Tag Archives: shop rides

This weeks SUNDAY MORNING SHOP RIDE: TACONIC 150 #5

The 5th edition of the Taconic 150 is on the schedule, 150 kilometers of dirt and road riding in Dutchess and Columbia counties.  The ride will meet at Peck’s Market in Pine Plains, NY at 9am Sunday 6/23/13.  Route and elevation details can be found HERE
If you have questions please contact info@nycvelo.com

JOIN US SUNDAY 6/16 @ 8:00 AM @ Stumptown Coffee on 30 West 8th @ Macdougal

This weeks shopride will meet at 8am sunday morning at Stumptown Coffee, 30 West 8th & Macdougal !

Bike Of The Week: Kona Explosif 650B

New for 2013, Kona’s Explosif model continues in steel but adopts the 650b tire size.  For those not familiar, 650b tires (and wheels) are sized between “traditional” 26″ mountain bike wheels and the “newer” 29″ wheel size.  The bike sports a SRAM X7 group, Avid hydraulic disc brakes and a Rockshox fork and is available at NYC Velo for $2199.

NYC Velo Tours: Days 5&6, 2012 French Alps

For the third week of September, NYC Velo (under the “NYC Velo Tours” banner) led a group of intrepid cyclists on a tour of the Southern French Alps.  A photographic review of Days 1 & 2 was posted in November and a review of Days 3 & 4 was posted in December, while the photos below document Days 5 & 6.  The ride on Day 5 started and ended in the town of Briancon, consisting of a loop that climbed the Col d’Izoard and followed the rivers Le Guil and La Durance.  On Day 6, the last day in the saddle for this trip, the crew ascended the highest paved road in Europe, the Col de la Bonnette, before a long descent along (the river) La Tinee and a final 9k climb up to Valdeblore.

The gear supplied by Search and State (the S1-J Riding Jacket) and Grimpeur Bros Coffee (the Greenbelt and River Road Peaberry roasts) once again proved to be up to the task of protecting and caffeinating the crew.

The trip consisted of 6 (usually) long and (usually) difficult days in mountains (total riding elevation gain was just shy of 73,000 feet), but the food, drink, camaraderie, and warm welcome by all of our new French friends made the pain and fatigue disappear.  NYC Velo has plans for similar trips in 2013, stay tuned!

If you’d like to learn more about this trip, or any of the upcoming adventures, stop by the shop or drop us an email at: Andrew@nycvelo.com.

The proper way to start the day in Briancon, Day 5

Evidence of Briancon's Industrial Past, Day 5

Weather pushed the day's ride to post-lunch (Briancon Pizza), Day 5

Host Housing in Briancon, a centuries-old tannery, Day 5

Les Tanneries, Renovated, Day 5

Tools of the trade, Les Tanneries, Day 5

Barn, Briancon, France, Day 5

Bike Lane: Col d'Izoard, Day 5

Ian, at the summit of the Col d'Izoard, Day 5

Descending down the south side of the Col d'Izoard, Day 5

Route D902, above Le Guil, Day 5

Post-ride calorie replenishment, Day 5

Frommage, Day 5

French Barn, Briancon, Day 6

Ascending the Col de Vars, Day 6

Lunchtime fuel stop, Jausiers, Day 6

A mellow start to the Col de la Bonnette, Day 6

Looking back towards Jausiers, on the lower slopes of the Col de la Bonnette, Day 6

Climbing the Col de la Bonnette, Day 6

The Col de la Bonnette, the highest paved road in Europe, Day 6

Barn, Col de la Bonnette, Day 6

Barn, another view, on the Col de la Bonnette, Day 6

Above the treeline, Col de la Bonnette, Day 6

Thin air on the Col de la Bonnette, with much more to come, Day 6

Another switchback, Col de la Bonnette, Day 6

Even the sheep are dangerous above 2000m, Day 6

Heed the warnings! Day 6

Ian and Jack, trying the friendly approach, avoiding a furry stampede, Day 6

Ian, navigating a switchback 3k from the summitt of the Col de la Bonnette, Day 6

(Young) Ian & Jack, negotiating the finish to the top of the Col de la Bonnette, Day 6

Ian takes the front, weather moves in as the summit approaches, Day 6

After cresting the summit of the Col de la Bonnette in freezing rain, the team takes refuge in a warm oasis in Saint-Etienne-de-Tinee, Day 6

That's one way to warm up, too bad the team still had 40k to go, Day 6

Instead of vodka, coffee did the job at Lou Ben Manja, Day 6

Looking down the Vallee de la Tinee before the start of the final climb, Day 6

The bikes of Fr2012, at rest

The team tackles the final climb up to Valdeblore, Day 6

The final climb, 9k of this...

Young Ian, nearing the finish, Day 6

The view, looking west, from the hotel in Valdeblore, Day 6

The narrow streets of Valdeblore, Day 6

A bench in Valdeblore, perfect for a rest after 6 days of riding

The final meal of the trip, Provencial Pizza in Valdeblore, Day 6

Bike Of The Week: Crazy-Trained Indy Fab Planet X

NYC Velo’s latest Bike of the Week (BOTW) catapulted itself into the limelight after a strong showing at last week’s Crazy Train *Race* in Philly.

The BOTW is a Planet X cyclocross bike from Independent Fabrication, in steel.  This Indy Fab was built for its owner in 2002, along with the steel fork, of (mostly) Reynolds 853 air-hardened tubes.  Underneath its current cloak of sand/salt/mud/train sweat, this Made-in-Somerville, Mass cross frame wears an eclectic mix of SRAM Force shifters & derailleurs, Shimano Ultegra 6600 Single-ring cranks, Mavic R-SYS wheels (the replacement version) with Maxxis 700 x 33mm mud knobbies, Paul cantilever brakes, and Chris King headset and bottom bracket.

As has been written, the Crazy Train course was a mix of riding surfaces (sounds like cross, no?), including muddy singletrack, snowy singletrack, icy bike paths (that seemed like riding on cornmeal), railroad ties, piles of cinderblocks, and both improved and unimproved roads.  This Planet X (Tim Johnson rode a similar bike to win the USA’s first podium spot ever at a CX World Championship event in 1999) has seen a lot in it’s 10 years on the Mid-Atlantic-New England CX racing circuit, but the adventure along the tracks in Philly last week was the one to beat.

NYC Velo Tours: Days 3&4, 2012 French Alps

For the third week of September, NYC Velo (under the “NYC Velo Tours” banner) led a group of intrepid cyclists on a tour of the Southern French Alps.  A photographic review of Days 1 & 2 was posted here last month and the final 2 days will be posted after the new year, while the photos below document days 3 & 4.  The ride on Day 3 started and ended in the town of Valbonnais and topped the Col d’Ornon and the famed Alpe d’Huez, finishing with a stretch at sunset along the Grand Lac de Laffrey.  On Day 4, the crew tackled the Col du Glandon/Col de la Croix de Fer, the Col du Mollard, the Col du Telegraph and the Col du Galibier, ending up with over 18,000 feet of elevation gained for the day.

If you’d like to learn more about this trip, or any of the upcoming adventures, stop by the shop or drop us an email at: Andrew@nycvelo.com.

Pre-ride Laundry in Valbonnais, Day 3

Grimpeur Bros Coffee & Croissants, Valbonnais

Gearing up for Day 3, Valbonnais

Day 3 Navigation in Entraigues

Le Maison du Le Perier, Day 3

The Slopes of the Col d'Ornon, Day 3

The Slopes of the Col d'Ornon, Day 3

Ian & Ian, Climbing the Alpe d'Huez, Switchback #13, Day 3

Roundabout, Marking One of the Final Turns on the Alpe d'Huez, Day 3

Young Ian, Calmly Enjoying the Fruits of His Labor at the top of the Alpe d'Huez, Day 3

Route D211B between the Alpe d'Huez and Allemond, Day 3

Climbing Route Monfalcon Between Saint-Barthelemy-de-Sechiliene and Laffrey, Day 3

Le Grand Serre, Day 3

Taking Advantage of the Remaining Sunlight in Fugieres, Day 3

Alpine Architecture at Sunset, Day 3

Riding Towards Le Chauvet, Day 3

Ian, Chasing Daylight, Day 3

Troy & Ian, Apres Ride, Valbonnais, Day 3

Le Diner @ Le Chardon Bleu, Valbonnais, Day 3

The Team, Strategizing Over Sidewalk Morning Coffee, Valbonnais, Day 4

Pacelining Up the Slopes of the Col de la Croix de Fer, Day 4

Ian, Facing le Barrage de Grand-Maison, Day 4

Andrew & Ian Climbing Route D526 to the Col de la Croix de Fer, Day 4

High Alpine Sheep on the Col de la Croix de Fer, Day 4

Looking Back Down to the Col du Glandon from the Col de la Croix de Fer, Day 4

View of the Slopes of the Col de la Croix de Fer, Day 4

The Lac de Grand Maison, near the summit of the Col du Glandon, Day 4

The Col de la Croix de Fer, AKA the "Pass of the Iron Cross", Day 4

The High Alps, Near the Summit of the Col de la Croix de Fer, Day 4

Lunchtime at the top of the Col de la Croix de Fer, Day 4

A Well-Equipped Barn near Albiez-Montrond on the Descent from the Col de la Croix de Fer, Day 4

Ian on the Slopes of the Col du Galibier, Day 4

The View From the Col de la Croix de Fer, Looking South, Day 4

Jack, Racing Towards the Setting Sun on the Col du Galibier, Day 4

The Goal of a Very Long Day (18,000 ft of elevation gain) at Last, Day 4

Troy, Stringing-out the Crew on the Run Up to the Top of the Col de la Croix de Fer, Day 4

The Romanche River Valley, From Route D211B, Day 3

Ian, at the End of a Long Day 3

Alps, coffee, Grimpeur Bros Coffee, Road Biking, Search and State, shop rides, Tour de France, Tours, Trips

NYC Velo Tours: Days 1&2, 2012 French Alps

For the third week of September, NYC Velo (under the “NYC Velo Tours” banner) led a group of intrepid cyclists on a tour of the Southern French Alps.  The priorities of the trip were as follows: ride, eat, drink, sleep.  Setting that list to repeat 6 times yielded a week full of climbing (total elevation gain of 72,631 feet), descending, sun, scenery, and warm French hospitality.  Along the way, we thoroughly tested our legs and our gear (see the recent BOTW feature), including the Search and State S1-J Riding Jacket, a variety of Grimpeur Bros Coffees, Skratch Labs Exercise Hydration (USADA-legal we’re told), and Endura compression gear, reviews to follow.

The trip is best seen in photos, which are broken up into 3 News posts (Days 1&2, Days 3&4, and Days 5&6), with little more than captions to accompany the images.  If you’d like to learn more about this trip, or any of the upcoming adventures, stop by the shop or drop us an email at: Andrew@nycvelo.com.

Musette bags from Chris McNally, illustrator

AFter a red-eye flight, the riding starts s-l-o-w

Switchbacks on the Col de Braus

Arrivee #1

Snapping photos before the descent to Sospel

Yan, post-red-eye, pre-cafe creme, Sospel

....and the cafe creme

Le Grande Patron

"Gruppo Compacto" on the climb to Moulinet

The team working on its "Cafe Stance"

The largest vehicle available to rent in all of France

Dinner is calling!

The green lights mean "Pizza!" in Puget-Theniers

The French do a mean Pizza

Wine-fueled Swatch photo bomb

The start of Day 2 in Die

The climb out of Die, Day 2

Captain Jack atop the Col de Rousset

Looking back at the Col de Rousset

Troy, pensive, reflecting on the HC Col de Rousset

Southward, from the Col de Rousset, Day 2's first Challenge

The Vercors

Lunch in Saint-Martin-en-Vercors, Day 2

This Diversion added another 6k climb to Day 2

The view towards Grenoble from the Route du Vercors

The source of our Night 2 happiness, in La Mure

Yan, laughing at his food. Maybe it's the wine.

Night 2 protein, on its way!

Dinner Greens in La Mure

Is there a better way to celebrate a birthday?

Typical end of day scene

SICX 2012 Hurricane Relief Party

TACONIC 150 (#4) – October 20 @ 10:30AM

The 4th Taconic 150 ride covers a brand new route through Dutchess (NY), Columbia (NY), and Berkshire (MA) counties.  As with past editions of the T150, riders should expect some dirt and/or gravel roads, challenging (if short) climbs, and amazing upstate fall scenery.  Coffee and snacks will be provided at the start @ the Wassaic, NY Metro North Station.  Riders are encouraged to use Metro North from Grand Central Station in Manhattan for a hassle-free ride to and from the ride start.  Check out the route via MapMyRide below, including an elevation profile.  Email info@nycvelo.com for additional information.

http://www.mapmyride.com/routes/view/143893303

The Metro North train schedule from Grand Central Station to Wassic on Saturdays can be found using the link below (The first train leaves at 7:48am, arriving in Wassaic at 10:11am):

http://www.mta.info/mnr/html/planning/schedules/pdf/HAR_SS%20%20APR%201%202012.pdf

5x BOTW: The Bikes of Fr2012

This edition of the Bike of the Week feature details not one, but five bikes, making it the first 5x BOTW, FWIW.  The bikes in question were all part of Fr2012, an NYC Velo Tours-sponsored weeklong attack on the Southern French Alps.

Ian’s bike is the carbon fiber Opal, from the venerable Spanish marque Orbea, which came his way when he was part of the CRCA Junior Racing Program (a program that he helped to re-launch).  He’s now had the bike for a number of years, and it served him well as the French tarmac headed skyward.  Ian’s Orbea is outfitted with a mix of Shimano Ultegra 6600 and Dura Ace 7700 parts, not the latest-and-greatest, but more than up to the task, even the bike-racer-friendly 130mm stem and flo-purple Knog light (and Helen’s Cycles water bottles).

Jack’s bike is a Cervelo R3, a white carbon beauty that, when paired with the latest Shimano Ultegra 6700 gear, helped him set the pace as the Fr2012 crew tackled the nearly 75,000 vertical feet of ascension over the 6 day trip.  Jack’s brand-appropriate (ahem, Ian) water bottles did not slow down his Strava-insprired attack on the Alpe d’Huez, nor his sunset lead-out on the Galibier.  Not surprisingly, the Easton EC90 Equipe carbon handlebars and Cane Creek Crosstop levers aided finish-line one-hande-wheelie victory salutes.

Troy’s custom titanium Eriksen cyclocross bike may seem like a fish out of water on a predominately paved bike trip, but its S&S Machine Co coupler system allows him to pack it neatly into a suitcase (and avoid the increasingly nasty airline bike-handling fees).  Troy swapped the stock knobby tires for 23mm slicks on his White Industries-hubbed custom wheels, but kept the rest of the bike cyclocross-ready, including a Campy groupset and TRP cantilever brakes.  Troy’s Eriksen also sports a rarely-seen Syncros Revolution crankset.  Made of tubular steel, yet still lightweight and ultra-strong, these cranks were rare when they were available new 15 years ago, and almost never seen today.

Ian’s custom steel Independent Fabrication Crown Jewel road machine also uses S&S Couplers to facilitate air travel.  Ian’s Somerville, Mass-made Indy Fab is painted in a champaign-like hue, suggesting a titanium composition to the casual observer, remaining understated, like the rider himself.  His bike is set up with Shimano’s Dura Ace 7800 group and a pair of hand-laced wheels, perfect options for a week’s worth of Euro-riding.

Andrew’s Independent Fabrication Ti Crown Jewel rounds out the group’s equipment. The Ti CJ is, like Troy and Ian’s bikes, outfitted with S&S couplers, to many the best option for setting up a travel bike.  Andrew’s bike uses 2010 model year SRAM Red parts and a set of NYC Velo’s signature wheels (custom Industry 9 20/24-hole hubs, Sapim CX-Ray spokes, Stan’s Notubes Alpha 340 rims, and Hutchinson Atom 700x23mm tubeless tires).  The bike also utilized Chris King’s (the Pride of Portland) headset and bottom bracket, as well as Ritchey WCS handlebars, stem, and seatpost and a Fizik Antares saddle.  Weighing in at around 16 pounds, it proved to be a fitting piece of equipment for a weeklong ride in cycling’s Promised Land.