Assos Trunk Show @ LOFT 12/10/09

Come join us on Thursday, December 10th at 7pm, to see the latest pieces of cycling apparel from ASSOS of Switzerland. ASSOS has long been recognized as the Gold Standard for cycling apparel. The evening will be hosted by ASSOS representative, Thom Norton, who will show the company's fine cycling apparel for both Fall/Winter & Spring/Summer Seasons 09/10. There is simply no better apparel for cycling. Period. See you at 7pm. Snacks and beverages will be on hand. Please RSVP to jeff@cycleloft.com.

"Electricity is really just organized lightning."

Greetings!

I'm Brad. I work upstairs @ the Loft.

This is the first in what I'm hoping is a series of cycling related (and possibly food related!) posts. If I think it's cool, interesting, and/or just plain strange then I'll share it with you here.

Introduction? Check.

Statement of purpose? Check.


The Main Event!

Shimano's new Di2 group may just be the single coolest thing I've ever put my mitts on. It's the real deal and it's here to stay. I knew it was coming. I've been seeing spying shots for years. I tried to temper my unbridled enthusiasm for shiny new parts with the correct amount of skepticism. Mavic tried the electronic thing with Zap and Mektronic years ago and it was an abomination. It was so bad that I've tried to erase it from my memory.

Could Shimano succeed where Mavic failed? Sure...Shimano has years of engineering expertise and the deep pockets to finance such an ambitious endeavor but making the leap from producing cable actuated derailleurs and shifters to a fully electronic drivetrain is a huge one. Could they actually bring a viable product to market?

"WAY BACK! WAAAAAAAAAAY BACK! DEEP INTO THE NIGHT! GRAND SLAM!!!!!!!"

I've ridden it. It's everything I had hoped it would be. It's lightning quick. It's quiet. It's so good that I dream about it at night. It's also bloody expensive! Figure on spending close to $5,000 for a complete group.

How'd they do it?

Visually, the 7970 Di2 parts aren't too different from their 7900 mechanical cousins. The crankset, chain, cassette and brakes are standard issue from the mechanical group. The front and rear derailleurs sport fancy new additions in the form of a solenoid driven motor (for the rear) and a solenoid driven motor plus CPU (for the front). The CPU is what enables the derailleur to execute it's most amazing function:

Automatically trimming itself to eliminate chain rub. Run Big/Big until the cows come home. The CPU keeps track of how many rear shifts you've made and executes small movements of the front derailleur to compensate. I've had my hands all over this stuff for weeks and this is the part of the system that still amazes me. The CPU also plays a role in making the rear shifts flawless. For every shift, the "brain" overshoots each cog by a small amount and then auto-corrects it's position to perfectly align the cage and chain with each cog. Add those two things together and you've got 100% flawless shifting. Every time. The front derailleur will work with Standard and Compact cranks. The rear derailleur has a maximum capacity of 27 teeth.

What about the shifters?

The glowing praise I've heaped upon the front and rear derailleurs would mean nothing if the shifters were uncomfortable. They're not. They've got a slightly narrower body (thanks to the elimination of all of the shifting mechanisms) than the 7900 mechanical levers and a less bulbous front end. I think they're the most comfortable levers Shimano has ever released. The brake lever itself is reach adjustable. The shifting buttons are easy to reach and have a solid engagement akin to a mouse click. The shift wires themselves have a small module attached that can be zip-tied to one of the brake cables. This module acts as both a battery life indicator and as a pseudo barrel adjuster. Holding down one of the shift buttons will give you a visual representation( via LED) of your current battery charge.

Solid Green = 100% charge
Flashing Green = 50% charge
Solid Red = 25% charge
Flashing Red = Critically low charge

Pressing the button on the module for two seconds will enter the derailleur adjustment mode. Once in this mode, the shifter buttons will allow you to fine tune the position of the rear derailleur in 0.2 mm increments. This is only required during the initial set up. Unlike traditional metal cables, the wiring is impervious to the elements. No cable breakdown or housing failure means little to no adjustment after it's installed.



How long does the battery last?

Instead of using an exotic and untested battery, Shimano chose to use a fairly standard rechargeable Lithium-Ion battery for the Di2 system. Shimano claims 1200-1500 miles of life on a full battery. Reports from actual users have supported this claim. That's a ton of miles from a battery that weighs about as much as some modern smart phones. It will fully recharge in 90 minutes from 0%. The battery mount attaches to the downtube via the water bottle bosses.


How does it ride?

Dura-Ace has always been the standard by which other road groups have been judged. The Di2 group is on a completely different level. It's worth every penny and I can't wait to get it on my bike. Push the buttons and it shifts. No questions. No hiccups. Shift the into the big ring under full power and it doesn't hesitate. Shift the rear derailleur in the middle of a full blown sprint and it happily executes it's task.

Now I just have to figure out a way to finance a group for myself!

Come on into the shop and check it out. We've got it installed on a beautiful Parlee Z4.

If you've got any questions you can email me via the address below or call the shop directly.

Email: mechanic@cycleloft.com
Phone: 781-272-0870 x5

Cheers!

B-Rad

Superb Video - Craig Mclean - British Track Cyclist

Just a quick check in today with a couple of video links:
The first is a well produced mini-documentary about Craig Mclean, British Cycling Track Cyclist. Take a look. It's quite compelling.

On an unrelated cycling and rather humorous note, a friend sent this link. I share this with everyone for the sheer laughter, and this is in no way an endorsement of either their product or beefjerky in general.

*Jeff

New Flight-Deck Officially Cancelled

Well, we had a feeling it was coming (actually truth be told, I knew last week) but I got the official email from Shimano North America today announcing the official cancellation of the forth(never)coming computer model SC-7900, which would have been the latest gen of Flight Deck computer system to fit the newest 7900 & 6700 component systems from Shimano. The question is, why?

Well, rumors abound as to the exact reason(s), with some hypotheses ranging from by the time it actually came to market and was on the shelves, the technology would have already been obsolete--which doesn't seem to be that much of a stretch considering the innovative leaps and bounds companies such as Garmin, Powertap, SRM, Specialized, and Trek have made in having computers [and/or powermeters or GPS] that all connect wirelessly through the open ANT+ platform, to the #2 reason could be that Shimano wasn't totally happy w/ the design [see previous point], and the company is aware of the growing popularity of powermeters--which begs the question that, considering one cannot put a Powertap hub into a Shimano rim [well it could be done, but not easily, you'd have to fabricate your own spokes], maybe it's the next thing on the horizon for Shimano to integrate--power measuring capabilities in a hub of their design, or elsewhere? Think Metrigear and pedals?

Who knows, don't know, can only guess, all I know is that we haven't even begun to se what technology can do in earnest from a data standpoint. Just think about the notion of having power measuring and wireless transmittable data sent from the custom footbeds in your cycling shoes. Think it's too far fetched? Think again, I've seen the proto. It's coming. Now it's just hurry up and wait.

Indoor Training & eMotion Rollers

Two early[ish] morning reminders: #1: Cycle Loft's Indoor Training Program begins today--first sessions for M/W athletes, and then tomorrow, the first session for T/Th athletes. Kurt "Chopper" Begemann is set to go--hope you are too--it's going to be even better than last year's program. Class starts at 6pm sharp, so be sure to turn up early to snag your place and get ready to go! We've got one spot open in the T/Th class if you still want to join!

*Note, there is still plenty of space available for the Saturday class. You can "drop in" by reserving your spot by the end of Friday by calling the shop. 781-272-0870 x4

#2 With the reality of Fall and Winter approaching, and for the many, the indoor cycling season, we would really encourage those looking to take their indoor season and preparation to another level, to consider using rollers--especially the eMotion Roller system from Inside Ride. Look here for a FAQ from Larry & Joanne, the inventor's of the eMotion Roller. There is quite simply NOTHING else like it. Get the best of both worlds--all the resistance of a trainer, with all the benefits of riding rollers--namely smoothing out your spin, and keeping your entire body [and mind] focused and engaged on actually RIDING!. We've got a set for demo in the shop. Don't hesitate, take advantage of the new seasons to re-commit yourself to your training and preparation for next Spring. You can also read our comparo of trainer vs. rollers here.

#3 In conjunction with our Indoor Training Program, please be aware that the Cycle Loft is also offering professional cycling coaching, provided by Kurt Begemann. We have several different programs, and one of the best value adds of working with the Cycle Loft's in-house Coach is that you get to actually ride with your Coach. Unlike all of the "other" long-distance coaching programs in vogue today, your cycling will improve simply by riding with someone that's been there and done that--he will make "on the bike" suggestions that can flatten out the learning curve of cycling--whether you're training for the PMC, Harpoon B2b, or racing--I can tell you from personal experience, that there's nothing quite like learning the "secrets" of cycling to flatten out the curve.

*Jeff P

New Fall/Winter Hours for the LOFT

Hey everyone, real quick: with the change in seasons we're changing our hours ever so slightly. We'll now be open as follows:

M-F 10.30a-7.30p
Sat 10a-6p
Sun 12-5p

As always, any questions, comments, or suggestions, please don't hesitate to call or email at ride@cycleloft.com. We think our crystal ball is dialed in pretty well, but sometimes as with bicycles, it's in the shop once in a while. This info is also on our website. More updates soon, JP