Window Art

Just a simple photo this morning.  We've shared some window art that was done by a local artist, but with the right light this one really stands out.

You'll notice the "IF" and outline are done on the outside of our double-pane windows, the fill is done on the inside.  This gave the logo a lot of depth and when viewed at night, looks really interesting.  At least, I think it does.

Check it:

I'm going to put some work in trying to bring you some work from some other local artists as well.  We have some photography in the shop done by friends where we'll highlight not just the images, but also the installation.  More to come soon.....

Holiday Gift Kits from Iron Cycles

The Holidays are here, and you're probably like the rest of us: scrambling to find gifts for those on your list.  Iron Cycles is here to help you out with some suggested gift packs we've assembled with our favorite bits from around the shop.  

From bike to body care, parts, accessories, and clothing, we've got the cyclist on your list covered.  We've scoured the shop for the best and brightest we had to offer in 2011 and brought it all together into one place....

Flat Fix Kit includes a Timbuk2 saddle bag, Crank Brothers M10 multi-tool, SRAM CO2 cartridge and head, two tire levers, and a tube (you pick the size).  

$50 ($79 retail)

Bike Pit Kit includes a Pedros Toothbrush and Bike Lust, Finish Line Chain Cleaner, and your choice of Zipp Service Course bar tape.  

$50 ($77 retail)

Stay Warm Kit includes our shop favorite Endura Road Overshoe and Deluge gloves as well as a pair of DeFeet wool socks.

$90 ($115 retail)

Stay Safe Kit includes our #1 selling fender, the SKS X-tra Dry, a Planet Bike Super Flash, and a Cateye UNO headlight.

$55 ($86 retail)

Stay Comfortable Kit includes a pair of Endura X-Tract Shorts, DZ Nutz (or DZ Bliss) Chamois Cream, and an Iron Cycles water bottle.

$55 ($90 retail)

Get Fast Kit includes either a set of GEAX Roadster or Continental Ultra Sport tires, two tubes, and installation.

$60 ($82 retail)

Get Pumped Kit includes our best-selling Joe Blow Max2 Pump, two tubes, and two tire levers.

$45 ($60 retail)

Stay Fit Kit includes a Giro Indicator helmet in the color of your choice and a pair of Giro Treble road shoes in black.

$110 ($145 retail)

Get Safe Kit includes our best-selling Kryptonite Evolution lock and cable, and a set of Knog Boomer USB-chargable lights.

$120 ($145 retail)

Stay Fast Kit includes two newly-released Michelin Pro4 tires and two tubes

$125 (Retail $162)

Endura Road Overshoes Review

Another review from a Team Iron Cycles member, Vanessa lends a critical eye to clothing.  She's not necessarily harder on stuff than anyone else, but is happy to share her true opinions rather than waste time sugar-coating things.  Added to that, being a petite person Vanessa can struggle to find the right equipment in a sport still loaded with products designed around men.

With that said, you should rest easy knowing that when something gets a glowing review from Lil' V, it's truly good stuff.

 

I have tried other shoe covers and the Endura Road booties are the best I have tried, by a long shot. After trying on many different brands, and finding none that fit my small feet, I bought my 1st pair of shoe covers 2 years ago. They did fit, but never stayed zipped, leaked water, and soon started to come apart at the seams!  Then I found these Endura booties this October, and though they are specified Road, I have used them with my road and my Mountain bike shoes and they work for both! They are awesome! They are SUPER warm.  They keep your feet dry, no leaking! (Though I have yet to try them in a total deluge).  AND I love the zipper and velcro strap combo. These are not going to come unzipped like my last pair (which have gone in the trash, btw). And best of all the Extra Small fits my very small foot, unlike other I tried.

 

We do our best to keep these in stock at all times, and for only $40 they make a killer gift idea for the cyclist on your holiday list.

Sock Guy custom Iron Cycles socks!

These make for an ultimate stocking stuffer.  Cheap, classy, and custom, what cyclist wouldn't be down with that!?

Better yet, the socks are comfortable, meaning there's no need to limit them only to cycling.  We routinely sport them when jeans and sneakers, they do a great job of keeping your feet happy all year!

And now a quick review from Justin, one of our resident fancy lads on Team Iron Cycles:

Being a classy man about town, I enjoy looking like I can flatten Mt. Vesuvius with a stroke of my pedal.  While the power isn't quite there, I'd like to think that looking resplendent in my white "Iron Cycles" socks is enough to look the part. They are tall enough to provide the awkward tan line that is a badge of honor for cyclists and their comfort is unparalleled.   I can use them during a road ride that takes up most of the day or during a round on the cross bike.  Did the socks get dirty?  You bet, but unlike the Mona Lisa, the socks are still looking great after many uses.  If you want to look classy out there, I would definitely suggest the Iron Cycles socks. 

That right there folks, is a gleaming review.  Grab a pair before the holidays and surprise someone with some comfort.

Endura Windchill Jacket Review

My time in the Windchill Jacket is limited compared to the 3 seasons I've spent in the Stealth Jacket, but I'm already seeing where the Windchill falls into my clothing lineup.

First, let me get one of the most important details out of the way: at $150 the Windchill comes in at half the price of the Stealth.  That's a huge savings, but the two really shouldn't go head-to-head.

Where the Stealth has ultrasonically welded seams everywhere and PTFE, the Windchill is a 3-season wind jacket to help you stay warm.  The front and sleeves of the Windchill are waterproof, but this jacket has thermal insulation as well.  Riding this morning in the Windchill I wore nothing more than a basic t-shirt under and was plenty warm for a 40 minute easy ride.

The rear of the Windchill is also dramatically different than the Stealth in that it's just insulated and water resistant, instead of waterproof.  The Windchill also has pockets like those found in a typical cycling jersey, three pockets, where the Stealth has two zippered pockets.  The Windchill does have a single small zippered waterproof pocket on the rear.

 

The front of the windchill jacket sports windproof and waterproof fabric, it also has a zipper pocket.  A nice touch is a built-in glass wipe for those gross days of riding.  Reflective arm, neck, and back panels help to keep you visible on the dark rides fall, winter, and spring grace us with.

This is the jacket I'd wear down to about 15-20 degrees in dry conditions, maybe even colder if you layer appropriately.  If you get caught out in a sprinkle you'll be fine as well.  If there is a lot of rain expected, the Stealth is still the go-to.  The thermal lining really goes a long way to keeping you warm for such a small amount of lining.  The softer material of the Windchill makes it very comfortable for riding or casual wear, meaning you won't necessarily be labeled as a cyclist if you toss the Windchill on and walk down to get some coffee.

It's a worthy piece to add to your clothing collection if you lack a warm and windproof jacket for dry riding.  If you avoid riding in the rain, it'll save you a ton of money over the Stealth jacket, but if you ride in all conditions you'll want to ensure you have a separate jacket for really wet days.

Quarq Qalvin Calibration Station!

So you have a Quarq.  Awesome.  But let's say you plan to use it on your road and CX bikes.  It's a problem all crank-based powermeters have: the change in chainrings will leave you with bad power data.

SRM advertises their crank is "stable" enough to change chainrings without a recalibration, but that's only if you're changing to something similar.  Straight from SRM USA, if you switch from road to CX rings the crank needs to go back to SRM in Colorado for a recalibration.  That leaves you without a powermeter for 1-2 weeks.

If you're careful about sending the SRM back during a recovery week or break from the bike it's no big deal, but what if there were an easier solution?

Iron Cycles has ponied up for the Wahoo Fitness dongle, a highly-calibrated 25kg weight, and we now have Qalvin.  These three items pair up to create a very practical and easy-to-use calibration system for your Quarq.

This system can come in handy for more than just recalibration of your Quarq, though.  Maybe you've been experiencing some funky readings, or dropping a signal.  The Qalvin App can pair with your Quarq and under our control we can troubleshoot the reed switches, battery level, and even do our own ANT+ Zero.

What does this mean for you?  In the end you can now change your chainrings anytime you want and we can adjust your Quarq to account for those changes.  We can diagnose issues without sending the unit back to Spearfish.  We can get you back on your powermeter faster and ensure it's as accurate as possible.

For comparison, I just checked the factory calibration of a brand new Quarq against what I would find in the shop.  After two trial runs, my slope was less than .1% off of the factory slope both times.

We are one of only a handful of shops in the country offering this, and were the first to offer it as a service to our customers.  We have calibrated dozens of Quarqs in the last few months and are ready for more.

This is a roughly 25 min process (we check our numbers twice to make sure you get the best calibration possible) and will set you back $35.  That's almost the cost of boxing your Quarq up to send back to Spearfish and leaves you with virtually no down time.

Independent Fabrication Cross Jester w/ Ultegra Di2

Whoa.  Am I right?  In 2009 the Independent Fabrication Corvid was voted Best of Show at the North American Handmade Bike show, and for good reason.  Custom carbon lugs to custom carbon tubes, both by ENVE in Utah to IF-spec.

But, being a shop with such an emphasis on cyclocross, we needed something a little different.  Last year "001" was made for Molly Cameron, it was the very first Cross Jester that Independent kicked out.  They took the design of the Corvid and built it into the most beautiful full-carbon custom CX bike ever.  Independent hasn't marketed that model, but if you find the right person to ask, and ask nice enough, a Cross Jester can be had.

The following is a nice detail of what's been done to this frameset.  But, the Ultegra Di2 is something special and it's getting it's own post.  So, sit back and enjoy the bike porn.  We'll go over the details later....

 

Independent Cross Jester/Corvid X
ENVE CX fork
Ultegra Di2
Zipp 303 Firecrest
Zipp Service Course SL seatpost
Zipp SL Speed Stem
Zipp SLC2 Short and Shallow bar
Clement PDX tires
Cannondale Hollowgram SL crankset
WickWerks chainrings
Avid Shorty Ultimate black-out brakes

Endura Stealth Jacket Review

I have now spent two full winters in this jacket, and now heading into my third, I feel pretty confident in reviewing what has turned into my favorite piece of cold-weather cycling apparel.  It's combination of being extremely wind and water proof, having a great fit, and some nice built-n features made it grow on my quickly and become my go-to.

 

Above you can see the generous rear pocket (large enough for more than everything you want to carry in a pocket) and an attachment for a rear light.  

The pocket features a waterproof zipper and has stored multiple tubes and CO2's, a dry pair of gloves, phone, wallet, and food.  No problem jamming all of the needed supplies.

The rear light attachment is key of course since people tend to spend a lot of time riding in the dark during the winter.  If I'm not carrying a bag, I always have a light attached.

 The cuffs zipper tightly closed with a waterproof zipper and seal nicely with most gloves.  When wearing something smaller like a wool glove, I'll put the cuff over the glove.  When wearing a bigger lobster, I'll bring the glove over the sleeve.

 Side and pit vents can be a lifesaver with temperature swings, intensity changes, or if you find yourself going inside before continuing your ride.  I personally ride this jacket anytime below about 45 degrees, with nothing more than different layers under it.  The vents really help regulate temperature and moisture inside the jacket.

A chest pocket that's large enough for the essentials, which for me is usually my keys and phone for quick access.  Both the main front zipper and pocket zipper are waterproof.  All seams are "welded" to keep water out as well.

As mentioned, this jacket is with me at essentially all temperatures below 45 degrees.  Above 35 degrees, I use just a basic summer jersey under it.  From 25-35 degrees I usually use only an Endura summer-weight base layer.  From 15-25 degrees I'll wear a winter wool baselayer, below 15 degrees and it'll be a winter wool baselayer with some arm warmers.

The coldest extended ride I have with this jacket was Barry-Roubaix this March.  I wore a thermal CX skinsuit with this jacket over it and was pleasantly surprised at how warm I was.  Unfortunately the Stalth Jacket can't keep my feet as warm as it did for my torso!

I've never ridden in cold enough weather to need two full layers under the jacket.  When it gets that cold I have a trainer calling my name!

With nearly three years of riding with this jacket, it's easy to mistake it for brand new.  Recently a customer even tried to call me on how new the jacket looked and that they didn't believe it had that much riding on it.

It's not a cheap item at $400, but after a few years of riding in it and seeing how warm and dry I was able to stay in some pretty crappy conditions, I'd never give it up.  Never.

Zipp 303 Carbon Clincher Firecrest - One Month Review

After only a month it's hard to make a definitive review, but I do feel that I am starting to get an idea of what these wheels are all about.  The marketing data from Zipp says they are almost as aero as the 404 at low yaw angles, but as the yaw angles increase the 303 becomes better and better.

With that out of the way, what I've found from comparing the 303 Firecrest to the 404 Firecrest, is that the 303 is everything the 404 is, just slightly less.  Slightly less weight, slightly less aero, slightly less deep.

This would be a killer wheel for a lighter or smaller time trialist as it's been very easy to handle in cross winds.  The 404 exhibited that same trait, but again the 303 was slightly better in that respect.

 In many instances the difference between the 303 and 404 will be a wash with their performance so similar.  I would recommend the 303 to a smaller customer, someone more concerned with weight, or someone new to deep-section carbon wheels.  I would also recommend the 303 over the 404 for a customer who is likely to run a 25c or greater tire as the 303 is even wider than the 404.

After a month of fall riding, which includes a few rides in the wet, the brake track looks brand new.  I've been using the Zipp/Swiss Stop Platinum pads that came with the wheels, which are replacing my favorite TRP carbon compound pads.  The Platinum pads have produced a little whistling on extended braking, but nothing major.  Also on the up side, the platinum color doesn't leave a residue on the rim like Yellow King or TRP pads can.

So far I'm impressed with the wheels and they seem to fit my style of riding.  I like to spend time out in the wind and taking pulls when my legs and lungs allow.  The wheels are plenty stiff for a sucker like me, and with the new Beyond Black colorway, really look at home on every bike we've mounted them to.

I plan to log plenty more miles and will report back with the findings....

Independent Fabrication XS with SRAM

I'm going to keep the words to a minimum on this one.  It's pretty simple here, XS, carbon tubes, Ti lugs, SRAM Red, Zipp 303 Firecrest Carbon Clinchers, Quarq, Thomson Masterpiece/X2.

A work of art that's as much fun to ride as it is to look at.  Enjoy.

2011 Felt Z85 Review

This time we had a review come in from our resident "junior". And I only say it that way because he's adopted the loving nickname we've given him. Christian is a new racer to our team who picked up his Z85 immediately upon joining us. The balance of performance, comfort, and price made for a perfect match. Below is what Christian had to say after the first few months on his new ride:

In April of 2011 I was left with a pretty crappy commuter and no other road bike. I took a stroll into Iron Cycles and there I met the Felt Z85. Felt’s typically get better as the numbers go down (i.e. 75, 45, 1), but what I found with the Felt Z85 is that you truly do get the most bang for your buck.

Personally, working non-profit isn’t a huge money market, yet if you are as into cycling as I am and need a reliable start the Z85 is your pick. The Z85 is outfitted with Shimano 105, a UHC (Ultra Hybrid Carbon) Felt fork, carbon seatpost, replaceable derailleur hanger and a FSA Vero crankset. This and a 7005 butted aluminum frame will cost around $1200.

The Shimano 105 drivetrain is the third tier in Shimano’s line up of gearing (just stooped by Ultegra and DuraAce). With the redesigned 105, you get hidden gear routing and an overall smooth feel when shifting. I will say that the FSA Vero crankset is a must to replace, if racing, to something stiffer, I myself have put an FSA SL-K Light crankset on the bike. With this combination you are basically shifting with systems that are found on $2000 and $3000 bikes. What’s remarkable is that the drivetrain itself would cost almost as much as the complete bike if purchased separately.

Being 7005 Butted Aluminum and having a carbon fork puts the frame a little over 1200 grams at my estimate, but for the price any frameset will weigh that much. Adding in the carbon seatpost, the ride is stiff enough for a sprint, yet comfortable enough for a gravel road. With the sloping top tube, being comfortable comes naturally, but a tucked position is still easily achievable. The flexible geometry of the Z-series frames allows more upright riding for added comfort on long rides or a low-rise stem for aggressive positions.

The bike is outfitted with Mavic CXP22 rims laced to Felt-branded hubs. The CXP22 only weigh 50 grams more than a Mavic Open Pro bringing each rim to 500 grams. Sure, this isn’t the ideal weight one is looking for when racing, but talking to Brandon and getting a set of HED Ardennes make the wheels outfitted perfect for training or getting started into racing.

All and all the Felt Z85 is the perfect starting point for an up and coming cyclist, like me, or anyone looking to get interested in the sport. The bike rides smooth, rolls great and has an overall good feeling to it. And looking at the price tag makes that feeling even better. The bike’s price even puts it in the range of a higher end commuter. You’re shifting will be perfection and you’ll be able to take turns like a pro. Anything is really achievable with the Z85. Please take it from my experience!

Christian seems to be quite pleased with his Z85 so far. With some nice race wheels, this bike is a true contender. It's a great base to get into competitive racing, an excellent road bike for training, and even ready for triathlon with some clip-on aero bars.

Continental Grand Prix 4-Season - A Few Rides In

With about 100 miles on the 4-Seasons I picked up for my Club Racer, I'm getting a feel for what they were made for. My suspicions were correct in the ride, not as plush as my old Challenge Parigi Roubaix, but not as far off as I expected. They do ride quite well, especially at 80-85psi that I've been riding them at.

More important to me than the ride quality has been durability, or at least perceived durability. With 100 miles on them, I'd hope for some good luck, but I did find myself avoiding a pedestrian walking toward me on the wrong side of the path that pushed me into some broken glass on wet roads. No damage from that, not even a cut that I can find. That's positive.

The other characteristic that I noticed this morning was wet weather grip. I'm not a daring rider in the wet, especially when commuting. I'd much rather slow down than lean hard into corners and end up on the pavement, but these tires seemed to grip exceptionally well on the damp pavement today. It's hardly enough of a test to be definitive, but a good sign for this tire and the intended use.

Moving forward, I'm hoping to get these tires on more wet pavement, maybe some gravel, and possibly even some snow. More information to come...

Endura Deluge Glove Ride Review

This review came in from one of our team riders, Mike Campbell. He picked up a pair of these from us a few weeks back, so they were purchased with his own funds. Keep that in mind when reading this review:

I recently stopped by Iron Cycles to pick up the perfect pair of gloves to get me through the nearly freezing temps at the Iceman Cometh Challenge in Traverse City, MI. The forecast this year was for a slightly warmer race than usual. I have gloves for below freezing, and in the 50's my full finger mtb gloves do the trick, but I needed something for that elusive 35-45* F zone. The shop was able to hook me up with the Endura Deluge glove.

They have a soft, breathable inner liner, and are waterproof. The palm has comfortable gel padding, and the seams, especially around the thumb don’t cause any pressure points as some other gloves have had the tendency to do. They have an ample cuff with a Velcro closure that helps keep the cold off your wrist and the wind from running up your sleeves. And of course there’s the full forefinger terry sweat wipe. A final added touch if you’re commuting, the reflective print and knuckle panels!

I wore these gloves to pre-ride the course the day before the race, and they dried quickly and completely prior to my race the next day. It was right at 35* F at start time, and my hands were still relatively comfortable right from the get-go. Once the blood was pumping, my hands stayed toasty warm for the entire 2 hours I was out on the course! I was extremely happy with these gloves. I’ve had a handful more rides with them since, and I’m actually looking forward to getting caught in the rain with them to see how they perform when wet!

We'll get a followup from Mike once he's able to log a few more miles in these gloves. They are currently in stock in most sizes at the shop if you want to try a pair for yourself!