First Rides: Mavic R-SYS SLR Wheelset

I have to admit to these wheels sitting around for the first couple of weeks I had them to test.  It's not my fault, Lumberjack 100 is right around the corner so I've been on my mountain bike.  But, it's about time to log some faster miles to feel better about myself.

 A few rides and I'm starting to form an opinion on these wheels:

First, they are a time-trialists worst nightmare.  They spin up fast and gain speed like crazy, but the boxy rim and fat carbon spokes are about as aerodynamic as a CTA bus.

Second, the Exalith braking surface is incredible.  Out of the box with Exalith-specific pads they whistle like crazy.  Super loud.  I've swapped to stock Shimano alloy-specific pads and the whistling was greatly reduced.  The pads do wear faster on the machined braking surface, but the performance is unreal.

As you can see from these shots, I've taken the wheels out in some wet and on less-than-ideal roads.  Braking performance is perfect, even in the wet.  The brakes aren't grabby and have a really steady power curve.

Third, the tires are holding up well for me.  Chase on the other hand destroyed one on is second ride to a big cut, I'm hoping that's just bad luck.  The tires aren't my favorite, though.  The rear PowerLink tire is made to roll faster, the front GripLink made to, surprise here, grip.  I haven't pushed them too hard into corners, but so far the front seems ok.  The rear on the other hand offers very little grip in the wet.  So little grip in fact that it actually makes me a little nervous to ride in the wet.

Fourth, the rear hub, or more specifically it's engagement.  It works fine, it's been flawless, but the engagement is slower than the Chris King R45 rear hub I'm used to.  It's fast enough, but when you get used to King it's hard to settle for less.  I also like the "buzz" of the King, Mavic freehubs are pretty quiet.  Personal preference here, not a big deal.

Fifth, they are beautiful.  That's a fact.  Not really a fact, my opinion, but they really do look great.

Finally, let's cover stiffness.  Laterally, they are stiff.  Really stiff.  I did a couple of low-speed, big-gear sprints really wrenching on the bike and the wheels just don't flex side to side.  Vertically they ride nicely, but I won't say they are better than a pair of hand-built wheels.

So far, so good.  I like this pair of R-SYS wheels, but I'm not sure I like them $2000 worth.  When in a group ride, I won't ever win a sprint.  The only way I can get some "fame" is to get into a breakaway and try to ride away with a group.  This is not the wheelset for that.  If you like to sprint or treat your wheels like crap, this wheelset may work for you.

More to come....

Independent Fabrication SSR - Rapha-inspired

Does it get any classier?  IF SSR, black/pink/raw Rapha-inspired paint, Lightweight wheels, SR11.  Grabbed this one from 34x18 blog.

Independent Fabrication Steel Crown Jewel w/ Campagnolo Chorus 10

Here is the beauty I've been gushing over.  Independent Fabrication Steel Crown Jewel with a matching steel fork, Campagnolo Chorus 10-speed, hand-built Record hubs to Mavic rims, Thomson seat post, and Tiffany-inspired teal main color with Lamborghini-inspired green panels.

This thing is just so classic....

I love jobs like this....

I'm happy to see anyone bring just about anything into the shop that we can work on.  No, I'm not going to start replacing spark plugs on the bikes that someone rigged up with an engine, but if the rider is the sole source of power we most likely want to work on it.

Sometimes though, we have bikes like this one come in.  The Crown Jewel is a staple of the Independent Fabrication line-up.  It's their history, it's the baseline of their stable.  This one in particular is made even better with Campy, hand-built wheels, and custom paint.  The main color is oh-so-close to the packaging Tiffany is known for.  The panels are painted a beautiful lime green.

There's something special about this one.  I get excited when it comes in the door, I get excited when it goes into the stand, and I get excited when I see it on the road.  This one has seen the road for plenty of miles over it's 12 year life.

Yes, this bike is 12 years old.

That's what you get when you make the investment upfront, a beautifully crafted steel bike, custom for you, that over a decade later will look as good as the day you bought it yet provide you with even more value every day.