El Cyclista

08.31.10

1800 KM

See the 1800KM photo essay here

So almost one year ago today we did our first post on the Elcyclista site. Almost as exciting was sending our first Elcyclista kit out not long after. That was to Stefan Rohner, who turned out to be an amazing and published photographer, and so our photo features began. Since then Stefan regularly drops me a note to poke fun at my riding – like I rode up the Stelvio on the wrong side (Ed: is there a right side? They both hurt you know). So it is only fitting that on this day of celebration in the Elcyclista household we are able to publish this stunning photo essay from Stefan.

He just spent three weeks with his brother riding the great and slightly lesser known climbs of the Pyrenees. The numbers speak for themselves. The longest daily ride: 168km, the shortest daily ride: 83km, the average ride: 135km. Vertical climb approximately: 36,500m, average: 2810m…. but you know what, none of that really mattered to them. No Garmin or SRM, they just figured it out after wards, choosing to ride the climbs with their thoughts, conversation, and a view. What I love about these images, is that you can literally feel the silence on the climbs, and the only sound left is your breathing and the changing of gears. The absence of people and traffic. The aftermath of the Tour (they rode them in the weeks right after the Tour had passed through). If anything ever makes you question why you ride, or commit so much of you life to sitting in a saddle, look at these pictures. You will instantly remember why.

There is also something very fitting, that on the day that we get to publish these incredibly peaceful photos, we are also able to pay tribute to Laurent Fignon who did so much to animate racing on the roads of the Pyreness, The Marie Blanque, Aubisque, Solour, Tourmalet, Larrau, Pierre St. Martin, Burdincurucheta, Baragui, Houratate, Bouezou, Sustary, Labays, Marmare, Pradel, Pailheres, Agnes, Ares, Peyresourde, Aspin,

08.19.10

The Bosberg, Crossberg and 1919 From Ritte Racing

We have been fans of the Ritte team for ages. Apart from being one of the funniest teams around (check out their blog), they have also managed to produce a quality team bike that is now available to the public like you and me. Named after the Bosberg climb, it is a light all-around race frame. The features include carbon dropouts, an integrated seat mast, a BB30 bottom bracket and massive chain stays for power transfer. Also a tapered 1.125″ to 1.25″ head tube giving it very precise handling. You can find these features on a lot of bikes today, but what really makes the Bosberg pop is the paint job. It is a pretty unique looking design, and has now been updated with a beautiful matte black carbon finish, (just like my Storck) with a high gloss finish on the paint. Pretty classy right?

According to the guys at Ritte it will also make you roughly 240% more attractive and 312% more intimidating (Ed: ? So while you might attract more ladies with a 240% increase in charm – you will scare them off when they get close with your 312% improvement in the intimidation category. Net gain, you have a 72% better chance of either charming your way over the line first, or scaring everyone back to the feed zone).

Back to the real facts, a medium Bosberg frame with uncut mast weighs less than 1000g, the fork with uncut steerer weighs a scant 350g. Bolt on SRAM Red and a pair of racing tubs and you are in the 14-pound race bike range. All of this with a nice finishing kit for under $5K. If you are interested, it is as easy as going here. They have also extended the line to include the mean looking Crossberg (I think I like this design best) and the 1919 time trial bike, both below, all available at the Ritte site.

08.13.10

An Interview With Julian Franco, From Franco Bikes

We are at nearly the one year point in the history of Elcyclista, and every week literally brings us in touch with new people who share our passion for riding and design. A few weeks back I was flicking through an issue of Cycle Sport (I still buy print) and came a cross a full page ad for Franco Bicycles. It looked like a nicely produced frame and prompted me to check out their site, to find they were doing something different and interesting. At the same time, Julian Franco was sending me an email to say he had found Elcyclista and loved what we were doing. Love it when that happens. We swapped emails and crafted a virtual interview, below.

How did you get into the sport?

For as long as I can remember, I’ve been into bikes. I vividly remember my 9th birthday when my uncle, who was a big roadie at the time, showed up for my birthday party and had a dark blue Masi road bike that he had just picked up. I remember it had Campy on it and he trained on tubulars. I thought that was the coolest thing ever. That same birthday, another uncle gave me a Murray BMX. I got more and more into it, and I eventually wanted a higher-end BMX bike, but my parents wouldn’t buy me an expensive one. So I “de-tassled” corn (I grew up in the Midwest just outside Chicago) for the entire summer when I was 12 so I could order a new Robinson from Frankford BMX, a mail-order company advertising in the back pages of BMX Plus. I raced BMX for a while and eventually graduated to mountain bikes. Then in college I was racing a 250GP bike as part of the AMA Superbike Series and used a mountain bike to train on when a mechanic friend of mine, Mike Rockwell (another roadie) got me out on an old steel Bianchi to “chase some school buses” for fitness. From that moment on, I loved it and I’ve been on road bikes ever since.

Reading the background on you guys, it sounds like you have put together an interesting business model. How did the Franco brand get started?

My cousin, Hector, and I have both spent our entire careers in consumer goods. Hector on product development as an industrial designer and engineer, and me on the business side. Our experience there was really pretty simple. We would partner with retailers and base every decision on consumer insights, always focusing on the customer needs. That meant if we kept the focus on the customer, the business would take care of itself. Having bought a lot of bikes ourselves we didn’t think that was the case in the bike industry. We’d find what we thought was the perfect bike and then we’d have to try to find it, since our local dealers didn’t always have them in stock. One time in particular, when I was looking for a specific new bike in my size, that meant printing off a list of US dealers for that brand, and calling every dealer from the east coast to the west until I finally found it. I found it in Utah, and since I was on vacation with my wife, she didn’t appreciate my efforts that morning as much as I did! Experiences like this and our network of contacts allowed us to create a company that did exactly what we wanted when purchasing a bike. Franco Bicycles was born.

(more…)

08.09.10

Vincenzo Torriani’s Colnago

Vincenzo Torriani was best known as one of the original “Giro Bosses” or organizers of the Grand Tour. He held the role for 46 years, from 1946 to 1992. This bike was a special edition given to him by Ernesto Colnago in the 1980s as a gift, recognizing his contribution to the great race and Italian cycling in general. Also in his honor they named the “Trofeo Vincenzo Torriani” after him, awarded to the rider who took the Cima Coppi ascent. He was also the man responsible for introducing the Cipressa to the Milan – San Remo, under the direction that the race needed to be made harder in the final stages. Something riders like Cav will curse him for today. I saw this bike in the museum at the top of the Ghisallo, and of all the bikes on display that day this one really stood out. The pictures do not do the finish justice, the bike literally glows in the light, even indoors. But as with Colnagos of that era, it was the attention to detail that makes it special: the painted inlay branding and the Italian national colors painted into the seat post inlays. Bike design today has got me so used to fat and shaped tubes and high profile rims, that a bike like this looks almost naked now.

08.03.10

His Wheel Is Bigger Than Mine.

Is that thing even legal (well not with todays rules)? That is a ridiculously large wheel, and somewhat seems to defeat the purpose of trying to beat the hour record. Sure you might as well just stuff a motor down that extra long seat tube. Hell why even stop at the 4ft diameter, you can get that thing up to 6ft, and your back isn’t even straight. Dave Zabriskie (“the most aerodynamic man in cycling” according to Phil Liggett) could sort that out.

08.01.10

Stephan And His Brother On The Col D’Agnes

Just got sent these two lovely shots from our friend Stephan Rohner and his brother currently their on a road trip through the Pyrenees riding the climbs. These are from today’s “Sunday morning ride” up the Col D’Agnes. (10 km at 8.2%). It looks like they got a nice foggy day, but knowing Stephan that would have made him want to ride it even more! Jealous.

07.28.10

Cicli.co / Milan

I can’t find much out about Cicli.co, a company from Milan that we found on our recent trip. They make a very unusual and cool looking commuter bike. They work in partnership with Spernicelli Bici one of Italy’s premium vintage bike restoration shops. Check out their site for some beautiful vintage rides. Would love to get a test ride on that power arm crank they have instead of a chain.

07.26.10

Rolling Orange Bike Shop

For the longest time I have been walking past this great empty shop front space on Baltic Street and Court Street, and thinking it would be a great place for a gallery. Well someone went one step better, and turned it into a very special bike shop. The new Rolling Orange shop specializes in old school Dutch “Work Bikes” or “Bakfiets“. Newly built and updated from the old designs to meet the needs of modern transportation by bike, they get behind the brand tag of “Slower Is Better“. They stock the De Fiestsfabriek, Dutch ID and Batavus brands, all variations on the theme of the old work bike design, with updated components. They are also carrying a great selection of very stylish accessories that any about-town rider would be happy to wear. Check out the Little Nutty polka dot helmet. The original design of the work bike dates to pre-war years when biking with cargo (kids, groceries, milk churns…) was the preferred and most efficient mode of transport, and mostly the only way to travel in rural Holland. After the war and the introduction of mechanized transport the Bakfiet started to fade away from daily life, but brands like De Fiestsfabriek have successfully updated them and re-introduced them to the modern eco-friendly rider.

06.02.10

I see this in my future

This is one fine looking ride. There are a few parts on here that I might swap out, but that SL3 frame looks fast standing still. Completely turned my head.

Photos and bike by Mario Hartman

05.06.10

Bike Lust: The Storck Fenomalist

I have been reading and admiring the Storck Fenomalist from afar, mostly because I am afraid if I get too close I might actually try and buy one. Then I stumbled across the S-Tec site in Germany that is a specialist dealer for them, and they have great shots of these pretty pimped out builds. My fate may be sealed. I am not sure about those wheels in the top shot though, they look like you would have to wear white shorts to carry them off and I am just not sure I can go there. But that white frame is a beauty. Everything I have read about these frames says they are one of the best rides you will ever throw your leg over. If anyone reading owns one, or has had the joy of riding one, I would love to hear some first-hand feedback.