As a custom carbon fiber bicycle fabrication company, carbon repair comes second nature to us. We trust our repair work so much that not only do we personally ride our frames, but we organized an elite team of racers and equipped them with Predator carbon repair frames.  Our carbon repair frames are ridden for hours every day in training and are subjected to rider abuse during some of the hardest races throughout the country, all while maintaining the strength and integrity of our repairs. Team Predator Carbon Repair has successfully highlighted our craftsmanship by testing our repairs through racing and continually does so as seen by our racing results this season. If you’ve been keeping up with the National Criterium Calendar and  National Racing Calendar, you’ve surely seen our collective achievements. Our rider diaries and articles have been featured in bicycle publications such as SoCal Cycling and Cycling Illustrated. Here’s the Team Predator Carbon Repair roster:

• Aurelien Passeron
• Cesar Grajales
• Cody O’Reilly
• Daniel Ramsey
• Dion Smith
• Emile Abraham
• Gevan Samuel
• Jean Michel Lachance
• Joshua Carter
• Julio Mollinedo
• Ricardo Escuela
• Sergio Hernandez

If there was ever any doubt to the integrity of our Carbon Repair service, kindly ask one the riders above.  Our Carbon Repair team frames are professionally manufactured from well-known companies that have either been broken during shipping and careless transit, or fallen victim to the perils of bike racing.   We give frames that are abused, battered, beaten, and forgotten a thorough repair and a new chance at going fast. Really, really fast.

Thanks for reading Behind the Paint: Team Predator Carbon Repair check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

Who’s up for a Photo Contest?!?  WE ARE.  We’ve decided that we want to see what you all can do. Take a photo and use the hashtag #PredatorContest. You may get bonus points if you tag us @predatorcycling.

Contest ends  May 31st at midnight. Three categories to win! Contest starts…now!

1. Best Product photo- any kind of a bike, component, or accessories hand-made by us in Southern California. Doesn’t have to be yours! You just need to take the photo.
2. Best Apparel photo- doesn’t have to be you wearing the kit, just a photo of you or someone else lookin’ pro in a Predator Cycling Kit.
3. Best Creative photo- anything that  has our name or logo  in some sort of way. Get creative!

Here Are The Rules Of The Contest

• No plagiarism- take the photo yourself.
• Unlimited entries- go crazy
• it has to be with the #PredatorContest hashtag, or we wont see it!
• Bonus points for tagging us.

Prizes 3-2-1 in t-shirts! The winners of each category will receive

1.  3 shirts of the new designs we’ll be hand-printing soon
2.  2 shirts
3.  1 shirt

Top ten in each category will be picked by the Predator Cycling staff. On June 3rd voting will commence for the public to chose the winner.

Thanks for reading Instagram Predator Photo Contest check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

Stage 2 of the Tour of the Gila, the inner loop road race. The trail of the mountain spirit national scenic byway. 75 mile race with a sprint finish. A  sprinter stage, we planned to set up freddie for the win.  Here’s is the Stage 2 recap for Team Predator Carbon Repair.

• Freddy  Rodriguez
• Cesar Grajales
• Dion Smith
• Aureline Passeron
• kirk Carlesen
• Andres Diaz
• Eddie Kwon

Thanks for reading Stage 2 of THE TOUR OF THE GILA check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

Pro cycling coaches own Daniel Ramsey introduces the Predator Carbon Repair team for the 2013 tour of Gila!

Heres our roster:

• Freddy  Rodriguez
• Cesar Grajales
• Dion Smith
• Aureline Passeron
• Kirk Carlesen
• Andres Diaz
• Eddie Kwon

A good ride, eddie crashed at the end of the stage but continued to race.

Thanks for reading STAGE 1 TOUR OF THE GILA check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

Take over the road and turn heads; wear something that makes you look almost as good as your bike. The Limited Edition  2013 Predator Cycling  Aero Kits are finally here, and we’re proud to say it’s another show stopper.

All black, inspired by last year’s popular Stealth design. We’re excited about the new 2013 line, and we know you will be too.

These are the the limited edition black kits that the Predator Cycling Elite Team are wearing for races. These will not be printed again.

The new kit design have short sleeve jerseys, bib shorts, long sleeve skin-suits, and long sleeve jerseys available.  Enough to satisfy  any weather in any season. We do unfortunately have limited stock in certain sizes, (it’s a very long story) so word to the wise, especially if you’re a small, buy soon to make sure we have your size.

By the way, the sale is an all Predator apparel 20% off sale, which extends to our never on sale t-shirts. So if you have had your eye on a Go Green or Keirin t-shirt, this is the perfect time to pick it up.

We’re also excited that a variation of this year’s kit design will also be worn in an official capacity for competitions around the world, by the recently launched Team Predator, our 2013 elite cycling team. They are doing well, and making a name for themselves.

SIZING

                              Chest        Waist          Hip

 XS-                    34-35         26-27          32-33

Small             35-37           28-30        34-36

Medium       37-39         31-33       37-38

Large             39-41         33-36      39-41 

XL                   41-43          3-39        42-45

XXL                43-45         40-43     46-49
We have

• Long sleeve skin-suits in small- to X-large
• Thermal Long sleeve jerseys in medium and X-large
• Short sleeve jersey in large, X-large and XX-Large
•  Bibs in Small to X-large
• Short Sleeve Skin-suit in x-small and medium

Want to buy a kit? contact us!

Thanks for reading Kits Are In! check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

Team Predator Carbon Repair entered three riders in the San Dimas stage race this weekend; Cesar Grajales, Cody O’Reilly and Julio Mollindeo. The team ended stage 1 in high-ranking. Caesar placed tenth in the time trial, a minute down on the leader. Cody and Julio placed further towards the end of the GC.

Stage two, road race. The team tried to keep Cody in the front to cover moves from other teams, while Cesar stayed in groups to make a move to gain time. Half-way through the race Cody got into a break-away with two Jamis Hageness Berman riders. The Jamis Hageness Berman riders (Amaran and Companioni) attacked with two to go on the King of the Mountain climb and road away to the win. Cesar attacked on the King Of the Mountain climb on the final lap but did not have a big enough gap to go solo to the end. Caesar ended up finishing the in the group that day, and Cody ended up finishing a couple minutes behind the pack. Julio got stuck behind a crash and did not finish.

Cody started stage 2 in a three-way-tie for second place in the points classification. Cesar was sitting in sixth in the GC. Cody looked to gather points to make a run for the green jersey. Cody and Cesar stayed close to each other and stayed to front of the race. With five laps to go Cesar bridged to the front group. As soon as Cesar bridged to the front group, the tempo was quickened and the race was brought back together. Cody finished off the field sprint in 13th. Caesar ended in 6th place in the GC. We should be ready for the Redlands Classic coming up in just a couple weeks.

Thanks for reading San Dimas Stage race report check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

Team Predator, Predator’s elite cycling team rides 2nd generation repaired carbon fiber bicycles, equipped with Vision Wheels, FSA cranks, brakes and seatposts, Shimano components and saddle bags by SciCon.

When it came to furbishing Predator Cycling’s new 2013 elite team, Team Predator, instead of taking the traditional route and building team members all new bikes, we decided to reuse damaged, discarded bikes, repair the carbon and have the team ride on refurbished frames.  Here at Predator Cycling we have always had the reputation of taking pride in our work, we use the best quality material, and uphold a high standard that extends to our carbon fiber repair work.

Predator set out to find damaged bikes that fit the team members specifications, we weren’t on the lookout for bikes that were put out to pasture too early because of a little superficial crack, more like bikes with entire sections missing, tubes gone, totally crashed, destroyed, the worse the adjective, the better.  All that for the thrill of not only repairing a disposed frame, but for the possibility of a team member successfully mounting said frame to victory.

The damaged carbon frames were all good quality models from high end major manufacturers, the salvaged bikes were repaired, sanded, stripped and repainted in team colors.  The finished fleet looks and rides like new.  The bikes have already been distributed to the new elite team,  and a few will be participating in races in the next couple of weeks.

Carbon bikes can get damaged, it happens, and in order to properly repair it, expertise is required. Hidden damage is not always easily detected by the untrained repairer. Here at Predator we have enough confidence in our work to actually have our elite team solely ride bikes repaired by us, the decision was not financial, as you probably know, we are primarily a carbon fiber bike manufacturer, and could have easily built the bikes ourselves, but we opted for an unconventional route as a testimonial to the quality of our repair work.

Thanks for reading The New Team Bike: Repaired bikes are not second class citizens check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

It’s fall and my race game is at full blast. While most bicycle racers take this time of year to rest from a hard season of Road Racing, some of us use this time to push our best. At least that’s how it is for me and my Predator SSCX bike is helping me do the best I can.  You can read more about our cross bikes on our Cross bike page. This is a quick mix from two So Cal Cross races I recorded in the Single Speed A category.  The races were Pacifica Crossfest in Camarillo, California 10/13/12. And Spooky Cross in Pomona, California, 10/20/13.

Produced by Predator Cycling
Filmed and edited by Hernan Montenegro
Animation by Garrett Quon
Music By Matthew Fisher.

Thanks for reading It’s Cyclocross Season! check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

The rumors are true, we’ve been sitting on this a long time, and we finally started spreading the word this last weekend at InterBike, Team Predator is coming out for the 2013 season.

Elite Cycling Team 

Team Predator is a promising, fully-funded elite cycling team, competing in the NCC and USA crits series, at the national-level. Most of the elite riders have already been recruited, but we are still holding off on the official name announcements, although there are rumors out. All we can say is that some of them are true, and that the team members are a well rounded mix of international talent, including multiple NRC and UCI race winners.

Predator Title Sponsorship 

Predator Cycling is taking the slot as the title sponsor, providing frames and majors, and anything else we make, the official list of product sponsors rounds out with blank for blank, blank for blank, and blank for blank. (There are still a few more open opportunities available, if anyone wants to throw a little product our way.)

Membership Based Team

We’re also excited to announce an all-inclusive club level/development portion of the team, this is open to the public, and sign up is now available here. With your annual dues, you’ll receive your membership, a brand new Team Predator kit,  and the ability to say and show that you are a Predator.

National Race Schedule 2013

We’re excited about the elite team’s year to come, we plan on starting the year as real competitors on the national cycling level. So far our planned race schedule for 2013 includes the following:

• Presbyterian Hospital Invitational Criterium
• Athens Twilight (speed week)
• Dana Point
• Saint Francis Tulsa Tough
• Harlem Skyscraper Criterium
• Manhattan Beach Grand Prix
• Exergy Twilight
• Old Pueblo Grand Prix
• Tour de Grove
• Iron Hill Twilight

Coming Up

The coming year with Team Predator also means more opportunities for events, crazy videos, rides, social media explosion, and anything else we can think of.  Stayed tuned for great stuff coming out in the next year.

Thanks for reading Predator Announces Elite Team check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

Without boasting, we’d like to officially call last Wednesday’s Predator Keirin Classic at the Encino Velodrome a success, thanks to help from so many people, from our incredible generous sponsors, amazing riders, everyone who helped promote, the great support we got that night, and the crowd that just blew us away.

The races

Scratch Race

Despite the 87 degrees at the Scratch race start time, 23 cyclists lined up to ride, Collin Berry impressed everyone easily taking first place in the scratch, having lapped the field. Big congrats Collin.

Keirin Classic

The Bs and Cs

It was great to see all the new riders out on the track, including lots of juniors and serious female competitors, can’t wait to see which Bs take on the As next year.

The As

So many great riders came out to compete for the As, but at the end of the night it was the Williams brothers who swept the Keirin finals, finishing first and second. Corey actually came in first, and Justin took second.

The riders

We would be amiss not to mention, amongst the several female competitors, we were excited to see you all out there, but it was Missy Erickson who was the most impressive and stole the crowd’s heart competing with the fastest guys in the As, she held her own, making it to the finals. She is fun to watch, Check out her race report here.

Curious about last year’s winner Tim McGee? We were really hoping to see another rivalry between Tim and Justin Williams. But Tim didn’t qualify for the finals this year. Meanwhile Justin proved himself the most consistent rider, placing 2nd again, maybe third time’s the charm Justin.

So many people to thank

We”re going to try and thank everyone, here goes.

Special thanks to Kieron Menzies and Ride the Black Line for setting up the Summer Race Series, and allowing us to be a part of it and the opportunity to host one of the best events, the Keirin Race, we are already looking forward to hosting it next year.

A big thanks to Ivan Harms of FSA for showing up, setting up a booth and being so generous with your prizes.

Also thanks to NOW bars, who thanks to our Argentina BBQ guy (who got pulled over and his vehicle repoed, don’t ask, it’s messy, next year we’re thinking we’re going to charge someone to have exclusivity on selling food,) everyone, literally everyone had a chance to try a NOW bar.

Roadrunner bags for giving us such a cool bag and for co-branding it.

Bicycle.net for pitching in some Spy sunglasses and cool apparel.

Rocky Castro who invited everyone he knew, was the infield manager, and helped out in registration.

Tim Roach for keeping everyone entertained on the mic all night.

Kevin Mansker who was taking care of the numbers and bells (fastest lap counter in the west), we want you racing next year Kevin.

Megan Dean for taking care of the caps.

Henry for running the motor.

Steve Cohen for running the Keirin games.

Seza Ouzounian and Tamar Varteressian who got everyone registered that night.

Kim Nieto for helping run the Predator Booth, while also rocking the Predator Keirin t-shirt.

So many people that took the time to help us promote the event and all the great race reports we’ve been seeing online. You guys are awesome.

All the riders that came out, driving through Wednesday night traffic and stared down the heat to be there.

The crowd was great, very special thanks to everyone who came out to support the riders. It’s you who make the event a real success. The stands  and turn 1 were full, with the energy and roar of the crowds cheering, the velodrome came alive.

Scratch Race

1st – Collin Berry – Get Crakin’

2nd – Scott Cohen – LUX

3rd – Justin WIlliams – Cashcall

Keirin Class A

1st – Cory Williams - SC Velo

2nd – Justin Williams - Cashcall

3rd - Jack Lindquist – Ritte Racing

Keirin Class B

1st - Scott Cohen – LUX

2nd - Ryan Barrett _OTR

3rd - Mike Cheetah – Engine 11

Keirin Class C

1st - Bryan Arita

2nd - Ryan Wei – OTR

3rd - Luis Avina – DTLA

One last thank you to for the video footage. .

Thanks for reading Predator Keirin Classic 2012 check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

This is a race I had not initially planned to do.  This type of race would be won from putting in the most power at the very start, which has been something that I’ve been avoiding due to an injury to my lower back.   The enthusiasm of people believing I could win paired with my teammate Hern egging me on convinced me to race it.  I took into account the length of the course and how I wanted to race it in my gear selection.

Another Predator rider Sammy gave me a ride to the race and almost got lost after sighting the starting end of Second Street tunnel. After parking and riding in we couldn’t believe  how vast the crowd was and how the tunnel was actually shut down for us to race.  Sammy immediately went to register t0 race hoping for a spot as the online pre-registration had been filled for weeks.  Wasting no time we both got warmed up on rollers and a couple standing starts.  As race favorites we got interviewed while warming up.  We both kept warm until 3 rides before the beginning of the fifth heat. I came to line stretching, breathing, and focused solely on going straight.  Aram held my bike while I clipped in, strapped in and took a few deep breaths all the while focusing on going in a straight line as fast as physically possible.  Keiron, the race marshall counted down and I was off with a good start.  I qualified with the fastest time of the night.  L.A. Times, along with many other people stopped me for interviews as I headed back to the start line to cool down.  The  riders with the top qualifying times were invited to hang out on a throne over-looking the finish line. I watched the rest of the race unfold with teammate James who had qualified with second fastest time.  When the qualifying  heats approached their end I headed back to the rollers to prepare myself for the races in front of me.

By Pat Benson

The women started their heats before us and had already gotten to the quarter finals when I began the men’s heats.  I had a great start off the line and had dropped my opponent half way to the finish and was able to lay off, and I just held the gap to the finish line.  When I got back to the start line I found out that Jack Lindquist was disqualified for crossing over to the opponents side.  I couldn’t believe it and didn’t want it to be true.  I had been looking forward to racing him.

My second race was up against Bud, with another great start and had him beat three quarters of the way to the finish.  My back had begun to ache so I hoped the night would hurry up and finish. I was also starting to have trouble staying awake because of how late the hour was.  I just had to keep popping my energy filled raisins until the finish.  My third race was up, Aram walked my bike to the starting line and as I began my routine Sammy told me not to smile as he  took photos of me. I couldn’t help but smile until Keiron started the count down. I gunned it until I looked under my arm and saw I was beating my opponent by three quarters of the way down.  So I softened my pedal stroke and kept my eyes on him until the finish line.  As I headed back to the start line I got many hugs, cheers, photos, and jokes.  I even had a huge support crowd from the LA Bike Polo crew cheering me on.  It felt really good to have everyone cheering for me but I wanted it to be over with because of my back aching with more pain than before.

By Pat Benson

When I got to the start line I found out I would be racing my teammate James Zaldua in the finals.  I rolled around to stay warm and congratulated him on making it to the finals. “The Final Effin Sayso” as Don called it, arrived with Keiron calling James and me to the line.  I was focused, there was no energy to save in this one and it was my time.  Keiron counted down from three I was out of the saddle on two and focused on going straight on one. When he yelled go I threw my body forward, pushing down with one foot and pulling up with the other with stiff arms directing all my power to my rear wheel to save no energy. We were off and I kept focused on going straight and reaching the finish line first.  Three quarters of the way I took a quick glance too see I had a lead but I know never to underestimate a Zaldua.  I kept going and with 25 meters to the line I started to smile, at that point I knew I won.  I finished strong and barely could hold in my smile with my back aching and tired, the crowd was going crazy.  As James and I rolled into the finish we were greeted by a huge crowd cheering and a cop stopping traffic for us. I got to the podium area with cameras everywhere and cheeks hurting more than my back because I couldn’t stop smiling.

Don called me to the podium as I adjusted my hat for my sponsor Predator Cycling. My arms went up with James Zaldua in 2nd and Tony Zaldua in 3rd with flashes from everywhere. Don awarded me with the DOG TAGS that “Lance Armstrong doesn’t even have” I got bowled for the first time in my life with ice gold gatorade. I was freezing after that until I got the Best Sprinter Jersey by Brandt-Sorenson, which I put on immediately. The jersey fit perfectly because it was tailored to my measurements, as I was the favorite to win. Then Don kept handing my prizes one after another until my bag broke and I had to put all my prizes into a bag I won. After receiving all my prizes Beatriz Rodriguez, the winner of the women’s division, and I both stood on the Throne for photos. Thanks to everyone that showed up to race and cheer especially the whole Wolfpack Hustle Crew that ran everything smoothly. Also huge thanks to my sponsor Aram of Predator Cycling and H&S Bicycles.

Photos in the top slider are by Samson Hatae you can see more of this work here Wolfpack Drag Race 2012

Photos in the body are by Pat Benson you can find more of here work here

Thanks for reading Wolfpack Hustle Drag Race Report check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

We got the message, and decided you all were right, it was time for the Green Predator to make a comeback.

All good things come back around again, and in keeping with that, (and the surge in demand) our hottest selling t-shirt is back. That’s right for the first time since 2008, “Go Green, Ride a Bike” is back with a fresh updated look for 2012.

But let’s be honest, the Green Predator was never really gone. There would be an occasionally sighting on the streets of Los Angeles, sometimes one would show up on the sidelines of a race, some knockoffs even showed up on sites that shall not be named a couple years ago. The Green Predator was ever-present, it felt like time to give more people the chance to have their very own.

Check Out the New Look

We started off by tweaking the design of the bike featured on the shirt, a few nips and tucks here and there, and the bike looks better than ever, we then went after the “Go Green” font going for a more striking one that better compliments the edgy look of the Predator Track bike, and finally we updated the actually shirt’s color, going a little bolder in our choice of green.

Take a look, imagine wearing it, you too could look this great.

100% cotton shirts, machine-washable and screen printed right here at Predator, that’s right locally made, these shirts aren’t hypocritically, perhaps a little arrogant, but hey, also accurate.

How to Buy

Well you could go the traditional route and order one off the site, or you can pick one up in person, we’ll be selling them at our booth at the Brentwood Grand Prix on Sunday, August 5th, can’t make it? We’ll also have them in Encino at the Predator Keirin Classic Race, just a few days later on Wednesday, August 8th.

Thanks for reading Green is Totally Your Color: Go Green Shirt is Back! check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

On Saturday July 21st, 2012 the San Diego Velodrome hosted the 2012 Souther California/Nevada State Championships for Track Cycling. Aram Goganian, Hernan Montenegro and Tim McGee from Team Predator Cycling made the trip to participate and attempt to win a few State championship titles. the team competed in three different events: Team Sprint, Match sprint and Keirin.

The Team Sprint for Predator Cycling consisted of Hernan Montenegro as opener, Aram Goganian as man 2 out and Tim McGee as closer.  Originally that was not the order we were going to race in, but after our man 3 for the original line up got injured 2 days before the event, we had to come up with a plan B. Even though I never participated in a team time trial in an event like State Championships, I  volunteered to race and fill in at the very last minute. We had to change the order, Aram and Tim knew I had a good start so I  became the new opener. We knew our team wasn’t the strongest but we train together all the time and we know each other well to execute fast and well performed Team Sprint. With a time of  1:12 Predator Cycling made a good enough time to be crowned 2012 Team Sprint State Champion.

Tim McGee qualified 1st for the match sprints with an 11.6 flying 200. Tim won the final match sprint very strong and aggressively against Ritte Racing’s Jack Lindquist, making him the 2012 California Elite State Champion for Match Sprints. Tim also had an amazing performance in the Keirin event, taking the gold with him again and winning every event he participated in.

Thanks for reading 2012 California State Championship for Track racing check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

As amazing as last year’s Predator Keirin Race was, this year’s is going to be so much better.

What’s happening?

Taking place just one day after the Olympic Keirin Race in London, come race or watch live The Predator Keirin Classic on Wednesday, August 8th at the Encino Velodrome, first race starts at 7pm. This is international style Keirin racing, just like the Olympic event, plus even the cheap (well free) seats get a great up close and personal view of the race.

The Prizes

We’ve upped all the prizes, we’re giving away more than ever, over $1000 in prizes, that includes over $600 in cash prizes only and not just for category A either, scratch racers will also have a chance to win some cold-heart cash. Plus FSA is coming out with some product, just make sure you go home extra happy. This is a co-ed event, girls and guys all together, come show off your mad cycling skills.

Showing some spectator love

Spectators are encouraged, expected to attend, no prizes for you,  but no entrance fees and the chance to get your hands on the elusive, always out of stock Predator t-shirts.

But it’s not all the excitement of the race, spectators will get an opportunity to win a little money, we follow all the customs of the Japanese race and that includes encouraging gambling. Place your bets in the stands before each race, now that’s class.

Registration

Registration opens at 6:30pm, scratch racers are up first, get here early if you’re racing scratch. Races start at 7pm.

Feed me

Come hungry, looks like we’re going to be selling some Argentina BBQ this year, we’re here to do our best to satisfy the crowds.

RSVP

Say you’re coming on our facebook events page and invite your friends cyclist and non-cyclist alike.

Details

Full Keirin tournament
Category A, B, C
Open category 10 mile scratch race

Cash Prize Details

Category A Cash Prizes
$300 for 1st
$150 for 2nd
$50 for 3rd

Scratch Race Cash Prizes
$50 for 1st
$30 for 2nd
$20 for 3rd

UPDATE: After a long discussion with various racers, it’s official, there’s a 92″ gear restriction for Category A.

Thanks for reading The Predator Keirin Classic Coming Up August 8th, You’re Coming, Right? check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

Predator was lucky enough to take on a Di2 cabling internalization project  for one of the team Liquigas bikes that was to be signed by many of their team’s riders. The team members captured on photo signing the bike include Peter Sagan, Vincenzo Nibali, Ted King, and Timothy Duggan.

In the first photo of Ted King signing the bike, you can just make out where the cabling has come out from and where the battery is stored on the down tube, next to the bottom bracket.

Show your bike a little love, internalize your Di2 cabling.

Rather than covering your bike in exposed cables, ruining your lines, steal back the original look you invested in, internalize your electronic gear-shifting system.

Internalizing routing cables, is one of the many services we offer at Predator. We currently offer this service for the Shimano Di2 system, and we are excited to announce we’re just about to start internalizing the Campy Electronic Power Shift (EPS) as well.

Just what is it you’re going to do to my girl?

To retrofit your bike frame, we’ll drill holes, run the wires, repair the holes, and reinforce the frame where necessary, we can also take off cable stops and match paint jobs, we’re a custom bike shop, we’ll do what we can to make your bike look like it did day 1.

Unblock your Water Bottle

We also offer services to  internalize your battery pack or can mount it underneath the bottom bracket or underneath the chain stay, rather than keeping it attached to your water bottle cage, where it’s easily nice and convenient, and easily accessible to you while riding.

Getting Started

Interested in stealing back your bike’s looks by internalizing your bicycle’s electronic gear shift’s cabling and battery?  Get started by filling out our contact sheet.

Thanks for reading Predator Internal Di2 Cabling for Liquigas Frame check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

We are many things here at Predator, but we are not a “one size fits all” company. It is fitting that our customers are not either.  So when we got the call for an everyday road bike with disc brakes, we said cool, and yeah, we can do that.

We took a few photos to add to our portfolio taken by one of my teammates, Sammy Hatae.  Here they are.

How it started

Our friend Devin came to us a few months ago with a specific request; he wanted to ride a carbon fiber road bike for his daily 20 mile commute in Seattle, WA.  Seattle is a city known for having rough roads and of course rain; lots and lots of rain.  On top of all that this was his very first road bike.  We had to build something comfortable and practical that could fit his lifestyle.

The everyday ride

Since he is more of a casual rider, we went for a more relaxed geometry than the average Predator; allowing him to have a more upright position on the road bike, with a smoother set up and a slightly more stable bike.  Because he is not going to be competing in the traditional sense, we also opted to fit up to a larger 35 c tires, and of course the disc brakes for greater stopping power in the rain, well that and plus disc brakes just give it a really cool look.  This past year disc brakes have been a topic for debate, in general we do not push them for most of our bikes but in this case it was the perfect opportunity.  Devin is no small guy at over 6’4″, and with lots of rain riding he’ll be able to take advantage of all the major benefits of disc brakes. The disc brakes also add more space to clear bigger tires, if he should so choose to change.

Some Specs for you

• Full Carbon Road bike 
• Enve tapered Disc fork
• Press Fit 30 BB
• Sram Red group with Force FD
• Avid BB7 Disc Brakes
• Custom built wheels Sram hubs, DT swiss Rim 28 front and rear, and Wheel Smith spokes double butted
• SLK Cranks, Stem and Bars
• Continental Four Season 28 tires

The look of copper with the weight of carbon = Awesome!

For the color, we had a little fun and went for something a little more rare, a sort of dulled copper, should help make it stand out a little more, not that a Predator would need any extra effort to stand out! If you are lucky enough to catch up with Devin in Seattle, take a look at the bike in the sun when the sun comes out.  It does something special.

My favorite feature of this bike and the most time consuming feature on it is the seat stay/seat tube junction. We here are very proud and feel this bike is beautiful.

Interested in getting an everyday commuter, disc brakes or just pitching us an idea for a custom carbon fiber bike that best fits your lifestyle? send an email our way!

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Red Bull Ride & Style is an event that Red bull organizes every year commemorating every aspect of Fixed Gear Culture; racing, tricks and art. This is the second year this event happened in San Francisco, California. The top ten racers from the 2011 Red Bull ride & style automatically qualified to participate again, lucky for me I got 10th place last year. It was a weekend full of racing, parties, friends and lots of fun. I had a race in my schedule for every night I was there. Thursday Night, Red Bull Minidrome; Friday Night; Tic Tac Toe Alley Cat; Saturday, Red Bull Ride & Style Race; Sunday, MASH SF Twin Peaks Race.

We left Los Angeles Wednesday late night and arrived in San Francisco early in the morning on Thursday. We wanted to to have enough time to set camp in Steve Tortorelli’s basement (or the Party Dungeon), we  met with my teammate Bud Abile so he can get his custom Predator Mojor bars on, eat and get enough rest for the race qualifier at the Minidrome. Even though I already qualified to race in the main race, they asked us to put our time in for seeding in the Ride & Style Race. I’ve been looking forward to riding the Minidrome so I had no problem putting time in. Riders from all over the country came  to give the minidrome a shot for a chance at racing the main race. The structure was tight and very steep. Officials gave the riders up to 4 laps to get used to this tiny velodrome, then riders got up to 10 laps to set their best time. I put on my skin suit and transformed into a super hero, I gave it all I had. Top 32 times advance to the main race, to 16 got to compete head to head in an eliminatory bracket. Bud Abille qualified in 17th and I qualified in 4th. Addison Zawada from Jacksonville, Florida Kills it on the Minidrome, takes 1st place and $250 home.

Photo By John Watson

Friday I participated in the Tic Tac Toe Alley Cat, organized by Chris “Six” Nguyen. The Alley Cat consisted of 8 checkpoints placed in a grid, there was a big “X” in the middle. Racers didn’t have to go to all the checkpoints as long as they completed three “Xs” or three “Os” in a straight line. Simple, right? I decided to cut my race short after going to six checkpoints, two of which didn’t have any volunteers. I didn’t get the winning combination and I didn’t want to do laps around San Francisco when I had to save my legs for the big race the next day. Frustrated and a little bit angry I headed to the finish line, handed my manifest and went to the Chrome Bag store where the registration party was occurring. Met up with all my friends from all over the country, picked up my Athlete credentials, my goodie bag and called it a night.

Photo By Terry Berentsen

Saturday was the day we were all waiting for. The big race was upon us. This year officials changed the course, the course was wider, shorter and a whole lot faster and more entertaining for the audience. Starting head to head from an elevated platform about 100 meters from a massive berm going to the left, followed by a hip style jump, up and down the platform again into the finish line. First eliminatory round was one lap, the rest were two laps. I won all my races until I got paired up in the semi finals with and old team mate, Walton Brush. I got 3rd place after my victory versus Jason Clary, defending Red Bull Ride & Style Champion. Walton Brush finish 2nd after his match against Addison Zawada, Ride & Style 2012 winner, who dominated all weekend.

Photo By John Watson

Sunday was rough, after a long night of partying and celebrating, racers had to get ready for the most brutal race of the weekend, The MASH SF Twin Peaks Race. Last year the race consisted of a there and back race from the MASH SF store to Buena Vista park up a 14th street (And when I mean “up” I mean steep and painful in every sense of the word) as many times as we could hit them in 30 minutes. And if that wasn’t enough, top 10 from that race advanced to the final race. Another there and back race, but this time from the MASH store all the way to the top of Twin Peaks (the highest point in San Francisco). This year they changed the first qualifier race to a good old fashioned San Francisco Alley Cat, I was very happy they did. The main race was another alley cat heading out of the MASH store up to some of the steepest and highest streets in San Francisco. I followed last year’s winner around as my tour guide hoping he would get me a decent placement. Last year I got 5th place on a bike much different than the one I’m riding these days, my expectations to do better this year were not there. I was happy hoping I could do as well as last year. Walton Brush from the MASH SF team won the MASH SF twin Peaks race; representing Predator Cycling, Wolfpack Hustle and Brooklyn Machine Works, Hernan Montenegro (me!) got second and Kyle from MASH SF in 3rd. The MASH SF Twin Peaks Alley Cat race is no joke, on a brakeless Fixed Gear or on a road bike. It’s a very challenging race, physically and mentally. Even though I didn’t win, I feel like 2nd place was a huge accomplishment.

Photo By Terry Berentsen

It was an absolute treat to make it out to this event and do my best to represent Los Angeles and all the people who support me. I wanna give special thanks to Aram at Predator Cycling, Austin and Joe at Brooklyn Machine Works, TJ and all the Orange 20 Bikes staff, Steve Tortorelli, Mike Martin at MASH SF, all the Red Bull people who set up this awesome weekend, Sean Spaulding and all my friends who made this weekend so amazing. Thank you all.

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Up-and-comer track sprinter Sam Weinberger put our ErgoBike to the test and tells us about his experience riding it and what he liked. If you would like to read more about the Predator Cycling ErgoBike make sure you check out our previous post about this training tool.

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On Sunday March 11th our Teammate Kieron Menzies took us on a wild adventure in the Santa Monica Mountains. The ride wasn’t very long but it was hard and very fun. Forty miles of over 3000′ of elevation on paved and dirt roads. Kieron came prepared, he brought his steel road bike with 28c touring tires. I thought it was kind of silly since the dirt section was only going to be a couple miles long. He said it was going to be about 1000′ of elevation in a mile, not being very good at math and only understanding grades of slopes I went along with it.

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We rode up PCH to Topanga Canyon, up Fernwood Pacific rd. to Saddle Peak Road and down Stunt Road. It was all fun and games until we arrived to this little fire road called Calabasas Peak Mount Way which takes you to Calabasas State park and short cuts to Old Topanga Canyon. Looking up to Calabasas Peak Mount Way from Stunt Road was like we were staring at a wall. The gate in front of it and the hikers walking up it with their walking sticks were a good enough sign that we shouldn’t be in there. We were expecting nicely groomed dirt fire roads that would be no problem riding through with our road bikes. We were all having second thoughts about going up it, but by the time we got there we were already at the bottom of Stunt and my stomach was starting to growl. We had to take the short cut. Kieron came out with the route, so he was the first one to give it a shot. He made it half way up before the first turn. Being the competitive bastard that I am, I went next and I wanted to be the first one to mak it to the top. Aram and Garrett followed right after. Kieron and I rode about 90% of this portion. Aram in the other hand walked about 90% of it and kept complaining about how his Carbon Fiber shoes and cleats were getting damaged by all the rocks. This short section was a challenge and we were definitely on the wrong kind of bikes.

It was really fun, and by fun I mean it really sucked. We were all constantly worried and fearing for our lives. Now it’s one of those stories of how we did this one ride in the dirt that kicked our butts. And when someone asks me if I would do it again I tell them “Nah, I’m alright”.

Everyone is welcome to our little bike adventures. If you would like to join us make sure you join our News Letter for updates and announcements.

Thanks for reading Predator Sunday Ride Journal 3/11/12 check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

It happened. Your beloved carbon fiber frame has a crack. Perhaps you crashed, or some disgruntled airline baggage handler got a hold of your machine and decided to see how far he could throw it. Or maybe you were playing Tommy Torque-Wrench and the seat-collar or front derailleur clamp were accidentally overtightened? What now? New frame? How are you going to explain that one to your wife/husband/significant other/parents? Don’t worry! Besides building some of the finest frames and components that money can buy, Predator Cycling is also your source for carbon repair.

Broken, busted, cracked, nicked, chipped, or severed, we’ve seen it all and we can usually fix it.  We specialize in bicycle frames, ISPs (integrated seat posts), minor fork repairs, wheels (not including the brake tracks), and handlebars. AND if it turns out that your frame/part is DOA, we can always build or source you a new one—we promise not to charge you an arm and a leg for the replacement.

Why Use Predator Cycling for Carbon Fiber Repair Work?

Expertise

When it comes to bicycles, you name it and we probably build it out of carbon fiber. Almost all of our frames and components are made of carbon fiber. If we could figure out how to make our apparel out of the stuff, the streets of Los Angeles would be covered in Predator Carbon Knights. It stands to reason, then, that one of our most commonly requested services is, you guessed it, carbon fiber repair for bicycle frames and components.

Location

We’re local to Los Angeles, the only Carbon Bike Repair shop that is, you can literally drive to our shop in Santa Monica and drop off the bike, and come by to pick it up a couple weeks later. If you need it sooner, we offer expedited service as well.

Pricing

Everything is done by hand, in house—right here in Southern California. This allows us to offer competitive pricing and quick turn-around times that other mail in services just can’t match.  We’ll give you an estimate before we start working on your bike, but it’s important to note that the average repair job starts at around $150 and goes up from there, depending on the severity of the damage. To get started we’ve got a carbon fiber repair form just go ahead and fill that out and we will get back to you as soon as we can with a estimate and estimated turn around

Happily ever after?

We’ve never had a bike come back after having been repaired at our shop, and we offer a lifetime non-transferable warranty to back it up. In fact, some bikes leave our shop stronger than the day they were purchased! We think that’s the way it should be.

Why you need to get that “chip” looked at right away

We’re not out to scare anyone, but if the integrity of your carbon fiber bicycle is compromised, you need to stop riding it RIGHT NOW until you know more. It could crack, de-laminate or eventually catastrophically fail right underneath you. We’ve heard all sorts of crazy stories and, well, seen most of them too. Fixing a small chip on your carbon bike is obviously easier to do the sooner you catch it—and most of the time will cost significantly less than waiting. We’ve fixed hundreds of models from dozens of manufacturers. What are you waiting for?

Carbon fiber repair gallery

Check out our before and after shots from carbon fiber repair work that we’ve done recently.

We’re taking questions

We’ll follow up this blog post with a “part 2″ in a few weeks. We’ll be putting together a FAQ as well, dedicated to answering the most common questions that we get regarding carbon fiber repair work. Our goal is to get all of these questions answered—just ask away in our comments section below and we’ll make sure that we cover it in our upcoming carbon repair FAQ.

In the meantime, if you have a cracked frame or want to ask a question about the repair process, the easiest way is to fill out a form. It only takes a few minutes, and we’ll get back to you within a couple days

UPDATE- We have added a carbon reapir FAQ page.

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Tim at the Wolfpack Hustle Marathon Crash Race Photo by Devon Tsuno

This past weekend the Wolfpack Hustle Crew hosted the biggest underground bike race to date. At 4 am racers line up at Tangs Donuts in Silverlake where Wolfpack Hustle meets up every Monday night for their weekly ride through the city. The Marathon Crash Race happens hours before the LA Marathon on the LA Marathon course, 26 miles of open streets in the middle of Los Angeles. Over 1000 racers came out from all over the world to this unique event.

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We are very proud to announce that our teammate Tim Mcgee, 21 years old from Los Angeles California, got 3rd place behind Even Stade, Team Wolfpack Hustle, in 2nd place and Robbie Miranda, BMX legend from Surf City Cyclery , in 1st. Great Job Tim!

Thanks for reading Tim gets 3rd at the biggest Alley Cat Race in the World! check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

Our long time friend, Justin Williams, from Team CashCall, visited our shop and answered a couple questions in a short interview. He analyzes his race for CBR#2, while talking to us about riding with his new team, learning race skills from road sprinter, Rahsaan Bahati, and then surpasses him and wins!  Enjoy watching his victory!

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This past weekend there was the 2nd Canada VS USA race at the Home Deport Center Velodrome. The race was the put together by Adam Duvendeck the newly appointed Velo Sports Center Manager. This is a new position for Adam and he is doing a great job, some of the best race I have seen at the Velodrome, keep it up Adam! Team USA didn’t have much of a shot against Canada but we put up a fight. None of the USA riders won the first round against Canada. It ended up being Trinidad VS Canada in the finals. The two fighting for it were Travis Smith and Njisane Phillip, these two got some crazy skills. Travis just got back form an injury not too long ago and getting stronger everyday Njisane is young, strong and getting smarter and faster every day. It could have gone to ether one of them. I did this little video on my iphone so it a little shaky. Hope you enjoy it!

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If you missed the Predator Keirin Classic last time around, you probably didn’t see our Keirin Classic T-shirt.  You’re in luck! We now have these t-shirts available to the public (though they don’t include the date of the event, that was our special customization for the riders of the August 24th Keirin Classic). So, here’s your chance to get it now (pssst, this is a GREAT holiday gift for your track friends)! To order, either stop by our shop or order it here.

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You don’t have to spend too much time around Predator before you figure out that we rarely stop tinkering. The latest product of this tinkering yielded a brand new version of our Major handlebar the TK1 Custom Handlebar ! Built due to popular demand (we received many requests from racers and local pros) this latest iteration is special version based on the Felt TK1 stem system. The

These TK1 custom handlebar are, by far, the most difficult Major system we’ve built, but when you’re sweating hundredths and thousandths of seconds, it takes some serious hair-splitting to take the next step. Predator’s Major TK1 custom handlebar system sets a new bar (ha! get it?) for stiffness, while allowing us reducing the overall weight of the entire system. Our TK1 Custom Handlebar not only improves stiffness, but front-end feel as well. Because we’ve elevated the stiffness of the bar so significantly, the rider is able to perceive the placement of the bike underneath them.  A whole new level of confidence is possible—in or out of saddle. Simply put, it’s a track racer’s dream.

Currently, we plan to offer several different versions. An Enduro version that will adhere to all UCI regulations—specifically the “3:1″ rule and the “5cm past the front hub” rule. In the Enduro bar, we are able to build a bar that is not only supremely stiff but also extremely lightweight.  Additionally, the Enduro version of the Major handlebar will support the “Cameron Meyer” position. We’ve built original for a US Enduro rider, Cody O’Reilly.  There will also be a Sprinter’s version that uses a “sprint” bar shape that is even stiffer and optimized for riding in the drops.

Every Major is built specifically for the rider—it’s one of the features that makes Predator different. EVERY single bar. One by one. Built by hand. Right here in SoCal.

Predator is currently accepting pre-orders for the TK1 Custom Handlebar system. Call today to place an order for yours (310) 829-6464.

Ordering information for the standard Major handlebar can be found here.

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Racing USA Elite Track Nationals 2011 was a dream of mine that became a reality this year. The whole experience was a bit surreal. On the morning of Day 2 I went in to pick up my race numbers. My timing was good as I also got to cheer for Cody O’Reilly while I was there. He was racing in the men’s Omnium Scratch race.

The next morning it was time to get down to racing. On Day 3 of the Elite Track Nationals 2011 I was up for my flying 200m time trial to qualify for the Sprint event. While on the rollers that morning and the night before, I felt really good and focused. I headed to the start line where I was third up. It was my best 200m effort at this track and felt like a fairly promising time. Unfortunately, I finished with a 11.6 sec 200m, which was very disappointing. It wasn’t even close to the qualifying time of 11.2 seconds. Since I didn’t qualify, I stuck around to catch Michael Blatchford win the gold in the Sprints as well as root for all of my other friends who were racing.

Day 4 brought the Keirin event, which for me is by far the most exciting. While I felt really good, I was also feeling a little intimidated but I just tried to relax and focus on winning. When I headed to the start line of my first heat I noticed that everyone was older and bigger than I was. I gritted my teeth. Age and size didn’t matter at that point so I hopped on my bike and got ready for the start. I got thrown a little too late at the start line and hopped my wheel while fighting for third wheel. As the race unfolded with 2 laps to go I was sitting 4th wheel. There was no way to go over or fight my way through, so I took the inside line. I hit the apron coming out of turn 4 and fought my way to 3rd! I was obviously VERY excited about my first Pro race finish.

Only the top 2 advanced to the finals from my heat. So I had to go through the repechage heat to get into the finals—if I placed in the top 2 there. This was my chance to shine. I pulled 2nd position at the start line and had a perfect throw-in. I fought for half a lap to get 2nd wheel and then to keep it until I closed the gap and allowed riders to pass over me. Still riding the black line I wasn’t about to give up. If they wanted the position, they were going to have to fight me for it. I took the inside line again and had another close call, but I was able to hang on for a fourth place finish. It was an amazing race and I learned a ton. My overall finish was 18th place in the Keirin event.

Elite Nationals was a great way to end my first season of racing, but it was an even better learning experience. I’ll definitely be more prepared for next year and the years to come. This was just one huge step leading to my future goals. I could not have done this without my family, friends, H&S Bicycles, and most of all my team at Predator Cycling.

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Introducing the latest Predator model to join the Power Hungry Carbon Family, the Predator ‘Cross. As a cyclocross frame, it represents our first foray into this fast-growing category—and it’s already moving toward the front with several bikes already sold through a pre-pre-release. As a fully customizable, hand-built frame, the ‘Cross is designed to be stiff enough to handle the explosive power required to dominate the sport of cyclocross while remaining light enough to effortlessly carry it over the barriers and run-ups. Predator fans will recognize many of the features; a press-fit BB30 bottom bracket shell, tapered head tube (1.125″ to 1.5″), optional internal Di2 cabling as well as an optional integrated 34.9 (OD) seat mast. This fully-custom ‘Cross frame is now available for purchase on the website, with a starting price of just $3,995.

Painted in a stunning metallic orange, the Predator ‘Cross featured in the photos is our initial prototype. Frame weight is just 1.080g (2.38lbs)—or less than the weight of a box of oatmeal.

Predator did its homework when designing and building the new ‘Cross frame. We worked closely with seasoned cyclocross racers and top mechanics, all while doing our research to learn which design innovations netted the best cyclocross bikes. As a result, the Predator ‘Cross is built with the strength and care needed to help each rider out perform his or her competitors.

Each and every ‘Cross frame is hand built right here in Southern California (like all Predator bikes and accessories) at our Santa Monica facility. Like our other recently released models, the ‘Cross features a 3D carbon lay-up in all of the joints. Predator Cycling is one of the first bicycle manufacturers in the world to use it, calling it their “Trifecta” process, Predator uses the highest grades of raw carbon fiber along side the finest epoxies available. Each joint is laid with three different types of bond—one on top of the next—giving the frame unparalleled strength and durability. Unidirectional carbon fiber is applied first, then each joint is wrapped and lastly coated with a final layer. Throughout the layup process, all ‘Cross frames are endowed with both chemical and mechanical bonds in every single joint—maximizing stiffness, strength and durability, without compromising on total frame weight.

The Predator ‘Cross frame follows the release of Predator Road, all a part of Predator’s new Carbon Line, this will be followed up with the release of the new Predator Track, which is coming up in the next few weeks. The new line is expected to be expanded in early 2012 with 3 additional bikes. No spoilers, you’ll have to check back here to see what we have upcoming.

To place an order for your own custom Predator ‘Cross frame, or for more information, check out the website the Cross Bike page or contact Predator Cycling at (310) 829-6464.

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Predator Cycling will be helping out with a special event taking place at Encino Velodrome later this month.  The NJS Bike Show on October 23rd will be a track day for lovers of Japanese Keirin bikes.  There will be dozens of sparkly steel bikes on display, imported from Japan by collectors here in Southern California.  Prizes will be awarded to the nicest NJS bikes on display.  We’ll also have a track riding session including some Keirin heats and other fun stuff.  NJS and non-NJS track bikes are welcome to join the track riding.  To top it off, a DJ will be supplying the tunes, there will be a selection of gear and t-shirts for sale and we’ll have tacos on the grill so if you feel like coming just for the hang, you won’t be let down.  All of the proceeds from this event will go to benefit the Encino Velodrome, a non-profit organization.  Check out the flyer further down the page!

What is NJS?

Nihon Jitensha Shinkokai is the governing body which oversees the entire Japanese Keirin racing industry.  Because Keirin racing is a multi-billion dollar gambling market in Japan, they have extremely strict regulations (even more strict than UCI) on all the bikes and equipment used in the racing circuit.  To show that a bicycle is approved for Keirin racing, an NJS logo is stamped into each component from the steel frames right down to each of the 64 spokes.  The frames are handbuilt lugged steel and only a few companies are allowed to manufacture components for Keirin racing.  On top of that, most NJS frames and components are not available on the consumer market since they’re built for the racers.  Because of that, anything with an NJS stamped is pretty rare and if it’s rare then it’s collectible — and if it’s collectible then you know someone is going to collect it.  That’s what the NJS Bike Show is all about.

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Predator Cycling is proud to present our latest evolution through the launch of our new kit, Stealth. Stealth represents the latest direction in Predator’s
commitment to modern design and a high-quality product.

Start off the new season looking fashionable and chase off the competition. We’re still taking a limited number of pre-orders on all Stealth kits in our store.

The Look

When we sat down to pen this latest design, we wanted to make sure that it had a dark, dramatic look—emphasizing the “scratch marks” within the Predator logo. You will be noticed wearing this kit! This is the first apparel launch using our updated logo. We owe our great new look to a collaboration of the discerning eye of Garrett Quon.

The Quality

When it comes to cycling kits, we know that high fashion isn’t everything. That’s why we decided to go all-out on quality of the jerseys, shorts, jackets, and skinsuits. After speaking with several different vendors, we once again chose to commission a local company in San Diego.  Our team is confident that you’re going to love Canari’s highly rated endurance products—the quality of this kit is there, it’s built to last.

The Stealth Line

The Stealth Jerseys

Stealth Jerseys are the defining product for Stealth, setting the tone for the look and raising the bar. The jerseys are available in short and long-sleeved versions, featuring a built-in MP3 pocket, internal headphone cable routing and specially engineered fabrics for specific sections of the jerseys. The new Predator Stealth jersey is the one to wear!

The Stealth Bib Shorts and Knickers

We can’t have you sporting our sleek high end jerseys in mismatched or plain black shorts, right? Our bib shorts and knickers are a must have to complete the Predator Stealth look. Once again, we’ve outdone ourselves with these high-tech lower-half coverings. We paired the best chamois pad available from Canari with the most technologically advanced fabrics, and the result is a fast, sleek, comfortable garment that you can ride in for hours.

The Stealth Jackets – Winter and Wind

To complete the look and beat the cold, why not opt for the Predator Stealth Jacket?  We’ll have a few choices available.  There’s the Stealth Winter Jacket, our best option for keeping you warm during the coldest months of year.  However, if it’s a little too chilly for just a jersey, but a tad too warm for the winter jacket, we’ve still got you covered….literally!  Our sleeveless Stealth Wind Jacket is the perfect compliment to our already dazzling riding kit.

The Stealth Skinsuit

To beat the clock, you need to be as slippery as possible—slicing through the air like a blade. Predator bikes and Major bars get you started, but the Predator Stealth skinsuit is the icing on the cake.  In our quest for world cycling domination, we subjected ourselves to sleepless nights, hours of leg-punishing intervals at the velodrome (and a cold beer here and there).  The result of this grueling testing is a one-of-a-kind skinsuit that looks great standing still and really fast when it’s moving!

Stand out from the crowd. Stop by our store to pre-order your Predator Stealth kit today.

Since you read our blog, here is a 10% discount code for the Stealth Kit: IReadPCBlog

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Predator Cycling is pleased to announce a brand new carbon fiber masterpiece, called simply the Road. Each and every Road frame is built right here in our Santa Monica facility in Southern California. Replacing the Carbon SL, the Road uses our new “Trifecta” layup process. The Predator Road is all about speed, stiffness and lightweight, featuring a Pressfit BB30 bottom bracket shell, optional 1.125″ to 1.5″ integrated tapered head tube, and an integrated 34.9 (OD) seat mast.

What Makes it Unique?

Predator Cycling is one of the first bicycle manufacturers in the world to use a 3D carbon lay-up in all of the joints. We call this our “Trifecta” process, which uses the highest grades of raw carbon fiber and the finest epoxies that we can put our hands on.. Each joint is laid with three different types of bond—one on top of each other—which is what gives the frame its strength and durability. Unidirectional carbon fiber is applied first, then each joint is wrapped and lastly coated with a final layer. Through this layup process, Predator’s Road frame features both chemical and mechanical bonds in every single joint, maximizing the stiffness, strength and durability, while allowing for a lighter frame weight (approximately 950g for a 56cm frame).

What’s Up With the Name?

When considering a name, Aram and the team at Predator decided on a simple approach. One road bike model, many options. Instead of a nine bike lineup at different price points, Predator offers one road model—made to perfection—the only way that we know how. “Since there’s only one model, why go crazy with a name?” said Aram Goganian, owner of Predator Cycling. “We kept coming back to this simple approach. Call it what it is.” Predator’s Road model will be followed by new releases in the Track and Cyclocross categories. Each frame will utilize the “Trifecta” layup process. More information to follow on lead times and availability for other models.

Summary

The Predator Road has it all. Strength. Speed. Stiffness. Lightweight. Oh, and something you can’t get from the folks at the big bike companies: a completely custom fit. To crib the folks over at Lexus, the Predator Road is our take on the “relentless pursuit of perfection”. Available beginning late September 2011, the MSRP on the Predator Road will start at $3,995 for a fully custom frame. Many frame options will be available, including an integrated seat mast, Di2 wiring and battery placement and much more! Build kits from SRAM, Shimano and Campagnolo are available as well. For questions regarding build and spec, please contact Predator Cycling at (310) 829-6464.

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Thanks to everyone who came out and joined us for the Predator Keirin Classic at Encino Velodrome presented by Ride the Black Line.  The event enjoyed an amazing turnout and we were so glad that everyone came out to watch the race and have fun.  It was quite the cross-section of spectators too! Neighbors from work showed up, as well as family and friends, and friends of friends. For many of them, it was the first time that they’d ever witnessed a Keirin race. Hopefully we created a few more Keirin and track cycling fans after this event! Thanks everyone for spreading the word.

Thanks also to the guys from The TK Truck who served delicious Mediterranean and Latin fusion dishes. From the feedback we’ve received, it sounds like everyone enjoyed it!

Keirin Racing

Category A was packed with some of the area’s  fastest racers; Justin Williams, CJ Williams, Tim McGee, Sam Weinberger, Quinn Hatfield, James Zaldua, Daniel Kosykh and several others— which made the racing very exciting (sorry if we didn’t mention your name!).  The fans were awesome, cheering everyone on and really enjoying themselves. There was a rumor floating around that this race was one of the largest spectator events that the Encino Velodrome has ever hosted!

The podiums for the weekend were:

Class A
1st – Tim McGee – Predator Cycling
2nd – Justin Williams – Predator Cycling
3rd – Dan Kosykh – Encino Velo

Class B
1st – Scott Cohen – Encino Velo
2nd – Bud Abille – Impact
3rd – Kyle McDorman -

Class C
1st – Stormin Houck – Chain Gang
2nd – Dustin Woodard – Engine #11
3rd – Louis Flores

Thanks again to Kieron at Ride the Black Line for lining up the event and offering Predator the opportunity to get involved. We can’t wait to sponsor more races next season and see if we can draw even bigger crowds!

Thanks to Beaver Beavs for great photos!

Thanks for reading Predator Keirin Classic check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

Brentwood Grand Prix was my first big criterium of the season and I was so excited to be a part of it. I had just finished a long day of work on Saturday and still needed to head over to Aram’s. It was after 11pm before I got to Predator Cycling and when I got there Aram G. and CJ W. had finished everything they needed for the show booth at the Brentwood Expo. After grabbing a quick bite to eat, I got some good information from CJ and Aram about how to race the next morning, we called it a night and crashed. By 5am everyone was up and ready to head to the Expo. Once there I registered and hopped onto the rollers to warm up before my race at 7am. CJ took a spin around the course with me to provide some pointers and find a sprint marker for me.

Keiron, team H&S and I talked before the race to go over some new strategies I had. I really wanted the win, so my teammates dedicated themselves to work to my advantage. I started up front at the line and stayed 15th up in the 50 man field. There were crashes in the first few laps and I got jammed behind one and rolled over someone’s bike or leg. The count down for five laps to go appeared, and I began to move my way up to the top 5. I looked around for my teammates and they were right behind me, moving up as well. Keiron got stuck behind another crash at turn one with one lap to go. Rob from H&S hammered it down the back stretch into the last couple turns coming into the straight away. I took the turns wide to shut the door on anyone on the inside. Since I took the wide lane I almost ran over a dog that was running away from its owner. That really scared me  and put me at fourth wheel. The two guys sitting on Rob’s wheel both started to sprint coming into the home straight. It really didn’t feel like a sprint or a lead out for me compared to training with Aram and CJ. But once I met my sprint marker at the intersection I sprinted and put a 4 bike length gap on the 2nd place winner. I was so happy! I won my first USAC criterium of my season! Aside from the crashes it was a really fun and an easy race.

Tim McGee

Thanks for reading Brentwood Grand Prix check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

Where does your mind go when I say the words “Urban Assault Bikes”? To be sure, these two bikes do not represent the average rig we see here at Predator Cycling. And that’s exactly the reason why they’re so cool!  Though we’re not really sure what to call these types of bikes (somebody mentioned monstercross, but they don’t have drop bars—I’m not sure if that’s a prerequisite or not), but they’re not really mountain bikes and they’re DEFINITELY not a road bike.  For now, we’ve been referring to them as Urban Assault bikes.

These bikes can pretty much handle anything the road can throw at them and about 50% of what mother nature can dish out. The project started with the inspired dream of two customers who came into the shop. They both wanted bikes they could ride on the street and around town, yet also ride on fire roads as well. We built a bike similar to this a little over a year ago for a local contractor so he could ride to job sites. So we took some inspiration from that, then went a bit farther.

It’s always good to stretch yourself a little, right? In this case, both guys—Glen and Josh—knew what they wanted, and believe that we could deliver it.  Aside from the color scheme, which Glen and Josh already had in hand, they just let us run with the concept. The final result came out looking pretty sharp if I do say so myself, and man oh man, they are so much fun to ride!  The staff here at Predator fought over who got to take them out around the shop first. While they are not as fast as our road bikes. you can ride over just about anything!

Here are the specs:

• Custom Predator Cycling alloy frame
• Ritchey WCS full carbon fork
• Cane Creek ZeroStack headset
• FSA Afterburner BB30 2×10 cranks
• Ritchey WCS cockpit (bar, stems and seatpost)
• SRAM Double-Tap flat bar shifters
• Avid BB7 brakes
• FSA and Ritchey Wheelsets

We dig special projects here at Predator. It’s the kind of thing that gets us up in the morning. If you have an idea for something “outside the box”, let us know.

Thanks for reading Project Left-Field: Urban Assault Bikes check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

Predator Cycling is proud to announce its title sponsorship of the Predator Keirin Classic at the Encino Velodrome on August 24th! This is part of  a five-race series being organized by Ride the Black Line.
Being the track enthusiasts that we are, when Kieron (publisher of Ride The Black Line) told us about the series we were obviously pretty pumped about it. The discipline of keirin is especially close to our hearts and we’re big fans of  Kieron and Ride The Black Line. Kieron is a true bike guy; from his perfectly built bikes to running the Wednesday night training sessions at Encino.

So, to recap: Track racing? Check. Keirin racing? Absolutely. Event promoted by Ride the Black Line? You’d better believe it. The whole staff at Predator is really excited to be a part of this great event. Check out more details below:

• Registration Starts: 7:00pm
• Racing Starts: 7:30pm
• Over $1,000 in prizes

Also, please check Ride the Black Line for updates and support our event (and the series!) on the Predator Cycling Facebook page by RSVP’ing for the event. Click the “I’m Attending” link and share it with your friends!

Thanks for reading The Predator Keirin Classic check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

I had the pleasure of being selected to take part in the Jet Blue vs Wolfpack Hustle “race” # Flight vs Bike. Note that the word race is in quotes, as it was not officially sanctioned and it was equal parts race and publicity stunt, with both sides benefiting from the exposure.

I should start off by explaining how the whole thing started. I was approached by a friend a few days prior, with him simply asking “you available to ride Saturday morning?”. I mulled it over, asked what time (easier to commit to rides starting after 8am, particularly if they are close to home), and sure enough, 9:30 in North Hollywood sounded good to me. Fast forward a few hours, and the internet quite literally exploded with details about this ride…it would in fact be a reverse-publicity stunt in response to the $4 fares put out by the Jetblue Airline. The 405 freeway closure, dubbed “Carmageddon” by the press, had the entire county in a panic about the traffic situation over that weekend. The creativity of several bike advocates in collaboration with social media monster, Twitter, spawned the idea of this race.

That morning, I rode the 45 minutes to North Hollywood from my place. Upon showing up, I was greeted by several news vans, donuts, and a bunch of supportive cyclists and friends. It was clear at this point that something special was happening, and no one really knew how much more buzz would be generated. We left the house in North Hollywood at the same time as the JetBlue flight was boarding, immediately settling into a nice rotation with the five other Wolfpack A riders. Stopping at lights was a bit odd, given the race-like atmosphere, but keeping it legal and playing by the rules was part of the agreement. We got a bit lost in downtown Los Angeles, in between bike paths, but the anticipation of getting ever closer to the final 25 mile leg of bike path caused the pace to remain high. On that path however, we were faced with a stiff headwind, leaving the team to struggle—each taking short pulls at the front while we tried to overcome the stiff headwind. While riding we had no idea where the plane was in relation to us, and rode like we were neck and neck. Leaving the bike path, and with less than 500 meters to go, I took a wrong turn and wound up having to “cyclocross” over some stairs and sprint to catch the tail end of our group.The group  finished together at the Long Beach Lighthouse to several cheers and a shockingly large ensemble of media.

It was a great experience, much more so than any race I can remember doing. More still, it was a lot of fun to see how a great idea can spark so much interest using the social media tools available to us. In the end, the power of the bike was showcased on a grand stage, and i’m pretty sure we inspired at least a couple Angelenos to throw a leg over a bike and enjoy the day—despite the suggestive doom of CARMAGEDDON.

[royalslider id="12"]

Photos are all thanks to Velo Images

Thanks for reading Flight vs. Bike: Racing a Plane Across L.A. check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

Recently, Predator Cycling sponsored a track race at the Encino Velodrome. Thanks to everyone who came out, it was a great time!

Prior to the event, a few of the guys and I had been talking about mounting a few cameras to our bikes to see if we could capture the essence of track racing.  Tim ended up racing with cameras mounted front and rear, while I ran one in front. Before you’re too critical of the footage, just remember that this was our first time recording a track race! Even so I think it turned out pretty well.

The first part of the video was taken during Tim’s first Keirin heat race, then a section from the Keirin finals, the points race and the Belgian Win-and Out.

We did our best to set up Tim for the win, but it just wasn’t to be. Check out the video, it gives you a pretty good idea of what a points race looks like from inside the pack.

Thanks for reading Encino Track Racing check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

About two years ago I had an idea for doing an “art bike”. I was chatting with one of my good friends on the phone and she asked if I’d ever considered the idea of commissioning an artist to paint (as in with a brush) one of my frames.  My personal fine art skills are not very impressive, so I quickly ruled out the idea of me painting the bike. Without that piece of the puzzle, I moved on to other projects and forgot about the art bike.

Several months ago, I was looking at the my mouse pad (it’s the coolest mouse pad in the world) which also happens to be one of my favorite paintings. The artist who painted it just happens to be my cousin, Gregory Beylerian. He did a portrait of Einstein that I fell in love with, so for my birthday he had a mouse pad made for me with that painting on it. Staring at the mouse pad, the art bike project came flooding back into my mind. I had never mentioned the art bike project to my cousin, but in the back of my mind I had been hoping to recruit an artist to help me with this project. Instead one just dropped into my lap! Here was one of my favorite artists and on top of that we’re family, so he couldn’t say no, right?

After describing the project to my cousin, he agreed. His style of art is PERFECT for this project, as you can see here . The Predator team and I got a bike all ready for him in true “Pegoretti” style, and let him do his magic. I had mixed feelings on how it was going to turn out—we had never finished a bike this way before and it was more than a litte scary. There are a lot of costs into a frame like that from our perspective, and knowing he was going to put a large amount of hours into the project as well didn’t help. All this, and we didn’t even know if it was going to work!

A few weeks later he brought the frame over. Anyone who knows me knows that I’m not easy impressed, yet all i could say was WOW! Never in a million years did I think he would reach the level of detail that he did. It is HOT! In fact, the only thing that I didn’t like about the whole situation is that I don’t get to keep the bike!

Following the completion of the bike, we scheduled a photo shoot with a professional model. Being a part of the photo shoot was amazing. We took the bike, the model and two stylists (one for the model and one for the bike) down to Venice Beach to shoot. Check out the results below.

Thanks for reading Project Art Bike check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

For those that have been around Predator for any period of time, you know that we’re nothing if not complete and total bike geeks. A few months ago we were approached by a customer about a custom, one-piece carbon fiber handlebar/stem combination for his road bike.  This excited us. Bar/stem combos represent a fusion of form, function and geekiness that only the truly committed cyclist can appreciate. So we pulled the trigger and built a set. Those bars have been floating around for a while now and the reaction we’ve been getting is, well, let’s just say unprecedented. So, we’ve decided to put them into production. Only one problem. We have no idea what to call them, and this is where you come in.

Starting Tuesday, April 19 you can visit the Predator Cycling page on Facebook and give us suggestions on what we should name these bars. What’s in it for you? Glad you asked. We’ll select a winner** by appointing an independe…who are we kidding, it’s going to be Predator staff doing the picking. But the good news is that the winner will get a FREE set of custom bars that YOU named. That’s it. Easy peazey. No second prize, no third prize. Winner takes all, ’cause that’s how we roll.

GRAND PRIZE: One (1) pair of custom, carbon fiber Predator Cycling road bars OR track bars. Width, drop and other specifications to be selected by the winner. A retail value of $600!

Ready to get started? Submit your best idea for a name for our carbon fiber bar/stem combo by visiting the Predator Cycling Facebook page. Only one name per post please, but feel free to submit multiple names. Hurry, contest ends April 30th, 2011!

Questions? Drop us an email or call 310.829.6464.

**Due to trademark and copyright laws, we’re unable to guarantee that we’ll actually be able to use the selected name in production, but we promise to try really hard.

Thanks for reading Win a Carbon Fiber Bar/Stem Combo check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

We are very happy to announce our newest product, the ErgoBike.  Co-developed with Adam Duvendeck of Momentum Coaching Group,  the ErgoBike is ideal for
performance- and competition-minded riders dissatisfied with the lack of consistent resistance and road feel available from many stationary trainers currently available for sale.
Through our use of a finned resistance unit, Predator’s ErgoBike is able to achieve very consistent loads, lending a feel which more closely approximates the feel of riding a bike outside on the pavement.

The ErgoBike is designed to be a rock solid, everyday training tool. Here are a few specs:

• Wide range of frame adjustment (equivalent to a 47cm to 63cm frame size) means that the ErgoBike will fit a majority of riders
• Equipped with a front brake to simulate standing starts
• Use your own bar and stem so it feels more like your own bike
• 20 levels of adjustable resistance under full load
• Setup with a freewheel
• Provides a wide range of consistent-feeling resistance and is upgradable if more resistance is required
• Shimano 105 drivetrain components and the Ritchey adjustable seatpost perform well and are easily serviced or replaced
• The fully-welded 4130 Chromoly steel frame is strong, extremely rigid and made in the USA
• 2” fully-adjustable gliders reduce sliding and rocking on all floor types
• Compatible with most cranks on the market, options from 165mm to 180mm are available (also available without cranks should the customer wish to use or source their own)
• Durable and corrosion-resistant powder coated frame is easy to clean and will withstand exposure to sweat, water, energy drinks, etc.
• Affordable retail price of $2,500

Don’t take our word for it. Here’s what Adam Duvendeck, co-founder of Momentum Coaching Group says about the ErgoBike:

“Throughout my career I have had access to the best equipment for both training and racing.  Some of it is too expensive to buy and therefore only Olympic Training Centers and similar institutions are able to purchase it.  Other equipment is made specifically for certain teams or individuals and only they have access to it.  This might be great for riders who have access to such equipment, but what about the riders who do not? As I’ve made the transition from a competitor to a coach one thing that continually disappoints me is the selection of trainers that can truly provide a great feel, and provide the proper and consistent resistance for track riders.  Sprinters especially have this problem with finding a training tool that can replicate the type of resistance needed for maximal efforts.  It is this very issue that caused me to reach out to Predator Cycling.  For the past year Predator Cycling and Momentum Coaching Group have been collaborating on the development of an ergo that is influenced by the best equipment that I had the opportunity to use.  What we have ended up with is, a current and much needed training tool that will be an invaluable component to riders wishing to improve.”

Future Options to Include:

• Power Meter
• Rear Leg Extension
• Remote Shifter Mount

The ErgoBike was designed by racers, built by racers, to be used by racers! The ErgoBike is now available for purchase here.

Thanks for reading Predator Cycling’s ErgoBike check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

Here is a video that we shot a few weeks ago on the Sunday morning Nichols ride. I wasn’t feeling so great on the climb, so it was going to be cutting it close to make the regroup at Skirball. Fortunately CJ waited for me at the top of one of the climbs. He helped me get to the regroup but we didn’t quite make it— missed the group by about a minute. We blasted down Sepulveda as fast as 2 sprinters can (which admittedly is pretty fast) and caught the group with about 7k to go. It took a few miles, but we worked our way to the front and waited for the sprint. The rest is all on video!

I have to hand it to the guys, I didn’t have much left in my legs but after a monster lead out like that I had to give it a shot! Daniel dropped off at around 42mph, CJ dropped me off at just over 49mph and I crossed the line at just over 51mph! I definitely didn’t know I had that kind of effort in me!

And just in case you were wondering, yes it’s the same CJ that builds all of the Predator carbon components with me!

Thanks for reading The Lead Out check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

In the past few years, we’ve seen a trend toward lower saddle heights for riders. The irony is that just two years ago, the opposite was true; a lot of riders were running their saddles slightly high. Our theory is that these trends stem from riders analyzing the pro’s bikes in magazines, websites and during televised race coverage. Obviously if the pro’s are doing it, it must be correct, right?

Here’s the thing: they’re pro’s. Most of us are not. They have superb pedaling form and technique, refined (often with the assistance of professional coaches and trainers) over years, possibly even decades, of riding. Most of us do not.

When we discuss the merits of saddle height with our customers, we typically mention a few key points: First, correctly fitting a rider is not as simple as slightly raising or lowering their saddle height. Second, saddle height is typically (and often incorrectly) determined by the amount of “bend” in the rider’s knee at the bottom (6 o’clock position) of the pedal stroke. Our SpinScan™ analysis often shows that the characteristics and efficiency of the rider’s spin—mapping their particular “dead spots” in the pedal stroke—also factors in to saddle height calculations. Obviously, if the rider pedals with their heels low, the bend of the knee is different than if they pedal with their heels high. If the pedaling form is incorrect, the saddle height becomes irrelevant to a certain degree. When saddle height is lowered, it also affects the set-back measurement on the saddle, the angle of the knee relative to the pedal and the reach to the handlebars. These changes can dramatically affect power production and create additional dead spots in the rider’s pedal stroke.

Here are basic rules of thumb regarding saddle height:

High Saddles

• Product more power on average
• Minimize the dead spot at the top of pedal stroke (between 11 and 2 o’clock)
• Make it more difficult to “pull” through the bottom of the stroke (between 5 and 7 o’clock)
• Can close the hip angle if the bars aren’t adjusted accordingly

Low Saddles

• Allow for a better spin
• Make it more difficult to “push” through the top of the pedal stroke (between 11 and 2 o’clock)
• Make it easier to pull through the bottom of the pedal stroke (between 5 and 7 o’clock)
• Open the hip angle (assuming no change in bar height)

This is just a quick overview on saddle height and the myriad of things that it affects. It’s never just a matter of raise this or lower that. Saddle positioning needs to be considered as a component of a holistic fit, not something to be changed without first considering the other physiological implications.

Thanks for reading. As always, if you have questions regarding fit or wish to talk to someone about specific changes you’re considering, please give us a call at (310) 829-6464, drop us an email or stop by our facility in Santa Monica. We’d be happy to help!

Thanks for reading Tips and Rules Regarding Saddle Height check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

First race back and I’m already having problems. When I got to the start line I was missing one of the pads in my back brake. I didn’t want to miss the race so I didn’t go get a new one. I didn’t mind not having brakes—after all, they just slow you down, right?

I felt really good in the race—went with some early breaks and also chased a few down. From the outset, our plan was to help my brother Justin win, while also making sure that I looked good for the national team coach. In the middle of the race I decided to follow one of my old team mates, Alexander V. Unfortunately, I hit a bump in the road and rammed my knee into my stem. It hurt so bad that I fell from 10th place to 80th! As I was moving back toward the front I knew that Justin would push me—it took a while but it happened. It took around 20 minutes to get back up to the front, but I couldn’t hear how much time we had left in the race. The next time by I finally heard that there were five laps. I thought to myself, “Finally!” It wasn’t too difficult to stay in the top ten positions during the closing laps of the of the race, but it was kind of scary without rear brakes (but nothing I couldn’t handle). On the second-to-last lap I followed two guys that tried to go off the front, but we were caught by the group entering the third turn. Back in the pack, I moved to the front and started a lead out for the Pista Palace team because they were short on teammates and my brother was behind them. I took them all the way through to turn one on the last lap and hoped that Justin would get the win. Turns out that he was close, but didn’t quite make it—finishing 2nd place. But he did it with only 2 weeks of training—that’s what I’m talkin’ about!

Thanks for reading Cory Williams’ Race Report from CBR #1 check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

If you’re like most cyclists, you are probably aware (sometimes painfully so) that there are only three main contact points between your body and the bicycle. Hands and handlebars, butt and saddle, as well as feet and pedals.Since the comfort and output of the rider is often governed by these contact points, problems in any one of these areas can have massive implications. For the purpose of this article, we’re going to focus on the last point—feet and pedals—specifically, cleat placement and position.

When most people think about riding a bicycle, they immediately think of the pedaling motion. For example, in sign language, the sign for bicycle is made by making the pedaling motion with your hands. When we perform a bike fit, our basic goal surrounding the feet is quite simple; create less pressure on the foot, find the optimal leverage to spin, and get the foot, knee and hip all in one line. It sounds really simple on paper, but in reality there are only about four inputs a fitter can change on a rider’s feet—including custom insoles and/or custom shoes. Cleat position and placement is one of the most important steps in the fit process as it affects the other areas of bike fit quite dramatically. So much so, in fact, that our staff here at Predator always sets the rider’s feet up as the first step of the fit. Cleat position can drastically change the rider’s fore and aft positioning on the saddle. Proper cleat placement also helps the cyclist pedal more efficiently, often times generating an increase in power while reducing fatigue and potential for injury.

Below I’ve listed four basic variables that we as professional bike fit specialists can change to catch and correct potential problems:

1. Fore/Aft Adjustment of the Cleat – There are three major considerations when determining the fore/aft positioning of a rider’s cleat. BBPS (Ball-of-foot Behind the Pedal Spindle): When the axle of the pedal is behind the ball of the riders foot, it gives the cyclist an easier ability to spin higher RPM’s. BOPS (Ball Over Pedal Spindle): This is a ”neutral” position in that the axle of the pedal is positioned directly under the ball of your foot. Many fitters use this position as their “go to” or starting point. Finally, the BAPS (Ball Ahead of Pedal Spindle) position: The ball of the rider’s foot is behind the cleat. This provides the rider with more leverage to generate power on the pedals, but taken to an extreme can also cause “hot foot” or an aggravation of the Achilles tendon.
2. Left/Right Adjustment of the Cleat – Lateral adjustment has a lot to do with an individual rider’s hip measurements. This adjustment is used to line up the rider’s foot, knee and hip.  In most cases both right and left cleats are adjusted the same. However, occasionally some riders require more adjustment. In these cases we can add a spacer between the pedal spindle and crank arm to add an additional 20mm in width if needed.
3. Rotational/Float Adjustment of the Cleat – There are a wide variety of pedal systems available today. The adjustment that they offer is often as widely varied as the systems themselves. Some systems allow rotation of the cleat, where others allow only an adjustment of the float on the pedal. Occasionally, we run into a pedal that has no adjustment—in this case, you get what you get (as fitters, we’re not big fans of this last one!). Float or rotational adjustment is used primarily to ensure that the knee is tracking straight up and down. This adjustment can get tricky as a small change can move the heel right or left several millimeters, which dramatically changes how the rider’s knee will track throughout the pedal stroke. There have been a lot of discussions about whether float in a pedal system is a good thing. Personally, my own pedal system has no float at all—something that I’ve been doing for years and have had good results.  However, I believe this topic is something that each individual cyclist should explore with their fitter, as each case is different. In general, based on what I have seen over the years, an experienced cyclist with good form can often transition to fixed cleats and see a large change in SpinScan™ performance and power output.
4. Wedge Adjustment of the Cleat – Often the least considered adjustment to a rider’s cleat position is “wedge”. Wedges are simply plastic or carbon shims that a fitter will add to correct variations in varus or valgus. Once again, we’re shooting for proper tracking of the knee through the pedal stroke and the obvious goal is to keep the foot, knee and hip in one straight line. There are many theories about the use of cleat wedges and whether or not they should be used. Through our years of experience and the extensive data that we’ve gathered, we look at it like this: without question, cleat wedges work. If the rider needs it, we use it! As I’ve mentioned in other articles, bicycle fit is a dynamic process. When a rider comes in for future adjustments, cleat wedges are an area that we reexamine to determine if any changes need to be made. Age, injury, changes in equipment are all factors that may require an adjustment to the amount of wedge used on that particular rider. If  you want to get you hands on some Wedges click on the link here for each style: Look Speedplay SPD

As you can see, once you begin to examine cleat position, it’s not as easy as it looks at first glance. Whatever you do, seek the assistance of a trained fit professional when setting up your cleats. I’ve heard all kinds of crazy theories over the years, the most common being: “Just put the cleat in the center of the shoe and ride it. If it bothers you, then give it a little twist.” While this may work fine for 1% of the population, for the rest of us it’s really important to make sure that we are properly fit to our machines!

It’s my hope that this article has taken some of the mystery out of the cleat positioning process. As always, if you have any questions pertaining to fit or cleat position, we invite you to give us your thoughts in the comments area below. If you’ve enjoyed this article, please consider sharing it on Facebook or Twitter.

Thanks for reading Cleat Positioning check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

Used by triathletes as early as 1987, the most notable first use of the Aerobar occurred with Greg LeMond in the (1989) Tour de France.  He used Scott Aerobars which placed the elbow pads at near shoulder width, forearms elevated about 15 to 20 degrees, and hands in a fist position. Pioneered by aerodynamicist Boone Lennon, this was the birth of the modern aero position.

Several years later the cycling community witnessed another aero revolution. The Obree position—an aero position taken to the extreme—hands against the breast, completely eliminating the frontal cavity. It was also known to be incredibly hard to control. Following the ban of his first, controversial position. Graeme Obree returned with a new position, which mimicked that of “Superman”. With his arms completely extended in front of him, fists in the air, Obree had once again minimized his frontal surface area with his arms breaking the wind for his face and upper body.

Less than a year after Obree’s “superman” position was deemed illegal by cycling’s governing body, Jan Ullrich developed a variation on the position, where the bar extensions ran parallel to the ground at a slightly wider width than we typically see (usually just about shoulder width). This position brought his arms down to reach for the extensions, increasing his frontal cavity. By doing this, Ulrich was able to place his hands in a more aerodynamic position, covering the front of the extension and placing his hands in more aerofoil-like shape. An additional benefit was that it moved him to a position in front of the pedals, which allowed him to generate more power.

After nearly a decade, Floyd Landis brought us the next evolution, dubbed the Praying Mantis or ‘Praying Landis’. In this position the rider’s elbows are touching, completely closing the frontal cavity using the rider’s arms, which were tilted well past 15 degrees. Following its use in the Tour de France in 2006, the position was ruled to be illegal by the UCI.

Today’s Legal Modern position

Obviously, it’s impossible to mention all of the variations in position within this space. Many other positions are employed, but the list below features six positions used by the most dominant time-trialists in our sport today:

• The strong man position (Lance)
• The crunched man position (Levi)
• The “I wish I could do that” position (Zabriske)
• The power monster position (Cancellera)
• The tire toucher position (Cadel)
• The British position (Bradley Wiggins)

Lance’s position places the rider a bit more upright, with arms slightly wider than other riders. The hands are placed in a fist position on a “hockey stick”-type extension or large “S”-bend extension.

Approximating the Praying Mantis mentioned above, Levi Leipheimer’s position is about as radical as a rider is able to get within the current UCI rules. This position places the rider with elbows touching and arms elevated upright. Given Levi’s (lack of) height, this slightly higher position allows him to achieve a completely closed frontal chest cavity

David Zabriske’s position is similar to Jan Ullrich’s mentioned above. The extensions are placed perfectly flat. However, DZ’s arms don’t scoop the air up like Ullrich’s, but instead run parallel to the ground with hands reaching down to the aero extension. Note that his elbows are also very close together—almost touching—with his back perfectly flat. I’d suggest that this is likely the most aerodynamic position in the pro-peloton today.

Fabian Cancellera‘s position features a narrow position of the elbows—but not as narrow as Zabriske or Levi. Instead, Fabian runs his extensions slightly wider, with his arms tilted down slightly, scooping up air. This allows him to generate more power. Cancellara is without a doubt the most powerful rider in the professional peloton.

Cadel Evans has one of the lowest hand placements in the pro peloton; his arm pad is placed a little forward and his arms are slanted down.  A position like this one can help with generating power by moving the rider forward and more in front of the pedals, like in Ullrich’s mentioned above.  But this is not great for the aerodynamics, as he is scooping up air into his chest. Also, due to his body type and position he is not able to get a “flat” back, but yet he is still one of the fastest time trialists in the pro peloton.

I first noticed the British position in use during pursuit events on the track. In this position the rider uses a wide pad placement, with the extensions coming straight out, resulting in a bar setup that is perfectly parallel with their body. I believe this position came about for several reasons. First, when racing on the track it’s imperative that the rider is able to hold the bike down in the turns. A wider pad placement facilitates this. Second, with the way the rider’s arms come straight off the front of the bike, side to side movement is limited. This locks the upper body into a consistent position which helps the rider to generate more power with less drag.

Aerobar Adjustments – Concepts, Pros and Cons

Pad Placement

Make no mistake, pad placement is one of the most important concepts to take into account. Today’s aerobars feature pad placements ranging anywhere from 8cm to 16cm wide (measured center to center), though in the British Position it is often closer to 16-20 centimeters. In some extreme cases, we’ve seen a few riders going almost full shoulder width. If you watch the time trial stages in the major races, you’ll notice that a lot of riders prefer to run the pads closer to their elbows, pulling their elbows in. This helps them achieve a smaller chest cavity, and hence, a more aerodynamic position. There are lots of pros and cons to pad placement in this regard. Setting up an aero position does require care and consideration. Positioning the pads too far to the rear can cause your knees to hit them while out of the saddle. It was this very issue that caused David Zabriske to lose the yellow jersey because of a horrific crash. Additionally, the handling of the bike is substantially different when the pad is closer to the elbow.† While widely considered to be more comfortable, positioning the pad farther back can make the bike seem a bit more twitchy. Because of it’s rearward location, the rider’s weight transfers to the pad much more easily when the pad is closer to the elbows. Pad shape has a lot more to do with how the rider is going to look once he has started their effort. It tends to dictate how the rider moves his or her arms under load. The more support the rider has on the outside of the pad, the more secure the position. However, this security can, in turn, make it more difficult to get in and out of the position. Something to consider if you’re riding a course which is known to require a lot of position changes (seated to standing for climbing, sprinting, etc.).

It’s worth noting again that there are a myriad of factors to take into consideration. As a general rule; the closer your pads and the end of your extensions are the more secure posture you have on the bike. Placing the pads farther back is typically more comfortable, though it can be a bit more difficult to control the bike (and more likely that you’ll hit your knees).

Extensions

From pad placements we move to extensions. Like pad placement, choosing the correct extensions is also very important. There are four basic styles. The first one is the straight extension—used in the Ullrich position or Zabriske’s position. Then there is the “S”-bend, which is really just a variation of the straight extension. Third is the “lazy-S”, which as a variation of the “S”-bend does not go parallel to the ground, but instead bends upward approximately 20 to 30 degrees. Finally we have the “hockey stick”, or traditional bend.

The straight extension provides the most aerodynamic position for what the wind sees in regards to your hand, the extension and the bars. However, the straight extension typically curves the rider’s back a little more because of the reach down to the bar. While it’s commonly stated that this position can cause the rider’s to hand scoop air into the chest cavity, this is not always the case. We see some riders breaking that rule. David Zabriske is probably the best example of a rider who prefers wider arm placements with straight extensions. It’s also become quite common to see straight extensions used by pursuit racers on the track as this postion moves the rider forward and is inturn said to produce more power.

There are many variations to the “S”-bend extension. Companies like Ritchey make “S”-bend bars that feature extensions which run parallel to the ground, with a sharp “S” and then parallel again. This type of extension helps to achieve a flat back by reducing the body’s urge to curve as the rider reaches farther down. In studying video footage, we’ve found that riders who choose the “S”-bend extension typically do not ride the ends for extended periods. Instead, most seem to prefer reaching back into the curve to improve leverage—it provides something on which they can pull during hard efforts. The “S”-bend is a very versatile extension, it does not eliminate the flat back, though we do typically see a small hunch in the back near the shoulders which roll up a little. The downfall of the “S”-bend is that while the rider is holding the top part of the bar, the bottom part is exposed to the wind. Many proponents of the “S”-bend argue that because your arms are higher, it closes your chest cavity and reduces drag. While some say that it looks cool, we at Predator Cycling have had limited success when setting up our customers on an “S”-bend extension.

The “lazy S” extension came about because of the “S”-bend extension and its inherent curve in the upper back and shoulders. We do a lot of professional fitting using “lazy S” extensions. Early on, we discovered that riders who reach for the bars are able to achieve flatter backs. It’s no different with the “lazy S” extension. Because it allows the rider to reach out, the hand position creates a slightly raised forearm which works to flatten out the back. I personally have helped many riders achieve a flatter back with a lower position and a much smaller chest cavity using a “lazy S” extension. These riders are usually surprised to find out how comfortable they are in that position as well. The downfall of the “lazy S” is the same as the downfall to any “S”-bend extension: the rider’s arms do not cover the bar in the wind. When the bottom part of the bar is exposed to the wind, it is something the wind “sees”—drag is created. However, in weighing all of the factors surrounding fit (comfort, aerodynamics, power, etc.), the “lazy S” bend extension is still the style that we recommend the most.

The “hockey stick” or traditional bend—sometimes also called the “J”-bend—is my personal favorite. It allows the rider to achieve a position with flat arms and yields a position that most people find to be quite comfortable. Though the arms do not come close together and narrow like the “S”-bend does, the “hockey stick” is fabulous for powerful riders like you’d see on the track in pursuit and kilo events. It’s not uncommon to see these riders tugging on the bar in order to lock their upper bodies into a position which generates maximum power. This technique has been used most prominently by the current crop of British track riders. The shoulder-width bar position gives the rider enough leverage to hold the bike still on the banking and create a lot more power. Additionally the wider position has gained favor in the team pursuit, where drafting the rider ahead is so critical to the recovery of the rider behind. The wider position creates more turbulence off of the rider in front, which in turn creates a bigger “pocket” for the rider behind to sit in and recover. Because track events are usually quite short, positioning for maximum power output is crucial. This wider position may also be better for triathletes, where event distance dictates a position which places an emphasis on creating power while allowing for maximum rider comfort. However, it’s also worth nothing that with a wider position, the rider’s body movement is significantly reduced—something that we see regularly in track events where power numbers are extremely high.

Bar Height

The general rule on handlebar height has been to facilitate a flat back—parallel to the ground. Going past parallel typically closes off the chest cavity, closes up the hip angle, and hampers the rider’s ability to generate power. There have been a few riders to defy this premise and go below parallel, but typically it is said that parallel is good—it’s fast. Conversely, there have also been a few riders to ride definitively above parallel at the Pro-Tour level. We see this with Lance Armstrong. His position is definitely not flat. Lance generates an obscene amount of wattage and his position has been adjusted to allow for his to generate maximum power. Levi Leipheimer is another rider who utilizes an upright position, but can achieve a very tight tuck. In Levi’s case, it’s merely because of his size that he has no frontal chest cavity. Though the methods between these men vary, there’s little argument that both are extremely fast riders.

David Zabriske is often mentioned as a rider who has a textbook “traditional” aero position, arms perfectly straight next to each other, back perfectly flat, helmet sitting right on top of his back. He tucks in and rolls his shoulders and hips forward, getting extremely flat on the bike. Similarly, Cadel Evans uses an extremely low position. His bar height is low and his arms are placed wide with the pad sitting virtually mid-forearm. Additionally, his arms are angled down past 20 degrees. Personally, I have a hard time believing that this position is fast, as massive amounts of air are likely being scooped up right into his chest. The ideal bar height places the rider low enough where the arms are still comfortably together, where the hip angle is still open enough to generate power and above all puts the rider in a position where they can still safely watch the road—which is kind of important! Even riders that utilize a high position try to find a balance between power output and aerodynamics. The rider does not want to be so high that more power is created but the aerodynamic position is compromised, as this does no good. The balance between height, power and aerodynamics must be found.

Arm Angle

Finally, let’s talk about arm angle. Over the last twenty years it has been one of the most hotly debated topics of discussion surrounding aerodynamics in cycling. Today, the UCI has many rules covering this topic. However, the spirit of the rule is to try and keep the rider’s arms parallel to the ground.

I don’t think that anyone can argue with the fact that when the rider lifts his/her arms—angling them up past parallel to the ground and closer to the face—that the frontal chest cavity gets smaller. Conversely, when going lower the frontal chest cavity inherently gets larger and scoops air in. Under the current rules we are very limited with regard to what the UCI allows. A position where the arms are slightly above parallel is likely the better choice, but the fact of the matter is that it’s of little consequence if you are SUPER AERO but can’t produce any power!

Most riders who pass through the fit studio at Predator Cycling are set up a few degrees above parallel to the ground. Our data shows that for most riders, placing the arms slightly above parallel allows them to generate a little bit more power. Most riders also find this position to be more comfortable and more aerodynamic as it helps the rider to flatten their back out slightly. An additional advantage is that it facilitates a lower frontal chest cavity, further reducing drag.

It’s worth mentioning again that these are not rules set in stone. Instead, they are principles to guide the rider through the fit process to achieve an aerodynamic position that improves speed without hampering power. In many instances, aero positions can take years to evolve, it’s not something that happens overnight. Even once a position is found, the rider will continue to work and refine it year after year. This is evident with the pro teams sending their riders into the wind tunnels as part of pre-season testing. If there was a single position that is the fastest, you wouldn’t see the teams making the (costly) annual commitment to wind tunnel testing. Each year brings new theories, new equipment and new opportunities to evolve each rider’s position—and they are going faster—so it must make a difference.

In summary, the most efficient aero position should place the pads as close together as possible, without being bothersome. They should also be run as far back on the forearm as possible, without allowing the rider to hit their knees while riding out of the saddle and without incurring stability problems. The arms should be angled up slightly—above parallel to the ground, and the rider should select an extension which helps them to achieve a flat back. It’s also worth nothing that the rider may be limited to the aerobars that they choose. This is one of the major reasons why we at Predator Cycling decided to build our own aerobars. Using our own bars, we can achieve any position that the rider needs in order to go faster. Elite riders can take advantage of our custom built carbon aerobars to achieve their ideal position which minimizes hardware as well as the exposure to wind. We also offer three “off-the-shelf” sizes designed to fit most average riders. In general, a rider needs to pick an aerobar that suits their needs; wide or narrow position, extension style preferred, maximizing comfort, achieves a flat back, and above all, makes them faster. As I’ve mentioned above, there are a myriad of factors to take into consideration. In a future article we will discuss how to pick the perfect aerobar for you. My hope is that this article has given you something to think about, and that it will guide you through setting up your aerobars. If you have any questions about aerobar setup, or what factors are taken into account during our fit process, please contact us. We will do our best to answer every question.

Thanks for reading The Legacy of the Aerobar check out more of our posts at Predator Cycling

At Predator, we started on our custom insole because of a problem in our fit lab. We noticed that no matter what we did, many people still experienced side-to-side movement in their knees while on the bike.  After countless hours we observed that many

times it was a compression in the arch of the foot causing that knee movement. So we began to look for insoles and found that almost 95% of what’s out there does virtually nothing to address this problem. Most of them are too soft and simply compress almost flat under load. So we began testing the most popular brands to see if they had thought of something we hadn’t.  Out of all the brands and models that we tested, nothing solved the problem. There was only one solution left; we set out to make our own custom insoles.

Predator Cycling is excited to announce that we are ready to take orders for our new carbon fiber custom insoles! They are perfect for large and/or powerful riders looking to add stiffness to their shoes—or for any rider seeking a more precise fit. Manufactured using monocoque (one-piece) technology, our custom carbon insoles are built with reinforced high-modulus carbon fiber, and weigh just 30 to 40 grams depending on size. They have also shown modest increases in power for certain riders on our ergometer.

Each pair of insoles are built completely custom for the rider. We’ve consulted with some of the nations leading podiatrists and learned the secrets of making a perfect foot casting (HINT: It isn’t by using a foam box, despite what other companies may tell you). To set up your appointment for your custom casting, call us at (310) 829-6464. We are also offering a 10-year “No Questions Asked” warranty against breakage and defects on the first ten sets that we sell.

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Just a quick note to let you all know that we finally have our Team-Edition Bar Tape in at the shop. The tape is made from a specially-selected and treated grade of leather, and is designed with all-day comfort and longevity in mind. We feel that it’s a perfect complement to our bikes, and it’s nice to have the style points to go with the longevity and comfort that only leather tape can offer. There is a break in period of 2-3 weeks, but nothing but happy and comfortable miles from then onward. Please contact us for more information.

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Just a little video of us having some fun on our local club rides. The first sprint is the Nichols ride where we topped out at 82 kph. The other two sprints are the La Grange Tuesday morning rides, CJ and I got the first one we have been working pretty hard on our mine train for the group rides and you can see we got a 2nd on the last sprint up San Vicente (slight up hill about 3-4% grade). As both CJ and I are sprinters its a lot of fun leading each other out, we can hit it really hard anywhere from 900m to 600m from the sprint and have a good shot.  CJ and I both came up the ranks of the Major Motion Junior Elite Team so we just know how to go for a sprint.  That team show us how to race a team not just a sprinter going for it but a team out there to work for each other and make sure we WIN!!  Thank you to the Helen’s boys for leading us out on the Marina sprint! As you can see we like the flats and we like going fast!
Looking forward to the 2011 season!

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As most of you know there are very little options when it comes to Track Bottom Brackets. So we took it upon ourselves to trick what we thought was the best one on the market. We went ahead and built our rebuilt a Dura-Ace BB-7700. We started with removing all the seals, polishing all the bearing contact spots, taking out any play, hardening all the metal and then mixing our own 100% snythetic multi viscosity oil. We did do a couple of other things but sorry I’m not going to share that. We tested many different setups to see how they would hold up and found this setup to spin great and hold up pretty well.  The removal of the seals can be problematic for people using them on outdoor tracks. If a rider is interested in using this set up outdoors we can leave the seals intact. We did them with both ceramic and stainless steel bearings. We found the ceramic spun a little faster but they did wear out faster due to the fact there are no seals and dirt contamination could get into the unit.  For the big strong guys, we did get the play out the internal races on the axle which makes the bearing wear more evenly and we feel should make it stiffer.  This bottom bracket was not intended for everyday use it’s for race day use as there are no seals.  We supply you with our oil that should be the only oil used on this track bottom bracket.  The oil we use is different then other oils found in the bike world if you use our oil with most other oils it will no longer protect the bearings will heat up and destroyed them selves. If you have any questions about our low drag track bottom bracket don’t hesitate to comment, e-mail or call!

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We at Predator have been thinking about making aero bars for some time now and finally got around to building a prototype.  We started with our wish list:

• Stiff
• At least a 6cm drop to base bar
• Custom widths
• Custom pad placements
• Low pad height
• Lightweight

And we got them all!  Check out a list of our prototype’s specs:

• 40cm base bar width
• 6cm base bar drop
• 31.6 clamp size
• Pad with custom placement
• Custom extension width
• The option for J-bend extension or straight extension
• 380g total weight

And yes we can make the base bars even stiffer by adding an additional 50 grams of carbon!!
We hope to finish up testing in the next couple of weeks. If you have any questions feel free to leave us a comment or send us an e-mail.

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I’m very happy to announce that our 8 gram carbon fiber race number mounts are ready to ship out! We’ve added a carbon plate to help strengthen the number so it won’t move in the wind and an O-ring to help damper vibrations so that the number won’t rotate while you’re racing. Hope you all like our first carbon accessory. We’ve got a lot more in the works…

In Predator fashion they are hand made in the USA.

Dubbed the Razorback, you can purchase a Predator Carbon Number Holder in our store for $25 or call us at (310)829-6464 for more info.

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Above is the Sunday Morning LaGrange Nichols ride. As you’ll see there is a little hill in the beginning of the video which is not something I go up fast. I’m really not into this going up hill stuff, but it does make you strong.  I mostly do the ride for the final sprint down Sepulveda Blvd. A slight downhill that’s straight and fast!! I Hope you enjoy the video and let us know what you think.

A special thanks to Spencer on Ritte for not making me come to the front!!

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We have been working hard trying to come out with a carbon fiber number holder for a couple of weeks now.  This is the first public photo of it.  It’ s coming in at about 4-6 grams – not bad compared to the 28-30 gram one most Pro Tour Teams are using.   We just started final testing this week and should be starting our first run next week.  We’re very happy to say in Predator fashion they are 100%  made in SoCal!!  We will open up pre-order sales next week. So stay tuned….

Update: They are now done! Buy one today at our online store, MSRP $25.  Check out our latest post “Carbon Number Holders Are Done” for details and if you have questions you can always give us a call at (310)  829-6464.

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Really happy to say we just got in some carbon tools so that we can start fabricating our own carbon fiber parts in house.  We have couple projects that we have been designing and going to start building them out of carbon in the next couple of days! Going to post some sneak peek photos really soon.  We got 3 new products coming all to help you look cooler, transfer more power or just make you happy!!

So yeah Predator Cycling is going to start making our own line of small carbon fiber parts designed and manufactured all in house here in SoCal.  We are also going to be building custom carbon parts for customers. So if you need a custom computer mount made of carbon or just need a carbon part repaired we can handle that too.

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Last weekend a couple of us from Predator made it out to the Cycle Against Denial ride organized by the Armenian Youth Federation’s San Fernando Valley Chapter.  It was a bike rally to protest against 95 years of denial of the Armenian Genocide of 1915. It was pretty amazing over 250 people showed up to ride their bikes in support.  Our little group had some adventures ourselves on the ride.  It was great to see so many people out and on their bikes for such a good cause.  Hope you enjoy our little production!  Please feel free to comment below.  Thanks!

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This was one hard weekend for me just coming back from the Taipei Bike Show with a hard week of training.  I really wanted to race CBR as I  like all the people and it’s all lefts!! (I’m a track racer) Also had to try out our new video camera mounts that we just finished tricking out.  Hope you guys enjoy  the video!  Please bear with us as we learn how to edit videos.

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This year we wanted to put out a Team bike.  So we started talking with our boys and designed what we thought the best all around SoCal bike should look like.  We wanted to make a bike that would really perform in the Crits we have here.  The Predator Team bike is a version of our Road that was over built. Starting with our stiffest carbon tubing we went out to design the Team bike. We went with over sided 50.5mm carbon down tube and a 51mm head tube that is set up with a zero stack top and an 1.5″ bottom we fit it with a tapered fork. That paired with an integrated seat tube we really worked hard to tied it all together.   After about a year of playing with the BB30 we are now ready to implement it into this bike.  We also happened to put some nice over sided chain stays to finish her off.  All that being said we still need to make sure she rides good over the bad roads so we used carbon seat stays to help keep hear riding soft.  As you guys can tell we really worked hard on making this a STIFF bike.  This was our first team bike and we set the bar pretty high for the next one!

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Pinned the number, lined up, with the prime objective being finishing out the 90 minutes. We roll, same as always. The first couple laps were nervous because of the aforementioned tire issues, but they were fine.  Been through that turn 2 at the Dominguez Hills course a billion times before, and it felt great to lean into it a couple more times. Also, after a couple laps, I was surprised that I felt fine. No lactic acids, no pain caves, nothing. Right on. Rather than maintain, I sought out the pains and acids, and put out an attack on the hill between 2 and 3. Really more of a joke than an attack, but I got a gap, and to my surprise/dismay, my old Claw teammate Mike T. bridged up. Cool. Couple other guys bridged up, and we spun around for a few laps, and I picked up the first prime of the season -”free race entry”. A couple laps later we were brought back. More circles ensued, and I really felt fine. I hadn’t even given it full gas in the breaks. Then they announced the BIG money prime of the day. I attacked in the same place, this time taking my more-recent former teammate, Weylon with me along with a La Grange guy that isn’t a sprinter. Waylon was on — and we had a gap. 3 or 4 times I yelled, “hey hey, we split? we split?” but never really got confirmation. I gave him a perfect lead-out, and we got back to the bunch. Bam! $10 in the pocket, ’cause he did hear me apparently.

More of this, no one really cared to get off the front completely, and there were no really massive team tactics going on. 5 to go, and a big break of 10 got off. Fine by me, 5 to go means I’m going to finish. 4-3-2… the jostling begins . I attacked again, same place, right before the bell. The break was at 15 seconds. The attack was more to try to steal the meaningless field sprint for 11th, than it was to catch the break. Ding-ding-ding, bell sounds, I have a gap, and one guy came with me. We were well clear through turns 1 and 2. Then the guy pulled through and we lost 5mph…. gah… I pulled through as soon as I realized it, and the guy exploded on my wheel. I still had a gap through the last corner, and the break was RIGHT there, but I realized I’d be caught at 200m to go. So I just pulled it way inside and got out of the way.

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So I decided to make the Tony Cruz training crit my first speed ride since getting home from Qatar. Easy right? No I’m pretty sure I got my face stopped in by the locals. It was a pretty hard ride I had to look over at Tony to make sure it wasn’t just me. I reassured me it wasn’t (laugh) I had an average of about 300 watts for an hour and had to talk myself out off pulling out of the ride twice. My brothers had been talking about this guy that would smash the ride in the past few weeks but did not know his name, so I dubbed him Racer-X. Some say he lives on the moon and is so fast because there’s no gravity up there, others say he hatched from a egg like a bird and that’s why he seems to just fly away from groups. We just call him Racer-X. I was on a mission to shut them up and prove this guy was not as tough as they had thought. The ride started pretty mellow which was good cause I’ve been chilling the whole day it was hard to get the legs going, in fact the only reason I road was to try out the new helmet camera we put together at Predator for this weekends Merco Crit. I stayed toward the front of the ride and the attacks came one after another maybe about 60 guys started but soon there was 20, Racer-X kept hitting hard but as a marked man he didn’t get far, I wasn’t impressed. After about an hour of wanting to cut my legs off it was 5 to go, all I could think was its about time. Little brother (Cory Williams Current CRIT National Champion) was sitting on my wheel and I told him it was his night. It was 2 laps to go Tony hit us hard on a surprise attack that strung the field out, I was sitting 4th with Cory on my wheel, 1 Lap to go I bought my time and hit with about 600 Meters to go, I got to the last corner and he finished the job off.

Overall the ride was good. A great simulation and a pretty hard effort. The ride starts at 7:30pm on Wednesday,  has great lighting on every stretch but one. If your looking to blow your legs and learn some bike handling skills you should head out. There’s also a slow group for guys in not so great shape but always remember there’s a few Pro guys out there and Racer-X so it’s no walk in the park if you can finish the ride feeling OK, you are ready for the local scene and should do pretty well.

-Justin Williams

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