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Reinventing the wheel

MICHAEL GRANGE

Globe and Mail Update

Latest comment posted at 7:50 PM EST 19/06/08

The engineering whizzes behind Cervelo bikes rode a connection to the Tour de France to huge brand cachet;until rampant doping turned the race into a joke. How do they prove now that they make the best damn bikes in the world? ...Read the full article

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  1. Space Cadet from Boomeralley, Canada writes: I'm one of those 50 adults who have been bitten and addicted to bicycling. I bike to work 2-3 times a week and try to get out on the weekend. Besides the fact that it gets me in shape, saves gas, is non-polluting, the mental piece is the best. I'm personally happy to start to see the bikeways being crowded on the way to work in the morning around Ottawa (not uncommon to see 6 riders waiting in traffic for a light),
    Oh, and yes, after 4 years of riding a cheapo mountain bike, which I still have and is very good, I broke down and got a $1400 bike this year.
  2. Graham Brown from Sarnia, writes: Cervelo bikes are nice machines - I know a couple people around here who have them. The problem is that they can be purchased more cheaply in the United States than in Canada??? WTF?
  3. Mr. Roadrocket from Ottawa, Canada writes: The article is not quite accurate when it says that there are so many triathletes using Cervelos they mark them with balloons. This is a common trick people use to locate their bikes in a busy, crowded transition zone; flags are used too. But otherwise the article gives a good oversight of what it takes to become a leading bike company in the outsourced, globalized world of today. The Cervelo products are very good, and very competitive price-wise--I just wish they came in more colours! Once you have ridden a high-end bicycle, you realize how responsive, fast and comfortable a bike can be. And fun! However, since moving back to Canada from the US last year, I have been shocked to see how expensive bicycles and accessories are in Canada compared to south of the border. I guess the size of the market is one thing, but the differential is really enormous. WTF indeed!
  4. Luke Siragusa from Toronto, Canada writes: When an industry and market can oblige those such as Cervelo bikes, whose steep prices, limited application and exclusive cachet, position it beyond the aspirations and means of a great majority of cyclists, it attests to the vitality of the sector. Bikes in all styles are in vogue!

    No I'd never buy a Cervelo -- strike that, I may stumble upon one at a garage sale -- but neither would I shell out a king's ransom for the wares of Colnago, Seven, etc..., the law of diminishing returns is in strict effect at these stratospheric price points.

    The article characterizing the company's founders as "bike snobs, combining a fascination for the practical efficiency of a well-designed machine with a passion for sleek and pricey toys" also aptly encapsulates their products. Race bikes, particularly TT bikes, are essentially toys: designed and built for recreation or competition. This fact constrains the market to those with mucho disposable cash and time to indulge their competitive inclinations - or delusions. Boomers, with their fat wallets and derrieres, to the rescue!

    But that's not to disparage Cervelo's success and mission. How heartening to read of a Canadian company flourishing at the pinnacle of its specialty. I wish them nothing but success; may competitors continue to ride Cervelos to the top of podiums across the world.
  5. Mr. Roadrocket from Ottawa, Canada writes: A further thought: it is ironic that with our environmental concerns and the price of gasoline today, while there is a good market for very expensive sports bikes like the Cervelos, Argon 18s and Marinonis, there is enormous consumer sales resistance to expensive bikes you could use for commuting. I use my time trial bike sparingly, having ridden it 900 kms in 3 years, whereas I ride to work every day on a completely different kind of bike. There should be a much bigger market for a good, reliable lightweight commuter bike that has high-quality components, probably selling for around $800-1,000 of so and that you could ride for 20 years, but it seems the defaults in the market are either the $205 (!) bike from CostCo or the $2000 Cervelo.
  6. Charlie R from Richmond Hill, Canada writes: I don’t think the high end bicycle market is just a matter of boomers wanting to spend wads of cash on a nice bike. The sporting goods market has by en large been driven by us &8220;wannabes&8221; aspiring to emulate our professional sports heros. I mean come on, do you really need to shell out $300 for ice skates or $100 for a carbon fibre hockey stick? Don&8217;t even get me started on golf clubs and fishing rods. We&8217;ve carried this mentality since we were in elementary school when you worked part time to save up for those Nike Air Jordans. Later on you want those Callaway golf clubs etc&8230; Some of us want nice bikes.
  7. Andrew Goss from Canada writes: It would have been nice to see a comparison to the other Canadian high end bike company - Guru. I believe that Guru actually custom builds their bikes to your sizing in a warehouse in Montreal. Thereby employing more Canadians versus having them built on the other side of the world like Cervelo.
  8. Luke Siragusa from Toronto, Canada writes: >

    To Mr. Roadrocket:

    I absolutely agree with your observation that a market for high quality commuters/tourers is underdeveloped. I believe the reason for this is cultural: by and large bikes in North America are considered toys, primarily for recreational use. In their lifestyle most cannot currently[?] envision a scenario where a bicycle would figure so prominently as a utilitarian vehicle that it justifies buying a one or two thousand dollar commuter. So the reference of value is the measure of bling or technical/esthetic appeal it confers, typically attributes of exotic racing machines -- with engines or not.

    To my non-cycling friends a look of complete amazement strikes them upon learning that my (Phil Wood) rear hub alone costs as much as their X-Mart bikes. That hub is user serviceable, supremely durable commuting more miles in a week than their bikes do in a decade or two -- I've laced it to four different rims -- and will most likely see me to my grave. I consider it a bargain; to them it's an extravagance and, given how they use their bicycles, they're right.

    The market for high price, high quality commuters, tourers, and utility bikes will grow once cultural attitudes, out of necessity or inclination, acknowledge the fact that bicycles are first and foremost a highly practical means of transport, rather than just an innocuous indulgence of the well to do or a mode of transport for the indigent.
  9. Pompeyluvva 67 from Toronto, Canada writes: If you want to read a good story that talks more about how Cervelo builds its bikes and has built its business, check out http://tinyurl.com/3v84pd
  10. Not the Alliance from Canada writes: Andrew - yes Guru can custom size even a carbon frame. Lot of people don't realize that Guru is Canadian - kind of like most people didn't realize that Cervelo was Canadian.

    The beauty of a high end bike is that form completely follows function. If you look closely at a recent Cervelo frame - with the pencil thin seat stays - you wonder how the thing would perform - but it does.

    I'm a pretty serious weekend road warrior (former mtn biker) - try to get out at least at least 3 mornings before work too. Yesterday, I was passed by a very fit 50 something who was riding a Cervelo (looked like an RS). Of course, that's when you gear down and pretend that you're on a recovery ride. LOL! It MUST have been his bike!
  11. Darren Arcuri from Calgary, Canada writes: I first saw Cervelo in the 2003 TdF. (My wife knew of them because one of the guy's was from McGill Engineering, where she also went to school) I was just getting interested in Triathlon at that time too. Being a clydesdale, and new to the sport, I was afraid to go buy a fancy high end time trial bike that I wouldn't be able to use properly, so I bought a Cannondale R700 and attached some tri bars to it. It was fine, but I was envious of all the fancy time trial bikes. As my addiction to the sport grew, so did my interest in cycling in general, and the 2005 TdF was flooded with Cervelo ads showing how tough the bikes were (A real plus for a guy my size) and CSC's performance seemed to convince me to give Cervelo a real try. I held off until I volunteered in 2006 at the Ironman and was impressed at what percentage Cervelo already had a hold of in the field. Either it was great marketing, or people just new Cervelo was the best. I bought a P2SL immediately afterwards and signed up for the 2007 IMC. The bike was the cheapest bike I've seen to come equiped with Dura-ace. I was still scared to go for full carbon (I'm still a clydesdale after all), and I had to swap out some of the sexy visiontech equipment for some wider profile design stuff, but otherwise the bike is fantastic. At the 2007 IMC, I tested a P3C and fell in love with it. The rep said my weight wouldn't be an issue for it at all. Soon... soon.
  12. Brian Roth from Vancouver, Canada writes: Just a general PSA about Guru, since it's been mentioned a few times here. I broke down and splurged on the Trilite (now called the Magis) last season and can't believe the difference it has made. While I've been only slightly faster in my ride times, the custom geometry that they built for me leaves me body in much better shape to transition to the run in my triathlons and has resulted in dramatically reduced run times. For anyone seeking a perfect fit to their body, built and supported by Canadians (I've received amazing pre- and post-purchase service too), I highly recommend Guru. They're even priced nearly the same as the Cervelos.
  13. Mr. Roadrocket from Ottawa, Canada writes: To Luke Siragusa: I hope that you are right and that we might see more people enjoying good bikes on their commutes or trips to the grocery store. My commuting bike began as an inexpensive NYCBikes cross frame that looked so nice that I kept adding pretty parts to it until, like many government projects, it cost three times my original budget. It is superb to ride, so much so that I only use my car on weekends. On my blog, www.tindonkey.com, I did a piece a few months ago about the new "coasting" bikes, designed to use Shimano's new automatic shifting, as a way to get reluctant cyclists on the road. They are simple, around $400 and look nice. They are also heavy and have no racks, but perhaps this is a beginning. As to high-end Canadian bikes, I saw many of these on the past weekend on the Rideau Lakes Tour. There seems to be a real design explosion going on. People have spoken highly of Guru here; I have had excellent experiences with Marinoni in Montreal. Not only is their line-up very impressive, they do a lot of custom work. And they repainted my older steel touring bike beautifully, at an absolute bargain price. It is not that they don't do marketing well, like Cervelo, but that they don't do it at all.
  14. web warlock from Canada writes: I'd expect aging boomers who have that kind of money to invest in a recumbent; after herniating a disc I can't ride a regular upright bike without discomfort. Besides, recumbents are about 15% faster than a regular upright anyway; that's why they aren't allowed in the Tour. Recumbents are actually safer for a number of reasons: lower to the ground means less far to fall, feet first instead of head first, with a flag cars see you, but don't know what you are so they give a very wide berth (they probably think you're a wheel chair) and so on. They do cost more, but your *ss never gets sore. Never. Even on the first ride of the season. It's like a hammock on wheels; once you go 'bent you never go back.
  15. Not the Alliance from Canada writes: Speaking of recumbents - check out Naked Bicycles in BC. The owner, Sam Whittingham has owned some records for the fastest human powered vehicle - on a streamlined recumbent. Eg - flying mile at 126 km/hour. Makes nice looking upright custom bikes too - got best of show at the handbuilt bicycle show - with Lance Armstrong buying his winning bike.

    web warlock - I've heard that recumbents aren't great for going uphill - what's been your experience? (I know they fly going down though....)
  16. Jack Rip from Vancouver, Canada writes: I am a Cervelo owner, and to me its like riding the Mona Lisa (figuratively, not literally). I have another, non-Cervelop bike (a cyclocross frame) that I put 10,000 km on a year commuting to work. Like a thoroughbred, the Cervelo is kept cloistered away until the summer when it is taken out in preparation for triathlons and for riding on those perfect summer days.
  17. web warlock from Canada writes: Recumbents are slightly heavier, so if your speed drops too much on the uphill it can be a bit of a drag, but your average speed is so much higher that overall the benefits far outweigh the negatives. My recumbent came geared more extremely than my previous bikes; the granny cog is much smaller, and the big cog is a lot bigger, so in practice you don't usually have to work harder to get uphill; you've gained so much speed on the downhill that you can coast uphill, if it's a really big hill you drop it into the granny gear.
  18. Veritas Canada from Canada writes: Are recumbents any good for riding off-road (mountain-biking)?
  19. Michael Ortelli from Toronto, writes: Oh 'cmon. These guys might be good, but please don't make them sound brilliant because they want to not paint the bike to reduce some weight. This is a common practice of many bike manufacturers at the high end. The unpainted bike is commonly referred to as "naked". It's not a Cervelo idea.
  20. Jake Kayak from From the Left Coast, Canada writes: Michael, unpainted or "naked" composites are also called a "skin-coat". I have build kevlar/carbon canoes and kayaks this way. You lose the protective outer layer (on boats it would be the gelcote), but also lose some weight. For a serious professional competitor, this is an advantage. For a semi-pro or recreational enthusiast, you give up some durability. Sometimes it is not advantageous to have the fastest/lightest bike/boat/etc... You also need some durablility (unless you have an unlimited budget).
  21. Andrew Malcolmson from Canada writes: I disagree with the comment above alleging that there aren't enough mid-price, practical Canadian bicycle models - Devinci and Norco offer good quality commuter bikes under $1k (and Rocky Mountain and others I'm sure do too). Unfortunately, your local bike store probably doesn't stock these, especially outside of bigger cities where bikes are still for recreation, not transportation.
  22. A Edgar from Mississauga, Canada writes: What's up with this obsession to keep reducing weight on the bikes? If you ask me, it’s just a marketing gimmick. 30 grams, come on! Skip just one doughnut with its double-double and you saved yourself 50 grams, instead of forking out an additionall $500 on the bike frame. Don’t get me wrong, I appreciate a light (and stiff) bike frame. You climb easier and you accelerate faster, but I don’t want to do that at the expense of frame integrity (my skin) or durability (my investment). The pro is not paying for the bike but the enthusiast or the weekend warrior is. The pro will get new bikes every year, but the common mortal who rides thousands of kilometres every season in less that perfect roads will want his investment to last for many years.
  23. Space Cadet from Ottawa, Canada writes: Just a comment on the weight of bikes and the performance - my last bike I was riding wasn`t a mountain bike, but a Norco hybrid. I do 27 km to work ( and then 27 km back) and try to stay within an hour (ok, sometimes an hour and 10 min). I bought a Giant OCR1, composite in front, aluminum in back (I know, it`s not Canadian, but good value for the money). The weight difference, the bike shoes (yup, I went all out), and the downturned handlebars have made the ride much easier, I`m hitting 30 km on the flat easily at times. Time difference - so far 10-15 minutes better than last year (my times drop as the year goes on quite significantly, I`m at 1:05 right now).
  24. Reality Check from Canada writes: Skip a donut? Why would anyone do that?

    ...but remember what real cyclists say: "a pound off the bike is like ten off the saddle." a bike represents ~10% of your body weight. every ounce makes a difference when you are the motor.

    Cervelos are nice, but everyone has one now, and I ain't no sheep. I do beleive they are well engineered, but so are all of the other high end bikes. The biggest difference in Cervelos is the attention they pay to aerodynamics.
  25. John McCaffery from Australia writes: I've always thought that the bicycle is the coolest and most advanced commuting machine ever created by man, and these little ones are no exception.
  26. lary waldman from Qualicum Beach, Canada writes: If only with a stroke of the pen, or some such gesture we could implant the heads of these fellows into the heads of those in Detroit. Life as we know it would change overnight.

    Lary Waldman
  27. Luke Siragusa from Toronto, Canada writes: >

    To Space Cadet from Ottawa:

    You imply that the performance improvements are a primarily(?) a corollary of a lighter weight bike when they've been realized with an altogether different setup with an array of new equipment.

    Perhaps you may be surprised to realize that traditionally, TT bikes -- as a commuter you're essentially time trailing, i.e., not riding in a peleton -- are NOT the lightest. When the course is obstruction free and relatively flat what conduces most to speed is conditioning and resistance (rolling, wind). Hence the attention time trialists devote to aerodynamic form and equipment.

    Consider this: The combination of a race bike weighing 9 KG and a rider tipping the scales at 81 KG will only realize about 1.1 percent reduction in weight if the bike was 10% lighter.

    So even if there's a linear relationship between bike weight and rider performance, which there isn't, expect the lighter bike to shave all of 1 minute off of a 100 minute ride. Yes the analysis is simplistic; I'm overstating the case to prompt you re-examine your contention.

    Reality Check from Canada quotes "real cyclists" as contending differently. Well real cyclists are susceptible to myth just like everyone else.

    I'll take a heavier bike and a guarantee of tailwinds over a featherweight triple butted whatever-ium racer any day.
  28. Michael MAS from Vancouver, Canada writes:
    Funny the comment about Racer Sportif and not liking Cervelos. They sold Cervelos for a while even though they weren't a dealer. Effectively they were selling second hand bikes that then were not covered under Cervelo warranty. They got busted by Cervelo, got some bad press, maybe this was RS's chance to poo-poo Cervelo ? Heck, they even had one in their window for a long time !

    So, I'd take RS's view of Cervelo with a lot really strong cynical view !

    This was on Cervelo's web site for a long time . . ..

    "IMPORTANT NOTICE
    Please note that Racer Sportif in Toronto, ON is not a Cervélo dealer, and never has been. Please be warned that all Cervélos at this store are second-hand and as such are not covered by our warranty. Those who have purchased a Cervélo from this store and have been led to believe they were new and covered by Cervélo's warranty are encouraged to contact us.

    To avoid confusion Racer Sportif in London, ON is not related to the store by the same name in Toronto. Racer Sportif London is a bonafide Cervélo dealer."

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