This Saturday, May 10th, is the Darek Leyde Memorial Utah State Criterium Championship sponsored by Cyclesmith

Course: 
The course is going to be FAST!  Less than 2k/lap, it has something for everyone.  Did i mention it is going to be fast?!  This is not the RMR you are used to; no oval, no circuit race.  This is a real criterium with plenty of turns and a huge finish line.  You will NOT be disappointed. 

Trophies:
The trophies are COOL!  Not only will you have bragging rights as the State Criterium Champion, you will have something really cool to put on your mantel. 

Darek Leyde:
This criterium is named after a really great guy that we raced with.  He passed away from skin cancer (something all cyclists should be cautious of), and we were all saddened by his loss.  Please wear plenty of sunscreen and keep Darek in your thoughts.
Registration:
You can register online at:
https://www.sportsbaseonline.com/Item.aspx?item_id=2511
A second race is just $15. 

See you out there!

Marek

I know… I know… Everyone hates senseless product plugs but I promise this is not one of those! Promise!

After seeing them around, selling a couple, and now riding one I have to say the Salsa Chilli Con Crosso is hands down my favorite cross bike out there! I am/was a skeptic right off the bat! Not just of the salsa but all cross bikes. I have ridden many and have found most of them…well… wanting.

I must admit that I am not a cross racer but more of a cross commuter/ wish they made a road bike that I could ride on a BMX track. I love to dive into dirt corners… boost curbs… and run over stuff all in the comfort of drop bars. Crazy I know but sadly it is true! This bike makes all of this possible and more…not to mention it is cool green!

Once you jump on and hit the gas you will smile. A few pedal strokes later you will find yourself in a full on giggle! This rig sails it soars and nothing is more fun than trucking by someone on their full suspension craziness while you are in your drops….

Trust me if fun is what you are after this is the bike for you and yours!

If you have not heard here it is in black and white…  Team Cyclesmith is joining up with Rocky Mountain Cycling Club (RMCC) to form a true SUPER POWER of Utah cycling talent and fun! 

For those who are interested in being a part of a fun and fast 2008 season there will be a meeting/open house held on Wednesday Jan, 23rd… 6:30pm at Cyclesmith 250S 1300E.  The meeting will cover the nuts and bolts of the team/club along with a good look at the new combined kit!  In true Utah tradition refreshments will be served!!

See you there!

HED:

Founded by Steve Hed in 1985. Steve began what was to become his vocation in humble fashion, working on an aero wheel in his garage at home. This quickly led to an interest in all things aerodynamic. Now, 20 years later, HED cycling products designs and manufactures 16 different models of composite wheels, exported worldwide and used in events from the Tour de France to the Hawaii Ironman to the pretigious North Oaks triathlon championship. Every single wheel is still handmade. Minnesota.

HED’s strength lies in two areas: the H3 Trispoke and its reasonable prices. You get a really high end wheel for much less than a pair of Zipps. They make great wheels for any cycling pursuit from the track to the road to the triathlon and time trial. A certain american, first name Lance, won many a tour time trial with a HED H3.

There are three categories to the HED lineup. The Stinger series are all carbon, the Jet series uses an aluminum rim and a carbon fairing, and the H3 is a molded all carbon wheel with a carbon or aluminum braking surface.

Stinger:

50: Using a 50mm deep carbon rim, this is our recommendation for a great all around race wheel. Its built with HED’s sonic hubs and Ti spokes. 1407g. $1390.

60: The Stinger 60 is excellent for TT use. The Stinger 60’s aerodynamic advantage is significant while the handling remains relatively unaffected by side winds. The Stinger 60 is an all carbon bladder molded rim which keeps the wheel strong and the weight low. The Stinger 60 is built with sonic hubs, bladed 6/4 ti spokes front, and bladed steel spokes rear. 60mm deep rim and 1435g. $1390.

90: The Stinger 90 is made for ripping time trials. Aero and lightweight. Compared to a flat sided wheel, the toroidal shape keeps airflow more laminar and reduces the turbulent area behind the wheel. Designed with a high surface area, low weight and minimal drag, the Stinger 90 is a very fast wheel. The Stinger 90 is built with sonic hubs, bladed 6/4 ti spokes front, and bladed steel spokes rear. 90mm deep rim and 1668g. $1390.

Jet:

50: At 50mm deep, 1620g pair weight, with an alloy brake surface, the jet 50 meets Hed’s criteria for an ideal aero road wheelset. Wheels are spoked using bladed spokes, 24 stainless spokes on the rear wheel, 18 6/4 ti spokes on the front wheel. With a clincher rim and machined brake track they are suited to any condition and durable enough to use as season-long race wheels, there’s no need to save them for special events. 50mm deep rim and 1620g. $1290.

60: Race light and everyday strong, a true working man’s carbon wheel. The Jet 60 can do it all from Time Trials to Crits- these are a great plug and play wheelset. 60mm deep rim and 1590g. $1290.

90: The most aggressively designed of the Jet wheel series, the Jet 90 is at its best on high speed, non-technical courses. It is an ideal all conditions rear wheel or for races where discs are not allowed. Best for Time Trials, Triathlons, and of course- KONA.

90mm deep rim and 1745g. $1290.

H3:

The H3 tripspoke is the wheel that HED is best known for and for good reason. For Triathlons you can’t ask for a better set up than a trispoke front and rear. That is a set up beat ONLY by a trispoke on the front and a disk on the rear. These wheels are fast, fast, fast. $1490.

If you like all things fast there’s nothing quite like a pair of deep, aero, light, carbon wheels. They’re like putting high octane fuel into a sports car. Plus, they look bad ass! Thinking about buying a pair for the race season next year or just for fun? Here are some of the pros and cons of the black gold revolution in bike wheels:

PROS:

• Other than the position of your body, carbon wheels increase your speed more than any other equipment change. This alone can mean minutes of a 25 miles TT time
• They’re usually lighter than the wheels you have on your bike right now. While Aero trumps Light any day the reduction in rotating mass is great in accelerations or when the road gets really steep.
• Carbon dampens road vibration and impacts better than metal. This means a more comfortable ride

CONS:

• The Price. You’re looking at $949-$2499 for a pair of wheels.
• Handling. Some smaller riders claim that really deep dish wheels (where the rim in 60-80mm deep) are hard to handle in cross winds. Others don’t seem to have a problem. If you’re worried, its probably wise to demo a pair we have in the shop.

Manufacturers:

We carry three brands of carbon wheels in the shop: ZIPP, HED, and Torelli. Each has their own strong points. We’ll highlight each company over the next few days.

ZIPP:

Founded in 1988, ZIPP is the only carbon wheel (and crank, handlebar, stem, and tire) manufacturer to have its production facilities entirely in the United States. This is one of the reasons they are more expensive than the other brands- their attention to detail (dimpled wheels, ceramic bearings, and amazingly strong rims) puts them over the top and they produce a product that is second to none. World Championships, Ironmans, Tour de France Stages, you name it and its been won on a pair of ZIPPs. If having the absolute best and greatest is important to you than this is the way to go. Here’s the breakdown of their wheels:

202: Light (1070g) and surprisingly aero (more so than a lot of other companies 40-50mm deep wheels). If the Little Cottonwood hill climb makes you salivate these are the wheels for you. 32mm deep rim.  $2100.

303: A great wheel set that balances light weight (1110g) and aerodynamics, this is a great choice for technical criteriums or long road races. 38mm deep rim. $2100.

404: The perfect all around wheel. Very aero and reasonably light (1250g); choose these wheels for just about anything: Road races, Crits, Time Trials, Triathlons, Cyclocross, etc. 58mm deep rim. $2100.

808: One of the most aerodynamic spoked wheels ever tested (and pictured above). A great choice for Road Races and the perfect Triathlon and Time Trial wheel still light at 1435g. 82mm deep rim. $2300.

1080: This is one deeeep rim. Designed exclusively for Time Trial and Triathlon specialists, the 1080 is faster than some disks and will be easier to handle in cross winds. Also great for courses where a disk is illegal (cough, KONA, cough). 108mm deep rim and 1668g. $2450.

WE HAVE ZIPP DEMO WHEELS!!!

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Cyclesmith now has a pair of Zipp 404 wheels available for demo. Zipp is by far the leader in wheel technology and produces the fastest wheels you can buy. Our’s are set up with ZIPP Tangent tires, also some of the best in the world.

If you’re interested, drop by the shop or email us!

Salsa released some pictures of their new complete bikes for 2008.  Enjoy!

The Casseroll. Singlespeed, fixie, triple, road bike, it can be everything. I’m buying one of these set up as a fixie as soon as I can get my dirty little hands on one.

La Cruz cyclocross bike. Disks+steel=hotness

One of our favorite bikes from 2007, the El Mariachi is back. 1X9 gears= simple. Steel frame= a beautiful ride.

Bling, ’nuff said

More to come!