Back to the Pack

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!

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

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

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!

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 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

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!