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.