Journal

Forge + Bond Wheels - From Gunnison With Love For The Planet

Forge + Bond Wheels - From Gunnison With Love For The Planet

Written by Ed Kilbourn, on Sep 25, 2023

Depending on how you look at things, it’s somewhat of a golden age for carbon bike wheels right now. Sure, we still have to navigate through some low-quality “inexpensive” wheels that come across the radar, but by and large there are a lot of great carbon wheel options out there...
MIX & MATCH?

MIX & MATCH?

Written by Joseph Bonacci, on Sep 22, 2023

Mix and Match Component manufacturers invest a substantial amount of time, resources and money to the meticulous creation of groupsets and other integral components for our bikes. So of course it is natural that they would want us to use all their components together, and we’re often told that this...
A Most Unconventional SCOTT Spark RC Drop Bar

A Most Unconventional SCOTT Spark RC Drop Bar

Written by Joseph Bonacci, on Sep 15, 2023

Of all the bikes that come through our service department for upgrades, few have caught our eye like this 2019 SCOTT Spark RC SL. We had the pleasure of doing an unconventional swap, making this 100mm front and rear travel mountain bike a drop bar ‘gravel’ bike. Now we know...
The Santa Cruz Heckler SL Joins The Ultralight eMtb Category

The Santa Cruz Heckler SL Joins The Ultralight eMtb Category

Written by Ed Kilbourn, on Sep 13, 2023

The folks at Santa Cruz are generally not ones to miss the boat on what’s hip in the cycling world, and the rise of the ultra-light eMtb has of course not gone unnoticed in NorCal.  Santa Cruz has unveiled the latest addition to their e-lineup, the bantamweight Heckler SL. The Heckler SL...
3T Exploro Racemax Boost Vs. SCOTT Solace Gravel eRide Review

3T Exploro Racemax Boost Vs. SCOTT Solace Gravel eRide Review

Written by Isaac Boyden, on Sep 11, 2023

Meet the bikes  The world of e-gravel bikes is starting to boom, with companies releasing models left and right, trying to hop into this new market. To us the consumers, it can be pretty confusing to look at all of these models and see what's different. I mean, they all...
Cervelo ZFS-5 Tech And Race Review

Cervelo ZFS-5 Tech And Race Review

Written by Isaac Boyden, on Sep 09, 2023

When a road-centric brand like Cervelo finally steps into the full-suspension MTB world, it tends to get our attention. The Cervelo ZFS-5 has been in the works over the last year or two, and if you're anything like me (an extreme XC nerd), you’ve been seeing spy shots of it...
Upgrades - Are They Worth It?

Upgrades - Are They Worth It?

Written by Joseph Bonacci, on Aug 30, 2023

When looking at possible upgrades for your bike, there often seems to be a high premium for “small” upgrades. There are definitely some upgrades that are more for aesthetics or status rather than performance, and there are many upgrades that are worthy of their high premium. We have been lucky...
Santa Cruz Skitch

Santa Cruz Skitch

Written by Ed Kilbourn, on Aug 27, 2023

It’s no secret that Santa Cruz, like most manufacturers with their hearts in the right place, has always been about making the bikes they want to ride. This ethos has produced many outstanding trail bikes, XC race bikes and gravel rigs over the years, so it’s even more intrinsically valuable...
3T Tech Comparison - Exploro Racemax Vs Exploro Ultra

3T Tech Comparison - Exploro Racemax Vs Exploro Ultra

Written by Isaac Boyden, on Aug 23, 2023

3T is one of the world's oldest bike brands, operating from the heart of Italy for the last 65 years. When it comes to models, at a quick glance you see two. The Strada and the Exploro. Today we are focusing on the Exploro, their gravel bike line. But don't...
3T Exploro Ultra: Isaac's Ride Review

3T Exploro Ultra: Isaac's Ride Review

Written by Isaac Boyden, on Aug 23, 2023

The bike I tested was the Exploro Ultra, with Sram Rival AXS XPLR, 3T carbon wheels and bar, and Vittoria 27.5 x 2.1 Barzo tires. Obviously with the spec'd tire size, this was a bike set up for adventure. And oh boy, adventure it did! I rode a size 56 frame,...
3T Exploro Racemax: Joseph's Ride Review

3T Exploro Racemax: Joseph's Ride Review

Written by Joseph Bonacci, on Aug 23, 2023

Recently I had the opportunity to test out 3T’s performance gravel bike, the 3T Exploro Racemax. I set out to see how the bike could perform as a gravel bike, all-road bike, and strictly road bike. To put the bike through the paces, I set up two wheelsets for it;...
Tricolore In Nero - Colnago C68 Beautiful Bicycle

Tricolore In Nero - Colnago C68 Beautiful Bicycle

Written by Ed Kilbourn, on Aug 16, 2023

We’ve been fortunate to have a solid run of Beautiful Bicycles come through the shop lately, and we’re “molto eccitato” to share this one with you! It’s safe to say that handcrafted Italian road bikes hold a special place in most bike enthusiasts' hearts. They’re the type of unique creations...
Mullets Are Back And Definitely Ready To Party

Mullets Are Back And Definitely Ready To Party

Written by Ed Kilbourn, on Aug 09, 2023

If you haven’t updated your pop-culture cycling dictionary with the term “Mullet”, now’s the time, as the definition has expanded…. For the last several years, the moniker of our favorite “haute coiffure” from the New Wave era has referred solely to the use of two different tire/wheel diameters on a...
It Rolls Good Like Angry Bee Sound - OPEN x Chris King WI.DE Ltd.

It Rolls Good Like Angry Bee Sound - OPEN x Chris King WI.DE Ltd.

Written by Ed Kilbourn, on Aug 07, 2023

“Bike Envy” can be a serious condition for many cycling enthusiasts; the almost uncontrollable (and often incurable) reaction one experiences when a *really* cool, unique and yes, often expensive bike crosses your radar. The figurative wheels start turning, and you soon find yourself creating the mental list of sellable items...
Silently Powerful - Scott Solace eRide Gravel

Silently Powerful - Scott Solace eRide Gravel

Written by Ed Kilbourn, on Jul 30, 2023

The term “Expand Your Horizons” may feel a bit played out in the current day and age. Information and accessibility have truly made the world a better, smaller place and mostly in good ways. But now that the advent of the eBike and the evolution of the gravel bike have...