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.