Tommaso Nation

Tommaso Heads to (Colorado's) Roubaix

2011-04-13T08:46:00.001-07:00

With the pack asserting itself at 10mph on a flat road I could only wonder how tough the day was going to be. With 22-25mph winds howling straight at us we were pedaling in molasses. It is times like this, inside a nervous pack; you start to see what you are made of and what you lack. Bumping elbows and watching for sliding wheels was the order of the day. In what seemed like an eternity we finally hit mile 6 and I turned to my teammate and said “wow…only 52 more miles like this.” He didn’t seem to appreciate the humor.

Soon there was the horrible thud of bodies, skidding of tires and an awful scream followed by some of the most haunting agony vocalized that I can ever remember. As I rolled through the carnage getting hit by a tumbling bike I could only turn to the photographer on the roadside and shout for her to call 911. Still on lap one of three there was work to do.

With the change from road to dirt on and off through the event if your legs weren’t screaming your brain was churning from close calls, attacks to the art of racing a bike. There would be no rest today, just pain. With the split in the pack caused by the earlier carnage of bodies I soon found myself in a smaller second group. It was time to take inventory of the level of riders I would be working with to close the gap to the leaders and hopeful working against to leave behind towards the end of the race. A thought we all silently let play in our minds.

The day wore on and the carbon Tommaso was working like a champ. I had double padded the bars and ran tubeless wheels so I could run lower pressure. I had about 85psi in the front and rear. To be honest the bike seemed to just float along without any abuse to my body. I even made it to the top of the nasty dirt climb that had many a strong rider getting off to walk/run up. The Tommaso just kept going and it made me happy that I was on a machine I could trust. For the tech-heads I ran a 52/36 ring set-up on the cranks and a SRAM 11x 26 cassettes on the rear. In hind-site a compact 50/34 would have been a great choice as well.

Being a part of Tommaso Nation and pulling away from the six riders in my group on a challenging stretch of dirt road made me proud. Not so much that I was able to go off the front of the group but that I was having such a good day on the Tommaso and representing the Nation. When everything seems to be exploding around you and guys are falling off, getting flats, dropping chains and just losing hope I felt I could just keep going and going.

My Tommaso Volo was probably the most modest priced bike in the race. I would guess my Tommaso was about $2,000 less that the bikes I was competing against. We’ve always believed in making bikes that people can enjoy and afford! The Tommaso staff puts thousands of miles on our bikes and on certain days we race them just to throw an extra amount of abuse into the mix. This day was just another test the bike passed that makes us proud to offer it to you-the rider.

There is an added pleasure knowing a bike so well and having so much invested in making it right for so many riders. During this race I thought of the Tommaso Nation and hoped they shared the same love and excitement for their bikes as I do mine. This energy turned into motivation and even though I was beginning to get tired and mentally exhausted I lit up the engine for the long stretch to the finish line waving the flag of Tommaso Nation!

Enjoy the Ride-TR

[By the end of the day the Lady Tommaso finished 9th on her Corvo and I rolled in 19th on my Tommaso Volo. We will be back next year for that elusive cobblestone trophy!]

2011 Pulls Through

2010-12-30T09:44:00.001-08:00

It’s the end of the year and the beginning of another. Most Websites are posting Top 10 lists of people or events as a reminder of the 365 day obstacle course we call a year in the life. Here at Tommaso Bicycles we are working on the 2012 bikes. It’s one of the little funnies about this job…you never can remember what year it is!

This year was fun. How could it not be in the bike industry right? Well it is a lot of work and long hours too but in the end it is more rewarding and exciting than anything else I could imagine doing as a career. I even got married this Summer on my Tommaso Volo! Tommaso Nation is a blast too. This year I got to ride with Kampy on his way through Colorado, had great fun with TC (he even shot a video eating a KFC Double Down), and shared jokes and thoughts with Mize, Keenan, Gab Beer, Tomassetti, SD, Jesse, Edsta, KJ, DS, KP, Qba, T-Webb, Cole and so many more!

Tommaso Nation is a big part of our day. Thanks to Facebook we have a nice place to hang out and chat about bikes, rides, news and nasty (yummy) foods. The more we share about our experiences in cycling the richer the community becomes. So many dinners at home start with “You should see what KP said today on Tommaso’s Facebook…” What other bike company talks about their loyal riders on a first name (or initial) basis at dinner? That is the beauty of what we have with Tommaso Nation. Family!

So as a group we will head into next year wheels-a-blazing and shifters firing! We will welcome new members into Tommaso Nation and continue to share the special moments on our bikes. We will train, sweat, fall, race, get rained on and get honked at together. So when the starting gun goes off on Saturday morning and 2011 officially begins we hope you know you have over a thousand friends wanting you to enjoy your first ride of the New Year.

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!

TR Maloney
Product Manager
Tommaso Bikes

Lifelong Companions

2010-11-24T16:02:00.000-08:00

It was dark and cold as I hit the pedal and rolled away from the office and headed home. I turned on my light and followed my beam into the black. As I passed under the street lights I could see my shadow move from my left to ahead of me with each passing of the high placed street lamps. It seems I am always racing someone…even my shadow.

The neighborhood windows glowed warm and I could see the rare family dinner scenes taking place. Mostly it was the constant electric rectangle keeping the attention of the couch prisoners. We all enjoy company even if it comes from a television.

Earlier in the day I had some company of my own. I was trail running and came across a coyote. We both stopped and looked at each other. We probably shared the same thought: Is he going to attack me? I moved along to the south and the coyote headed east. It was a nice moment and on a long trail run a visitor is a welcome site…even if it is a coyote.

Getting closer to home I was watching the light on my handlebar reflect of my front wheel and sending wonderful silver flashes off of my spokes. It was dead silent and I could hear every motion of my bike-the rubber on the road and the revolution of the chain. We were just humming along, just me and my custom white Tommaso fixie. Outside of the human element my bike is my lifelong companion. It has been since I can remember. Sure I was lured away like many others by the freedom of a driver’s license and a gas pedal but I came back. The bike has always just felt right.

So tonight on my nightly return home I found myself happy and smiling. Joyful to be a grown man riding a bike in the dark following a little beam of light home in the cold. Thankful to not be in a car, thankful to be experiencing life from my bike and thankful that coyote was friendly. Mostly I am thankful for my wife, family, my career in cycling and for all the friends at Tommaso Nation.

Happy Thanksgiving!

TR

A Saddled Life

2010-11-03T10:04:00.000-07:00

I’ve seen a lot of wonderful things from my saddle this year. I raced grueling events that tested me almost as much as an Ironman. In riding my bike to work I've seen great mountain views and little details like foxes and falcons. I climbed Mont Ventoux (twice) and I even got married on my Tommaso bike on the top of a mountain! It has been an amazing year and I am very lucky. There’s a saying about luck: “Luck favors the prepared.” Basically the more you prepare for a certain result the better chance you’ll get that result.

The year tuned out to be amazing because I make cycling such a big part of my life. From the commute to work, the lunch ride, my career and the time spent tinkering in the garage I am surrounded by bikes and like minded people. My friends work at VeloNews, Hutchinson, Specialized, Trek, BMC, Shimano and SRAM. My wife loves to ride bikes as much as I do (she’s even racing cross now!). To say I am “into cycling” is to say Captain Ahab liked to fish.

It is in this life that my life takes place. Going to the store is a trip on the bike. Date night to our favorite restaurant is a trip on our bikes. When we decided to get married our first thought was what mountain are we going to ride up and tie the knot? And of course the honeymoon was cycling the Tour routes in France. Daily life with a bike is something that will stay with me forever. I have good days and bad days but they are all bike days.

Another big part of this life is sharing it with all of you on the Facebook Fan Page and on Twitter. Do you think I’ll ever forget Todd Cooper eating a KFC Double Down on video? I’m thankful that Qba checks in from Afghanistan and crazy Jesse gives shout-outs from Florida. I look forward to comparing notes with Kenneth and Steve during the classics and Tours. I even got to ride with Kampy as he traveled across the US on his way home. Yes, lucky man!

So as winter approaches get out the cold weather gear and continue on with the good life. Make plans for the upcoming year and set some goals. Prepare a route in life that includes cycling and soon you will find that we are all pretty lucky.

Thanks for reading-TR

The Mountain Dance

2010-06-24T11:02:00.000-07:00

I would like to say the mountains met me with gentle conversation but they did not. Their cruelty began early and livened our time together with sharp grades and undulations. For I am the traveler the mountain understands. I am the lone traveler with the human powered engine and the cooling sweat that drips onto the thirsty parched pavement.

Those bigger vehicles with their metal pistons and fake atmosphere would not understand this journey as I do. Those “others” float fat on gravy seats hastening the throttled explosions under the hulking hood while portly maneuvering around the bends made so generous for their proud obese fenders. Those damned vehicles that will someday deliver my doom. Curse them all!

My eyes are hollow now and I look through my eyelids for respite ahead. As the snow appears I feel the cool promise or relief but know it is a lie told only to the weaker pockets in my brain to keep doubt at bay. At 9000 feet the only relief is at home, thousands of feet below.

The serpent dance has begun on my pedals as I am standing looking to find the mythical rhythm to get me through the kick and deliver me to a gentler bend. In truth I want more. Suffering is the way, the badge, the life. Here on this road built by men long dead and surrounded by monstrous boulders I am searching for a moment of my own and the only souvenir I can carry home is the suffering.

Cresting the top I tug at the zipper on my jersey providing the only protection I will have on the cold descent back to the toil of cars and bustle. I lean, bend and contort my body into shapes to steal any precious speed I can find. The wheels are whirling now and the room for error was vacated at the top. Lean left and push hard on the right pedal. Pick that line and carve, carve, carve!

The ride down is the drive home from the hot date. The real action was on the way up but the way down gives me a chance to relish in the hot sweat and love. It’s a beautiful dance of pain and desire and the mountains are always a wonderful partner. A brief break for refreshments and it’s time to go again. The orchestra begins to play a waltz I will never tire from and I will always answer to with lively legs and a pumping heart. The glory is in the mountains.

2010-06-09T11:09:00.000-07:00

You would probably find Floyd Landis in a Radio Shack Team kit before you would find me participating in a community wide, 22-mile (free-for-all) path ride…but there I was elbows out praying for safe passage like Michael Rasmussen trying to descend during a 2005 Tour de France time trial (I’ll take obscure TdF references for $200 Alex…). The bottom line was the kids wanted to ride and I was going to make sure they did. It’s not every day that you can get teenagers away from video games and I was not going to miss this opportunity. Red Dead Redemption be damned! We were riding!

That morning I left for a quick primer of 50 miles with Turbo-Mom and we told the kids to drink plenty of water and be ready at 2:30 to ride. As we were leaving out the door I noticed the boy eating two big burritos…It was then I decided I would be pulling the whole way. We finished our training ride and took a quick nap while the junior cycling squad got ready to roll. I took quick inventory before we left. Water, sunscreen, helmets, patience and I took some gels just in case.

Of course I only had my team gear to wear (I did tone it down with black bibs). Paul Sherwin would have commented that I looked “resplendent in my team strip” but in the crowd of YMCA t-shirts, cargo shorts and baseball hats under first generation Bell helmets I stood out like the Pope at a Slayer concert. Even though certain portions of the route would not be paved I still rolled out on the Tommaso Volo…If I could race the Boulder Roubaix on my carbon Tommaso dream machine I think I could handle some gravel paths and 50 soccer moms…

The team (family unit) and I quickly fell into formation and headed out into the sea of T-shirt, tetanus threatening drivetrains and…well…bad bike handling. At 10 mph there is going to be some weaving. Throw in some children, hot sun and poor course marking and it all goes right into the Port-o-Let.

Right from the start we were having fun. There was laughing and zero shaved leg, “don’t ding my $8,000 bike” aggression. Dads were sitting way too low on their bikes and Mom’s were busy telling little Jimmy to stop cutting off the other riders. It was a Cat 1 racer’s nightmare…I thought it was hysterical! Where else would I find myself being pulled by a girl in a swimsuit on a cruiser and a guy on a mountain bike wearing a cowboy hat smelling like some summer ale? Not at the local ACA event that’s for sure.

As the miles wore on we laughed and surged through the carnival pack and came to a rest stop. It was time for the teenage girl to have an energy gel to get her through the next hour…she balked. She did not want to eat the gel. It was like Joe Regan trying to get some Fear Factor contestant to eat a live centipede. Amazing…the kid can eat popcorn, orange juice and 4 scoops of ice cream drowning in chocolate sauce (in one sitting) and you can’t get her to eat something that tastes like 1.1 ounce of vanilla pudding. With some encouragement from the group and a switch to chocolate she survived…barely.

Full of renewed energy and rest we were heading towards home. We counted off the last remaining miles out loud and hit our street at exactly 22 miles! We had survived the baby strollers, weavers, criers, drunkards and the course. Most importantly the kids finished their longest ride ever in one piece. Their Mom and I shared a quick glimpse of joy as we parked the bikes in the garage.

Shallow...Like a Kiddie Pool

2010-05-26T08:38:00.000-07:00

I’ll be the first to admit to my shallowness as a cyclist in the past. As I get closer to completing my second decade of riding I have learned to tone down the trash talk and keep the “finger” under control. I’ve put away the silly finish line celebration and can even be downright pleasant to ride with on the bike. In the past I was a brash little punk who used cycling as release therapy for my inner angry-man...or angry-child as my friends would joke. I actually thought I was going to be the next Cipollini and I had the ego to match…and you thought the “tools” were only at Home Depot.

Now that I am older and my rear cassette has grown from 7-speed to 10-speed I have gained some knowledge and humility. My ego has shrunk and no longer has its own solar system. I bark a lot less and pull a lot more. I stop to check on cyclist parked on the side of the road looking for karma from past transgressions. I still have a lot of competitiveness in my bones but try to save it for the times I pay to pin a number on my back and try to look good for my 1-woman fan club.

Now…I do have one little pet peeve I still can’t let slide. I am sharing this with you in hopes you don’t fall into this bad habit. Here it is: If you are going to “aggressively” pass a fellow rider (namely me) on a climb you better have the milk to make it stick. Don’t race past me and then blow up like a cheap bottle rocket 10-feet out of the bottle. Blowing by me like Lance Armstrong only to fall back to earth like Neil Armstrong won’t win any points with me. In fact there’s a good chance…like 100%...that I will come after you. Yes, I can be that shallow...like a kiddie pool. There won’t be words but there will be the back of my jersey for you to look at…well, for a little bit.

Cyclists make mistakes. Newbies wear bibs over their jersey. They get squirrely trying to get a gel out of a jersey pocket or drop a bottle on a group ride. Some kickback 5-feet when they stand to climb…these things happen and should be addressed tastefully as a learning moment and not a screaming match. But seeing a fellow cyclist shoot up the climb and thinking your “inner Marco Pantani” is going to teleport you past a fellow roadie into another zip code is just wrong. Pass me like a pro and you will get a cheer..pass me for show and you will get a jeer…and I will hunt you down.

I think we got it now. Jersey over bibs, hold your line, shift down one gear before you stand and climb like you love the mountain more than the attention you want to have on yourself…that’s all I ask.

See you out there!

Back to the Pack

2010-04-08T09:43:00.000-07:00

Racing bikes is funny business. I’ve been racing bikes since 1993 and over the years I have had my share of heartbreaks, drama and the occasional trip to the podium and a few envelopes filled with cash. I’ve also had a wide variety of team jerseys from pink and yellow, forest green and orange to the kit I wore for a year that had a Cornish hen on every panel. Our sponsor was a poultry “manufacturing” facility and I heard my share of chicken clucks in the peloton…oddly the last race I won was in that kit…no one was calling me chicken that day.

After that road win I returned to racing mountain bikes and got hooked on the single speed lifestyle for its simplicity and the thrill of chasing down the geared ones with my one gear. After that I jumped over to tri and after a few years found myself crossing the line an Ironman. Checking that off the list I am heading back to the road scene…nine years later! What happened! I lost track of time.

This Sunday marks my silent return to the sport. I’m just a rider like you but this day means a lot to me. I’ve missed my place in the pack and that horrible energy that rips through the peloton as the finish line is in sight. Back in the day I used to be very vocal in the pack…yes, I was that jerk. With 2-miles to go I would ask that any “weak souls please slink to the back as a sprint finish was about take place among adults and it was no place for children.” I wasn’t nice…my sprint salute was even more annoying than Contador’s pistol…mostly because a club racer needs to have a little more modesty. It wasn’t like people where stopping me at the store for autographs. The only thing I signed for strangers was entry fee checks and a lot of them.

Now I’m back and the raw truth of the matter is still the same. Somewhere down the road is a finish line and it only holds glory for one. By glory I mean a pitcher of margaritas and a huge burrito before you go back home and are told by your spouse to cut the grass. If you’re lucky a handful of family and friends (usually not your own) will put up a little golf clap and make you feel somewhat important as you pass over the electrical tape in the road known as the finish line. No matter the amount of “fame” one receives from racing the race is still a thrill that most of your other office dwellers will never know.

Racing on a Tommaso bike makes me proud of the work we do at Tommaso Bicycles. I've became an Ironman on the Tommaso Sixth Sense. It is a moment I will never forget. I raced a season of cyclocross on the soon to be released carbon Tommaso Diavolo and now I return to my road roots on a carbon Tommaso road bike. I get excited every time I throw a leg over one of my Tommaso bikes. I know these bikes as well as I know myself and I consider my Tommaso the best teammate I could have.

So soak it up when you can. Shave your legs and go for those nice pedals. I won’t lie…winning feels great but those are not the moments I remember most. I remember that moment when the pack detonated on a mountain in a West Virginia race and I was still among the leaders. I remember seeing my Dad’s proud look in the race official’s car as he was experiencing watching me race for the first time. I’ll never forget the day I imploded at the state championships in 1996 and had to be nursed into the finishing area by my rival’s girlfriend. She had to hand me his extra water bottles out of her car window as I was nearing death by dehydration. Along the way I have had some wonderful teammates who are now friends for life. We ate together, crammed into small hotel rooms and suffered together. All of these moments are worth the life we lead as cyclists. Winning is rare, finishing is good, being feared is great and riding is forever.

SRAM Apex is sick!

2010-03-28T18:33:00.000-07:00

Just when the snow melts and the sun warms the ground I get sick. Not just a little sick…stuck in bed, fever sweating, coughing like I swallowed poison sick…drat! Well…I tried to ride on Friday but that lasted about 3-miles and I turned back home. I know, I know…rest and let it pass. I know this just as well as the next person but when the sun is shining after a long winter it is so hard to listen. So what does a cycling junkie so when they are stuck at home not able to ride? Read cycling product manuals of course.

One of the new products I am very excited about is the new SRAM Apex 10-speed component group. This new family of components is aimed at eliminating the need for triple cranks on a bike in favor of a double with multiple cassette choices for a wide choice of gearing. The Apex group is labeled as “WiFli” for Wider, Faster and Lighter. It has higher and lower gearing than a triple, shifts quicker than a triple and it’s about 250-grams lighter than a triple.

For starters, there is two different rear derailleurs with a short cage (28t capacity) and mid-cage (32t capacity). To make life easier on our legs SRAM is offering 11-32, 11-28, 11-26 and 11-23 cassettes. The SRAM Apex crank is offered in 53/39, 52/38, 52/36 (my personal favorite), 50/36, 50/34 and 46/38 (cyclocross). This means you can set up Apex as a standard, compact, mega-compact and cyclocross gearing. Apex shifters are Double Tap/Zero Loss with hidden cables and reach adjust. The Apex family can do it all. My sources tell me there is great interest by big bike companies in the 50/34 with the wide gearing to take on everything the road can throw at you.

This is why I am such a huge fan of SRAM. They are aggressive in developing new technology that customers can afford (anyone price electric Dura-Ace or Campagnolos 11-speed Record recently?), they seem to know what the average riders needs and they do it with great style. It is for this reason that Tommaso Nation will see the SRAM Apex in the Tommaso line up this Summer! I feel better already.

Tommaso Sponsors Pro Triathlete James Hadley

2010-03-12T13:23:00.000-08:00

Tommaso Bicycles is pleased to announce the sponsorship of pro triathlete James Hadley. Hadley is a 30-year old professional triathlete from Weston, England. He is currently living in Boulder, CO and focusing on the North American 70.3 Ironman circuit. The partnership of athlete and bike is an effort by Tommaso to further its dedication to the sport and to provide Tommaso customers with pro level bikes they can afford.

This sponsorship is in conjunction with the launch of three new tri bike offerings from Tommaso. The new tri line will consist of an aluminum base model, the Coltello, and two carbon tri bikes; the Aereo and the Sixth Sense. Tommaso has made the necessary investment to compete at the highest level with their new tri line. The three new models have been in development for over two years and will offer customers the finest craftsmanship and a strong value story.

Part of the development cycle was the Tommaso Product Manager, and triathlon veteran, T.R. Maloney racing the Sixth Sense at Ironman Louisville in 2009. “We want our customers to know we are serious about triathlon and understand the sport. After the hours of training and racing I did on the Sixth Sense I know it is a great handling fast bike ready for the world’s toughest events” said Maloney.

“Tommaso is excited to partner with a Triathlete of James’s caliber and accomplishments and have him race on the all new Tommaso Sixth Sense, said Randall Weidberg, President of Tommaso Bikes. Our research and development department have been working extremely hard on producing one of the world’s finest full carbon triathlon bikes. We are extremely proud to bring the Tommaso Sixth Sense to market and look forward to a successful race season and partnership with James.”

The target of the aluminum tri bike is to open the door to those new to triathlon. The carbon models consist of a Shimano Ultegra version and a Shimano Dura-Ace version and are aimed at those looking to upgrade to a monocoque carbon racing bike worthy of the most grueling events.

Hadley will work with the product team at Tommaso by providing feedback on Tommaso road bikes, tri bikes and equipment. Another area Hadley will be involved in is the Social Media aspect of Tommaso bikes. James will appear on the Tommaso Facebook Fan Page daily and talk about training and answer questions from the fans of Tommaso known as “Tommaso Nation.”

About Tommaso Bicycles:

Founded in 1985 Tommaso Bicycle Company’s philosophy is to produce the finest bicycles in the world. Tommaso is committed to excellence in the design, craftsmanship, and distribution of our beloved road bicycles. Tommaso adheres to strict comprehensive quality control. Every bicycle must pass a relentless and rigorous criterion of tests before they ever make it into production. Our systematic prepping process guarantees precision setups. Every Tommaso bicycles leaves our factories with a lifetime guarantee. Tommaso’s mission is to combine our old world tradition of maximum attention to detail in shaping our premier frame tubes and precision paint schemes with cutting edge technology and innovation.

All In a Day's Work

2010-02-03T04:20:00.000-08:00

It’s all in a day’s work (well it’s still night time inside my body) producing bikes for Tommaso Bicycles. This is my 7th trip to Asia and I still get excited walking down the streets of Taipei, Hong Kong or Shanghai. The first step is to trick your body into the 15-hour time difference. I do this by changing my watch as soon as I get on the plane. I also pick flights that land and get me to the hotel in the evening. This way I go to bed and start getting on the new schedule. After a 14-16 hour flight sleep comes quick.

Overseeing bike production is a fast-paced week to 10 days depending on the amount of bikes in production. I usually arrive to see the final part of frame preparation. The decals and paint have already been approved and a couple hundred bare frames are ready to be dressed with paint, decals, clear coat and components. Production has been scheduled months in advance so when it’s time…it’s time. There is no waiting or delaying the process.

Outside the main manufacturing arm of the factory is a huge room full of ordered parts including derailleurs, bars, wrap, saddles, tires and everything else you need to make a complete bike. Collecting and having a precise inventory of these parts is a massive job and takes a couple weeks and a couple people to complete the task. If one part is missing the production train comes to a halt…that is not good. Standing in a room with enough parts to build a thousand bikes or so makes you wish you brought an extra suitcase or shopping cart!

The first time I walked into a bike factory my mouth fell to the floor. The process is amazing and the people involved are very talented. The skilled hands of the wheel builders can throw spokes through a hub flange in seconds. They actually can do eight spokes at a time! This makes for four quick shots per 32 spoked wheel. Then it is laced up, tensioned and put through a machine to check for tolerances. As you walk through each station there is always action and movement. The artist with the torch welding frames and the masters with the paint guns working the paint booth are something I could watch all day.

Turn the corner and the hand applied decals procedure is an art form in itself. The frames are marked off with masking tape to show the exact spot on the frame for the decal. Then as the bike comes by on a padded hook the decal applying crew pulls the water transfer decals from a large pan of water and goes to work. They line up and apply the decal perfectly while the frame is in motion! I can’t even put a sticker on my bike straight when it is locked down in a repair stand.

Once a frame is finished it goes to the assembly line to be adorned with components. The frame is then placed on the assembly line upside down. The line has seat post nubs that hold the frame in place in the seat tube. This allows the bike to be rotated and worked on from any side. It starts as a frame on one end and finishes a complete bike at the other end. The final touch is pulling the bike off the nub and pairing it up with the proper seat post and saddle.

This is a quick overview of the actions on the production floor. Of course there are many other details that I will gladly share during my visit to Tommaso Bicycle production. Stay tuned!

Hey Winter...Go Away!

2010-01-08T09:40:00.000-08:00

I realize it has been a cold Dec/Jan for most of Tommaso Nation so I won’t complain about the 5-degree temps this morning in Boulder. The good news is that we should get up to 50-degrees this weekend! That means the bike comes off the trainer and we all head back out to the open road! That also means a quick check over of the machine before you get suited up.

If you have been putting in the miles on the trainer catching up with your favorite DVD’s then you want to check the rear tire to make sure it isn’t as squared off as Mr. Jameson’s hair in the Spiderman movies. A square tire will cause the bike’s handling to be unstable and you can almost guarantee that the center stripe is very thin and easily punctured. Some tires not only get worn square but also take on a shine that is very slick when you dip into your first corner off the driveway. If your rear tire looks like a square it is time to replace it. I have a pile of old road tires than I use through the winter so I don’t ruin the good stock on the trainer. Some tire companies like Continental and Hutchinson make a special trainer tires that are very thick and heavy and are only to be used only on the trainer.

For those of you heading back out on the road remember to keep up on the fluids. Just because it is cold outside it doesn't mean you aren't losing fluids. We lose fluids just by breathing and after a lazy holiday season we all seem to breathe a little heavier in the winter. I'm amazed at how many of my riding partners come back from a two hour ride with full bottles. When it is cold people forget to drink.

I hope we all get a boost in temps and can ride outside on a regular basis soon. Check that rear tire and give your bike a little cleaning love as we prepare for Spring, Summer and Fall. For those still doing time on the trainer please wipe down your bike after each workout and invest in a fan to keep you cool in the house. Losing a ton of water weight is not getting fit...it's just getting dehydrated and slowing recovery. Stay cool and get fast!

Team Tommaso

Happy New Year!

2009-12-31T08:38:00.001-08:00

2009 was a great ride for Tommaso Bicycles! We introduced some new models such as the Ninja, Old School, Tricked Out, D&D, Tiempo, Corvo and Superleggera and developed 3 tri bikes and 2 cyclocross bikes that will be released soon! We raced the prototype carbon Sixth Sense tri bike at Ironman Louisville and then followed up with a full season of racing cyclocross on the carbon SRAM Rival equipped Tommaso Diavolo. Along the way we revamped the carbon road frame and made some tweaks to the line of our aluminum bikes and even added a steel bike to the Tommaso family.

Tommaso also made a lot of friends on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. These channels of communication enjoy plenty of visitors. We welcome you to visit us on these formats and become part of the conversation and part of the Tommaso Nation. In 2010 we look to offer more insight into the process of developing and producing our bikes. The Facebook Fan Page is a great place to learn about the bikes and ask questions to the Product Manager. Our Product Manager spends a lot of time immersed in tire technology and frame materials so it is best he gets some human interaction on a regular basis.

Thanks to you all for making 2009 a successful year for Tommaso Bicycles. Our success is not measured by the amount of bikes we sell alone. Our success is measured by the joy our customers get from riding our bikes, improving their fitness and being a part of the Tommaso family…the Tommaso Nation!

Happy New Year!

Team Tommaso

Tommaso Announces New Carbon Road Bike Line

2009-12-11T08:29:00.000-08:00

www.tommasobikes.com (December 11, 2009) - Tommaso Bicycles is proud to release a new family of carbon road bikes. The three new models are the Corvo, Aggraziato and Superleggera. All three models are based on the same high modulus monocoque carbon frame platform that weighs in at 2.2 pounds for a 52cm frame. According to the Tommaso product team this is the perfect balance of lightweight material to performance. The frames were tested for over two years and the new carbon frames from Tommaso have proven to be tough for wear yet comfortable to ride.

The Tommaso Corvo is the entry level model and comes equipped with Shimano Tiagra/105 componentry, Shimano R-500 wheels fitted with Hutchinson tires, FSA Vero compact crank and Tommaso bar, stem, seatpost and saddle. The lightweight carbon frame has a carbon fork with an aluminum steer tube to save money and provide the consumer with carbon at an aluminum bike price.

The Tommaso Aggraziato gets a facelift in looks and performance. This Tommaso carbon model comes dressed with Shimano Ultegra components, Shimano RS10 wheels with Hutchinson tires, FSA Gossamer compact crank and FSA headset. The frame is Tommaso’s high modulus monocoque carbon frame with a carbon/aluminum fork. Silver decals, matching silver handlebar tape and a Tommaso TRS saddle finish off the lightweight carbon frame.

The top offering from Tommaso is the Superleggera with its monocoque carbon frame and full carbon fork. On this model you will find Shimano Dura-Ace 7800 shifters and rear derailleur with Ultegra 6600 front derailleur, Shimano RS20 wheels with Hutchinson tires, FSA Gossamer crank and TRS Tommaso bar, stem and post. Tommaso has entered the component market with its own bar, stem, post and saddle on the mid-higher tier models in the line. With Tommaso having the ability to produce their own line of high quality components, they have found that it gives them greater control over what they can offer the consumer while the cost remains low and performance remains competitive.

2010 will see the introduction of more carbon offerings from Tommaso. There are plans for the release of a SRAM Rival carbon cyclocross bike and two carbon triathlon bikes. The carbon tri bike was developed during 2009 and raced at Ironman Louisville. The carbon cross bike has been appearing at the cyclocross series in Colorado for the last four months. This will be a big year for Tommaso as they are doubling the size of their line. Tommaso is also interacting with consumers on their Facebook Fan Page and Twitter (www.facebook.com/tommasobikes, www.twitter.com/tommasobikes) and listening to what the consumers want in a bike. TR Maloney, Tommaso Bicycles Product Manager, said: “If it makes good sense on a performance and a price level we’ll throw the idea in the mix. We really enjoy our interaction with the fans of Tommaso. How many other companies give you direct access to the people making the bikes?” This direct access has created what is affectionately known as Tommaso Nation, a group of customers who interact and give input on the direction of Tommaso Bicycles.

About Tommaso Bikes:

Founded in 1985 Tommaso Bicycle Company’s philosophy is to produce the finest bicycles in the world. We are committed to excellence in the design, craftsmanship, and distribution of our beloved Road Bicycles.

At Tommaso, we adhere to strict comprehensive quality control. Every bicycle must pass a relentless and rigorous criterion of tests before they ever make it into production.

Our systematic prepping process guarantees precision setups. Every Tommaso bicycles leaves our factories with a lifetime guarantee.

Our mission is to combine our old world tradition of maximum attention to detail in shaping our premier frame tubes and precision paint schemes with cutting edge technology and innovation.

Beauty and performance are evident in all of our models from their race proven geometries, cutting edge ergonomic design and inspiring and flowing elegant aesthetics.

Relish the sense of adventure and elegance captured on a Tommaso bicycle.

Tommaso has a presence on the web that is unrivaled by any bike company. You can catch up with Team Tommaso at www.tommasobikes.com, tommasobikes.blogspot.com, www.twitter.com/tommasobikes, and www.facebook.com/tommasobikes. Tommaso values your opinion and invites you to join in on the conversation, let’s make a better product together!

Where It All Started

2009-12-05T20:24:00.000-08:00

Every year around this time I get a little nostalgic remembering the days of my youth. It must be the chill in the air that reminds me of those cold Midwestern mornings riding my bike. I fell in love with cycling at a very early age. When I was 3-years old I tried to ride my tricycle off the driveway into the street. Luckily my older brother stopped me…by grabbing my arm and accidentally breaking it…I must have been going fast! I was the youngest of seven children and when I needed an escape the bike was always willing to get me out of the house. Of course being the youngest also meant hand-me-down bikes and with mostly sisters I had a lot of step-thru “girls” bikes to ride. I didn’t care as long as it had wheels.

Then came a very special Christmas when everything changed. On Christmas morning there it was hidden behind the big chair in the living room…my very own 10 speed road bike! I flipped out! When you are used to hand me down clothes, toys and bikes a new anything is a reason to rejoice. When that new something is a bike you really thank the lucky stars. It was a yellow Free-Spirit from Sears. It was bright yellow and had black handlebar tape and stem mounted shifters (sure to impale one’s lungs in case of an accident).

To say I rode that bike is an understatement. I wore every bolt, cable and tire off that bike in the following years. I would wake up at 6:00 in the morning and wait for just enough sunlight so I could get out and ride. I would then circle through the neighborhood streets waiting for my friend’s lights to turn on signaling they were awake. At the end of the day I would race the sun to get home before the gas lamp lit on the corner of our yard. There was big trouble waiting for a 10-year old boy when he wasn’t home before dark.

Once I decided my little town wasn’t enough I started breaking the rules and crossing the bridge (a big no-no) into the next town. The bridge was very close to a highway and I was told to never go near the busy streets. I would anyway and I soon found myself little by little exploring new territory. The next town over wasn’t as nice as my town as the roads were a little rougher and the houses a lot smaller. I began to see a difference in lifestyles and economics. I started to really appreciate the hard work my mother was doing keeping us afloat in our part of town.

As with life there are ups and downs and one morning I woke up and my bike was gone. It was stolen from outside our house in the carport (dang I wish we had a garage). I was heartbroken and on top of that in trouble for not locking my bike. If my mother only knew how upset I was at myself I don’t think she would have buried me with further punishment. I had lost my freedom and my favorite bike. For days I hunted the streets hoping to catch a glimpse of my beautiful yellow machine. Even with the patches of missing handlebar wrap, wobbly wheels and shifter housing held down with electrical tape it was still beautiful to me.

I was back on my sister’s bike for the rest of the year. It was a 3-speed bike with coaster brakes. I was missing my speedy yellow machine with caliper brakes and road drop handlebars. Then on my birthday a new surprise was waiting for me in the living room. It was a Schwinn Phantom Mag Scrambler. I actually cried right there sitting on the glossy black bike. Even though we were struggling economically my Mom managed to find a way to buy me a nice bike. I was smarter with this bike and would bring it inside at night to keep unwanted hands off my machine.

I would like to think those moments are why I still ride a bike 30 years later. To me there is nothing better than owning a bike. It is part childhood, part escape, part fitness and a whole lot of fun. It’s small enough to store in the hallway yet big enough to change your life. My mom passed away years ago but I smile every time I think about the real meaning behind the gifts of cycling she gave me. I hope she knows how thankful I am for the independence, the fitness, the adventures and the great career. Thanks Mom!

Happy Holidays-TR Maloney

The Gift of Cycling

2009-11-30T15:18:00.000-08:00

I have written a lot of holiday articles about shopping for a cyclist in the family or training tips this time of year when the treats are plenty and the miles are few. This is a crazy time of year. Bad weather and out of town guests push one’s patience to the limits. That is why I have taken the following approach for so many years. Now is the time to invest in you, set a goal and reinvent yourself and start anew.

Don’t waste your time on a New Year’s resolution that rarely survives the first week. Start today, choose a goal and go after it now! A bicycle is a lifeboat in a sea of fatty foods and aging. A bicycle is a very important part of my life. So much so it has become part of my identity.

This year listen close to table talk during the family get together. Over Thanksgiving I heard “Remember Uncle with the beard and the pick-up truck…” and “Oh that is your grandma. She had a lot of cats and when you walked in her house…” You get the picture. When I go home the first thing that is tied to me is my bicycle. My Aunt will say “I heard you rode you bike in Switzerland this year” and “We watched you online at Ironman…” That is how I want to be remembered. Don’t you?

Buying a Tommaso bike won’t change your life. It will help, but you need to change your life. The Tommaso bike is just a tool to take you on your way. I will say it every year as long as I live; riding a bike has made my life so much better. All the good in my life can be traced back to riding a bike. My health, my friends and my job all have cycling as the background theme. Being a part of Tommaso Nation is a great feeling.

If you want to get fit, explore the outdoors or feel like a kid again get yourself a bike. In my 16-year career in cycling I have always enjoyed the first moment when a customer is getting on a bike. As soon as they start pedaling the biggest smile appears and they light up with joy.

Get your bike this year, don’t wait. I've never known anyone to get fit buying a big screen TV. Start off with a reasonable goal and go after it. When I started I was overweight and out of shape. My goal was to ride 20 miles in one day. It took me some time but I made my goal and wanted to go farther. A year or so and 40-pounds later I was preparing to ride a MS-150 ride in honor of my mother who I lost to Multiple Sclerosis. I rode my bike so hard the first day I was going through the check points so fast they didn't have water for me. They weren't ready. I had to have a friend pull up next to me in a car and hand me water. I know it is not a race but I just wanted to show my Mom how much I missed her and pedaling as hard as I could seemed like a fitting tribute. The second day I did the same and I knew then that cycling would always be a part of my life.

Whatever reason gets you on a bike embrace it. Ride for fun, to lose weight or to raise money for a good cause. A bike is an investment in you. Fad diets will not get you where you want to go. There is no video game that can create the feeling of finishing your first 100 mile ride. There is no better way explore the roads and scenery than on a bike. You’ve been good this year. Get your bike!

The Tommaso Mondial Rocks!

2009-10-28T09:12:00.000-07:00

Every now and then I get a moment to stop and write about a Tommaso bike that I love to ride. Of course as a Tommaso Product Manager I have the chance to ride a lot of bikes, but there are some that catch my attention for personal reasons. This has to do with time in the saddle as well as my history in cycling. Let’s just say I was racing on down tube shifters and wearing a neon pink racing kit…yeah, I’ve been in the game a little while.

One of the bikes that returns to my attention often is the Tommaso Mondial. It comes up more frequently than Kiss songs on my iPod. The Mondial is a rock star in its own right. It has the time-tested Ultegra 6600 STI shifters, Ultegra 6600 rear derailleur and Ultegra 6600 front derailleur. There’s nothing to worry about and no need for an upgrade. The Ultegra is an amazing group that appears on a couple of my bikes. I have Ultegra on my travel bike (it’s been around the world a few times) and it comes out of the case shifting every time. One of the best parts about the Mondial spec is the FSA Gossamer crank. Most people don’t know that a certain World Champion time trial God prefers the aluminum Gossamer over the carbon FSA cranks because of the Gossamer's stiffness. We feel that if it is good enough for him it should be good enough for Tommaso Nation.

Another nice feature of the FSA Gossamer crank is the compact 50/34 tooth arrangement. Compact cranks are great for just about everyone except the most elite cyclists. Then again some pros have used them during the mountain stages of well known races. Choosing a compact crank makes good sense for many reasons. It's lighter and the gear range is better, making it much easier to use than a triple. The compact gives you all gearing options that you need, especially when the road points upward. That's where you'll really enjoy the 34 tooth front chainring.

The cockpit of the Tommaso Mondial is very comfortable. As a product manager I have a collection of handlebars. I travel the world and have been known to amuse others as I try out every bar that I can get my hands on. I maneuver into the descending position, get into sprint mode and climbing position. I ride the tops, drops and hoods. After years of racing, training, centuries and MS-150 rides, I know what fits most hands comfortably. If you check out the Tommaso Blog you will see that I have written a piece on what is involved in choosing good handlebars. If you ever see me on a long ride I will be happy to discuss my insane testing system for cycling saddles, bar wrap and even sunglasses…I’m a little bit of a freak.

The color of the Mondial is another draw for me. In the sunlight the bold blue is killer! It looks incredible with the black paint and white decals. I do enjoy bikes that look fast even when not moving. The 12K weave on the fork legs only enhances the racy feel of the bike. The carbon TRS Tommaso fork is stout with no wimpy fork flex under the duress of white knuckle descending. I am amazed at how much vibration and deflection I have noticed in super-light (READ: Super Expensive) boutique forks that feel great in your hands but offer very little in real-world performance.

Riding a Tommaso Mondial is pure joy. All the parts come together in harmony and the ride is wonderful. The gearing allows for an all around smooth ride, the Shimano components take care of the work and the comforting shapes of the saddle and handlebar leave your attention where it belongs-on the road. The 32-hole Alex 450 rims were chosen because they are workhorse rims. They can be easily trued and the machined brake surface is a welcome comfort when the weather gets nasty.

When you step on the pedals the Mondial accelerates very quickly. The geometry allows me to sit “in” the bike and not “on” the bike. It's almost as if the Mondial is reading my mind. When I think "turn" it dives in and rips right through. If I see a hole in the pack it jumps right in and when the road goes up the bike answers to standing on the pedals with a healthy return of speed.

The bottom line is that cycling is about your time away from worry, work and traffic jams. Isn’t it nice to know when you get home you can grab a Tommaso and disappear for a comforting ride? The bike is going to last. The parts are chosen to get the job done at a price that is unbeatable. Tommaso wants you to go for a ride and not be taken for one.

After a race this summer I was asked, "Who are the members of Team Tommaso?" I replied “Everyone that is smart enough to buy a Tommaso". In reading the great comments about our bikes on the Facebook Fan Page I am reminded that we are all part of the same great team. Here’s to the long rides and journeys we take on our Tommaso Bikes.

Team Tommaso

Crossing Over For Fall

2009-09-21T15:20:00.000-07:00

I blame Damien Rice for tainting my return to cyclocross after an 8-year absence. How did “Blower’s Daughter” get stuck in my head for the whole race? It is hard to get the game face on with such gentle music. I wanted Pantera to provide the theme music for my crushing return! Sure I raced once last year but that doesn’t count as I had just arrived in Colorado 48-hours earlier and I was trying to hold my own at 7,000 feet on a borrowed bike! I might as well have punched myself in the stomach with only a straw in my mouth to catch my breath and jumped on an angry horse without a saddle…that was pretty much the feeling I had racing cross at Pike’s Peak.

Well this year is different! I have my own new carbon Tommaso cross bike and some good fitness left over from Ironman. Of course I don’t know how much help the endurance fitness will be since racing well below one’s aerobic threshold for 11+ hours is not drooling down one’s chin at 20-beats over one’s aerobic threshold while sprinting out of every corner and jumping 18” high hurdles for 45 minutes! I don’t think I could find another cycling sport the exact opposite of Ironman…but there I was toeing the line 20 days later no aerobars or pointy helmet.

Luckily I am on a team with 14 great guys all dressed up in VeloNews team gear. It helps when you are suffering to see a familiar face or at least a blur of red and black through tears…I mean sweat during a race. The Velo boys are friendly, supportive and very fast. I hope to learn from them as the season progresses. More so I hope to prove that the new Tommaso carbon bike is a strong bike that can handle the tough conditions of cyclocross.

If it is going to break…cross will break it. Just ask the bulge sticking out of my shoulder neck area…it is the end of my clavicle detached from my sternum…thanks cross! Actually I mean that point more to the bike itself. Round one went very well and the Kore wheels (same ones found on the Velocita SRAM bike) held up great and the carbon frame felt like a custom bike made just for me. It loves the climb on the Hutchinson tires and it accelerates really well on grass and dirt. Even with too much PSI in the tires the bike behaved well and was easy to control.The SRAM Rival components were spot on and the internal cable routing kept the shifting crisp. While it was not a podium performance for me it was a great day of testing for the bike.

This weekend the bike gets to go for another race test in Boulder. I hope to have some video footage to share or at least some pictures. The best part of this job is the fact that my riding and racing today will make for a better bike for the customer next year. So when it is time for you to buy a Tommaso you will know it has been ridden, raced (crashed) and put through the ringer on the way to you! We want our customers to enjoy cycling as much as we do. We want you to over-play not over-pay! And if my performance doesn't improve soon can we throw in a marathon at the end so I can catch up?

IRONMAN

2009-09-03T09:37:00.000-07:00

Well…The Tommaso Sixth Sense carried me to the highly sought after words all triathletes want to hear: “You are an Ironman!” Sure my legs carried me through the run and my arms (with a little steady kicking) pulled me through the swim but the big question mark is always the machine and the carbon Tommaso Sixth Sense rocked!
Late in 2008 we started thinking about a tri line for Tommaso and I thought it would be great to take our first bike straight to the big leagues of Ironman…The true bike test. As the product manager I put myself in the ring as the athlete to go do an Ironman. The months of training with a 112-mile final exam is a great way to test a bike.

As mentioned in an earlier post the first plan was to rip it on the bike and suffer (walk) though the 26.2 mile marathon if need be. The idea was to rock Ironman with a top ten bike time so we could have bragging rights. As the training progressed I realized that Ironman isn’t just about the bike and people soon weed out the dummies that burn the bike only to go up in flames on the run. People think the homerun hitters are so great for hitting balls over the fence until they hear the same hitter usually has the highest strike out percentage. The distances of the Ironman (2.4 mile swim, 112-mile bike and 26.2 run) are also very humbling and deserve the respect of the athlete no matter what level.

I can say without hesitation that the Tommaso Sixth Sense is a great triathlon bike. I’ve ridden a lot of tri brands before coming to Tommaso and I would put this bike at the front of the pack with Cervelo, Scott, Trek and Quintana Roo. It really is that good. It is light, handles like intuition and because it is a Tommaso will be far more affordable than the rest. I know this because I have lived on the bike for months and raced it as hard as I could without one (and I mean it) complaint.

Some bikes I’ve raced before were wind tunnel tested and looked sleek but once you removed your hands from the bars became a jackhammer gone crazy! The bike would shimmy and shake on descents and take away any confidence you had in the machine. Other bikes I’ve owned like to go straight but when the corners came up they needed to be coaxed like a kid with broccoli on his plate. The Tommaso Sixth Sense loves the gas, corners like an Indy Race car and I can eat, put on/take off a vest or arm warmers and move bottles around without a wobble.

If you need numbers to be convinced I can give you two. I moved up roughly 600 places during the bike leg of the Ironman and I ran a negative split on the marathon. That means I ran the second half faster than the first. Most people fade from fatigue during the run. I started out steady and built on that with energy towards the end. When you consider the 112-mile bike ride to get to the marathon you know the bike is comfortable.

Now that Ironman is over I am looking forward to the next race where I can get the Tommaso back out on the streets to show it off. The production models will arrive in a couple months and soon the rest of you can experience what I have had the great fortune to experience. The Tommaso Sixth Sense is going to carry a lot of us to productive training rides and well deserved podiums along the way! Thanks for following Tommaso’s Road to Ironman. I hope you enjoyed the ride as much as I did.

TR Maloney
Tommaso Product Manager / Ironman

Iron Prayer

2009-08-26T10:43:00.000-07:00

Ironman must be close. Last night I had the dream where I wake up an hour late for the swim start! Luckily my Timex watch alarm went off and I was on time for my easy swim at the YMCA. Most of the stress for me leading up to a race involves forgetting something. I have a checklist and I’ve been lucky so far with only one slip that occurred at the Rock and Roll half Ironman distance triathlon in Georgia.

I had my normal swim and made a quick exit with the bike onto the roads of Macon, GA. Within the first mile I looked down at my long shadow from the rising sun and low and behold I forgot my seat bag with tube, CO2 and tools! Worse yet is knowing I left it on the ground in transition! Knowing I had 55 miles to go I started the “Race Prayer.”

Dear Lord…I know I’m not one to ask for favors from you but I do need a little help here. It seems in my haste I forgot my seat bag (in transition no less!!!) and need 55 miles of debris free roads so I can keep the air in my tires. Yes, yes, yes I know I yelled at the guy who gave away my hotel room last night but it was late and I did fly 1300 miles to get to the race. Sure I could have been a little more patient with the age grouper floating on his back in the middle of the lake but I was in a hurry and a little push never hurt anyone…right? I’m really a good guy Lord…I don’t cut corners at races and don’t littler gel packets when I train. When I pass people on training rides I always wave and when someone has a flat tire I always ask if they are OK…sure I might not stop when I am racing but it is a race after all.

OK…how about a trade? You can have my shoelaces come untied during the run if I can just get back to transition without a flat. C’mon big guy…I’m already half way through the 56 mile bike…why waste a good thing? Is that glass in the road?! Are you toying with me? I know you have a sense of humor; you allowed recumbent bikes to be created.

OK we are only 5 miles from the finish. Just a little more sunshine sent my way please. How embarrassing would it be for me to flat 5-miles from my AWOL seat bag? It just wouldn’t be right…you know?

All right! We are in the home stretch! We did it! I mean…you did it! Thanks, thanks for letting me get away with one today. I appreciate the love. Is it too much to ask for flat-free racing for the rest of the year? What is that noise? Is that thunder?

Respect

2009-08-17T13:53:00.000-07:00

Team Tommaso’s march to Ironman started in December of 2008. I informed some of my potential sponsors that I could pull a top 10 overall bike split at Ironman Louisville. A big boast that I would not have made if I did not believe I could back it up. I try not to write checks with my mouth that my legs can’t cash. To pull of this feat I would have to turn a 4:50 and change on the bike. I would have to average about 23mph.

The set up for me was perfect. I live and train with my coach. I have a cycling background, an amazing Tommaso prototype bike to ride and the grit to get the job done. So I signed up for the race and hired (yes, hired my roommate) my coach (Like the Joker said in The Dark Knight: “If you’re good at something never do it for free.”). I was surprised she agreed to the challenge. She is a pro triathlete and what I was asking was a little insulting to the sport. I wanted to float through the 2.4-mile swim, kill the 112-mile bike and take a nice 26.2-mile walk. She knew right away that I would be too destroyed to think about running. I was still surprised she agreed.

Starting on January 3^rd I was training to be an Ironman. I’ve run marathons and raced enough tri to know my way out of a transition area. I spent 10 years racing road bikes and the occasional mountain bike event. My first day found me in the pool. Soon I was swimming, biking and/or running almost every day. Most days I had two workouts so my personal life died quickly. Work was of course the most important boat not to rock. I love my job and refuse to let work suffer due to my athletic ventures. I don’t get paid to ride bikes…I get paid to make great bikes. You don’t screw up a gig like that.

Before I knew it I was in Atlanta running a half Marathon and visiting friends. I had my best run ever! Then I was back in Colorado racing an early season tri event and had the second fastest bike split and another solid run! The training was changing my body and there was newfound power. During this time I gained 8 pounds but was going faster. I let my coach steer and I provide the engine.

My favorite days were on the bike. I just wanted to kill everyone I saw up the road. As most of you know it is how I came up with the name for the Tommaso tri bike. I finished a race and told my girlfriend: “When I ride the Tommaso and look up the road all I see are dead people. I should call this bike the sixth sense!” A little humor from the movie The Sixth Sense.

As the training and the racing progressed I started to learn a lot about the sport and myself. You have to respect all the disciplines. I started to wonder if my coach knew what I would find as I progressed down the path to Ironman. The more I trained the more I wanted to improve all the aspects of my game. While I didn’t get much faster as a swimmer, I could easily swim 4000 yards straight and go out on the bike for hours. My biking continued to improve in that I was cruising along playfully whistling with a heart rate of 130bpm while tearing down the road. It was going so fast, so easily, it was frightening at times. My run was the biggest surprise. I was doing long runs and wanted to keep running. Before I knew it every Saturday or Sunday I was running at least a half marathon on top of all the other training! It just seemed normal.

So now I am 13 days away from the big show. The Ironman awaits and I still have a decision to make. I’ve worked so hard and come so far for this day. I realize that anything can happen between now and the finish line. I could twist an ankle, get sick or even crash the bike. Just this past weekend my coach crashed and broke a rib and my girlfriend looks to have broken a bone in her foot running. So today I sit and wonder…what side of me will show up on race day?

When all this started the goal was to torch the bike and show the world that the new Tommaso carbon tri bike is a killer! I would like nothing better than to post a super fast time so the people would see that this bike means business. No pro-athlete and no over-hyped wind tunnel data. Just one man on a machine he believes in. Or will the triathlete that I have become dive into the water to swim, crank out a descent bike so I can let my legs finish off an amazing day? Will this be enough to show the world what I know: The Tommaso Sixth Sense tri bike is a KILLER!

The bike is amazing. It is light and fast and fits perfectly. It accelerates really well and descends with all the confidence you could ask for in a bike. Bikes are really only as fast as the pilot pushing the pedals. If you’re going to buy a bike buy it because you know it will perform as a bike and he price is right. Don’t buy a bike because some amazing athlete won a race on it. He could have won the race on any bike out there. It’s the warrior more than the weapon. Tommaso does a great job in getting people on “weapons” at low prices. We (and by “we” I mean “you” through higher prices) don’t pay athletes to pimp our product).

Yeah, I make silly videos on race day and while training. I want everyone to feel like they are training and riding with me. That is how much I love this bike. Could I tear it up and post a crazy-fast bike split? Yes. I could bury myself and put up a good number for the sake of promoting the bike. The rest of the day would be walking to a slow finish. Could I race to the best of my ability and place well and finish like a true Ironman? I believe so. That’s the big question with less than two weeks to go. What is going to happen when I get on the bike? Please tune in to see what happens on August 30^th in Louisville, Kentucky. It is the coming out party for the Tommaso Sixth Sense.

Evolution

2009-07-29T16:35:00.000-07:00

Visit this link before you read this post:Strong Survive

"Here’s the thing that makes life so interesting. The Theory of Evolution claims only the strong shall survive. Maybe so…maybe so. But the theory of competition says just because they’re the strong doesn’t mean they can’t get their asses kicked..."

For some reason every time I watch this commercial it stirs up something inside of me. I don’t know if it is the wise old man’s voice, the dramatic music or the amazing images. It is probably all three. As an athlete who has trained for an Ironman almost 500 hours since January 1st I get what the voice is saying. I’m not a natural athlete so I consider myself an underdog. It’s been about 15 years since I was considered a favorite at a race. On August 30th of this year I will wake up done with all the training and only the test will remain.

"What every long shot, come from behind, underdog will tell you is this: The other guy may in fact be the favorite; the odds may be stacked against you, fair enough. But what the odds don’t know is this isn’t a math test. This is a completely different kind of test, one where passion has a funny way of trumping logic."

Ironman doesn’t care about you. The 2.4 mile swim, the 112 mile bike and the 26.2 mile run is almost mocking you. The 140.6 miles is just short enough to capture the imagination of those who have some fire in them and yet grueling enough to leave grown men in tears on the side of the road broken and empty. The top 5% race an Ironman, the rest of us fight an Ironman. I told my brother it isn’t a race for me…this is a street fight. I told my whole family that I will need them there because one cheer can make a difference. One familiar face can help you forget the pain and when there is love anything can be conquered.

"So before you step up to the starting line, before the whistle blows and the clock starts ticking…"

I don’t know if my moment will come out there on the roads of Ironman Louisville. I do know that there will be a moment when I realize how far I have come and all the countless hours of staring at the tiles along the bottom of the pool will matter. I don’t know if there will be an emotional moment when the long miles tucked on top of my bike staring through my eyelids and hours running with bloody toenails stinging in my shoes will make a difference? Will I wake up one day and realize that I did something special or will it not really matter?

"Out here the results don’t always add up. No matter what the stats may say, and the experts may think and the commentators may have predicted. When the race is on all bets are off! Don’t be surprised if somebody decides to flip the script and take a pass on yelling uncle."

The answer is coming. Soon I will find myself stepping into the water with a full day ahead of me. A day I have trained for dreamed of and lost sleep over. There is no guarantee that I will get to the finish. This is a mean game. I’ve learned that just because you’ve spent the money, have the ambition and did the training doesn’t mean you get a pass to the finish. You have to go out and earn it. You have to make demands of yourself that don’t seem logical. You have to ignore the screaming inside that begs to stop and the muscles that no longer want to function. You have to go to a dark place that few get to visit and fewer understand. You have to go deep into your soul and have the courage to see what you are really made of inside.

On August 30th I will go to go to that place and discover what I have inside.

Hanging Out At The Bar

2009-06-10T10:27:00.000-07:00

Picking out handlebars and saddles for Tommaso's bikes is like buying clothes…for someone else. It’s a personal fit area that requires a lot of attention. There are a couple points of contact from human to bike that are critical for the product guys to get right. The seat and the handlebars are the ones I concern myself with most. Most customers have an idea of what pedals they want to use so I don’t lose too much sleep over that area. For me the focus is the hands and saddle area. For today we are going to look at road handlebars.

Most road handlebars come in 3 common widths: 400mm, 420mm and 440mm measured center to center at the ends of the bar where the tape plugs are inserted. Of course some manufacturers measure “center to center” and some “outside to outside”. Yes, there are wider and narrower bars but these three are the most common. The old rule of thumb being bars that match the width of your shoulders are the right bars for you. Generally we divide the bars up along the frame sizes that best suit the size of the rider. Smaller bikes get smaller bars. Big bikes get the bigger bars. Easy enough.

Then there’s the little issue of clamp diameter. There are two popular sizes on the market, 26.0 and 31.8 (a.k.a oversized). The theory being that the larger diameter of the tube will allow for less material and yet still be safe and light. Kind of like the slender tube diameters of a steel road bike in relation to the fat tubes found on an aluminum bike. Some have added that the extra material allows for better clamping as well.

Oh wait, now there’s the bars bend to consider. Ergo, anatomical, classic, traditional, compact, and a couple other buzz words to descried the shape of the bar and mainly the drops (the area your hands visit when you are sprinting or really getting low and producing power. The three common hand positions are tops, hoods and drops. The tops area is to the left or right of the stem. Tops are a good place to be when you are climbing. The hoods are the rubber-coated area on the shift/brake levers. This is the most used area as your hands are able to shift and brake as needed. The drops are the lower part of the bar. I prefer an “anatomical” or “ergo” bend as it fits my hand better. I like to grip the bar like a weapon. Lance Armstrong prefers a traditional bend (or so it has been reported). It seems to work pretty well for him.

Not done yet, now there is the “drop.” This is the distance from the bottom of the drop (as it return to horizontal position) to the top of the bar. Like the bend, the drop is an area of careful consideration for many riders. A shallow drop makes for a less dramatic change from hoods to drops. A deep drop makes a bigger change in position and also takes more material so the bars are usually heavier. I prefer a shallow drop as I leave my stem pretty low and a deep drop is too much.

Did I mention reach? Well reach is how far out the bar reached before curving downward. This is an often over looked measurement but can be just as important as stem length. A centimeter here and there adds up. If your shifters seem to be just out of reach a shorter stem or smaller reach can help make for a better fit and feel.
Steel, aluminum or carbon? Most people jump right to carbon and that is OK. Carbon is light, tough but unfortunately pricey. A lot of pros prefer to use aluminum bars. The rigors of the road dictate they need the strength of aluminum. With the higher occurrence of crashes in the pro peloton an aluminum bar will come out fighting. A stress riser from a crash on a carbon bar is a glaring question mark that will keep you wondering. Steel bars are rare as they are far too heavy and are usually found on bikes that are sold in places you can buy 10-pound barrels of pretzels and detergent.

As with most things cycling specific the information could go on for another couple pages. I hope this brief overview gives you a better understanding about road handlebars and the thought that Tommaso Bicycles puts into getting every part right.

Thanks for reading and enjoy the ride!

Tough

2009-05-15T12:00:00.000-07:00

It's Sunday night and I am doing the usual basket of nasty cycling and running laundry. For those making a schedule, Sunday is laundry, Tuesday and Friday are leg shaving days and Thursday night is groceries. Anyway, the water is filling up the washing machine and as thrown in a handful of shorts I see a spider come running out of one of the pockets. I like spiders so I am trying to save the little guy. Mr Spider is running around the clothes looking for a way out. I grab a Velo News magazine from the bathroom and tear out the subscription card to use as a way out for the spider. I know if I try to pick this sucker up with my fingers I’ll probably do more damage than good. As I reach in for the spider he disappears down a pant leg and then the water covers the exit…he’s a goner. I finish dumping in the rest of the clothes and go make pasta (Angel Hair in his honor).

As I am apt to do with a busy work/training schedule I forget the laundry for a day and Monday night it dawns on me that I am missing a lot of workout clothes. I’m in a lazy mood and want to go to bed so I throw 99% of the clothes in the dryer. A cardinal sin for fine workout garments, I know. As I am about to close the door to the dryer the spider pops out and drops to the floor and starts walking away! I swear he was looking at me like "Is that all you got?" Now that is one tough spider! I get out of its way and open the door so he can go outside.

That is what I love about tough people, animals and now spiders. The real tough ones never have to tell you they are tough. They just are, and you notice. They say if you have to tell everyone how fast you are you probably aren’t very fast. In other words, let your riding (running or swimming) do the talking. “Less lip and more rip!”

Now trash talking falls into a whole different category. Trash talking amongst friends is a time-honored tradition. I’ll be the first to admit that if I could race as well as I trash talk I would be a Champion. I learned it from the long road trips in cramped cars with teammates. Just be careful that your mouth doesn’t write a check your legs can’t cash. I once told a guy I was going to “Tear off his legs and put them in my jersey pocket to send them home to his mama.” I even told him the climb I was going to do it on. Well I did pull it off that day and crushed him. A month later on a different climb the same dude dropped me so hard I would have had to dial a “1+ area code” to reach him on the phone. He was in another state by the time I caught my breath. It reminded me of another line I used during a group ride before work: “I’m going to check out on you like Motel 6, I’ll leave a light on for you.” Go ahead and use it sometime. No need to footnote me.

Yeah, I know…shallow like a kid’s pool. Rumor has it us “roadies” are like that. Last time I was at the doctors the technician wiring me up for an EKG (to check out my slow ticker) was chatting about cycling. He went on to say “You’re not one of those roadies are you? You know…the tight clothes with matching helmet and the Oakleys? I can’t stand those guys. They are so smug with their shaved legs and expensive bikes. What is it that you do again?”

I replied “I make Tommaso road bikes and to make matters far worse, I’m a triathlete.”

Grip of Death

2009-04-15T11:16:00.000-07:00

Racing can be fun, spiritual and sometimes downright nasty. I have had my share of all aspects of racing. Great days when the course seemed made for my strengths, to days when I have rolled back to the parking lot with a blown-out tube hanging from my jersey pocket deflated (me and the tube). I have been pushed (and pushed back), punched, yelled at, wrecked, ganged up on, trashed talked and almost thrown-up on! Out of all of these aspects of racing the one I enjoy is the Grip of Death…also know as G.O.D.

The Grip of Death is not exclusive to me, nor can I always pull it off. It takes a great deal of strength and confidence to get it right. Failure to do so can lead to embarrassment and frustration. Bjarne Riis used the G.O.D. in the 1996 Tour, on stage 16 in the mountains. Here is how the grip works:

If you are in a break away, or mano-a mano with a competitor (best used here) the G.O.D. can be a handy tool. I taught myself to use “The Grip” during 5K and 10K races. It also has worked well on the bike. If you can’t seem to lose a fellow competitor, especially one with the same age group written on their calf as you, I would try this trick. While running side by side start with a little surge of maybe 5% over current speed. I like to use this in the corners as it seems to catch people off guard. Then idle back and let them catch back up. You don’t want to upset them…you want to destroy them.

After about another minute or two, try another little surge. Upping the tempo on a little hill works well. The goal is to not make the surges look like attacks. The goal is to get the competition to think they are fading. This is the “Grip”. If you can put doubt in a competitor’s mind the battle is almost won. If you piss them off…the battle has just begun. I know this from telling a Clydesdale I was impressed with his use of his weight and gravity on a downhill during the bike leg of a tri in Georgia. It pissed him off and for 45 seconds he kicked up into the red zone to chase me down for a mile or so and then did an “M-80.” Oh yeah…he blew up!

So, now that you have a little doubt seeping into the mind of the competitor it is time to bring the “Death” part of the equation. When you have fully recovered from the two surges, drop back a few inches from the field of vision of the competitor. Let him forget you are there…he may think you are the one that is fading. Now s-l-o-w-l-y pull up next to him (a look of ease on your face helps) and lengthen your stride and hold on for a good minute. You don’t have to go into the red but you will be working. DO NOT LOOK BACK! Just keep going. In four minutes or so sneak a peek as you round a corner. If done correctly, the G.O.D. should have been too much for the competitor and he/she will be gone. If at this point your competitor is still in your zip code you have a fight on your hands. Start cooking the corners and making slight gaps. It will annoy the crap out of them. Remember: gaps=doubt. If you still have company it will probably go to the finishing sprint. Don’t start the sprint from front. Stay at the competitor’s side and wait until they start the sprint. At this point give it all you have no matter how much it hurts. The pain will be gone 45 seconds after the finish. The disappointment will last for hours…or until you get to the nearest Wendy’s for a vanilla Frosty.

By the way…if you try to “Grip of Death” me I have another little “something” I guarantee you will not like.

Happy training!

Keeping Calm

2009-03-31T15:29:00.001-07:00

Yeah...that's room service. A burger with an egg on it and a beer. Shanghai is killing me! My training has gone straight down the Ironman porta-jon. I am trying not to go ballistic as my body is getting soft. Traveling is hard enough. Traveling around the world and trying to stay fit is almost impossible. The time change, the odd food and less than tolerable workout facilities are daunting challenges to any athlete. Keeping clam is key and pre-planning is paramount.

Squeaky wheel rule applies when tying to train on a trip, especially a business trip. Emailing hotels and investigating the facilities online is a must. Keep in mind that photographers are paid to make the tiny pool look like an Olympic size swimmer’s dream. On this current trip to Taiwan I even went as far as using Google Earth satellite maps to see the actual outside pool.

When I crossed over to Shanghai for the remainder of my trip I ran into a glitch. The hotel I booked has a 25 meter pool but it isn’t conducive to proper training. It is located upstairs from a KTV (Chinese disco-karaoke). This means if I want to swim I have to walk through a night club (afternoon and evening) with…um…”ladies of the evening” asking me to obtain their services. Not a scene you want to enter into wearing a Speedo. The pool’s water quality is questionable at best. The chance to get sick is very high. My last trip to Asia gave me a stomach parasite that worked me over for a month.

With swimming out I decide to try the gym to run on the treadmill. Same issue with the disco, but a new glitch is found upon arriving to the workout room. The weights, bike and single treadmill is next to the pool and the air is like a sauna. Now the interesting mix: The room is also a hang-out for those wishing for “men of the evening.” Not a scene you want to enter into wearing super short Brooks running shorts. As I arrived to the sub-par treadmill there are four shirtless males wearing only swimming suites very excited to see me. The only workout I got that night was jogging back to my room. For the record, this is a 5-star hotel and the nicest in the area. Shanghai Surprise!

The food is a disaster when traveling. At least it is for me. Half my suitcase is my own training food. Energy bars, bagels, pretzels (none in China), Fig Newtons, G2 powder mix and Power Gels are a must in the land of rice and…um…is that beef? Some handle the fried octopus at the Pizza Hut better than others. I stick to steamed white rice and corn soup as much as possible. Until I recover from this trip...happy training and thanks for reading.

Balance

2009-02-23T10:33:00.000-08:00

Life is all about balance. Eat too many salty foods and you need to balance it out with water (ok…beer). Stay up too late and you need to sleep more. If you drive a big Cadillac Escalade and wear $150 jeans you are probably trying to balance out the fact that…well, you get the idea. Live near the mountains for great training and you get some funky weather…and this past weekend it snowed. It was supposed to be 50 degrees and sunny, and out the window it is all snow.
Training is tough. Training for a huge event seems to find a way to make life even tougher. I’m not complaining…more of explaining. Explaining why there are clothes on the floor, gel packages in piles and water bottles around the house like small monuments of the damned. The bed is always in a constant state of twisted sheets with The Stick defiantly ruining the comfort of down pillows and fine linens. Showers are usually at the gym with unwanted onlookers and meals are shared with a PC to update the latest yards, miles and kilometers. All in all the life is good.
Of course this life isn’t cheap. It takes gear, a coach, race fees, plane tickets and food, food and more food. It takes a lot of coin to support the road to the Ironman. So having a good job to balance the expense is important too. The best part about work/career time is that you can turn off the training and sink into another world. You know for 8-10 hours a day you can forget the taste of chlorine, staring out the top of your eyelids on the bike and the pounding of the legs on the ground. Being a dedicated athlete makes for a dedicated employee. When you are looking to bring out the best on race day the same applies to one’s work.
If you train hard you have to rest and recover just as hard. So as I awoke from my afternoon nap and went to my massage I was feeling a little guilty. Who am I to be taking naps and getting massages? Shouldn’t I be organizing the garage, washing the car or doing my taxes? Sure, I could be doing more chores instead of swimming, biking and running, but what would I look back on as I dance with the Grim Reaper at the end of my life? Would I think about the amazing days of training and racing? Or would I remember the moments wondering if my red pillow cases are going to bleed in the wash? Yeah, the guilty feelings went away pretty quick.
Find your balance!

2009-02-06T15:03:00.000-08:00

I am at the Red Robin Restaurant staring at a huge Whisky River BBQ Burger that is covered in fried onion strings perched high above a bed of fries. It is hard to believe that this is the road to the Ironman. You know the Ironman: 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and a little 26.2 mile run thrown in at the end just for kicks. My coach, Carole Sharpless, is across the table from me squirting a huge stream of ketchup into the basket of additional fries we ordered. “Eat” she says, “you will need it.”

This journey will take me to Ironman Louisville in August. That is if I can get to the start line healthy and alive. The race is a little over seven months away and the training is already absorbing most of my life outside of work. There will be injuries (currently a bad right hamstring) and drama (newTommaso prototype tri bike arrives in March). You have to respect the race. I know this because I have been around the sport for a few years. I've taught clinics, wrenched for the pro athletes and even raced (all but the big one) when I wasn't working the race. Trust me when I say you want to be in on this ride.

During my time preparing for the Ironman I will let you in on my training and the development of Tommaso’s first tri bike that will debut at Ironman Louisville. Along the way sponsors and my coach will chime in with in-depth thoughts on the training and the technology I will employ on this great journey. There will also be video of cool new products and concepts you will see here first.

Bookmark this BLOG and check in when you have time. For now I am back to picking colors for Tommaso’s 2010 mountain bikes. This is a new addition to the Tommaso family and I think you are going to love what you see. I’ve only traveled around the world 4 times to put it all together.

Stay tuned!