New Build: Velocity A23 rims to Dura-Ace 7900 hubs

So classic.  Silver Velocity A23 rims, silver Shimano Dura-Ace 7900 hubs, DT Swiss Competition spokes, silver brass nipples.  2x front, 3x rear.

The rims continue to impress, they tension up really well, the tension is routinely very even, the rims come out of the box incredibly straight.  The weight is right, the price is right, there are color choices.

Next wheel build, strongly consider the A23.

Follow up: 2012 Giro Privateer Mountain Shoes

Another ride in, and another happy rider.  The Privateer continues to impress.

Looks like we may stock these in the near future, though most likely in black instead of white....you know, for the masses.  Not everyone is fancy enough for white mountain shoes, it takes a certain kind of lad.

2012 Niner EMD9 - 400 miles in

This bike has seen a solid number of miles over the last few weeks.  Commuting miles, plenty of trail miles, lots of gravel.

I love this thing.  Sure, carbon sexiness is still calling my name and really trying to draw me in, but until then I'm sold.  And I'll always hold a place for this alloy EMD9.

First Rides: 2012 Giro Privateer Mountain Shoes

Fearless product tester and team rider Matt McDowell hits us with his first impressions of the Giro Privateer:

I think first and foremost should be the overall comfort of the shoe.  As someone who has had consistent shoe problems, the Giro's stand shoulders above the competition.  Out of the box they're definitely snug but not in a debilitating kind of way.  From the first moment you slip them on they do feel like an old pair of sneakers.  The only caveat I would add is that folks should invest in the insoles offered by Giro to shore up any arch issues they may have.  

The second feature that I love is the ratcheting system.  It's simply the nicest shoe ratchet I've used.  I've used the shoes on both short trail rides and a couple of longer rides.  Pushing 3 hours in the shoe did begin to elicit some hot spots, this could be due to the plastic outsole (as opposed to carbon), but overall I think these shoes are a perfect younger brother to the Giro Gauge.  

For the price point I don't think you can beat them plus they're white, that alone is a selling point.   At this point I don't see myself wearing anything other than Giro shoes.  

More as it comes in, but if these are anything like my Giro Gauge, they're only getting better!

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.

On test: 2012 Mavic R-SYS SLR

Truth be told, I'm not the world's biggest "wheel system" fan.  Maybe because part of my job is building wheels, or maybe because I enjoy picking each and every component on my bike, or maybe hand-built wheels really are that good.

But when it comes to Mavic there's a lot to like.  Their Ksyrium line is well-known for it's durability, but the R-SYS came out of the gate with a bad rap with a couple of failures.  When something like that happens with new technology, it sticks with people.

I want to like the R-SYS, but I can't in good conscience recommend them to customers until I can feel comfortable with their durability.  What better way to get a feel for these wheels than to ride them!?

With that said, off we go on test.  What am I looking for?  Durability, stiffness, ride quality, and braking performance.  It's pretty easy to see these wheels won't be wowing anyone with their aerodynamics.  Thick spokes and a rim shaped after a brick don't add up to aero savings.  Word on the street though is that the R-SYS line is supposed to be really stiff laterally yet ride nicely.  The new Exalith braking surface is supposed to provide pretty much the best braking this side of hydraulic discs.

On with the test....

Another ride in the books on my 2012 Niner EMD9 ....

Lumberjack is only 8 weeks away at this point, and today wrapped up a pretty big (for me) 3-week training block.  Building from 10-11 hours per week up to a high of about 16 this week, I was lucky enough to get a really nice chunk of those hours on single track.

It's pretty incredible how great the trails are right now, especially Palos.  This time of year we're usually sitting around grumbling about how the trails are closed because they are too wet, but after a few trips to the trails I'm psyched about how dry they are.

This weekend as well as last weekend were about as good as they get, today had only 3-4 spots of mud in the 55-ish miles of trail I traveled.  Anyone who has hit Palos in the spring knows the lack of mud in April is very welcome.

After these three weeks I'm ready for a little time off of the bike.  A couple of rest days thrown in this week, maybe even a massage, will hopefully leave me ready for another big weekend next week.

After about 5 weeks of training on this 2012 Niner EMD9, I'm in love.  While the lust for carbon MAY overtake me before Lumberjack hits, this is the perfect bike to train on.  The least expensive frame in Niner's lineup means I don't have to sweat a dent or scratch the same way an AIR9 Carbon would probably bother me.  It's light enough, it handles very neutral, and is an absolute rocket.

If you want to get into a Niner, or maybe you've been riding a 29er but want to go with something new, this is it.  The EMD9 has a tapered head tube for perfect steering, and comes out of the box finished like all Niners: faced and reamed head tube, faced and chased bottom bracket, and faced disc brake mounts.  This may not mean a ton to you, but it means quality and time savings to me.

Niner has the geometry dialed, their fit and finish is second to none, and their pricing is hard to beat.

OK, enough of the sales pitch.  Go ride your bike.