Josh Webb Chimes In

Josh Webb who took the second spot at this years CTK chimes in about his new bike.

Parlee Z5SL Review

I received my Parlee 5 days before Climb to Kaiser. My previous bike was full carbon fiber with top of the line components. Let me just tell you now that there is no caparison between the two bikes. Comparing this bike to other carbon fiber bikes I have ridden is like comparing apples to oranges.

Climb to Kaiser is a 155 mile bike ride with 13500 ft of climbing. It is a punishing ride that takes most riders 10+ hours to complete. I was admittedly a little nervous to ride it on a bike I received less than a week before the event. First impressions over the 5 days leading up to Kaiser were far beyond what I had expected. Sure I figured it would be nicer than my other bike but carbon fiber is carbon fiber, right? Wrong. There is carbon fiber and then there is a Parlee. The first thing I noticed was how silky smooth the ride was. It makes it feel like you are gliding over the road. Small bumps that would of jarred my other bike the Parlee simply goes over with just the slightest notice. With such an amazing ride you might wonder about the bikes sprinting ability. I am not a good sprinter. For me to win a sprint at the local group ride I have to break away early. 2 days after getting the bike I was on a group ride and decided to just sit in and see how the bike performed in a pure sprint. With about a quarter mile to go I was sitting 3rd wheel with the guy sitting 2nd wheel a decent sprinter who usually beats me in a pure sprint. It wasn't even close. With about 200 yards to go I jumped and he could not even catch my wheel. The power transfer of the Parlee was incredible. I could not believe how the bike accelerated. In a discipline like sprinting where the winning margin is often inches this bike will make the difference in a big way.

Now we get to my speciality, climbing. Words can't adequately describe the Parlee's climbing ability. If you are a non climber this bike will convert you. First of all the Z5SL is ridiculously light. Even more than that, the bike seems energetic on the climbs. Every switchback you feel the bike almost urging you up the climb. When you get out of the saddle the bike rewards you by almost seeming to float up even the steepest grades. Much like in the sprinting the bike doesn't waste any of your energy. When you press down on the peddle you feel all of your power going to forward motion.

After you go uphill you must come down and this bike descends like a rock! In the past descending is something I have struggled with. The Parlee's smooth ride let's you throw it into corners without the slightest thought. No longer do you have to worry about little bumps in the road. The Parlee goes over them without causing you to loose your line. The faster you go the more you feel that this is where bike wants to be. It will make a descender even out of the most timid rider.

5 days after getting the bike I completed Climb to Kaiser. Not only did I finish well but I completed it about 30 minutes faster than I had anticipated from my training. I definitely feel the Parlee attributed to this. It's superior climbing ability and light weight took time off all the climbs. On the descents I made big gains. The descent into the town of Big Creek was faster than I had ever done it before. It is a technical descent that I had struggled with on my previous bike. With the Parlee I was able to comfortably lean the bike over and maintain those few extra miles per hour in every corner.

One thing I hadn't anticipated was how good my body would feel after some 8.5 hours on the bike. Sure my legs were tired and I was physically exhausted but nothing hurt. On long training rides on my old bike I would get some soreness in my lower back. Not only would the back soreness slow me down but it would make it more difficult to stay in an aero position. The freshness helped me to keep my intensity and speed up in the last couple of hours of Kaiser.

Those that say performance is 95 percent the rider and 5 percent the bike haven't ridden a Parlee Z5SL. I have no doubt that my performance at C2K was greatly improved by the Parlee. One mark of a good bike is how much it inspires you to ride. The night of Climb to Kaiser as I was drifting off to sleep I remember wondering when the next time I could ride my bike would be. This truly is an inspiring bike with an incredible ride quality that will do nothing but enhance your performance and experience in all aspects of cycling.

Toll House to the Bottom of Big Creek

It was early so they where still smiling

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New Versions from DeRosa

The King is always supreme.

However, the new Idol looks pretty HOT!

Parlee Z4 - Campy Record 11spd

Last September, I went to the show with a few items on our list and came back with a bigger list than which we started. As far as bike lines, we knew Time had to be at the top of the list. After riding extensive miles on three different models I'm positive we made a super choice. However, while Time is a supreme bike for both the racer and non-racer, there is no opportunity for customization.

About a year and a half back, I ran into a small frame builder, here in the United States, called Parlee Cycles, that will build you a carbon fiber bike to your ideal specification. In this day of stock, use it until it breaks - because it will, and then toss it in a landfill, a customized and repairable bike perked my eyes and ears.

Parlee builds four models of bikes. Three of their frames can be built to your specs and one, the Z4 and the bike pictured here, is their stock model. While geometry changes are not an option on the Z4, paint may be changed. I'm built like "Joe Average", so I figured I would start with a stock model.

As for the Z4, I've put about 200 miles on this bike. The short answer is - I like the bike. In fact, I like it a lot!

In the last year I've ridden several bikes. Four bikes stand out in my mind and three are very stiff. Two were both stiff and smooth, a combination that is getting easier to achieve in today's world of carbon fiber. Out of those two, one is built with durability in mind, and one is currently in my repair stand with a broken seat tube.

Ride Details:

Every watt of effort put out by the rider is translated into forward motion on a Z4. It's fast, really fast. The Z4 carves a corner with little effort, but corrects easily if you need to dodge something in the road. It soaks up road shock, but not so much that the tires feel flat.

Finish Work:

Parlee uses lugs to construct their frames, resulting in a stronger, straighter, and more repairable frame than what has become the norm of expensive throw away frames. For example, If I crash and punch a whole in the down tube, Parlee can replace the tube and get me back on the road. The last frame I did that to was done only after 8 months of riding and it retailed for 3900.00. Monoblock frames can become very expensive to own.

Part Build:

I chose to use Campagnolo Record 11 speed. The shifting is crisp, the hoods are a joy to ride - offering multiple hand positions, and the group as a whole is pretty light.

As for wheels, I chose, for the second time, to ride Fulcrum Racing 5's. To me, these wheels just make good sense. They cost very little, they're stout, and offer a supremely balanced ride. The tires are the new Schwalbe Ultremo DD. They grip well, much like a Pro Race 3, but resits flats better.

The bar, stem, and seatpost are all FSA. This brand is nothing short of reliable, well built and has great ergonomics for the majority of the population. I've used a compact drop on the last several bikes as with this one. I find this shallow bar to be more usable in the drops than other brands, allowing room for larger hands and putting your finger tips closer the brake lever and your back less bent over. This allows the rider to bend their arms to drop their head lower and absorb road shock.

Over the last 15 or so years I've used only two models of saddle. First was the Selle Italia Flight and now the Fi'zi:k Aliante. Saddles are a tough one. I find something and stick with it, and the Alainte has worked well for me. It's more suited to the person of lesser flexibility. I'm certainly guilty.


I can't wait to get back to a reasonable level of fitness and be able to do my new Z4 justice. I would love to have you stop in, call, or email me anytime to talk about Parlee. And if it fits you, arrange an extended test ride. It will be worth your time.

www.momentum-cycling.com

7591 N. Ingram Ave #106
Fresno, CA 93711

559.449.0223

The New Time Click

DeRosa with Campy Super Rocket

DeRosa Idol with Campy Super Record and Easton EA90 SLX Wheels

Striking

I can't wait to see him ride it.

This has been a long awaited treat.

Surly

Ted Striker: Surly you can't be serious… I am serious and don't call me Shirley.

I have fought this fixed gear single-speed bike battle way too long and though I always appreciate seeing anyone ride a bike I never wanted to be the nerd struggling on a beat up PKN-10 with Mafac parts. The idea of trying to find 27” tires or rebuilding French, Italian or Swiss threaded parts and investing in a rear wheel worth more than the bike never appealed to me. So I finally broke down and purchased from Momentum Cycling a black Surly Steamroller made from 4130 (Chromoly) Alloy Steel the best stuff on earth. I wanted a steel bike to commute to work, ride to the Grizzlies games and just cruise around town with out worrying about my Campy equipped bikes being picked clean. The Steamroller fit my needs. It has the classic non-sloping frame which soaks up the road rumbles beautifully. There is a ride quality that a steel frame will give you; it is not a jarring ride like aluminum and it soaks up the hard hits better than titanium. The only nonferrous frameset that I have ridden similar to a steel bike is the Time VXR Proteam. Read Ron’s Time review

I started with a 59cm Steamroller frameset with flip-flop hubs laced to red Velocity rims. I do enjoy riding so I am using a freewheel not some hamstring tearing direct drive gear. Seriously when did not stopping become fun? To give the bike a Kent spin I put on gold Modolo non-aero brake levers, a silver carbon seatpost, Nuovo Record pedals with alloy toe clips and a Torelli Brooks knock-off saddle. It looks and weighs like a late 70’s early 80’s race bike but with a single gear. The fit and finish of the frameset is fine and the paint has a deep almost rich color to it. The bike is fun to ride and comfortably cruises over Fresno pock mark streets and screwed up Rail Road crossings with ease. The Steamroller is very stable and you can look over your shoulder for traffic without the bike darting in some unforeseen direction. The steering does not need too much input to change direction.

The downside is that the frame only has waterbottle cage bolts on the seat tube but not the down tube. Of course I do not need two waterbottles for my simple rides but I prefer the down tube location. Someday I will figure out the obvious reason as to why the cages are where they are.

If one wanted a comfortable riding very stable simple bike I would recommend the Surly Steamroller and yes Ted I am serious about this single speed bike thing and don't call me Shirley.

Yours Truly,

Kent

NUUN and Lisa Williams

Riding in the hot weather can be challenging, particularly when you're doing it for a long period of time. I've struggled to stay hydrated in the past and using Enduralytes helps, but on a double century, they didn't always help enough. I can only drink one bottle of sports drink, so I wasn't getting it there either. Last weekend at the Davis Double, it was very hot, we saw temps up to 106 degrees. After my one bottle of Heed, I switched to the NUUN tablets. I used maybe 3-4 of them during the day and felt great. I didn't become nearly as salty as I have in the past and felt good at the end of the day. I'm planning to use them more regularly as a supplement to Enduralytes to ward off dehydration and keep my electrolytes in balance. Great product!

Yes...I am a product spokeswoman!

Lisa

Lisa says...

....Bonk Breakers make it all happen!!!!!

Everthing Custom

This is the bike we modified to fit the needs of Brandon for his 1st Cat 1/2 stage race this weekend.

I'm excited to get his feedback once he has ridden it over the rough roads of the MSR.

We are never satisfied with anything straight out of the box. Modifications must be made.

TT/tri bikes and riders are a blast to work with. There's always a small puzzle to solve - cable routing, hand positions, wheel choice for each event, etc.

Good luck Brondon!!!

A guest writter and old friend

Matt,

Thanks for the following:

#1 Having the vision to open this new concept in bicycling retail.

#2 Having the vision to bring in a brand such as TIME

I am really not sure why I asked for a test ride of the TIME VXR Pro Team as I really didn't think I could find that much WOW in a bike after all these years. It was really more of an attempt to make Kent jealous on a ride as he absolutely raved about this bike for months after riding. After all, what are friends for?

Setup was easy. I simply popped in my seatpost and saddle measured up to 29.5 inches and rotated up the bars about half an inch and I never touched it again.

A 5 mile warm up to meet Kent and I already knew this bike was good. Great power transfer, stability, and handling. We rode toward Humphrey Station and the first thing I noticed in the 10 miles to the Millerton store was that I seemed to constantly be getting too close to Kent's wheel. I wasn't having any great day nor was he having a bad one. Mind you, I ride with Kent every weekend, have ridden and raced with him for years, and trust his smoothness and predictability implicitly (and he is VERY smooth). The only answer was that this bike was so much more efficient for me that I was catching up to him with my usual effort.

On we went into the first descent of Old Millerton Rd and the bike is effortless through the turn. My Calfee requires a heavy foot on the outside pedal to carve a turn but not this bike. It is incredibly quick on what I call the "turn in", that first nudge of the bars. A light point/push of the bars and the bike goes very quickly where it is asked. Normally a bike this quick handling is a little squirelly. The TIME is perfectly stable and solid. Peeling the clothes off no hands....no worries, take your time.

The real test was on the descent off Nicholas toward Tollhouse Rd. The first big sweeper was again effortless. I could have easily never touched the brakes on the final left hander. The only reason I did was for the potential of a car being there on Tollhouse. Even with the brake tap the speed I carried was scary.....well not really, just exciting!

The TIME VXR Pro Team is EASILY the best bike I have ever ridden and I have ridden every type. Not a little better, not maybe better, it is the best. I have NEVER had this WOW factor on a bike. I thought you guys were being a little over the top in your praise. My apologies for doubting you and Kent.

OH! One more thing. I have a few steel bikes, and love the road feel (feedback) they give you. The TIME gives a very similar road feel. I made this comment to Kent but was worried he would laugh at that as he is a "steel is real" guy for sure, but he totally agreed.

I would highly reccomend the TIME line and look forward to test riding the rest of the line. I will sign off now to research how much I can sell my Calfee for.

Regards,

Ron

Momentum and Pinnacle Working Together

Momentum Cycling and Pinnacle Training Systems has joined forces to offer "wrap around services". We can do various physiological testing such as maximum aerobic power and lactate threshold.



Lisa is getting a Lactate Threshold Test done.



She was a super trooper. All her training really paid off.



She will be heading out to do the Furnace Creek 508 in October.




Also, once that data has been collected, we can help maximize your time and effort by training you to realize your fullest potential. If you have questions please visit: http://www.pinnacletrainingsystems.com or come by Momentum and talk with Matt. We look forward to working with you.

Time Vibraser with Super Record

I’ve never been more excited to put a bike together – not even one I was going to be riding myself.

The French have always demanded a high level of quality when it comes to food. Ingredients need to be perfect. When cheap ingredients are used it results in a lesser end product. Us Americans have come to expect less from our cuisine than perfection. The evidence is in the mass amount of fast food that’s popped up everywhere. We don’t expect quality. The French, on the other hand, demand it, and it’s the reason why Le Cordon Bleu trains the best chefs in the world.

Time Bicycles is another example of perfection। Just as the French chef demands perfection from his ingredients, Time frame builders demand that same level of perfection from theirs. This is why Time invests a lot of money into manufacturing their own carbon fiber. Some of the most sought after bikes builders in the world buy their carbon fiber in bulk from the lowest bidder, and therefore quality control is not always consistent.  That's not Time's story.  They oversee their own quality control.

The Vibraser has some interesting qualities.   One, it has in integrated seat mast but with a twist.  If you decide you would rather have a Vibraser with a standard seat post, you simply cut the mast, and use the seat clamp with any 27.2 post of your choice.  This works with any of Time's Translink frames.

Also, I've been getting questions about why Time still uses lugs, "Isn't that old technology?" Well yes.  If the new way isn't better, why use it?  A lugged carbon bike can be repaired, and is built start to finish in a jig.  This process of frame building results in a perfectly straight frame. 

This Time was build with Campy's new Super Record 11 speed.  The drive train has a full compliment of ceramic bearings resulting much less resistance to fight against.  

I personally like how they branded the Time on this down tube.  Time masked off the carbon to show through the letters.  When the sun hits it just right, it shoes off a beautiful pattern.  

Finally, these levers fit a had so perfectly both from the hoods and the drops.  In fact they are so comfortable, I would bet the level of fatigue will be much less as the ride progresses.  

_______________

I just got a report back from the owner yesterday.  The Vibraser technology really works.  A smoother ride without any loss of power transfer.  That's exciting.

Training Wheels

This is a strong example of the ideal training wheel.  

14g Wheel Smith spokes.  You will never go wrong with these and because they are so common, if you break one, you can find them at almost any bike shop. 

This client opted to go with the Power Tap Pro+ wireless system.  Its easy to use and a strong measurement of progress.  Nothing will keep you honest like power, because a watt is a watt, no matter how you are feeling.

Mavic CXP 33 rims have become the industry standard for quality and reliability.  I've used them for years and so have many of the riders in and around our area.  I keep having to call Mavic back to re-up on our supply.  They don't hang around very long.

I'm excited to hear back form this client, since it is the first time he will be using power for his training.

Off to Patterson

Some of the team is meeting before going off to ride in Patterson.

Sarah is visiting from Michigan.

Brandon always has a smile on his face.

I guess the bikes are ready to go.

This car looks a lot less stressed.

It sure is nice to get away from doing the same old rides.

De Rosa

Another Fun Rig

I like the curvy lines

The seat mast is nice and simple.

Come take this one for a test ride.

Time VXR Pro Team

It's like an F-1 race car. No joke.

This is one of the stiffest yet compliant bicycles I've ever ridden. Every ounce of pressure you put into the pedals drive it forward. It's precise at both slow speed and screams down hill and through corners begging to be pushed harder than humanly possible.

The drive train is smooth and shifting is right on! Much better than what I'm used to.

Time has so many technological advantages that many bike manufactures are just getting around to addressing three years later, that Time has had the experience to refine them even further.

Low mounted H2O cages creates greater balance and stability.

One of the most magical elements to a Time is their Safe+ fork. In fact, most manufactures of forks are never sold in Europe because the safety standards are higher than they care to invest in. Time easily meets and exceeds the European standard. I believe it's part of the reason for precise handling.

Time stem creates a rock solid cockpit.

The Pro Team bring out the aggressive side of a rider. It makes you want to hammer every time you through your leg over the top tube.

Time blends high modulus carbon and polyamid fiber, the same stuff used in Kevlar. The two create a ride that's not as bone crushing and dead feeling as most of the straight guage carbon tubes found in the majority of bikes today. A lot of carbon frame builder find compliance in their frame by making tubes smaller. Time creates a soothing ride with a mixture of materials without sacrificing structural integrity.

I could go on all day about the tiny and massive positive elements that make a Time VXR extra special. Rather than taking my word for it, I suggest you stop by and take this one for a test ride.

Email info@momentum-cycling.com or call 559.449.0223 to get your test ride set up.