slowdad

Vitess Bike Review - A Ride to Remember

Sometimes life unexpectedly presents one with opportunity. And the general rule is that these opportunities are to be seized immediately, and ridden for all they are worth.  These opportunities must be taken even if it is 0 degrees Celsius.

And so, one of these opportunities presented itself to me.  The chance to take a shiny new Vitess demo bike for an extended ride.  Yes it was cold out, but the fire in my soul kept my toes plenty warm.

For those of you who are going to read this review, I would like to preface it by making one thing absolutely crystal clear.

I am in no way qualified to review a bike of any quality.  My knowledge of bikes is demonstrated by the fact I tried to screw my pedal on the wrong way when I picked the bike up.  If you gaze up to the top of this blog you'll notice that it's not called, SpeedMachine, or BigEngine, or CyclingFreak. It's Slowdad.  And that's what I am. 

I, in no way, shape or form, deserve to be riding on such a steed in the same way that my driving skills, and family commitments do not justify owning a Ferrari 599.  I drive a 1996 Subaru with 380,000 km on it.

Now lets move on.

Julien Papon, founder of Vitess, while being tremendously nice, is also a little bit crazy for letting just anyone take his bikes for a long ride.  I expected him to demand my first born as collateral, give me his lowest speced bike, and attach a GPS radio collar to my neck.  But no, he basically said lets adjust the seat and off you go.

But first I tried to screw the pedal on backwards, as previously mentioned.

Fortunately I had brought Tom along.  Tom is my go to guy for cycling knowledge, motivation, and a draft for every moment that there is not a severe tailwind. He's been riding since the '80s and I was sure he'd have something to say about the bike.

It was also going to be very windy and I needed his windshield abilities.

Ah, but what about the bike?  It was a: Size 60. Regular Seat-post. Dura-Ace 7900. 3T Ergosum Ltd. 3T ARX Ltd. 3T Doric Ltd. Fi'zi:k Arione CX Braided. Full-carbon Vitess wheels 50mm. Continental Competition.  MSRP $7300 CDN

Everything on this bike was a massive upgrade for me.

I have never ridden on a full carbon frame.

I have never used Dura-Ace or even Ultegra level components.

I have never ridden on carbon wheels.

I have never ridden on tubulars.

I have not had a bike properly fit in a long time, since I got sold my last bike from an local bike shop. I still resent them for it.

And so, when we first jumped out into traffic, all I could say was WOW!  The Vitess took off like a rocket.  It felt like I was riding on absolutely nothing.  I was riding on air.  Air that directly translated my pedal stroke to forward motion.

To those of you who ride high end bikes all the time, "big deal" you'll say. "Was it horizontally stiff and vertically compliant?"  "What was the co-efficient of drag on the frame with a wind angle of attack of 15 degrees?"

I know nothing of this.  All I know is how I felt.  How I felt for my 2.5 hour ride in 25 km/hour winds at the freezing point. 

I do know I felt nervous.  I didn't want to slam into one of Toronto's infamous potholes.  Or take a devastating crash in a corner covered in ice.  There were potholes, and there was ice, but fortunately for me I kept the rubber side down and didn't have to start considering how to flee the country.

As we picked the bike up, Tom and Julien started to talk about frame geometry, and the conversation quickly whistled in one ear and out the other.  All I do know is the frame did seem to fit me fairly well, and I was comfortable the entire ride.  Being 6'0 exactly, and reasonably long limbed, yet somewhat inflexible, it would seem to me that Julien at least had me riding the right size.

One topic did come up during our ride, regarding the somewhat short head tube length.  "If you can afford to spend $6000 on a bike, it's likely you can't afford a short head tube. Old rich guys have bad backs."

I'll leave the technical analysis to others more well versed in it than I.  I know enough to know that frames are like running shoes.  Different brands suit different people better than others. One has to experiment, and that's exactly why Vitess offers these demo rides.

I have to say, that for the rest of the ride I did a pretty good job of not gushing constantly about the sensations I was experiencing.  One of those sensations was not being able to feel my feet, having forgotten my booties at home, but that numbness paled in comparison to the pure joy of riding a bike that was light years ahead of my own.

To say that the bike had snappy acceleration would be like saying a 911 has some pickup.  It was remarkable. The experience never got old.

The ride at speed was smooth and steady.  Quiet, except for a spaceship like wooosh sound of the wheels cutting through the air.   Wooosh.  Best. Sound. Ever.

Cornering was great, likely because of the tubular tires and I never felt skittish like I normally do, especially while descending. 

The cross winds did take a bit of getting used to with the 50mm deep wheels.  After an hour or so I knew what to expect and became far less nervous while zipping past obstacles.

The Fi'zi:k Arione CX Saddle? It was something I was nervous about but it was more comfortable than my current saddle.  This may or may not be surprising considering I bought a second one for $5 off Ebay, but the only times I thought about it was to remark on how much better my rear end felt.

We also had some opportunities to ascend a couple of the steeper climbs around town.  No, nothing serious, but for me the difference was reasonable.  Yes the bike is super light. Dreamy light. But the biggest difference was made by riding a real groupo.  The Dura-Ace 7900 shifted quickly and quietly and clearly had more appropriate gearing for the riding around our route.

I managed to climb much more smoothly than I ever have and I have to think that the bike should get credit for at least 30% of that.

Initially I had been planning on taking the bike out for about an hour and then carefully bringing it back to it's stable.  But I couldn't resist.  I was having too much fun and it felt amazing.  1 hour turned into 2.5 hours and even the 25 km/hour headwind for 45 minutes on the way home was kinda fun... kinda.

The only thing I could find fault with is that internally routed cables sounded a bit rattly over bumpy road. While the ride felt like there was less vibration on the bumps and ridges, the sound did kind of make me wonder if there was something wrong until I figured out where it was coming from.*

Edit to above.  Actually I didn't have it figured out.  The issue turned out to be the headset spacer above the stem.  It was loose, and because of the way this headset works, is purely cosmetic.

As Tom and I checked out the Vitess at his place, prior to me heading home, we couldn't really find much to fault.  This is what you'd expect from a very good bike.  The frame, with it's oversized head tube, reminded Tom of a certain name brand, and the wheels appeared remarkably similar to a certain "value" wheel maker in the US. Both of which I'd ride in a heartbeat.

In the case of Vitess, what's really interesting is the business model.  Get a great frame and fork built to spec. Get a zippy, yet affordable wheelset built.  Spec only very good components.  Build to order.  Sell direct to the end user. And, finally, provide the awesome service that one expects, yet does not always get, when buying a high end bike.

I could gush all day about my ride.  The ride home was cold and wonderful. Do I know if this bike is as good as the next $7k bike?  No.  Do I think that you could spend more and get less with another brand.  LIkely. Do I think that Vitess deserves a very close look if you're in the market for a new ride and have some money to lay down?  Absolutely.

Who should look at this bike? 

If you're the type of person who wants to ride something that few other people own right now, then take a look.

If you want to ride a bike with some great components at a decent price, check it out.

If you want to buy direct from a manufacturer and not pay your money to a sales persons commission, check out the Vitess site.

If you'd like to get a high level of service from a really nice guy, give Julien a call.

And if you're a guy who wants to see what it's like to experience a kick ass bike... Take them up on the demo ride.

Interestingly, while plowing home through the wind, I got passed, as I usually do.  The guy recognized the bike and said that he had been visiting the Vitess website the other day and asked if I was part of the organization. He seemed disappointed about the fact I was not but nodded several times as I spewed superlatives about my current luck at being on one.  It's good to know that word is getting out.

I'm going to remember this ride for a very very long time, and, someday, if I can convince my wife and kids I should spend the money, you just might find me, toodling down Lakeshore, with a grin from ear to ear.

Visit the Vitess website at www.vitess.com

Disclosure: I got absolutely nothing for writing this overview of my ride.  I have nothing to do with the company. The reward was the ride itself.

Vitess - The New Name in Canadian Bikes

Today I had the chance to drop by a new store that recently opened up in my neighborhood. Not so much a store, but a showroom.

A showroom, elegant in it's simplicity, with 3 very very sexy looking bikes hanging from the ceiling.

No it isn't a new art gallery, although it could be mistaken for one, especially if you wear lycra often.  No, it's the showroom of Vitess, a new Canadian Bike Manufacturer.

I rolled in, with the two kids in tow, just to see what was going on inside.  My wife has spotted the sign go up a short while ago and I'd been meaning pop in.

The first thing that grabbed my attention, were the bikes.  Obviously.  And then... the lack of anything else, except that is, for pictures of the bikes.

This, clearly, was not just another bike shop run by people who don't know that much about bikes, who want to cram the shelves with junk to sell to the uneducated.  No, this is a place where it is... All about the bike.

And then I met Julien.  The founder of Vitess.

Julien was the friendliest person I've met in ages.  He exudes passion for serving riders and delivering a high end experience and a high end product.  He's also super smart.

Now, I'm not surprised that I got along with Julien. After all, he has an engineering degree and an MBA, as do I.  But, unlike me, he looks like he's pretty fast on a bike, and, he's got an impressive list of credentials that would seem to give him a leg up on the competition.

Julien has years of experience in the automotive industry.  And, he's got an MBA from one of the best schools in North America. Combine that with a passion for bikes and he's the right guy to shake up the Canadian bike scene.

Julien has a plan.  And for me the plan makes perfect sense.  Run a bike business like an automotive company.  Source only the best equipment and components.  Hold limited inventory.  Build to order. Focus on the rider, not customer.... RIDER.

The frames and forks are, I believe, exclusive Vitess designs. The Vitess carbon wheels are built in partnership with a high end wheel manufacturer in Asia. The "rider interface" is provided by 3T and Fi'zi:k.  The drivetrain, SRAM or Shimano... for now.

So what.  You can buy an Asian built carbon fiber wonderbike from a million different places.  You can buy a groupo from the UK and pick up some carbon wheels on Ebay.  What's new?

Well for one, the quality of the bikes looks very good. There's some engineering in them, combined with a healthy attention to detail.

Each bike is hand built for the rider who ordered it. No swapping of parts and paying a premium for it. Get the gear you have the budget for, the price varying based on your wheelset and groupo.

The frame and fork have 3 year transferable warranties.

If you accidentally break the frame or fork in a crash you can get a replacement at a heavily discounted rate.

The last thing that impresses me is that Julien hasn't just opened a show room.  It's a try it out for an afternoon room.  If you give him some notice he'll hook you up with a frame that fits and you can take it for a long ride and really feel what it's like.

And so... tomorrow, if all goes well, I'll be taking one of his wonderful toys for a spin, head on over to the local hill, and see what happens when I ride my first carbon bike.

Check out the site over at www.vitess.com. Over the winter you can enter his contest to win a set of carbon wheels.  Just tell him I sent you!  Sign up for a test ride.

If you're in Toronto and the GTA, head on down to my neighborhood and check out Vitess.  I have a feeling we might be looking at the start of a great brand. 

View Larger Map

Bike Lust

I haven't even ridden a cross race yet. But this bike is looking awesome.

Check out all the pics here at CyclingNews.com

 

Random thoughts on HRM Monitor Functionality

If you could define the criteria for a dream sports data solution what would it include?

Here's my random thoughts.

- Device interoperability. I'd like to be able to run, walk, swim, bike, xc-ski and have any device I grab be able to latch onto any other component I have no matter what the model number. If I go to the gym, I want the treadmill to pick up my HR and upload my pace back to the watch. A big happy device family.

- Sports Intelligence. I'd like to have the devices "understand" what I am doing, without having to preset exercises or try and figure out settings. If I say I am going rollerskiing, and I don't have a GPS on me, I'd like it to know not to look for the footpod and change the screen so as to not show cadence. If I do have a GPS, great.

-More intelligence. I'd like my system to know that since my max hr is 185 that reporting a 230 value is a mistake, and that there's likely some problem with the data if 1 second I'm at 130bpm at x pace and then suddenly I'm at 175 at the same pace.

-Full time recording. Why can't I collect hr data all day, first using my "fashionable" watch, then my sports watch. Wouldn't it be cool to have a lifetime of physiological data to study?

- HR recording in water. Why can't if the hr strap not transmit in water, store the hr data for upload later?

- Blood analysis! There are devices that prick your finger and measure blood sugar levels. There are devices that measure blood values by shining light through skin. What about a polar lactate measurement device?

- "No Syncing" I'd love it if I just had to walk into my house, and my workout data would upload to my network, so I could look at it in the software, and also have it uploaded to 2 or 3 online services, example, Polar Pro 5, Map My Ride, Training Peaks, Polar Online

- Intelligent Analysis - Enable more artificial intelligence for data analysis. Allow developers to plug in and sell analysis tools.

- Open standards. What if I don't like Polars power solution for the bike? Why can't I get a pedal or a hub that will work instead? What about a 3rd party GPS? I have GPS on my phone that I take with me on the bike.

- Device swap. I'd like to be able to loan my wife my watch and hr strap and not have it think it's me. She should just be able to select a different user on the watch.

- Audio. When running/skiing planned sessions, it's typically winter and it's dark. Then going from phase to phase I can't see well enough to read the screen on the watch and have it tell me the time, pace, distance the next segment is. It's not up long enough and my eyes suck. Have it read the data out on my ipod.

- Graphics. What ever happened to a heads up display on the sunglasses I was supposed to have by the year 2000. Back in the '80s this technology was promised to me by many movies.

- Remote tracking/emergency data. Ever heard of SPOT? It uploads your data to a private site so your family can see where you are. And it has a 911 button to call for help if needed. What about incorporating a Road ID sort of data display on watches, or on the strap?

- Outdoor gaming for kids. Kids love video games, Kids love playing outside. Integrate their activity with something recordable, point driven, location aware.

- Colour. Ever heard of Oakley? They brought colour and mass customization to everyday sunglasses. We've had unique coloured sports gear long before that. My favorite gear is stuff that's unique to me, that I don't see other people wear.

- Data portability. Why can't I see my workout data on my blackberry, or iphone? I use PP5 and am scared to death that my machine will die, so I painstakingly back the data up.

- Mapping. Not that I have a GPS device yet, but there is open, none proprietary map data out there. Help me not get lost, if I'm wearing a watch, or riding my bike. Help route me to where I want to go.

- Batteries. Please, try and use the same size battery for devices. It's a pain to have to keep track or all the different model numbers.

- Updateability - My favorite devices, that last the longest, have built in methods to update the firmware to extend the functionality as it gets improved. Same holds true for software. Keep improving and allow for easy updating.

end of random thoughts.

Castelli Leggerezza Bibtight Review

I have dearth of cycling gear.  Unlike somebody like Fatcyclist, who has enough gear for an entire season without doing a wash I haven't been doing this long enought to warrant an extensive collection of wicking fabrics that are impervious to the wind.

With cooler weather prevailing, and my foray down to the bike and gear blowout a bust, I headed down to Mountain Equipment Coop and checked out their cycling gear which has gotten better over the years.

What I found were these Castelli Leggerezza Bibtights.  I am told, that, because they are Bib tights they are far more pro than just regular tight.  And I desperately wish to appear more pro than I am.

I've worn these for a few rides now, and I must say that I'm disappointed I didn't get myself some proper cycling tights sooner.  I would have looked funny wearing them without a bike between my legs I could have talked my way out of any awkward situations.

Here's the product description cut and paste from the MEC site.

Weight: 300g (Medium)

Step into these technical bib tights for warm, windproof comfort on the nippiest winter days. The multi-panel construction provides a highly windproof front and a warm, breathable back. The variable-thickness Kiss chamois puts padding where you need it most.

• *Front panels are windproof SG0.6, the lightest cycling fabric available today. Each polypropylene fibre is hollow on the inside, trapping air to provide weightless insulation. The fabric is also engineered to prevent water absorption.
  
• Back panels are Thermoflex 86% nylon and 14% spandex, with a flat face and a brushed back for excellent warmth and comfort.
  
• Flat-lock stitching reduces seam bulk and increases comfort.
  
• Seamless Kiss chamois has four-way stretch and a variable-thickness design that puts padding where you need it most and reduces it where you don't.
  
• Giro+ ankle closures ankle zippers.

I am glad these are 300g.  Had they been 305 I would have had to pass.  There is a Castelli Logo on them you can scrape off if you wish to.

I am even more glad that they have a "Kiss" chamois. The little lips stitched on the material right at head level make me feel like I am inches from having sex during the entire ride. I shall not repeat the joke I told to my wife as it got me in trouble the first time I told it.

Interestingly these tights employ the new weightless air insulation.  It should have been called unobtanium but that name was already taken.

Finally the Giro+ zippers are far better than any zippers found in the actual Giro. That in itself is amazing.

In reality these tights seem to be doing the trick for me.  The windproof material is in all the right places, and they do feel comfortable.

My only gripe with them is that the seem to fit a little short.  I'm 6' with normal length, and moderately skinny, legs and I'm on the limit for length for the large size. Check out the sizing info for Castelli. Based on the tag that came with them the large fits 6' to 5'9" or something like that.  I didn't want to go up a size and have them be too wide.

It would be ok that they are short but normally I'd just hike them up. But when I did that the lack of stretch around the knee when they were pulled up 2 inches caused my knees to start hurting.  Once I pulled them down a bit the knee pain went away.

Now that I've figured that out, they're doing well for me.  I'll just have to see how cold I can wear them.  At this point I've worn them down to about 0 deg Celsius and they've been fine.

They seem to be sturdily constructed which is good considering all the yanking I did on them the first ride out. Even the ankle zippers live up to their billing.

I got them, not on sale or anything for $152 CDN at MEC. 

Cross Bike Build

Well it's done.  After about $1000 and a couple hours of fiddling, plus several life saving tips from Tom, my personal oracle, the CX bike is mainly complete.  With some tidying up of the cables, and the purchase of some new shoes I'll be hammering through mud in no time.

 

Surprisingly my last post on the bike is getting a fair number of hits from people looking for a cheap cross bike build.

The main components of this build are.

Scattante XRL Frame

SRAM Rival Crank

Campagnolo Veloce Shifters

Campagnolo Centaur Front Derailleur

Shimano 105 Rear Derailleur

Ultegra Cassette

Crank Brothers C Pedals

Crappy Wheels off my Road bike

A $4 stem that weighs about a billion tons

Now I've ridden 2 bikes.  The first had shifters on the downtube.  The most recent has Sora level components.  So really I've got as much experience as a helper monkey. But this thing shifts great.  It makes me want to build up a new road bike, and thereby start divorce proceedings..

 

  

 
 

Born to Be Bad at Shopping

Today I took the family down to the local bike and gear "blowout" The kids were excited and my wife was being very lovely about the whole affair.

Seeing as how I haven't needed to purchase much in the way of cycling gear in the past couple of years I haven't been to this explosive fest' before.

The first thing I saw when I arrived, a few minutes early, was that the line was about a million miles long.  Having been warned about this I shouldn't have been surprised.  But of course I was.

I guess since there were so many people there it must have been packed with great deals.  Unfortunately I didn't get out with very much at all despite me having a fairly long shopping list going in.

First, the place was packed with people, all clambering to find the sweet deals.  I don't do well in crowds and while I don't break into a cold sweat before punching someone in the nose and fleeing the scene, I do get very stressed out.  And this impacts my ability to score sweet deals.

But the more serious issue was that I really had no idea where to find anything, and what was a good deal or not.  I picked up more than a few pairs of tires and had no idea if they were a good deal or a bad deal, and more importantly, if I actually wanted those particular tires on my bike. I stared at product after product trying to conjure a google search out of thin air to figure out if what I was looking at was top of the line, or 20 years old.

I had expected there to be lots of winter clothing there, but it seemed scarce. I saw a rack of booties that got picked clean before I could close in.  There were some $300 Assos tights that only came bigger than what I thought would fit. At $185 on sale they better include testosterone impregnated materials. The other tights I felt very uncomfortable buying without trying on.

The excursion wasn't a total loss.  I stuck with what I knew. I bought some tubes, bar tape, a couple chains and that's about it.  At least those purchases let me walk out of there without feeling like I had completely wasted my time.

That's not to say it wasn't interesting, I find people watching most fascinating.  There were lots of different people there fingering bikes and looking more clueless than I was.

Of particular note were the number of people eying the triathlon bikes. Of course it's dangerous to judge but there were quite a few people walking fancy bikes out the door who's ability to adopt a position over top the aero bars without causing internal bleeding was very much in doubt.

I'm not really one to say, but there did seem to be a lot of good deals on older model bikes, and it was good to see lots of new riders, particularly women, buying their first ride.  Although I did laugh at the salesman, making a desperate pitch to sell an older woman a Specialized carbon wonder, for "Touring", when the husband asked, "Can you put a flat handlebar on this?" 

I walked off before he had a chance to recover and inevitably mutter, Yes.

So, in lieu of making any inroads on my list of gear to buy, I headed over to MEC, and satisfied my craving for Lycra.

The day ended with a 55 minute ride, whereupon I returned home to sausages.  Sweet!

Cross Bike Build = Cheap FrankenBike

*Edit. The bike is complete with photos here*

I'm well on my way to getting ready to build up the cross bike, and, in doing so, ensuring that my wife has something to nag me about over the winter.

"You bought all those parts, now go outside and ride!  I don't care if it's cold!"

This is the key to fitness.  Getting kicked out of the house, regularly.

So the mail man has been delivering bits and bobs for a few weeks now, and I think, with luck, that I'll be able to get it on the road very shortly after the marathon in a week. 

Now, of course, I have no idea if all the parts will fit together, let alone shift well, but it will be fun trying. Here's what I've got so far.

Frame - Scattante XRL - Free

Crank and BB - SRAM Rival - $108

Brakes - Tektro CR720 - $36

Shifters - Veloce Ergopower - $120

Handlebars - S-Works FACT - $66

Saddle - Sella Italia (Same as my Road bike) $15!

Tires - 2X Vittoria Cross XG Pro - $50

Wheels - Off my road bike - Replaced by a set of R28 Aero's from Neuvation $350

Chain - SRAM 951 - $23

Rear Derailleur - Shimano 105 - Free 

Stem - Some Random Stem (Temporary) - $4

Now I need a few things here and there, a cassette, and a front derailleur.

In total I'm in for $772 even counting the new wheels for the road bike. I suspect it'll creep up to $950 by the time all is said and done but it sure beats buying a new bike.

Oh, and I also picked up a winter long sleeved Jersey for $25.  Now I can pretend I ride for a failed cycling team.

Awesome!

My trip to the bike shop

Today was supposed to be a great day.  I was going to take the kids downtown, oh, and my wife as well, and start picking up pieces for my two projects.

The first one is a cross bike, I've got the frame, a couple bits and bobs promised and a desire to get out there and ride on some grass, mud and whatever objects they throw on cross courses. 

Here's the frame. Bare.

Now keep in mind that I've never really been to a bike shop looking for parts, other than maybe a chain or two, for several years.  Oh, and I've never ridden off road seriously ever...

Anyway, I am also looking to scrounge up a few components for my old Bianci.  It'll become a fixed gear, just for fun.

So today I headed downtown, on public transit, taking it easy. And I had my experiences with the modern bike shop.

The first place I went to was Urbane Cyclist.  It's a co-op.  It seems to have a hip, screw the man, ride what you want, kinda vibe to it.  They sell a lot of fixed gear bikes so I thought that they might have a pair of wheels for the Bianchi.

So I wandered on in, scanned the bikes, some of which retail for about $700.  Fixed gear.  Which, incidentally was about what I paid for my road bike a couple of years ago.

So I wandered to the back, looking at the cranks and pedals that I was also interested in, and looking for the $10 brakes a friend had recommended I pick up. I noticed that the prices, where I could see them, seemed to be a bit more than I had expected.  Perhaps I was looking at the good stuff, not the low end I wanted.

I cast my gaze upwards at the wheels.  The roof was full of colorful velocity rims in various shades and patterns.  Not for me.

Some dude, which, surely he sees as a title of respect, asked me if I needed help.  I proceeded to tell him I was looking for a set of CHEAP, fixed wheels.  "Sure" and he waved to a set at then end.  "Those are $240 a pair, and they go up from there." 

I mumbled something about that being more than I wanted to pay, and hung my head.  I don't doubt that those were cheap, to him.  But I am not some hip single guy looking to score while parading around on my screw-the-man-ironic fixie with too much discretionary income. 

Really I didn't know what to say.  "I don't want to buy your store, just a cheap pair of Chinese made rims with crappy hubs" came to mind.

So I left, passing the pedals which now I thought seemed too pricey as I could only think of the total price tag of what was supposed to be a cheap ride.

Next we walked up to Kensington Market, for a bit of ice cream.  Dad was now cranky, and hot, and kind of tired.  Kids and Mom wanted to be free of Dad and enjoy a treat.

And so I walked into some random bike shop in Kensington Market.  Bikes on Wheels I think it was called.

My heart leapt as I walked inside. "Retirement Sale" it said.  And I imagined an old shop keeper, getting ready to shut down, years of experience under his belt, running his business "The old way".  Surely I'd be able to find some old parts, marked down, gathering dust in wooden bins.

The first thing I saw was a set of hubs so shiny you'd swear they'd been polished by elves.

I wandered around. The place had quite a few color matched bikes, waiting for new "hipster" owners to parade them up and down Queen Street.

Now the weird thing about this place was that the vast majority of the parts were behind the counter, or under glass, that's fine. But quite a lot of the stuff didn't have any prices whatsoever. I'd guess it's the old saying, "If you have to ask..."

I wandered to the back, with two guys wrenching away on a bike, and, not seeing anything that passed for cheap, quit.

After arriving back home, I was somewhat depressed, having nothing to show for my journey, and, seeing as my bank account seems like more like a piggy bank in terms of contents, not much hope for the future.

But third times a charm? Right?  So I headed off to Gears, in Mississauga. Which I guess technically is my LBS. 

Gears has a lot of nice bikes.  And I think the folks in there know quite a bit, hearing them, from time to time, sell to customers. They do seem to care although they come off sounding like snobs. Except for their floor sales person, who is rather nice.

Having picked up a couple things from there, like chains, my kids used bike, etc. I knew they had some handlebars, and a few components.  I told myself that I'd just go pick up some handlebars that seemed reasonable, to satisfy my shopping urge.

"Hi can I help you?"

"Sure, I'm just browsing, looking to put together a bike and need some parts"

"Great, just let me know if you need anything"

"How much are these?"

"Those handlebars?  Let me check..."

"Those are $400" "Those ones above are $800, but since they are last years model they are also $400"

--Stunned Silence--

I, again, didn't have much to say.

How the hell are handle bars $800?  I feel like I'm in that movie where the Neanderthal ends up reanimated in the present day and doesn't know what the hell is going on.

No wonder people steal bike parts off of bikes on the street.

So kids, what have we learned?  Me?  I've learned that I am poor, or will be once these projects are done. I also learned that it's going to be hard to support my LBS when I can find cheaper parts online, even after shipping.

Here are my top X comments to bike store owners that I'd like to express after my trip today.

Display Prices

Stupid consumers like myself appreciate seeing prices displayed.  Ok, maybe they are expensive but don't put me through the embarrassment of asking.

Pricing

Explain to me how you sell bikes that are quite obviously cheaper than the sum of the individual component prices, by a long shot.

Webstore

Why would you have components that aren't in your store, on your webstore? Why would you also have parts in your store, in quantity, that aren't on your webstore?

Websites

Why do so many of you have crap websites.  I'm looking at you Gears.

Anyway, I'm probably just an out of touch oldster who remembers when $1000 bought you a great bike that made your friends jealous.

Oh, and I'll be putting my wish list up on Craigslist.  Maybe I'll find some parts in someones garage.

New Bikes and 32km

Today's run was uneventful. 32 Km.  Not to say it was easy or anything.  But there was nothing epic about it.  No tornadoes, no massive rainstorms, no hitting the wall like a hippo hitting concrete.

A guy did flip me the bird however.  I am not sure why.  He was riding along, on his Supercycle "mountain" bike, coming the other way along the waterfront.  Perhaps he didn't like my vintage Briko sunglasses or my bright yellow shirt. Maybe it was my bald head.  Regardless, he rolled on by, not even looking at me, just holding out his finger. Aiming it at me like some kind of ancient hex.

Weird.  Can't we all just get along and get rid of fucked up prejudices?

Anyway, what's better than getting outside, getting some fresh air and washing your bike?

Getting your kids to wash it for you.

These are my little mechanics washing my Scattante XRL Cross Frame.  Wow, what an unfortunate name.

I plan on having my kids wash the bikes like this every weekend.  What fun!  Even in the winter!

The goal is to build this up into a winter rider, and, if my fitness improves by several measurable leaps, I might just head out to a nearby hill and ride it in the presence of others, hoping beyond hope not to embarrass myself.

The next project is the Bianchi Quattro frame I purchased sometime in the '80s.  Well, my Mom probably bought it. But, it's going to get back on the road just for old times sake.

I've never ridden on a fixed gear so I think that'll be the destiny of this one. 

Don't worry.  It'll have brakes.  It won't have a Brooks Saddle and colorful wheels. Just something to beat around on.