Tag Archives: Road bikes

Bike of the Week: Ti Factory Lightweight by IndyFab

So hot it’s not even listed on Indy Fab website, the Titanium Factory Lightweight from the new company digs in New Market, NH (just north of Boston) is this week’s BOTW (Bike Of The Week).

A brilliant integration of titanium and carbon, this Ti FLW is reflective of the most contemporary of custom frame design. With an integrated carbon fiber seat mast, custom milled seat clamp, press-fit BB30 bottom bracket shell, oversized headtube allowing for an integrated Zero Stack headset, and drilled-out titanium dropouts, the TiFLW is truly at the sharp end of the custom bike industry.



When it’s all said and done, this ride sits comfortably in the dream bike category. Some exotic bikes are built for the wall, some for show and some for the occasional loop in the park. This bike was built to ride. The customer chose components from Sram, Industry Nine, and 3T and a one-off Matte-Black-on-Ti paint job to ensure she stands out on any ride.

Bike of the Week: Parlee Z5 SL Limited Edition

As cyclists we are often tempted by the sirens’ song of the latest and greatest lightweight wheel, part or frame and fork combo. The Z5 SL Limited by Parlee is a bike that COULD be marketed solely by its breathtakingly light weight (making it very tempting indeed) but this Z5 SL is much more than just a sub 800 gram frame.



Last year the original Z5 was the lightest frame in the closely watched German Tour magazine frame test, however, light weight is not the defining characteristic of this machine. It’s the ride quality that makes this bike so desirable. Building upon their experience with the very first Z1, the Z5 SL Limited is a bike designed and built for a lifetime of sublime riding without the compromises often found in what others ache to call the “lightest”

With no rider weight limits, no reduction of (lifetime) warranty, no reduction in function or fit, the Parlee Z5 SL Limited is a machine that inspires long rides and fast race days any day of the week.

This one, recently sold to a very happy customer of ours, is spec’d with Reynolds Assault carbon clincher wheels, SRAM Red components, Edge (now Enve) and 3T components.

Available in 12 Flex-Fit sizes to suit all riding styles. The SL in the SL Limited Edition means 100-150 (size dependent) grams of weight savings over Parlee’s (already light weight) Z5.

“We ride many superb bikes. But once in a while, one comes along that shines a little brighter. The Parlee’s Z5 SL ” – Bicycling Magazine

The Taconic 150: October

Bike of the Week: Parlee Z4

Tour of California. Fitchburg. Gila. Redlands. Beauce. Herald Sun Tour. Super Week. For those who have ever pinned a number to your back, these names will ring a bell. Haven’t heard of those races? No worry as the Z4, aside from being a race worthy competitor, is simply a brilliant riding bike on any country road, path, city street or race course. No need to be a world-class competitor to appreciate its superior ride qualities . For anyone looking for a bike with proven pedigree, the Z4 is it – Parlee’s vision for a perfect road machine.

Since its introduction, the Z4 has been ridden and raced millions of miles. With classic, race proven geometry and handling, the Z4 is at home on any ride, regardless of rider ambition. With real-world weights rivaling bikes twice the price, the Z4 offers a lifetime of real world durability all-day cruising comfort and the crisp power transfer needed from a race bike without the typical bone-jarring stiffness. Forget the disposable, one-season-wonder bikes (this bike has a lifetime warranty), Z4 owners fully enjoy and appreciate the precision and attention to detail in each iteration of this bike. This very Z4 (see photos) came to us recently from Parlee for a customer who I’m sure (at his moment) is enjoying every penny spent.

Bike Of The Week: Responsorium by Dario Pegoretti

For those who aren’t familiar with this true Italian master frame builder, Dario Pegoretti‘s works are coveted the world over, by collectors, enthusiasts and all who appreciate the highest available level of quality and workmanship. Tucked away at the base of the Dolomite mountains, outside the town of Trento, one finds Caldonazzo and the studio of Dario Pegoretti. A pioneer of TIG welded steel (often hand painted – with a brush), Dario’s frames are a true dialogue between design, art and craftsmanship (form, function and aesthetics). Combining the truly artigiano tradition of hand building road bike frames one at a time, with the most sought after, state of the art steel tubing, Pegoretti remains both progressive and influential in the evolution of contemporary custom frame building.

Recently, Pegoretti’s work (and influence on his peers) was honored at The Museum of Arts and Design (MAD) in New York City. He is an award winning builder who’s bikes have been ride proven by world champion riders.
But, how does this bike ride? Pegoretti maximizes the influence he has over the ride quality (compliance), comfort and performance of each frame by utilizing custom designed triple butted steel tubing. This means the frame will flex where it is needed – for comfort – and be stiff and responsive where those attributes are desired. Long comfortable rides with easy climbing and a fast (if you like) finish!

This brings us to the reason for this post … this week’s BOTW (Bike of the Week) – the Reponsorium by Dario Pegoretti. This specific frame, 55cm stainless steel (triple butted) was selected by Dario exclusively as part of his booth at NAHBS (National Hand-Built Bike Show) 2011 this past February in Austin, TX. The 2012 Responsorium is built with an oversized headtube, allowing for a better surface for Dario to weld the oversized stainless steel downtube. Consequently, the frame requires an oversized headset, luckily, Chris King makes an appropriate headset to fit the new headtube.

With its unique paint job, and though it is not strictly a custom frame (based on a potential buyer/collectors physical geometry) it is a one of a kind. Looked at, coveted and lusted over by the thousands who attended NAHBS 2011, this frame now resides here at NYC VELO, where it retails for $4500.00 (including the fork and custom Chris King headset).

Imagine all of the build possibilities as you gaze into it’s yellow eyes!

NYC Velo Presents The Taconic 150

Mark your calendars for the innaugural Taconic 150, a ride of 150 (or so) kilometers in the Taconic mountain range north of the city.  The ride starts at 8am on Sunday August 14 at the Metro North train station in Wassaic, NY.

The Taconic Range stretches from Northeastern Dutchess County in NY to Southern Vermont, rising from the Hudson Highlands less than 80 miles north of Manhattan.  The Taconic 150 tours the southern section of the Taconic Range, starting in the Upstate NY town of Wassaic in Dutchess County before rolling through Southeastern Columbia County, crossing the bordering into Berkshire County in Massachusetts, and returning back to Wassaic.

BH Demo & Shop Ride

Please join us here at the shop (64 2nd Avenue) on Saturday June 4th at 8am for a very special edition of our weekly shop ride with our friends from BH Bikes. Not only have we invited members of the local NYC Velo sponsored BH Garneau team, who have been putting these same bikes through the rigors of training and racing for almost two seasons, but the shop ride will double as, wait for it… a BH DEMO EVENT! We will have at our disposal a variety of BH’s latest offerings available for you to use on the shop ride, or just take to out for a spin. This is a huge opportunity to ride some of the fastest machines the bike industry has to offer alongside those who race them and those who create them. Come see what all of the “fancy carbon road bike” hype is all about!

And, on Sunday June 5th from 8 AM to 12 Noon, BH Bikes and NYC Velo are happy to announce another BH Demo Day! We will be parked out on Hudson Terrace, just north of the George Washington Bridge. Joshua from BH bikes will be in full force with a trailer full of BH road bikes ready to rumble!

A bit of history and info about BH:

BH began building bikes in the Basque region of Spain more than 100 years ago.  For them it was essential that the bikes were lightweight, agile, and strong.  With these ideas in mind, BH has grown into one of the most innovative and highly engineered performance cycling brands in the world, with a history in racing to prove it.  BH bikes have been seen winning the Vuelta a Espana as far back as 1935. More recently, riders on BH bikes have also enjoyed carrying the yellow jersey for eight stages of the Tour de France in 2009.

BH was the first to manufacture a monocoque carbon road frame weighing in at less than 800 grams.  This new standard set the bar high, for carbon road frame technology. Also, with that design, BH established themselves early in the game, as a company that is driven to produce light, fast, efficient bikes.  BH prides itself on evolving its leadership in bicycle technology, obsessively developing and testing new products and technologies that consistently lead athletes to the podium. This dedication to innovation is the driving force behind these machines.

BOTW: Parlee Z5

The Z5, a 5th generation frameset for Parlee is one of the lightest framesets ever built, yet still possesses the famous quick-acceleration-tendencies, lively road feel, and comfort that are the hallmarks of Parlee frames. The Z5 combines the best qualities of the custom Z1 and stock Z4 by using the latest mold techniques and carbon layup processes. Without sacrificing performance, comfort or durability, Parlee is able to mold the whole main frame section in a single contiguous piece. This bike was ordered for a (current Landshark owner) customer who wants to move from steel to a carbon bike that according to him “has some life in it.” His opinion is that most production carbon bikes are dull in character and he’s looking for a carbon bike with real spirit. Well sir, no dull carbon ride here and plenty of spirit!

STAY TUNED for info on our upcoming shop ride and Q&A night with Mr. Bob Parlee himself !! That’s right !!

Now serving: Parlee

Hailing from Beverly Massachusetts (USA), PARLEE is a bike company doing it right and for the right reasons, and is the latest domestic brand to become a part of the NYC Velo family.

PARLEE bikes were born over a decade ago with one goal in mind, to build the best performing race bikes in the world. At that time, carbon fiber was overlooked in the road bike market despite all the success in motorsports and aerospace. In the late 1990′s, most race bikes were aluminum or titanium. However, based on what Bob PARLEE learned about materials while building racing boats for 20 years, says Bob, ” I knew that with the right sized tubes, and the right fiber lay-up, and proper molding techniques, carbon fiber would be the best choice for creating fast, light and comfortable racing bikes. Ten years on, it is plain to see, my instincts were right. Carbon is now the material of choice for professional and recreational riders. No major bike manufacturer is without carbon fiber in their road lineup. The question now, for the rider, is not what material to choose, but which carbon fiber bike to choose and why?”

Bob says, “PARLEE designs and builds fast, light, durable and comfortable bikes — qualities that were once considered mutually exclusive in bike building. Because of this, you will not see unnecessary shapes in the designs. The guiding principle for PARLEE is efficiency. The key to pushing performance is to use carbon fiber strategically to maximize its characteristics. Carbon fiber is perfect for building bikes because it has
such a high strength to weight ratio. This is why the styling makes no sense. All it does is add weight and take away from ride quality. It is akin to putting fins on a car — they may look cool, but they are not going to make it perform better”

In the last ten years, PARLEE has pioneered many industry firsts; from the first customizable carbon fiber racing frames to FLEX-FIT semi-custom geometry to the industry’s first sub-800 gram carbon fiber frames. But unlike other manufacturers, the development of PARLEE’s line of bikes has been organic. “I’ve always loved scribbling out an idea and then moving to the Bridgeport to create complicated molds,” says Bob. “By constantly thinking how can we make our bikes better, it has allowed our bikes to evolve, with each model building on the success of its predecessor.”

In addition to producing some of the best custom carbon frames available, all PARLEE models are offered in stock sizes. PARLEE stock bikes are built using the same process as their custom bikes. Each is built with uncompromising care and attention to detail. The PARLEE ownership process begins at NYC VELO, where we take precise measurements and gather the pertinent information about what (you) the customer wants in his or her bike’s performance. All of this information is passed on to the bike designers at PARLEE who use their internally developed CAD system to ensure that the frame matches the rider’s preferences perfectly.

The Scott F01L