Not everyone out there spends ten grand on a bike for a plethora of good reasons. A purchase like that really cannot be rationalized when there are so many great bikes out there for a fraction of that. But buying a bike like the Corvid from Independent Fabrication is not rational, rather it is purely emotional.

I think that how somebody goes about buying their dream bike says a great deal about them not only as a rider but as a person. These days just about every brand out there is more than happy to have a $10,000 bike in it’s catalog. With all the ultralight carbon frames and uber-expensive components out there it’s really not  hard to do. Top shelf carbon frame, electronic shifting, and some fancy wheels and you’re pretty much there. But what does it say about someone who buys a bike at that price and  has it come all ready to go in a box like hundreds of others just like it? When money is no object do you go for something like this or do you go for something unique?

When Paul first came into the shop to talk about bikes he knew he wanted the best bike and understood that it meant spending a good chunk of change to get it. When we talked a bit about his plans and he mentioned interest in a Colnago EPS my reaction was not one of excitement but more of curiosity. I wanted to find out more about what this guy really wanted in a bike and to understand the motivation behind his quest.

Rather than beating around the bush I asked him bluntly, “since we are talking about a bike with a $6000 frame why are we not talking about custom bikes? The Colnago EPS is a really cool bike but it’s still something that is made in batches of identical frames. If you get one you will probably be the only guy in Richmond with one like it but somewhere else there is going to be another guy with the same bike. Why not get something fully custom that is not only tailored to your measurements and riding style but also exactly the color you want?”

I showed him my custom steel Independent Fabrication
and we talked a bit about how my specific wants in a bike shaped the design and look of the finished project. After a while Paul left and said he was still shopping around but was intrigued by our discussion about custom bikes.

I won’t bore you with all the details but Paul got back in touch and over the next few weeks we started to plan out his custom bike. From fitting, to paint selection, and ultimately to components we approached each step with the goal of creating the ultimate bike for one specific rider.

The finished product was exactly what was best for the rider. From the slick platinum paint job down to the tires each decision along the way was carefully considered.

Paul picked up his bike yesterday around 4 and at 7pm that same day I got an email from him. One simple line typed into an iPhone said it all:

“Braden- just got back from first ride. Really sweet rig. Absolutely love it. Thanks again”

Thank you Paul, for  letting Carytown Bicycle Co. be a part of this utterly irrational but really cool purchase and for giving us a chance to help build one of the coolest bikes around.

HAMMER PERPETUEM AND HEED

Heed taste bad, but Perpetuem is undrinkable in all but the most dire of circumstances. The only reason I would suggest anybody buy a canister of either of these is to make them apprecciate whatever drink product they get next. As for Hammer’s claim that the soy protein in Perpetuem helps increase endurance in events over 4 hours, well even if that were true, which it is not, it would not be worth it. Tom “Autobus” Grinnan drinks it but that guy will literally eat anything, he’s like a rat or crow that way.  First Endurance stuff is the best.

I was in my last couple of days before I was to depart on a solo bikepacking ride on the C&O Canal. I had just stop by Carytown Bicycles Company to get some items that I needed. While talking with Braden I told him that I did not have all the bags I needed for the trip, but I was making due with what I had. Braden give me the opportunely to use his Revelate Designs Viscacha seat bag.

At that time I had no idea how much of an important roll that piece of equipment was going to make on my trip. If you don’t know by now, the world of lightweight or ultra-light backpacking is making its way over to the cycling seen as bikepacking. In this world you are taking the tools, equipment and methods of lightweight or ultra-light backpacking and putting it on a bicycle and being able to ride and camp over terrain and distances that you could never do before on loaded touring bike.

The Viscacha seat bag is the larger of the two seat bags that Revelate Designs produces. Don’t think of the two as one has more cubic inches than the other one (which they do). The Viscacha is used with bikes that have long seat post like a mountain bike. The Pika is used with a short seat post like you would have on a road or cross bike. The Viscacha retails for around $130 so it’s not cheap. If you think about, the Viscacha cost as much as a good day or weekend pack.

The seat bags are made with high-tech outdoor sailcloth. They are far more waterproof than coated pack cloth. I can say that I put the Viscacha waterproofness to the test on the first day of my ride. That Monday it rained all day from the time I hit the Mount Vernon Trail making my way to the C&O Canal and all the way to Harper’s Ferry West Virginia some 68 miles later.

You might hit your back of your legs on the seat bag, but once you adjust your self on the saddle you don’t notice that the bag is back there. It does not move from side-to-side it just stays put!

OK, I know you want to know what you can fit in that bad boy. I was in the need to get the weight of my tent off me and onto the bike. I was able to fit a Serra Designs Clip Light CD tent, pegs, SOL Emergency bivvy, and food in the Viscacha.

On top of the seat bag are four small 3mm rope loops. They are for attaching the Sprocket an add-on top pouch that is used for putting a SPOT in. I used it to hold a small stuff sack of gear that I needed to get out of my pack.

I hate straps hanging loose and flapping around. The straps on the Viscacha lock in place and have a nice finished look. As you can see in the pictures the bag has a nice clean look.

After riding 178 miles on the C&O Canal I have to say the seat bag is a must needed piece of kit for any off-road adventure!

I would like to thank Braden and Carytown Bicycles Company for hooking me up with the Viscacha seat bag.

Nathan come to us looking for a kick butt full suspension 29er that could handle a big guy.  Since he has been upping his riding time Nathan has been dropping the pounds but he only recently got under 300lbs so finding a bike that can handle his body now but also be a great ride as he continues to drop the pounds was a must.

Enter the Niner R.I.P.9

With 4.5 inches of plush travel this thing just floats over the trail while still climbing well thanks to Niner’s CVA suspension technology.

We built it out with a mostly Shimano XT drivetrain and a Fox Talas fork.

Since picking it up we hear Nathan has been shredding the trails at Pocahontas State Park whenever he can.

Keep it up Nathan!

Ever wanted to see just how great it can be to add some Salsa to your trail riding recipe here in Richmond? Well, now is your chance! Come out Sunday May 13th to the Reedy Creek trail head in the James River Park System. There you will find your bros from Carytown Bicycle Co. as well as your future friends from Salsa Cycles.

Come out and shred on Richmond’s downtown trails on any of Salsa’s great trail bikes.

See you there!

Still toiling away during a triathlon on a road bike? You probably already know that the bike leg is the only part where equipment really REALLY matters and the fastest way to get faster is to make yourself more efficient on the bike.

Upgrading from a road bike to a true triathlon bike and position can make a huge difference in your bike split but only if it’s done right. We understand that making that leap to a tri bike can be a confusing and costly purchase. Because of that we want to make things as easy as possible for you.

So here is the deal: bring us your current road bike of any type and we will get you set up on a proper triathlon frame and a proper triathlon position. We’ll reuse most of your existing parts to keep the price low and only upgrade the things that actually matter.

This is what you get:

Ridley Cheetah triathlon frame with John Cobb designed aerodynamic carbon fiber fork and aero dynamic carbon seatpost. (a value of $650)
Profile design T1 or T2 aerobars and base bar (a value of $175)
Shifter and brake lever retrofit parts for aerobars (a value of $130)

On top of all that we won’t charge you to rebuild you new setup (a value of $175)

All in all this COULD set you back over $1300. I say “could” because it won’t cost you that much. It will only cost you $750.

Yup… that’s right… $750

Let’s recap.

Bring us your existing road bike and $750 (plus tax) and get a professionally built triathlon bike.

Pretty sweet huh? The only catch is that like most deals supplies are limited so don’t delay… blah blah blah right?

Stop by the shop or call to get the process started on your new tri bike.

The raceway is pretty close to my house so I decided to head over there and watch the end of the elite race first. The best way to get to the track is through the outer parking lots and along the trolley drive.  The alternative means more traffic and less scenery.  Over the mile or so of empty tarmac I saw a huge black snake sunning itself and this guy moving along.

There is something really cool about riding into the tunnel under the track and coming up to see this.  The track actually seems a lot smaller from the infield.

I arrived in time to watch the last 12 laps of racing.  Dom Meier from the Whole Foods team was in a small group that had managed to detach themselves from the main group.  In spite of the fact that the rival Cutaway-3sports had 3 guys in the group racing against him, Dom managed to take the win.  Well done man!

So after talking a bit with the usual suspects and hearing the usual post race debriefing/excuses I continued on my way.  Sarah had told me about this place in northside that used to be a large office park that looked pretty cool on google maps.  Since it was a beautiful Sunday afternoon and I was on a bike with nothing in particular to do I decided to go explore a bit.

As I rolled around the grounds I saw some really interesting architecture.  Not what I was expecting at all.  While it seems that there is somewhat regular care being taken to the grounds much of the surrounding area has become somewhat overgrown.

Between the overgrown vegetation and the somewhat run down appearance I couldn’t help imagining myself in some sort of post apocalyptic world…possibly one with zombies.

The most interesting part was this.

For some reason the designer of this place felt that it was really important to have these two  HUGE eagles in front of one of the building’s entrance. Part ancient Egypt part cold war Russia these guys stand watch over an empty shell.

I decided to move on for now but plan on coming back to explore further soon.  There was an interesting looking narrow road leading away from one part of the building.  So I started down it.  After passing a few houses the road continued along a stretch of land that was clearly once developed but had been abandoned for some time.

I eventually started meandering home and decided to see just how much of the powerline cut that was once the Richmond/Ashland Trolley Line could be ridden.  There has been talk of trying to convert this to a greenway but for the time being that project has seemed to be put on hold.  As it is right now the small section from the Brook Run shopping center up to Villa Park Dr. is actually possible to ride.  Not continuously and not on skinny tires but a mountain or cross bike would have no real problems.  You have to go around the Belmont Golf Course and there are some other obstacles but it can be done.  I think I grab my trail bike soon and try it out again.

The section near Brook Run is pretty interesting.  As I was riding back I came to what I at first though was just a hill but soon realized was the old bridge that goes over Jordan’s Branch Creek.

All in all it was a great way to spend some time on the bike.  I love racing and training but sometimes it’s best to just ride without any particular goal or route. Sometimes it’s best to let the journey be the objective.

Yesterday was one of those kind of days.

Come join us this Saturday morning for a little morning fun. The ride is pretty simple. 20 miles of pavement and light gravel/dirt path. 100% doable on a road bike with 700×23 tires. Even more fun if you have 25s or a cross bike.

Things to know:

This ride is all about having some fun and not taking things too seriously.
However, it will average about 17 mph.
A helmet is a must.
Road, touring, or cyclocross bikes are probably best for this affair.
Clipless pedals make sense too.

Ride will be followed by hanging out and drinking some coffee from one of the many fine establishments on the 3100 block of West Cary Street.

Sound like fun? Then meet us at 7:45 this Saturday to ride!

Every review on Cyclingnews.com or in Velonews  is  a positive one. They earn their money from advertisers so they cannot very well say if those products stink. That makes sense. What does not make sense is all the clichéd jargon that conveys nothing yet the they recycle it for every product. I will not bore you with examples, you have read it before. Besides being based on objective first-hand experience, I promise to be succinct in my reviews.

ENERGY BARS

Any bar that has 100 ingredients like Honey Stinger or Powerbar is dodgy in my book. Larabars taste good, as do Boon bars, and most of their ingredients are recognizable as actual food, which is what I think you are supposed to eat. Even better, take a banana or a salty sweet potato on a ride.

All in all it was a great turnout. We got to hang with our friends at RideRichmond, Lawrence from 8 1/2, Ellen from Tarrant’s and a lot of other great folk. Slices were crushed, beers were slammed and tires were shredded and if you weren’t there you missed out!

The Lineup:

Belly Timber: As always, great bar pizza with a vegan option to boot. One lucky vegan girl got her hands on two whole vegan pies after the remaining 79 riders pawed at the first 8 pies like zombies. Definitely a lot of hungry hangs pulling apart the slices before most could get their hands on em. We had to step up our game and order more at the remaining stops.

Next up was a slummin’ favorite of Pamparius; Valentino’s. This little pit stop on 3rd and Grace is a great hole to grab a slice on the run without having to visit one of those Piccola’s/Mary Angela’s dumps. Once again, the zombies devoured the 7 large pizzas and we had to order an extra to appease those who were left out.

Next up were our friends at Tarrant’s Cafe. Always one of our favorites in the city and in my opinion the best pizza you can get in a traditional size. They’ve got their own flavor and whoever’s in charge of the dough there has had it nailed down for the better part of two years. Everyone at this point deemed it the best of the ride so far, and they were even kind enough to throw in two extra pies so the little jerks had plenty to eat.

Finally we made our way up to 8 1/2 pizza, where they had our pizzas waiting for us. No delays in getting that stuff into everyones gullet. Slices were devoured and at this point people were turning down seconds which is the benchmark for a successful crawl in our opinion. Timing wasn’t perfect as we arrived later than we planned so the slices weren’t up to their potential, but several people mentioned how great the spices are on these plain cheese slices. Imagine how they are with hot and fresh. Well, I don’t have to imagine, I’ve had 100 of these pies in the last 3 years, but open your minds and wallets and go get some 8 1/2. It’s hands down the best and most original pie in town. Thanks for hooking us up guys.

And now we come to the grand finale and new addition to the Pizza Crawl: Pizza Tonight! These guys have been around for a while but I’ve only recently been able to properly try their beautifully neapolitan styled brick oven pizza. And if you think you’ve had neapolitan style pizza in Richmond before, I pity the fool. You ain’t had it until you’ve had this. Flavor, style, execution, nailed down to perfection. These guys pull off one of the best, if not the best pies in town on the hitch of a pick-up truck. All you brick oven queens take notes because you don’t have anything on these guys.

The new Carytown Bikes spot accommodates this kind of thing perfectly. I’d like to see this happen more often!

Thanks to these guys for partying with us:

RVA Bike Commuter

Ride Richmond

Carytown Bikes

Belly Timber, Valentino’s, Tarrant’s, 8 1/2 and Pizza Tonight!

Ellen Bucher for fighting the bird flu and taking pictures for us!

Anyone I missed can stuff it.

In typical fashion, swim experts Danny Royce and John Hauserman led the team out of the water with blazing fast swim splits setting them up for some clear roads on the bike route. Quickly the Justin Moyer and CVE Head Coach Bob Flanigan took control laying down 2 of the fastest bike splits of the day (Justin 2:13 and Bob 2:15) on one of the most mentally challenging (boring) courses the racers had ever experienced. Personal bests on the bike leg were turned in by Justin Moyer, Bob Flanigan, Jeff Tunstall, Danny Royce, and John Hauserman. The team was through transition quickly and out on the HOT run course. Shade was no where to be found but the temps didn’t seem to hurt the runners as they managed to gain ground on the leaders. At the finish the CVE/CBC team had Personal Bests across the board showing that the off season work they put in was working! Hardware was also to be hauled home from South Carolina!

Results

Justin Moyer 3rd Overall 4:13
Bob Flanigan 10th Overall 4:19
Danny Royce 13th Overall, 2nd AG 4:25
John Hauserman 18th Overall 4:31
Jeff Tunstall 27th Overall 4:35

Year of the Dragon!

While the new SLR wheels are not the bargain of the Stan’s wheels (they are $999) their weight is now within 45 grams to the Stan’s wheels and reportedly WAY stiffer. Should make for a superfast and durable 29er wheel. Maybe this proves you can actually get parts for your 29er that are light, strong, AND fast.

I’ll have to wait till late summer to actually try some out but there is a Lefty version coming so you can bet at set will end up on my Cannondale Flash.

So Syd, Dave Luscan, and I all set to work to help him design his dream bike. The guys at Independent Fabrication took over from there and made his dream bike a reality.