Blacksmith Cycle

Date

August 09 2013

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4

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Cross Crazy!

Written By 4 - August 09 2013

Is it too early to be thinking about Cyclocross for 2013? Hells no! To that end, we have two exciting announcements... First, we are pleased to announce that we can now take pre-orders for the amazing 2014 Xentis 42mm disc-specific clincher wheelset!!  Weighing in at 1475 grams for the set and available in Shimano, Campy and SRAM XX1 freehub options for an MSRP of $2,699, which includes double-padded wheelbag, rim strips, and titanium QR skewers! [caption id="attachment_3142" align="aligncenter" width="1000"] NEW Xentis Squad 4.2 disc-specific clinchers launching for October delivery!!![/caption] Second, our fearless racer Isaac Smith will be leading his awesome CX skills clinic every Wednesday night at Rennie Park at 6:30 pm. Depending who is there each Wednesday, you'll practice formal skill development through drills (dismounts and remounts, cornering), Q+A, and more experiential things like "follow the leader", getting  more formal as the season approaches. Thanks to Isaac for the amazing effort!

Date

November 08 2011

Written By

2

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BOTD #15 - Van Dessel Full Tilt Boogie Carbon Cross

Written By 2 - November 08 2011

Bike of the Day #15 – Van Dessel Full Tilt Boogie In honour of the cold weather descending upon us, we've decided to focus the BOTD on a cross machine - our tube-to-tube carbon Van Dessel Full Tilt Boogie.  An awesome company, with a true racing heritage across the northeast, and run by the amazing Edwin Bull, Van Dessel are producing some of the best value bikes around these days...
[caption id="attachment_1161" align="alignnone" width="576" caption="Ready for battle - stiff, smooth and good lookin'"][/caption] [caption id="attachment_1166" align="alignnone" width="576" caption="Handcrafted Tube-to-Tube means outstanding ride quality from a stiff-as-hell racer"][/caption] The Build : SRAM Red (black edition), FSA K-Force Light BB30 crankset, Corima Aero 2D+ wheels, FMB cross tires, Crank Bros. pedals, Fizik carbon post with Aliante carbon saddle, and ENVE carbon bar and stem. [caption id="attachment_1164" align="alignnone" width="576" caption="ENVE components on top of FMB cross tires"][/caption]
The Ratings… Ride-quality/Comfort: 8/10 Front-end Stiffness: 9/10 BB Stiffness: 8/10 Style/Aesthetics: 8/10 Technology/Weight/Value:  9/10 Total = 42/50
[caption id="attachment_1162" align="alignnone" width="576" caption="Gnarly, aggressive imagery makes you pedal harder"][/caption]
The Good: Great combination of stiffness and comfort; ridiculous value for a full-carbon frameset with BB30 and tapered front end; Belgian styling, low weight, and a brand name that is far less ubiquitous around these parts than many others. The Bad: Not as huge a name as the big boyz, for those of you who like to follow the trends, as opposed to setting them. The Skinny: We all like the simple looks and solid technology behind Van Dessel. We downright love the ride quality, geometry, and truly amazing price tag - $1999 for frame/fork/headset and available in custom builds. [caption id="attachment_1163" align="alignnone" width="576" caption="SRAM Red, KCNC Gold chain, Corima Aero + 2D Tubulars"][/caption] Check out the Van Dessel website for tech specs or factory build options here. [caption id="attachment_1165" align="alignnone" width="576" caption="Tapered carbon Van Dessel cross fork with sultry Corima carbon hubs"][/caption]

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