Category Archives: Cycling

Surly Cross-Check Review

Posted on June 1, 2012 | 1 Comment

Last spring I was looking for a singlespeed bike for some basic commuting. Nothing too crazy, but nothing too plain either. I wanted a bike that would be reliable and strong enough to take a beating on the pothole-laden Chicago streets, but still fun to ride and with some personality. Although I looked at a few complete bike options, I was pretty much set on a Surly Cross-Check. While it looked great and would be a perfect candidate to build up singlespeed, it also has semi-horizontal dropouts and thus can be built as a geared bike, whether for commuting, touring or even cyclocross racing. Flexibility in the future was just an added plus for this already awesome bike.

I spoke with the guys at Iron Cycles and set a time to pick out components. This was the first bike where I’d be picking essentially everything for the build, so Steven and I sat down at the shop to discuss options. For anyone who has not done this, I highly recommend it at least once. The simplicity of a singlespeed bike also makes it both easy and overwhelming to select parts. This is because there are a limited number of items you need to buy for the build, but each part has nearly unlimited options from which to choose.

The end results were follows: an All City crank and chainring (which looked slick in black, with etched silver logos), a basic flat handlebar with dirtbike grips, and mini-V brakes. One area I did spend some extra dough was the wheels, as I picked a set of electric blue Velocity deep V rims, with black spokes and hubs, wrapped in 25mm Conti Gatorskins. Rarely would a chip of glass or stray nails would cut through these reinforced tires, so they seemed a good choice for worry-free riding.

Two weeks later everything was at the shop. My wrenching skills are approximately limited to picking up an allen wrench to adjust a seatpost, so I opted to have the new Surly built at Iron Cycles. That said, I did want the opportunity to learn, so while Ben built the bike up he patiently explained everything he did. I picked up a good deal and found that while the beauty of a singlespeed (or fixed gear) bike is its simplicity, there is still a fair amount of prep work and skill associated with building any bike. I helped here and there with a few small tasks (though it depends who you ask – I may have slowed the process down) and after maybe 3 hours we were finished. I took the bike home and was pretty excited to get to ride it the next day!

My new Surly Cross-Check at Iron Cycles

Fast forward just over a year to today. I’ve not had a day riding the Surly that I don’t absolutely love it. It has been completely maintenance-free, other than just lubing the chain and keeping the bike clean. If I could go back to build this bike again I wouldn’t change a thing. It’s my first steel bike and while I will stick with other frame materials for racing, there is something about the steel ride that has character and as I’d heard, kind of a soul. As a rider you are not totally insulated from road vibrations, but they are dampened and the result is a comfortable yet solid ride feel. The sensation of being connected to the road through your bike is definitely present with the Cross-Check. I highly recommend considering this particular Surly if you’re in the market for a bike that is fun to ride, reliable, friendly to your wallet and flexible enough to be built up in several different ways.

Of course, this review wouldn’t be complete without a huge thank you and shout out to Ben, Steven, Brandon and Chase at Iron Cycles for the help, guidance and answering all my pain in the butt questions while building the Cross-Check. You couldn’t find a better place to bring your bike or begin your search for a new ride, so look these guys up if you’re in the market or need any repair, fit or general bike advice.

Edit: this is also posted on the Iron Cycles Blog…check them out!!

→ 1 Comment

Posted in Cycling

Tagged bike review, commuting, cross-check, cycling, fixie, review, singlespeed, surly

Bike review: 2012 Felt DA3

Posted on April 8, 2012 | 2 Comments

Last fall, following my final triathlon of the year (Ironman Wisconsin) I made up my mind I’d be upgrading in the bike department. For all of 2010 and 2011 I raced a Cannondale Slice 5. The Slice was in fact my first tri bike, purchased in January 2010. While I was happy with it, I wanted to step up to a bit nicer bike and also give myself a bit more flexibility with the fit. This was mainly based on having more fitness and being approximately 15 lbs lighter than when I was fit for and purchased the Slice. My first call was to Brandon at Iron Cycles, to throw around a few ideas on bikes.

The last couple of years, lots of companies have introduced new triathlon “superbikes.” A few caught my eye, specifically the Trek Speed Concept and the Felt DA. While Trek decided to offer two primary models of the SC, the 7 and 9-series, each of which you can modify the specs on, Felt went a slightly different direction and one that was attractive to me. Felt’s top-of-the-line tri frame has been the DA for several years. Beginning in 2012, Felt offered multiple variations on same frame design, similar to how they’ve previously marketed the B-series (which shared the DA mold up until 2011).

For 2012, Felt now offers the DA1 and DA1 frameset, which are top dogs in the Felt lineup. However, with some changes in spec and a switch from 1KP weave carbon fiber (DA1) to 3KP weave (all other DA models), a consumer can see some pretty serious bang-for-the-buck with the DA2, DA3 and DA4.

After talking with Brandon and some deliberation on my own, I decided on the DA3. All the details are on Felt’s site so I’ll keep it brief, but the component mix is top of the range for mechanical shifting: SRAM Red derailleurs in front and back, Red TT chainrings, Zipp VukaShift R2C carbon shifters and Felt’s proprietary aero-optimized brakes. The front caliper has an anodized red fairing wrapped around it to help shield it from the wind, while the rear brake is hidden under the frame, just behind the bottom bracket – a standard on most tri superbike models these days, but pretty slick nonetheless. The stock cockpit setup on the DA3 is Felt’s bayonet alloy basebar, with carbon f-bend extensions. I opted to swap in a Bontrager Race X Lite handlebar, which replaced both the basebar and extensions, but the Bayonet and f-bends are highly regarded for their aerodynamics and usability. This was based on personal preference for a different extension style and feel, though I did try the Felt pieces first. I’d recommend the same to anyone switching to Felt from another manufacturer, as their bars and extensions really are good equipment.

One final change I made was adding a Quarq power meter, which necessitated a change in crankset to the SRAM S900 crank matched to the Quarq. While I’ve been training with power on the road since fall 2010, I wanted to upgrade to a crank-based option to have more flexibility in wheel choice for training and racing.

So enough of the details — let’s fast forward to how this thing feels out on the road. While I could contrast the DA3 with the Slice or my road bike, I don’t think it’d be a fair, apples-to-apples comparison. Thus, I’ll just share my observations from a 3 hour ride on the roads outside Madison, WI recently.

First off, the bike is light. Not feathery light, but Felt’s Inside Out molding process must does seem to have resulted in a nicely balanced frame – light yet stable. The true nature of the DA is revealed when you are in the aerobars, head tucked and pushing a big gear. One word will cover it here: FAST. Even riding into a headwind, being in the aero position on this bike feels almost like cheating — it really does feel like you’re knifing through the air. Having also spent time on an Orbea Ordu, which has a notoriously stiff ride, the DA3 is at least its equal. The frame is forgiving on the chipseal roads found in the farmland of the Midwest, yet it’s also very responsive when stomping the pedals to sprint on a flat or climb a steep grade. The Red TT chainrings definitely lend themselves well to power transfer too, given the solid construction of the big ring, which again becomes evident when really working a climb. Three hours in the saddle and I was very comfortable and excited — it’s a very good thing when a long outdoor ride on a new bike doesn’t leave you sore in all the wrong places.

Something else I noticed about the new DA is that it handles quite well for a triathlon bike. Obviously, handling on a tri frame has to be considered in relative terms, because it will never feel as nimble as a road bike nor should it. The DA is designed with its primary goal in mind: go fast in a straight line. However the DA felt very stable at speed, willing to dive into corners. At first I was tentative on the new bike, but after a short time I really started to lean into a few descents. With my outside foot planted, the DA just stuck to the road and zipped down the backside of each hill and toward the apex of every turn. The steering wasn’t twitchy at all, so I was comfortable starting to explore the limits of the bike (which certainly exceed my own bike handling skills). This isn’t breaking new ground, but the Zipp VukaShift shifters were new to me, but felt very natural in-hand. The SRAM Red drivetrain did just as I expected, which is to say the rear shifts were quick and crisp, while the front shifts were much the same and nary a dropped chain.

My day was complete with an easy spin the last few miles, with my time spent reflecting on my first long ride on the new DA3. I’m really happy so far and can’t wait to spend more time on the bike. I’ll be riding it in an upcoming time trial, not to mention my triathlon race season which kicks off in just over a month. The DA will have me ready to tear up some bike courses. I’d highly recommend checking out any of the models in the DA lineup to anyone considering a new triathlon bike, as Felt certainly has price points to fit most budgets. The guys over at Iron Cycles are one of the only Felt dealers in Chicago, not to mention some of the most knowledgeable and easy-to-work-with folks around.

Be sure to check out my review on the Iron Cycles blog, as well as other product reviews and news from the shop. A special thank you to Brandon, Steve, Ben and Chase at Iron Cycles for their help with the new whip!