Join the Peanut Butter & Co for Their Winter Training Camp

Come ride in support of Peanut Butter & Co. TWENTY12, the premiere women's development cycling program in the United States.

You are invited to join them on either a VIP ride or an intimate dinner(or both) in conjunction with their Spring Training Camp held this year in beautiful Mill Valley, California on February 26, 2011. Meet World Time Trial champion and Gold Medalist, Kristen Armstrong, Coryn Rivera and the rest of the team.

Join members of the team for a light breakfast followed by a 50 mile ride on beautiful back roads of Marin County fully supported by Paradigm Cycles. After the ride, all riders will enjoy a Peanut Butter Picnic hosted by Peanut Butter & Co. Explore the world of peanut butter in a whole new and exciting way!

Later that evening, the team will host a dinner at Mill Valley's Frantoio Restaurant. The meal will include authentic Italian cuisine that is both organic and locally produced.

Special Italian and California wines will be served.

Also a bicycle will also be donated to World Bicycle Relief.

Space is limited so register early here.

For those coming from outside the area, the host hotel, Larkspur Hotel, Mill Valley, is offering a 20% discount. Call the shop at 415 454-9534 and ask for Eddy for the coupon code.

Redwood and Branson High School Sunday Ride

A glorious day on the bike indeed! Is it really January?

Today Redwood and Branson High Schools met and rode on their weekly team ride. My group did a Pine Mountain loop with a bit of Tamarancho thrown in for a little fun. Arm warmers and knee warmers came off, as it felt like a sweet, spring day in mid April.

Two and a half hours of fun and sun… If this was a dream, don’t anybody wake me.

Want to come out and ride with the teams? Give us a ring. Shoot me an email.

Eddy.

eddy@paradigmcycles.com

Trek Project One Bikes

We just received and are riding a 2011 Trek Madone 6.9 SSL Project One, with Campagnolo Super Record. Wow! A great looking frame, light and lively, fast and comfortable. A wonderfully balanced ride.

Out of the saddle, the frame is as stiff and responsive as anything we've ridden...as good as a lighter monococque race frame from another maker...which is something we couldn't say about the last Madone we rode. The bike makes you want to stand up.

The handling is predictable and a complete bike weight that tips the scale at a scant 6.375 kilograms (that's just over 14 pounds) speaks for itself. The custom paint is beautiful and shows especially well in the sunlight. The ride is a bit stiffer than the non-SSL Madone over rough pavement but the responsiveness of the newer carbon makes it a good trade-off. The internal cable routing is intelligently done and the Duotrap sensor (integrated sensor and sending unit built directly into the chainstay) works great with our Garmin 705.

The lead time was beyond reasonable...just two weeks! Some production bikes we sell take nearly that long to reach our shops...and this Madone SSL is full-custom in all the aesthetic details, painted and built to our spec and our order!

The 2011 Campagnolo Super Record shifts significantly better front and rear than 2010, and it's lighter...quicker in the front, more accurate and crisper in the rear. Improvements that make the entire package that much more desirable.

The Bontrager Race XXX-Lite wheels feel great...light, not soft, snappy. A pretty traditional design other than the OCLV rim. There is a slight braking performance penalty with the carbon rims but there is no pulsing or any other negative feedback that we've experienced with all-carbon rims from other makers.

The Bontrager bar is very light... lighter than the Easton we've ridden in the past. The carbon stem is actually a bit lighter than a light aluminum stem and it's nice and stiff. They are a nice compliment to the all-American, Wisconsin built Madone SSL.

From a mechanic's standpoint, the bike goes together with no hassle or head-ache. Everything is well thought out and the quality is apparent when compared to competitor's bikes that are made in Asia, especially in the details.

If we had to say one thing about the Madone SSL that sets it apart: it is the first carbon bike we've tested that we feel we could really get attached to. It was made in the U.S., by hand. It was painted in the U.S., by hand... difficult to define details that set this thoroughbred race bike apart from its competitors and that give it a priority place in our corral.

Mad Fiber Wheels

As a shop that specializes in hand-built, custom wheels, we usually don't care much for wheels that we didn't build ourselves. But it looks like that might change with the recent launch of Mad Fiber Wheels ( www.madfiber.com ).

Wheel master, Ric Hjertberg (co-founder of the original Wheelsmith Fabrications), has surrounded himself with experts in the design and manufacture of structural carbon fiber to create a truly unique wheel set that has our attention...the first "new" wheel that really is NEW.

Mad Fiber wheels are unique in every aspect of their design and manufacture. They take full advantage of carbon's potential and integrate all of its capability into the design concept from the start. The wheels are unique looking, crazy light (1085 grams for the PAIR) and have no rider weight limit! The only drawback (and that is a temporary one, according to Mad Fiber) is that they are available only for tubular tires, but we're told that a clincher version is a top priority for new product development in the coming months.

We just received our first pair of demo wheels but have not had a chance to roll on them yet...however, that will happen very soon. The wheels we have are actually demos that YOU will be able to ride, too! So, come in, take a look, marvel at Mad Fiber Wheels' light weight and stunning look and (eventually) take them out for a spin. We'll get tires installed and take them out on the road soon and will let you know how they roll. If they're anywhere near as fast, stable, stiff and comfortable as the design specs say they should be, we expect that we might be "cheating" on our hand-built wheels with Mad Fiber, at least for a while.

2011 Time Frames

Ladies and gentlemen, the Time has come. No, quite literally: we've added Time bikes to our stable of fine road racing machines. These fine French bicyclettes will be joining our already fast selection of bikes by Scott, Cervelo, and Colnago. We've always wondered where the name "Time" comes from: is it a reference to the seconds and minutes you will save whilst riding one? Or perhaps it's a reference to how long you'll spend admiring these gorgeous bikes? Regardless these carbon beauties look, feel, and simply are fast.

Unlike some manufacturers that have hundreds of models from mountain unicycles to recumbent tandems, Time only builds three bikes. That's correct- THREE bikes. The model lineup for 2011 is as follows: RXRS Ulteam, NXR Instinct, and RX Instinct. All of their R&D and bike-building expertise has poured into just these three models, so you can be sure that each is a knockout. All share Time's proprietary Resin Transfer Molding ("RTM") assembly technique, wherein strands of carbon fiber and shock absorbing Vectran and Kevlar fibers are weaved and braided into tubes. Kevlar and Vectran are gold colored composite fibers that absorb more vibration than carbon fibers alone. If you take a peek at the steerer tube of any of Time's SAFE+2 forks, you can see the gold threads intertwined with the black. The finished "sleeves" of fiber are then fitted to a mold, saturated with resin, and baked at high temperature and pressure. Because Time custom braids their own fiber layups, their bikes have more fibers where you need them and less where you don't.

Time offers its 3 models in a number of iterations: besides shipping as a complete bike, the RXRS Ulteam and NXR Instinct can be delivered as a Module or a Module+. A Module includes the frame, fork, headset, carbon bottle cage, Translink seat mast and cap, and Time's MONOLINK full-carbon stem. A Module+ includes everything that the module has but adds Time's ERGOFORCE carbon handlebars. The RX Instinct is available as a complete bike or a frame kit that includes the frame, fork, headset, carbon seat post, and carbon bottle cage.

On to the bikes: The RXRS Ulteam is Time's flagship model, using all of their proprietary technology including the aforementioned RTM and SAFE+2 fork, and is available in 6 sloping sizes from XXS to XL. The fully lugged carbon frame looks and rides nice, with the added advantage that Time can replace any damaged tubes. Time forks have a patented multidiameter steerer tube that matches the oversize bottom bearings of the QUICKSET headset, keeping the front rigid and fast. An oversized, full carbon bottom bracket featuring BB30 integrated bearings ensures maximum power transfer from the cranks. The RXRS modules are also available in a Di2 edition, with integrated wiring throughout and a spot for the battery under the bottom bracket. Available in 4 colors, including the impressive "VIP" edition in gloss black and silver. Published weight (with pedals and a SRAM Red gruppo): 15.2 pounds. All in all, the RXRS uses the latest technology (Di2 wiring, seat mast, BB30, assymetric stays) to translate maximum power from "the pedals to the pavement", and guarantee an explosive ride.

"Instinct" is no doubt a reference to the effortless acceleration of the NXR and RX models. Both strive to offer race-worthy speed but with a slightly less aggressive geometry than the RXRS. These two models accomplish this through "ERGODRIVE" positioning, where a taller headtube raises your stance on the bike whilst eliminating the need for excess spacers. Time's RTM carbon braiding process is still present in these models, as is the SAFE+2 multidiameter carbon/vectran fork. While the RXRS is fully lugged, the NXR Instinct and RX Instinct have a monocoque front triangle with lugs attaching the chain and seat stays. The RX has a standard seatpost, while the NXR has a seat mast, saving some weight overall. If you take a closer look, you'll notice that the NXR also has a carbon front dropout and seatpost collar, formed at extremely high pressures using a process known as CMT. Both ride fast and are a little friendlier to your back and your wallet.

If you're looking for a complete bike out of the box, Time ships all three with either SRAM Red, Campagnolo Record/Super Record, or Shimano Dura-Ace/Di2 and Ultegra gruppos. Various editions of Mavic's Ksyrium wheelset come stock, though for bikes this nice we suggest that our hand-built wheels are more complimentary, and we can always provide custom selected groupsets. Time's other products may be worth your time, especially the brand new iClic pedals: the world's first pedal that uses a flexible carbon blade as opposed to metal springs to keep you locked in. The iClic pedal with titanium spindles weighs 175g a set! A nice addition to any Time bike...

So...do these bikes get better with age like a fine French wine? Only Time will tell. Ok, enough puns... Just come check them out.