That's How We Roll: Top Picks for Upgrading Your Wheels

If you're looking to upgrade your ride experience, wheels are the biggest change you can make to your bike. It is your connection to the road, the final point of transfer for torque and the only weight that reacts differently to the forward momentum of the bike.

Want to improve your aerodynamics? Want a drastic change in weight? How about upping your average speed? The best answer to all these steps up is wheels.


The problem is, after market wheels can range from $350 to over $3,000. Where to make your mark? What's the best bang for your buck? Here are a few options that get our stamp of approval for good money spent to really get you rolling.

Please Note:

When somebody is looking at wheels, I often tell them, don't look to upgrade from what's on your bike now, look for an upgrade for your next bike. This way, your wheels will gain a longer lifespan because they will be an upgrade that lasts longer than one bike.

Understand the purpose of the wheels you are looking for. If you are predominantly climbing hills, weight should be a higher priority than aerodynamics. If you are mainly in flat areas you may want a deeper profile wheel to cut through wind resistance.

Beat the competition, not your
wallet with the Rapide CLX 60's

The Aero Approach

When you think of a deep-dish wheel options one name comes to mind: Zipp. They are fantastic wheels, but not everyone is ready to spend $2,800. Fear not, Roval is here to help you out. With the Roval Rapide CLX 60 you get a comparable carbon aero profile, with an overall lighter weight and
much better bearings for $2,200. In fact, Rapide CLX's come with ceramic bearings (a $600 upgrade on Zipps, bringing their price to $3400). For a full carbon, aero shaped, ceramic bearing wheel, it's hard to beat the Rovals at $2,200.

For the KOM

The unique 3-sided cut out profile of the
Ksyrium SL S

Want to trade your bike in for a billy goat? Think about the Mavic Ksyrium SL S's instead. The weight and stiffness combination makes Ksyriums feel like they would rather roll up a hill than down. 3D inter spoke milling cuts out any unnecessary weight between the spokes. The Mavic's
aluminum rims have a history of reliability so you won't get stranded on top of the mountain.  Being that this is an aluminum wheel, the price point is a little cheaper to turn your bike into a mountain killer, $1150 (with tires!).


Remember: 

Wheels are a huge step. Don't be afraid to spend some money to get a set that will last you a long time. It is better to save up some money and get too much wheel than buy a lower priced set that is going to make you want to upgrade again.

If you have any more questions about wheels or any other bike-related topic, please come by the shop and let us talk your ear off.

Confessions: Christine's Body Geometry Fit

I have discussed the importance of having your bicycle fit to your body. I have touched on what it means to be a fitter but there's one important perspective that has not been expressed: What is it like to go through a Body Geometry Fit?

Our newest employee, Christine, recently had her bike fitted to her and I asked her to say a few words about the process:

I have a confession. Years after purchasing my first bike-store quality bike, I still hadn't made the important investment in a proper fitting.

Some History

I'm a Bike enthusiast who enjoys a bike ride because it's the closest I can be to acting like a 10-year-old. I'm also a middle of the pack, age group, triathlete. I own many bells and whistles - fancy, carbon fiber frames, carbon Zipp wheels, power meter, Di2 Electronic shifting, all top of the line stuff, yet 

here I was, the start of my 7th year without a proper bike fit.

Recently, I realized I wasn't as comfortable riding. My bike was dictating how long my ride would be, instead of the other way around. It was time to take action.

I was skeptical about the true benefit of the fit process. Could a couple of centimeter adjustments here and there really make me more comfortable?

How It Went Down

The process itself is so simple and enjoyable I felt as though my bike and I spent some time together at a spa. Initially, I spoke to the fitter, I'll call him John Hollingsworth (because that's his name) about my riding style and what I wanted to accomplish. I explained that I wanted to go further and stay comfortable. He then conducted some range of motion assessments and took some relative measurements.

I quickly noticed that attention to detail is key to the Body Geometry fit process. Everything was taken into account, down to the length of my leg bones.


Some of the major factors that were addressed were my knee angle going from an under-utilized 22 degrees to a perfect 30 degree extension. My reach was shortened to increase control and weight distribution. Both adjustments made a serious impact on my level of comfort.  Shoes are also a part of the equation. My cleats have been adjusted and John recommended an impressive Body Geometry insole which adds some much needed arch support to straighten knee rotation. All the information is compiled and used to adjust the bike to me.

A bike is a wonderful invention, offering something for, quite literally, everyone. As a young child, it's a right of passage to learn to ride all by yourself. Later, we use bikes to get to friends or school. Bikes to commute, get exercise, challenge ourselves against ourselves, or even against our friends. Young and old, fit and those who aim to be, commuters and enthusiasts all have a bike. If you've made the investment in a great bike, you also deserve the bike to fit you the way it was intended.




As if the fit process weren't enough, the very best part is the result!I feel so in tune with my bike, it's like a whole new experience. Better yet, a new bike which was made just for me. I'm pushing the mileage and remaining comfortable. You truly don't know how much fun you are missing by riding a bike and not having it fitted properly to your body.

A is for Aero

Despite the results, I feel the cape makes me faster.

Many cyclists look at the weight of their bike meticulously. Most are in denial of their 'weight weenie' status
but will pay hundreds more for grams of difference. Likewise, there is a large group of riders that could ace many medical tests due to their research and focus on their nutrition. However, when looking at the aerodynamics of a rider, there is a stigma of being a last resort, or "too expensive" to be worth the aid.
Everybody put on your helmets because you're mind is about to be blown:


Aerodynamics is the most effective advancement a rider can make.

Now for the nay-sayers who are yelling things like "Well it only helps above 20 mph!" or "The added weight makes the aero shapes ineffective!" Stop shouting at your computer, I can't hear you.
Myself and Neal were fortunate enough to do some work in Specialized's brand new wind tunnel in Morgan Hill, California. Approximately 4 hours of work, which worked out to roughly $9,000 of time and expertise in the facility.
We were there focusing on change of body position. To see if a more "aero" position was more important to the area of resistance than the loss of power from losing a neutral fit. Working with a caliber of engineers that routinely get called by NASA for help is humbling, to say the least. To say we learned a lot would be an understatement.

Here are a couple of things we learned: Aerodynamic drag is not relative to the rider's speed. While I'm sure many people feel the difference around 20 mph, wind resistance is impeding your performance the same at every speed. In fact, many of the engineers argued that because you are spending more time from A to B in the air-based resistance at lower speeds, it is actually effecting you more.
While aero equipment does end up being slightly heavier than non-winged products, weight resistance is constantly reduced by momentum, where air resistance is actually heightened by acceleration.  
The biggest take home was a staggering number of how much resistance was wind-based.
On average, 70% of a cyclist's resistance is from the air.
As much as 50% (35% of the whole) of that resistance could be from the rider themselves.

What does this tell us?
Aerodynamics is a huge part of what can make you go faster and keep you going faster.  Especially in a state where our hills come as gusts from either coast.

Best Bang for your Buck
With many companies realizing the importance of being "wind-minded," there is very good new on the horizon: equipment upgrades can be more effective for less money. When you hear aero a lot of people think of a full aero frame such as a Specialized Shiv, or carbon wheels like Zipp 404's and their hopes of cutting through wind are dashed by the price tags of these items. But if you're just looking for improvement in performace, you don't have to get the high ticket items.

The Evade, scientifically proven to be effective. 

Specialized Evade
The first upgrade recommended is an aero helmet.  The Specialized Evade has had more wind tunnel tested results than most bikes. Switching your helmet to a less turbulent model, like the Evade, actually helps a rider as much as a set of Zipp 404's. When compared to Zipp 404's price tag of $2700, the Evade's $250 price seems like a steal!

Pearl used the BMC pro team as
tests for their fabrics

Pearl Izumi P.R.O. Fabric
The cut of a rider's apparel, along with the fabric it is composed of is another big factor .Pearl Izumi P.R.O. Aero fabric is dimpled, much like a golf ball, to reduce drag by 8%. A huge advantage for a small
step up in price.

Neal's entire upper body became more aerodynamic after
his Body Geometry Fit

The Most Help You can get
Pertaining more to why we were there, the other major aero difference was made by having the bike correctly fit to the rider. When you are forcing your body to hold a position it isn't happy with, it is visible in the shape of the rider. It shows itself by bulging, contorting and compromising your naturally smooth position. It is of the utmost importance to be fit by somebody who is listening to your body and finding where it is the most aero, not by angles of the bike, but by anatomical construction and flexibility. This is the only way to find your personal level of aerodynamics and, subsequently, comfort.
To learn more about our fit program here at the shop, click here.

If you have any questions about these products, or want to know more about our Body Geometry Fit program please contact us or call the shop!

2014 Specialized S-Works Shiv: The Batman Bike

Few bikes turn heads quite like the Specialized S-Works Shiv. Looking closer to a pedal-powered stealth bomber than a bicycle, there is little mistaking it. The 2014 model does not stop at appearances. We built up the Specialized 2014 S-Works Shiv module as a dream triathlon bike and, not-surprisingly, it ended up almost identical to the complete model.

The first thing that stops everyone is the unique shape of the Shiv. Entirely based on wind tunnel testing, Specialized created a shape optimized for cross winds. The frame is comprised of 11r carbon with FACT IS construction, which means it's as stiff and responsive as the stealth fighter it resembles.

Fuel Cell

Within the main triangle of the bike, the new Fuel Cell keeps nutrition prepped for mid-ride consumption and provides storage that actually adds to the aero shape of the bike, rather than fight it. The commanding down tube houses a water bladder that can be accessed from a camelbak-like tube just behind the cockpit. The more time a triathlete can hold the aero position, the bigger their advantage becomes. These support features help to stay effective through more of the race.

The first TRUE "One size fits all" setup

While many brands lump triathlon-specific frames with designs meant for time trials, Specialized understands that it is a completely different sport, with different requirements of the athlete. The Body Geometry fit staff had a large influence on designing, not only the geometry of the frame but the flexible modulation of the cockpit.
Though comfort rarely seems to be considered for time trials, it is paramount for triathlons. Extra stress caused by a non-comfort based position on the bike can not only rob the rider of speed during the bike section but also impede muscle groups during the run. Passing competition on the swim or bike sections of the race doesn't matter if they pass you during the run.
Every angle of the Shiv cockpit is adjustable to guarantee an effective body placement. Not to mention the reversible set back seat post as well as the second position seat post included with the module. There are so many minor adjustments available each S-Works Shiv comes with a full spread of bolts, risers and shims.
The new Specialized Body Geometry Sitero saddle is the perfect compliment to the "comfort equals effective" position.

This model comes with 11 speed Shimano Dura Ace Di2. It seems to make sense if you've got the best
frame on the market, might as well give it the best components. With it's self trim, automatic crash protections (if you fall, it attempts to save itself!) and the ability to manually adjust while still riding, it's no wonder why Dura Ace Di2 is quickly becoming the new standard of "Top of the line."

The icing on the top of this bike comes in the form of Magura RT8TT brakes. Hydraulic rim brakes with carbon levers that give a brand new level of control. The hydraulic rim system more than compensates for any lack of control due to carbon stopping surfaces in less than optimal conditions. The levers have cutaways, optimizing aero dynamics on the forefront of the bike.

Like all S-Works frames, the Shiv is stocked with the new 2014 S-Works carbon crank, one of the stiffest per weight on the market. We wanted to pair them with their cousins, the Roval Rapide CLX 60 wheel set due to their stock CeramicSpeed bearings and 1,495g weight but had to settle for Zipp (404 Firecrest front and 808 Firescrest rear). I think it came out alright.

Zipp, Di2 and S-Works.
Definitely drool worthy

Saddly, this bike has already left the store. But if you are interested in any level of the Shiv please let us know! Or stop by the shop.

Here's a great video explaining a little more about the Shiv and it's superior technology: