Infinite Cycles Blog
10
2010
Bike of the week 4: Cannondale Synapse Feminine 5
Today’s bike of the week has been one of our very most popular women’s bikes over the years. Going back to that “go at least 105″ saying from an earlier post, this Synapse does that on a budget. At $1350, the comfortable aluminum frame boasts a carbon fork, light weight Shimano wheels, and women specific touch points (saddle, handlebars, brake levers/shifters) so the fit is just right. We find that this is the best meeting place between performance and value. The carbon framed version of this bike is at $2000, so the aluminum option is great for keeping on budget.
For 2010, it comes in two great colors: Egyptian Blue and Magnesium White.
This bike is made for women that are typically first time road riders, want to do a few triathlons, bike tours/charity events, or just want to get in shape. That is who the Synapse is designed for.
Get all the details on Cannondale’s website: 2010 Cannondale Synapse Feminine 5
Now don’t get all jealous, men. There is a model for you too, available in blue or white. Check it out at Cannondale.com: 2010 Cannondale Synapse 5
Posted Wednesday, March 10th, 2010 by Brad
9
2010
Giro ProLight Helmet: They are not kidding
We received our first couple of the new Giro ProLight helmets. At first look, it doesn’t look like anything real special until you pick it up. The name isn’t just cute, it is ridiculously light!
I threw it on the scale to compare it with Giro’s top of the line 2010 Ionos. I was pretty shocked by the outcome. There are 453 grams in a pound (according to Google). The ProLight box (which is strangely small and lightweight compared to standard helmet boxes) weighs twice as much as the helmet itself!
ProLight size medium weight: 200 grams
Ionos size medium weight: 315 grams
Some of us will gladly trade aesthetics for weight, others are just the opposite. The Ionos looks amazing, but the draw of light weight is so addictive!
People spend fortunes trying to save 100 grams on their bikes. Here’s an opportunity to shave weight in a big way. When you put it on, you can barely feel it. Come check it out, it’s pretty cool.
Posted Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 by Brad
9
2010
My first century
I did my first century a couple weekends ago. The Zion Country Century in St George is something I’ve had my eye on since the weather started changing last fall. Instead of riding on an indoor trainer, I got some good cold weather gear and rode outside all winter long. That was a ton of fun training for this ride. Obviously a few winter rides couldn’t prepare me for such a long ride so early in the season, but a little training was better than none. One of the draws of this ride was to get out of the winter cold in Salt Lake and enjoying the warmth down south. Some terrible twist of bad luck brought the wet and cold weather down for the day of our ride (but of course the day before and after were beautiful). It still felt warm for us, but the riders from Vegas were dying!
Starting out was fun. Lots of people were there, our best guess was 650-700 riders, from all over on all kinds of bikes. The first few miles were on a winding bike path right next to the river. They provide four distance options from 25 to 100 miles. This ride had a number of great rest stops with encouragement and restrooms, but most importantly water, fruit, granola bars, and Subway sandwiches.
I was under the impression (not that it would have swayed me to not go) that there was not much climbing involved. Now I don’t mind climbing, but often less is more. The hills ended up being pretty big and long and frequent, but the hills were a breeze compared to the headwind (no pun intended)! The last 20 miles before the turnaround were so painful with the wind. I couldn’t hardly stay above 10 miles per hour on flat ground! Like everyone, I ran out of energy, and would get a second wind, then run out, third wind, repeat… I found new meaning to feel the burn.
After lunch at the turnaround, that headwind became a tailwind and hallelujah! We regrouped and flew back on that awful flat between 26 and 29 miles per hour without too much difficulty. Then a couple more hills, more suffering, then it started to rain. I’ve ridden in the rain and snow all winter so in anticipation I had all the right clothing on so I was good to go (minus my non-covered shoes). I also thought (mostly hoped) we were almost done, one last hill. A couple we passed coming up said, “This is the last hill, boys, good job. You’re almost done!” Yahoo! That felt good to hear… until getting to the top and it was a dirty, ugly lie. There were many more hills and a little over 20 miles to go, in the dumping down rain. I should not have let Senior Optimist get into my head and trusted my Garmin 705 GPS to which I installed the course map for reference.
The last few miles were on long muddy, rural roads, still dumping down rain. We had to ride side-by-side to keep from getting mud spray in the face. At the end, I had broken through all walls of cold, wet, tired, sore, hungry, and mental issues. I finished with 98.09 miles on the clock. I felt like I could have gone another 20 or so, but I sure didn’t give it a try!
I could not have done it without my friends, my new Oakley Jawbones (I’ve ridden without glasses for the last two years), and my Zipp wheels. In retrospect, it was a ton of fun. I will probably do another century or two this year, and they will likely be easier mentally and physically. A week and a half later, feeling has returned to my hands, and I can sit on hard chairs again. The day after the ride, my body felt pretty good with the exception of some saddle sore.
Here are a few pictures to enjoy. Don’t mind the belly, I lost the ability to suck in my gut for photos at the end! Bike was super filthy. When I flipped over the stripped down frame a couple of days later, a half cup of water dumped out from the frame! I tore it down to the last bolt and nut. Now it is good as new.
Posted Tuesday, March 9th, 2010 by Brad
3
2010
Bike of the week 3: Cannondale F7
March is here and the trails will soon be ready to ride! You don’t have to spend a fortune to get a great bike. Cannondale’s 2010 F7 gets you SRAM shifting, Avid disc brakes, and a suspension fork with lockout. For years of dependable mountain biking, this is where you start. Using Cannondale’s advanced aluminum engineering, the F-series frames are comfortable, efficiently stiff, durable, and light.
Cannondale makes women specific models of the F-series bikes. Women specific goes beyond color. Across the line, Cannondale takes the designing of women’s bikes seriously to accommodate the differences between men and women far beyond the traditional “shrink-and-pink” approach. Saddles, handlebars, frame geometry, suspension tuning, and in many cases brake lever size are all designed and manufactured specifically for women.
At just $600, this bike is a great value. We sell a number of these bikes to people with cabins or second homes near great riding to use a few times a year. It is also a quality first mountain bike, or replacement bike on a budget. This bike is also well suited for packing the kids in the trailer and riding around the neighborhood or to the park for a picnic.
Take a look at the men’s bike or women’s bike on Cannondale’s website, or come see them in person. We keep both colors in men’s and women’s bikes in stock in almost every size.
Posted Wednesday, March 3rd, 2010 by Brad
24
2010
Bike of the week 2: Cannondale Six Carbon 5
The 2010 Cannondale Six Carbon 5 is likely going to be in our top three selling road bikes this year. For 2010, Cannondale completely redesigned the Six series and took a number of features from it’s big brother, the SuperSix. This bike not only looks fast (and looks much more expensive than it really is), it is light weight, smooth riding, has a solid parts kit, and a great price.
At just $2000, you get a Cannondale carbon fiber frame and fork with Shimano 105 components, Shimano wheelset, and an FSA BB30 crank. This bike also comes in red and white. You get the choice between a compact double and a standard double crank, too.
If you’re looking for a road bike and you ask anyone that rides, they will likely tell you to “get at least 105 components.” At the crossroads of performance and value lies the Cannondale Six Carbon 5.
Get full specs and see the alternate color on Cannondale’s website, or come see it in the store for yourself!
Posted Wednesday, February 24th, 2010 by Brad
22
2010
SRAM Apex road components just announced
We were asked to not make this information public until the official launch on the 22nd. By the time this goes live, it will likely be old news. We heard about it the morning of Feb 16 and have been dying to hit the “publish” button.
SRAM just announced a new budget-friendly road groupset. This is a glorious day. Just a little behind Valentines Day, but better late than never, right husbands?
For those of you that know us, you know about our undying love for SRAM road (and mountain) components. This new group, named Apex, appears to have a bullseye on Shimano’s insanely popular 105 road system. This announcement comes just a few days after seeing the revamped 2011 Shimano 105 system. When looking for a road bike, many people are told by friends, family, and deep-thinking insightful all-knowing (insert sarcasm here) web forums, to “go at least 105″ on the components. Although that is a good idea, maybe this will change that paradigm to “go at least Apex.”
SRAM has never made a triple road group, and they are not making any exceptions with this new kit. One of the (literally) huge announcements is the adoption of a 32T option on the cassette. SRAM revolutionized doubles with their 28T cassette for Rival, Force, and Red. Now they are making an even bigger range without the complication of a triple. SRAM is leading the conversion of mountain bikes from triple to double cranks as well with their premium XX line and will start trickling down the line in the years to come.
The popular Double Tap road shifting system has become more popular every year with manufacturers and riders alike. Double Tap is the biggest difference between SRAM and Shimano’s STI. With Double Tap, there is just one shift lever (instead of two). To shift to a smaller ring, simply push the lever until the click. To shift to a bigger ring (or two or three), push that same lever further until you get into the gear you are looking for. This provides intuitively effortless shifting in multiple hand positions. Another nice feature to Double Tap is to fine tune the brake and shift lever adjustment for a perfect fit and for smaller hands, like for women and younger riders.
No word (at the time of writing) on pricing or availability. Stay tuned for updates on this sweet new system.
Posted Monday, February 22nd, 2010 by Brad
18
2010
Announcing the Goldilocks Ride
Ladies, mark your calendars! We’ve got a great women’s only ride coming up in May right here in Herriman. On May 8th, the Goldilocks Ride starts at Butterfield Park. Three distances are available to ride: 15, 30, and 60 miles. This event is put on as part of the annual Herriman Pedal Palooza event sponsored by Infinite Cycles, Healthy Herriman, and IHC. Registration has been open for a few weeks and is limited to 500 riders. It is filling up quickly, so make the decision now to just do it!
On the Goldilocks website, we have three guest bloggers that will share their experiences in training for the ride. Follow their stories.
Visit the Goldilocks Ride website: http://www.goldilocksride.com for full information, and to register online.
Or visit the Goldilocks Facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/GoldilocksRide
Posted Thursday, February 18th, 2010 by Brad
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