NYC Triathlon race report

Great shot of an awesome bike and a great fit. Nothing....NOTHING beats custom. Proof is in the results.

Chip time...2:13:08 good enough for 6th in his AG 77th overall out of over 2000 racers.

Ripped and out of the water.

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Notice the proper post race finishers shot. Shama Cycles tech t and Coach Trent.com hat.
Well done Rich...well done...

With the customer base I am building I am getting race reports from races each weekend it seems and pics to go with sometimes. Its always great to get and love hearing about my athletes having great race days. This one is a great one. Just started racing two years ago, took a year off, came back this year on a Guru Crono and with a vengeance! Thanks Rich for the report and congrats on the great day you had....

Philip,

Thanks for all your help in getting me prepared for the NYC Tri. First of all, your advice to use the HED Jet 6 C2s was right on. They climbed awesome and handled really well in the cross wind even though the roads were nasty wet. Dropping my position by cutting the steerer tube and narrowing the aero bars felt great. On several of the steep descents I caught some nice rest tucking and getting super aero. The guys that I kept trading position with on the ride must have been really confused as I passed them without even peddling...them cranking away in their big ring. When I got off the bike, my legs felt great allowing me to hold a 6:42 pace for 10K. I came in with a PR of 2:13:08; a 7 minute improvement from CapTex earlier this year!

Thanks again man,

Rich

2400 WATTS...can this bike handle it???

Sidero, the new Steel offering from Guru.

OH SO CLEAN!

Yes, that is one very high number. Yes there is a guy who can hit that and this is his new bike. A friend of mine came to me needing a bike that he can't break. After going through carbon bikes pretty easily and eventually some other steel frames he was just wanting someone to tell him that there is a bike that can hold him for more than a season of racing. Eric Attayi is about 6'3" and weighs about 260lbs. This kind of weight can test any frame, then add in someone who races and who LOVES to sprint and you have a problem...a big problem. Bent crank spindles, cracked bottom brackets, welds broken, carbon cracking...its not even fair to mention the brands since NONE of them usually test out to this kind of rider weight. With some power numbers in one hand and measurements in another I called up Robert at Guru and had a long talk with him about this customer and bike that needs to be built. After some back and forth we decided to go Steel. Guru had in some tubing and ordered some more for the diameter and wall thickness needed for the tubes on this bike. The welder there also used a process for welding used in titanium bikes to make sure the welds are that much stronger. Along with an AlphaQ GS-40 fork this became a pretty expensive frame build but still cheaper than a carbon bike. Two goals for this build, a bike made for crits, sprinting, and a perfect fit.
The bike came in and I did my usual pre fit and just loved how it was looking. Eric of course was too excited to weight and we built it up quickly. Campy Record parts graced this classic Steel frame. Along with a Thompsosn seat post, Deda Newton handlebars and Deda Zero 100 stem. We also used Jagwire cables in white, and white Lizard Skin bartape.
With the Easton wheels as shown here...17lbs 4oz. AMAZING!
The bike being built we put him up on the Retul and corrected a couple issues in his cleats and then fine tuned his position. The word from him after riding it for two weeks...he has never ridden such a nice bike and the fit and position is amazing. First race...I can't wait till he can get out and sprint!

Cap Tex Triathlon 2009

Mike Shearman is all smiles pre race....
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Lisa, Teresa, Beau, ?, Walt

Well one of the biggest races of the year for most Texas triathletes is Cap Tex Tri in Austin. Ok, maybe not the biggest but definitely the most fun...especially for Houston athletes that love to trek to Austin for a weekend to party and race on Memorial Day Weekend! I have heard some race recaps from the weekend and while I did hear about the racing...I hear more about pre race and post race than anything else. Which just means it really was GREAT WEEKEND!!!!
In the Sprint Race
Lisa Tilton McCarthy won her Age Group, not on her newly redone prized possession Guru Cron but on her new Guru Praemio, custom road bike built to be able to tri on too. Which worked great on this multi loop course.
Walt Yarrow won his Age Group on his Guru Merus. He went full aero for the sprint and killed it!!!
Mike Shearman took 13th in his AG (same as Walt's) on his Guru Ventus which he just started riding again like two weeks ago. Which isn't right since he bested his friend Spencer who works more than Mike...though we think everyone works more than Mike??? haha

In the Olympic Distance race
Ann Hughes rocked a great race in her first attempt of this distance, she was 3rd in her AG on her white with purple Guru Crono.
Jacqueline Fein cruised into 3rd place on her Guru Crono!!!!
Teresa Demetriou enjoyed her race as well.
Richard Cairns rolled to a top ten in his AG on his road bike and my Edge wheels.
Beau Freyou rocked 3rd place in his AG. Way to go Beau!!!
Kendall Gray enjoyed his effort out there.

Combat Triathlon

Ahhh...another great day of racing in Houston.
Combat Tri had quite a few Shama Cycles racers representing.
Trent Stephens who was first across the line and Second Overall.
Ann Smith won Masters Women!!!
Anne Ekern won her Age Group.
Kathleen Smith had a great day on her Guru Venio

Also a special shout out to some friends of mine who raced this one.
Dianne Sweeny (who won OA woman's), Jeff Gill, Andy Stewart, Chris Phenicie, Steve Ohnimus, Dave Depinet (who won his AG on his Crono), Sam Luna, Ann Fickel, and Matilda Guerra

Silverlake Tri!

Here is the recap from Brett Cole of that race...killer bike split! #1 in age group is always a good day!

Philip – a little race recap for Silverlake-

My second year at the Silverlake sprint, and with the cool weather and low humidity (and of course the Guru) I was able to drop nearly 5-minutes from last year, good for 6^th OA, and 1^st in the always competitive M40-44 AG.

My pool work may be starting to help, but still I’ve got a long way to go. Out of the water there were at least 6 or 7 AG guys ahead of me, but I was only down about 1:30 behind Tom Stus, who was in front of the AG - with the fastest OA swim split for the day.

For me the bike course is a real technical challenge, by my count 30+ turns over the 10-miles and my cornering may even be weaker than my swimming. A hard effort on the few straight stretches and I was able to get into T-2 with the top AG bike split and down to just 3 guys in front of me for the run, just under 1:30 down on Stus.

I really pushed it out of T-2 and gave the run all I could, leading to a solid 5:49/mile avg and the 3^rd best OA run split. I think I caught Stus with about a mile to go, and ended up finishing 0:45 in front of him. Still, was about 1:00 out of the top-5, and 3:00 off the OA winner, but I was really happy with the effort and result for the day.

Others of Note,
Coy Connelly rocked his race in Brett's AG on his Crono.
Jane Kang came back to racing after some time off on her Guru Merus, one of the smallest frames you will ever see!
And my friend Lisa Berman won her AG, thanks to her Speedfill no doubt. haha ;-)

A hard day at the office...with two customers.

14lbs 11oz
6/4 titanium frame, AlphaQ full carbon fork
Sram Red shifters
Sram Force Front D, rearD, brakes
Rotor Agilis Cranks, Qrings, SABB ceramic bb
Parlee carbon braze on clamp
Extralite seatpost collar
Tune aluminum seat post
CaneCreek headset
Selle Italia Diva saddle
Deda Zero 100 bar and stem
Lizard Skins bar tape
Nokon cables
HED Ardenesse wheels
Michelen Pro Race tires
KMC gold chain, KCNC skewers
Mavic Wintech computer
Elite cages

Walt, rolling on his Guru Merus, we played with his position too

Lisa, just enjoying the ride, one of the few times on the hoods.

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Walt and Lisa sharing feelings or whatever couples do on rides.
(really she is talking trash about dropping him next hill)
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Man that kit looks good! Oh yeah, so does Lisa and her bike. ;-)

Well today was one of those days that really wears you out. The kind of work day that when you are done you just want to CRASH and sleep and not be bothered. I had to ride my bike for work. Yes, I know what you are thinking "in this heat?". I know...but I am committed to great customer service.
HAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
Lisa Tilton-McCarthy picked up her new Guru Praemio today. This bike is a new frame with a couple old parts from her Crono, which is also being upgraded. Her goal is a Kona slot. A goal I have committed to helping her with anyway I can. She is an awesome athlete and just needs work on the bike. Her run is killer so if she can just stay on the bike she can seal the deal on the run. So we took her 2 year old Crono which still looks brand new, selected some upgrades for it and had to have some where to put her old parts. What to do...what to do??? Its obvious! Get a titanium road bike that compliments your tri position. I mean...everyone does that right? ;-)
So here we are. A 6.4 titanium road bike that weighs 14lbs and 11oz with out even trying.
The goal of the bike is to have something to train in, in groups and be in control a little better for those long rides. We worked with Guru to design the frame to compliment the fit of the Crono I sold her just two years ago. This way training on this bike transfers to the Crono. We also designed it to be raced as well. There are those events in triathlon were sometimes a road bike might be better. Cap Tex Tri for example, tight course, corners, climbing, and lots of people on the same course. If you are at all nervous in your aero bars around people on a course like that then you are on your bull horns and defeating the purpose of the tri bike. We chose titanium so she can put it on the trainer, use it on crappy days, rough road rides, and travel for fun with out having to worry about damaging a carbon bike. Basically a bike that she can relax with and not worry about it falling over at a rest stop or in the back of her car.

THE RIDE!
As I always try to do, I like to ride with customers on thier first ride. One its just plain fun. But really it allows me to see things that you can't see on the Computrainer or Retul. This way if we need to stop and adjust the saddle tilt or handle bars as the true position is found we can do that. We did 72 miles today and this is her first time to ride a road bike. One bike triathletes crack me up. First lesson of the day...shifting. haha Just spinning in the parking lot she was amazed at the bike but I was worried about 72 miles in a new position that she was not used to, not to mention starting out at noon in the heat of the day. We took off and about 5 miles into the ride till about mile 60 she comments "now I know why you roadies ride all the time, this is a blast" "this is so easy" I can ride in my drops and it feels just like my tri bike" "Oh my god these hills are so easy to climb standing up, this bike is so light" The only things we adjusted as the saddle just slightly up and tilted. Everything else was perfect. Needless to say she was loving life and the new bike. At every stop Walt and I would have to chase her down when we started up again cause she would just take off! We finish the ride and she was so excited and full of life, I was dead tired from logging in 9hours in two days.

The ride was actually best for me though, I find no greater satisfaction in my work than days like today. Riding with a friend/customer who could not be happier with their new bike and riding it. This is why I do what I do.
I LOVE MY JOB!!!!

Next up, her Crono reborn and ready for Hawaii 70.3 on the 30th of May!!!!

Lisa Tilton McCarthy's new Guru Praemio

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Lisa's blue Praemio and Colleen's red Praemio...pre build.
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Lisa is on the computrainer just for a quick check on the frame, fit, saddle, stem length, steerer tube height and such. We select everything when we design the bike. Before the build happens I check what determines fit of the bike to see if any changes need to be made now or if any select parts need to be ordered. But as usual with custom and careful design and planning...everything was perfect. Now with the build to follow the cabling and such will come out that much nicer and the Retul fit will be the cherry on top.

Lisa is a triathlete that upsets overall and Master's placings at the triathlons around town. She is wanting that Kona slot this year and is taking it pretty seriously. As in she is not racing double racing each weekend all over Texas with what ever she can pin a number on for and go when the gun goes off. She is choosing her races carefully and actually trying to peak for certain races and rest a little in between. (un heard of for this athlete) This goal calls for the best equipment. She already has a Guru Crono with Sram Force on it I sold to her 2 years ago so how do you get better? Buy a Guru Praemio made out of 6.4 titanium tubing to be able to train more in group rides where the paces can be higher to work on speed...also have the geometry designed as to compliment your tri position so the training translates between bikes. Lisa also went with the ti road bike to have something to travel with, ride on crazy courses and poor weather days. This way the gorgeous carbon Crono is saved for the races and specific training days. Along with this upgrade, we are putting Sram Red components on the Crono and her Force is going on the Praemio.
More to come as these bikes get built up and evolve into the works of art they are.

GulfCoast Half Ironman and buying time!

The new Rotor Agilis cranks, Aero QRings, SABB ceramic BB. I like the new red spider.

Silver Tiso ceramic pulley wheels spin so much better than stock wheels, Campy, Shimano and Sram should be ashamed of themselves....
Below, we also put on some new Elite Custom white/red bottle cages.
btw, Zipp 999 will be the race wheel of choice on Saturday...not the ones below.

Gulf Coast Half Ironman is over in Florida and well, its prettier than racing in Galveston I guess. (snickering) Plenty of Texas athletes make the trip over every year to do this race. This weekend happens to be Mother's Day weekend so I am not sure how some guys are pulling it off, though I do know that Trent Stephens and Fred Johnson are leaving Friday morning, EARLY, to get there, race, and then as soon as transition is open to get bikes out, they are packing up to haul butt back to Houston to celebrate Mother's Day with their uber understanding wives who just had the kids most of the weekend by themselves. But I am sure it will all be worth it. HA!
Trent came in finally for some upgrades I have been dying to get him to do. He is a Campy man and has been as long as I have known him. Now that I have been having my way with his Crono race bike the only things left that are Campy is the rear D, cassette, and cranks. Until yesterday...now its just the rear D and cassette. I believe the Rotor SABB ceramic bottom bracket spins way smoother than nearly any other bottom bracket out there, let alone a stock Campy BB. To change this requires a Shimano style crank. Since no true Campy man would ever own anything from that Japanese rod and reel manufacturer...the obvious choice for a crank was the Rotor Agilis crank who also makes the SABB bb and the QRings that we all ride and love. A perfect combo from a company based in Spain...which borders Italy where Campy is based...so its as good as one can get with out being Campy. ;-) Next to come will be a Quarg power meter to replace the spider in that crank.
While we were at this craze of lightening up the bike with lighter cranks, using an aero chain ring set, and freeing up some watts with the ceramic bb, we also installed a set of Tiso ceramic pulley wheels in the rear D. Tiso is made in Italy which really just means that its nice...but you are gonna pay for the privilege. With it all installed and set up and shifting dialed in I could notice right away his drive train had way less drag in it. Lets see what translates to the race this Saturday....
Oh by the way, this bike has TRP 960SL brakes, Sram Red front D, Sram TT900 bar end shifters, and now the Rotor cranks. This bike is now more of a mutt bike than anything else. But don't we all love mutts just a little bit more than pure breeds?
Have fun and check back for the updates on Greg, Fred, and Trent's race weekend.

Walt's second GURU, Geneo and the Retul Fitting

A big bike...17lbs for this rig with training wheels. Pretty amazing for a bike that holds a guy that is 6'3".
Deda Zero Service Corsa stem, Deda Supernatural bars, Nokon cables, TRP 960SL brakes,
Sram Red shifters front and rear D. Agilis Cranks, Qrings, and SABB ceramic bb.


Walt is a big guy and a strong cyclist...but a triathlete at heart. So of course his first bike that he got from me was a Guru Merus. Since we have made some upgrades on it and he has had faster bikes and runs ever since racing on the Merus. With his love of the bike its only natural that he would want to ride more and enjoy riding a road position as much as the tri. His old road bike begins with a C and ends with an O. So this is easy.
Since he is a triathlete and we know his tri position from his first tri bike, we took that data and turned it into road measurements, complimentary to his tri position but still being able to handle well like a road bike and even do his first crit race in 3 weekends. Thus we have the Guru Geneo, super light, razor sharp handling, accelerates like you have a NOS system. We picked the parts, did a pre fitting, and finished the build. Today we did the Retul fitting and he got to spin it out in the back of the shop. When it comes to fitting bikes, there have been times I have spent hours with people trying to find the right mix of close to how they should fit the bike with out compromising too much handling or stability. But with a custom bike, a bike where each tube length is made to fit your anatomy perfectly and the stem, handlebar, crank, seatpost, saddle are all selected ahead of time to match into that perfect fitting...well then my job becomes WAY easy in this case. Almost too easy. From the prefitting we did, we moved the saddle up and forward a little once we had the Retul hooked up to compliment his tri position. Another ride outside in the back and he was home. He loved it and I loved seeing the look on his face as he made run after run back and forth. The first big ride is this Saturday as he does the Shiner Ride, 1oo miles ending at the Shiner Brewery for lots of beer and a live concert. While I am not a guy who really drinks, I know plenty of cyclists who do and this is a HUGE ride for most of them. hahaha Gotta love bikes and the calories they help us burn.

Champions Tri in Austin

Waly Yarrow sitting 3rd in his AG for the Oly race. Guru Merus got him there.
Above is Lisa Tilton McCarthy's Crono that took her to 3rd Woman Overall for the day.
Below, Trent raced in the Pro race, BRUTAL winds and competition. Trent was 7th overall there.
Trent coming home....


Lisa, Walt, myself, and Trent post race. I had 4 Gurus there that day. It was a good day to be supporting the crew and seeing everyone race.

Racing the Driveway Crit on the Kirklee

Taking a flyer in the 3/4 race. Keeping gap in the turns on a 14lbs bike that carves corners like a bowie knife...

Standing up out of a corner...solid!!!
Better side note about the pic below...that is Dave McLaughlin to my left with the body art. He is usually the one who takes shots at these races...always the photographer and never the photographee. Not today. My friend Ned Frost who took these pics got him as well. Thanks Ned for these pics and thanks Dave for all the race images of past and those to come!

Every Thursday in Austin they have a race Spring through Fall. Its called the Driveway and its one of the best training races/weekly crits in Texas. I go up every once in a while to race, have fun, try some stuff, see what works. This was my first race on the Kirklee. It did me proud! Cornering is one of the bikes strong points. Front end stiffness is wonderful! I did not sprint in this race, just hard accelerations...which it handled very well. Not to mention leading up to this race, being able to ride it on some VERY crappy Texas roads, this bike is smooth. Its stiff where it needs to be and smooth where you want it. Now its just whether or not I like the Easton EC90 cranks or not. I might have to swap them with the old faithfuls, Dura Ace cranks and compare. And that is the best part of this race, I can race twice once a week and try something new each time. This bike is coming out again but next week with the Edge race wheels. OH YEAH!!!!

The Kona Project

Above
Possible sprint and quarter position
Below
Possible half and full IM position

The heart of a bike...the frame. Tailor made to Andrew Strong's measurements and requirements. Being able to "tune" the titanium frame with specific tube selections is key for triathletes and something Guru excels at getting just right for every client of mine.
Also...the welds are beautiful!

So Andrew Strong is a friend of mine as well as an athlete I sponsor. Andrew has made it to Kona for the past two years...which has also been his first two years of competing in the Ironman distance races. So yes...he is a natural...but he also trains intensely and is VERY dedicated. Swimming is not his strong point, with 1:30+ swim times and qualifying for Kona still...yes his bike split is violent and run is vicious. The past two years he has done this on a Cervelo P3C and was wind tunnel fitted on it by John Cobb. Does it get to be any faster than this???
I believe it does. My business is based on the simple fact that fit is key. So if the bike fits better you are going to be more stable, more comfortable, and more powerful.
I am taking Andrew Strong, a man with strong Kona ambitions this year, off of what most consider to be "the fastest bike in the world" and putting him on a titanium frame that does have higher drag numbers in the wind tunnel...will he be faster?
I believe he will. This is what my business is and the proof will be in the real world...Ironman Brazil. This is his first chance to qualify for Kona. The fitting method right now will start from his current fit and then we will implement what I have learned under Dr. Andy Pruitt during my Specialized years and from Dan E's FIST method. I will be looking at everything with a Retul and Computrainer SpinScan.
Stay tuned as I put my reputation on the line for a proven athlete on a proven set up!
Soon I will have postings of the complete bike.
I look forward to seeing how this goes. Should be a fun little test!!!

Riding Chappell Hill on Good Friday part 2

This is my daughter...taking pictures of herself through out the ride. Gotta love it!

My friend Steven was along for the ride as well...he rode tough on Saturday with us again.
Steve Quick and myself chillin behind the trailer...she took the picture and actually captured alot of great shots! Amazing what kids can do.
After 30+miles into the wind and hills, I could not go any more. Chris Lockwood took over...I think in a way he regretted it but at the same time loved the challenge and the pain. The last 13 miles in to the finish of Chappell Hill...well I not ashamed to say I am glad it wasn't me.

Riding Chappell Hill on Good Friday

I found out a term that best describes Shama Cycles rides...non denominational. haha We like them all from all teams and shops. I just want to ride my bike with good people and enjoy the ride!
The view my daughter had that morning...I don't mind pulling her, but never again on a hilly ride...
The Guru Praemio is the perfect bike for pulling a trailer...but take my advise...and stick to the flats....
One of the few times I have noticed Chappell Hill to be pretty.
We had a group of 20 or so out that day. Team mates and friends had a great Good Friday...sorry to those that had to work. ;-)

New life into an older Crono

Not everyone can always have the latest greatest in this tough economic landscape. LOL I don't think my business is a good reflection of our times but still sometimes we have to show some moderation. Here is a perfect example. Guru Crono, circa 2006 with full Dura Ace and an old Profile Designs one piece bar and Fizik saddle. Now its 2009 and there is absolutely nothing wrong with the frame and the design is the same and its a perfect fit...sop what to do when you are wanting to spend money in anticipation of your Stimulus Check???? (forgive the political humor)
I am glad you ask...
Zipp aero bars, the very adjustable 3 peice set up, we picked the base bar, clip ons, and S bend extensions. VERY light and SUPER stiff for big guys or guys who like to rip on the front of thier rig. The bars are held on by a KCNC TI Pro stem. CNC machined for strength while being lightweight. Plus the simple graphics on a black stem work with the bike well.
For now we are trying out the Blackwell fork, we will see if it stays on or not.
The saddle was upgraded to a Selle Italia carbon shelf that has a water bottle holder built into it. Nice and aero for the short stuff! Then we rocked the Rotor Agilis Crankset with a SABB ceramic bottom bracket and a set of 54/42 aero Qrings. This lightened up the drivetrain while freeing up the spin of the cranks. Which now has the chain spinning through ceramic pulley wheels in a pimped out Dura Ace rear D that is now 20grams lighter from the tune kit for it that is anodized in red for some flare. The whole thing is cabled together with Nokon cables, white with some black an red in there. Oh yeah, and just to tie in the white on this mostly black rig we up graded the brakes to TRP 950SLs in white. We dropped justs over 2lbs off this bike and made it spin more efficiently...not to mention the looks.
This weekend is the true test...Fayetteville Stage Race. Oh yeah...I have to build up a TT bike for myself this weekend still. Whats the old saying about new bikes in races...well...even if I am still cabling it Friday...I am still racing a new TT bike on Saturday. Just the question is do I build a Merus or a Crono???