A Day With Rapha - We Don't Need No Registration.

OK so actually there was a registration required and this was technically a "race" but the usual feelings of anxiety, angst and dare I say fear all of which comprise pre-competition emotions at a typical elite bicycle race were traded for aspirations of adventure, challenge and enjoyment in suffering. This was to be my first ever "gentlemens race" or what I would like to call a "cyclosportif". Rapha Continental brought me on as a ringer to help the team of 6 cover the 120 arduous yet scenic miles at the Rapha New Paltz Event.

So why did I drive 8 hours, pay for my own hotel and skip a very nice regional race hosted in the relatively close by Hartford, CT? Answer: This luxurious Rapha Lightweight Jersey! No, not really but Rapha clothing sure is nice. It felt like that first time I got behind the wheel of a new BMW after spending months driving a GTI. Sure the GTI is a fantastic little car and more than capable of harnessing my relatively modest driving skills, BUT.... Sliding into the seductive crimson leather bucket seats of my BMW M-Coupe of yore, gripping the hand stitched, leather steering wheel, gazing at the dial which displayed MPH numbers deep into the hundreds framed in chrome metal.... yeah.... that's the stuff. So as I slid into my Rapha jersey, I had one of those moments of moving up in the world.


My good pal James with the Embrocation Cycling Team/Gaulzetti Bikes was on hand and man... don't those bikes look nice? Craig Gaulzetti who was instrumental in my comeback to pro racing some 4 years ago designs and has fabricated these aluminum no-nonsense race machines and I must say there are few people more capable at designing a bicycle than Craig.



Even Jeremy with his timeless Richard Sachs machine was curious and it is a little known fact that Sachs has one of these Gaulzettis on order.


The challenge of the day was for each team of 6 to work to get from start to finish as a team. Start as a team, finish as a team. Sure some riders were stronger than others, there were punctures and mechanicals of which no outside support was allowed to remedy. Alliances were formed, alliances were broken, attacks were made in vain. These are the expoloits of a typical bike race but without all the hoopla and pressure that is encountered at even a local elite race. Who needs em!? Don't get me wrong, I will be toting to the (official) line for many years to come but this quaint event up in New Paltz oppened my eyes to the possibilies of what a small group of people can do without a USA Cycling Permit.

Here is the Rapha Contintal Team before we set out. Fine bunch indeed.


Though we set out with two other teams of six, the group shattered soon after the first major climb and we rode together at a modest pace in hopes to cover the course in a decent time and perhaps combine with another strong team to improve our speed and morale on the flats.


To get some training in I rode at my own race pace up the big climbs as I knew the checkpoints would be there waiting for me and we could all re-group and carry on from there. Here I am after the first big climb about 30 miles into the ride. Rapha documents everything as these events are key to their marketing campaign. Even Slate Olson was there helping the crew... that is him assisting me with my water situation. Slate Olson, General Manager of Rapha filling my bottles... what a class act! Slate could have been sipping lattes in Portland but he flew all the way out to New York to help his guys.



After a long descent into the plush valley my race strategy aspirations came true and the Embrocation Team caught us. Mind you these are guys I would hang out with off the bike so having their company (and horsepower) was a real treat for the next 60 miles of pedaling... then they left us in the dust. Thanks guys!



3rd and final check point 100 miles in. "Leisure Time" my ass!


Here is a nice snap of Rapha brand stalwarth and long time friend of mine Jeremy Dunn cruising with yours truly in the shady forests of New York. Not only is Jeremy the founder of Embrocation Cycling Journal, crack reporter for VeloNews, and head of Marketing and Relations at Rapha he is also a very good athlete so watch for him this cross season in the highly competitive Cat 2 field.



We made it. Some 6 plus hours later we cassualy rolled back into the parking lot, our mission complete with those overwhelming feeling of accomplishment setting in and our lips puckering for a nice cold beverage of choice.


What exactly defines a bike race when it is no longer your job? What is the purpose? Why suffer? Why sacrifice? Why commit to weekends away from the comforts of home? These are the question I ask myself as a newly retired PRO and the answer is simple, I love riding my bike. Even more so I love sharing with friends my love of riding and all the exploits that go with a hard day in the saddle. Svelte Cycles will surely continue its weekend rides here in Nashua on non-race days but now perhaps with a narrower focus and a re-discovered enthusiasm for friendly competition and challenging oneself without the need to stand in a registration line. We don't need no registration.


Until Next Time,
Justin Spinelli
justin@sveltecycles.com
603 943-4202

What's new at Svelte?

Lots has been going on behind the scenes here at Svelte Cycles so I thought I would take this early morning before I set out on the bike then get knee deep in some wheel builds to bring you up to speed on a couple interesting things.

First of all, I moved. No not very far at all from where I was before but due to the fact that I was rapidly outgrowing my cozy little nook in the north end of Nashua, NH it was time to move on. The main reason being Svelte Cycles is now an "Authorized Independent Fabrications Dealer". What does that mean? It means I need space to have you guys over, fit you for a bike and all within a nice formal, chic space so our styles aren't cramped. More photos of the space later... think hardwood floors, sunny, big windows, lots of nice bikes on display and plenty Rouleur and Embrocation magazines to read while sipping on espresso.


A couple months ago when the first signs of spring became apparent, I decided it was time to add a little colour to the Svelte casual wear ensemble. A few deep thoughts and sketches later, I was headed down to the local custom t-shirt shop owned by my pal Tyler and placing an order. Here is what I came up with.

Some Svelte Falcon (fastest land animal) Crest action in mint green.


OK so this one has no colour but hey... white means spring/summer and should join the party.


I've always admired the symmetry and prestige behind the Chanel logo so I came up with my own little play on it for all you fashionistas. Using a cursive lower case "s" and "c" this one is real stunner (for an American Apparel t-shirt anyways!)


Oh yeah, and in case you get thirsty. Specialized makes the best water bottles ever so I figured I should get a few hundered made up for us. I love the translucent green tops paired with the sharp colours of the Falcon Crest. (this artsy shadow pictures belies their vivid green hues but you get the idea!)


I will be sure to post these goodies up on the (changing by the day) www.sveltecycles.com website and add the links to this post later this afternoon just in case you want some of this stuff for yourself this summer. As always, thank you for reading!

*update: Click Here!

Cheers,
Justin Spinelli
justin@sveltecycles.com
603 943-4202

Javelin Cortina.

It seems many of the best things in cycling come from Italy and the Javelin Cortina paired with its Campagnolo Super Record gruppo is no exception.

Though I do not agree with the choice of fork, handlebar, seatpost, cables and housing and even watter bottle cages these components are not the reason my good friends at Javelin so generously sent me this amazing machine to test ride.


Sorto, You rock my world. Un abraccio mi hom. The Cortina frame itself was splendid and offered true craftsmanship and quality. This honey-comb carbon tubed frame looks monocoque but it is not. Each tube is designed on par with its frames size then hand wrapped together at the joints producing a frame very close to 850 grams. I was amazed at how stiff and solid the Cortina felt for such a featherweight frame.


The rear end of the Cortina is something wonderful. Not only does it ride smooth, stiff, planted and responsive, it is strikingly pleasant to the eye and the "fatto in italia" craftsmanship and design through out is glaringly obvious. Top notch work.


Though very light, I would not be as confident that these bottle cages will hold a 20 oz bottle better than an Arundel cage... of course I am biased though! Note the gorgeous round tubes leading seamlessly into the robust yet not obnoxiously beefy bottom bracket shell.


Look closely to see the little bridge where the seat stays grow from the bottom bracket. I am sure this very minor fixture pays off large dividends keeping the rear triangle stiff and responsive.


A stunning seat stay from Javelin. The rear end of the Cortina feels amazingly grounded, solid and smooth. I'm sure this well designed bridge has something to do with that.


The Cortina makes those little glances back at the rear triangle while riding a real treat. They give me the same sensations as when I looked in the door rear view mirror when driving my M-Coupe of yore and seeing those wide, bold and confidence inspiring wheel wells. It's the little pleasures that make the big differences you know?


Fetching dropouts. These are made from a lightweight alloy which are epoxied into the frame.


Note the sweet carbon front derailleur clamp from Parlee. Utilizing a carbon clamp on a carbon frame makes it possible for only the meatiest of meat fisted mechanics to over tighten the front derailleur clamp and damage the seat tube. In fact, I would be willing to bet that Parlee designed this clamp to fail before a seatube would in said circumstance. Bob? Are you reading this?


I have "issues" with anything that gets filed under the weight weenie category and this little number from Schmolke was no exception. The carbon post is impossibly thin, the cradle offers no setback and the clamp design itself does not instill confidence. Lets just say were this my bike, I would have mounted a nice Campagnolo Record seatpost.


What is the worst that can happen when you snap a seatpost? Can't hurt too bad right?


Gorgeous and understated graphics from Javelin. Very well done and hits all my aesthetic pleasure buttons with authority.


The Zero fork is soft enough as to set itself drastically apart from the amazingly stiff charactaristics of the Cortina frame. Also, its finish does not match that of the Cortinas. Were this my bike I would install a nice, rock solid fork from Edge which would not only match the Cortina frame but more importantly (?) offer a more consistent feel on the bike throughout.


Nokon cables... I have never heard anyone complain about a nice set of Campagnolo cables and housing. Were this my bike I would have kept everything stock and proper with the Campagnolo cable kit and used the leftover cash on a trip to the cinema.


Ahhh. The new Campanolo hoods. The redesigned spacious and curvacious mold lends itself perfectly to my wide and long hands. Thank you Campagnolo. You are now back on par with SRAMs Double Tap ergonomics. With regards to the rest of the Super Record gruppo, it was everything I expected it to be... simply superb. Crisp, clean shifts mated with gorgeous design and the always refreshingly brilliant stiff and smooth crank and bottom bracket assembly.


More from Schmolke. With these bars there is simply no room to comfortably place your hands when riding in the drops. Also, would it have been so hard to put a little grid on the center of the bar to make accurate side to side mounting simpler? On a more positive note the bars sure felt light when rolling along at 25mph with my hands on the tops and I looked uber-cool while doing so.


In house wheels from Javelin under their "Zero" brand. I love the fact that you can true these wheels without removing the tire. Crisp, clean graphics, light, nimble... good wheels. The front wheel did feel slightly soft and flexy but those sensation may have come from the limp fork.


Italia. Ti voglio bene. The Javelin Cortina frame and Campagnolo Super Record struck me as amazing. Complimenti.



If you would like for me to build you a Cortina according to Svelte Cycles specs, please give me a call or drop me a line. The Cortina frame alone costs around $12k.

Cheers,
Justin Spinelli
603 943-4202
justin@sveltecycles.com

Week In Pictures: Sunday Spooky Supertouch pour moi.

The final bike of the week is a Spooky Supertouch Cyclocross bike very similar to the ones I will be racing on come September. Featured on this bike is a conservative Rival/FSA drivetrain, 3T Rotundo bar, 3T ARX Pro stem, Fizik Microtex tape, 4ZA cantilever brakes, Mavic R-Sys Wheels (thanks to Guenther at Mavic!), Michelin Laytex tubes, Challenge Griffo Open tires, Shimano XTR pedals, FSA Carbon post, Fizik Aliante saddle. Thank You all for following my blog and I hope you enjoy these nice sunny day photos.

Be sure to click on the photos for their full XXX size.



















Have the urge to get your cross bikes set up early or even partake in some summer-cross? Give me a call or drop me a line and I will get you rolling proper.

Cheers,
Justin Spinelli
603 943-4202
justin@sveltecycles.com