catalog it was that I saw this bike in, but I do remember that I was 17 years old and built it up thousands of times in my head in what I thought would be the perfect bike. And now, 20 years later it's sitting on the shop floor.

This one may not be built up 100% the exact way I dreamed it back then, but it's pretty damned close. I would have had Mavic GL330 rims instead of the Araya hoops that are on it now and I would have for sure had 32 spokes instead of 36. I wasn't cool enough to even know about the Dura-Ace stem and am blown away right now just looking at it so that's a nice change! Of course the Deda tires did not exist so it would have been Vittoria CG on the rear and a CX on the front. Also, the San Marco Regal saddle would have been perforated and lastly, white Benotto bar tape would have rounded out the look instead of the cloth tape.

And without further ado, may I introduce my dream bike from 20 years ago...

The San Rensho road bike...

Built as follows:

1987 Shimano Dura-Ace 7400 (I think!) 7spd groupset
170mm cranks 53X42
12X21 7spd FREEWHEEL
36 spoke (wheelsmith) Dura-Ace hubs laced to Araya rims
Dura-Ace Seatpost
Dura-Ace Stem!
Nitto bars, classic shallow drop
San Marco Regal saddle
Cat Eye cloth tape
19.92 lbs (no bottle cages or pedals)

The Dura-Ace parts were incredibly durable and I remember them lasting forever.

AND, they were incredibly shiny! These are tied with Campagnolo C-Record, Suntour Superbe Pro and the Mavic SSC crank as the most beautiful cranks I've ever seen on a bicycle.

The 7spd rear derailleur. I'll make the cable longer, but wonder if shorter housing worked better on these bikes? Hard to remember...

Closer look at the Dura-Ace rear derailleur

The freewheel. The 21 combined with a 42 chainring was my climbing gear. Learned a bit about cadence since then...

Beautiful Dura-ace rear brake w/ some pretty stiff springs. State of the art pad compound as well I'm sure...

Yuuuuuuuummmmmmmmm! LOVED this post! Satin finish and a nice little tilt adjust screw near the top of the mast...

...and the matching Dura-Ace stem! I had all but forgotten about this!

All the adjustments take place underneath this cap. Such attention to detail that we don't see as often today.

Such clean lines, absolutely perfect from where I'm sitting...

Dura-Ace headset and a chromed fork crown...

Front brake...

Rear Dura-Ace hub with the 7spd freewheel.

Square taper bottom bracket.

Best down tube shifters ever...

Attention to detail...

And more attention to detail. See the Dura-Ace on the wheel guides?

Nice quick releases...

Come back later this week for a check up with Team Sky's Pinarello Dogma and a closer look at Shimano Dura-Ace twenty years later...

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Last week at Above Category, in pictures Vol. II

March 21, 2011, 12:07 pm

≫ Next: Sneak peak at the new Fall/Winter Assos clothing

≪ Previous: My dream bike... 20 years ago

Last week was a busy week to say the least and the following photo's represent just a fraction of what went on. Here then are some pictures to guide you through last week at Above Category...

One word. Rain. We've had a bit, seems like 90% of the rides this month have been in cold, pouring rain and wind. No worries though, it filled up the lakes and will make us appreciate spring that much more! Also, I was able to get a few last rides in my 3 year old Assos ClimaJet rain jacket. It's done well, but is at the end of it's life for sure which is just fine as Assos is bringing out brand new rain gear next fall. Just in time for the rain to start back up!

Also gave me some time to test the Assos Habu jacket in the wet stuff as well. Work very nicely, though you do still get soaked. Even then I stayed plenty warm even on long rides and would just bring the Assos rain jacket with me for the descents. But overall this is the best winter jacket I have ever worn.

Another rain ride, this time with Tony and TJ.

And when it wasn't raining, it looked like this. But wait then, about five minutes after snapping this photo it poured, and then hailed, then poured some more...

San Francisco is RIGHT there, really, I promise!

Riding in all this crappy weather reminded us why we love Mad Alchemy so much. BTW, we are pretty much stocked back up on all there embrocation and chamois creme again...

The few times it didn't rain it was glorious.

And I got to wear my Fabian C. lookalike jersey...

OK, enough about the weather for now. We received a few Pinarello Graal TT frames in last week. The one on the left is for the shop while the white and red one is getting built up right now...

Another shot of the white and red Pinarello Graal. Don't think we'll be going with these wheels. This is going to a triathlete who I'm sure will be doing some proper 40k TT's on it as well. We want something deeper than the 50mm Lightweights. Would love some Mavic IO road wheels or even the new 80mm Mavic Cosmics...

It looks messy now, but it will be so clean soon!

Kalara did some re-arranging in the showroom. Verdict; we have too many bikes in here...

During the week, Kris built up some very sweet Enve 45mm wheels with Kris King R45's in Mango. Black aerolight spokes rounded off the package.

Built up they look like this...

...which Ed then put on his Parlee Z4 which looks like this...
(BTW, Ed is crazy. He's doing a 600k race in a couple weeks in an attempt to qualify for PBP on this bike. Hardcore.)

Here's another Moots we built up last week for Bill B. Nice and simple...and fast...and smooth...and light...etc...

Got this bike in last week! Did a write-up on it a few blogs ago, check it out...

Not only did we get the San Rensho, but we received this incredible Nagasawa track bike. Seeing these two bikes reminds me of how much history Japan has in cycling as well. Maybe not as long or as storied as Italy, but very storied non the less. Our thoughts go out to these people in Japan right now and hope they make as quick a recovery as is possible.

Ralf (who else?) built the Nagasawa up last friday...

And Joao claimed it about three seconds later!

All Fizik shoes are in! We have the R1's, R3's in white/black and red and the R3 Donna woman's shoes in almost every size in stock.

We installed a Shimano Yumeya kit onto our shop Pinarello Dogma.

The Yumeya rear derailleur pivot bolt is beautiful and good for about oh, 3 grams.

Brake pad holders and bolts also included in the Yumeya kit as is a chain, pinch bolts, jockey wheel bolts and shifter cables (for non Di2 shifters).

The week ended with a ride on Sunday that was entertaining to say the least. First I got my second flat in as many days on tubulars. No big deal as both times I fixed it in less than 5min and was back on the road. But yesterday, right after fixing the flat I picked up a stray branch that tore my Campagnolo Chorus Derailleur in half.

But luckily I remembered that I had a multi tool with a chain tool on it. First time I've ever had to do this on a road bike in over 20 years of riding. Got me over the mountain and back down again. Take it from me, go take a look at your riding tool kit and make sure you have what you need and that it is all in working order. If you need any help/suggestions come on in to the shop or give us a call and we'll help get you sorted.

And the one day of sun we had, Zack found the warmest spot...

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Sneak peak at the new Fall/Winter Assos clothing

March 21, 2011, 5:22 pm

≫ Next: Bill's new Moots Compact CR

≪ Previous: Last week at Above Category, in pictures Vol. II

Here is a quick look at part of the new fall/winter line from Assos that we'll have stocked the beginning of next September. The great thing about Assos is that they make such high quality and high performing clothing that they don't come out with new clothing every year. For example the current rain jacket has been around for longer than I can remember. Same with the leg and arm warmers. So when Assos does come out with something new, it's worth taking a second look.
Last year Assos made some changes to a few pieces of their fall/winter line and added a few new items. Mainly the tights and knickers were totally revamped and we can tell you from many thousands of miles so far that they are amazing. The fit is super ergonomic and they do what they are supposed to, keep the cyclist comfortable in adverse weather.
That being said, here is what's new for next fall/winter...

RAIN.

Here is the brand new top of the range rain jacket from Assos. It's called the rS.sturmPrinz but you can keep it simple and just ask for the best rain jacket ever made. This is the kind of jacket that you grab when it's pouring out before you get on the bike and you know it'll be pouring hours into the ride as well. It's kind of like the new Habu jacket in that it's not really meant to stow. Pick the appropriate base layer, your favorite long sleeve jersey, put this on top and ride. These will not be cheap but then the best rarely is.

The back of the sturmPrinz. This flap you see here is not a pocket but serves two purposes. One is to offer extra ventilation and the other is to offer access to the jersey pockets underneath. No more pulling the jacket halfway up your back to grab your ham and cheese sandwich!

And then there is this guy. The Assos climaSchutz. This is a very re-worked version of the current climaJet jacket. We have a feeling that this will be our best selling rain jacket next year hands down. This is meant to be more of a stow-able rain jacket. It will come in a vest version as well.

Another look at the sJ.climaSchutz

Again, like the rS.sturmPrinz, the sJ.climaSchutz allows easy access to jersey pockets.

More vents on the side and under arm...

the Assos rainBootie S7. We are very much looking forward to these. We know a few guys who have been testing these for over a year and the feedback is great news to our ears. They have a tighter cuff on the top of the booty to keep water from running down the leg and into the shoes. They seem to be very durable if you keep walking around to a minimum of course. They will come in 3 sizes.

The rain cap

PANTS.

These are called the hK.sturmNuss which is Assos speak for rain half knickers or in English, rain proof knickers w/out bibs. These will be excellent for commuters or guys and gals that ride day in day out in cold, rainy conditions. I'm not exactly sure why Assos went knicker instead of a full pant but when you see the new rain booties it shouldn't be a big deal as no water will be getting in your shoes. If it was really cold I'd wear a pair of tights underneath instead of shorts.

The LL.fugu S5 bib tights. If you ride in Antarctica these are your tights. Meant to pair with the Fugu jacket, these are the warmest looking bib tights we have ever seen. Not really made for Northern California so we'll have to take a riding trip somewhere frigid just to get the chance to ride in them! We'll have them in stock but in limited numbers, so if you want a pair, get in touch with us now. Assos won't be bringing many into the states the first year...

Another look at the LL.fugu tight. We'll have more pictures when we get out to Switzerland again next month.

JERSEYS AND JACKETS.

This is the all new Assos iJH.tiburu.4 long sleeve jersey. Comes in black (shown), white and red. This will be more of a racing cut jersey and should fit snugly. Pretty bold in the design but we like it for sure. If you prefer simple graphics (like none) they will still have the Intermediate Evo Jersey.

The back of the iJ.tiburu jersey.

The iJ.bonka.6 jacket. Think of this as an updated AirJack. It will come in Black, White, Red (shown), Blue Calypso and Yellow Volt.

Back of the iJ.bonka.6 jacket. 3 BIG pockets plus a large zippered pocket.

WARMERS.

We didn't get enough shots of these but Assos has fully redone their arm, leg and knee warmers including the UV protector line. They are all (excluding the uv protect line) are made with the new Quantum Roubaix material that is used on this years bib tights and knickers. So much more ergonomic than before and very comfortable.

FEET & HANDS.

Interesting? Yes, these are called fuguSpeer. They are heavy socks with airblock protection. Who doesn't want warm feet? They will come in 3 sizes.

The new Assos winterBootie S7. In black and white (shown) and 3 sizes.

These are the Assos fuguBootie. Hardcore, cold and wet bootie. In person these looked amazing, more thought put into a bootie than we've ever seen ever before...

The new Assos earlyWinterGloves S7. Again, they feel warm without being bulky. Two colors, black and white (shown). XXS-XLG

This is only a part of what's new. There are new winter hats, more gloves, snow booties, womens tights w/ the new material and S5 chamois. More socks as well. It's been a while since Assos has really gone over their line and we are really looking forward to it. If you have any questions or want to reserve something contact us at the shop!

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Bill's new Moots Compact CR

March 25, 2011, 12:07 pm

≫ Next: Teaser

≪ Previous: Sneak peak at the new Fall/Winter Assos clothing

This is our latest Moots build for Bill B. A very straight forward and classy looking bike. But also a major workhorse with the nice stuff in the right places...

Build as follows:

Moots Compact CR, 55cm
Enve 2.0 fork, 43mm rake
Shimano Ultegra Rear Derailleur
Shimano Ultegra Front Derailleur
Shimano Ultegra Compact Crank, 172.5mm
Shimano Ultegra Bottom Bracket
Shimano Ultegra Chain
Shimano Ultegra Cassette, 11X28
Shimano Ultegra Levers
Shimano Ultegra Brake Calipers
Fulcrum Racing Zero Clinchers
Continental GP4000s clinchers
Continental tubes
Thomson set back seat post, 27.2mm
Chris King headset, black
Deda Zero 100 stem, 110mm
Deda Zero 100 bars, 44mm
Fizik soft touch tape
WTB saddle
King stainless steel cages
Speedplay Stainless Zero pedals
Total weight with pedals and cages: 17.28lbs

Deda Zero 100 cockpit

In the stand, halfway there...

Aesthetically, Shimano Ultegra is a nice match with the satin finish on the Moots frame...

We chose the very nice and super durable Fulcrum Racing Zero clincher wheels for Bills bike.

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Teaser

April 8, 2011, 7:37 pm

≫ Next: Day's Done, by Dario Pegoretti

≪ Previous: Bill's new Moots Compact CR

Promised to have a blog up today, so here we go... OK, crazy day at the shop which is great of course, but was not able to post. So here is one last teaser shot in anticipation of tomorrow!

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Day's Done, by Dario Pegoretti

April 9, 2011, 2:28 pm

≫ Next: MS's new Pinarello BOB

≪ Previous: Teaser

We just received a few pretty exclusive bikes into the shop from Dario Pegoretti. The three bikes are all 55cm and are a Day's Done, Marcelo and Duende. The Marcelo and Duende are special as they are the new 2012 model and we won't see anymore until next year. So here's a very good chance to throw a leg over a bike that no one else will have for quite a while.

The Day's Done is special as it's only the 2nd such bike in the states. This one has been sold already but we've started taking orders as Dario is building them now...

Here are some pictures from the Day's Done and note that the fork was just sent in to the painters to get painted the same color as the frame. Enjoy!

The Day's Done is an over-sized steel bike with lugs. A mix of old and new technology in steel.

1&1/8 head tube. You can get it with a carbon fork (stock) or have Dario build you a custom steel fork if you'd prefer. Nice detail with the orange as well...

Seat tube panel

Down tube Panel

Head badge by Dario

We have yet to talk to Dario about the actual reasoning behind the holes in the chain and seat stays, but are guessing it's mostly aesthetic. We could definitely be wrong there and will find out as soon as we can. Regardless, it's pretty cool looking...
*We just received a note from Nelson Frazier at Gita explaining why Dario does this to the dropouts. "There is a reason for the “holes” in the stays at the dropouts. The small cylinders that are brazed into the stays give more surface area to braze the dropout. Since Dario likes to use non-tapering stays, he can’t use conventional dropouts as there wouldn’t be enough contact area. This is an alternative to using the “hooded” dropouts he uses on the Marcelo and Responsorium that he feels fits better with a lugged frame." Thanks Nelson!

Made in Italy

Cool Columbus tubing sticker...

More beautiful over-sized steel lug detail!

Seat tube cluster

Integrated binder bolt beats integrated seat post any day of the week...

The all new Pegoretti 'Day's Done'. Taking orders now, give us a call to have Dario start building one for you!

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MS's new Pinarello BOB

April 9, 2011, 7:25 pm

≫ Next: Moots Demo Day at Above Category!

≪ Previous: Day's Done, by Dario Pegoretti

Here are a few shots from the latest build here at AC. This is the Pinarello Dogma with the black on black (BOB) finish. There is a lot of BOB going on here like the saddle and wheels as well. The frame is Di2 specific and as such has a Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 group and Lightweight Ventoux wheels. Tires are Continental GP4000 tubulars and the bar and stem are from Deda. Bottle cages are Arundel and to top it off, a Fizik Aliante saddle. All in this 59cm bike as built is just a tad under 15.5lbs.

Lightweight Ventoux wheels with the black labels. Our favorite wheels at the shop for everyday riding and of course climbing. The are light, super comfortable and stiff enough for our needs.

The Fizik Aliante braided carbon saddle.

Shimano Dura-Ace Di2 drive train.

If I personally were to ever switch from Speedplay pedals, it would most certainly be for the new Dura-Ace carbon pedals. They just look the business.

If you'd be interested in riding a bike like this, give us a shout! Thanks for reading...

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Moots Demo Day at Above Category!

April 12, 2011, 8:12 am

≫ Next: Black & Blue Pinarello Dogma

≪ Previous: MS's new Pinarello BOB

Save the date! Tuesday, April 19th (one week from today) Moots will be be driving their big Sprinter Van up from the Sea Otter race and then parking it in the AC courtyard! The van will be stacked full of Moots bikes, something like 18 in total. These will include but not limited to the VaMoots, Zirkel, CR, and the flagship RSL road bike.
We are very excited to announce that the brand new and just released Moots Mooto X RSL 29er will be in attendance as well! You have the opportunity to be one of the first to ride this new super light race bike!
So come on by the shop starting at noon next Tuesday to talk to Moots and learn a bit more about their bikes. You can also check out a bike for a demo ride as well. We should know the exact sizes and models that are coming shortly. We will have a shop ride in the early evening as well. The demos will be on a first come first serve basis as well, so come early to make sure you have a chance to ride one!

The one and only Moots RSL road bike!

Our shop RSL. We have a few thousand miles on this bike as well and can answer any questions you may have on it...

The brand spanking new Moots MootoX RSL! They'll have a good number of these so any sized rider should have a chance to get out on one...

OK, so one more time, next Tuesday, April 19th at Above Category MOOTS will be here with a lot of bikes. We know, Tuesday is a tough day to get away from the office, but maybe you'll have a bad tooth or a bit of a cold and won't be able to make it in that day?! Give us a shout with any questions and see you here!

Here's the short list of what will be in the van...

18 MXYBB
19 MXYBB SLIDER
20 MX YBB
16 MX-RSL
17 MX-RSL
18 MX-RSL
19 MX-RSL

Road Bikes

54 RSL
56 RSL
58 RSL
50 CR
52 CR
54 CR
56CR
58 CR

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Black & Blue Pinarello Dogma

April 21, 2011, 2:30 am

≫ Next: Lugano, Switzerland

≪ Previous: Moots Demo Day at Above Category!

Here is the latest Pinarello Dogma to roll out of Above Category's doors. Don't confuse the gorgeous carbon/blue Dogma as the team sky bike though. While yes, it's the same frame that the team uses and the same colors it's just a few logos away from a non-team bike that just happens to be the same colors. I bring this up as we've had a few customers who love the colors of this bike but did not want a "team" bike. Easy enough to fix that, just peel off the head tube, seat post and seat stay decals and now you have one of the more low key Pinarello Dogma finishes going.

We just received the MOST Talon bar in the same carbon/blue graphics and it is a great match for this bike as long as you know your stem length and bar width and plan on keeping it that way. Also, these bars are shaped like the Deda Zero 100 bars being shorter and more shallow in drop.

We built this bike with Campagnolo Super Record 11spd group with the titanium axle. Also, we used the Campagnolo Shamal 2-way wheels...

...with the brand new Padrone tubeless tires from Maxxis. We'll let you know how we like these tires when we get some good miles on a set, but at over $130 a piece we would hope that they perform quite well!

Nice Campagnolo carbon hub shell.

Seat post minus the SKY logo topped with the Fizik Arione CX carbon saddle.

And to round off the build, a pair of Speedplay Zero Ti pedals which if you've been in the shop or read enough of our posts you know are our favorite. Let us know any questions or comments you may have by contacting us here!

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Lugano, Switzerland

April 21, 2011, 3:51 pm

≫ Next: A quick update from the Giro de Sardinia with Assos

≪ Previous: Black & Blue Pinarello Dogma

Just two days until the start of the Giro de Sardinia. The Giro de Sardinia is a 7 day stage race run as a grand fondo. There is a shorter and a longer distance race (the entire Assos crew is doing the longer one of course!) which includes an individual time trial, a team time trial a few rolling "sprinters" stages and at least one day for the climbers.
Assos is pulling out the stops for this event and I am super grateful to have been invited and want to say a HUGE thank you to everyone at Assos CH and Assos USA. So, THANK YOU!
I'll try my best to keep you all up to date as the race unfolds and will hopefully be able to score some pictures as well, though I'll be too busy trying to hang on for dear life, so will have to find the official photographer...
Right now I'm in Lugano Switzerland getting everything ready, riding a little and buying some last second gear at the unbelievable Assos Nucleo store right on Lake Lugano.
Lastly, if this looks like it might be fun for you, get in touch w/ me at the shop when I return and I'll tell you how you can be a part of this next year...

The day started here, at the Assos Nucleo store. I have been here a few times and have seen it as a shell when they were just starting construction on the building. The store itself has three floors, the main showroom down the stairs, the entry on this floor and a large room upstairs where distributors and some shops get to see the future clothing lines from Assos. Right now it's filled with the new winter 2011/2012 range...

Here's another view of the main floor. Very clean, very organized & very Swiss. As you would expect this store contains every single piece of Assos clothing and a few items from other brands that they have partnered with...

Downstairs in the main showroom. Here are the brand new Heritage jerseys that we covered a couple weeks ago. These are pretty limited and we still have a few left so give Woody and the guys at our shop a call to get one...

When in Rome... just had to get these shoes so I'd fit in at the race...

Which meant I had to get the brightest yellow DB shirt to go with them!

The Assos bike. Assos has been working on the "Goomah" (more on that later) for about three years now. I was here when they were riding the first editions and they have come a long way. Assos is not taking this lightly. Are they looking to enter the bike manufacturing world, not at all, but they wanted to make something themselves and base that on the way that they ride. It's been a work in progress and as it stands now, it's a very trick, fast, performance oriented bike which will be available in VERY limited numbers. If you are interested in one of these, let me know when I return and I'll get into a little more detail. Don't forget that back in the mid to late seventies, Assos developed a range of carbon bikes and components, one of the first to do so in history, so they are not new to this!

After shopping at the Assos store, we went further downtown to find some lunch. On the way we passed a bank with this car in the lobby! This is a (1985?) GPS Lotus Renault Turbo. It was driven by Ayrton Senna and honestly made the hair on my arms stand up just thinking about what this car must have sounded like on the track!

We had to be buzzed in to the bank and I'm not so sure they were stoked when all I wanted to do was shoot some pictures of this car, but they humored me and allowed it...

Then, I finally got out on a ride. After fighting the rush-hour traffic, which was not bad since in Lugano that consists mostly of Ferrari's and Porsche's...

...and did a little loop in the hills to get rid of all the air miles. Pretty stunning area...

OK, that's it for now. Need to pack for the flight to Sardinia in the morning and get another spin in this evening. Woody, Kalara, Ralf and Kris are still at the shop so head on in or give them a call to keep them company! I should hopefully have another report up tomorrow from Sardinia, so check back often!

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A quick update from the Giro de Sardinia with Assos

April 26, 2011, 6:11 am

≫ Next: The latest Custom Parlee Z5 from Above Category

≪ Previous: Lugano, Switzerland

Hi there! OK, it's been a while since a post here, but there has really not been much time and frankly I've been too smoked! I really wanted to make sure to get a few pictures posted of the Giro de Sardinia race that we're doing right now with Assos...
I'll try to get another posting up tomorrow going through one day here. It's amazing the job that Assos is doing here. This is a pretty major undertaking and due to them I've had one of the best experiences ever on a bike, also one if not the hardest experience! So again, to all the guys and girls at Assos, THANK YOU!

Malcolm Elliot getting a pre-race rub down prior to Stage 2. Malcolm is amazing on the bike, super chill, great to talk to with and did I mention SUPER fast?! It's been great getting to know him a bit as well as all the other people who are doing the trip with Assos.

One of those other guys is Olympic silver medalist Franco Marvulli who's been an Assos team guy for a long time now. Like Malcolm, super friendly and super fast! He'll be racing in Minneapolis on the track this June I believe, if you are in the area you really need to go watch him race. Make sure to say hi from AC as well...

Stage 2, picture from one of the Assos follow cars. This is about 43km into the 150km stage. I'll go more into detail about how fast these stages start in the next post, but we can just say it was FAST. Oh, and nervous. And yes, windy and wet... The climb itself was really not that bad, but at the speed the leaders were going it didn't need to be. As such, I was dropped halfway up but the race is big enough that you'll find a group to suffer with eventually...

After we crested the main climb we had a lot of this; up and down. Beautiful roads, cyclists that know how to handle a bike, FULL ROAD CLOSURES, etc...

OK, sorry for any spelling errors, bad punctuation etc, but I'm smoked and kinda don't care right now! :-) Just had a massage so I'm tired and hungry again! We have a team meeting in about an hour to go over the stage tomorrow (a 40km team time trial) and then dinner. Will be back with a more detailed post hopefully tomorrow, if not, soon! If you have any questions about bikes or anything actually going on back in California, give Kalara, Woody, Ralf or Kris a shout!

Thanks for reading...

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The latest Custom Parlee Z5 from Above Category

May 20, 2011, 6:51 am

≫ Next: 2011 Giro de Sardegna with Assos. Stage 1, ITT

≪ Previous: A quick update from the Giro de Sardinia with Assos

Here is our latest Custom Parlee Z5 build. This one is for Ken D. who spends most of his time racing LMPC and Porsche Cup cars at tracks all over the continent (and next year, the world) so he shouldn't be too shocked by the speed of this bike when he gets on it for the first time. Ken wanted a mostly white bike and that's what we did, but added the black logos and a little silver to even everything out.

The completed bike comes in at 13.27lbs as seen here, pedals, cages included. If light weight had been our main focus it would have come in quite a bit lighter, but light weight was not our focus, every day ride-ability was...

The inside of the fork was painted silver as was the Parlee logo under the down tube. Wheels are the Gen II Lightweight Ventoux's. If you can find a pair of these we highly suggest getting a set. Incredibly smooth, strong and plenty stiff, but rare...

More detail of the fork...

If you know us you know our favorite brand of saddle is Fizik. Our favorite Fizik is the Antares. We also love the Fizik seat post, maybe not the lightest (but light enough), but in our opinion the nicest and best looking post out there.

Stem and bar combo courtesy of Deda. Both in aluminum, the stem is 110mm and the bars are the Zero 100, 44cm.

Brakes are RevL by the Hive.

Front brake

Yes we have Cannondale cranks on a Parlee. Great cranks, light and very stiff. And Aluminum, we like aluminum...

SRAM Red that happens to be black

Here's a good shot showing the silver Parlee under the downtube.

New shiny black Fizik tape. It has much more grip than it looks like it would...

Parlee's super clean front derailleur hanger.

We rarely use lightweight quick release skewers, but the Lightweight lightweight (haha) QR is stiff enough and has worked well for us.

Bob Parlee, the brains behind the bike...

Keep checking back, we are in the process of developing the Above Category stock Parlee Z5 which should be out of paint very soon. We'll have the Standard and SL Z5 to show so stay in touch! To have us start on your own version of a Parlee give us a shout at the shop!

Thanks for reading!

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2011 Giro de Sardegna with Assos. Stage 1, ITT

May 21, 2011, 4:53 pm

≫ Next: 2011 Giro de Sardegna with Assos. Stage 2, 160km

≪ Previous: The latest Custom Parlee Z5 from Above Category

Sunday, April 24th marked the first day of the Giro de Sardegna. This was to be a 24km individual time trial (ITT) on an out and back course. Due to what was supposed to be a really nasty day weather-wise the organizers shortened it to 12km. So, the Medio Fondo group started at the coast while those of us doing the full length race started at the race hotel and raced to the water.
Since we got in late the day before there was not really a chance to pre-ride the course (not that I would have anyhow) but it was a pretty simple layout. Start, then after about 200 meters take a right on a very crowded and sandy turn and then kill yourself for 9km into a stinging headwind. This 9km was dead straight with the exception of a few roundabouts. Then turn right for a few km, left for a km and another right to the finish. Simple enough, except for the killing yourself part!

The 9km straight section. What you can't see is the massive head wind...

Personally I didn't have any plans of going too hard. This was a seven day stage race and from what I saw the other racers were going to take it very seriously. I mean we had a current Olympic medalist, Franco Marvulli, a current pro and overall stud Malcolm Elliot and a bunch of other Pro's or almost pro's on the Assos team. So I thought it'd be better to save any energy I had for the road stages to come.

A couple of the Assos TT bikes. Easy for the Euro guys to bring bikes, not so easy for those of us traveling thousands of miles...

Since I was planning on taking it easy I of course didn't warm up at all, except for the 4km ride to the start line. But those plans ended pretty quickly. Another guy on our team started right in front of me, one minute before. I didn't know who he was at this time, but I would end up riding a lot of the event with Joost from the Netherlands as we were pretty evenly matched in fitness.

Somewhere along the long 9km straight, flat section...

So, I got to the start line, the official counted me down and I was off! All I could think was keep it slow and steady and I did exactly that, for about 100 meters. Then the ego kicked in with all the spectators and I of course felt great as it was only about 10 seconds into the TT and I put it in one of the lower sprockets in the rear and put my head down. I was gaining on Joost pretty quickly so kept at it. This was the longest and hardest 12km I have ever done, but it was fun and my legs didn't seize up too badly...

Yep, taking it easy. That's a pretty aero watch I have on as well. I didn't have a computer and had to make sure not to miss my start time. Also, I got my hands on a hard to find older Assos skin suit though the newer Assos Starburst suit is said to be a bit faster...

All in all, no warmup and I still finished top 50 (out of 280 or so), about a minute and a half behind the leader. Not bad on a road bike w/ pretty tame wheels on a flat course. So of course for next year I'll have all the gear; helmet, TT bike etc. and then only finish a minute down! Well worth the extra $4oo in bike fees!

Belgian stud Tom W. showing us how to do it. Pretty sure he was 3rd in the TT

The crappy weather didn't come until later in the day but I'm so happy that they kept it at 12km as I blew well before the line anyhow! I do wish I would have warmed up proper, but still had a blast and was now in race mode. The entire Assos team did well and was looking forward to the 160km road stage the next day.
For those of you who don't know what the Giro de Sardegna is, it's a 7 day stage race in Sardegna (duh) that is run Grand Fondo style. This means that the fields are pretty big, over 250 in the full and the same for the Medio. Most of the participants here take it VERY seriously and are EXTREMELY fit. Lots of Pro's, former pros and super fast amateurs. Pretty much everyone here knows how to handle a bike well in a huge field which is good as we went from wide two lane roads to very narrow streets through small towns.
This was a great event that I hope to do again and if you want to get a taste of what a full on stage race feels like in Europe come talk to us and maybe join the team for next year?!
Tomorrow I'll cover stage two, the first road stage. Thanks for reading!

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2011 Giro de Sardegna with Assos. Stage 2, 160km

May 23, 2011, 10:33 pm

≫ Next: 2011 Giro de Sardegna with Assos. Stage 3

≪ Previous: 2011 Giro de Sardegna with Assos. Stage 1, ITT

OK, so tomorrow turned into next week, but better late than never in getting stage 2 posted! Been a bit of a mad house here at Above Category, but we're working on the organization thing and even hired a new member here. So that means more time for me to ride and do events like this! Thanks for your patience and without further ado, let's get to the review of stage 2 of this years Giro de Sardegna!

The morning before the first road stage at the team hotel. In the front is Franco Marvulli who is the current Olympic Silver medalist in the Madison. Stage 2 was 160km starting on a flat to rolling course and at about km50 we started two laps of an extremely hilly circuit. When we woke it was cloudy but dry. The dry part didn't last too long...

Here is the kit we received for the event which is also the official Equipe Campionissimo clothing...

A better look at the jersey.

One of our FOUR follow cars!

The start line. We were waaaaaaaaayyyyyyy in the back. Here is one of the things that made this race so hard, the start. Basically, in front of this group is a 3-4 foot wide mat that every cyclist had to run over in order to activate the timing chip. All fine and dandy for these guys at the front. Here's the thing though, once they crossed the line it was full throttle! WTF?? No warm-up, no neutral, just full gas. But what sucked is that for us way in the back, it took maybe 3 or so minutes to even hit that same mat. So, these guys who camped out overnight or something to get these spots had a three minute head start at full gas over us in the back. But what they didn't have was Malcolm Elliot and friends to pull them up to the front. It went like this, roll your bike slowly to the line, clip in, shift to the 53X12 and stand on the pedals as hard as possible for the next 10-20km! Then, once back to what's left of the field, move to the front in time for the hills. Fun stuff...

Stage 2 would take us into the hills and the mines...

This was the first climb which the race bible called an easy 5km at less than 5%. I don't think so, it was mostly 7-8% though the 5km part seemed right and the field split pretty quickly as the pro's at the front wanted to break things up.

Two of the guys doing the damage were teammates though, so it was all good...

At this point we were still with the front group. Right in front of me (I'm on the blue and black Dogma) is Luigi who is the R&D director for Assos and as I've said before has to be the coolest job in the world! Pretty much any Assos clothing you wear now was thought up, tested and perfected by him. He's also really, really strong, so now you know there are guys who ride all the time and ride strong looking out for you when it comes to what you wear!

After the main climb we hit 20km or so of rollers like this...

...which hurt a bit.

The front group on the rollers.

How did my race go? Super well, thanks for asking. I was feeling great in what I think was the 3rd group on the road and then got a flat on the rolling part during the second lap. It was at that point that it decided to pour rain and drop in temperature; nice. And even though we had all these follow cars, at this precise time, there were none anywhere. So I waited 20 or so minutes watching group after group come by and finally yelled to a teammate to tell the car at the feed zone to come back w/ a wheel. Finally, I got a replacement front wheel and soaked and shivering got back on my bike to finish the race. Not sure where I finished, but at least I got there!

I did have some company while waiting for a wheel though!

Stage 3 tomorrow, or next week, same thing...
But really, thanks for reading!

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2011 Giro de Sardegna with Assos. Stage 3

June 2, 2011, 6:39 pm

≫ Next: Enve's new 6.7 wheelset has arrived

≪ Previous: 2011 Giro de Sardegna with Assos. Stage 2, 160km

Stage 3 of this years Giro de Sardegna was a rolling 110+ km race. Like stage 2 it started at a full sprint for the first 20 or so km's. Having ridden a TT and a long 160km in the rain the day before the legs were complaining a bit as well. The really cool thing to note in today's stage was racing through the towns. We did this a bit the day before, but not like this. Close to 180 cyclists flying through multiple small towns with narrow streets and a lot of people out cheering was a first for me and super fun!

Some scenery from stage 3

Super hero Malcolm Elliot getting his pre-race rubdown...

About 30km into the stage we hit the first "roller". OK, if you consider 10km a "roller" that is. Got dropped immediately, but kept my own pace and soon got a second wind and started passing groups at a pretty quick pace. By the top was in the third group on the road and getting close to the second. But after a long downhill the gap was too big and had to settle where I was.

Catching stragglers on the road. This stage was super fun and after the "rollers" we had about 25km of flattish roads to the finish. Super fast and everyone knew how to ride so we had some good fun with some great pacelines going. In the end though, did a weak sprint and finished third in our group. Just something about doing a sprint when it's not for the win...

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Enve's new 6.7 wheelset has arrived

June 8, 2011, 10:02 am

≫ Next: 2011 Giro de Sardegna with Assos. Stage 4, 120km

≪ Previous: 2011 Giro de Sardegna with Assos. Stage 3

Fresh off the UPS truck this morning; the brand new Enve 6.7 wheel set. Seems like it's been ages since we first talked to Jason and Jake of Enve Composites about these but they were true to their word and they have arrived!
We should hopefully have some tires glued on and have these on a bike in the next few days to see how they ride, but at first glance they look like they will deliver...

In the last few months Edge has changed their name, introduced new wheels and even changed the box...

The 60mm front wheel on the left and the 70mm rear wheel to the right.

Developed in conjunction with Simon Smart, the F1 aerodynamics expert.

Made here.

Check in with us as we'll be getting the miles in and will be able to tell you exactly what we feel about these new wheels. The 6.7 is the first model out in the new "Smart" range. Next up a lighter model, the 3.4 and then...
We have a couple pairs of these now, but they'll go fast, so give us a shout to get a pair set up for that next time trial, triathlon or Sunday world championship ride!
For more information on these wheels, click HERE.

Thanks for reading!

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2011 Giro de Sardegna with Assos. Stage 4, 120km

June 8, 2011, 10:17 pm

≫ Next: Stage 5 & 6 of this years Giro de Sardegna with Assos

≪ Previous: Enve's new 6.7 wheelset has arrived

Getting ready for the start of stage 4.

Stage 4 was the first truly sunny stage and personally what I thought Sardegna would be like the entire week. Today was another "rolling stage" though there were plenty of 5+km climbs scattered throughout the 120km course. Personally, I felt great and was hell bent on staying with the front group for the entire race. That started off well enough as I was at the front when we hit the first climb. I was happy and maybe a little surprised to still be there at the top as well! So far, going to plan. Then it started to get a little messy. What was left of the field went flying into a pretty confusing round about and I went left while everyone else went right. I had to come to a complete stop and let the entire field pass and then sprint for the next few minutes to get back to the front.
Great that I was back in front, not so great that I had to burn about 8 of the 10 matches I had doing it. Got up the next climb in front but was feeling it a bit and then it happened: I got dropped on the descent. I honestly could not believe how fast these guys were going downhill. I went from the front of the group in under a minute, and then off the back shortly after!
After chasing solo for the next 5km I got back to the front group at the base of the next climb only to get shelled right away. Oh well, at least I had enough to hang with the third group the rest of the way and actually felt like I was one of the strongest in that pack. In the end I took a flyer with 2km to go and died at 500m, but it wasn't for a lack of effort. This was hump day for me and I felt great and was looking forward to the next few stages...

The follow cars getting ready to depart.

Assos USA's John L. He was a crash victim from stage 2 and was still pretty stiff but was riding better every day with a smile on his face the whole time...

Fuel for the stage; hot dog buns w/ Nutella and cream cheese. LOVED these, and miss them! Plain water on the left, electrolyte on the right...

"Ribo" getting his Goomah checked out before the stage. He is also the manager of the Manga-Yio store in Lugano. Lucky guy...

Luigi!

Goomah

Malcolm checking his tires before the depart. Nice Team Pinarello Paris...

Riding to the start of the stage with Kale Keltz from the Bicycle Haus in Scottsdale AZ.

Pre stage interview with the race promoter...

I'm in here somewhere. At least there are some other racers who look like they are suffering more than I am!

Franco leading the way with Ribo and Tom in the lead group. Check out the guy who crashed and is covered in blood. This may be a grand fondo, but it was more like a full on race! Loved it!

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Stage 5 & 6 of this years Giro de Sardegna with Assos

June 15, 2011, 8:51 am

≫ Next: Fourteen rides on; ENVE's new 6.7 wheelset

≪ Previous: 2011 Giro de Sardegna with Assos. Stage 4, 120km

Stage 5, TTT, 40km

Taking it easy for 40km with Rasmus...

Since we were so far down in GC I decided to go as easy as possible to rest my super tired legs for the queen stage the next day. I of course made sure to keep the warmers on so everyone knew I was taking it easy, not just slow! This was a pretty flat course w/ a few minor rollers and some wind and the Assos "A" team killed it, winning the stage by a minute!

Larry, from Assos USA couldn't laugh too hard as his skin suit was so tight. Just like motorcycle racing leathers, these things are not made for standing around in!

Larry's Goomah, ready for TTT action! Note the single water bottle cage, saved minutes! But really, I was surprised at how many TT bikes were out there. The benefits of being able to drive to the race...

Stage 6, I forget how long, maybe 140km? I do remember lots of climbing though...

Ahhh, stage 6, the queen stage; nice views and nice weather.

We'd be coming up this road a little later, but first we had to get to the start...

Getting the Assos caravan packed up nice and early for the two hour transfer to the stage start.

The stage start was at the TOP of a very long climb which meant all of us got to start the race w/ a long fast descent. Not nervous at all...

Ribo! He was following the long standing tradition of not shaving during a race. I'm not so sure that rule was meant for stage races, or for guys who get hairy so fast! This guy is fast as hell though, had a great race and is one cool dude...

Franco! If the Giro de Sardegna would ever be held entirely in a Velodrome, he'd win, hands down. That being said, he had a pretty killer race on the roads and hills here anyway...

Luigi!

Remember this road? Here I am, minutes up on the field trying to get back into the top part of the GC. No one could hold my wheel, had a great team working for me and was feeling great with dreams of winning the overall in my head... OK, not really. Actually, I am pretty far off the lead group, can't see them in fact and was waiting for the next group to catch up. But had enough time on my own to daydream! And trust me, if there was a stage of this race to be on your own and enjoy the scenery, this was it!

This was one of the tougher parts of the race. 3km at 13+%. This guy had enough energy to give a thumbs up but then blew. I felt great here and ended up have a great final stage. Super happy to feel better at the end of a hard week of racing than worse!

With the stage over, it was time for a shower and food!

Stage 7, Kermesse, 40km

Only two guys made it to the start of stage 7. It was cold, windy and looked like rain and after a hard week of racing when they said this stage didn't count, most stayed in bed. OK, maybe more than two did it and in hindsight I wish I would have but there is always next year. Above is Kale who owns Bicycle Haus in AZ.

Summary

So, it only took me about a month to write this report of our trip to the Giro de Sardegna with the Assos team. Looking back it was by FAR the most fun I've ever had racing or even just riding my bike. Sure, there were times during the event that I would have loved to be somewhere else, but looking back I loved it, loved racing with all the guys Assos put together and am hoping I can get there again next year. In fact, it's about time to get training...

Thanks so much for reading and stay tuned for our next adventure!

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Fourteen rides on; ENVE's new 6.7 wheelset

June 17, 2011, 9:56 am

≫ Next: Perfect time for that new Pegoretti! Frames in stock now...

≪ Previous: Stage 5 & 6 of this years Giro de Sardegna with Assos

We received the brand new ENVE 6.7 wheels a little over two weeks ago. We've been waiting for these wheels for quite a long time. The guys at EDGE (as the company was known as back then) have been telling us about this new wheel for quite some time. This is not a project that they came up with in the past few months in response to other wheel manufacturers offerings but something that has been on the drawing board for a while now. Needless to say they did a great job of keeping hush all this time, setting our anticipation quite high. Upon receiving these wheels the looming question is; was it worth the wait?
First off though, what exactly are the 6.7's? The six stands for the 60mm front wheel depth, while the seven is for, you guessed it, the 70mm rear rim depth. What the 6 or 7 doesn't explain is the other major trait of the wheels which is the width. 26mm wide for the front wheel and 24mm for the rear.

If you look close enough you can see the rim on both sides of the 22mm Continental Sprinter tubular tire. These wheels were tested w/ this tire and the 23mm offering from Vittoria. Jake at ENVE confirmed that either of those are the ideal combination for these wheels.

Looking at the front wheel with the tire glued on my first thought was that maybe we should have a larger volume tire installed. It was a bit unnerving to see so much rim exposed and I even thought there could be issues with aggressive cornering and the chance of the rim making direct contact with the tarmac. After the first ride this has proven to be no issue whatsoever. And on tire width, the guys confirmed that these wheels perform best with a 22 or 23mm tire.
The rear wheel is 24mm which makes it no problem to mount these wheels in the tightest of frames and I'm sure helps keep the weight to the minimum as well.
Claimed weight is 1458g with the DT240 hubs. We didn't weigh them to confirm, but in the past all of the wheels from EDGE/ENVE have been pretty close to the claimed weight. Plus, if you are looking at just the number on the scale, these would not be the first choice anyhow.
These wheels were built in conjunction with Simon Smart, an ex-formula one aerodynamics expert who has helped develop many other cycling products. But none of that matters if the wheels don't perform. So, what do we think after just 14 rides? Read on...

The 60mm deep, 26mm wide front wheel

Our first ride on the 6.7's was an 80 mile 8000+ft of climbing, 5 hour day. To be fair, not the exact kind of course that these wheels were meant for. The first thing I noticed was the stiffness of the wheels. The second thing I noticed was the braking performance.
I want to spend a little time on this point. The braking is PHENOMENAL! I believe that these have the best braking cabon wheels I've ever been on and rival most aluminum wheels as well. It is not an especially powerful brake action, but a smooth and modulated feeling. I feel too much emphasis is put on strong brakes anyhow, we are stopping a light machine and our own body weight after all. The contact patch of a 22-23mm tire is very small and whatever traction there is in the first place is dramatically reduced when we hit the brakes. The last thing you want is to have the tires brake loose on a fast and technical descent. Also, when riding in a pack you want predictable braking, especially in panic situations as it keeps the guys behind you actually behind you, not on top of you. There has not been one hint of a squeal yet out of these wheels. They have not made a peep at all which can't be said for a lot of carbon wheels out there. I haven't ridden these in the rain yet, so wet weather braking performance has not been tested.

The rear 70mm deep, 24mm wide wheel

Climbing performance:

At a claimed 1458g these wheels are not heavy but also not terribly light especially for tubulars. But again, for this depth and stiffness there are not too many wheels out there that are lighter. Again, our first ride had over 8000ft of climbing so I got pretty familiar with their climbing abilities right off the bat. Another thing I have to admit is that the wheels that I just took off this Parlee Z5 were Lightweights sub-thousand gram Obermayers. So keep in mind that any wheel I put on after that was going to be at a disadvantage!
I did notice the weight for sure. They did not accelerate nearly as fast as many other lighter and more shallow sectioned wheels that I've ridden have. Once up to speed on a consistent grade though and they felt as fast as any of these lighter wheels. But we don't have too many consistent grade climbs around here, so I honestly did feel the weight quite a bit.
But again, these wheels are not made for climbing. They are made for fast flat to rolling courses and the fact that they climb as well as they did is very promising. That being said though, I'm really looking forward to the 3.4's that are due out very soon. If they are even close to the 6.7's in terms of speed and stiffness and a bit lighter, I think they could be the wheel of choice for climbers looking for a little more speed out of their wheels.

Near the top of Mt. Tam about to be rewarded with the best braking wheel out there...

Descending performance:

The most important feature to a good descending wheel? Stability and braking performance which the ENVE 6.7 has in spades. This is just my opinion, but I feel we live in an area with some of the best descents I've ever been on. Fast but technical, great and not so great pavement and most of the time, wind.
These wheels are super, super stable. We have some pretty good wind here, especially on the ridge going up to the top of Mt. Tam. While I can't say I haven't gotten blown around a bit, it has been no more and even less than some of the shallow section wheels I ride on a regular basis. These wheels are super stable. And while one of the first things I noticed was the stiffness of the 6.7's they don't bounce you around too much on bumpy descents. They hold a line perfectly and confidently and let you enter corners with a little more speed than on some other wheels I've ridden. And then there is the braking. You can grab a handful and not worry about locking up the wheels at all (at least with the Hive RevL brakes I have been using. It'll be interesting what a pair of Dura-Ace 7900 calipers feel like). Even on some of the short 20% descents we finish the ride with there has not been any noise at all. Also, at full lean I have not felt short on traction one bit, so these get the highest marks for descending of almost any carbon wheel I've been on. The last thing I'll mention on descending is how fast the 6.7's feel. The get up to speed really fast and hold that speed longer than anything I've been on. Just coasting down some of the rollers I put meters on guys who are usually right with me or even ahead of me in the past.

Speed?

Yes.

OK, they are fast, fast descending, fast on the rollers and fast on the descents. Like climbing, I think they are fastest once up to speed as they can maintain that forever. But in a sprint that starts from a slower speed I think the 3.4's will be the ticket. For sure you still have to have the legs, but these just feel faster and will make the perfect flat to rolling course race or group ride wheel. This could also be the perfect wheel for triathlons which have a lot of wind like Kona, or the perfect wheel for hilly time trials...

Build quality:

Hand built in the states, the fit and finish of the rims are perfect. No flaws in the construction that we could see and very robust looking. They look and feel heavier than they are and if they last as long as some of the other EDGE wheels we have we will be very happy. A nice feature is that you can buy the rims separately so you can use any hub you like. The DT Swiss 240's are super high quality but we like the fact that we can build them with the King R-45's or Dura-Ace hubs as well. We also like the blacked out graphics so we'll be much more inclined to keep the decals in place.

Conclusion:

In the short period of time that I've been riding the ENVE 6.7's I can and do recommend them for anyone looking for a well built, very fast rider looking for some extra speed on flat to rolling courses. They will be a great all around wheel if you are looking for that one set to do everything from time trials to road races. For events or rides that require more acceleration like crits or climbing, I'd wait for the 3.4's. For more technical information on how and why these wheels were developed there are many places you can look but I'd start here.

We have a couple sets of the ENVE 6.7 wheels in stock now, give us a call or stop by the store to order some or get a little more info!

Thanks for reading!

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Perfect time for that new Pegoretti! Frames in stock now...

July 4, 2011, 5:55 pm

≫ Next: What's new, where we've been, gone AWOL, etc, etc...

≪ Previous: Fourteen rides on; ENVE's new 6.7 wheelset

We are happy to announce that we have a descent amount of Pegoretti frames in stock again! Some we've had for a little while but most are new and won't last. This is the last shipment of stock frames that are due for arrival for a while so if you've been waiting for your own Pegoretti now could be a great time to grab one while they are here and still be able to ride it this summer!
Give us a call or come on in to reserve yours. Also, give us a call to see what is left as this list will slim down pretty quick...

Responsorium

60cm Ciavete. This one also comes with a matching Ciavete fork. Very rare...

Another shot of the 60cm frame... Click here for geometry

60cm $5,000

Catch the Spider $4,300 (frame & fork)

49cm geometry (same for all models)
50cm
52cm
55cm
56cm
57cm
58cm
59cm
60cm

A Responsorium in Catch the Spider that we did last summer. We did a custom painted fork and stem for this one, plus matching Speedplay pedals, Fizik tape and saddle of course!

Goze $4,300 (frame and fork)

50cm Geometry (same for all models)
52cm
54cm
58cm
59cm
60cm

Fiorellin $4,500 (frame and STEEL fork)

This particular frameset was also a show bike at NAHBS last year and comes with the steel fork. Having been a show bike it has been built before and may have slight signs of that. But once built back up everything will be covered. There may be minor marks from being boxed and shipped to different shows though nothing more than a few rides on the bike could do anyhow!

56cm Geometry

Marcelo

Baci $3,400 (frame & fork)

49cm Geometry
58cm

Thelonius $3,400 (frame & fork)

51cm Geometry
53cm
57cm
61cm

Ciavete, 2012 Model! This is one of only a few 2012 Marcelo frames in the world right now. This was a show bike from the last handmade show in Austin. Beautiful frame, comes with the new size Chris King headset and a fork. Since this is such a rare bike we would prefer to build it here. So, if you want to see what the new frames ride like months (or longer) before anyone else, give us a shout and we'll put together the perfect build!

56cm Geometry $4,500 (includes frame, fork, Chris King headset and front derailleur clamp).

Duende

Osei $2,850 (frame & fork)

57cm Geometry

Osei again!

ABVD $2,850 (frame & fork)

51cm Geometry (Same for all models)
55cm
56cm
58cm
59cm
60cm

Guantanamo. Bad pic, sorry. OK, you have to use your imagination here as we don't have a pic of the Duende version of this paint scheme. The Duende has a black base with silver barbed wire. This is a very stunning frame which also tells a story...

Another picture...

Again, sorry for the not so great pic but ours are not here yet to shoot! This is the actual paint scheme in the correct color but on a Marcelo. The sizes we have below will be a Duende and will NOT come with a steel fork.

52cm Geometry (same for all models)
56cm
57cm
59cm
60cm

Again, like the Marcelo, we have one of the only 2012 Duende's anywhere right now. And like the Marcelo we'd like to build this one up! We've got some great ideas, so let us know if you fit a 55cm and we'll get it going in time for some summer riding!

55cm Geometry $3,700 (frame, fork, Chris King headset, Edge 1.0 fork and front derailleur clamp)

8:30am

We've had this one for a while but really not sure why. Very simple DEEP dark blue. We've built a few of these up before and they are stunning. Very inexpensive and the perfect Pegoretti to get while you're waiting for that Day's done to come in!

59cm Geometry $2,300 (frame & Edge 1.0 fork)

Love #3

Love #3 in the Manovella paint scheme. Note that the fork does not come painted like this. This was custom done for us.

53cm Geometry $3,400 (frame & fork)

We also have a custom Love #3 just like this one in the Baci paint scheme. It's a 50cm seat tube and a 54cm top tube for all the short legged, long torso cyclists out there!

50cmX54cm $3,400 (frame & fork)

This is a very special Love #3 to us at AC. A few years ago Dario sponsored our racing team and these were the bikes we raced on (except for Kris on his Marcelo). This was a frame that was ordered by a friend of ours who since ordering has gone up a size to a 59cm and as such this one is now for sale. It's a standard 58cm but the head tube is almost 1cm shorter than stock at 18.2cm. Ride a little bit of AC and Pegoretti history!

58cm Geometry $3,400 (frame & fork)

Thanks for reading, and again, let us know how we can help you get onto a new Pegoretti. If you have a friend who's been looking or you know someone who would love one of these incredible frames, please pass this post onto them! Give us a shout with any questions you may have...

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What's new, where we've been, gone AWOL, etc, etc...

September 6, 2011, 8:18 am

≫ Next: AC blog has moved

≪ Previous: Perfect time for that new Pegoretti! Frames in stock now...

A few days ago I was gently reminded that it's been two months since the last blog posting here. I've been slow before, but that's pretty bad, so here are my/our excuses!
First off, we've been working on a new website. It's now official and has been launched, but is a work in progress. I know that's not the standard way to do things, but it had to get up and we'll make the updates much quicker (in theory) now that it's live and everyone is looking at it every day! It's the same address as before; www.abovecatgorycycling.com so check it out if you haven't yet. We'll be adding all the great items that we use here to the site on a weekly basis, so check back, or better yet, make sure you are on our mailing list and we'll keep you up on what's new.
More on that later, for now I'll let some pictures walk you through what we've been up to in the last two months...

BAUM

One of the nicest custom bikes we've seen in a long time. So much attention to detail, Baum frames are also some of the highest performing regardless of material. We'll be going into much more detail on these bikes in the near future. If you are in the area, come in and take a closer look! Exclusively through Above Category...

Pinarello

The new Pinarello Dogma II's are trickling in slowly. We have a few at Above Category now, so come talk to Woody who got to ride them in Italy at the Grand Fondo Pinarello this year. If you've been looking at a Dogma, now is the time to get a bit more serious as they still don't come into the states in huge numbers and getting the color/size you want is easier now than in a couple months...

Parlee

Here's Ralf and Kris working on two custom painted Parlee Z5's. These are some designs that we've been looking at for AC team bikes, turned out great in the first try and with a few tweaks here and there it will be even better!

Tony and TJ walking away with the prototypes. Parlee is rolling out a bunch of new options this year as well. A few new finishes with the Z5 plus Di2 routing on all their bikes and finally some very nice new build kit options for complete bikes at very good prices.

Pegoretti

Here are a couple of Dario's frames we've had come through the shop in the last couple months that we are sad to see go. First this 2012 Pegoretti Duende...

...and then this sweet Marcelo.

New builds

We've also been super busy with a lot of new bike builds. Here are a few that stand out. There are many more but in order to keep this post to a respectable length we'll get to them in future posts. This one is my personal 5 year old Pegoretti Marcelo. Amazing bike and felt great to get back out on it!

This Parlee Z5sl was noteworthy in that as a size XL/Tall it was under 14lbs fully built. We understand that weight is not the most important quality in a bike, but taking into account it's size, the fact that it uses an aluminum bar and standard components (as in no one-off carbon brakes and such) it was pretty shocking to lift the bike and feel how light it was. Luckily, we know that the Parlee is an incredibly well handling bike at those low weights and this was confirmed after the first ride...

This Pegoretti Responsorium was super fun to build! Everything came together so well and in the end it looked amazing. For sure, one of a kind...

Our new bikes! Much more coming on these incredible bikes from Australia...

This Pegoretti Marcelo also came together really well. Perfect component spec to show off the handling characteristics of Dario's flagship racing frame...

Racing and winning some hardware...

Kris (AC Tech) unfortunately broke his collarbone during the San Rafael crit in July and had to miss the Cascade Classic NRC stage race and Elite Nationals but was healed in time to head up to Bend OR for the Masters National Championships. In his first race there, the ITT Kris rode all out on a course he knows pretty well...

...and took the Gold medal for his efforts! Well done Kris!!

Not to be outdone, Ralf (the other half of the AC service team) showed off his sprinting skills over the top of the Muir de Millwood, basically saying that if he'd been at Nationals it would have been a little tougher on Kris...

Woody was also able to get in on the action by completing the Grand Fondo Pinarello. He did the long course which included the ascent of the Monte Grappa, some 22km long with a few k's of over 20% thrown in for good measure. This is something every Pinarello fan needs to do at least once!

View from the top of Monte Grappa. Woody said the descent was one of the best he's done, ever...

Trip to LA to see the latest from BMC...

Tony and I took the short flight down to LA to talk with the guys at BMC and see what is in store for 2012. For the most part the models stayed the same with some small tweaks that should add up to an even nicer frame. One thing that we did not see though is the new TT bike which is a shame as it's been getting great reviews from the pro road racers and triathletes alike. I guess we can wait another week and see them in Vegas...

BMC did promise that the Impec is now ready to go though! Maybe even as soon as October. This one here is a 2011 but they did say there have been many improvements and the bike will not disappoint. They had a picture of an Impec with white lugs which was very nice looking. Hopefully they'll have one in the flesh at Vegas and we'll be able to grab a few shots in person...

FIZIK

We had a nice visit the other day from the folks at Fizik. They have a bunch of new stuff coming out next year that we are pretty excited about. New saddles, new shoes, Sprinter Gatorskins in a 25c width, etc...

The new saddles are completely different from anything out there now, but groundbreaking and Fizik are a term used hand in hand quite often. These saddles are very comfortable looking and we're looking forward to trying them out. Also, a huge thanks to Fizik for setting the AC crew up with some nice Fizik custom insoles!

AC kit from Assos of Switzerland

I put this at the bottom as even though we just received our 3rd batch we are pretty close to sold out. Check out our online store for what's left, and if your size is not listed give us a shout and we'll get you on the list for the next batch due to arrive in Oct/Nov. A huge THANK YOU to Assos of Switzerland for making these jerseys for us, we are honored! We'll also have a post soon going into a little more detail on this kit and how it came about...

A note on this blog: Hopefully soon we'll be putting all of our new posts up on our new website. We're changing our a few things and are just waiting to work the kinks out for that to happen permanently. Just a heads up if you come here and see that nothing has been updated for a while! Thanks for reading!

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AC blog has moved

October 6, 2011, 5:52 pm

≪ Previous: What's new, where we've been, gone AWOL, etc, etc...

Just a reminder that our blog updates have moved to https://www.abovecategorycycling.com/home/news

Thanks, now make sure to check it out, lots of great stuff coming up!

-AC

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