Call me Fred.[Spotted by a reader.]Im about 80% of the way through Moby Dick now (technically Moby-Dick if youre a Literary Fred) and so immersed am I in it that I see Dick everywhere I go. And like tempestuous Ahab pacing the deck of the Pequod upon his whalebone peg-leg, I too am tormented by my own white whale, that being a pair of Spinergys:[It is said that a full-grown Cipollini can produce more oil than a mature sperm whale.]It all started when I was plying the seas of Craigslist and spotted this post:As a semi-professional blogger currently engaged in a detailed analysis of a vintage carbon-and-titanium racing bike, I figured these wheels would be useful for both scientific and novelty purposes. So, on a whim, I proffered a modest offer, and as I previously related I was soundly rebuffed:I figured that was that, but then an anonymous benefactor offered to subsidize the purchase. So I sent another message to the seller agreeing to pay the full amount, confident that the wheels would now be mine:Oddly, no reply was forthcoming, and as the wheels drifted further and further away, my desire for them only increased. Perhaps theyve already been sold, I thought to myself, but when I searched for the post the next morning, not only was it still up, but the seller had reduced his price to $150:Only a madman would ignore or refuse an offer for his full asking price only to reduce it by 25% the very next day, and so I figured the only logical explanation was that he had not seen my second email at all. And so, undaunted, I sent a new one:The reply came immediately:I did as instructed. The wheels were now tantalizingly closeso close I could imagine myself thumbing a pair of tires onto them. But out of the clear sky came a sudden squall that blew them violently out to sea:I should point out that these screenshots comprise the entirety of his messages, and that his curt replies were at no point embellished with words such as please or thank you or any other form of polite discourse. Furthermore, the ZIP code he indicates is in the vicinity of Ithaca, NY, which is well over 200 miles away from New York City. So whilst I endeavor to give every human the benefit of the doubt, I admit I find it both puzzling and vexing that someone would act irritated and put-upon by someone else offering to give him money for something hes listed for sale on a public forum. Furthermore, I find it doubly puzzling and vexing that despite being nowhere near New York City hed compose the post in such a way that it shows the wheels mere steps from the subway line I ride at least twice a week:With regard to this latter point, I figured I should bring this to his attention, if only because I didnt want him to think I was the kind of schmuck who replies to classifieds listing in Ithaca and offers to pick up the goods in Manhattan. So I sent the following message, complete with screenshot showing the map:And yet as I type this the post is still live, with no indication whatsoever of the sellers location other than a map of Manhattan with a pin in it right in the vicinity of 14th Street and 7th Avenue::Compare his comportment with that of, say, this seller, to pick one more or less at random: Not only is he clear about his location, but he obviously understands that buying and selling requires a certain amount of communication, even if it does require one to interact with the occasional looky-loo. Yes, invariably hell get the odd email like, Will this work on my fixie?, and Ill give you $75, will you deliver these to Poughkeepsie? But eventually an interested party will happen upon them, theyll shoot a few emails back and forth, theyll exchange money for goods, and the wheels of commerce will continue to roll straight and true. Of course, by this point a sane person would give up the hunt. (Actually, a sane person would have given it up after his initial offer was refusedor, most sanely, never made an offer in the first place.) However, Im a semi-professional bike blogger, not a professional sane person, and so I hereby nail my doubloon the mast and declare that if any of you dozens of readers out there happen to live in the Ithaca area and want to purchase these wheels for me Ill happily reimburse you for the $150 and the shipping to New York City, plus a little beer money for your troubles. And naturally Id implore you to treat the seller respectfully and not in any way disclose that youre in cahoots with that schmuck in New York City who kept emailing him. I dont want vindication and I dont want to violate his privacy in any way; all I want is the wheels.In the meantime, like Ahab pacing on a prosthetic limb made from the bone of the very species that torments him, Ill just sit here and stare at my Spinergy clock:I may not have any Spinergys, but Ive got lots and lots of time.

Effective and well made, but expensive 6/10

In his first year as a rider in the WorldTour peloton, Isaac del Toro could hardly have dreamed for a stronger impact for UAE Team Emirates. Now, according to the latest reports, del Toro could already be in line for his Grand Tour debut.The 20-year-old Mexican is, according to La Gazzetta dello Spo...

Tired of heavy motors and batteries that make you lose control of your eBike and waste too much energy when riding unassisted?The arrival of Fazua motors has revolutionized the second generation of eBikes with its compact electric system and its removable motor, giving way to lightweight eBikes that offer the perfect balance between the sensations of traditional cycling and the benefits of electric assistance.Would you like to know why?In this article, you will discover the main advantages of Fazua motors in eBikes and how they revolutionize the riding experience.Who is behind Fazua Motors?Fazua Motors is a company founded in 2013 in Munich, Germany, by a passionate group of cyclists determined to revolutionize the electric bicycle market.Their goal was to design a new propulsion system for eBikes that would push the limits of bicycle mobility while preserving the natural riding feel of a conventional bicycle.The result?An electric system weighing just over 4 kg (8,81 lb) that incorporates motor and battery into a compact unit and integrates seamlessly into the down tube of the bicycle frame, offering a look and feel much closer to a conventional bicycle and a much more natural riding feel than other electric bikes.In addition, this innovative Drivepack system can be easily removed to convert your eBike into a conventional bike whenever you want, so you can choose how you want to ride at any time.Fazua's motor and battery system has positioned itself as the lightest and most compact on the market and has managed to attract the attention of the prestigious automotive brand Porsche, which a few months after buying 20% of Fazua's shares decided to keep its entire shareholding.Because, as Lutz Meschke, Vice Chairman and member of the Executive Board of Porsche AG, says, "Fazua is a highly innovative company that fits perfectly with the pioneering spirit of Porsche."But what are the advantages of Fazua motors for ebikes?The Efficiency of Fazua E-Bike Motors summarized in 5 keysThe unique design of the Fazua motor and battery system provides a host of advantages to electric bike riders. Here are the most relevant ones:1 - Lightweight Design:Fazua motors are renowned for their lightweight construction. Weighing only 1.8 kg (3.96 lb), these motors contribute to the overall lightness of the eBike.This aspect is crucial for riders who value portability and maneuverability. With a lightweight eBike, navigating difficult terrains becomes easier, allowing for precise turns and obstacle avoidance.2 - Natural Riding Feel:One of the main advantages of Fazua motors is that they provide a more natural riding experience than other eBikes.The pedal assist is seamlessly integrated with the rider's pedaling effort and the motor is completely disconnected from the bottom bracket when riding above 25 km/h (20mph US & CAN), resulting in a smooth and efficient ride.In addition, unlike other eBike motor systems, Fazua motors offer a virtually frictionless experience, allowing riders to enjoy traditional cycling sensations while still benefiting from electric assistance.3 - Convenience and control:The pedal assist remote control can be integrated into the eBike's frame or handlebars to quickly and intuitively switch from one level of assistance to the other.In addition, you can also see the battery charge status at a glance by means of five LED lights that adapt their brightness to external conditions for greater comfort and safety.4 - Optimal Power-to-Weight Ratio:Lightweight eBikes with Fazua motors may have smaller batteries compared to their more powerful counterparts. However, despite their lightweight design, Fazua motors provide high power.Their 58 Nm of torque combined with the low weight of the electric pack, extend the autonomy of the 252 Wh battery and this energy efficiency allows riders to cover considerable distances on a single charge.So we can say that the Fazua motors achieve the perfect balance between power and weight, ensuring a pleasant driving experience without sacrificing maneuverability.5 - Versatile Riding Options:Fazua motors have the added advantage of being removable motors.This means that riders have the flexibility to transform their eBike into a conventional bicycle whenever they wish. By removing the motor, the weight of the eBike is significantly reduced, offering a lightweight cycling experience similar to that of a traditional bicycle.In addition, the fact that the drivepack is removable offers the possibility of riding with a spare battery in the backpack to avoid unforeseen events during longer trips or to use the space occupied by the motor for storage by replacing the drivepack with a hollow cover.This makes the Fazua motors an ideal choice for both riders who want to alternate electric cycling with conventional cycling, and for those who want to enjoy their bikepacking trips to the fullest.While their versatility and lightness makes them perfect for Gravel or road eBikes.For all these reasons, in Crow Bicycles we have chosen to incorporate the Fazua motor and battery system to our range of super lightweight premium eBikes.Would you like to see some of our models?Discover our eBike with Fazua motor

This month sees issue #16 of Gran Fondo mag featuring a group test of the best gravel bikes of 2021.Pitched against some of the biggest brands such as Open, Specialized and Canyon, our Causeway GRX600 proved to be a wolf in sheep's clothing offering it's unique approach to progressive geometry and handling, at a fraction of the cost of its stablemates.Download the full review from the Gran Fondo app here:

Dreaming cycling in the high mountains? Here's our guide for what to pack.La entrada 10 things to pack for your cycling tour in the high mountains this Summer se public primero en Eat Sleep Cycle.

Further to yesterdays post, an anonymous benefactor generously offered to underwrite my Craigslist Spinergy purchase in the name of content creation:I should point out that this benefactor has in no way requested anonymity; I just think its more fun to refer to an anonymous benefactor. And before you get carried away, no, the anonymous benefactor is not Grant Petersenthough a Roadini with Spinergys is exactly the bike the Internet needs right now:[Photo: Rivendell]Anyway, naturally I sent the seller another message agreeing to pay the full asking price, but as of now I have not received a reply. Perhaps I offended him with my initial lowball offer, or perhaps theyre just gone, but either way I now find myself in the ironic position of really wanting those Spinergys after having roundly mocked them. And maybe $200 is a bargain after all, because heres someone in Sheepshead Bay who wants more than that for just one:Hes definitely banking on the Return of the Fixie:I like to think the Must pick up in the ad doesnt mean you have to come get the wheel, but instead refers to some sort of magical Excalibur situation whereby only the most worthy Fixster will be able to lift it.Anyway, it could be that these Spinergys have slipped through my fingers (severing several digits in the process with their wind-cutting blades), and if so let that be a lesson to you about the dangers of haggling:Also, speaking of requisitioning materials for this blog, I looked further into the possibility of obtaining a steel LeMond in the exact same size as the crabo-tanium Tete de Course, putting exactly the same parts on it, and comparing the bikes in order to determine once and for all what effect (if any) frame material has on ride quality:Alas, in looking at the geometry charts in the catalog, it turns out the Tete de Course is a little different from the steel bikes:How much of a difference does this make to the ride? I dunno. But the comparison doesnt work if there are any differences at all other than frame material, so thats that.Of course that famous blind test should have put this whole thing to bed in 1996:[I really need those Snapple shorts!]While the tester felt he could detect the differences between different steel tubesets on otherwise identical bikes, he also decided his preferences were basically random:Then again he also takes for granted that different materials ride much differently:Though whos to say those preferences arent equally random? Between the rider and the bike there are so many variables its no wonder your favorite bike often happens by accident:I never seriously entertained the possibility of actually liking that bike, but I ended up loving itand even then I didnt end up keeping it, opting instead for a bike of a similar vintage that fit similarly but was also a little more versatile and practical, relatively speaking:Its easy to make fun of bicycle marketing, but youve really got to feel for these companies who have to compete over potential customers by pretending any of these random ride impressions are easily quantifiable or anything but subjective. Obviously a bike must be designed properly for its intended use, but so many of them are extremely similar, and so beyond that its like selling a fragrance:Then there are the bike booms followed by the inevitable busts, and right now we seem to be in the middle of a big fat bust:Apparently, their parent company is throwing them overboard to focus on their watersports business:So basically theyre ditching bikes for this:I want to know if wakeboarding is to waterskiing as gravel is to road ridingor is the new thing going to be gravel wakeboarding, where you get pulled down a dirt road by an ATV whilst kneeling on a carbon fiber board? And is wakeboarding really a better investment than bikes? Or is this company just stupid? (According to one source, its the latter.)Meanwhile, on the road side, power meter company Stages Cycling has also just blown up like a Fred whos powered right through the feed zone without stopping:This is probably bad news for anyone whos bought a $749 bilateral power meter:And of course Trek recently right sized itself by 10%, and are cutting prices to match, which means you can now get that top-of-the-line road bike youve had your eye on forfuck it, never mind, theyre still insanely expensive:But obviously not all their bikes are that expensive, and being old and obstinate and out of it and completely mired in vintage bikes as I am, I figured I should at least take a look at the sort of bike normal people are buying these days:Back in the previous century, when I was a young single person just starting out in a career I would eventually fail at, I walked into a bike shop in order to purchase myself a serious bicycle. In those days, the main question was, Road or mountain?, and to be honest even as I walked into the shop I still hadnt quite decided. Fortunately, the shop gave me a great piece of advice, which was basically, You live in the city, what they hell are you going to do with a mountain bike? So I got a road bike and rode the hell out of it. Then I got a mountain bike, and every other kind of bike, and I started a blog, and here I am scrounging for used Spinergys on Craigslist.But things are different now. The choice is no longer simply Road or mountain?, and if I was that wide-eyed shopper today Id probably be contemplating gravel bikes along with everything else:Im old and jaded, and disc brakes are enough to make me balk, let alone IsoSpeed:Im also uneasy about the idea of a frame that requires a skid plate:But setting aside my own prejudices Id say these kids today have it pretty good, what with their bikes that do both road and trail and even hold stuff in the downtubeand prices are more or less in line with what you would have paid 30 years ago. Would I be lured by the promise of adventure if I were a young person shopping today? Possiblythough if I were living in the same place I was then Id probably still wind up with a road bike. Plus, no matter how varied your riding everyone has sort of a root note, and a road bike is what mine seems to be, despite the ever-present danger of encountering a psychopathic driver:Insanity in midtown Manhattan NYC A car jumps on the sidewalk and tries to take out a guy. Unsure what started this . pic.twitter.com/jCiCnSwD4l Viral News NYC (@ViralNewsNYC) April 24, 2024All this video is missing is someone yelling at the driver for being in the bike lane. Actually, maybe thats what started it.