T-Shirts

$200 for a hoody? Are you kidding?

I know, but there is coincidental reasoning behind it. Reason 1: How many t-shirt do you own and how many do you wear on a daily basis? I ask this because even though I am not a collector, the bottom of my dedicated t-shirt drawer collapsed under the weight of accumulated t-shirts, the majority of which I have not worn since I put them into the drawer. The shirts at this very moment are being converted into "cloths" and will be used to lovingly wipe away dirt and grease from customers' bikes. Hence, the answer to my question, I own(ed) way more t-shirts than I will ever wear and now I have to find a good use for them. Keep in mind that not all of you manage a bike store and are in constant need of "cloths".

Secondly, what is the real cost of a cheap t-shirt? Even if the shirt is "organic", a lot of water, sweat, and fuel are used to make it, dye it, and ship it so that you can wear it a couple of times or more if its really cool. Otehrwise, it may be destined to one day slide into your pants drawer under its collective weight and cause literally minutes of frustration as you try to figure out how to get your pants drawer open.

The hooded sweaters we brought in are not "green". But they are really nice washable merino wool designed specifically for riding a bike and if you do not the logo even though I think its kind of cool you can cut it off..... They will last a long time and will ultimately function much better than a cotton or cotton poly blended t-shirt.

Check it out and pick up a "Camp 1 one" hoody!

We have Power!!

We received a few PowerTap Pro+!

Our MSRP is little higher than the US price but for the Canadian MSRP we can provide a fully built wheel for the price of the hub and computer.

If you want to make any serious improvements in your race ability, training with power is a necessity. With a power meter you can establish an objective frame of reference, a baseline, from which you can judge how hard you are training. The Powertap Pro measures heartrate and allows for on-board analysis.

We also have an assortment of Elite
trainers including the Primo and the V-Arion rollers with resistance! Check it out!

Campione

The problem with expensive clothing

In a previous life I wore suits. I went shopping with my sister in Toronto for suits once a long time ago. I tried on few suits which were okay. And then, I tried on the one. I do not remember the brand but, naturally, it was about three times as expensive as the others. I tired the others on again but nothing felt as good or, in my eye at least, looked as good. I got it and it served me very well.

The same problem carries over to the cycling clothing that I like. I have tried on a zillion cycling shoes but nothing does it for me like Sidi. Luckily my Energys are still holding up pretty well.

We just received a fleet of Campagnolo clothing. Again it is quite a bit out of my price range. I do own a pair of Campagnolo bib shorts. I also own what has amounted to my favourite piece of cycling clothing of all time, a pair of Campagnolo Racing Thermo Textran bib tights. I actually look forward to riding in cold weather so I can wear them. I have ridden in -10 up to +8 (Celsious). They were expensive, even for a bike shop manager, but dammit, they were worth it. Why? Its cold, windy, wet, and I do not notice the tights at all. Not too hot, not cold at all and they fit like a second skin, not that I have ever tried one on. Stupid high quality Italian designed clothing.

So, the problem with expensive clothing like Assos and Campagnolo is that it is exceptionally comfortable, functional and it feels pretty damn good.

We have in stock now the 11 Speed Long Sleeve Full Zip Jersey and Thermo Bib Tights. (Shimano and Sram compatible). The bib tights made Velonews!




And for the legs, Campy has new 11 Speed Thermo Bib tights C684 (12-panel construction) and C685 (10-panel construction). Both have winter Lycra Revolutional fronts and Thermo Textran protection, while the back is hollow-core winter Lycra Artica, a special fiber that aids heat regulation and protection from the cold, plus light weight, insulation, comfort and breathability. Both models feature the Tech version anatomic TriPro-Pad, flat seam stitching, zippered ankle closure with blocking pull and reflective golden logo and reflective edgings. Sizes range from S- 3XL.


We have The Racing line up:

• Racing Full Thermo Textran Jacket and Bib Tights;
• Racing Wind Light Textran Jacket and Bib tights;
• Racing Long Sleeve Full Zip Jersey;
• Racing Waterproof Textran Jacket; and
• Racing Bibs.

All of the Racing clothing has "IQ Seen" silver reflective material embedded in the fabric. "Millions of glass beads reflect light back to its source. The reflective material can be seen up to 160 metres.

We also have some funky retro "Heritage" clothing:

• Ultralight Wind Jacket;
• Long Sleeve Logo Jersey; and
• Technical Wool Sweater.

We also have arm warmers, booties, the best gloves in the world,  leg and arm warmers and warm hats. So there you go.

Pinarello?

There is little doubt. The Pinarello Prince is a fine bicycle. Allesandro Valverde did pretty well on it. A lot of people seem to like it. It has won a lot of awards.

Here is what Pinarello says about it:

Here is the finest racing bicycle in the world
That statement may sound presumptuous, but it’s based on the number of awards received in only two years’ time: Best Racing Bicycle in the World (Bicycling USA) for two consecutive years, 2008 and 2009, Bike of the Year (Ciclismo ITA) for two consecutive years, 2008 and 2009 – awards that no other bicycle had received before.

The features of Prince are best summarized in the enthusiastic comments received from a happy Prince owner: Unbelievable!
Prince gives you completely new emotions that literally infl ame demanding cyclists: incredibly easy to handle when entering high speed curves, absolutely explosive on violent accelerations on straight stretches or coming out of a curve, and when you stand on the pedals the bicycle feels like a motorbike, gripping the road with all the power of your legs.

It inflames and floats 3 inches off the ground! There you go.

I am going to go out on a limb and say that the Prince does not do a lot for me. I do not hate the Prince but it is not my taste. I now have a new reason to justify my dislike.  Last saturday, a customer brought in an FP3 for some work. The bike had been ridden pretty but was fine. Except for the headset. It felt like an old threaded headset that had been indexed. The headset felt like crap.

I removed the wheel and the front brake. I took off the top cap and upper assembly of the integrated headset. I then banged out the fork. I was to surprised to find the following:

1. No crown race; and
2. the bearing was a normal cartridge style sealed axial bearing not an angular contact bearing.

As we can see on this Prince, the inner ring of the bearing sets onto the fork and a ridge rests against the inner ring of the bearing.  The outer  ring rests against the frame. The top of the inner ring of the bearing is unsupported. Why not use an angular contact bearing like everyone else?

Back to the FP#, I pulled out the bearing and replaced it. The races had separated as as a result the fork had rested against the frame itself, making for incredibly crappy steering and a nice ring in the paint on the fork.

I am by no means an engineer. I have not run any double blind stress tests on multiple piners to see if the FP3 was an exception. With anything, we give the benefit of the doubt to the engineers and designers at Pinarello. But, the headset design just seems, intuitively at least, wrong. I have enough problems of an inflammatory nature without getting more from riding a Prince.

The New Hope

I have been a little down lately. I have not ridden my bike for 50 days other than to commute and a few token attempts on the track. I indulged my funk. I have been eating chocolate covered almonds. I bought a couple of pairs of Dickies one size too big fully expecting to grow into them this winter. And, most significantly, I have been complaining, whining really, about how I have lost my passion and that I am not looking forward to much of anything. Decadence! Its a trap!

Luckily, simple action displaces all thought. What do I love? I love riding my bike. Like the passive aggressive, non-comital adolescent I once was, I made many excuses and rationalizations not to ride. I, instead, watched two entire seasons of "True Blood" (an awesome show by the way....Blood and nudity! What else do you need in TV?) I regress/ed. Tuesday, we made change. Em purchased and installed a chin-up/climbing board. The challenge is on! I have already improved 100%!!! Tuesday, I did two full c/us. Yesterday, four! Come on by and try!

Phil Abbot holds the current record of nine using the wide stance holds. From the chin ups. I finally went for a ride this morning. Nothing ambitious. I took my single speed on the bike pass south along the bow river. Once again, overwhelmed by the impossible beauty of the sunrise, the leaves, and the remarkable diversity of animals along the path. In my hour and a half "get back into it" ride I saw:

• coyote;
• two white tailed deer;
• canada geese;
• buffle head duck;
• golden eye ducks;
• common mergansers;
• hooded mergansers;
• coots; and
• a golden eagle.

As well, I saw a few other ducks that I did not immediately recognize, I will have to consult the bird book on top on my microwave.

I did  stop to take pictures. I kept a steady pace. Nothing killer. I soaked it all in. Quieted my mind. And dreamed of the Master's National Road race next year in Edmonton.

Employee Profile

Emerson Graff joined Campione Cycles in July of 2009. We purloined him form Mountain Bike City. Em has worked as a bike mechanic on and off for ten years and brings a fully loaded touring bike of experience to the ship. A born and bred mountain biker yet to convert to road, Em has already been accused of being a hipster while pushing his newly acquired Surley Steamroller down the street.

E. is a founding partner in Trail Crew Design. Essentially, he is the muscle and the brains behind construction and maintenance of many of the cross-country and downhill mountain bike trails in the province.

Regardless, he has already mastered the subtle intricacies of Campagnolo 11 speed and exotic wheel builds. As demonstrated in the photo, he also brings much needed power to the shop. A master of the giant snipe, if he can't get it out we get the sawzall.

Emerson will answer all your questions courteously and still accepts beer (brand doesn't matter) bribes if you which to jump the service queue. If you dare him, he will probably jump his bike over just about anything. Befriend him on facebook!

First real post

In an effort to improve myself, I am going to write a little something everyday. Through the simple act of writing I can distill my thoughts into words and then further refine the words into 160 proof action. I join a legion of individuals who write about bike stuff. I will make mine, however, specific to Calgary. My topics?

1. The best road rides;
2. Whats happening at the velodrome;
3. Local cyclists making big;
4. Winter training
5. Surviving winter generally; and
6. Products that are kind of Ok and products that should be avoided.

I will also link to the blogs that I follow which apparently in this age is just as important as writing your own material.

I hope to inspire some debate and discussion.

First up, What is up with Pinerello headset systems?