Virtual Tradeshow- Interbike 2008- Part Three

Tonight's Virtual Tradeshow will wrap up the series and will highlight two of the most exciting categories of bikes (Steel and 3VC carbon), as well as the new framesets on offer.

So let us begin...

Steel Series:

Our steel bikes are our biggest selling category of bikes and we are extremely proud of them. I've been yammering about steel bikes for decades, literally, and I still believe in their incredible ride character. Sure, as a race dork, I like my super light carbon or scandium bikes too... but steel is and always will be my favorite frame material. We've put together one helluva line of steel bikes for you and I am confident you're gonna like these bikes!


Speciale Fixed- this is our best selling model and with good reason. It is such a joy to ride and it looks gorgeous. Sure, I'm biased, but I spend way more time on this bike than any of the other bikes I am blessed to get to ride (I AM spoiled). The new Metallic Yellow is the "wild" color, compared to the beautiful "mild" Shamrock Green second color option. Double butted steel frame with lugged steel fork, sealed bearing track hubs (flip/flop rear) and a geometry that is comfortable on the road and capable of being ridden on the track as well. The geometry is biased more towards road than track, allowing for less toe overlap when riding on the rough city streets. Overall though, for the money, this is one great bike.


Speciale Fixed LTD- What else can you say about this bike other than "WOW"? The same frame as the Speciale Fixed, but with a lot of upgraded and purdied-up parts on it; the Weinmann rims, the painted chain, the Sugino cranks and chainring with red ano' chainring bolts, the red spoke nipples, the red ano' seat collar and headset spacers, the Deda Velocista steel sprint bars, the MKS pedals and steel toeclips with leather toes... it's a phenomenal bike. And we haven't talked about the finish of the frame! The frame is an unpainted Nekkid (yes, that's the finish name) that is amazing to look at. Since it is unpainted, you get to see the raw steel and all of the character of the tubing, as well as the welds and the bronze at the braze-ons and rear dropouts. It's truly striking.

Speciale Commuter- another of our best selling bikes. The Commuter is another SS/Fixed bike, but with the addition of a rear derailleur hanger, shifter bosses and braze-ons for racks and fenders. It is ready to build up with anything you want and can handle the demands of some light touring or just dirt/ gravel road exploration. It's a sweet rig! The second color option is the Orange Creme color we released last Spring.


Speciale Randonneur- building directly off the platform of the Commuter frame, the Randonneur is designed to be a fully capable touring bike or totally tricked out commuting/ city bike. And, yes, before anybody else points it out- the saddle is too high on this bike. I know, I know, I know... That said, it's still a really beautiful bike. The MKS pedals and toeclips, the Dia-Compe bar end shifters and brake calipers and the included fenders create one mighty nice looking bike for the money. And, yes, it rides really, really well.


Speciale CX- what a sexy bike! Dang! The CX continues to be a very strong bike for us. The geometry is not as aggressive as the CXR and the BB is not as high, but it is still totally capable of getting out in the muck and mire of a cross race. It's also equally happy to be used as an all around city bike, winter foul weather road bike, or a sturdy light touring bike. It's everything you want and nothing you don't! (Sorry... I just had to use that line...)


Speciale (105)- here is a simple, classic, elegant road bike... just made sexier! It's a reasonably rational 105 component spec' with some very nice riding Ritchey wheels and Ritchey bar and stem. It's cool enough there, but when you throw in the over all look of the bike with the white tires, white cable housings and that insanely beautiful Ruby Red metallic paint... it's just too beautiful for normal comprehension. I routinely had to wipe the slobber off the bike during the show. Maybe we'll spec it with a bib next year...

Carbon Series:

Our carbon 3VC bikes kick ass. Don't just take my word for it, ask the riders of the Inferno Pro Cycling team (now Kenda Pro Cycling). They love their 3VC bikes and have been pulling off the wins aboard them. They're great riding frames- this, coming from a guy who is not a huge carbon junky. These frames have excellent stiffness in the rear stays, head tube and bottom bracket area. The curved stays produce an excellent feeling ride that hugs the ground and still manages to eat up road vibrations. Yes... the best of both worlds; "stiff yet compliant"...


3VC 105- the new Ruby Red paint on this carbon bike is unreal. The metallic paint on the carbon has so much depth and luster to it. It is almost 3D when you get it in the sunlight. The 105 parts package is an excellent blend of performance and affordability- it might just be the perfect first true race bike for the aspiring racer out there. Keep in mind that we use the same frame on all models, so the 105 version is the same as the frame ridden by the pros... there's no different carbon used, no heavier resins, no corner cutting... just the same exact frame that our professional riders are lucky enough to ride. You'll also notice that the bike pictured on the bottom here is a new 48cm size that we are bringing in for the 105 model only, for the time being. Like the rest of the Bellissima series, it uses narrower bars and a zero-offset seatpost.


3VC Ultegra SL- this is another one of those bikes that is just amazing. Let's face it, unless you're a pro rider or just have to have the best high end components, the performance of the new Ultegra SL parts is more than adequate. These parts are so close to being Dura Ace level, it'd be hard for me to personally tell the difference in a blind test... it's that good. Add in the amazing Chromium metallic paint that really compliments the Ice Grey finish of the parts and you have a stunning looking bike, but we kick it up a notch (BAM!) with the unreal good looks of the Ritchey Wet Black finish WCS bar, stem and seatpost. There will be Pro Tour riders next year riding on bikes that won't look this good... I promise.


3VC Dura Ace- built up with the all new Dura Ace 7900 component group and some of the sweetest aftermarket friendly parts, this is the racer's dream come true. If you're a Shimano fan, then this is the bike for you! The new Ritchey Wet White stem is a wonderful touch to complete the overall look of the bike as well. It's spec'ed ready to race and turn heads on your favorite group ride.


3VC Team Issue Red- here's the baddest of badass bikes! Full SRAM Red group, Zipp 404 wheels, Ritchey WCS carbon bar, stem and seatpost, Arione saddle and one of the sexiest frames in the industry... what else could you possibly want? If you insist on the very best without compromise, this is the bike you have been lookig for. It's a no-holds-barred badass and is more than happy to make your friends suffer like pigs on your next ride.

Framesets:

We have been slowly building back up the number and types of framesets that we offer. We offer both the CXR and 3VC Team Issue as framesets, as well as complete bikes. And we have the following two additional models available as well... because we believe in options- not limits! (Man, my Marketing mumbo-jumbo is flowing tonight!)



Coltello- this is a full-on race frameset with a very aggressive track geometry and very high bottom bracket for riding the steepest tracks in the world. So fast in fact, current UCI track World Champion Hayden Godfrey (Omnium) races on a Coltello. The uber stiff aluminum frame is all business when it comes to delivering your power to the rear wheel and converting it to speed. I love the way this thing feels. It is amazing. It just kicks ass... plain and simple. The handling is perfect- I like to describe a good track bike as being one that you really steer with your ass and not your arms. By simply shifting your weight on the saddle, you can direct the bike up or down the track and use small amounts of body english to maneuver through the field.

Speciale Sprint- here's the steel version of the Coltello. Simply put- this is the track frame for riders who prefer steel but who don't want to compromise performance. It's the exact same geometry as the Coltello, but built with Reynolds 631 tubing. The night of my horrific crash on the track, I was riding a pre-production sample of this frameset. I can sincerely tell you that up until I nailed the railing and the lights went out, this was one of the best riding experiences I've had. And for good measure, the top tube has a small dent in it, but the frame is still totally straight. NICE! And for all you fixie purists looking to buy a Nagasawa, Reminton or Panasonic retired keirin frame... we've got something a little more affordable and certainly just as cool.

So there you have it! This 3rd and final installment of Virtual Tradeshow completes the line presentation for the upcoming product range. We feel pretty damned proud of our bikes and I'm sure you'll understand why...

Tim