DocRose's ride...something like eye candy...

shama cycles 008
Originally uploaded by shamacycles

I work hard to make every bike I build just a little different. Sure...each bike is custom and as far as geometry goes...each one is absolutely different and that alone is what makes them more comfortable and faster for the owner than anything else. Lets be honest...that is not what gets attention while riding with friends...the looks of the bike is what matters. I mean...my clients spend about 90% of the decision making process on a custom frame on picking the color of it. NOT the geometry. Often I design the frame in a day or so and yet it could take a week to nail down the color. HAHAHA After all...its how we tell our bike apart from others. This bike for Carlye was no different. For some reason most of the bikes I build are painted in ways that Guru doesn't really offer as a typical menu option. But that is what its all about...making the bike "look" as unique as the geometry itself. Have I mentioned I love my job???

Carlye's Guru Magis was a build we took a gamble on. The color is bold and I had to figure a way to set it off even more. I turned to Velocity and ordered a custom set of wheels from them since she is going to keep these a while as training and race wheels. Ordering the Frost Blue rims was a bit of a risk as just the wrong shade could through it off bad. We got lucky and the blue rim was nearly an identical match and set this little build off! We were able to use Hed bars, Sram Force components which the dark metal finish there matches the Platinum accents in the paint finish. Pretty perfect if you ask me! The day she picked up this little rig I had quite a bit of traffic through the shop and EVERYONE that saw the bike commented on the wheels and how they match the bike. Carlye and I laughed each time as I really thought the frame is pretty awesome as well as the build...but those bubble gum wheels just makes ya stare that much longer.
Look for this one out at the local sprints and olys...should be easy to spot in T1 and T2...on the road...you will just see a Frost Blue Blurr!

My Crit bike...Kirklee custom road frame

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Originally uploaded by shamacycles

So if you have seem my blog at one time or another you would have seen this bike. I love it, SUPER light and this thing corners like its on rails. I have had this bike raced at 13lbs and at 16lbs. Though I do enjoy it at 15lbs. Its been wrecked and still is great. Even been in Interbike this year for the Rotor and Kirklee booth. LOVE IT! As you look at the pics...look at the writing under the clear coat...its my tube lengths, angles, and weights for my frame made for me since its custom. Each custom frame is like this...this is what makes it custom...not choosing paint colors and stems and wheel decals on a stock geometry frame.

My Old Crono

Crono
Originally uploaded by shamacycles

Loved this rig. Finally a TT rig that fit me and I could FLY on. But its gone now...while I wait on my Crono 2.0. I found these old pics and had to put them up.

14lbs Guru Geneo

shama cycles 001
Originally uploaded by shamacycles

So this little rig was not really meant to be super light, but with the size of the frame its kinda hard not to get it there. Edge makes about the only bar and stem combo that I would use in carbon. Then looking at the Easton SLX wheelset, Sram RED, Tune carbon ti skewers, Selle SMP Forma saddle, KCNC TiPro seatpost, and making a Rotor SABB Ceramic bottom bracket work on a Sram crank...this bike is ready to fly and on this morning's ride I sat in a group of 9 guys and watched her take her pull at 25mph...she has been riding about a year and does not race...YET!

Sunday Recovery Ride...is there really such a thing with racers???

Everyone waiting before the start of the ride.....

Some Shama Cycles team members having a meeting to discuss
the strategy for the recovery ride upon us...

It was Stephanie's birthday today....so we decorated her Guru for the ride

Amy with her new Geneo...wearing a kit from Canada for a team that Guru sponsors.

Doug's choice of "post ride nutrition" at Taqueria Aranda's

So the weather in Houston the past couple of weeks has been CRAP and totally putting a damper on my come back. Because I am a fare weather ride and loath the trainer...if it ain't dry I am not riding. I don't want to get my kit to get dirty...or my pretty bike. So anyway...finally we have a dry weekend even though its crazy cold for Houston. Saturday we did a ride through Old Town Spring and it was great. Nice long ride, good pace and great group. Sunday was the big one though. We planned out a new route and planned it as the "Sunday Recovery Ride" and mapped out about 53 miles. With bagels and coffee pre and post ride...we were set for the perfect day. I don't know what it is about starting out when its 38 degrees but I never feel like going that fast in the cold. We had a great group...at least 40 riders. We leave the shop and make a right on to N. Post Oak and look up the road and there is already a 50 yard gap. ARE YOU FOR REAL? We "surge" up the road and catch on and make the left onto Hempsted Hwy there we go again...sprinting to catch back on. Shelby (Nationaly ranked trackie) even started to complain which was pretty funny. None the less he we are flying down the road on a "recovery ride". I swear you can't put two road racers together on a ride with out them trying to "half wheel" each other while trying to carry on a calm conversation. hahaha We hit some lights on the way out and with a group this large it easy to split the group. I hung back with the stragglers that were actually doing a "recovery pace" and rolled for a couple miles before catching up with the rest of the hammer heads while they waited for us at a corner. We hit some amazing roads and great stretches. Finally the pace slowed after my friend and team mate Jeff Gardner pulled off and cut his ride short. We love Jeff and I am glad he races for me and not against me...but recovery ride for that guy is like at 24mph. Finally we hit George Bush Park and rolled through there with some speed. We ride here alot during the week so I knew where to take off and where draft. Had some fun at some good speeds and then when we hit the end at Briar Forest and Hwy 6 we shut it down and waited for everyone else. We got to hear Shelby and Laura complain AGAIN about the pace...they wanted to keep it a recovery ride or as Aimee called it "postpartum pace". This was Aimee's first group ride back after having her little baby which put out her out of racing the 2009 season. She left the 2008 season strong and was KILLING it in the training rides last off season...but her husband Trey wanted to focus on his season and needed a feedzone chic so he got his darling bride pregnant. haha Needless to say it was GREAT to have Aimee back out with us as we ALL missed her on the bike and can't wait to have her racing with us again this season.
In all we finished the ride safe and a little warmer than when we started which made all happy...especially as we devoured the rest of the bagels...donuts...coffee and whatever else was in the fridge. Great day, great ride, great friends...I love my job.

SUPER FUNNY...cause its true!

So this is just something that went around during Thanksgiving. I laughed and when I showed it to my fiance' she cried...a glimpse at the years to come. hahaha
Towards the end there is an R rated word...pardon that...but its funny through and through.


http://www.xtranormal.com/watch/5700021

More Pics from Interbike 2009

Originally uploaded by shamacycles

I wanted to post the bigger files on Flickr since the pics load better this way. Enjoy.

Cory's 2007 Crono

CoryGholson 008
Originally uploaded by shamacycles

I sold him his rig back in the day and since its been an upgrade here and there to get it to the machine it is. This rig has carried him to countless local podiums and to his first Ironman in Florida this year.
Rotor cranks, QRings, SABB, ceramic pulley wheels, Dura Ace drivetrain, TRP brakes, Nokon cables, Zipp 404s. Selle SMP saddle, Easton and Profile aerobars.
I wonder what his next upgrade will be...

Time RXR (two of them)

Originally uploaded by shamacycles

So my customers usually have a very different way of thinking...or justifying certain things. Everyone that rides has one bike at least. Then you need a second one that is just different...or maybe you need a triathlon or TT bike. Maybe a cross bike. Maybe one race and one fun. Who knows...but some times you might share time between two places and if you race you might want two race bikes. So what do you do? Buy two of the identical bike with all the same parts and let the accents of brakes, bar tape, cables and cages change the look. With the change of a couple items here since pics. We have a Good and Bad version of the same bike. One has white bottle cages, brakes, bartape, saddle, and cables. The other...those items are black. Pretty awesome if you ask me especially when its Time's newest premier road bike the RXR. Being the only stock bike line I sell it had to be special for me to sell it. As you can see from the pics this bike is super sexy. The frames come with the stem and an integrated seat mast.
Side note on integrated seat masts. You have to cut them down to get the saddle height right. If you cut them too low you are done...hope to find someone with shorter legs to ride it or you just bought a frame...in this case...this is about one of the most expensive frames there is...so I took about an hour of looking at this thing before I cut it. I was talking to myself and everything....it was bad. Finally I cut it just right and I could relax once again...now do this twice. See...my job really is tough and stressful. haha
So on with the parts.
Sram Red shifters, front and rear D, Zero Gravity GSL brakes, Rotor 3D cranks, Rotor SABB ceramic, Time pedals, Selle San Marco Regal saddle, Deda Zero 100 bars, Gore sealed cable system. Elite cages. 16lbs with training wheels...

Ahhhhhh to have two bikes...two really really really nice bikes...everyone should live this well. And I am only to happy to help...

Geneo 3.0

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Originally uploaded by shamacycles

This frame is actually 3 seasons old. Its been involved in countless wrecks and now has been repainted for a 3rd time. So no...this is not his 3rd Geneo in 3 years...just a refreshed version. Orion with Platinum lettering. The frame is good as new and fits like a glove. With Dura Ace 7900 drive-train, Zero Gravity brakes, Zipp Vuma Quad cranks, Ricthey bar and stem combo and an Easton seatpost...with Gore sealed system cabling. This bike is ready for the 2010 season and ready to make the other cat 3s hurt!

14lbs Cervelo R3SL build

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Originally uploaded by shamacycles

So I started off with this guy refitting his old Cervelo that he wrecked on and broke his femur in a little spill in a turn. The refit helped him get back on the bike post recovery and with things going well he brought in this little gem he picked up a couple months ago. Sure I love selling new bikes but the next best thing to that is building up a frame and being able to put my touch on it.
Total this rig weighs in at 14lbs and 8oz. Pretty nice for a bike that is race ready. Sram Red shifters, Sram Red cassette, Sram Red front and rear D. Rotor 3D cranks with a titanium spindle, Rotor Qrings, Rotor Sabb, Deda bar and stem, 3T Doric seatpost, Look Carbon Ti pedals, Nokon cables, Tune skewers, HED Ardennese wheels, Schwalbe Durano S tires, Zero Gravity brakes, AX Lightness bottle cage holders, and a Fizik Aroine saddle.