FRANCE – Aboard his F-Series FRD, Marcel Kittel took two of three stages and the overall in the 2013 edition of the Tour de Picardie. The high visibility 3-day ASO (Amaury Sports Organization, the same group that owns and operates the Tour de France) event has proven fruitful for Argos-Shimano in the past and this year was no exception.

Each of the three days came down to field sprints with Marcel having won day 1, then taking second on day 2 after admitted going early into a headwind finish. On day 3 it all came down to an overall battle between he and French fastman, Bryan Coquard. Coquard became the virtual leader by picking up valuable time bonuses along the way, but in the end it was the well-oiled Argos-Shimano leadout train who delivered a blistering Marcel to take the last stage and the overall.

Marcel, who turned 25 during the event, was quick to credit his team and their unselfish work in making the overall win a reality. “I still would like to say a big THANK YOU TO MY BOYS! They worked hard to defend yellow & bring me in a good position. Love @1t4i”, he tweeted.

Italy – John Degenkolb couldn’t have picked a better time to win his first pro race of ’13 and he did with strength, smarts and panache. Stage 5 was a relatively flat affair with the one big exception coming in the form of a long grind of a climb leading into the final city stretch.

The Argos-Shimano boys, including John, did a brilliant job of getting over that last riser and when Mark Cavendish couldn’t hang, knew there was an opportunity. As what remained of the group hit the last 5K it was a high-speed jockey for the front. The face of the race changed when a crash inside the last 1200M stopped virtually everybody and while John got through, the gallop turned from sprint finish into kilometer time trial. John was able to bridge up to Marco Canola and hold off a charging group for the win.

Quick to credit his team, John was overjoyed at the win and, along with Lucy Garner, accounted for one-half of a very, very prolific day of racing for Argos-Shimano.

China – Lucy Garner, Argos-Shimano’s freshman pro and 2x Junior World Road Champion, delivered her first professional win with a sprint that is just one of her numerous trademark strengths.

Lucy’s winning dash came in Stage 1 of the Tour of Chongming Island, a 3-day UCI category 2.1 event held in China.  The 74K stage was short by most pro standards, but well-suited to the Argos-Shimano women’s team strengths–although afterwards the team admitted they would have been happy with a top-3 since Lucy, at just 18yrs-old, is still developing.

This was the ninth pro win of the year for the women of Argos-Shimano, and it also marked one-half of a spectacular day for Argos-Shimano as just a few hours later John Degenkolb would win stage 5 of the Giro d’Italia…

Felt Bicycle’s design DNA includes influences from their European management and their California base. That unique mix of insight, engineering and design inspired the Felt York.  The York combines design themes that include English Gentlemen’s bike, urban fixed gear, and practical commuter bike. It lives under the “Fixie” tab on the Felt USA website even though it’s much more than a fixie.

The Felt York uses a unique Sturmey Archer “Kickback” 2-speed rear hub that freewheels for coasting and has two different gear ratios. You shift between the two gears by momentarily back pedaling as if you were applying a coaster brake. For rear braking, sustained rearward pedal pressure actuates the rear coaster brake. The front brake is a standard caliper. This unique hub was designed for commuting in areas where bad weather is common. The hub/gear unit is completely sealed making water intrusion difficult. There are no bare cables at the rear of the bike to corrode or clutter the appearance of the bike. It’s an elegant spec for an elegant bike.

Perhaps the most visually striking feature of the Felt York is the nicely crafted front cargo basket. The bottom of the cargo basket is natural wood, beautifully finished. It’s a functional material since it’s strong and lightweight. The cargo basket is 3.75 inches (9.5 cm.) deep and 14″ (35.5 cm.) wide, 11.75″ (30 cm.) front to back. The total volume is about 616 cubic inches. A stretch cargo net or bungees can be used to hold taller items securely in the basket while riding. The cargo basket itself is TIG welded aluminum. It uses a three-point mounting system to the front brake bolt and to either side of the front hub via a pair of sturdy struts. Since the cargo basket is oriented low on the front of the bike, lower than a traditional Wald-style wire basket that mounts directly to the handlebars, it feels more stable and influences the steering less.

The handlebars emphasize the English country motif with their moustache curve and beautiful, real leather grips with stitching to improve grip and fix the grips to the bars. Stem design is a conventional threadless arrangement that mimics the appearance of a quill style stem from the ’70′s. The stem clamps the moustache handlebars with a four-bolt front plate and uses a coordinated top cap as practical finishing trim. The single brake lever is about as simple as it could be, with no cover or adornment. Purely function. The lever does have a return spring in it even though the cable run to the front brake is short and direct so your front brake always feels great and has plenty of stopping power.

The main frame is 4130 cro-moly with butted seat stays for comfort and straight gauge main tubes to maintain long term durability even in an urban environment. The dropouts are horizontal track style dropouts that empty to the rear. This makes wheel clearance tight between the fender and tire when pulling the wheel out. Tubing joints are TIG welded. The seat post binder collar is a classic design with a pass-through binder bolt that will even accept the old Campagnolo seat post binder bolts if you have some in the bottom of your toolbox. The fork is another well executed frame detail with its double, flat top crown that allows longer blades for better ride comfort. Threaded bosses built into the fork near the dropouts support the basket and fender hardware. There are five frame sizes in the York; 51 cm., 54 cm., 56 cm., 58 cm., 61 cm.

The crank is rife with details including the skip-tooth design that hearkens back to the 1940′s. References for the design of the crank are from 1961 and extend to the stamping that actually reads, “Italy Inspired” in a typeface that will be familiar to many cycling aficionados. Mechanically the crank and bottom bracket are simple, durable and serviceable. Uniquely styled pedals feature retro traction teeth and match the finish of the rest of the drive train, completing the look.

A detail worth noticing is the vintage “skip-tooth” chain ring. The skip-tooth or “inch pitch” chain ring preceded the modern chain ring pattern that engages every link in the chain. The vintage skip-tooth only engages every other link. There isn’t a technical benefit to this. It is entirely an authentic ode to classic bike design.

The head badge is a new design from Felt Designer Cody Alderson. It will be used across the Felt Lifestyle bike line and calls out the company’s birth in 1991. Alderson collaborated with Felt designers on the look of the badge from extensive “inspiration boards” then took the lead on final design. His interpretation includes a heavy emphasis on traditional head badge design but incorporates symmetrical curves that invoke modern corporate logos. It is an eloquent melding of traditional design with suggestions of modern typography.

The saddle shares inspiration from the San Marco Regal and the Brooks B17 with its brown color and six rivet trim. It’s a wide, flat saddle designed for use with street clothes. The sides of the saddle wrap fully over the rails to prevent trousers from bunching between skin and the saddle. It’s wide enough that a cyclist will be comfortable without padded shorts even for longer rides.

The fork continues the theme of melding traditional design with modern specifications by using a 1&1/8″ diameter head tube but a beautifully shaped retro fork crown with intricate looking lug design. The crown actually has a hollow, pass through double fork crown design. The legs taper to dropouts with rack and fender mounting threaded eyelets. This fork design improves ride quality and pays homage to pre-war and vintage bike styling.

Pedals are alloy toothed-cage design with pass-through holes for bolting on toe clips. This bike begs for a pair of silver, vintage styled Christophe or Campagnolo style toe clips with leather straps to complete the look of the drive train. The teeth on the pedals’ outer frame provide great grip with most shoes.

Hubs combine vintage engineering with practical features such as bolt-on mounting as a theft deterrent. They use a traditional silver finish with prominent Sturmey-Archer logos including one that calls out their heritage “since 1903″ on the rear hub. The hubs use modern sealed cartridge bearings, a nod to practicality, and have 32 holes front and rear. They are laced in a robust cross-three pattern with 32 stainless steel, straight-gauge spokes with brass spoke nipples. The tire spec is a proprietary Felt brand 700 X 25c All Weather town & country tire.

Another stylistic and functional highlight on the Felt York are the hammer-formed aluminum alloy fenders. This is a full-coverage fender set with clean, adjustable mounting struts that bolt to the frame eyelets. The silver, textured finish provides a “shop” like appearance to the bike that, along with the color of the saddle and handlebar furniture, the tires and the workman-like blue color give the entire bike an authentic look.

The York combines the southern California lifestyle utility with Felt’s European influence for a bike that seems to have not aged and will likely remain timeless in looks and utility. It’s a unique and different take on the commuter and recreational bike that will ride and look great for a lifetime.

ExergyTWENTY16 traveled to New Mexico in search of treasures at the 2013 Tour of the Gila, and when the prestigious 5-day stage race was all said and done, came home with the spoils. Lead by Mara Abbott (left) who took the overall lead with a Stage 1 solo win over second place finisher and teammate, Kristin McGrath (3rd from left), the team did did everything right over the next thee days to protect their position. On the final day, on a 110K stage known as the Gila Monster, it was Mara again, this time making her move on the final climb to finish clear of a shatter field and claim overall victory. The team also collected 1st in the team competition. For more details go to: http://www.cyclingnews.com/races/tour-of-the-gila-2013

In Southern California, 18yr old Jennifer Valente, a former Junior World Track Champion with a ferocious finish, sprinted to victory aboard her ZW in the Pro/1-2 Women’s field of the Dana Point GP. This win marks another notch in the belt of her still very young career–a career which most feel is very, very bright.

Last but not least, Coryn Rivera and Kaitlin Antonneau, teammates at ExergyTWENTY16 as well as Marian University, rode unstoppably at this year’s Collegiate National Cycling Championships in Ogden, UT. The girls went 1-2 respectively in the D1 Criterium, then flipped positions in the D1 Road Race with Kaitlin taking the win and Coryn coming in second. It was an amazing performance by both. For more details go to: https://www.usacycling.org/antonneaus-third-omnium-win-caps-usa-cycling-collegiate-road-nats.htm

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Here are some fan photos to keep your Monday rolling. Thanks to those out there with your shred machines and hashtags! Tag #feltbicycles, #feltbikes or #whatdrivesyou and we’ll try to scoop up your epic two wheeled moments in the next installment. Happy riding!

Irvine, CA – We are thrilled to share our association with Thad Beaty, the Grammy-winning guitarist for SUGARLAND and all-around nice guy, who, along with his Felt DA, is the official spokesperson for Ironman’s 2013 KONA INSPIRED program. A competitive age-grouper himself, Thad and Ironman have teamed up to deliver what Ironman describes as “A program that provides seven slots for the IRONMAN World Championship driven by aspirational stories and voted on by the triathlon community. The program returns this year as a global opportunity with the support of the IRONMAN Foundation.” Look for Thad at a number of Ironman and 70.3 Ironman events leading up to Kona on October 12, 2013.

For all of the KONA INSPIRED details click on: http://www.ironman.com/triathlon-news/articles/2013/03/kona-inspired-is-back.aspx#axzz2PywspiYj

Turkey – Aboard his F-Series FRD, and with the help of a leadout train that is fast becoming one of the best in pro cycling, Marcel Kittel finished the 2013 Presidential Tour of Turkey by winning stages 7 & 8, and in doing so completed a racing hat-trick when combined with his Stage 1 victory.  In each of the last two days, Marcel and his teammates had to endure furious speeds and ever-narrowing winding roads over the final 5K–roads that took their toll on a number of teams and individuals.

In Stage 7, a 180-degree turn inside the last 2K took out a majority of the field, but Marcel was ahead of the mess and rocketed from behind to take the win.

In Stage 8, a small group got roadside clipped inside of the final 2K, but again, Marcel and his team avoided any trouble by being at the front and keeping heads up.

In these conditions, avoiding crashes and staying near the front are paramount in both getting to line safely and being in a position to win. And, in both stages, the team delivered perfectly. For Marcel, who is well documented as one of the fastest road sprinters in the world, these two wins represented his fifth and sixth of the year.

The team now has its sights set on the Giro d’Italia which starts May 4 and will feature John Degenkolb as the primary sprinter.

Lauren Tamayo’s ExergyTWENTY16 team Felt DA was being built up in our shop at Felt headquarters in Irvine last week. Tamayo, a 29-year old pro from the United States and London Olympic silver medalist in the Team Pursuit, rides a SRAM Red equipped DA frameset with a Zipp aero cockpit. From the front of Lauren’s Felt DA:

Tamayo’s cockpit is traditionally configured for a pro cyclist with relatively narrow elbow pad placement and ski bend aero extensions. The Zipp Vuka carbon fiber extensions and Zipp VukaBull base bars have a grippy, molded-in surface application that eliminates the need for handlebar tape. Tamayo shifts with standard SRAM TT900 carbon fiber 10-speed shift levers. Brake levers on her cockpit are SRAM 900TT carbon brake levers with return springs for a snappy feel. A notable detail is the bundling of the rear brake and derailleur cables as they exit the cockpit, and nice touch and acknowledgement of how much aerodynamic drag cables generate at speed.

Tamayo stops with a standard SRAM Red AeroLink mechanical front caliper. As with all bikes built by a pro team mechanic the cable lengths are just long enough to get a grip on the clamped inner wire for adjustments.

Two details we spotted at the front of Lauren’s bike are the just barely long enough extended presta valves and the alloy (not carbon fiber) quick release skewers. Team Mechanic Adrian Hedderman told us the team likes to run the shortest valve stems possible to maintain the best rim aerodynamics but concedes airing the tires to full pressure can be a two person job; one person to hold the pump head on the valve at the rim while the other person pumps up the tire.

The drivetrain is a beautifully configured SRAM Red kit turned by Speedplay pedals and using SRAM’s one-piece, lightweight 10-speed cogset. The 1:1 pull ration of SRAM components paired with the unique one-piece cogset produce responsive shifts from the aero extensions. A team-specific addition to the ExergyTWENTY16 bikes is the front derailleur mounted K-Edge chain catcher. This 6061 aluminum, U.S. made chain watcher replaces a similar SRAM engineered device and appears on the ExergyTWENTY16 bikes because of team co-manager and London Olympic gold TT medalist Kristin Armstrong’s association with K-Edge and also the effectiveness of the device.

Tamayo sits on the UCI rule inspired short length Fizik Ares time trial saddle. This saddle measures only 25cm in length, 2 cm shorter than most full-length road saddles. The shorter saddle length allows Tamayo to remain in compliance with UCI Regulations 1.3.011 to 1.3.021 that define the dimensions of a competitive bicycle.

The rear brake is a Felt proprietary design with relatively straight-pull cable routing from the down tube and very easy set-up, adjustment and quick release use. Unlike some under bottom bracket mount aero brake designs the Felt DA rear brake has significant stopping power and feels responsive at the brake lever.

Tamayo’s bike was set up at Felt Headquarters with a Zipp 900 tubular rear wheel and Zipp 808 Firecrest front tubular. Both wheels roll on Zipp Tangente tubular tires made to Zipp specifications by hand in the Vittoria factory.

The attention to detail that went into the component selection and build of Lauren Tamayo’s ExergyTWENTY16 team Felt DA is a great case study for recreational triathletes and time trial riders on how to do a truly pro build on their Felt DA. The entire set-up shows attention to detail and meticulous handiwork on Felt’s DA platform.

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Hope all is well in the world of bicycling. While browsing the Instagram tags #WhatDrivesYou and #Feltbicycles, we were pleased to find some rad photos featured above! Click the user’s name and check the rest of their photos out!