Pedal Force QS3-Sram Red-DT Swiss RR1450 Mon Chasseral

This build was completed a couple of weeks ago and what a beauty it turned out to be. The client is very pleased with the finished machine and enjoyed it so much on the first ride that he clocked up 100 miles! While that distance on a brand new bike is impressive in itself, it was all the more interesting because there was a howling easterly blowing all day and there was certainly no escaping it for at least 50% of the ride. We're hoping that the wind will be mostly at his back for the next several rides on this new superbike.

A new bike build

Started another new bike build. Sram RED again but this time with DT Swiss Mon Chasseral Climbing Wheels. More pics when its finished.

Bermuda-flavoured jerseys

We're now offering these to our customers in Bermuda through an exclusive arrangement with the brand owners, Gosling's Ltd. They are made in the USA by VO Max. We have had the opprtunity to road-test one and found it to be every bit as good as the more usual offerings from other major manufacturers of cycling apparel. Sizes available are S, M, L, and XL (38, 40, 42 & 44). $79.95 each.
Interested parties should contact us at cyclecellar2@gmail.com

Kudos

Our very own sometime brevet-rider, cycle tourist and resident bike service specialist, Sheila, recently decided to upgrade her skills and knowledge by attending an intensive two-week course at The Bike Inn in the UK. The course covered the full gamut of cycle service and repair issues and included modules on a variety of topics including wheelbuilding and hydraulics. She achieved their Certificate of Attainment and is looking forward to putting what she's learned to good use in the workshop.
Well done, Sheila!
For more information on the courses offered at The Bike Inn, check out http://www.bike-inn.co.uk/

Custom-build

This week we did a custom build on a new Pedal Force QS3 for which the client had specified Sram RED components and Zipp 101 wheels.

All I can say is "Wow!". We've built bikes with groupsets from all the manufacturers and had used Sram Rival and Force before this, but this group is in a class of its own. Unfortunately, we won't get to ride the bike ourselves which is a real shame. These are a few of the high points:
Brakes - The reputation for these stoppers was well-known and the workstand is certainly no testing track but the quality and precision positively oozes. We've always loved Dura Ace and Record brakes but we now have a new favourite.

Shifting - The double-tap functionality was great as usual but the solid feel inspired a real confidence. Not sure how much of this is due to the lever/derailleur interaction or the Gore Ride-On gear cables and housing. These were included with the shifter kit which is a nice touch. Especially when you look up the replacement cost for a new set.

BB30 bottom bracket - The light weight and massive over-sizing inspires confidence. It was a dream to fit and appears to be very solid and stiff. While the bearing cartridges are over-sized compared to conventional or outboard-bearing BBs, we wonder if the smaller size of the sealed balls will have reasonable longevity? Time will tell.
Zipp 101s - What else can you say? These are simply amazing. Not the lightest alloy clinchers on the market but they have a character which makes them feel like a much more expensive wheel and they will prove to be fast and a good match for the RED components.

All in all a great bike which will hopefully give its owner thousands of miles of smiles!

Cycle Cellar closed Saturday, April 16th, 2011

Out of respect for the late Janet Burull, our sister and sister-in-law, Cycle Cellar will be closed on April 16th. We apologize for the inconvenience.

A Memorial to celebrate the life of JANET BURULL, well-known registered dietician, of Jennings Bay Road, Southampton, will be held on Saturday, April 16th, 2011, at the Pompano Beach Club, Southampton, at 11:00 a.m. She is survived by her husband Jon, her father David Ruse (and his special friend Joy), brother Stephen (Sheila), sister Linda Longworth (Andrew), brother-in-law Per Burull of Norway, nieces and nephews Christian Burull, Laura Ruse, Brian, Alex and Meghan Longworth, very special friend Barbara Whitelegg in the U.K. plus numerous relatives and friends in Bermuda, the U.K., Norway and Canada. Bright colours, particularly teal and pink, may be worn. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to P.A.L.S., P.O. Box DV 19 Devonshire DV BX or Ovations For The Cure at www.ovationsforthecure.org.

New project - Benotto restoration

Quite a few years ago I picked up a Benotto track frame from the late '70s period. This was the time when Benotto bicycles were being ridden with great success by a notable professional rider called Francesco Moser. It is a classic design and provides a very stiff and responsive ride. The original bike sported a Benotto headset, SR track cranks (modelled on the Campagnolo track crank from this period), a 53x14 gear train and 36-spoke wheels with Campagnolo Nuovo Record hubs and Ambrosio tubular rims. The photos show the condition of the frame in early 2011 before the restoration project started. Not a pretty sight!
Watch this space for further updates........

Monday Musings Part 2

Here's where we ended up. We were unable to source a Brooks saddle for the project through our usual wholesalers so Laura brought this with her from the UK and we fit it, adjusted it and applied Proofide here in Bermuda:

Monday Musing

On March 17th we lost our dear sister and sister-in-law Janet after her heroic fight against ovarian cancer which began in August 2007. About 15 years ago she gave us her old traditional Peugeot ladies bike and it languished in the back of the workshop unused until the Fall of 2010. When we say traditional we mean that it was a "mixte" style of frame with Huret 10 speed gearing, a TA Peugeot-branded crankset, Mafac centerpull brakes and very nondescript wheels.

One Saturday, during a lunch break, we hauled it out, took a photo and sent it to daughter Laura who is studying in Oxford. Laura was a regular cyclist until the age of 13 or so when other interests began to take priority. While in Bermuda for a brief holiday in August she had made noises about perhaps getting a bike for transport and some fitness while at university and had, indeed, purchased a very inexpensive townie bike when she returned there. To cut a long story short, she was intrigued by the thought of riding a refurbished version of her aunt's old Peugeot and over the next few months we stripped, re-designed (a number of times) and refinished the bike and it was presented to her at Christmas. The idea was to preserve the traditional look of the classic French ladies sport bike while thoroughly modernizing the components and keeping the machine light but sturdy enough to carry moderate amounts of shopping, etc, while in use in Oxford. Here's a shot of where we started:

We'll also include pictures whenever we can!

The beginning!

Welcome to Cycle Cellar's new Blogspot. We've moved from Facebook because of the change in policy disallowing a business page unless it is connected to a personal page. From the initial looks of Blogger, we probably should have come here in the first place!
We hope to include information about our cycle business, thoughts on cycling holidays we've undertaken and general technical info and advice on as many things cycling as we feel competent to comment on. It's early days yet so please bear with us.