In this weekly series Wyatt and Jesse will give their opinion on various subjects. Please keep in mind that these opinions are solely theirs and do not represent the opinion of any of 613 Cycling’s sponsors or members. Last week we looked at the Louis Garneau Course Speed Suit. This week we’ll be looking at the Preston St. Crit 2016 - Specifically the Cat 3/4 race:

Jesse's thoughts:

Preston 2016 was such a great day for 613 Cycling. It was our first race with significant numbers. It was also our first podium of the year. As a team we had some specific plans - attack relentlessly and try to get some riders in a break and hopefully take that break to the line. While that break never got away our attacks decimated the field. 

This was my first time racing with that sort of numbers and man could I ever get used to it. It sort of makes me understand why Tekne will show up to a race with 14 people (zing - just kidding guys). It makes life so much easier when you know you have someone in the break and you can just mingle around at the front. Or knowing that it won’t be your sole responsibility to chase down a flyer. I look forward to more races where we can put a full team on the start.

Wyatt's thoughts:

It was a super hot edition, yet again this year, but I am not complaining as long as it isn’t raining. In our race, the Elite3/4/Junior race, it could not have gone less to plan and worked out better. Our initial gameplan to launch an attack early and lap the field did not work the first time, the 2nd time, or the 3rd time. But the team persisted with awesome teamwork from club rider Scott Meredith to weaken the field and Justin Goulding bringing back some attacks landed me in a break.

With myself in the break, Jesse was able to sit in and force everyone else to chase allowing him to counter off the break being pulled back and solo the last 8 minutes and 5 laps to victory. I was able to sit in with him up the road and easily take the sprint for 2nd and a 613 Cycling 1-2 podium finish. We didn’t realize with all our attempts to stick to plan, that we were driving a high pace which led to quite a weakened field by the end. It was 613 Cycling’s first time racing with any sort of numbers, and our teamwork shown through beautifully allowing us to control the race and get a good result.

Now next year we will hopefully have some numbers in the Elite 1/2 race in the afternoon! Preston is always my favourite race of the year, the organizers do an incredible job hosting a race actually in the city of Ottawa and it is always fun racing in front of an actual crowd! Thank you to all the spectators, volunteers, and supporters that make it such a great race. I went over 150 words, but whatever…

In this weekly series Wyatt and Jesse will give their opinion on various subjects. Please keep in mind that these opinions are solely theirs and do not represent the opinion of any of 613 Cycling’s sponsors or members. This week, we look into the Louis Garneau Speedsuit:

Jesse's Opinion on the LG Speedsuit:

“Don’t you mean skinsuit?” I hear you say? A speedsuit differs from a skinsuit in that the former is more like a jersey with pockets and bibs sewn together and the latter is more a super tight onesie that should only be worn for TTing.

So what’s the benefit of a Speedsuit versus a traditional jersey and bibs? Well for one it is more aero. I actually find a Speedsuit more comfortable than a traditional bib/jersey combo. This is due to the lack of straps, instead of a strap keeping your bottoms in place you have the entire upper to do that. I do find that being a touch shorter my LG Speedsuit doesn’t always hold my chamois in place perfectly but I still find it ridiculously comfortable. So comfortable in fact, that I default to my skinsuit on all rides unless it is dirty.

Wyatt's Opinion on the LG Speedsuit:

The LG speedsuit is new to me this year since we started 613 Cycling and went with Louis Garneau for our clothing. It is essentially a Castelli San Remo skinsuit made by Louis Garneau. It is an aero jersey put together with aero shorts, but it has pockets on the back and a full zip (helpful for nature breaks and letting air in). Now I owned the Castelli San Remo suit so I can draw quite a good comparison. I like the overall fit of the LG suit, the breathable side panels, and zipper at the neck better than the Castelli suit. My only complaint is the LG chammies do not quite agree with my backside, so I would give the nod to Castelli on the chammy. This could just be unique to me though. All of that being said, it is without a doubt the best piece of cycling clothing I have owned from fit to performance and to function.

In this weekly series Wyatt and Jesse will give their opinion on various subjects. Please keep in mind that these opinions are solely theirs and do not represent the opinion of any of 613 Cycling’s sponsors or members. Last time we looked at the Garmin Edge 520. This week we’ll be looking at Electronic Shifting:

Wyatt’s Opinion on Electronic Shifting

Mechanical all the way. Di2 is awesome and has incredibly accurate shifting, but with minor mechanic skills (knowing how to do a basic barrel adjust), you can have your rear derailleur shifting equally as good as a di2 rear derailleur no problem. I will give a nod to Di2 for the front derailleur technology and accuracy. The Di2 front derailleur shift is bang on every time no matter the situation you are in and its ability to trim with the rear derailleur is extremely cool and useful. But on the other hand, if you are not ham handed and understand how to shift your bike properly (a minor slight at Jesse) than you should have no problem shifting a current Ultegra or Dura Ace front derailleur with accuracy. Last time I checked, the weight difference between the two is negligible, but the price of Di2 is significantly higher which is another negative. I also hated depending on having to plug your bike in whenever you need to make an adjustment to the shifting versus the ability to do simple mechanical fixes. Lastly, and this is personal, I like the feel of shifting your bike and feeling the mechanical cable pull of the components shifting the bike, versus just clicking a button like a mouse on your computer. I do like things like di2 sprinter shifters, climber shifters, and basebar shifters on TT bikes are crucial if you are a triathlete.

Jesse’s Opinion on Electronic Shifting

Some people don’t like electronic shifting. Those people are idiots*. In my opinion, it is the single best thing to happen to bicycles since the derailleur. What is so great about it? The big difference is front shifting. Not only does it shift perfectly either up or down the chain ring, but it does so perfectly even under load. Also awesome is that it emits a birdlike chirp with each shift of the front mech signaling to the other riders within earshot that your component group is superior. I sometimes shift my front derailleur a few extra times just to make sure everybody in the bunch has heard it. In all seriousness though, who doesn’t like perfect shifts, every time, regardless of force on the pedals.

What about the battery running out? Look, if you forget to charge your battery at some point over the 2000 kilometers you get on one charge then it’s your fault. I have forgotten to charge my battery and it ran out. This was unpleasant, even considering some features integrated to make it less unpleasant – such as how it disables your front derailleurs first then you have around 200 shifts of your rear. That is literally the one negative of owning electronic.

*Those people might not actually be idiots.

In this weekly series Wyatt and Jesse will give their opinion on various subjects. Please keep in mind that these opinions are solely theirs and do not represent the opinion of any of 613 Cycling’s sponsors or members. Last week we looked at the Trek Madone 9. This week we’ll be looking at the Cervelo R5:

Wyatt’s Opinion on the Cervelo R5:

Cervelo R5 – The best all-around road bike. It is light and the most confident cornering bike I have ridden. It is incredibly stiff and efficient as a result of its super stiff bottom bracket. Every bit of effort you put into the bike translates into forward motion. Because of its light weight and stiff BB, it also climbs like a goat. At the same time, it is keeps a very comfortable, smooth ride that connects well to the road. The super thin seat-stays make a world of difference in keeping the ride smooth and comfortable. An upgrade to this R5 from previous generations was Squoval 3 tubing that is touted to be more aerodynamic. Personally I think this is quite marginal and the other features of this bike are what made it the “pro-bike of the peloton” twice. Having extensively ridden the S3, S5, R3, and previous R5 VWD, I can say the R5 is the ultimate offering from Cervelo.

Jesse’s Opinion on the Cervelo R5:

I’ve always lusted after the R5. I remember years ago standing in Alter Ego Sports (Winnipeg) drooling over one. To make matters worse, I had just received a student loan big enough to cover the price. It took everything I had to not spend my tuition money on that beautiful machine. In hindsight I wish I had just bought the bike. I would have gotten more enjoyment out of it than my Economics degree.
Having strived for this bike for half a decade, would it meet my lofty expectations? I’ve owned the R5 for almost a year now, and I can say it is a perfect allround bike. It’s light, comfortable, and stiff. What makes this bike great isn’t its lightness, comfort, or stiffness. It’s more than the sum of all its “-nesses”. It’s that this bike has character – the balance of each of it’s attributes in the right proportions. 

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