Athlete(s) of the Month

Jeff and Kelly Grant. Both Kelly and Jeff were new to racing at the beginning of the year and friends of the original Shama road racer Steve Quick. So Steve urged them to come into the shop, which once they did and we got to fitting them on their bikes we had to have them on the Shama Road Team without any real results but just because they were such great people. Well, the results came one after the other. They both did so well this year that Kelly has won the Woman’s Cat4 Points competition and Jeff has won the Master’s 35 4/5 Points competition for TXBRA for the 2012 season  and have both upgraded to Category 3s for next season. This is really a testament to their love for the sport and love and support for each other. For a husband and wife to go out and have great days and bad days both tr racing (they obviously had more good days) together weekend after weekend, is something rare in our sport and something to be recognized. For your work on the bike as much as who you two are off the bike, Shama Cycles recognizes the Grants and thanks them for making Shama Cycles look so good out in the community! Can’t wait for next season…

Tour de Gruene Weekend

Tour de Gruene is a fun weekend of riding and some time trials that are not sanctioned races but have had the likes of Lance Armstrong and Eddy Merckx racing the two man team time trial on Sunday in previous years; and many of the regulars enjoying the Wurstfest on Saturday night then trying to TT Sunday morning. The town is beautiful and the support of the locals is amazing...then there is the scenery...racing along River Road is the best.

For a full report of the weekend including photos, click here.

What's New? Look Power Pedals

Look is the first to the market with a power meter in the pedal. While there are power meters in the rear wheel hub and in the cranks, they each have their own pros and cons depending on the athlete and needs. What the pedal option offers is the ability to swap the pedals between any bike you own regardless of crank, gearing, or wheels. Also unique to this option is the right and left power readings. So while you are riding you can see how much power each leg is putting out showing pedaling inefficiencies at different points throughout your ride or race. In stock now at Shama Cycles they are $2300 which includes the pedals, power meters, and Polar head unit nothing else is needed. They install in minutes and calibrate even quicker. Enjoy!

Mandy Heintz

Mandy Heintz has had a very different season than what she thought she would have. The 2011 season was her most successful season racing sprint and Olympic distance triathlons winning 8 overalls out of 11 races and highlighted by winning her AG at Hyvee 5150 Championships. But after a PR in an Olympic in May on her new custom Guru CR901, in June a running injury in an A race sidelined her tri season.

What to do with a triathlete that can’t run? Encourage them road race more! Even though she was a force on a tt bike Mandy had some things to learn in road racing and the difference in power required for it. After a great season working with team mates for great results she was going to finish her first year as racing as a 4 at State Road Race Championships. Well the day before the race she received a call from USAC informing her of a forced upgrade to a Cat 3 for having too many points. While this is something she was planning on doing after the State Road Race, learning the day before that you now have to race double the distance against seasoned racers is not the best way to start as a Cat 3. With the help of super team mate Jennifer Wagner (2012 Cat3 Woman’s TXBRA Points Winner) Mandy won the Cat 3 State Road Race on her custom Moots RSL! Simply amazing and Shama Cycles could not be more proud of her for her 2012 tri and road race season. While 2013 will hopefully involve more triathlons for Mandy, we know she is going to enjoy getting in some races with her team on the road bikes as well. Thank you Mandy for all your hard work and training this season, for this Shama Cycles recognizes you.

Featured Build November 2013

What happens when you are a typical road racer that believes it’s not the bike is the engine and you start working at Shama Cycles? You just don’t drink the Kool-Aid; you start to make your own!

Brian is a Cat 2 and a very strong rider who has always fought his bike positions but just thought everyone did. As a racer over 6ft tall it’s tough to find what fits in the stock world. So one day we put Brian on the Dynamic Fit Unit and while hooked up to the Retul and SpinScan we found a position in which he put out an amazing pedal stroke and was relaxed in his upper body.

The numbers don’t lie and the drawing from Guru showed a VERY improved  option than what he has ever ridden. It included a 615 top tube making it the longest frame he has ever ridden. We chose the Guru Photon for its amazing ride qualities, picked the paint and asked for a small Canadian flag to be on the bottom of the down tube near the BB since Brian was “made” in Canada just like the custom frame.

By the time the frame came in we had amassed all the parts to build it up. In each part we first looked for reliable performance and fit. Looks and weight were secondary.

Sram Red shifters, Front D, rear D, TRP 970 brakes, Deda Zero 100 bar and stem, Thomson Masterpiece seat post, Fizizk Aliante saddle, Rotor BB30BSA XD-15 bottom bracket, Rotor SRM 3D+ cranks, KMC chain, Power Cordz cable, Lizard Skin bar tape, Arundle Mandible Shimano DuraAce pedals, Enve 6.7 Clincher wheels with King hubs….15lbs 6 oz.

A bike this big to be this light without trying to make it light shows the true quality of the frame and parts we selected for this rolling work of art. It is among the nicest builds to ever roll out of Shama Cycles. The best part? Brian loves the bike and position, is sold completely on custom and cannot wait to race it on the road next season.  At least now when he drops me quicker than before on training rides, I can crack a prideful smile…after my heart rate gets below 200bpm.