This is my bicycle. There are many like it, but this one is mine.

This is my bicycle. There are many like it but this one is mine.
(warning this youtube link contains material not suitable for children)


Primarily, I went with a tried and true Campagnolo Centaur gruppo. Some people don't care for the Quickshift mechanism but I appreciate its accuracy and light weight. Don't forget Danilo DiLuca won the Giro on a set of Centaur Quick Shifts!


A nice feature of the now dated square taper Centaur cranks is that they come with Record level chainrings. I wish I could say the same about the new Centaur cranks.


Centaur rear derailleur with a carbon cage. Save some steel bolts this is identical to first generation Carbon Record.


Clean looks on this front derailleur fitted to a SRAM Red clamp.


The 3T bars and stems have done nothing but impress me with their gorgeous looks, precise and well finished hardware not to mention their stiffness and strength.


Bold yet tasteful graphics.


Note the "3T" etched out of the faceplate. When paired with its counterpart 3T bar you get a visually striking front end. Also note the Fizik Microtex Handlebar Tape... by far the best available on todays market.


Nice low profile clamp with easy to adjust bolt design. None of that reverse mounting nonsense we see from some other brands.


When you weigh 150lbs soaking wet you get to take advantage of some gram savings with weight weenie items. I have come to the conclusion that 99% of weight weenie crap is just that but these Zero G Ti's (I have these on special order FYI, just ask) serve me well.


Cork Pads are becoming a must have as most riders like to switch between alloy and carbon wheels without concurrently swapping brake pads constantly. This specific brand of pads which I carry offer paramount stopping power and are very reasonably priced.


Though Campagnolo and Shimano offer arguably the best hubs on the market due to their ball bearings, you just can't go wrong with DT Swiss.


The R1.1 rims are very durable, light and stiff. These are offered in a single or double eyelet design depending on how sturdy of a wheel your weight and riding terrain dictate. These 28hole single eyelet'd wheels took me through the cyclocross season in its entirity (Thank You Richard) and now grace my road bike.


A nice feature of DT Swiss over Campagnolo hubs is that you can lace the DT Swiss with a radial pattern. The dominant feature of DT Swiss over Shimano Dura Ace hubs is the substantial weight savings and black finish.


Nothing makes a wheelset complete like a nice set of skewers. I went with the smooth cam'd DT Swiss Steel version. Light enough, good looking but most importantly; trust worthy.


Here we see not only the beauty and simplicity of a square taper crank but also the aluminum bottom bracket lug on the Time Edge Racer. In the aluminum BB shell I feel no difference in stiffness or in weight compared to the carbon bottom bracket on the VXR Proteam I test rode last fall.


Looking down and seeing this brings me joy. The Time Quikset allows you to have a clean finished top cap... no finicky bolts, no headsets coming loose. In my opinion this is a key feature of Times that is often overlooked.


The water bottle bosses are low on these bikes and some cages may not work. I originally wanted to install a set of Arundel Mandibles on this bike but had to go with the Arundel Stainless Steel model instead. After two rides I am very happy to have metal hugging my bottles.


These simple, no nonsense dropouts allow for lightning quick wheel changes. An important feature for any racer or mechanic.


My Edge Racer came with the amazingly stiff Time Pro Carbon Seatpost... these precision frame accessories retail for $270!


Note the 3rd eye chain-watcher. Everyone should have one of these on their bikes regardless if they race or not. Why drop and chain and mar your bottom bracket shell if you don't have to?


Time still uses downtube shift cable bosses. At first this kind of irked me but I have grown to like the ease of cable adjustment on the fly. On my bike I fitted a nice pair of Campagnolo stops. Note: Time frames do not come included with these Campanolo frame fittings.


A nice shot of the Time Quickset... Ahhhh.


I just may have the nicest training tires in New Hampshire. 25mm Vredesteins Fortezzas. For craggy, rough roads it is great to have a set of 25s mounted. In my opinion anything more is unnecessary. Click on the image to see just how nice this tread pattern is.


Times wishbone seatstay oozes class and keeps the rear wheel planted firmly on the ground over the most non-compliant vertical and horizontal forces.


Black sidewalls and prominent but non-offensive logos make the Vredesteins a tasteful compliment to any wheelset.


Arundel is producing the best bottle cages by far. Who cares? If you are asking this question you need only lose a bottle on a sweltering hot day to understand. Why suffer more than necessary?


To purchase a Time Edge Racer contact me at "justin@sveltecycles.com" or call 603 943-4202.

Cheers,
Justin

Time Edge Pulse/Dura Ace Complete Bike

The Time Edge Pulse is the bike I trust will perform for my Pedros/Svelte Cycles Road Team I am sponsoring this year. This is all the machine anyone needs to race and ride competitively and when fitted with perhaps a higher end wheelset, this bike will give you the same advantages as 99.9% of the bikes you see in today's PRO peleton if not more.


The only difference between the Edge Pulse and the Times highest end non-ISP module the VXR Proteam are that the Edge employs more round tubes as opposed to elaborately shaped tubes and has an aluminum bottom bracket shell instead of carbon. Will you feel these differences when out riding? No. Will these differences effect negatively the integrity or longevity of the bike? No. Do these differences allow Time to produce a handmade frame at a lower cost? Yes. Oh I almost forget, the Edge requires you use a clamp-on front derailleur as opposed to a braze on. Again, a difference you only feel in your wallet.


Everything else is the same... Handmade if France, identical production methods, identical materials, identical finish qualities, nearly identical geometries. Don't forget, Time has been producing carbon fiber frames longer than any other major manufacturer. By virtue of their void-less lugs and tubing, intricate production methods and materials Time represents the gold standard in modern lugged carbon fiber frames. These bikes ride like true race bikes. No dull, woodlike sensations, no wavering on technical, demanding descents, very light, very stiff in all the right places, absolutely gorgeous finishes and they come with perhaps the nicest, most highly acclaimed fork available the Safe + Fork.


Though not as streamlined as the new 7900 Dura Ace STIs, the 7800s offer all the comfort and light action precision shifting Shimano is known for.


The FSA OS 150 Stem paired with the FSA Gossamer Double Butted Handlebar offers a stiff and light cockpit. (note horrendously long steerer tube... this bike has yet to be fitted to it's owner)


I was very pleasantly surprised by the FSA Energy brakes. They offer a smooth and strong retention, use a nice quick release cam, have a bold and sturdy design and hone replaceable brake pad holders in addition looking very nice indeed.


Though not Michelins flagship tire, the Lithions are very dependable and puncture resistant. These come with a kevlar bead so they are light and I noticed they are also very round and mount straight... you would be surprised how many tires don't!


The wheels... The Edge Pulse comes with Fulcrum R7s which are perhaps the most awful wheel ever. The quick releases are even worse. I trashed them and fitted a nice set of DT Swiss hubbed/32H/3x wheels.




See that little target on the top tube? Drop a plum line down from the tip of your saddle to the top of the top tube and measure over to the center of the target. Voila. You have just performed the easiest and most accurate set back measurement ever.


Light action and so smooth. Some prefer Campy and SRAM but you simply can't beat the smoothness of a Shimano Drivetrain. Like butter. This is why you see most SRAM Pro-Tour teams secretly riding Shimano chains and cassettes.


A very simple, basic carbon seatpost from FSA. Nothing special but it is strong, light, has setback and is easy to adjust.


So I was not crazy about this bike coming spec'd with a generic Time saddle featuring a big hole in the middle but hey... if you are into that sort of thing you are all set. If not, saddles are cheap and I can offer you a wide array of Fizik, San Marco and Selle Italia goods.


I adore Times wishbone seatstay. So clean and tasteful. It reminds me of the stays on the Pinarello Operas of yore. Keeps the rear wheel on the ground with authority.


So compact cranks... To be honest I have never ridden one. What is the selling point? For me it's more time you can stay in the big ring ie: less front shifting. If you live in a mountainous area and don't average 400 watts at threshold you may be psyched to have one of these... I know I would be!


Take note this is the FSA SLK Light... a very, very nice crank worthy of replacing a standard Dura Ace setup, not some price point piece. I love the carbon cap that comes with these and the voluptuous pearl carbon undertone.


An FSA compact specific front derailleur comes standard for accurate, crisp shifts.


Check out the boldly shaped seat-tube. This guy means business.


Lugs...



To purchase a Time Edge Pulse Complete Bicycle for $3185 email me at justin@sveltecycles.com or just pick up the phone and dial 603 943-4202. To purchase from the Svelte Cycles Website click here.

Cheers,
Justin

*Note: Click on images for full size!

16,032 Words.

Lew ProVT-1/Pillar Hidden Nipples/Sapim CX-Ray/DT Swiss 190 Ceramics
Edge 1.68/Pillar Hidden Nipples/DT Swiss Competition/DT Swiss 240
Lew Pro-VT1/Pillar Hidden Nipple/DT Swiss Revolution-Competiton Mix/White Industries H2
Built by Hand - Justin Spinelli

Continental Competition 22 Tubular Tires

Consider the Continental Competition 22s the staple of ProTour level tubulars. They are not the lightest, they are not the most supple, you may even consider their all black appearance leaves something to be desired (personally I love the full black look). Where the Continentals lack in uber-featheryness and silky plushness , they make up ten fold in durability, resistance to punctures and low rolling resistance.

By no means do 22s ride harsh, but are they as silky smooth as a Dugast? No they are not. Will you be out $150 everytime you flat? No you will not! And much unlike Dugast's these are always in stock and you don't need a buddy in Belgium smuggling them over on a boat. At 260g each the 22s are by no means heavy and fall well within the normal weight range of a high end tubular tire.

In the Competition 22s, Continental uses its Vectran Breaker Technology as well as its Black Chili Compound. To put it as simply as I can, the VBT is a layer of Vectran underneath the tires tread. The Vectran material is five times stronger than steel as well as lighter and more flexible than 2 layers of nylon... This is the only Liquid Crystal Polymer in the world. So needless to say you don't have to worry about flatting, which is a great feature because it is so hard to go fast with a flat tire! Real world technology ladies and gentlemen... there is a reason why most PROs race on the 22s when it's an option. Also included with the 22s is the ever popular Black Chili Compound. Continental shrinks individual black carbon particles to an ultra-fine level creating nano-technology for when mixed with butyl rubber. How will this affect me you ask yourself? 30% better adhesion, 26% less rolling resistance, 5% improved mileage over Continental tires without this compound. The Continental Competiton 22s are a real world performance product that you can rely on to be there when it counts. For frou-frou-shi-shi call your up your buddy in Bruges.
Clean and simple graphics. Bold yet not offensive.
This is my most favourite salient feature of the 22s. Micro file tread. In my opinion this tread offers the best water and dirt shedding capabilities and makes the coolest of noises when you put your hand down to skim-clean your tires. "zzztttt!" "zzztttt!"
Here is a side profile of the all-black 22s. Pure class in my opinion.
Love that clean, tough, fast look of the micro file tread... it makes other treads look overkill and a tad cliche.
Another pic. At this point I am just showing off the old Campagnolo Record Alloy Bits.
This too can be yours. Or at least the wheels and tires!

To order a set of Contintal Competition 22's click here.

ps: Yours truly trains on these tires and wheels everyday on craggy New England roads. Saving your carbon tubular wheels for special occasions is soooo 2007.

Cheers,
Justin