Continental Bike Shop presents the Spoken Wrench vol4 no12

Continental Bike Shop presents the Spoken Wrench vol4 no12
Post Interbike, in which I remove my foot from my mouth, edition.

This edition of the Spoken Wrench is brought to you by Interbike. No letters this time. There’s still plenty we haven’t talked about, and a few corrections to be made. And an assurance to Jason and Travis that, yes, I do plan on posting what they thought about the bikes….

So without further ado, I will begin with the corrections and continue onto the other important stuff.

Corrections:
1.Repair classes.
2.Schwinn.
All Women’s Clothing 40% off!!!
Interbike…
Jason’s Picks
Travis’ Picks
My Picks
What really happens in Vegas.

Correction #1: Repair Classes.
Last time, I stated that Repair Classes were 6 weeks long. No, they are not. Each session is 4 weeks long. I apologize for any confusion. Jason corrected me first this Tuesday morning, so I’m passing that on.

Correction #2: Schwinn.
Ok, first of all, Schwinn of Chicago fame, the great American bike company that everyone grew up with? Yeah, they don’t exist anymore. Somewhere in the quest for money and world domination, they sold more than their souls. So from a historical standpoint, this is a monumental year for the name. From a ’should I buy one standpoint?’ no, no you shouldn’t buy a Schwinn, you should buy a bike made by Richard Schwinn. And that’d be a Waterford.

Schwinn is not celebrating its 75th anniversary. The Paramount however, is. And its the first American made frame in, uh, decades. Two and a half of them to be exact. That frame is the one made by Mr Richard Schwinn, who happens to run Waterford and Gunnar. Its pretty and a piece of history. But not a bike we need.

Women’s Clothes!
All of our women’s clothing is 40% off. Now’s a good time to get some new jerseys, shorts, gloves, jackets and the like. Socks and shoes not included. Obviously, in stock only. Come on in ans try em on. Sale stuff like this is final.

Interbike…
Some day, we will get tired of talking about Interbike, but not yet. I had promised more commentary and reviews of stuff we liked, and that may be all well and good, but Jason also pointed out that this needs to be timely, and if we don’t talk about it now, it’ll be January before we’re done talking about new bikes. So without further ado, everyone else’s picks and then maybe some of the stuff that missed the mark.

Feel free to disagree with that last part. Actually, feel free to disagree always, at least with the opinion part of stuff.

Jason says:
Best Road Bike: Cannondale SuperSix. It’s light, stiff through the bottom bracket, responsive, and yet, won’t beat you up over Michigan roads, unlike a lot of other manufacturers who are making bikes too stiff for our roads.

Best Mountain Bike: Giant Trance XO. It’s super efficient, fast, light and has lots of travel. The Trance XO also sports the new 15mm QR standard. Yes, we admit, we thought it was a ploy. But Jason swears it tracks far better, its stiffer and its not just another QR standard.

One thing to take home: Campagnolo Super Record 11. With redesigned levers that are even more comfortable than the already super friendly Campy levers, Super Record 11 is really the next great grouppo. Who needs electronic shifting when you have 11 gears that run like butter?

Travis’ Picks

Best Mountain Bike: Kona Coilair

One Thing to take home: Truvativ HammerSchmidt. That’s a mouth full. What is it? Front derailleurs have long been the bane of lots of people’s existence. The are the first thing to go in search of less hassle, especially on a mountain bike. Well, Truvativ, as they say ‘Powered by SRAM,’ knows that. And they went in search of a better way to get two gears in the front, without all the moving parts. The HammerSchmidt has two planetary gears, like a three speed hub and works with an X-type SRAM shifter. The best part, like those three speeds, dirt, mud, muck and what not are no match for it.

My Picks. (Me being Liz.)
So, I missed Demo Days. I didn’t get to ride anything while in Vegas. I’m ok with that. Heat and dry and me didn’t get along last time anyway. So this is all the stuff I thought looked cool. And the Minxy, I’d take home in a heartbeat.

One thing to take home: Kona Minxy. I’ve never wanted a full suspension mountain bike. I have a Kona Lava Dome and I love it. But I’d take up mountain biking worthy of this bike if someone would give me a Minxy. Its a women’s specific frame. And I’m ok with that. Its not painted pink, purple, or any other unfortunate color. Its black with a nice angry looking tiger on the head and down tubes. It looks cool. I’m sure, since its a Kona and well, this is what they do, it would be perfect for the kind of riding I’m admittedly a little scared to try. But now, I really want to try it, and that’s probably the biggest hurdle to get over.

From Interbike 2008

Coolest Bike I didn’t pick to take home: That would be a tie between the Kona Kapu and the Bianchi Dolomiti. I have a soft spot for steel. I’ve never had the joy of owning a lugged steel road frame, but there is yet hope. Both the Kapu and the Dolomiti are lugged steel. And despite swearing I’d never own another yellow bike, the Kapu is growing on me. Celeste was also a color I’d really never planned on owning, but there’s something about a Campy equipped lugged steel frame that’s just perfect.

From Interbike 2008

From Interbike 2008

What really happens in Vegas.
Vegas is not necessarily where we’d choose to hold Interbike, given the chance. But, no one can come up with a better idea, and the show signed another five year contract with the Sands, so for the foreseeable future, Interbike will be in Vegas. None of us really gamble, but there’s plenty of other things we can get into. And fortunately or unfortunately, there’s usually photographic evidence.

From What really happens in Vegas

From What really happens in Vegas

From What really happens in Vegas

From What really happens in Vegas

Continental Bike Shop presents the Spoken Wrench vol3 no2

Continental Bike Shop presents the Spoken Wrench vol3 no2
March 2007

This edition of the Spoken Wrench is brought to you by the letter “H” for Hadaka Steel. Makers and welders of some fine frames for Kona and Bianchi, and now the Salsa el Mariach 29’ Mountain bike. They are located on the lovely island of Formosa, also known as the Republic of China (ROC), or Taiwan, to most of us. (which we’re sure the PRC would rather become POC. Part of China…) Enough bad jokes for the captive audience, on with the show!

April Fools Day Sale!
No April Fools Day Sale on April 1! It’s Sunday, and we’re closed…. April Fools!

Its that time of year again, when the weather in Michigan LIES about what season it really is, and we all long for the warmth that summer promises… everyone but me. That means its time for our annual April Fools Day Sale! This year, everything is fair game for the sale, bikes, clothes, accessories and everything in between. Bring cash and save more. The credit card monster is eating us alive. Minimum 8% off on credit card purchases and 10% off cash purchases. See, bring cash, save money.

New for 2007
• Campagnolo Ultra-Torque Cranksets
If you’re looking into upgrading your crankset this season, then Campagnolo has got a great treat for you. With its 2007 range Campagnolo is introducing the new Ultra-Torque crankset with integrated bottom bracket. What are the advantages of going with the Ultra-Torque instead of the standard bottom bracket/crankset? All of the levels of the Campagnolo Ultra-Torque’s are lightweight, rigid, and ergonomic. Also, they are extremely easy to maintain, without worrying about blowing out bottom brackets.
• Campagnolo Skeleton Brakes
After upgrading your crankset, don’t forget to look into the new design that Campagnolo has for their brake calipers. The new skeleton brakes feature a highly evolved design. It is worth nothing that this design springs from an advanced structural analysis in which form follows function. The Skeleton brakes are of the differential type: a powerful front brake and a progressive rear one. The Skeleton brakes therefore constitute the new benchmark in terms of performance, lightness, life and design, projecting the great Campagnolo tradition towards the future.
• Stock Road bikes equipped with SRAM
Finally, the amazing SRAM Road Group’s (SRAM Force and SRAM Rival) are being put on stock bicycles. Bianchi is putting SRAM Force on their 928 Carbon SL/SRAM Force, and for a little less money, is putting SRAM Rival on their 928 Carbon L/SRAM Rival, and Virata. Along the Cannondale line, you’re looking at SRAM Force on the SystemSix Team Si 2. If you’ve never ridden a SRAM equipped road bike, come in today and try out this remarkable new system. If you want to try it before you buy it, we have a 56-cm Cannondale Six-13 Team demo bike equipped with SRAM Force on it, so come in today and take this amazing bicycle out for a spin.
• New look for Shimano’s MTB Components
For 2007, Shimano has given its components a whole new look on the mountain bike line, especially noticeable with the rear derailleurs. They’ve gone with a 3-D look to the logo’s, which makes them look very sharp, while still performing to the famous Shimano standards. Of course, they have to separate the best from the rest, so they give their XTR rear derailleur a much different look than the rest of their derailleurs… a nice, shiny “X” that spreads across the body of the derailleur. As for XT, and LX, they get 3-D emblems to make them stand out from the rest.
• A real treat for the road biking world
Back in 1999, Hutchinson tires was the first to come out with the TUBELESS Mountain bike tire. Now, 8 years later, they’ve decided to treat the road biking community with the same luxury. They have come out with two different models of TUBELESS Road bike tires: the Atom and the Fusion 2. At the current time, Shimano is the only company with a TUBELESS road wheel in production, the WH-7801-SL, which is a Scandium Dura-Ace wheelset.

Did you know we stock…
• Cannondale Headshok Road Bikes
Are you a die hard road biker, but have a problem finding a bike that goes easy on your tender wrists or upper body? Cannondale has come up with the perfect solution for you. They decided to take their famous mountain bike innovation, the Headshok, and put it on a road bike, just to see what the results would be like. It turns out it has been one of the best things they’ve created. It is a road bike though, so they downsized the travel from 110mm on the mountain bikes to 80mm on the road bike. It gives these bikes an amazingly comfortable ride, but on the other hand, makes it so that you’re putting your energy to the road, instead of into the suspension.
• Serotta Mei Vici Demo Bike
Any die hard road biker hears the name Serotta and automatically thinks, “High end, American made Carbon/Ti custom bikes.” Well for 2006, Serotta came out with their first fully customizable, full carbon bike. The Mei Vici (Italian for “My Victory”) is a bike that Serotta can proudly say has overtaken the Ottrott. Come in today, and you can take this absolutely breathtaking bike out for a spin around the area, fully equipped with Campagnolo Record Carbon. We only have one demo bike in the shop, a 58-cm slopping top tube.
• 2007 Cannondale Mountain Tandem
If you’ve looked at Cannondale’s mountain bike tandems in the past, but noticed there aren’t any for 2007, you’re right. But, we have come into possession of a 2007, discontinued mountain bike by Cannondale. It’s an L/S, with an amazing set of DT disc hubs with Sun rims. It’s got Avid BB5 disk brakes for great stopping power, and a Shimano XT drivetrain to keep you ahead of the game. Come in today and check out this beautiful bike, and maybe even take it out for a test ride. This is the only one, and we will not be able to get more after it is gone.
• Arkel Touring Bags
If you’re looking to take a long tour, let Arkel support all of your needs for the trip. Ranging anywhere from the TT-84 (84 liters per pair) to the Small Bar Bag at only 7.5 liters, Arkel is prepared to take you around the neighborhood or across Europe, wherever your passion may take you. And just to support how amazing the equipment is, the Lifetime, transferable guarantee will keep you going until the end of your touring days.
• Tubus Touring Racks
If you’re looking for a nice, high-strength rack for touring (maybe to support those awesome Arkel bags), then come in today and check out Tubus racks. Made of Tubed Chrom-Moly, these racks are amazingly strong, and will last a lifetime. They will fit any non-full suspension bike out there, and even fit some full suspension bikes. If you have any questions about it fitting your full suspension bicycles, please don’t hesitate to contact us.

Shoe Sale
We have a bunch or riding shoes on sale… about 25 pairs, from a variety of manufacturers. Either SPD or Road versions are available, anywhere from 20-50 percent off. If you haven’t come in to look at our inventory of sale shoes, it would not be a bad idea to do so ASAP! Come in today and start getting ready for summer of ’07, while keeping some green in your wallet at the same time.

One Week for my Repair!?
When you bring your bike in for a repair during the summer months, are you usually disappointed that you can’t get it back the next day? Well bring in your repairs in the next month or so, and the turn-around time will be two or three days instead of a week or two. (And most people aren’t riding… so now’s a great time.) That way, when you’re ready to ride this summer, just fill her tires up with air and hit the streets, not having to worry about a week wait to get your bike back.

Have a Blast! A Kona Blast that is!
For 2007, Kona has outdone themselves. Two examples: a Best Buy $600 MTB with a ultra reliable 8 speed tranny and a RockShox Dart with adjustable preload, rebound and Lockout. For those of us who use our ATB’s in town as well, the capability to mute the bobbing of the front suspension with the turn of a dial is just about perfect. This is a classic case of ride it and you’ll see why. Certain aspects of a bike ride can only be appreciated by a Bike Ride and not by Lip Service. Come in for a test ride-the bike doesn’t care how cold it is and neither do we. If it’s light out and not icy, come on down. The other Best Buy from Kona is the base Kikapu. At a grand, it too features 8 speed reliability. This year’s upgrade (at no additional cost) is a RockShox air shock in the back. Rebound is also adjustable on this unit. We just received another 20 2007 assorted Konas so come in test ‘em, lay ‘em away or take ‘em home. (A few closeout still exist as well-supplies limited, in stock only, subject to availability, blah, blah, blah.)

Speaking of Closeouts. . . .
Another batch of 2006 Giants have arrived; in addition to the Giants, Cannondales and the Bianchis that are already here. Take one home before these great bikes start feeling lonely and unloved. We even do short term layaways on our units that are on sale. If you’ve been pondering a new set of wheels, come on down. The money you save may be your own.

Speaking of Heroes . . .
Kevin Degen, the King of many a charity ride in the past and many more in the future, got to see his new trike when it was presented on Sunday February 11th. Unfortunately, minor technical difficulties ensued, and the final prototype needs some, TLC and refinement. But, we wanted to make sure to say:

Thanks to many of you fine folks who have contributed funds over the past year or so.

In slightly unrelated, but heroic none-the-less news, our own Kevin Martin joined the Navy last month. He aspires to be a seal. (And if I could put a recording of John making seal noises in here, I would. This would be the ultimate in media experiences…) Wish him luck? Yes, Luck because seal training isn’t a walk in the park or the shop.

The Boys are Back in Town! (or The Return of the Wrench Wench!)
Your friendly neighborhood bike shop is happy to announce…. No that sounds wrong. I’m back. (I being Liz, and the Wrench Wench, I suppose.) Travis will be back… soon? We’re stolen him from the evil grips of capitalism, errr, his old job. And According to John we survived and audition. This means, apparently, that we passed, the audience has voted, and we’re the winner! Our grand prize? Jason. Who will be starting soon, like Travis. Soon, and for unknown amounts of time. Unknown to me at least.