Velocity USA

Kickbacks

2012-01-23T14:10:00.008-05:00

At Velocity, we're proud of each and every rider and team that we sponsor. We've gotten more and more involved with cyclocross racing in the past few years, and one of the rising stars we've had the honor of working with is Jenny Powell of the Ira Ryan 'cross team. She's been running Major Tom Pros most of the season and kicking a lot of, well, doing really dang well out in the Pacific Northwest.

Although never requested and certainly not expected, it sure is nice to receive care packages from our sponsored riders. Jenny sent us a mix of Portland goodies in the form of caffeine, hops and receptacles for both.

Coffee from Trailhead - I'm enjoying a cup right now, it's delightful.
Stainless Pint Glasses from PDW - their most modestly priced receptacle, very handsome.
Suds from Ninkasi and Hopworks - Zing!

Thanks again Jenny! Good luck training for next season!

top photo by RSpinnaKing

Tragic loss for the FGG Community

2012-01-16T10:12:00.000-05:00

Too often the story ends far too early - at unexplainable moments. In one way or another we have all been affected by this reality as one of our own is taken from us.

This past week, the Cleveland, OH and the Fixed Gear Gallery online community lost one of their own - suffering the loss of one of their frequent contributors, Nick Neric (aka ClevelandFix), in a tragic hunting accident.

Our thoughts and prayers go out to the Neric family and Nick's wife, Stacey, as they navigate this difficult time. A online support fund has been started to help aid the family, more information can be found on the FGG site.

New Colors!

2012-01-09T08:30:00.000-05:00

That's right. New colors are now available on the rims you already love! The A23, Major Tom and Blunt SL - these can be ordered through your favorite local bike shop or online through our online store.

The following colors are available on 700c A23 rims with MSW in 20, 24, 28, 32 hole:

White
Classic Red
Classic Blue
Royal Purple
Bright Gold
Ripper Orange
Bright Silver *also 36h
Cerise Pink
Celeste

MSRP: $79.99

The following colors are available 700c Major Tom rims with MSW in 20, 24, 28, 32 hole:

Bright Gold *also 28, 32 nonMSW
Bright Silver

MSRP: $79.99

The following colors and drillings are available on the Blunt SL in 26”:

White – 28, 32, 36 hole
Classic Red – 32 hole

The following colors are available on the Blunt SL 700c/29” in 28 & 32 hole:

White *also 36h
Classic Red
Classic Blue *28h only
Royal Purple
Bright Gold *28h only
Ripper Orange
Lime Green
Celeste

MSRP: $84.99

Blunt SL: Twenty Nine Inches Top Ten Product of 2011

2011-12-29T09:08:00.001-05:00

Over the course of the last few weeks, Mark aka Guitar Ted has been unveiling his Top Ten Products of 2011 over at Twentynineinches.com. We were privileged to have the Blunt SL to be selected at #8. Read, his final thoughts below and check out his reviews of the Blunt SL over the course of 2011 (Out of the Box, First Impressions, Mid-term, Final)

Top Ten 29″er Products of 2011: Velocity Blunt SL Wheels

December 15th, 2011 by Guitar Ted

Top Ten 29″er Products of 2011: Velocity Blunt SL Wheels: by Guitar Ted

Editors Note: Yeah, yeah…..another year end review! Tis the season! So, here are my favorite things that have passed through the Twenty Nine Inches review process during the past year. I want to point out a few parameters that I used for what I chose here.
1. The product had to be in the review process during the time period of December 2010 through to the end of November 2011. Reviews that are currently in process I did not include and will be eligible for my 2012 Top Ten list.
2. They had to be products or bicycles that I personally used during this period. Nothing any of the other Twenty Nine Inches staff reviewed on their own could be considered for my list. This list doesn’t necessarily reflect the opinions of anyone but me, Guitar Ted.
3. The reviewed products were provided to Twenty Nine Inches at no charge for review.(Except where indicated) I was not paid or bribed for this review. I will give/gave my honest opinion or thoughts through out.That said, let’s get on with this……

Number 8: Velocity Blunt SL Wheels: Velocity announced a new, lightweight XC racing rim for 2011 and to showcase the newer rim designed in similar fashion to the wide P-35, they sent over a complete wheelset featuring their own hubs as well. You can check out the test/review by clicking the links here, here, and here.

Why They Made The List: The Blunt SL rims are in the same class as some other popular tubeless rim company’s offerings and are offered as complete wheels, or as a stand alone product, giving riders another great choice in tubeless rims to build up a great set of lightweight 29″er hoops. Velocity’s tubeless system works very well, and the rims performed at a high level, placing them on the list this year.

My Two Cents: The Blunt SL rims represent a perfect opportunity to build up a set of light, race worthy wheels, however, in the case of our test set, we had a wheel set that maybe wasn’t “race weight”, but had a decent weight and a nice, lighter rim spinning around out there. This made for a snappy acceleration, and the hubs, (Velocity branded), rolled very smoothly making these a lot of fun to ride as trail bike wheels. In addition, Velocity now offers the front hub with convertible end caps for compatibility with all popular axle configurations in use now.

Velocity’s tubeless kit, also used for their P-35 rims, worked perfectly well on the Blunt SL rims and my tires set up fine with zero issues over the testing period. The rims did exhibit a bit of flex under my riding, but that was to be expected for such a light weight aluminum rim. The flex wasn’t bad, didn’t detract from my riding style, and in the end, didn’t seem to affect the trueness of these rims at all.

For offering another great choice in lightweight, (soon to be U.S. made), XC/light trail rims, ease of tubeless conversion, and in a variety of drillings and build options, the Velocity Blunt SL gains a spot on this year’s Top Ten List. I also was impressed with the excellent wheel build, hub quality, and versatility of the front hub. All of this adds up to a Number 8 on my list for 2011.

Midday Inspiration

2011-12-28T10:58:00.000-05:00

BMX vs. FGFS edit

2011-12-27T09:35:00.002-05:00

The crew over at Mashafix.com on Christmas posted a new edit with two of our FGFS riders Jakob Santos and Justin 'Congo' Mitchell. It's a BMX/FGFS mashup of sorts - enjoy. Just a warning, if you're not into rap, BMX or the FGFS scene - this might not be the edit for you.

Mashafix.com presents - BMX vs. FIXED FREESTYLE - SANTOSxMCKEAGxCONGOxPISSY #YouknowWazgood from Mashafix.com on Vimeo.

Some more to read?

2011-12-02T09:27:00.000-05:00

Looking for some more to read to get you through the day?

Head over to The Wheel Department website and blog.

You might have heard of The Wheel Department at Interbike or if you're a shop received an insert on them in your last order from us. Simply put, every wheel coming out of Velocity USA is handbuilt by the professionals at The Wheel Department.

Why? I'm glad you asked... and the answer lay in their mission statement:

The Wheel Department is committed to providing our customers with the best handbuilt wheels in the bicycle industry. We believe that when properly executed, the handbuilt bicycle wheel is unmatched in strength and longevity. This is the driving force for what we do.

Enough said.

Be sure to like them out on Facebook also. Have a great weekend everyone.

Model T Wheelset

2011-11-30T16:47:00.000-05:00

Have that old frame looking to turn into a single speed or fixed gear but don't have horizontal drops? Or have a road bike with 130mm spacing and can't find a track hub to work? Look no further than the Model T Wheelset.

Our friends over at Excel Sports have put together a wheelset that solves all those issues. The Model T is build up on the White Industries ENO 130mm fixed/free hub laced with DT Swiss Competition spokes to our Aerohead rims.

It comes in every color you like, as long as it is black. Head over to Excel Sports to get your hands on this stellar wheelset.

Guitar Ted's Blunt SL Review

2011-11-29T08:53:00.001-05:00

Yesterday, Guitar Ted posted his final review of our Blunt SL wheelset over on TwentyNineInches.com. You can view it there or continue reading it below.

Velocity Blunt SL Comp Wheels: Final Review

November 28th, 2011 by Guitar Ted

Velocity Blunt SL Comp Wheels: Final Review: by Guitar Ted

With the year quickly coming to a close, here is another Final Review! This time I take a last look at the Velocity Blunt SL Comp wheels that I have been riding for several months now. The last update on these wheels can be reviewed here.

For much of the test period, the Velocity Blunt SL Comp wheels spent their time on the Specialized carbon hard tail test mule. They were a great addition to this bike, but after riding them on this rig for the summer, I decided I wanted to swap the wheels over to something completely different. I had been hoping a more XC/Trail oriented full suspension tester would materialize, but that did not happen in time for this test of these wheels. so, I opted for a completely rigid set up on a new frame and fork I recently added to my personal stable of bikes: The Salsa Cycles Fargo, generation II model. (Note: The first test sled these were mounted to was a full suspension rig- the Specialized Epic Marathon. See here for that post)

Adding in a rigid front end with a “not-as-stiff-as-carbon” frame brought out some different feelings in the wheels. I could feel a definite smoothness without going full on race pace as I had to do on the Stumpjumper. Likely the frame and fork feel there, but something did jump out at me more dramatically than it had with the carbon frame. Here on the Fargo, the rear wheel lateral “give” was not felt, but there was something notable in the front end.

Going harder into corners, I eventually hit an obstacle at the apex of a corner with the rigid front end which I could not compensate for by unweighting the front wheel, or by steering around it. I was fully committed to a line here and the front wheel smacked the obstacle with much force. I happened to see the entire wheel deform slightly as it reacted to this input and subsequently the bike was put a bit off kilter for a brief moment and I had to gather it up quickly to keep everything moving in the direction I had intended.

This showed me that a feeling I felt with the Stumpjumper in slower, technical terrain was more pronounced with the rigid fork at speed. Hitting an obstacle in a more lateral way, (or perhaps if you were to mis-land a jump, and side load this wheel, let’s say), would certainly not be conducive to keeping this front wheel intact. While in my experience described above, the wheel returned to its shape and rolled on, I could certainly see that I had approached the “point of no return” here with regard to this wheels resistance to lateral forces before it failed.

Conclusions: So, what does that tell me? Well, for starters, let’s keep in mind that the Blunt SL falls into a weight category that is reserved for XC/racing pursuits, (420gms for the rim), and is not really intended for “general trail” riding where playful, aggressive, and demanding riding is what you and your buddies are into. Velocity makes the Blunt rim for that. So, I am not all that concerned to see that the Blunt SL gets a bit flexy laterally at times since it is such a light rim. Would carbon be better here? Undoubtedly it would, but at what price? There is the conundrum riders wanting light, easily spun up wheels for 29″ers face. You can get a Blunt SL wheel built up for far less money than your typical carbon rimmed wheel goes for. The compromise is that the aluminum rim isn’t going to be as stiff. Not with this or any similarly weighted aluminum rimmed XC wheel build.

The question is how does the Blunt SL stack up against the “apples-to-apples” competition. In that regard, the answer is easy. It holds up quite nicely, thank you very much. The Blunt SL wheels I have on test here would be great XC racing wheels, endurance racing wheels, and would probably be okay “daily drivers” for smoother riders or for those that ride buff trails most of the time. Lateral performance is really quite good for this sort of wheel, and tubeless set up is easily done with Velocity’s own tubeless wheel kit. End caps are convertible from 9mm quick release to 15QR, or 20mm through axle, so all axle configurations up front are covered. (Although I might hesitate to put these on any bike requiring a 20mm through axle!)
With the variety of ways this rim can be built up by at Velocity, and with the weight of the rim to start with, a nice, race worthy wheel set is well within possibility that should satisfy most riders needs. Of course, the option of getting just the rims exists as well, so doing a custom build with different components would be another way to go here. That isn’t always the case with many carbon rims, or some aluminum rims, for that matter. Another interesting tidbit that has come to light recently is that Velocity will be producing rims in the U.S.A. come February 2012. So, here is an opportunity for riders to support a U.S. based manufacturer, if that matters to you.

I recommend these rims to anyone looking for a light weight XC/Racing/Light Trail use rim, and I can heartily recommend Velocity’s in-house complete wheel builds. (This being the second one we have tested, the wheels have come through with flying colors.) With all the options available, ease of tubeless set up, and great performance for the weight, the Blunt SL is a good rim to base your next light weight wheel set off of.

Note: Velocity sent these wheels for test/review at no charge. We are not being paid, nor bribed, for this review. We will strive to give our honest opinions throughout.

2011 Edmund Fitzgerald Ride

2011-11-18T13:21:00.001-05:00

Last weekend, a group of 20 riders who took part in a 2 day, 200 mile ride appropriately named the Edmund Fitzgerald Ride. Of those 20, only 8 finished and two being Matt and Ryan. One of the other riders on the trip, Tim Stoepker put together a little video from the weekend. You can also read more about the ride on his blog. Enjoy.

Edmund Fitzgerald Ride 2011 from Tim Stoepker on Vimeo.

Happy Veterans Day: Win a new bike frame!

2011-11-11T13:05:00.006-05:00

Help support some hardcourt bike polo 'veterans' by getting in on the contest for a new MKE Bruiser frame and fork. Head over here to buy raffle tickets and you could be the lucky winner of this bad boy:

*frame and fork only*

You'll be supporting one of the finest polo clubs in the world!

A Special Annoucement

2011-11-07T17:00:00.000-05:00

VELOCITY RIMS TO BE MADE IN USA

(Grand Rapids, MI) Brothers and partners, Tom and John Black will begin manufacturing rims in Jacksonville, Florida in February 2012. Currently, all Velocity rims are made in Australia, and production will cease in Brisbane by the end of November.

Tom Black, the founder of Velocity, will be relocating from Australia to Florida where he will continue to oversee rim production at Velocity’s new manufacturing factory. Velocity’s distribution center will continue to operate out of Grand Rapids, Michigan as it has since 1992 and become their worldwide headquarters; with the Australian facility remaining as a distribution center for the Asian and Australian markets.

Velocity will be the only U.S. produced aluminum rim in the cycling industry. John Black, president of Velocity Worldwide, Inc., anticipates this to further propel the company as a leader in quality, ingenuity and customization customers have come to love and expect from Velocity.

More information to follow at www.velocityusa.com

Stolen: Ryan's IRO

2011-10-31T21:58:00.000-04:00

STOLEN TONIGHT!

The unfortunate reality is that we live in a world where some people believe that it's ok to take and steal rather than to save and earn what's theirs. Just a few hours ago, Ryan the manager of The Wheel Department here at Velocity, had the bike pictured above stolen.

It is a black IRO fixie, built up on tie-dyed Deep V's, yes you read that correctly, tie-dyed; with a Brooks saddle and IRO crank, also features a Schwinn Predator sticker on the top tube. The wheels alone make this bike impossible to hide.

Once again, the bike was stolen from the Red Jet Cafe tonight, 10-31-11, in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Please let Ryan know if you see it. Email him at ryan (at) velocityusa.com. He also adds, please beat the person riding the bike mercilessly!

Devil's Night

2011-10-31T16:38:00.001-04:00

How'd you spend your Devil's Night? Well, some of us made the news.

Race Profile: Donny Green

2011-10-26T08:00:00.000-04:00

We've had the privilege of sponsoring a number of riders throughout the nation and world. One of them who has definitely moved up the ranks quickly and has heads turning in the cyclocross world is that of Donny Green. Formerly riding for Geek House and now racing his first season as a UCI Elite Racer, Donny been rocking Velocity and Major Toms for some time now.

Cyclocross Magazine has decided to highlight his experiences as he makes this move up and last month posted a profile of Donny. Check it out on their site or read below.

Racer Profile: The Newly Elite

POSTED BY MOLLY ON 9/21/11

Our newly elite racer, Donny Green, showing off just how muddy his legs were post-race at Nittany. © Molly Hurford

It’s every racer’s dream to upgrade to the Elite field, to line up at the start with the pro racers that we love to read about. Every year, more and more racers are starting in the Elite field, and we wanted to hear what it feels like to go from winning in the lower categories to starting in the back of the grid with racers like Jeremy Powers in the front.

With that said, Donny Green is a bit of a phenom on the East Coast. A bike messenger in Providence, Rhode Island, he went from a Cat 5 on the road to a Cat 2 by the end of the summer. (Some of you might recall his last race as a Cat 3, from The Girl With The Cowbell Tattoo: Death Before DNF.) In cyclocross, he quickly moved up the ranks in the past couple of years, and by the end of the season last winter, he had earned his Cat 2 and was winning races in the 2/3/4′s. This year, he’s racing his first season as a UCI Elite racer, and we’ll be checking in with him as the season progresses.

by Donny Green

This past Saturday at Nittany Lion Cross marked the beginning of my 2011 cyclocross season. It was also my first ever UCI race.

As I lined up on the starting grid, I had no idea how I would measure up to the other 50 or so riders in the field. On the bright side, I had just finished up a strong first year on the road. Starting as a Cat 5 at Battenkill in April, I moved quickly through the ranks and finished the season with a second place finish overall at the Green Mountain stage race as a Cat 2. But even with the success I had achieved on the road, I couldn’t help but feel unprepared for the hour to come.

My bike had been put together the night before and I couldn’t shake the thought that it might not be the best idea to race on a tire I had glued less the 24 hours earlier. Worst of all, I didn’t even have the normal race jitters. Without having some sort of preconceived notion of what to expect, I didn’t know what exactly to be nervous about.

With no UCI points, I was designated to the second to last row, and looking through the sea of riders in front of me I realized that I had my work cut out for me. Two years ago when I started racing, I never expected to be competing at the level I am now. So just lining up with professional athletes is really exciting to me. And then, the start light turns green and we’re off.

The mud had to have been the best part of Nittany. All over the course, there were sections of mud inches deep, including a long section that you had to dismount and run. It made for such a different race than last year, which was hot and dusty. Since last season was so dry in New England, this year at Nittany was actually only the second time I’ve ever had to race in the mud. It felt like a fitting start for the season.

Once we settled in after the first lap, the race played out better then I might have expected. I made up ground throughout the rest of the race and kept moving up with each lap. I ended the day in 18th and was quite happy with my result. I was able to move up the whole race and get inside the top 20 in my first UCI race.

Racing in this field is hard, because it’s one hour at full gas and then it’s over. You can’t really “sit in,” and every decision you make effects your outcome, second by precious second.

It’s a little intimidating, being in the UCI race, but at the same time, it’s really exciting. I get the chance to be in the same race as some of the best ’cross racers in the world. That said, I’m not really in the same race as a guy like Powers. Our race starts together, but his finishes minutes before mine does. It’s exciting just to be there.

Now if I could learn how to start as strong as I finish I just might be able to put together a good race.

Right now my biggest goal of the season is to finish top-10 in a UCI race. I would love to get that point and move up the starting grid. Other than that, it’s hard for me to have real set expectations for the year. It’s my first year racing in the Elite field, so I’ve got some learning to do, which I guess is another goal. I just want to race hard and learn from the guys around me who have more experience than I do.

I’m coached through Cycle-Smart by Shawn Adams, and he’s been really helpful — especially when I was really stressed out before Nittany. Road season had ended only days earlier, my bikes weren’t together, I didn’t have wheels, and there just didn’t seem like there was going to be enough time to pull everything together. While I was talking to Shawn, he said something to the effect of, “It’ll work out, it’s just bike racing, right?” I know that might not sound like much, but it really resonated with me. It’s easy to get wrapped up in it all: the training, the travel, the expenses and the fact that all your spare time is consumed by bikes.

But what it comes down to is that I’m doing this because I love racing my bike.

In Philly.

2011-10-24T08:30:00.000-04:00

This weekend, there is a little gathering of the bicycle community in Philadelphia that draws quite a number of folks from not just the east coast but from around the world, called appropriately the Philadelphia Bike Expo.

Two days worth of seminars, frame builders, artists, and more.

We are privileged to be a part of the event in sponsoring the 'Fastest Mechanic Contest' and giving you the chance to win a pair of Velocity Wheels.

Still not sure?

There will also be:

- A Zombiecat Race
- an urban Mountain Bike Tour
- a fashion show
- a costume party
- a Rapha morning ride

Well, here's a video from last years expo that should hopefully push you over the edge.

Philly Bike Expo from uoon productions on Vimeo.

Purchase your tickets here.

Spot those wheels

2011-10-21T13:55:00.000-04:00

A Friday game of sorts.

We've stayed quiet on our involvement in the upcoming major motion picture release of Premium Rush for long enough. With plenty of Velocity product on the set it's hard not to notice... how many Deep V decals do you see in the trailer alone?

The movie comes out January 13th, which might help the winter itch to ride.

We have also been working with Freqnt Flyr on a number of projects as they have been producing bikes for the likes of Christopher 'Big Black' Boykin, from the Rob and Big/Fantasy Factory show on MTV...

TOUR OF FANTASY FACTORY WITH BIG BLACK from DERICK G on Vimeo.

and K-Swiss...

Photo by Ryan Garcia

Think City Riding is Dangerous?

2011-10-11T10:13:00.005-04:00

We all have ridden trails where the random tree has taken out our handlebar or even had friends who wouldn't ride on the street because they feel it's dangerous. Well, next time you happen to be riding in South Africa beware - antelopes don't mess around. For more on the story, read here it here.

Michael Chacon: Summertime Madness

2011-10-07T15:39:00.001-04:00

The latest edit from our FGFS rider, Michael Chacon. Going big on our Psycho rims...

MICHAEL CHACON SUMMERTIME MADNESS from Leader Bike on Vimeo.

Check this out...

2011-09-01T11:11:00.001-04:00

Or more so... Chukk this out.

Last November, news began to spread that one of the local shops here in town had a fire. After all was said and done, Chicago Drive Cycling and Fitness had been totalled. From fire, smoke and water damage the building was a complete loss. This long standing family run store quickly decided to move down the street to a temporary location as a new building was designed and built.

A few weeks later we received a call from the Klomps looking for rims. Obviously not an unusual request but as the conversation unfolded they were looking for 100+ rims for a design feature for their new building and landed on undrilled, bright silver, Chukker rims. Not our typical order but we were pleased to be able to be part of the design.

Flash forward 8 months and the new Chicago Drive Cycling and Fitness Trek Concept Store has re-opened its doors again at it's original location. As cyclists, many of us see the bicycle as functional art, meant to be used and abused, only to gain character over the years. It's hard not to appreciate it when parts of a bike are then taken to be used in ways and manors we could have never intended.

So if you're in the Grand Rapids/Grandville area, stop on by Chicago Drive Cycling and check out the new store and a few of our rims.

Weekend in Review... Videos and Photos

2011-08-22T09:52:00.000-04:00

Lots of cycling events going on in Grand Rapids this past weekend. From the Grand Rapids Grand Cycling Classic (which played host to this years USA Cycling Pro Criterium National Championship) and Bikestock 3 on Saturday to the Tour de Gaslight on Sunday. It was a great weekend for the sport.

Many of us took part in building the bike polo court for Bikestock which brought in players from Fort Wayne and Ann Arbor. Despite a brief thunderstorm that ripped through downtown raising havoc on vendor tents and racers, Saturday went great. The guys at Slingshot took a few other photos from the event which you can see by clicking here.

Otherwise enjoy just a brief look at some of the festivities...

spinning wheels & melodies from M|A|Mesa on Vimeo.

Introducing... Bob and his Cannondale

2011-08-09T11:53:00.000-04:00

A few months back as we saw one of our family head out East, we welcomed a new member to the Velocity family, Bob. Bob has been with us before, a few years back during his college years for an internship and has returned to now take over all the shipping duties. As we all have, Bob has paid his dues in the wheel department - learning what sets our wheel builds apart.

With the itch for all things cycling - Bob is one of the original members of GR Bike Polo, has taken part in the Edmond Fitzgerald ride and had is part in helping shape the Grand Rapids Bike Park, to name a few. It's a privilege to have Bob part of the team and what better way to introduce him to you than to have him show off one of his rigs. So... Bob, world - world, Bob... Enjoy:

This is my 1987 Cannondale SR600. It was given to me by a friend who was unable to keep it. I am eternally grateful for it.

As the finest steed in my stable, it is a pleasure to ride. The aluminum frame is stiff, light, and fast. I enjoy taking it for rides to the beach, for a refreshing swim, or to a distant micro-brewery for a cold beverage.

Back in it's day, it came stocked with Shimano components as listed in this vintage catalog.

It still has friction downtube shifters, which are old school for a reason, but they are carbon which I don't see a lot of so I've kept them around. The drivetrain is still a 2x6, with no shift ramps on the rings. I had to replace the brakes with stock levers and modern Campy Veloce calipers since the quick release was broken on the previous Modolos. The paint shows its years, but is still pretty nice as I get compliments on the color and condition.

Other parts-
Tires: Conti GatorSkin 23c
Wheels: black Velocity Aeros front and rear laced up to Campy Record hubs with double butted DT spokes,
Cranks and Rings: Sugino Mighty Competition
Front Derailleur: braze on Campagnolo Nuovo Record
Rear Derailleur: Suntour Cyclone
Shifter Levers: downtube Modolo carbon
Seat: black Turbo
Cages: Velocity Bottle Traps of course!

Guitar Ted - A23 Ride Impressions

2011-08-08T08:08:00.001-04:00

Won't say I mind waking up on a Sunday to read this... thoughts on the A23 by Guitar Ted.

SUNDAY, AUGUST 07, 2011

Velocity A-23 Wheels: Ride Impressions

For quite a while now, I have been running a set of Velocity A-23's on my Black Mountain Cycles "Monster Cross"bike, and here are my thoughts on these pre-built wheels from Velocity U.S.A.

Minimalistic Front Hub!

First off, these rims and wheels are designed by Velocity to be used for road and cyclo-cross racing and riding. The rims are a bit wider at 23mm which seems to be the fad these days for road rims. (The rims get their name from the width, by the way) The rims, spokes, and hubs are all hand assembled and tensioned at Velocity's Grand Rapids , Michigan facility and each build is signed and dated by the builder. Nice touch.

Velocity offers the A-23's in a Pro or Comp build, but they will do custom builds as well. My set is somewhat of a custom set up based on the Comp wheels with a 28 hole front and rear set up. The front is radially laced to a very minimalistic front hub and the rear is laced radially on the non-drive side, two cross on the drive side to a Velocity branded hub. I have had these since May, and I have forgotten what they weighed in at! Velocity lists the Comp Build on their site at 1445 grams, and I think my set came in at a shade under 1500 grams, but remember, my set has more spokes in the front wheel than for the Comp Build on Velocity's site. Let's just say that for a Clydesdale class rider on gravel roads, these are reasonably lightweight wheels.

The A-23 comes in several drillings

As is typical with Velocity, the rim does not have spoke hole eyelets. The design compensates for this by being thicker in the spoke bed area. I have built with Velocity rims off and on since the mid-90's, and have not seen any issues with doing things this way.

The inner rim width is a bit wider than is typical with road designs, and so my big 29"er tires are just fine with the rims and sit well on the A-23. Narrower tires will see a different, wider profile on the A-23, and as I mentioned, this is getting to be a common feature on newer road rim designs. The rims also feature a very smooth machined brake track which my brakes feel like butter on. Finally, the A-23 has a soft, triangular cross section, which should help a bit on muddy cyclo-cross courses.

Ride Impressions: With several hundred miles of gravel and commuting miles piling up on these, I am amazed by a couple of things with regards to this particular build of the A-23's.

Lateral Stiffness: The wheels are remarkably stiff for a guy my size. I have only ever gotten the rear wheel to flex noticeably once during a hard cornering effort. The front has been rock solid. I wasn't expecting this from these rims. To go along with this, the spoking pattern is something I wouldn't have ever considered for a guy my size, but it has worked really well. Radial lacing on the rear wheel just doesn't make a lot of sense to my mind, and I'm not a fan of it at all, really. However; it has not been any problem so far. Ay least Velocity did a good job of drilling the hub flanges so that radial lacing should not cause a hub flange failure.

I haven't been very nice to this wheel!

Toughness: The other thing that jumped out at me is the toughness of this particular build. I don't know how other A-23's are holding up, but this wheel build has been bounced, bunny hopped, and banged through rough terrain quite a bit with no apparent causes for concern at all. They still remain perfectly true, and the hubs and rims seem to be just dirty. No issues at all to report with the A-23's from me.

If there is anything at all I find fault with it would have to be with the skewers that were provided with the wheels. They are not very "hand friendly", and they don't hold the rear wheel in a horizontal drop out worth a hoot. I'd say get a different set of skewers, (which I did), and you'll be golden.

Conclusions: I can not see any reason why these wouldn't make great cyclo-cross wheels, or why they wouldn't be a great set of training/racing wheels for a roadie. For the gravel grinder, these also make a lot of sense. In fact, I have heard rumors that these set up all right tubeless with some sealing tape, like Velocity's kit, or Stan's. But I can't say for sure you'll get them to work that way, as I haven't tried that.....yet! If that would work out, I would rate the wheels a bit higher still.

As it stands, the Velocity A-23, which can be bought as a rim, or as part of a complete wheel, seems to be another really nice rim from Velocity.

Note: I own these Velocity A-23 wheels and was not paid, nor bribed for this review. I strive to give my honest thoughts and opinions throughout.

Place your bets!!! NAHBPC 2011!!!

2011-08-05T09:01:00.006-04:00

THE NORTH AMERICAN HARDCOURT BIKE POLO CHAMPIONSHIPS ARE THIS WEEKEND!

Photo by
Brad Q

And we've got a pony in the race...

A while back we struck up one of those cool endorsement deals all the kids talk about. Velocity is a proud sponsor of the one, the only, Beaver Boys from Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Who could deny their boyish good looks, Midwestern charm and oh, rad polo skilz? Not us, that's for sure. In reality, our relationship was kindled through a beer fueled wheel building discussion between Kremin and I in a Lafayette, Indiana bar. Eric calls wheel builder his day job at one of our favorite places, Ben's Cycle. So naturally, we were drawn to one another. Wheel builders...the salt of the earth. Really though, all personal and professional associations aside, these guys are the best in the world. Literally.

So they're riding our wheels (two sets of Deep Vs, one set of Chukkers), giving us feedback and helping us stay atop the dad gum heap for strong polo wheels.

They'll be rocking them this weekend at the NAHBPC in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.

You can follow the action live right here.

All the best to you boys! I leave you with these encouraging words from a few of our friends in Ann Arbor:

Matt's Perspective: GTDRI '11

2011-08-03T11:38:00.009-04:00

So, you know, Alo and I drove 16 hours to do a 100 mile gravel ride through Nowheresville, Iowa...big deal. Barreling west down I-80 this past Friday I mentioned that I'd never been to Iowa before. Turns out that wasn't completely true, I'd driven through it twice on the way to and from a spring break trip out to Colorado, probably pushing ten years ago. In spirit, though, I'd never been to the Hawkeye State. Whoa boy have I been missing out! Fell in love...in love I tell ya! I mean everyone there is super duper friendly, there's corn everywhere, and the best part...gravel roads for miles in every direction. Not to mention it's the home of the one, the only "Guitar Ted", who was Iowa style friendly enough to invite all souls brave enough to his annual Guitar Ted Death Ride.

We rolled into Cedar Falls around 10PM, hit the sack by 11, and rose at the ungodly hour of 4:30AM to prepare for the ride. We arrived at Hickory Hills park, met up with our crew of around a dozen, and took off a bit after 6AM. The scenery during the roll out was flippin' amazing. Really, it made waking up so early worth it, and for me to say that it takes a lot. This morning's fog was thick but the rising sun blasted on through making for some incredible scenery. Magic Hour.

That's me on the right, gettin' all emotional

We all commented that even though visibility was limited, the fog and low temps would be a fond memory later in the day. More on that later...

We chatted the first 15 miles or so away and made it to the town of Traer to fuel up and shake the dew off. A scant mile or so down the road Adam comes rushing to the front of the group, declaring he's left his keys back in town. So we pull off while Adam goes on a little recon mission back to Traer. This proved to be the perfect opportunity for Mark (Guitar Ted) to drop a little knowledge bomb on us. Apparently, there's a phenomenon called "derecho" that afflicts Iowa from time to time. One of these straight line winds had come through the area in the previous weeks, and the effects were obvious.

Destruction

There were entire groves of trees that had been uprooted. Farmers placed the once great spires into roadside ditches, now transformed into make shift burn furnaces. Outbuildings were ripped apart, bits of tin roofing material were strewn everywhere...it was serious carnage.

So yeah, Adam comes back, defeated, still without keys. We soldier on, hoping the attendant at the gas station will turn something up and call, or some other miracle would happen. I think we just tried not to think about it. If you've read Alo's post, you know the outcome of this episode so I won't try to hold you in suspense.

The next 35-40 miles went off pretty smooth with temperatures remaining manageable, only hinting at the heat that would come later in the day. We traveled over some chunky gravel, some finely ground smooth stuff, and put in some miles on some SWEET B level roads. These 'unmaintained' roads were smooth and fast. Some rutting, but I mean, who doesn't like to jump over stuff like that?

Friggin' awesome B level!!!

About five miles shy of Toldeo, our second and final stop, Alo hit the wall. The hills were getting more intense, the sun was waaay up in the sky, and we were both about out of hydration. So we limped on, caught up with another rider, Steve, and banded together for the final push into town. Upon arrival, we found the group chowing on pizza and ice cream, ready to take on the remainder of the course. Alo and Steve called a ride and headed back to the starting point. I hooked up with the group and we sped out of Toledo towards the hilliest section of the ride. Just out of town, the crazy mofo on the Mukluk picked up some glass and had a flat. I was in the middle of one of the larger climbs of the day when the call came up, so I made it to the top and pulled off to wait. A bit winded from the climb, I look to my left and what's standing next to me?

These guys!!

Zebras in Iowa say whaaaaat?! That really made my day. What better place to wait around for a bunch of dudes to take turns pumping up a Mukluk tire. There were five adults and one foal, just hanging out keeping me and a few others company.

From here on, it was hot. It was really friggin' hot. Oh, it was hilly too. Riding one of two singlespeeds in the group, I had no choice but to just throw down and get after each and every one of the hills. It was go hard or walk, and it was too damn hot to be walking. I needed the wind on me to stay cool. These tactics kept me going but split me from the group. I'd look back every minute or so and they'd be farther behind, so I decided to press on alone. Following Mark's perfectly executed cues, I made my way from one sweltering hot road to the next. Every so often a cloud would cover me, which was a welcome solace from the heat. There was even one point where I was riding under a cloud which was moving with me, which spiked my spirits in a big way.

Nature Boy, Iowa...Iowa, Nature Boy.

About 20 miles from the finish, I ran out of water. Things were starting to look bad. In what seemed to be a mirage, I caught a glimpse of hydration heaven in the form of an elderly gent cutting his lawn atop his Allis Chalmers tractor. I stopped over, said hello, shot the shit for a few minutes while he told me how crazy my directions were, then filled my bottles. Upon leaving he told me I was gutsier than he, to which I replied "more guts than brains, sir" and pedaled on into the heat.

Knowing I was near the finish, bottles full and with no companions in sight, I turned on the gas. Rolling into the park my legs really started to let go. Perfect. Mark, your ride whooped my butt. I found Adam napping in the air conditioned haven of his car, woke his ass up and started drinking beer. We waited around for the group to show up and proceeded to drink beer and eat cookies together. What a blast! I'm in love with Iowan gravel.

THE BIKE:

All City Nature Boy, 42x18 | 700c x 34 Hutchinson Piranha tires

THE WHEELS:

A23 Pro Build wheelset-

Seriously? 1,400 gram road wheelset, 20/24 bladed Sapim CX Ray spokes to alloy nips. SO AWESOME...didn't budge out of true. If my 180lbs can't knock these out of true on semi smooth gravel roads, bunny hopping B-levels, and through generally un-smooth riding habits, I've got to imagine a rider much heavier than I will have no issues with them for road riding. At around 52 psi, the rim/tire combo were like pillows. Pillows of fury ripping down the road. These wheels make me smile.

Most of these photos are courtesy of Guitar Ted. Check out his ride report here and here.

Don't Steal... bro.

2011-08-03T10:42:00.004-04:00

On Monday, I was emailed by the one and only Tracko about having us donate some goods for the upcoming race at the Encino Velodrome - which we promptly got some Benny Gold rims headed out west. Unfortunately from the time of our correspondence word has spread that there has been a break in and items were stolen from their non-profit office. Below is from the president of Encino that Tracko posted recently posted that explains things better:

I am actually extremely upset to be sharing this news with you right now. Encino Velodrome is a non-profit organization which is run entirely by volunteers. Every volunteer works hard and puts so much heart into trying to keep the velodrome afloat. We don’t get paid (we’re volunteers), we’re in it for the love of the community. When crap like this happens it feels like a slap in the face.

For me, I’ve been working really hard to throw the Summer Race Series and raise some good prizes for the kids who race. Not only is it a bummer that some of those prizes were stolen, but repairing the door they busted will probably cost all the entry fee money we raised last Wednesday. I am sad. Thieves are assholes.

Anyway, here is the letter I received tonight from Kenny, the EV board president:

« I hate to report that there has been another break-in at the office of Encino Velodrome. Probably either Saturday night or Sunday thieves broke the back door of the office and got inside. Among items stolen were:
-White, very small size track frame
-Light blue, very small track frame with cut down Dura Ace cranks
-Yamaha loudspeakers, very large
-Tires and tubes
-Prizes for Wednesdays track race

If you see any of these items please contact me ASAP.

The velodrome has NO INSURANCE to cover these losses! Besides property loss, the damage to the door will be expensive to fix. The thieves have stolen from not just the track but from the kids who need these bikes! So if you have any information please let me know. These thieves are DIRT! They probably are people who come to the track and knew what was inside the office, so please don’t sit idly by while these people get away with this.

Thank you,

Ken Avchen
President- Encino Velodrome

Beyond dealing with inconsiderate drivers, those who steal hold a very special place in hell for me. If you happen to have any leads or information, please contact the crew at Encino.

And if you are out west, head to the race on August 10th. If for any reason to help support the non-profit Encino Velodrome, all entry fees go directly to the Velodrome itself. Spread the word!

Fight!

2011-08-02T09:12:00.000-04:00

First rule of Fixie Fight...

You talk about Fixie Fight.

Second rule of Fixie Fight.

YOU TALK ABOUT FIXIE FIGHT.

Recently we were contacted by the crew over at Fixie Fights about supplying them with a few prizes for their monthly contest Fixie competition.

In the spirit of other sites like Fixed Gear Gallery and Pedal Room, but instead of just showcasing your bike for the masses to see. At Fixie Fights, not only does your bike get showcase but it takes it a step further and then allows you, the public, to vote on bikes in a monthly head-to-head competition for swag from companies across the industry.

Check it out.

Submit a photo or two of your rig.

And most importantly, vote.

Only then can you get a chance to get your hands on some free gear, and everyone loves free.

Wolfdrawn : Oscar Khan Edit

2011-08-01T14:46:00.000-04:00

Just got an email from one of our favorite Brits, Oscar Khan, with his latest edit. Smooth riding on some P35's...

WOLF DRAWN: Oscar Khan from Matthew Spencer on Vimeo.

Alo's Perspective: GTDRI '11

2011-08-01T10:34:00.002-04:00

This past weekend myself and Matt headed back to my old stomping grounds of Iowa for Guitar Ted's annual Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational.

In the spirit of the epic gravel rides and races that have sprung up in the last few years, the GTDRI is a 100 mile no-drop ride through the A and B gravel roads of Iowa.

Sounds like a great weekend doesn't it? Especially given the 90 degree temperature and 80%+ humidity. I mean, who doesn't drive from Michigan 8 hours to wake up at 4:30am to ride for 11 hours?

But in all seriousness, I was excited for this ride. Granted this year, due to a fluke injury during a game of Octoball (an interesting mix between Dodgeball and Foursquare) the amount of miles that I would normally have at this point in the year was dramatically down. Nevertheless, the no-drop appeal of this ride along with Mark's, aka Guitar Ted, assurance that my fitness shouldn't be an issue; followed by the normal banter between the crew here that I was going home to die, I believed I was ready - not to do great but to be able to finish.

So Matt and I packed up early Friday and headed to Iowa. We arrived at my parents homestead around 11pm and quickly headed to bed. Waking up, we drove to the starting point of Hickory Hills State Park about 40 minutes from Cedar Falls for the 6am/sunrise start to the ride. In the parking lot, we put the finishing touches to our bikes - I decided to ride my 1x9 Cannondale 'Cross bike with A23 Comp's (35mm front / 32mm rear).

After meeting up at the ranger station 12 of us set out for a day of gravel, most on 'cross bikes and one on a Makluk. Riders showed up from Iowa, North Dakota, Minnesota and Michigan looked out on a beautiful Iowa sunrise which included an interesting mix of fog in places. We made good time through the first 20 miles to Traer for our first stop where everyone put down the highly nutritional convient store breakfast and filled up water bottles.

After a few minutes of small talk, we set back out - another 40 miles to Toledo. Right as we hit the gravel, panic set in for me. Sliding to the side of the road, I checked my jersey pocket to make sure I had all my gear.

Cell phone - check.

Wallet - check.

Sunglasses - check.

Bottle - check.

Granola - check.

Car keys...

Car keys - not in the zip lock baggy with the wallet and cell phone.

Crap!

Being 8 hours from Grand Rapids, of course not bringing a spare set - I proceed to throw everything back in my pockets, race up to Mark to let him know I thought they might have fallen out at the store. Mark then graciously stops the group as I turn around to head back to find them.

If there is one thing that small town Iowans are, it's helpful. As I panically walked back into the store and retraced my steps, my confidence of finding my keys is quickly diminishing. The store attendent starts looking through the store with me - soon enough I realize I should probably start dumpster diving to see if I accidentally threw them away...

Let's just say, I didn't find them in the trash.

The time had come that I needed to push back to the group - so I left my number with the clerk, called my parents to have them start exploring options on breaking into my car once I finished and headed back to the gravel. Like many, for the next 20 miles all I did was retrace my steps. Hoping that somehow I had left them at parking lot where we parked.

After meeting up the with group we continued on. The legs felt great, the gravel was hard packed in most places with the rolling hills you'd expect from Iowa. I had set out not to allow myself to blow up, so my pace was well... mine. I was slow but the group was overly understanding and gracious, often Matt or a few of the other guys would come back and chat and pull me back up to the group.

I'd estimate around mile 35, we experienced our first flat. The group then came together, helping the rider in need, hanging out in the shade Mark told a few stories from previous years Death Rides. Departing from this stop. I felt good, confident how my body was responding to the heat and the miles. Mark had told us that we had a few hills ahead along with one to the top of a ridge that would then lead us into Toledo.

This hill is where everything changed for me.

I'm not one to be able to judge grade, and it was not that this hill had a steep grade but that is was long - real long. This is where the group began to pull away. Finally getting to the top, I see Matt waiting along the side for me. Matt then lead the way as we attempted to catch up to the group.

My water supply had started to dwindle, out of 3 bottles I was now down to my last with around 3/4 left. My power had begun to decrease to the point where I had begun to not be able to put much down on the pedals. At probably around mile 50 - it hit. The first hill, and may I say not a very big hill, I had to dismount and walk. Matt coasted on up the hill and waited. I remounted at the top of the hill and hints of cramping had begun. We shouldered on - dreaming of a cold Coke and salty food.

We limped for another 5 miles. Only to encounter another hill that I had to get off and walk. At this point, I was out of water. Matt had very little but shared what he could. The heat was becoming too much, by breathing had become a concern. I had to sit.

I sat. Trying to slow myself down. Talking to myself that I could continue on.

I got up. Walked a little further and the dizziness set in. I had to sit.

Matt discovered that I had a little water in each of my bottles that I could snag if I took off the top.

This little bit of water was a lifeline. I was able to muster up the strength to get up and continue up the hill. We then encountered another rider, Steve, who was having similar issues to myself dealing with the heat. Steve had some water he could share. Shortly there after we were able to mount back up on the bikes and continue on.

Matt's legs still fresh and was pulling the both of us along the way. At around 3 miles from Toledo we hit pavement and once over a hill, we could see the water tower and what a beautiful sight it was. Coasting into town, we found the convient stores. Rushing into get fluids - Matt was then able to find the rest of the group who were at an adjacent store. Steve had been able to get into contact with his brother to come and give us both a ride back to the start. My body was fried at the point - no power would be going into the pedals so continuing on was and seemed foolish.

Fortunately, Matt was able to continue on and has a story or two about his experience to share hopefully tomorrow. 60 miles was all I had in me, am I frustrated? Yes. But I learned a lot from this for the next time about base miles, heat, and hydration to say the least.

I can't say enough about how enjoyable it was to ride with all the guys and talk during and after the ride finished. A thanks goes out to Mark for putting on an incredible ride that lives up to it's name, a huge thanks to Matt for being a saving grace in getting me to town alive and to Steve for the huge help in getting back to my car. And let's not forget the amazing cookies brought from North Dakota!

Oh my keys... well, they ended up being in the door of my car in the parking lot. I guess every cloud has a silver lining.

For more recaps of the ride, check out Mark's site and check back to read Matt's thoughts.

New Chacon Edit

2011-07-29T10:54:00.000-04:00

For your Friday viewing pleasure...

Hurricane Promotion Video!!!! from Michael Chacon on Vimeo.

Rider Profile: Torey Thornton

2011-07-25T09:35:00.000-04:00

If there is one of our riders that constantly makes my jaw drop it would be Torey Thornton, often seen going big off of things that simply should not be. We're privileged to have Torey as part of the Velocity family and today he answers a few questions for us. Enjoy:

Name: Torey Thornton
Age: 21
Location: Brooklyn, NY
Website: WRAHW.com
Sponsors: Breakbrake 17, Hold Fast, Tree Bike Co, Loosenuts Cycles, VAGX, Velocity
Cycling Specification: FGFS

V: How did you get into cycling?
TT: I watched the MASH trailer when I was in high school, and then visited NYC and saw all the messengers, and fixed gears ripping. I was hooked.

V: How long have you been riding?
TT: A lil over three years.

V: How did you get into FGFS [Fixed Gear Freestyle] riding?
TT: Anything that I do, I always think about the fun trick aspect of it, so as soon as I got my fixed gear I tried to wheelie it, and so on and so on.

V: Favorite place to ride?
TT: Baltimore, MD

V:Tell a story of a ride or cycling experience you will never forget:
TT: The first Midwest Mayhem was insane.

V: What are your plans for the future? (Upcoming season/year goals and aspirations)
TT: Shred more with the brothas, finish school smooth, boost WRAHW to its full potential.

V: What Velocity wheels are you using?
TT: P35s

V: Thoughts on the wheels/rims?
TT: Light, wide as #@%*, sickly colors

V: What kind of bike did you build around your Velocity wheels? (Bike Check)
TT: I ride a BB17 Charmer frame with some sick deformities that allow me to run 29s, the prototype for the new 29er prototype, fat dad 2.1 tires, oidas ass cushion, animal post, oidas forks, tree sprocket, profile cranks, steven hamilton pedals, hold fast prototype WRAHW straps, real tree stem, Immortis bars, grips from the odi mold.

V: What do you do when your not on your bike (guilty pleasures, etc)?
TT: Lady lovin, fooding, creating, web surfing wishing i was riding

Here is Torey's latest edit for his introduction as part of the Breakbrake17 crew:

Torey Thornton Welcome To BB17 from Torey Thornton on Vimeo.

Team Profile: Team Seagal

2011-07-19T10:37:00.002-04:00

A little while back we started a series of posts of rider profiles. With more to come on specific riders we sponsor, we thought it's also important to start highlighting teams that we are privileged to work with. Like a parent, it's hard to pick a favorite but one of our most entertaining teams we sponsor would be Team Seagal.

I recently corresponded with Matt Grothoff from the team and must say it's worth the read. Enjoy:

Team Name: Team Seagal
Location: Missouri (mostly)
Website: www.teamseagal.blogspot.com

Sponsors: Pabst Blue Ribbon, The Hub Bicycle Company, Kona Bicycles, Flaco's Cocina, ByeKyle, Klunk Cycles, and of course VELOCITY!

Cycling Specification(s): Mountain, Cyclocross, maybe a road race from time to time

Team Roster: (Team roster link here, with photos) "Gino Felino," "Mason Storm," "Casey F. Ryback," "Torrez, Nico Toscani," "Dr. Wesley McLaren," "Orin Boyd," "Lawman," "Sasha Petrosevitch," "Samuel Axel," "Shop Ministor," "Marshall Lawson," "Forrest Taft," "Capt. Jack Taggert," "Cockpuncher," "John Hatcher," "Professor Robert Burns," "Lt. Col. Austin Travis," "Jonathon Cold," "Harlan Banks"

ALO: Team Mission/Motto/Saying?

MG: "Superior Attitude, Superior State of Mind"

ALO: How long has the team been together?

MG: 2006 A.D.

ALO: Why/How did it form?

MG: A group of 4 friends decided to come together to form a team for the 2006 24 Hours of Landahl mountain bike race with the intention of drinking beer in between laps. We came in 2nd place. (Out of two teams in our class.) Since then, our general no-pressure/maximum-fun approach to racing has brought us some notoriety within the local (and not-so-local) community. And it doesn't hurt that we stand on a lot of podiums, either.

ALO: Favorite places to ride? Why?

MG: Despite some of our members having moved to other states, the Ozark Trail (and adjoining loops) in southeastern Missouri could probably be considered our favorite stomping grounds. Most specifically the Middlefork Section, Trace Creek Section, Berryman Trail and Council Bluff. These trails offer nearly endless miles of beautiful Ozark terrain - which means long gradual climbs, and long, rippin' descents, the ability to ride no matter what the weather, and the promise of epic days in the saddle with friends.

ALO: Tell a story of a ride or cycling experience your team will never forget:

MG: There have been SO MANY amazing experiences, nearly all chronicled on our website, but I know that anyone who was there will not forget our past three CXMAS events. First year (2008) was single digit temperatures yet we still had a few dozen people ride and have a good time despite the frozen beer cans. The second year (2009) was frigid, covered in ice, and saw the riders fueled by bacon, whiskey, and lots of egg nog. In addition to that, we raised over $700 for GORC, our local trail-building organization. Third year (2010) continued the fun, but added more egg-nog induced vomiting, which is always good.

V: What team plans for the future? (Upcoming season/year goals and aspirations)

MG: Our goals are actually pretty simple - to ride/race more, and have fun doing it while challenging ourselves and others.

ALO: What Velocity wheels is the team using? Thoughts on the wheels/rims?

MG: You can find many different Velocity rims supporting our bikes, but some of the most common are Blunts, Dyads, Deep V's, Major Toms, P35's, A23's, and most recently, Blunt SL's. They perform damn well, look very classy, and are priced very well.

ALO: Bike Check. Highlight your team bikes (please provide photos):

MG: Oooweee, between 20+ people, it's an ever-changing stable of trusty steeds - most prominently featuring 29" singlespeeds. Our most common weapon of choice would probably be Kona's Big Unit, while a few others are on Ti rigs.

ALO: What does the team do when it’s not on your bike (guilty pleasures, etc)?

MG: 80s/90s action movies, drinking beer, and making jokes at Criss Angel's expense.

G-Ted/Blunt SL: Mid-Term Report

2011-07-18T08:56:00.003-04:00

Guitar Ted over at Twenty Nine Inches just finished his mid-term review of the Blunt SL. Enjoy:

Velocity Blunt SL Comp Wheels: Mid-Term

July 17th, 2011 by Guitar Ted

With more ride time on the new Velocity Blunt SL’s I am ready to write my Mid-Term Report on these rims/wheel set. Meant as a “race day” type of rim, the Blunt SL is the P-35’s little brother, even though it carries the “Blunt” moniker. The bigger P-35 was where the Blunt SL got its “design DNA from”. In fact, the same width tubeless tape is used for both the P-35 and Blunt SL. Because of this, the Blunt SL is easy to set up tubeless with Velocity’s Velotape, and the set here for testing has been problem free throughout in that regard.

Wheel Performance: Since I received a version of the “Comp” wheel build with the Blunt SL’s I must also include the entire wheel set in this review. To date, the wheels have been trouble free. They remain straight and true as the day I received them, and no issues with the free hub, or with regards to any other mechanical aspect of these wheels has arisen.

I will add that I have not treated them in any regard as other than “daily drivers” and have not taken any measures to be overly kind to them. That said, I wouldn’t expect these to be great wheels for root and rock infested trails where dings and flat spots are common with other wheels. Velocity rims have a history of not being the greatest “rock resistant” rims out there, and the Blunt SL’s should be considered in the same manner. However; for those that can manage to keep the air pressures up within reason, and don’t normally ding up wheels, these should hold up just fine for you. And once again, these are pretty dang light rims. (For all the technical data, see my Out Of The Box post here.)

As far as riding the Blunt SL’s as set up in this wheel set, I have definitely found that there are two distinct personalities to them. One shows up when you are hitting technical, rutted out or rooty single track. Picking your way through a section, you might feel flex in the Blunt SL, and I could definitely feel it when hitting ruts that ran along the trail where the wheel would “load up” a bit with flex and then release as you tried to maneuver out of a rut, let’s say, or if you were battling a root that ran diagonally across the trail in line with the single track. This was most pronounced if you were going slowly.

However, running at “race pace” the wheels would simply come alive. On open single track, the wheels then would only exhibit slight flex in corners, and then it was a totally manageable feel that did not upset me at all. A lighter, more finesse rider may not even feel a thing in this regard on a typical XC/Trail ride. As I mentioned in the First Impressions post, really tight corners would flex the rear wheel noticeably, but again, I must consider that many riders are lighter than I, so this is a minor concern.

Climbing was met with no issues at all. The rear hub, as mentioned, has been flawless so far, and the wheels seem reasonably stiff enough for spirited, out of the saddle stomping.

Now I will continue to ride these for a few more weeks and then it will be time for the Final Review. I might try mounting a different set of tires on these to check how other brands might fit, but I am liking these Specialized Ground Controls too much right now! Stay tuned…………

Note: Velocity sent these wheels for test/review at no charge. We are not being paid, nor bribed, for this review. We will strive to give our honest opinions throughout.

Story Time with Quinn

2011-07-15T10:01:00.004-04:00

We introduced you to Quinn last week and in stellar form we already received a write up from the tournament she recently played in. This might just be the beginnings of a new segment we'll call 'Story Time with Quinn'.

Get out and ride this weekend, stay cool, have fun. Enjoy:

Last weekend Alex and I head down to Columbus, Ohio to participate in the Columbus Bike Polo Invitational Tournament. All of the states bordering Ohio were invited, which made the tournament smaller than usual especially with only fourteen teams competing. I really enjoyed having a smaller group of people though because I got to talk with everyone and it was just way more fun instead of being serious and competitive like the bigger qualifier tournaments.

Our team the "Disease Ridden Pigeons" was made up of myself, Alex(Grand Rapids), and our friend Gregg from Pittsburgh. We had never played together besides pick up at previous tournaments but it only took us a couple games to figure each other out and we ended up working really well together. We arrived in Columbus and just a couple blocks before the polo courts were pulled over because my wheel covers had been blocking the rear lights. Luckily we only got a warning and continued on to find everyone playing pick up still. Alex wanted to rest up for the next day but I jumped in a played a few games for a couple hours, and thanks to the never ending lights we were out there until three in the morning.

The Columbus Bike Polo Club has a few spots they play pick up at. Two of those spots were public parks separated by at least half a mile and each had one average sized hockey court. They were in real good condition, nice surfaces, nets, and full hockey boards. The tournament started Saturday with the fourteen teams split in half, randomly. Each half playing on whichever court they were told to. The two groups of seven teams were separated to there courts and the games began. Since there were so little people they had two mini double elimination tournaments, one in the morning and one in the afternoon with an amazing lunch break in between thanks to our friends in Columbus. My team did pretty well taking 2nd in the morning bracket, and fourth in the afternoon giving us an overall spot for the Sunday rounds in 3rd.

Columbus was also having an alley cat race Saturday afternoon that some of the polo players participated in, my team on the other hand went back to the house for a well needed nap before the after party that the alley cat crew was throwing. The party was pretty fun, there was a lot of tall biking and even tall bike jousting, but most amazing of all were the prizes given out to the racers. Almost everyone got a customized messenger bag, and huge boxes full of various bike accessories, and parts. The first place winner got a full custom single speed bike, didn't catch the name on the bikes logo though.

After only a couple hours of sleep I got up bright and early to practice and play some pick up before the final elimination day. Jon from Columbus was the only one there at first, but once a couple more people showed up we started with some 2v2 pick up. Once everyone trickled in from eating breakfast the tournament eventually started. It was a long hot and humid day of polo, but we played tough out there and got ourselves to the semi finals. Our last game was a really close one against Dickfist at Tiffany's(Greg Russo, Nico, and Lomax) although we did get knocked out in the last thirty seconds of the game after it was tied 2-2 for most of it. We took fourth place and we were pretty happy about it.

After that we watched the three remaining teams battle it out for places. Eagle Spurs from Bloomington took third, Dickfist at Tiffany's from Pittsburgh took second, and Perenium Falcon from Lexington took first place. Prizes were given away to the top four teams and the Most Valuable Player which was given to Greg Russo from Pittsburgh who really knows how to play some polo. He is an amazing team player and I really enjoyed playing against him and his team. Everyone said there goodbyes and most of us went out to eat for dinner at a place around the corner. After eating a real good sandwich and being squished into the corner of the restaurant with everyone Alex and I departed and headed back home to Michigan. We had a lot of fun and I can't wait to see everyone again tomorrow in Lexington, Kentucky for Summer Break!

For more photos from the weekend go here.

Look Closely

2011-07-11T09:41:00.000-04:00

Now the following Armani ad has made it's rounds for a few months but was recently posted again over at Urban Velo. Unfortunately, I couldn't pick out any of our wheels 100% certainty but I was able to find two companies product that we're big fans of in it. Can you?

I believe I was able to make out a saddle or two by our European distributor Brick Lane Bikes and a bike from SE or maybe I wasn't... either way it's got a catchy beat for your Monday morning.

Meet an Up-and-Coming...

2011-07-08T11:19:00.002-04:00

One of the most beautiful things about bike polo is not only is DIY nature and organic growth but also that it is not a sport dominated by one specific demographic. The sports growing popularity around the world with each country, region, state/providence, and club contributing to help develop it into some thing pretty amazing. One of those contributions happened this past May down in Austin at an event, the Ladies Army III.

Ladies Army pulled players from around the US for a weekend tournament of ladies bike polo. We were thrilled to be a part of the event as a sponsor. After the event we were reading reports of how spectacular the weekend was for everyone who participated and watched. A reoccurring name we kept hearing came from our great state was Quinn from Ann Arbor.

Back in January, you might remember a group of us headed to Ann Arbor for some pick up bike polo. That weekend we had a great time playing polo with and against players from Fort Wayne,Grand Rapids and A2. One of those players being Quinn.

Baby Birds from Mr.Do on Vimeo.

Quinn threw down in Texas in May. So much so she took home the 'Up-and-Coming Bad Ass' Award, which meant she also received a Fleet Velo Joust frameset. We couldn't help but be excited for her and obviously - what is frameset without some new wheels?

On that note, we are proud to now have Quinn as part of the Velocity family as one of our sponsored riders. Quinn will be rocking our 48 hole Bright Silver Chukkers on that new polo rig of hers. If you're in Columbus this weekend, Quinn and Alex are going to be heading down to play in the Columbus Bike Polo Invitational. Say hello, watch some polo, and heckle a bit.

A Lumberjack Story.

2011-07-05T12:55:00.000-04:00

There is a little event here in Michigan that in it's few short years as garnered quite the reputation for itself. Little might be drastic understatement, epic properly explains the Lumberjack 100. Every event we're proud to be part of, often working with Race/Event directors to determine the proper prize for the event. Since releasing the limited edition Lumberjack Plaid image rims, there was really only one proper event for them to land. We left it up to Rick Plite to determine the worthy rider to win these gems back on June 18th.

We couldn't agree more with Rick's choice, Nicholas Mehl. Who put everything he could into the finishing and in the end was able to and took home the DFL award. Rick was able to get Nicholas to do a little write up of his experience from the race and we are privileged to give you his perspective on the race. Enjoy.

“Flight of the Lantern Rouge”

[photo by Tony Newton]

“Are you the last one,” was one of the first things I heard as I rolled across the finish line.
I finished. An accomplishment all in its own after abandoning last year and having that loom ever since.

I sure didn’t feel like I was last. “No,” I reply. “There was one guy at the aid station after me but he took off his helmet and sat down.” I did the very same thing last year at the same aid station on lap two so I knew what he was going through.

“Too bad, because if you were last, you’d get these wheels.” This I time I registered the voice as Rick Plite, the organizer, as he shook my hand and handed me my finisher patch. He also had a set of really cool set Velocity P35’s in Lumberjack Plaid.

I may have mumbled something like “I’m not going back out there.”

I finished. I won. It didn’t matter that the guys who really “won” had been done for six and a half hours, were most likely well fed, clean, rested and thinking about their ride tomorrow. 13 hours is a long time and all I wanted was out of my bike shorts. A beer and some solid food would not be turned down, either.

Walking back towards the car I first realized the parking lot was almost empty and then the weight of everything I carried in my pockets. Even empty, the 1L bladder, tools, food and phone seemed heavy. The extra bottle I acquired on the trail wasn’t intended, but needed. The aid station placing seemed perfect this time around. No bonks so everything with the food and water went right, almost. The first half of lap two had me running out of water just before the aid station and knowing that it was getting hotter, I was wondering what I’d do to get back to the start/finish area. Then on a bumpy downhill, there was an insulated Polar bottle laying in the trail. Bonus. It got rinsed out quick and didn’t need to worry about hydration the rest of the day. I wasn’t keen on carrying the bladder and a bottle in my pockets but it sure was better than a pack.

The jug of water and my garden sprayer that was intended to clean my bike between laps given the nasty weather forecast the days leading into the race were good for cleaning me up. That’s where I found the raw sections on my calf and shoulder. Lap one, a little ways after the aid station, we cross a road that looks a lot like the road we cross before the aid station. “Wow, I wonder how much that would cut off a lap,” was the last thing I thought before I missed the gravel bridge over the ditch. What should have been an easy ramp back into the woods had me laid out in true yard sale fashion in the middle of the trail. “I deserved that,” was all I thought after picking everything up. But, hitting the ground only once over a hundred mile race isn’t bad.
Once the dirt and some of the stink were rinsed off, dry clothes were great. Now to find food. Walking back over to the lodge, my legs were reminding me of the day. Only cramped a little at miles 87 and 92 but they were still not happy. Like always, the post-race spread is great. Burritos! My buddy Paul came this time for support and he had one the night before as I was trying to eat something that would be more beneficial than me fogging the trail. But given the mosquito level this year that may not have been that bad… It also felt good to just sit and enjoy not moving. Paul had to play Jiminy Cricket in my ear and tell me to keep moving every time I stopped. So I enjoyed my burrito and a beer not moving. I think I milked it for a good 15 – 20 minutes which was as long if not longer than any of my lap breaks.

A couple of the guys that were manning the aid station when I last went through came over and sat around with us. In the few minutes I was there (my first stop on lap one was four minutes, the others were about that, too), I must have made an impression in my delirium because they still thought I was entertaining. It must be a tough stint working the station, swatting mosquitos, and having a bunch of guys hollering “I need Coke.” Or this. Or that. I guess if between you and another guy were only a couple minutes over the length of the race, it might make a difference, but I saw it even in the back third where I thought I was rolling. These guys were here on their own, treat them well. Say thanks. Do the mosquito dance. Laugh.

The aid workers said there were at least two or three riders behind me so the wheels were not an option. But hey, I finished and that was my goal. I never felt like I was sweeping the course so it didn’t bug me not to “win” them.

I never did feel like I was moving that slow. Consistent, yes. But slow, no. I was still in the denial stages of being DFL.

My first lap was almost spot on the same time as last year (which I thought would be better because this time my mechanicals registered nil). The leading trio caught me at mile 43, almost the same exact spot as last year, too. This time it didn’t crush my motivation, though because seeing more than one rider in the lead so it let me imagine the race unfolding. They were dodging trees and racing to win. I was going to finish so I needed to rely on a bit more imagination to entertain myself.

Since I was moving a lot faster on my 2nd lap as I hadn’t given up like last year, I didn’t see as many as the elites go by. Amanda Carey was a polite blur of red that came by way before Cheryl Sorensen did last year. “Rider up.” “Thanks.” All the good stuff that makes you want to help get out of their way. Except for the one bad apple who came up on a downhill section. “Get out of my way,” a couple times as I hollered back “it’s not clean.” Finally did find a spot for him and I muttered “bite me” as he went by. About 15 seconds later the woman running in 2nd place came up on the same section and as polite as everyone else and I looked a lot harder for a good passing zone. I really hope she passed him on the line.

My consistency started to show towards the end of the 2nd lap as I was passing quite a few riders not continuing on. Not just stopped by the side of the trail (there were a couple of them as I took my lessons from Paul and told them to at least keep moving) but just riders that were “broken.” Even last year, giving up wasn’t an option until the mechanical, more or less, forced me to.

The third lap was quiet. I saw as many deer as moving riders (three) and the first 10 miles really hurt. “Too much stopped time in the pits,” is what Paul’s voice kept saying in my head but the GPS told me it was also uphill and the trail felt like riding on wood chips. Going into the last aid station I was feeling better and sucked it up to start standing on the pedals which I hate doing on the full suspension. My 2nd half of the last lap was almost spot on the same time as the other laps (2 hours +/- a few minutes so all of my added time per lap happened on the first half) and I still felt good. Towards the end, even with the cramps, I was going to finish and that was more than enough to fuel my forward motion. Once I saw the road and new the finish line was close, I gave it my all so that’s why I gave Paul the scowl when he asked why I didn’t dig deeper to crack sub 13 hours. There was no deeper.

By now, we’d been sitting around the finish telling stories, eating dinner and waiting for the last riders to come in. The longer we waited the more I really started to worry as I know that I wouldn’t want to be stranded out in the woods knowing there was no one sweeping up behind me.

About that time is when Rick wandered over and told me they had pulled the last two riders from the course. Whether they came peacefully or were trying to flag down anyone to take them home, I don’t know. But, having already admitted and accepted “defeat” with the wheels, the shock and excitement was all the better. The pictures really don’t do my expression justice as I was so toast from the ride but I was ecstatic, really. I came into the race with the pure goal of finishing. Any type of award was out of the question as I know I’m not the caliber of rider to place at the top. But to come home with a cool set of wheels AND finishing was all the better.
Once again, thanks to Paul for the support. The post-race drive back to camp, everything during the race, and just being around was huge in making sure my mental game didn’t falter. I might have to let him borrow the wheels if he ever gets a 29er.

Red, Gray and Blue

2011-07-01T09:41:00.004-04:00

We know you've been waiting for a new run of shirts from us and the wait is finally over! We are proud to release our latest t-shirt, the Monster T.

Available in Small, Medium, Large, Extra Large, and XXL; in your choice of Red, Grey and Carolina Blue. These fine shirts are printed on Gildan Ultra Cotton - 90% preshrunk cotton/10% polyester - with graphics by local Grand Rapids artist Dan Clark. Dan is an avid cyclist and his art as even shown up on the cover of Dirt Rag a few years back.

Get yours from your local shop or through our online store. At $14.99 it's the right thing to do.

FRONT

REAR (centered, upper back - 4" across)

And now for the colors...

It was just fitting that these colors are available over the holiday, get yours today and enjoy the freedom of riding a bike this 3 day weekend!

TNI: Blunt SL - First Impressions

2011-06-29T08:21:00.001-04:00

The first 'on the trail' review of the Blunt SL wheelset by Guitar Ted. He is reviewing a Blunt SL Comp with our new convertible 9mm QR/15/20 front hub. Be sure to check out the new Dirt Rag with an article written by G. Ted on the epic gravel race he runs Trans Iowa.

Velocity Blunt SL Comp Wheels: First Impressions

June 27th, 2011 by Guitar Ted

It’s been a while now since the Velocity Blunt SL wheels came over for testing and now it is time to give some first impressions on these wheels. You can catch all the details on the tech side in the Out Of The Box post here. Now, let’s see how the wheels have been holding up so far….

If you’ve been following along with my Specialized Ground Control reports, you already know that these Blunt SL wheels have been set up tubeless with those tires. The process was easy using Velocity’s Velotape kit, which is the same for the P-35, by the way. I simply laid in the tape according to the supplied instructions, (also found on their website here), and popped in the valve stem that features a removable core. A bit of Geax latex sealant, and the tires sealed up on the Blunt SL’s with little effort at all.

Once mounted with these tires, the Blunt SL wheels held the tires air pressure well, and seem to be secure so far. I’ve had as low as 25psi in these and as high as almost 40psi with no ill effects so far. As far as tubeless compatibility, my first impression is that the Blunt SL scores highly.

Besides the tubeless set up, these wheels have been pretty “invisible” in a good way. In fact, during tire testing of the Ground Control 2.1’s, I didn’t even give these wheels a second thought. They seem to be stable, and have not needed any attention so far. That’s a good sign, and typical of a well built hand laced and tensioned wheel set, which the Blunt SL’s are. I didn’t hear any “pinging”, which denotes spokes detensioning and stressing, which is another good sign that these should remain stable wheels for the long haul.

The hubs are working as I would expect them to. The rear hub is relatively quiet, for those wondering about such things, and engagement seems about average for a nicer quality wheel set. Those looking for a “clackity-clack” or “buzzing bee” sound from the Blunt SL’s Lightweight model hubs should probably have Velocity lace up your choice of hub to some Blunt SL’s, which they are happy to do. (Or, buy the rims and build your own.)

Overall, the wheels are solidly built. I don’t expect to have any troubles with this part of the review, but as always, I’ll be keeping an eye out for anything notable.

Performance of the rims has been great so far. I do detect the slightest amount of flex in these rims, and that in loaded off camber situations and hard cornering at times. I can’t say as I am all that surprised by this either. I mean, I am a pretty big fella, (weighing in at 230lbs these days), and the Blunt SL rims weigh down there where at my weight, a bit of flex is to be expected. For reference, the Blunt SL seems to handle a bit better than some of competitors rims I’ve ridden, and definitely on par with others in this category. Only carbon fiber seems to be able to hold up in the stiffness category while retaining low weight. Then again, those carbon rims cost a lot more money too, so there ya go….

All right, that about covers the first impressions. now I’ll be on to more riding and a Mid-Term Report in the coming weeks. Stay Tuned……

Espy: Allison Jones

2011-06-28T10:13:00.002-04:00

Last year we told you about the privilege we have in sponsoring Allison Jones.

If you don't remember here is a little bit of her story from her website:

I am now 26 years old and have been active my entire life. I was born with a deformed femur in right leg. At nine months old my parents made the decision to have my foot amputated and my femur and tibia fused together. This could have set me up for a life of lower expectations and lower activity levels but not with my parents. My mother and father were very active and I was to take part in everything. I learned to ride a bike, skate board, rock climb, white water raft, hike, ski, and to just be a kid. I only knew to be a kid and not someone with a disability.

Me with a Bike
I learned to ride a bike like any kid, training wheels and in my case duct tape to keep my right foot on the pedal. I was always looking for something to do in the summer when I wasn’t skiing. For a while I was swimming with the Colorado Springs Swim Team at the outdoor pool on the Olympic Training Center Complex. My sister was not a good swimmer and didn’t really want to take part to the degree that I did so it became just me after a while. Living in Colorado Springs there was always something to do and often we would visit the local Velodrome when ever we saw the lights on. Usually it would be just a locals race, maybe even a nationals, once it was the Junior World Championships. In 1998 we went to the velodrome just as if it were a normal race going on and low and behold it was the Disabled World Championships. I had never seen someone with a disability compete in cycling before and I was very interested. My mother found the first American coach and asked how to sign up and learn to ride. The following spring I was being taught how to ride a track bike, never have ridden a normal road bike. I started to compete locally not realizing what opportunities were out there for me. I went to the disabled nationals, which coincided with junior nationals in T-Town, Pennsylvania. I competed in both the disabled athletes and the junior riders.

Last year, Allison became a world champ and this year she has caught the attention of ESPN and their ESPY award show, where she is up for the '2011 Best Female with a Disability Espy'. Her story along with all the other athletes stories in her category not only inspire but remind us of what is possible when we set out to do some thing.

Head over to the site and as they say vote early and vote often!

Winner Winner....

2011-06-27T14:38:00.000-04:00

This weekend, our very own Jeff Jacobi became a State Champion in the Michigan State Games. Taking home the Elite title in a first to 5 laps at Cannonsburg Ski Area just outside of Grand Rapids.

It was also another strong showing from the Founders/Alger Cycles MTB team in addition to Jeff's victory, one member also winning the SS Elite/Expert and another taking second in the Expert respectively. Jeff took home the victory on the Blunt SLs - tubeless of course!

Of the race, Jeff said, 'All jockeys are short.'

Well done Jeff!

Picture day: Go big!

2011-06-27T08:55:00.007-04:00

On Friday, Prolly posted some photos of the one and only Oscar Khan fresh off the plane in NYC. Going big, taking names, and doing his thing. All in a days work for Oscar and the P35s!

From the UK via NYC to California, we also just got some pictures from Marwin Ou - who rides for SE, City Grounds and us. These stellar shots are of Marwin on our Chukkers. We look forward to highlighting Marwin soon to continue our Rider Profile series.

That's Mr. Bumpyface to you

2011-06-21T08:10:00.001-04:00

Yesterday we got an email from Scott down in St. Louis about a recent news segment about the Penrose Park Velodrome. Like many Velodromes around the US, it's in need of some loving but that isn't keeping people racing on it and that's a good thing.

As Scott challenged us in the email, how many Deep V's can you count in the video?

For more information on the Mr. Bumpy Face Track Races, please consult the website here.

Trolling

2011-06-20T08:35:00.003-04:00

Doing my random internet trolling yesterday, and stumbled onto this post from a shot visit back in May. Like flies to a light, my eyes could help but notice one of the Velosophy stickers up at Box Dog Bikes.

'Well done is better than well said'

Which prompted me to do just a simple google search on Velosophy and came up with some interesting results:

- Apparently '6 Authentic Velocity Velosophy Stickers' could go for around 5 pounds.

- Grant Peterson just wrote a book entitled 'Velosophy'

Which then showed a few links on the Youtube... if I didn't know better I would think Velosophy goes hand in hand with bad Euro-techno...

And bad parkour... [if there is such thing as good parkour]

Fortunately, redemption was found when I think clicked on this video gem from Velosophy Bikes in Sydney, Australia...

Some times, they say it better.

2011-06-17T08:43:00.001-04:00

The guys over at Surly are brillant, but what do I know... I currently have two of their bikes and have own 4 in my lifetime. Regardless, yesterday they posted a blog post that really couldn't be said better. So much so, instead of posting a link, it seemed right and proper to copy and paste here.

Enjoy your weekend and get out and ride!

Some answers to just about any bike forum post I’ve ever read

If you think your bike looks good, it does.

If you like the way your bike rides, it’s an awesome bike.

You don’t need to spend a million dollars to have a great bike, but if you do spend a million dollars and know what you want you’ll probably also have a great bike.

Yes, you can tour on your bike – whatever it is.

Yes, you can race on your bike – whatever it is.

Yes, you can commute on your bike – whatever it is.

26” wheels or 29” or 650b or 700c or 24” or 20” or whatever – yes, that wheel size is rad and you’ll probably get where you’re going.

Disc brakes, cantis, v-brakes, and road calipers all do a great job of stopping a bike when they’re working and adjusted.

No paint job makes everyone happy.

Yes, you can put a rack on that. Get some p-clamps if there are no mounts.

Steel is a great material for making bike frames - so is aluminum, carbon fiber, and titanium.

You can have your saddle at whatever angle makes you happy.

Your handlebars can be lower than your saddle, even with your saddle, or higher than your saddle. Whichever way you like it is right.

Being shuttled up a downhill run does not make you a weak person, nor does choosing not to fly off of a 10 foot drop.

Bike frames made overseas can be super cool. Bike frames made in the USA can be super cool.

Hey, tattooed and pierced long shorts wearin flat brim hat red bull drinkin white Oakley sportin rad person on your full suspension big hit bike – nice work out there.

Hey, little round glasses pocket protector collared shirt skid lid rear view mirror sandal wearing schwalbe marathon running pletscher two-leg kickstand tourist – good job.

Hey, shaved leg skinny as hell super duper tan line hear rate monitor checking power tap train in the basement all winter super loud lycra kit million dollar wheels racer – keep it up.

The more you ride your bike, the less your ass will hurt.

The following short answers are good answers, but not the only ones for the question asked – 29”, Brooks, lugged, disc brake, steel, Campagnolo, helmet, custom, Rohloff, NJS, carbon, 31.8, clipless, porteur.

No bike does everything perfectly. In fact, no bike does anything until someone gets on it to ride.

Sometimes, recumbent bikes are ok.

Your bikeshop is not trying to screw you. They’re trying to stay open.

Buying things off of the internet is great, except when it sucks.

Some people know more about bikes than you do. Other people know less.

Maybe the person you waved at while you were out riding didn’t see you wave at them.

It sucks to be harassed by assholes in cars while you’re on a bike. It also sucks to drive behind assholes on bikes.

Did you build that yourself? Awesome. Did you buy that? Cool.

Wheelies are the best trick ever invented. That’s just a fact.

Which is better, riding long miles, or hanging out under a bridge doing tricks? Yes.

Yes, you can break your collar bone riding a bike like that.

Stopping at stop signs is probably a good idea.

Driving with your bikes on top of your car to get to a dirt trail isn’t ideal, but for most people it’s necessary.

If your bike has couplers, or if you have a spendy bike case, or if you pay a shop to pack your bike, or if you have a folding bike, shipping a bike is still a pain in the ass for everyone involved.

That dent in your frame is probably ok, but maybe it’s not. You should get it looked at.

Touch up paint always looks like shit. Often it looks worse than the scratch.

A pristine bike free of dirt, scratches, and wear marks makes me sort of sad.

A bike that’s been chained to the same tree for three years caked with rust and missing parts makes me sad too.

Bikes purchased at Wal-mart, Target, Costco, or K-mart are generally not the best bang for your buck.

Toe overlap is not the end of the world, unless you crash and die – then it is.

Sometimes parts break. Sometimes you crash. Sometimes it’s your fault.

Yes, you can buy a bike without riding it first. It would be nice to ride it first, but it’s not a deal breaker not to.

Ownership of a truing stand does not a wheel builder make.

32 spokes, 48 spokes, 24 spokes, three spokes? Sure.

Single speed bikes are rad. Bikes with derailleurs and cassettes are sexy. Belt drive internal gear bikes work great too.

Columbus, TruTemper, Reynolds, Ishiwata, or no brand? I’d ride it.

Tubeless tires are pretty cool. So are tubes.

The moral of RAGBRAI is that families and drunken boobs can have fun on the same route, just maybe at different times of day.

Riding by yourself kicks ass. You might also try riding with a group.

Really fast people are frustrating, but they make you faster. When you get faster, you might frustrate someone else.

Stopping can be as much fun as riding.

Lots of people worked their asses off to build whatever you’re riding on. You should thank them.

Rider Profile: Michael Chacon

2011-06-15T09:10:00.006-04:00

Name: Michael Robert Chacon

Age: 18
Location: Culver City CA
Website: Itsmikeonabike.blogspot.com
Sponsors: Leader Bike USA, T-Level Bags, Palms Cycle Bike Shop, Hold Fast
Cycling Specification: Fixed Gear Freestyle

How did you get into cycling?

MC: Mom and Dad bought me a BMX when I was little never tried tricks but loved to ride around my block.

How long have you been riding?

MC: I've been riding fixed gear freestyle for 2 years.

How did you get into Fixed/Free riding?

MC: My friend Chris had a Fixed Gear bike. I got on it and liked the fact that there were no brakes and you could pedal backwards. So I ended up buying one to ride for fun and progressed from there

Favorite place to ride?

MC: Venice Beach, skate parks, and local high schools

Tell a story of a ride or cycling experience you will never forget:

MC: When I was in London riding with my friends I crossed the street and forgetting that the streets are opposite compared to the US I looked the wrong way and got swiped by a Taxi driver. Lucky me I was ok and got right back up and no damage to my bike, but the next morning my body was super sore.

What are your plans for the future? (Upcoming season/year goals and aspirations):

MC: Going to Indonesia for trick competition. Going to Euro Bike in Germany for trick competition.

What Velocity wheels are you using?

MC: Velocity Psychos

Thoughts on the wheels/rims?

MC: Real Beefy

What kind of bike did you build around your Velocity wheels? (Bike Check)

MC: Leader Shadow (Getting Prototype frame soon), Michael Chacon Hold Fast, Resist Hubs, Resist 45c Tires, Resist Cranks, Resist Pivotal Seat, 36 tooth Profile Sprocket, Leader Reaper fork, Leader Plisken Stem, Leader Trick Star Crossbars, Demolition Grips, Shadow Conspiracy half link chain.

What do you do when your not on your bike (guilty pleasures, etc)?

MC: Recently got a Full Time job so I’ve been doing this lately but other than that just hanging out with friends and Girlfriend, Editing videos, Driving my 1948 Chevy Fleetline on the weekends, Party, Just hanging out.

Winning!

2011-06-14T13:30:00.004-04:00

It feels good to be a winner and the Beaver Boys out of MKE Bike Polo know a thing or two about doing that.

You might recall the crew in Milwaukee had been arrested for playing polo, I mean trespassing, in a parking garage last January. The Beaver Boys are a team out of the MKE club that once again, simply win a lot.

On their Facebook page their mission is listed as:

To have fun while winning tournaments. To travel to other polo cities and explore by bicycle and play with other clubs around the world. Meet and befriend polo players everywhere we go. To defend our titles.

They are currently the holders of the Midwest Championship and a little thing called the World Championship titles. This past weekend they did it again... winning at ESPI 6 in Philadelphia. Eric Kremin, Brian Dillman, and Joe Burge in a bit of redundancy are now super qualified for the upcoming North American Championship in August.

Way to go guys! Keep it up!

And oh, they win on Velocity wheels: Deep Vs and Chukkers.

duo

2011-06-14T08:34:00.001-04:00

In a partnership between Audi and Renovo Hardwood Bicycles, a new line of handmade bikes have been produced. We have been privileged to be a part of this project with the 3 models of bikes: the duo Road, duo Sport, and duo City.

The duo features a monocoque hardwood frame. Made from woods selected not only for their strength and rigidity, but also for their ability to match the look of Audi vehicle interiors. Hand-made, one by one, at Renovo's Portland, Ore., studio, the Audi duo is lightweight, strong, durable and smooth.

Each model has been outfitted with the Velocity Reflective Deep V rims. Their daytime graphite color not detracting from the craftsmanship of these one of a kind frames; these rims provide the quality and precision you expect from any Velocity product, while also keeping you safe and visible wherever you might travel.

As always, check out Renovo and Audi for more details on each model and how to get your hands on one of these beauties.

Shipping up to Boston?

2011-06-13T12:15:00.002-04:00

Shipping up to Boston?

You should be. Mark your calendar.

July 9th, the Boston Bicycle Messenger Association is putting on a benefit to benefit the Hard Luck Emergency Fund.

You'll have a chance to get ahold of some Benny Gold rims and other Velocity gear.

A worthy cause, worthy of your time, save the date and consult their website for more details.

Keep up to date on Velocity events by checking the sidebar on the left.

Cannondale

2011-06-10T09:11:00.000-04:00

Ever since JBolt took off to to east to discover the ways of the world via his bike, Alex has stepped in to head the shipping department. The transition as gone great as Alex is a speeding freight train of shipping mastery, getting Velocity goodness out to you in no time!

So in the spirit of touring and the shipping department, for today's edition of Our Rides, I'll give you Alex's write up on his Cannondale touring bike, enjoy:

This is my 'built in the barn' 1983 Cannondale SR500, recently upgraded with modern Tiagra components [leaving only the headset, seatpost, stem, and downtube shifters as original], and Velocity Dyad rims laced with DT double butted spokes to Velocity standard road hubs. The frame was given to me by a friend who was moving away and had no room to bring it. Luckily it fits me great!

I also have a rear Axiom rack to hold the killer matching Cannondale panniers I acquired after seeing them hanging in Matt's garage. I really feel like those tie it all together.

This has been my main bike for a little while now, and it rides fantastically. Originally had the original Rando/Touring drop bars on it that it came stock with, but had to make it a little less conventional since I dislike riding drop bars in the city so much, and went as cheap as possible with putting a riser setup on it.

What you see is where it is now, and I love it. If you see it locked up outside of a bar in Grand Rapids Michigan, feel free to come on in and buy me a beer. Maybe we can talk about bikes!

That's insane...

2011-06-09T08:43:00.001-04:00

That's insane... down right psycho if you ask me.

Well, not really. We received an email from one of our favorite shops in Portland, Sugar Wheel Works, where Jude has been telling us about wheels she has been building up for B-Line. They had been going through wheels extremely quick due to the amount of weight they were carrying. That's before they got Psycho's on their rigs -successfully transporting 1,000+ pounds daily.

B-Line’s mission is to make our communities more livable.

They believe in:

- collaborative relationships that honor and build upon one another
- flexibility, simplicity, and playfulness
- leveraging the voice, leadership, and passion of our community in the quest for a healthier planet
- growing a business that is profitable yet unwavering in its commitment to community and sustainability

As a transportation company, B-Line’s vision is to redefine how goods and services are transported in our increasingly urban environment by simply providing the right tool for the job. As an advertising and promotions company, B-Line seeks to combine flexibility with ingenuity. As a stakeholder in our community, B-Line is passionate about creating a company that is part of a solution and a partner in living. We seek to enrich the fabric of our cities by reducing congestion and CO2 emissions, developing local green-collar jobs, partnering with local manufacturers and small businesses, doing our share to help those in need in our community, and generally believing in the premise that business can be a catalyst for positive change and has a responsibility to the common good.

B-line is an incredible business doing some thing pretty special out west. Read more of their story on their website.

Iowa. Gravel.

2011-06-08T08:10:00.001-04:00

Stumbled onto this preview for an upcoming film on Trans Iowa over on Guitar Ted's site a few days ago. Fond memories at my own attempt at Trans Iowa 5 came rushing back and can't wait to see 300 miles of Gravel when it comes out:

300 Miles of Gravel Trailer from Jeff Frings Photography on Vimeo.

It also gets me excited for Matt and I's upcoming adventure to my homeland to ride in Guitar Ted's other ride, the Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational, at the end of July. Should be one heck of a weekend, at least 100 miles of Iowa gravel goodness.

300 Miles of Gravel from Jeff Frings Photography on Vimeo.

Fixed

2011-06-07T09:34:00.000-04:00

There is a magazine out of the U.K. called Fixed. There most recent edition has a shot from the one and only Patrick Seabase on a mountain descent.

The photographer, Ian White describes it has this:

We set off very early at 4am, grabbing a free breakfast on the way at a mountain hotel… (just say your'e staying in room 11 and it normally works)

We were looking through photographs making the selection for Fixed 08, when we found a random shot of a supply road leading to the top of the mountain island, by the dam. Patrick had not attempted this descent before, as it is off the main road and normally he rides the 30km straight down without stopping. The surface of the supply road was super sketchy, pitted with pot holes, uneven cobble stones and crumpled tarmac making it almost impossible for him to control skidding… it was good fun and we hope you will like the end result.

The result is a photo titled 'Mountains are different'.

You might remember Patrick running A23 track wheels in the following videos:

SEABASE 83 MOTORPACE from YUHZIMI Ltd. on Vimeo.

SEABASE vs STELVIO from YUHZIMI Ltd. on Vimeo.

Check out more of Fixed Magazine, other Velocity riders such as Oscar Khan and Tom La Marche have also made the cover.

Blunt SL: Out of the Box by G-Ted

2011-06-06T07:55:00.002-04:00

Over the last week, the Blunt SL has hit the cycling world. We were pleased to get a set into the 29er guru himself, Guitar Ted, to get his insight and thoughts about a wheelset we are extremely pleased and excited to be offering.

G-Ted touches on some great points throughout the post, one being our ability to provide and build to riders desires and needs for each and every wheelset. Although, we have our 'stock' Pro and Comp builds, as you will see with G-Ted's wheelset we built it up with our brand new convertible axle ATB disc hub which is not the stock build for the Blunt SL Comp wheelsets, our Lightweight ATB disc hub normally comes on it.

Below is from his post on TwentyNineInches.com.

Velocity Blunt SL Comp Wheels: Out Of The Box

June 2nd, 2011 by Guitar Ted

About a week ago we got the announcement that Veloity U.S.A. had Blunt SL rims and wheel sets in, and now we have a set of the wheels in for test and review. Our set is the “Comp” build using Velocity’s own branded hubs. Let’s take a closer look…..

Velocity hand builds these wheels in its Grand Rapids, Michigan facility in a “Pro” level build, or the “Comp” level build as stock options. However; they can customize a wheel build to taste within reason, so if the two stock builds do not suit you, give them a shout and they can work out the details with you and your local bike shop. This “Comp” build consists of the following specifications:

- Rims: Blunt SL rims in black, (white and silver are also available), 32 hole, disc brake only.
- Front Hub: “ATB” Convertible Disc Hub 32H, with 9mm quick release, 15 mm and 20mm through axle end caps (included)
- Front Spokes: DT Swiss Competition Double Butted 2.0/1.8mm laced 3 cross on disc side, radially on non-disc side with brass nipples.
- Rear Hub: “ATB” Lightweight Hub, 135mm OD, 32 hole.
- Rear Spokes: DT Swiss Competition Double Butted 2.0/1.8mm laced 3 cross with brass nipples.

Each Velocity wheel is hand built, as stated, and not only that, the builder signs and dates their work. It’s pretty cool to know that your wheels were built by hand, but the sign off makes it a bit more impressive, in my opinion.
The Blunt SL is a new rim borrowing from what Velocity learned making the Blunt and P-35 rims. The Blunt SL is described by Velocity as their ” tubeless race day rim “. The tubeless part is made a reality by using Velocity’s own “Velotape” and tubeless valve stems which feature removable cores. Velocity claims a weight for the 29 inch Blunt SL at 420 grams each.

Hubs: Since we’re testing the entire wheel set, here is the skinny on the hubs. The rear hub is from Velocity’s “Lightweight” models. The claimed weight is 275 gm. The hub rolls on cartridge bearings and is only offered in the 32 hole drilling. The front hub is an entirely new design, and isn’t even on the website yet. Velocity offers it as a convertible hub that accepts 9mm quick release, 15mm through axle, and 20mm through axle. No weight was available at post time, but I would assume it is similar to their 20mm through axle disc hub which weighs 250 gm.

The end caps are easily removed by simply pulling the rubber “O” rings past the grooves they seat into and swapping out what ever desired end cap you want back in. Interestingly, the inside diameter of the axle area in the hub is already compatible with a 20mm through axle, so instead of having end caps that insert into the hub, they actually snap over the outer edge of the hub in grooves where “O” rings on the 20mm through axle caps sit into to keep them in place.

Here are the 15mm and 20mm through axle end caps. You can see how the 20mm ones vary. I’m setting up the wheels to fit the test mule which is a Specialized Epic Marathon and it has a 9mm QR Reba fork. I’ll also be swapping out these wheels to other bikes as the test progresses.

The wheels actually are very similar to the Roval wheels the Epic Marathon came with, right down to the weight. With tape installed and valve stems installed, the Rovals and Blunt SL wheels both weighed 1850 gms for the set. (9mm quick release end caps installed) The lacing pattern for the front is nearly identical as well. Of course, the Roval rim and the Blunt SL are different profiles, but internal widths were similar at 21.2mm.

The Blunt SL rim has a nice inner rim profile which is reminiscent of the P-35’s, only shrunken down to smaller proportions. This made setting up the tubeless ready Specialized Ground Control prototype tires a breeze. Once the Velotape was laid in, and the excellent quality valve stem installed, the tires aired up with a floor pump easily. It couldn’t have been any easier, really. I used some Geax latex sealant in these, just for the record.

Comments: While Velocity is calling these “race day rims”, the Comp build level may not reflect a “race day” weight for many of you readers out there. The wheel set is also listed as being available in the “Pro” level build, which shaves the weight down to 1575 gms, (with 28/28 count spokes, higher end spokes, alloy nipples) Note also that the Comp build without the tape and valve stems is listed at 1775 gm. Of course, you can build your own wheels using the Blunt SL and any other compatible components you wish to get the weight down even further. For reference, the ZTR Crest rims list at 380 grams and “355″ rims list out at 405 gm, so the Blunt SL is in the ball park for a “race day” rim. Blunt SL rims have a MSRP of $84.99 USD each. That’s pretty much in line with MSRP’s on similar rims.

As far as this particular wheel build goes, I see it as a great idea for an endurance wheel set, something for longer events, where maybe the lightest weight isn’t a huge concern, but durability is. Lighter riders, or folks that go easy on their wheels might be looking at something like this for their “daily driver” set of wheels. I’ll be keeping this as my focus as I test these in the coming weeks. As far as the rims themselves go, I’ll be looking for long term durability, tubeless performance, and how flexy, or not, these rims are going to be.

The wheel set will be treated as an “everyday” wheel set, just to see how it holds up. I’m already out doing some riding on these, and they will be getting a few more rides before I come back with my First Impressions. Stay tuned!

Velocity has submitted these wheels for test and review at no charge. We are not being paid, nor bribed for this review. We will strive to give our honest opinions throughout.

Give me Mayhem...

2011-06-03T13:07:00.004-04:00

Give me mayhem or give me death.

Our boy Tom LaMarche took 1st at the Midwest Mayhem this past weekend across the lake in Milwaukee and great video put together by the guys over at Slumworm. How many Velocity rims can you spot? Jake Santos and a few other Velocity riders can be seen in it also. Be sure to check out some more photos from the weekend here and here.

MWM2 COMP from Matt Reyes on Vimeo.

Speaking of mayhem, I was only able to get a moment of Alex messing around on an ax earlier this morning... but we'll leave you with that for the weekend. Get out and ride!

Velocity Golf

2011-06-02T17:43:00.000-04:00

I've had some trouble getting this video and another to upload from last Friday's Velocity golf outing. It was a time for us to celebrate good weather but also two of our very own leaving us, Rachel and Jeff. Rachel is heading to Chicago while Jeff is riding is bike east for a few months. Both will forever be part of the Velocity family and it was great to spend an afternoon just having a good time.

As pictures say a thousand words... I wonder how many this video does...

Velocity Releases XC Race Day Rim and Wheelset, Blunt SL

2011-05-27T18:14:00.003-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

Velocity Releases XC Race Day Rim and Wheelset, Blunt SL

(Grand Rapids, MI) Designed to be lighter, stronger, and faster. Velocity is proud to announce its newest rim, the Blunt SL. Bringing together the proven success and technology of the P35 and Blunt rims, Velocity has developed a new tubeless ready race day rim that weighs in at 420 grams in the 29”/700c platform. The Blunt SL can easily be made tubeless using Velocity’s Velotape kit. In addition to rims, Blunt SL Pro and Comp wheelsets are available. Each wheel is handbuilt by The Wheel Department at Velocity, which can custom build to rider’s specifications. Detailed information can be found at www.velocityusa.com. The Velocity Blunt SL rims and wheelsets are available through any local bike shop or from Velocity’s online store.

Velocity Blunt SL rims are available in 26”, 650b or 29” sizes, in black, silver or white color with 28, 32 or 36 hole drilling. MSRP $84.99

Velocity Blunt SL Pro wheelsets:

[28 hole Velocity Lightweight ATB disc hubs, front (2x/radial) and rear (2x) with Sapim CX Ray spokes, alloy nipples]

- 26” (559) – 1,475 grams

- 650b – 1,525 grams

- 29”/700c – 1,575 grams

MSRP $799.99

Velocity Blunt SL Comp wheelsets:

[32 hole Velocity Lightweight ATB disc hubs, front (3x/radial) and rear (3x) with DT Swiss Competition spokes, brass nipples]

- 26” (559) – 1,675 grams

- 650b – 1,725 grams

- 29”/700c – 1,775 grams

MSRP $549.99

Rider Profile: Oscar Khan

2011-05-24T13:59:00.001-04:00

Today, we start a new series on the blog appropriately called Rider Profile. A pseudo interview format with our Velocity sponsored riders from around the world. Today we feature Oscar Khan, from the U.K.. Enjoy.

Name: Oscar Beltane Tiger Khan (real name)
Age: just turned 18
Location: LONDON
Website: fixedgearlondon.com wrahw.com

Sponsors: 14 bike co, Velocity, Sadio, WRAHW, Vans, Dickies, Halo tyres, FGLDN
Cycling Specification: FGX (fixed gear freestyle)

How did you get into cycling?

OK: In the beginning I did it to get from spot to spot to skateboard but I started to ride the same spots on my bike and had just as muchfun. When I met the guys from FGLDN, I got really stoked on it and started doing it all the time.

How long have you been riding?

OK: I can't remember. I started just riding bikes about 3 and a bit years ago.

How did you get into FGFS [Fixed Gear Freestyle] riding?

OK: Mainly just hoping up and down curbs on the way to places and doing wheelies and stuff then I started being stupid and breaking my bike on stairs and stuff and needed stronger bikes.

Favorite place to ride?

OK: I really love going on trips and riding new spots, I get bored of the same old parks and spots. F*ck parks.

Tell a story of a ride or cycling experience you will never forget:

OK: Once on a trip to ride the Nike tunnel park Tom Lamarche drank like a crate of Red Bull and turned into a real skuz punk psycho, smashing cans and sh!t. Everyone got crazy and started fighting and tom threw up [hahahahahah] I smelt like red bull for days.

What are your plans for the future? (Upcoming season/year goals and aspirations)

OK: I'm going to New York in a month so anyone who wants to let me stay at their place can contact me. Aside from that I want to go Thailand to visit the Saio guys. Also I want to film something that is actually good.

What Velocity wheels are you using?

OK: P35

Thoughts on the wheels/rims?

OK: They're the widest, lightest wheels I know.

What kind of bike did you build around your Velocity wheels? (Bike Check)

OK: My custom 14 bike co frame allows me to run super fat 2.2 Halo tyres on p35s and still have loads of room. Aside from that mostly Sadio parts which are the best parts company that actually makes things specifically for fixed gear and some other miscellaneous brands for what Sadio don't (yet) make.

What do you do when your not on your bike (guilty pleasures, etc)?

OK: Smell bad, make really bad art, gatecrash partys, watch police chases from my balcony, listen to happy hardcore.

Westjam - Oscar khan & Ed Wonka from Hector Ward on Vimeo.

GR

2011-05-23T12:58:00.000-04:00

We've said this before, but we're proud of our city, our state and our country. Here in Grand Rapids there is quite the growing cycling community, just to mention a few:

- in 2009 being awarded bronze level status as a Bicycle Friendly community

- having 11 shops

- 2 bicycling ministry co-op's

- 1 urban mountain bike park

- miles of paved trails, access to multiple mountain bike trails just outside of town

- a few frame builders

- numerous road and mountain teams

- a strong presence and advocating by the WMMBA

- Grand Rapid Bike Polo

- 3 bicycle company headquarters

One of those headquarters is us, one are our friends at Slingshot Bikes. They recently were featured on the Rapid Growth website, as PJ, Aaron and John are set to bring Slingshot back into the limelight. One of there projects is the DD-M1, which we were glad to see have the new Blunt SL's put on it. Be sure to check out Slingshot when you get a chance.

Velocity Online Store Maintenance!

2011-05-20T14:19:00.003-04:00

Hopefully you've already visited our online store. If you haven't do it and do it now...

But you won't be able to tomorrow night, Saturday May 22nd from 10pm PST until Sunday May 23rd at 4am PST. The site will be going under some normal maintenance.

Our normal site will be up and running as to help you get your Velocity fix during the late hours of the weekend. We apologize for any inconvenience but take this as a chance to truly dream about your next set of wheels and rims!

To live...

2011-05-20T10:33:00.004-04:00

As we close Bike to Work week, a clip from To Live and Ride in LA seems to fit extremely well and Mr. Quick is on some Deep V's so it's hard not to enjoy that... [click the photo below, sorry it's an exclusive clip to the Next Movie].

To Live and Ride in LA has been garnering quite a lot of attention wherever it has been played. Director David Rowe (Fast Friday) puts forth this new documentary feature that 'explores a side of L.A. few outsiders have seen. From races through rush-hour traffic to midnight loft parties, To Live & Ride in L.A. is a fast paced-trip through the busy streets and back-alleys of one of the world's largest cities.' It will be available on DVD and iTunes in a month, be sure to check it out!

To Live & Ride In L.A. OFFICIAL TRAILER from TRAFIK on Vimeo.

Chacon May Edit

2011-05-19T08:40:00.002-04:00

Just got an email from one of our FGFS riders, Michael Chacon, with his latest edit. Has been around the globe and has been going big on Psychos for awhile now. Enjoy.

MICHAEL CHACON MAY 2011 from Michael Chacon on Vimeo.

More than a banner.

2011-05-18T08:33:00.007-04:00

Yes, that's a picture of a Velocity banner. You might have seen one like it at an event you were recently at. Heck, you might have even seen this specific banner if you were at Syllamo's Revenge 125k this past weekend.

We proudly sponsor a number of events around the country and world from everything to polo tournaments to triathlons, with everything in between. At these events and series you have the chance to win wheels, rims, and massive discounts on Velocity products.

So yes, it's a banner but it's more than a banner.

As mentioned above, the picture came from the Syllamo's Revenge race which is part of the NUE Racing Series (which stands for the National Ultra Endurance Racing Series) 11 epic mountain bike races from around the nation, typically around 100 miles of off road goodness. As with any series, there is an overall champion and a long list of people competing to be that rider. About half of the races are sold out but a few still have stops left, ready for you to prove yourself. Check out the links below or under the 'DO' section on the left side of the page for more information on the NUE series and other events Velocity is a part of.

June 4 | Mohican MTB100 | Loudonville, Ohio
June 18 | Lumberjack 100 | Wellston, Michigan
July 16| Breckenridge 100 | Breckenridge, Colorado
July 23 | High Cascades 100 | Bend, Oregon
July 30 | Wilderness 101 | State College, Pennsylvania
August 6 | Pierre’s Hole 100 | Alta, Wyoming
August 20 | Fool’s Gold 100 | Dahlonega, Georgia
September 3 | Park City Point 2 Point | Park City, Utah
September 4 | Shenandoah 100 | Harrisonburg, Virginia

Story Time.

2011-05-17T11:50:00.000-04:00

Today, Jacobi and Ryan have a story or two to show from this past weekend. First, Jacobi:

So, how do I start to describe the Almanzo 100?

First, what is the Almanzo 100? It is an event in southern Minnesota that commemorates the triumphant effort of Almanzo Wilder. If you don’t know who he is, he is the husband of the gal that wrote the Little House on the Prairie books. The actual books not the TV show. I guess this Almanzo fella drove 40 some miles in the worst conditions to save his town from an outbreak of some sort to get medicine. That’s the kind of shit that heroes are made of.

Well I’m no hero and I didn’t save any towns. But, I did finish this race. If you don’t know what it is all about, it is a 100 mile gravel road race that is set in some of the most epic area of southern Minnesota and is absolutely positively self supported. I mean you better bring all of your shit with you. Not only is it self supported, but you have to travel on 97% gravel and have to climb some of the biggest hills I have ever climbed. I’m talking hills that are a mile and a half long with a grade that will make your jeep want to go in low gear. Plus, you have to cross a river at some point that has no bridge. I’m talking epic!!

Now let’s tell you about the day we rode this. Past Almonzo’s have been sunny but not this weekend! It was 45 degrees and we had a 20mph head wind for a good portion of the ride plus rain and sleet. Rain had also been down for most of the night had soaked the course and turned it into mud pit, it made for a muddy day to come.

Once we started the wind was so bad it froze my hands and feet to the point of numbness and we had only been riding for an hour. My choice of clothing was limited at best, I was not thinking this was going to be

that kind of ride and did not bring my whole arsenal of goodies. Thank god, for the first stop is was a little town called Preston, that was the saving grace for me. I was shivering and my mind was saying 'this is bad Jeff'. Word was spreading about a short cut that would take you back to Spring Valley but my riding buddy Ryan was not having it! He was the voice of reason. Plus what kind of pussy would I be if we drove all this way and didn’t get the 100? So after pacing up and down the isles of this little grocery store for about what seemed like a day I came up with a MacGyver fix!

I bought a box of trash bags and some gardening gloves. The trash bag was to be made into a poncho! And the gloves well, they went over my fingerless gloves that weren’t cutting it. You should have seen me I was shivering and hovering around hypothermia. It was not cool! Once I had my bag over my body and the gloves on, life was getting better! At this point, 20 or more people were already hitching rides back to the start. Bunch of pansies! But, Ryan and I soldiered on.

We had 60 plus miles to go and I was thinking 'why I am doing this!!' but as the ride progressed and my body temp got higher, life got better. Hell, I was even laughing! I think I was a bit out of my head. Once we hit the 65 mile check point you could mentally feel that the worst was behind you. That was a huge boost, exactly what I needed to finish strong. The last portion of the race was probably the hardest because of exhaustion and the hills kept getting tall and longer. Out of all of the hills I was able to pedal up all except one. At some points I could have walked fas

ter than pedaling my bike, but then I couldn’t say that I only had to walk one hill. If riding 100 miles wasn’t tough enough I really wanted to get all of the hills. Just cause. But, the one that I pushed up, got most folks.

Well we finished. We were not first, but not last. 92nd out of 177 folks that showed up. Out of those 177 people only 150 actually finished and 750 signed up for it. That means a lot of people woke up and looked out side that day, and said 'NO WAY! I’m not riding in that crap'. But, hey we drove 500 plus mile to do this thing. So it was going down either way.

Would I do it again? Sure. But, I have to say, it would be easier on a bike a little bit newer. If you don’t know what rode? Well, it is my Iver Johnson that was built in the 1920’s with a coaster brake and a 71 gear inch. Let’s just say I was thinking I would be a badass and see what I could do. I will never learn. But, after this event I truly feel that I could accomplish a lot on a bike. It was the most grueling 100 miles of my life and looking back I wouldn’t want to do it any other way. My bike is now completely trashed and needs a complete restoration. And I have not quiet gotten the feeling back in my finger tips. But, what a freaking epic ride. If you have ever been to the Venetian Casino in Vegas and have seen those people that are all white and are supposed to be statues. That is what we looked like after this race. I feel bad for the people who had to clean up the grocery store and the hotel.

Thanks Chris Skogan, for putting on this event. I think it will truly become a classic. And if you have to prove how bad ass you are on a bike this is by far the way to do it! See you next year. And I’m brin

g more people to see how truly bad ass this course was. I can’t express it in words. 35mph plus, downhills on gravel! Need I say more?

Now, Ryan's thoughts...

As we made our way to the start line I overheard someone say “well, looks like we’re at about 41deg”. The temp wouldn’t reach the daytime high of 45 deg until around the half way mark. Did I mention that it was raining pretty steadily as well? OK, so you’re cold and wet before the start but how bad could it be? I thought to myself “I’m sure we’ll get warmed up soon after the start.”

The landscape looks flat and wide open but that is deceiving. You see, in Michigan we go uphill before we go down hill. In Spring Valley Minnesota you ride along the rolling farm fields until you drop into a river valley and the valleys are deep. You descend at around 38mph until you get to the river. At that point you’re out of the wind and life is good but the inevitable climb out of the valley is just ahead. These climbs are steep and fairly long.

So we started peddling and the rain kept coming. I don’t remember that last time I rode in 45deg rain but I do know that I always underestimate just how cold it is. We turned onto the gravel (I would guess that there is less than three miles of pavement in the entire race) and I looked at

Jacobi and started to laugh. It was apparent that the day was going to require a fair amount of effort. We were fresh and had positive attitudes but the cold was beginning to take its toll. The first and only town with supplies was Preston at the 38mile mark. When we reached Preston the temp had reached a balmy 44deg. Jacobi’s hands were in bad shape and we were both cold and wet. We climbed off the bike at the Preston store and I heard a Hell Yah! It was Jeff Frane and thought to myself hey, we’ll just hook up with him and finish this sucker off. Not the case. There was a large group off people that were bailing on the race he was one of them. I’m not trying to call you out man. It’s just when you see strong riders throwing in the towel it really gets in your head. There were so many people asking the store manager for directions back to Spring Valley via pavement that he posted a map on the door. We stayed at the store, fighting off hypothermia and getting psyched out by people bailing for and hour and a half. After buying dishwashing gloves and trash bag rain coats we decided to get back in the saddle and finish this thing.

Jacobi had lost his cue cards a long way back but I still had mine so we were not worried. That is until we got to the second turn and I realized that my cards were neatly placed on the bench at the Preston store. This was a very uneasy feeling. In fact it was a little scary. We were committed to another 62 miles and had no directions. Luckily we ran across another guy named Jeff and he got us to up to a group of riders that were more than happy to take care of us. The rain was starting to let up and the out look was getting more and more positive. The next thirty miles or so to the checkpoint are kind of a blur. Lots fields, valleys, headwinds, and climbs but we were feeling better and the pace seemed to be increasing. The roads were still muddy but that was beginning to seem sort of fun.

After the checkpoint it was a short thirty miles of big climbs, seasonal roads, and a water crossing. We made it to the finish around seven thirty pm with a great feeling of accomplishment. Not because of our race time (which was actually a little disappointing) but because of the mental challenge that he had overcome. Cold to the point of concern and unfamiliar terrain really took its toll but we had made it. And I would do it again in a heart beat.

A few pictures from Ryan from the day. Some stellar photos by Cycleture on the event go here or checkout Jeff Frane's post on All City's blog.

Sayings from Last Thursday.

2011-05-16T20:29:00.000-04:00

Last Thursday we had a company outing to Grand Rapids' very own Class A baseball club, the White Caps. Needless to say it was a great night for all of us. A nice ride up to the stadium, some time on the docks before the game, stellar seats at the game and all ending with a fire at Ryan's to close down the night. We couldn't help but not record a few of the great sayings that got tossed around throughout and a share few photos.

Sure there's context to these statements but enjoy...

'A lot of people compare me to Kung Fu' - JB

'I'm a little shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh-low' - Rach

'I'm gonna get a ball, even if I have to punch a kid' - Alo [important to note: goal achieved and no children were harmed in receiving one of the game balls]

'Were your parents brother and sister?' - JB

'Your girlfriend just added me on Facebook' - Ry

'Call my condo, your mom will fix those pants' - MD

And many more but some things stay in house. But as they say a picture is worth a thousand words; so here is at least 8,000....

Spot that Deep V

2011-05-12T13:22:00.000-04:00

The past weekend was the Ladies Army Bike Polo tournament down in Austin, Texas. We were a proud sponsor of this event and from the looks of it the local Austin news station came to check it out even though there wasn't mention of the tournament in the video. Regardless, it's a great segment plus we can play a game with it called 'Spot that Deep V'!

Polo: not just for horses: kxan.com

Truth on a Bench.

2011-05-10T09:22:00.003-04:00

We've talked in the past about all the truth that lies with your local bike shop mechanic or at least on his or her bench. This note has been in our Wheel Department bench for at least the last 2 years and probably longer. Regardless, it's truth is timeless...

Your Dad...

2011-05-04T09:56:00.003-04:00

Just stumbled onto the site 'Dads are the Original Hipsters' and couldn't help but enjoy reading it. Then I read this gem and it seemed appropriate to share:

Your dad donned cycling caps before you did and he has the bike sweat-filled brim to prove it. Back when Lance Armstrong was swinging two deep and Velocity was only a term used to reference speed, your dad was hyping bike brands on his head. He would flip the shit out of that brim so all the pedal honies could see his laser gaze. He was raw, unbridled, rolling seduction that left a contrail of masculinity with every crank turn.

So hipsters, next time you’re dick up to a bike seat on a fixie, flashing velo gang colors on the brim of your “trying to hard to be original” hat, remember this…

You’ll always be training wheels in comparison to your dad.

TRUTH.

Ya big lug...

2011-04-22T13:09:00.004-04:00

Now... 'cross season is not really at the forefront of most people's thoughts but the guys over at Geekhouse just posted some photos of the Mudville they sent over to Blue Lug in Japan.

I know what you're thinking... pink? green? blue? But remember what Geekhouse team rocks for kits and it all makes sense. And we love seeing Fusions on it!