El Cyclista

02.25.10

The Copenhagen Wheel

I have been watching this product for a while with great interest. One of the things I enjoy most about riding is the physical exertion, so isn’t a bike with an engine a scooter? Although, there is something nice in the idea of being able to just flip on an extra 30watts in the last 20 meters of the State line sprint. Joking aside, I understand that this type of product is not aimed at me, and if it succeeds on getting more people out on bikes – then that is an excellent thing. Who knows where that could lead, and it does make a very good option for a daily commute in bike friendly cities. Potentially more interesting is the technology developed within the wheel hub itself, that if adopted could apply to us all. The hub design allows sensors to collect data as you ride. Not the usual stuff we all collect already (speed, distance, watts, elevation..) but data on your actual route like carbon monoxide, NOx, noise, ambient temperature and relative humidity. This in itself is not so interesting but when crowd sourced with other rider’s data you start to build up a very different view of the environment that you ride or train in. Or as the developers call it “fine-grained environmental information”. On a personal level I would love to know in New York summers where the lowest pollution levels are in a city, in real time as I ride. But on a planning level if it could impact city policy and planning on where the best place to put bike routes are, now that would be something. The hub functionality is controlled from the handlebars via Bluetooth and a smart phone and allows you to view the data in real time. It can also be used as an electronic shifter to change gears, and amazingly lock the bike. Genius. So now I am thinking of a product partnership between Apple, Powertap and Shimano to make a race version of this. Sign me up.

02.10.10

Elcyclista Kit Update

Update! We have finalized the details of the next run of our kit with Capo Forma. If any of you own any Capo kit you will know that it is a high quality product. Great longevity and attention to detail. We will be releasing this round of the kit at cost price (prices per piece below). We are going to do a limited run, so let us know if you are interested nice and early as it will impact the quantities we get per size (we have already had a lot of interest). The main pieces we will offer will be the Elcyclista jerseys and bibs. Also, depending on the amount of interest we may do caps and arm warmers. We made a few tweaks to the original design but nothing major as the feedback we got was so positive. The details are below. If you are interested, drop me an email to eurobiker@gmail.com with the pieces you are interested in and the sizes you would want (the Capo Forma catalogue has more details on sizing). When I get your requests, I’ll email back individually with payment details (we will be doing it through PayPal). Thanks in advance for your support and spreading the word

The Jersey: $65 (USD)
We are getting European race cut (usually means if you like a little room like me you need to go a size up; I am 5′8″ and about 154lbs and medium build – I need a large jersey) using their Drop fabric, Dual-knit, tear drop style knit with proven moisture management and sublimation properties. The design has a full-length lockable hidden zipper, three back pockets and a silicone gel waist gripper.

The Bibs: $75 (USD)
Will be made with their 210 Power Lycra for longevity and have the Corsa chamois insert. It is an elastic one-piece construction with varying thickness (High 10mm, Medium 7mm and Low 5mm), perforated open cells for maximum air flow, anti-microbial microfiber composed of silver ion threads and enhanced perennial channel for additional comfort. This is a great all-around seating option.

Arm warmers: $25 (USD)
Ideal accessory for every climate and condition, providing both muscle support and effective UV protection. Power Lycra® SPF 50 and silicone gel arm gripper.

Caps: $8 (USD)
One size fits all! Standard cap size. Branded inside peak, wear it flipped up in honor of VDB.

Posting:
Using USPS on Priority Mail, flat rate, with 6 to 1o days delivery time
International: $14
Domestic (US): $10

02.05.10

Sitting in a client meeting today with an Italian we got to talking about cycling, and debating about the best grand tour for excitement value. He had a somewhat biased opinion of course. So afterward I started to write down some thoughts on the editions of the Tours that I enjoyed most from the last decade. The highs, Armstrong’s comeback, Andy Schleck’s second at the Giro in his first grand Tour, Savoldelli’s descent to keep the pink jersey, and of course the lows. The Landis positive, the Ricco positive, Rasmussen getting the boot. Well, I did it subjectively, not taking note of the points as I went along, and guess what, Claudia was right – the Giro edged it by a point. Who knew…

Click here for the full size exciterometer graph

01.31.10

Is Red, White And Blue The New Black?

In the 2007/08 season white was the new black, and before that black was the new black (well “nude” carbon was). Last season seemed to be the year of white bikes with thin diagonal pointy stripes. This year Ridley and Team Katusha are making a very bold statement with their new 2010 team bike and shifting the needle again. Big bold blocks of red and blue mixed with a little bit of white almost make this frame look retro. The change started to creep into the peleton last year when Cofidis rolled up to the Tour on a very red and white Look 595. The first time seeing it I really wasn’t sure, it looked almost plain. But looking at it again in the window of R&A here in Brooklyn, it looks like a pretty classy ride. Followed closely by FDJ and Lapierre rolling out a frame that felt more like a French national champion’s paint job than a team design, it was beautiful in its simplicity (needs a white stem, though). Also with the BMC team colors being red and black, things are looking up for a splash of red. Now all we need is a red, white and blue Pinarello for Team Sky in the Tour to make the prediction come true.

One of the most exciting things I look forward to at this time of the year is what will the teams deliver for the National Champions on their teams. BMC have killed it with George’s BMC, pure class, this is the statement of a national champion. (But ironically they completely messed it up on Cadel’s world champion frame. How could the Swiss get it so wrong? It looks so pedestrian.) Lotto and Canyon have gone for intricate and beautiful details on the insides of the stays and forks with national flags, a really lovely touch.

And you have to admire when a sponsor shows this type of confidence in one of their riders. Just today Zdenek Stybar took the world cross title and after getting cleaned up and presented with his medal as newly crowned champion, no sooner had he stepped down off the podium and Ridley presented him with what looks like a beautifully designed X-Night. Maximize that “we have the world champion time” before the cross season ends.

01.24.10

Bicycle Lanes In The Sky

I can’t decide if this concept is pure genius or plain insanity. On the upside you would never have to deal with riding in traffic and dealing with road rage ever again (personal note: this would be interesting over Brooklyn Bridge in the summer to avoid the hordes of tourists that choose to ignore the bike lane symbol, and have single-handedly created the term “bike rage“). On the downside, not a lot of opportunity for passing here. It will add new meaning to the term “wheel sucker“, and could in itself single-handedly re-create the term “bike rage” – cyclists on cyclists. The concept is not meant to remove us from the roads entirely, but to be a bridge, a longer transportation line in more congested areas, or a independent tourist line. The idea of the bridge scares the shit out of me. It appears you are  held on by what looks like a climbing harness and you ride on a track. I am not sure this would appeal to the more vertically challenged amongst us, but in certain cities it might be more appealing than throwing the dice in the bike lane. It is an interesting exercise in alternatives to beating congestion and using existing technology to bring something new, and I can only imagine the alternative view of your daily commute would be pretty amazing. More details and drawings here for those of you that want to visualize yourself doing this, and I personally have a question about that Zeplin. (Photos and drawings from kolelinia)

The Candy Cranks Bike Collective, Sydney

“Chicks that spin around the world“. A very worthy cause. A collective of female cyclists aimed at supporting and encouraging each other to get out there and ride. Based in Sydney, they have support and members in 21 cities around the globe. They have done a beautiful job of branding themselves with the help of the talented guys at Effective Design in Glasgow. They make simple styled steel frames with Dedacciai tubing in two colors. Although I love the accessories more, the handle bars plug is hot.

My bike is better than your bike

A great t-shirt from Candy Cranks in Sydney. Available here for purchase.

01.10.10

Elcyclista Frame Design Research: Part 1

Seeing that Ritte frame has inspired me. It may never see the light of day, but I am going to start the long process of designing an Elcyclista frame. Any designers reading this will know and understand that designing for yourself is like counting the hairs on your head. So I wholly expect to be posting the design this time in 2011, but you have to start somewhere. For years now I have been following the guys at Mollusk in San Francisco. They are a custom surfboard maker, and in my opinion the kings of color. Even if you don’t take to the waves (in the same way that we take to the road, expect to show up at the shop and see a “Gone Surfing” sign), what they make and shape are things of beauty. Part surf shop, t-shirt designers, art gallery, music promoter, Mollusk is well worth the visit, but go when the tide is out. Their board designs are simple and understated with beautiful color combinations, and patterns that remind me of retro cycling jerseys. The finish on the boards is amazing and the high gloss resin seal makes the colors they choose really pop. They add in beautifully simple details like pinstripes and single color hand-drawn illustrations. It is a good place to start.

01.05.10

The Ritte Racing Boseberg Frame

This is one seriously nice looking frame (thanks to Robot at RKP for pointing it my way). There is something very classy about that sky blue and black – very similar to the new Sky Team colors (a little weaker on the blue). Some really nice touches with the white hoods, and white and black cable covers up front. Someone really sat down and looked at every part here and considered how it could be coordinated to the frame. A few hints of Belgium, and named after the one and only climb to top it off. Check out their site for the story behind the first build.

Photos from Ritte Racing.

01.01.10

Keirin Poster

Loving this Keirin poster pulled from Paul Kellers Flickr set on the Omiya Kerin. A nice use of bar tape to represent the spectacle of men racing around a track in acidic colored Lycra with American football size padding to protect them.