Tag Archives: City
Product Highlight: Nonetheless Garments NeoShell Pants
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NYC Velo is proud to add Nonetheless Garments to our apparel selection. The first piece from the Chicago-based company is the NeoShell Heavy Duty Jean which, like all of the Nonetheless offerings, is handmade in their hometown. The Jean is made of Polartec’s NeoShell material which, as of this writing, has over two times the airflow of any other waterproof textile and offers four-way stretch technology. The price for this Best-in-Class pair of all-weather pants is $258, and available now @ NYC Velo. About Nonetheless, in their own words: Nonetheless Garments deliver the best of both worlds to the core commuter. Waterproof technology has remained about the same since the very first hard shell. Breathability is achieved through diffusion: moisture and heat create enough pressure that moisture vapor finally passes through the fabric. Soft shells trade waterproofness for greater breathability by making use of convection: a constant exchange of air allows more moisture vapor to escape. The airflow in conventional waterproof / breathables is close to zero whether you’re active or not. Breathability claims for these fabrics are typically based on static testing conditions. So the second you walk outside, the claims are irrelevant. A more accurate measure of breathability is found with Dynamic Breathability Testing which accounts for real world conditions like wind and movement. This pant was designed as a hybrid with traditional jean touch points and refined trouser elements. |
Winter Speciale: All Chrome Gear 25 – 50% OFF
As the NYC Velo Winter Speciale continues, all In-Stock Chrome gear is on sale! This means that all Chrome messenger bags (including the Citizen, the Metropolis, the Yalta, the Pawn, the Bravo, the Dually, the Sherman, the Krakow, the Olaf, and the Cardiel ORT) are up to 50% off. Chrome apparel (including the merino wool Cobra and Pasha, the waterproof Storm Cobra, and the Ike Windshirt) is up to 50% off. Chrome’s innovative shoes (including the Kursk, the Kursk Pro, the Midway, and the Southside Pro) are up to 50% off.
As always, the Winter Speciale applies to in-stock items only, and once they’re gone, they’re GONE! Call or stop by the shop to check out the selection in detail.
Bike Of The Week: Hopped-up Bianchi San Jose
This week’s bike is the San Jose from Bianchi USA. The San Jose, a venerable model from the Bianchi stable if there ever was one, is essentially a steel-framed singlespeed cyclocross bike (with a steel fork) and was last produced in 2011.
Though usually available as a complete bike from Bianchi, our example was shipped to us as a frameset only (frame & fork), allowing us to use some creativity to complete the build-up. The new iteration sports sealed bearing hubs from Formula, double-butted spokes, Alex rims, and Panaracer’s Jack Brown 700 x 33 tires. The burly All-City crankset offsets the Brooks brown leather (B17) saddle and handlebar wrap. With an upright riding position, fat city tires, and strong Avid cantilever brakes, the “new” San Jose marries style and performance quite well, all for $1185.
Product Highlight: Fizik Antares Saddle
The Fizik Antares (as reviewed by Harold):
One of our “go-to” parts and accessories companies, Fizik has been making high-quality bicycle saddles by hand in the Veneto region of Italy for more than 15 years. The Antares model is Fizik’s “Chameleon” shape in their performance road line. While it unfortunately doesn’t change colors at will, it is intended for riders who adopt multiple positions on the saddle while riding and whose flexibility falls between “very” and “not-so-much” (referred to as the Snake and Bull, respectively).
The Chameleon designation refers to the amount of spinal flex the rider has, according to Fizik’s “Spine Concept”. The Spine Concept is Fizik’s approach to guiding riders to choosing (and using) the the most appropriate saddle for them based on their flexibility. In Fizik parlance, the Snake saddles are for the most flexible riders who can place their palms the floor when bending over, the Chameleon saddles are for riders able to touch their toes, and the Bull saddles are for the rest of us with little flexibility.
On the bike, the Antares’s flat profile allows for plenty of movement on the saddle, which I really appreciate on longer rides. The nose of the saddle is also a little bit wider, allowing me to drop down a little bit, which came in super handy in the tristate-area headwinds. Along with the agreeable ride qualities, the saddle’s weight (or lack thereof) puts the Antares squarely in the top group of performance saddles. The heaviest of the saddles in the line, the K:ium, tips the scales at 189 grams, while the 00 comes in at a svelte 135 grams. Fizik also offers a convenient saddle demo program, available at NYC Velo, that allows cyclists to test ride saddles (both men’s and women’s models) prior to purchase. Stop by the shop or give us a ring to learn more about Fizik’s saddle line, tell ‘em Harold sent ya!
2012 NYC Velo Holiday Gift Guide
Phil Wood Hand Cleaner, a home mechanic must-have, $12
Brooks Limited Edition Union Jack-Series Swallow Saddles, Red ($275) and White ($350)
Grimpeur Bros 9 Dub Espresso Beans, roasted in Queens, $14/12oz
Endura 100% Merino Baabaa Base Layer, $69.99
CEP Compression Gear, Team NYC Velo Tested, $39.95
Andy Hampsten's Extra Virgin Olive Oil Co. from Tuscany, $24/.5l
Oakley Frogskins, A Classic, Revised, $100-140
Bailey Works/Independent Fabrication Whale Mouth Duffle, $150
NiteRider Lumina 350 Rechargeable Headlight, $95
Silca Classic Floor Pump, Made in Italy, $100
Silca Classic Floor Pump, $100
Defeet/Team NYC Velo 9 Inch Wool Socks, $20
NYC Velo Custom Wheels, Industry Nine Hubs, Velocity A23 Tubeless-Ready Rims, Sapim CX-Ray Spokes, $1100
NYC Velo Wool Longsleeve Jersey, Handmade in Canada by Cima Coppi, $190
Search And State S1-J Riding Jacket, Weatherproof, Handmade in New York City, $245
Bike Of The Week: Pegoretti Cicli Luigino Coffee-Getter
This week’s Bike of the Week extends the “Month of Dario” by highlighting yet another example of the handiwork of Pegoretti Cicli. The Columbus-tubed, lugged steel Pegoretti Luigino is a very special bike, indeed.
The customerrequested a “cruiser-style” lugged steel bicycle, but fell in love with Pegoretti’s Luigino frame. Most cycling folks don’t readily associate the Pegoretti marque with “cruiser-style”, but according to Dario, there are more than a few non-road-racing/riding-style framesets in existence.
The component “theme” of this bike is “silver Campy”, a classic that’s hard to come by these days. Most of the gruppo is New-Old-Stock (NOS) Campagnolo Chorus 10-speed (crankset, rear derailleur, hubset), from the 2000-2002 era. The shifters are 10-speed bar-end shifters that have been modified to work with a flat-handlebar shifter mount made by Paul Components in California (and hand polished by the team at NYC Velo). The seatpost is from the Campy Chorus group as well, the chain is Campagnolo Record and the cassette is Campagnolo Centaur. The stem is a NOS Ritchey 1-inch steel, the handlebars are the Nitto Albatross model, and the reverse brake levers are from Dia-Comp. The handlebars and leather handlebar wrap are from Brooks of England. The rims are of the NOS Campagnolo Tokyo variety, the spokes are Colorado-made DT Swiss Competition double butted and the tires are 700x25mm Panaracer Pasela Tourguard. The chainguide is also from Paul Components, and has also been polished here at NYC Velo. The chainring guard is a cut and polished 39-tooth Campagnolo Chorus 10s chainring, repurposed.
Should you happen to run across this bike in the streets of New York, take the time to check it out, it’s a stunner. And yes, Pollo, it’s for coffee.
Bike of the Week: Kona Roundabout
NYC Velo is proud to offer the Roundabout, the newest offering from Kona’s diverse, purpose driven collection of Asphalt bikes. The Roundabout is designed specifically for people wanting a beautifully built, perfectly simple bike.
The Roundabout features a classic steel Mixte, AKA step-thru, frame, representing a clean, streamlined purpose-driven-bike aesthetic. It utilizes a user-friendly Shimano 9 speed drivetrain that offers a perfect range of gears to zip around town. The Kona HandPlant swept-back cruiser-style handlebar keeps the rider upright, comfortable and focused on the road in front of them. Kona offers this fender-ready model in two sizes: small and medium. At $899.99, the Roundabout represents a quality mark that will keep it out of the service bay, without the need for frustrating repairs and adjustments (it will most certainly be out enjoying a carefree ride).
Bike of the Week, City, kona
Bike of the Week: Independent Fabrication Mellow Fellow
The NYC Velo Crew was fortunate to get its hands on the limited edition, some call it a “collab”, Indy Fab Mellow Fellow bike last year which proved to be quite the crowd pleaser while in the shop. A beautiful single speed rig for the city, complete with (bag ready Nitto) racks, this bike found a happy home recently with a very pleased customer. After some test riding and a lengthy conversation about intended use, ergonomics, and riding position, the team set to work on a few “mods” to further customize the Mellow Fellow. A set of Honjo fenders, a Nordeast cruiser handlebar from Nitto, and Brooks leather handlebar tape complete the one-off package.
Originally, the Mellow Fellow was part of the Paper Labels design project uniting three crews hellbent on creating the best in their respective fields, Independent Fabrication, Bodega, and Bailey Works bags. Three bike designs were fabricated based on three color schemes that also integrated bag or rack combinations.
Paper labels of vintage and deadstock spraypaint cans were the color palette source upon which the three concept bikes’ paint colors were supplied. The color scheme and iconography of the Paper Labels bikes were derived from Bodega’s archive of discontinued vintage spraypaint. These colors were popularized by the 1980′s graffiti culture and are now coveted by spray can collectors. Krylon Aqua Turquoise #2008, Krylon O.D. Khaki #2301, and Krylon Metallic Blue #1903 serve as the foundation for the bikes color schemes.
Additional graphics for the bikes were created by referencing some designs from other old vintage can labels. Only 15 of each model were made and include matching bag(s), t-shirt and a can of spraypaint mixed and labeled for each bike.
bailey works, Bike of the Week, City, independent fabricationBike of the Week: Surly 1x1x11 Snowplow Edition
As if Surly’s needed to be rendered even more rugged, this 1x1x11 is snowified and trail ready! We modified this Surly 1x1x11 for our customer Michael, who is lucky enough to live in close proximity to the snowy state park trails on Long Island.
Once a single speed bike with slick tires, this bike is now outfitted with 24″ snow gripping dubs and a SRAM I-Motion internally geared rear hub. The resulting bike is the perfect commuter for those days where the city completely fails to take care of its snow problems.
All he needs now is reckless abandon and he’ll be ready for the Iditarod bike race.
BOTW: The Spriggscycle
This week’s Bike of the Week is our friend Mike’s townie. It’s a handmade bike from 20 years ago, when Mike’s buddy Greg decided to make track bikes with relaxed geometry for all his messenger friends up in Boston. This was Mike’s work bike in the early 90s, then it became a commuter, and now it’s Mike’s “around town” bike – as well as the official errand bike for the Rapha Cycle Club. Mike decided on a relaxed fit, with gentlemanly Nitto bars, a Brooks B-17, and a Shimano coaster brake for fun. Couple that with an slick t-shirt from Mike’s Gage & Desoto line, and you can see why everyone says Mike Spriggs is the “cock of the walk.”
