Riding is the Best Kind of Meeting

Riding is the Best Kind of Meeting

by Patria Lanfranchi

This past weekend, I had the chance to ride for Team Shimano at the Best Buddies Challenge from Boston to Hyannis, a 100-mile ride that raises a lot of money for Best Buddies. You've likely heard of them, but you might not know the impact that they have in the lives of people. They are dedicated to establishing a global volunteer movement that creates opportunities for one-to-one friendships, integrated employment and leadership development for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD).

Having two days with Shimano meant talking a lot about what's happening with technology and the future of Shimano and all sorts of related products. I was amongst a group who are very technically minded and they geek out on the cool stuff. The hot topic is Shimano electronic Di2 shifting. Soon mountain bikes will be equipped with Di2 and, with a small addition of a sensor, your bike computer will be able to tell you what gear you're in--no more looking down to see which cogs your chain is sitting on. I saw a lot of Di2 bikes ridden amongst team members (I'm one of those riding Di2 on my Seven Evergreen and I have been extremely impressed with how well it works*).

We had a good time talking about what's coming out as well as how Shimano and other bike shop owners and fitters solve interesting challenges. The new technology and options are making riding better in very noticeable ways. There is a lot of solid engineering and testing behind the new products we're seeing. 

Among what's new is: 11-speed drivetrains, disc hydraulic road brakes, electronic shifting, impressive lighting options battery- and generator-driven, new action camera options, and fancy technology in GPS, touch-screen bike computers. These are the first to pop to mind, there are so many others.

Is it a blessing or curse that we in New England have so many roads that go in many different directions, constantly changing names, that it's nearly impossible to do a long ride without a multiple page cue sheet or a GPS bike computer?  I'll leave the answer to that for another day, but it's yet one more excuse to buy a new toy: the Garmin Edge 1000 which I used for the first time on this ride. Coming from spending a lot of time with the Edge 800 and 810 models, moving to the 1000 is a breeze. I'll post my full impressions of this unit as soon as I've had a chance to give it a test in a less structured environment (read: when I get to go off-road with it). Between this unit, the Garmin Touring Plus, and the simple, economical Garmin Edge 200, it seems there is a bike computer out there that will strike a good balance for every kind of rider who values some kind of mapping functionality. (We have all of these and a few other models on our shelves.)

Watch for more posts, photos, news, everything, we've got a lot going on that we want you part of and we're sharing it via our blog (here), Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and our newsletter - catch it all, we want you to join us!

Ever Changing Evergreen

The Seven Cycles Evergreen is an incredible bike in its simplicity and extreme versatility - both achieved with absolute perfection. The number of us at RSC who are riding this bike is an indication of its tremendous value to those who like to ride on the road and, without thinking twice, jump onto trails, dirt roads, or practically anywhere - in the world.

We will be writing more about this bike in the coming days, but for now, begin with this comprehensive photo essay on Seven's blog:

http://www.sevencycles.com/blog/2014/04/10/the-ever-changing-evergreen/

2014 Honey Bikes are Here!

2014 Honey Bikes made their debut at Ride Studio Cafe this weekend inspiring countless ooohs and aaaahs. (Photo by Russ Cambell.) There is so much to say about each bike, and Honey Bikes, in general. We will talk about each bike and each build in the coming days. For now, here's a high-level overview so you are up-to-date on what's happening in the world of amazing bikes, and Honey bikes, in particular.

Honey Events Calendar

Honey has published a 2014 Events Calendar. Included on the calendar are your favorites that leave from RSC such as the Diverged Ride (April 26th), The Highpoint Ride (Aug 15th-17th), and Honey 100 (Sept 13th). You'll find the Honey-sponsored and already very anxiously anticipated Rasputitsa gravel race (April 19th) as well as Dirty 40 (Aug 30th), back after being very successful last year.

The New England Randonneurs' rides are listed, they're doing more rides than ever from RSC this year.

Cyclocross comes to the area even bigger than ever (hard to imagine?!?!) Holy Week, as it's been dubbed, is a muddy cross racing sandwich comprised of the Gran Prix of Gloucester (Sept 28-29), followed by a Cross Party like you've never seen here on Tuesday, Sept 30th, followed the next evening by the much too fun Night Weasles Cometh, and the week ends with the biggest, most spectacular three of cyclocross racing, Builders' Ball, road Gran Fondo, and more, all part of the Providence Cyclocross Festival Oct. 3rd-5th.

Other events listed include other dirt road races, rides, hill climbs, and other events you are likely to want to consider doing.

Drop by to pick up this calendar or get the PDF version of it here.

Special Edition Bikes

Honey announced their 2014 Special Edition bikes. This one, the All Roads Hammer and Cycle, is designed for the Rasputitsa and Dirty 40 races. (Photo by Russ Campbell.) This bike wants to roll fast through tough terrain. The setup takes full advantage of cutting-edge Shimano Ultegra Di2 shifting with hydraulic disc breaking. The shifting and breaking are silent, smooth, and powerful: perfect for this bike that does everything the mud, dirt, pavement, and trails demand while making the ride insanely fun for its pilot.

The All Roads Clover Ride has a limited edition paint scheme, watch for it to be announced. This is a simpler and slightly lighter build with SRAM Rival shifting and Avid mechanical disc braking.

There is a special promo running for anyone who purchases one of these Limited Edition bikes by March 8 that allows the rider to have his/her choice of matching painted fenders for free ($350 value), three sets of Clement tires for all riding conditions ($350 value), or entry fees paid to two of the following rides: Rasputitsa, D2R2, Dirty 40, or Honey One Hundred.

What Makes the All Roads the Ideal Bike for Adventure?

This SRAM Rival, cable-actuated disc brake All Roads is available at the Studio for you to ride.

Honey is putting great emphasis on the All Roads bike in 2014 because it is awesome. We define an awesome bike as one that allows the rider to decide where to go without creating constraints or holding the rider back from anything. Here's more from Honey:

• Tire Options: Want room for high volume or knobby tires? No problem. The All Roads has room for big tires - up to 45mm. And the All Roads is a fast road rouleur when matched to 23c slick tires.
• Wheel Options: This bike offers the option of 700c or 650b wheel sizes on one bike.
• Brake System Options: Low-mount disc brake design works well with hydraulic or cable actuated systems.
• Fork Options - Steel: For a classic and rugged design. Works well with full-time fenders. Carbon: For lightweight and precise handling. Full-time bonded fender mounts are available.
• All Day Comfort: With its stable front end, standard trail, low bottom bracket, and long wheelbase, the All Roads makes for a great all-day -and even night- ride.

This Honey Cross Race bike is designed specifically for US-style race courses that are tight, technical, and supply opportunities for acceleration. Steel provides a feel and control not available in other materials - and this frame is weight competitive. The 2014 model has many upgraded features. Come by the Studio to marvel at this bike and the details. Photo by Russ Campbell.

We often express our sincere praise of the wonderful people who build Honey Bikes in nearby Watertown, Mass. We were honored to have painter, Staci Sommers, here to see the result of her very hard work (she rarely sees a fully built bike after it leaves her hands in paint)! She painted most of the bikes that were debuted here. There are many amazing people behind the scenes who are responsible for the design, manufacturing, and countless details that are all so careful thought of to bring Honey Bikes to us. We are very grateful for each of these people. Photo by Russ Campbell.

With a very successful debut complete, it's time to get out and demo bikes so you can get yours built up for spring and all of the really terrific riding on and off road that is coming up!

To see more of the bikes and the Honey Debut, check out this awesome video by @dirtwire.tv, below! .

Seven Cycles 2012 New Bike Introduction

Not to rush too quickly into 2012, but it's going to be a great year where it comes to new, beautiful bikes! We're hosting a special evening to introduce you to some prototypes of 2012 Seven bicycles, to showcase some old favorites, including a classic pre-Seven bike. This is the first time the fabled Berliner Bike is making an appearance at the Studio. Some Seven employees are even being gracious enough to loan us their personal bikes to have on display during the evening. Mark your calendar for Saturday, Nov. 5th from 7-10pm. Full details (and there are a lot of them) have been posted!

RSVP now!