Wordless Wednesday
January 18, 2012 2 Comments
Thanks and Happy Holidays from Performance Bicycle!
December 24, 2011 1 Comment
From all of us at Performance Bicycle, we want to take a moment to say “Thanks!”, and wish you and your family a happy holiday season! Plus we wanted to share this great “thank you” card created by Adam, one of our graphic designers and proud owner of an amazing Christmas sweater!
And if you haven’t quite finished all of your holiday shopping, remember that our shops are all open until 6PM on Christmas Eve and are full of great last minute gift ideas (and gift cards) for cyclists!
Eric’s Top 5 for Cyclocross
November 8, 2011 Leave a comment
Eric, the product buyer for our components division, loves racing cyclocross. In fact, he plans his whole cycling year around the few short months of the cyclocross season. And since North Carolina is a hotbed of sorts for ‘cross on the East Coast, there’s rarely a weekend when he’s not donning the kit of our Garneau Custom team and pushing himself to the limit for an hour on the pavement, grass, sand, mud or whatever else the course has in store.
Eric’s definitely a guy who knows his cyclocross, so we asked him to give us his top 5 component picks for ‘cross season, and why he picked them. Will your next ‘cross race still be one of the most painful hours you’ve ever spent on a bike if you get this gear? Of course! This is cyclocross after all – but you might as well look for every advantage you can get.
1. DV3k Tubular Wheelset – This wheelset is lightweight (sub 1400 grams), plus it has an advanced carbon layup, 46-mm rim depth to slice through the mud, and the smooth ride of a tubular (although you can also get the wheeelset in a clincher version).
2. Avid Shorty Ultimate Cantilever Brakes - They don’t call these brakes “ultimate” for nothing; they can be adjusted to have a wide or narrow stance, have ample mud clearance, and just plain look good (plus it doesn’t hurt that the world champ races with them on his bike).
3. GORE RideOn Sealed Low Friction Derailleur Cables - Cross can be muddy… like really muddy. With GORE’s sealed cable system, you don’t have to worry about that. It’s a no-brainer.
4. Challenge Grifo Tubular Cyclocross Tire – Cross racers are serious about their tires, from the tread patterns to the tire pressure to the history of the manufacturer. The Grifo is still made by hand, with a versatile tread design and the supple performance that only a high-end tubular can deliver (but a clincher version is also available).
5. Shimano CX70 Crankset – Part of Shimano‘s first foray into the world of purpose-built cyclocross components, this crankset excels with a 46/36T gearing combination mated to Shimano‘s reliable and efficient 2-piece design with smooth-shifting Hyperdrive chainrings.
Product Profile: New 2012 Fuji Bikes
November 2, 2011 2 Comments
We know it’s still 2011, but we couldn’t wait to talk about the new 2012 Fuji Bikes that are showing up online & in our stores. Fuji has a great lineup ready for the new year, and they’re building on the success of their first Grand Tour-winning bike! Juan Jose Cobo of Team Geox-TMC won the Vuelta in style aboard Fuji’s new flagship road bike, the Altamira. Cobo, the “Bison”, stormed into the lead atop the feared Angliru by riding away from the field in dominating fashion.
The new 2012 Fuji Altamira 3.0 Road Bike is built on the same DNA as the Cobo’s Vuelta winning ride, and we got to see this great looking bike in person here in the lobby of our Headquarters (one of the benefits of working here is getting to see cool bikes like this on the way to your next meeting).
While we can’t promise that you’ll ride like Cobo, the 2012 Fuji Altamira 3.0 is an ultralight road platform that has been tested and refined on the Pro Tour, so it won’t let you down if you’re powering up a climb, sprinting for the county line or railing the hairpins on a high-speed descent.
The shapely C4 carbon frame features a tapered head tube and oversized downtube to provide a stiff and stable platform that responds instantly to rider input. Plus it just looks good – these pictures don’t do the very cool carbon finish justice.
In back, the slender seatstays provide for a resilient and comfortable ride built for long days in the saddle. Rounding out the package, the 2012 Fuji Altamira 3.0 is outfitted with a ready-to-race mix of Shimano 105 and color-matched Oval brand components.
At the core of the frame, the oversized downtube mates with a massive bottom bracket junction to provide maximum strength and stiffness for efficient power transfer. The 2012 Fuji Altamira 3.0 definitely lives up to its Grand Tour pedigree.
Of course we’ve got a few more new rides from Fuji to offer right now, including the 2012 Fuji Cross 3.0 Cyclocross Bike seen below,which features a flattened top tube for shouldering the bike more comfortably and securely, plus a lightweight alloy fork with plenty of clearance for even the most mud-slathered cross tires.
The 2012 Fuji Newest 1.0 Road Bike is built around a lightweight aluminum frame and carbon fork to provide both responsive handling and a comfortable ride, along with the flexibility of a 30-speed drivetrain, so you never run out of gearing in the hills.
The 2012 Fuji Roubaix 3.0 Road Bike is the latest iteration of the popular Roubaix line, a great combination of value and performance. Its lightweight, custom-butted aluminum frame with bonded carbon fork delivers a supple, responsive ride, and the Shimano Sora drivetrain provides quick, precise gear changes.
The 2012 Fuji Absolute 2.0 is great for those looking for a more upright riding position than a drop handlebar road bike offers – it’s a great combination of the performance and handling you want on the road with the all-day comfort of a hybrid bike.
Finally, and definitely not least, we present the 2012 Fuji Altamira 2.0 Di2 Ultegra Road Bike. Offering all of the features of the 2012 Fuji Altamira 3.0 above, the 2012 Fuji Altamira 2.0 features Shimano’s brand new Ultegra Di2 shifting system – the latest development in Shimano’s Di2 electronic drivetrain systems, Ultegra Di2 delivers fast and accurate shifts every time, yet is engineered to be highly durable and dependable. We’ll definitely have more to say about this amazing bike soon!
Product Profile: Eastern Bikes
October 18, 2011 Leave a comment
For today’s product profile, we’re going to talk about a new line of BMX bikes now available here at Performance. Eastern Bikes is a fellow North Carolina company that was founded in Raleigh in 1996, and is currently headquartered about 40 minutes from our own corporate office. Eastern Bikes is serious about BMX, and they’ve got a team of rad riders to show off their bikes, like Eric Holley catching some air below.
But if you really want to watch their team in action, head over to their video page to see their crew tearing up bike parks, urban environments, and pretty much anything else that looks fun and challenging to ride. In the video below, the Eastern team headed out to the Woodward West camp to ride all the set-ups and meet up with young campers and other visiting pros.
Perfecting the tricks performed by the pros on the Eastern team takes lots of practice. And the Nitrous line of Eastern BMX bikes is the perfect place for the young rider to start. They deliver the look and feel of a pro bike, but in an affordable package. While these may be beginner’s BMX bikes, they are designed and assembled with the same quality and attention to detail that goes into Eastern’s pro-level bikes, with a solid component spec that won’t hold the newbie rider back.
With its steeper head and seat angles, shorter wheelbase and front and rear brakes with detangler, the Shock Freestyle BMX Bike is the ideal entry-level bike for the beginning flatland rider, or it would make a great all-around BMX bike for smaller/younger kids too.
2011 Eastern Battery Freestyle BMX Bike
The Battery is the perfect bike for young riders who want to take a stab at perfecting jumps and tricks or who just want to cruise the neighborhood in style.
2011 Eastern Lowdown Freestyle BMX Bike
The Lowdown Freestyle BMX Bike is perfect for the beginner BMXer who wants a well-built bike that’s going to stand up to rough use. It features a rugged steel frame, forged chromoly 1-piece crankset and alloy U-brake for efficient speed control.
2011 Eastern Piston Freestyle BMX Bike
An ideal BMX bike for smaller riders and beginners the Piston Freestyle BMX bike is ruggedly built, so it can stand up to the stresses doled out by novice riders.
So if you’ve got a young rider ready to give BMX a try, check out our selection of Eastern Bikes - they’ll get the look & feel of a pro bike, but in an affordable and durable package that will survive whatever they throw at them!
Product Profile: ElliptiGO
October 6, 2011 4 Comments
For today’s product profile, we’re going to talk about something completely different (to paraphrase Monty Python). OK, so maybe not completely different, but definitely not your ordinary bike. That’s because the ElliptiGO isn’t a bike, not exactly anyway. Available in 3C and 8C models, named for their respective three-speed and eight-speed internally geared hubs, an ElliptiGO elliptical bicycle combines some of the best elements of cycling with the natural strides of the running motion. We know it’s not for everyone, but if you give it a try, like we did here at our headquarters, you’ll find that the ElliptiGO really is a lot of fun and a great workout.
If you’re looking for a high-performance, low-impact workout to ramp up the intensity factor of your current exercise program, or if a new cross training tool is just the thing needed to boost your total body fitness regimen, the ElliptiGO is a interesting option. The internally geared hub provides a basic range of workout resistance levels and the ability to take on a variety of terrain, and the height of the handlebars and their distance away from the rider can be adjusted, as can the stride length and foot position, so multiple riders can use the same device. Plus it features industry standard bicycle components that can be easily serviced or repaired by a trained bike mechanic.
The ElliptiGO is now available in 11 Performance Bicycle retail locations, including Atlanta, GA; Columbus, OH; Fountain Valley, CA; Laguna Hills, CA; Mountain View, CA.; Naperville, IL; Oceanside, CA; Rockville, MD; San Diego, CA; Santa Monica, CA; and Virginia Beach, VA. We offer test rides at the Performance store locations listed above, but we do recommend calling in advance to schedule a demo and ensure that the ElliptiGO model you’re interested in is available in stock before you arrive.
Elliptigo 3C - pink Breast Cancer Research Foundation special edition
Just in time for Breast Cancer Awareness month, you can also special order a limited edition pink Elliptigo 3C or 8C model, where a portion of each sale (up to $120) goes to support the Breast Cancer Research Foundation. Also available via special order, after December 1st (and in limited quantities), is the ElliptiGO 11R, an 11-speed “race” model with carbon-fiber drive arms. If you live in an area where we’re not currently carrying the ElliptiGO, you can still purchase one online at www.performancebike.com and have it delivered to a store near you.
Product Profile: Devinci Cycles
August 19, 2011 1 Comment
Savvy cyclists have been grooving on this Canadian company’s handmade offerings since 1987. Forging its reputation by designing and handcrafting extraordinary bikes that deliver extraordinary performance, Devinci stands for excellence, vision and an unwavering devotion to the art of the bicycle and the thrill of the ride. Devinci road bikes and mountain bikes are products of constant innovation. They’re rigorously tested beyond industry standards, and actually warrantied for the life of the original owner. That’s passion. That’s Devinci.
Check out this tour of the Devinci factory in Canada to see what Devinci’s dedicated staff of bike pros, skilled engineers, and visionary designers are all about, and the work that they put into every bike:
The Devinci Leo SL R road bike is race-ready, rider-friendly and priced to put high performance within your reach. A full-carbon frame and carbon fork strike a perfect balance between compliance and rigidity, and Devinci’s exclusive High Performance Geometry design puts you in the optimal position for comfort, ergonomics and aerodynamics.
The Devinci Leo SL R delivers excellent power transfer, precision control and responsive handling for a truly amazing ride, whether you’re fond of Gran Fondos or determined to dominate county line sprints.
From the fast and lightweight Dexter high-performance XC bike, to the Dixon all mountain rig with 145mm of super-compliant travel, to the Wilson downhill bike with its motocross-inspired shape, each bike in the Devinci lineup of full-suspension mountain bikes features innovative Split Pivot design for optimum traction, efficiency and reliability. Equipped to rip, Devinci mountain bikes are ready to rock your rooty, rocky, rut-filled world.
Here’s Dave Weagle, designer of the Split Pivot suspension design, giving an overview of what makes this suspension design work so well:
You can see Devinci bikes in action on the World Cup Downhill MTB circuit under the Devinci Global Racing team. Currently Steve Smith, riding his Devinci Wilson downhill bike, is in 4th place in the World Cup Overall standings with one race remaining in the 2011 UCI World Cup.
Shop our selection of Devinci bikes here.
Product Profile – Diadora Shoes & Cadel Evans
August 4, 2011 1 Comment
In honor of the Tour de France victory of Cadel Evans, we’re making it a little easier to ride like Cadel, or at least wear his Diadora shoes! Our Diadora shoes are on sale right now, including the Proracer 3 road shoes worn to victory in the 2011 Tour de France. We’ve had a chance to check out the Proracer 3 here in the office, and it’s definitely got Italian style to go along with it’s pro-level features (which include an extra-thin, yet highly rigid carbon sole, durable D-Skin microfiber upper, and Multifit Adjust closure system with Micro CL buckle and Quick Adjustment strap, to find your perfect fit).
One of the most respected brands in cycling, Diadora has been worn to victory in the Giro d’Italia, the Vuelta, the Olympics, the World Hour Record, and, of course most recently, in the 2011 Tour de France. Diadora makes a full array of road and mountain cycling shoes that employ innovative technology to offer unmatched, pro-level power transfer, superior ventilation and the ultimate in ergonomic comfort.
But since we’re talking about Cadel, we thought we’d share the best pictures of Cadel that we took during our Performance Tour du Jour trip to France. Above, Cadel is powering the chase group up the Col du Galibier on Stage 18, to narrow the gap on Andy Schleck.
Cadel sprinting to the finish on top of the famous climb of Alpe d’Huez in Stage 19, with Andy Schleck in the background.
Here’s Cadel in a moment of calm after Stage 19, bundling up for the ride to the team bus.
Cadel rocketing off at the start of his time trial in Grenoble, in Stage 20.
And powering home to take the yellow jersey from Andy Schleck with a dominating performance, easily making up his 57 second time deficit from the start of the day.
Here’s Cadel in the peloton during the final stage in Paris, riding down the Rue de Rivoli in his new yellow jersey.
Photograph by Bettini Photo
So if you’re ready to ride like Cadel, check out our Diadora shoes on sale today!
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