Merry Christmas: Parlee Z5 Riding Impressions

We wanted to follow-up on our original Z5 post of last month with a few thoughts on how Parlee’s new sub-900-gram chassis actually performs. A few of us around here have had more than a few rides on the SRAM Red equipped machine and we’ve tried it with at least three different wheelsets just to see how rolling stock affected the bike’s performance.

All told, Bob Parlee’s latest creation whispered to our scale at just 12.8-pounds when equipped with utterly anorexic Carbonsports Ventoux wheels and right about 14-lbs with a pair of Easton’s new 1450-gram EC90SL carbon clinchers. Just for reference a large Z5 frame is 870-grams while a very small (50cm) Pegoretti Marcello loads up the scales at 1810-grams and builds anywhere from two to three pounds heavier than an average Z5. We’re the last shop to tell you that weight is everything, but it certainly isn’t nothing.

One thing everyone here agrees on is that, while in the same weight category as bikes like the Pinarello Prince, Cervelo R3 SL and Specialized Tarmac SL3, it is utterly different than those race inspired machines in a few ways. Some of us feel that bikes like the Cervelo and Specialized give off an air of fragility in exchange for their low weight. With simple tube shapes and clean lines the Z5 simply doesn’t have that same glass jaw feeling. More noteworthy is the fact that the Z5 has incredible vertical compliance—the best of any sub-1000-gram frame we’ve ridden yet. Out on the road that means the bike rolls over bumps instead of bouncing off them and leaves your back(side) feeling much less fatigued after a long ride. One of the hallmarks of the other sub-1000 gram frames we’ve ridden is their near total lack of vertical compliance or comfort. We all agree that the Z5 has that in spades. “The Z5’s tubing is resilient and supple, taking the edge out of dirt and gravel roads while providing a stable platform for grinding on the flats,” says Lunner.



As anyone can imagine, climbing on a bike that weights as little as our Z5 is a revelation. “While climbing the Z5 feels like it’s trying to run away from me,” joked Lunner. “It was as if the frame was shooting me a baffled look questioning whether or not I could keep up.’ Seriously though, the Z5 accelerates quickly and easily enough to give anyone the impression that, if they just didn’t have that nagging full time job, they’d be destined for Tour greatness. In Marin we’re not blessed/cursed with the ultra-steep climbs found just over the bridge in San Francisco and I wouldn’t doubt that a stout machine like the Marcelo might be a better platform for short, aggressive ascents that demand all-out power. Still the Z5’s oversized BB30 bottom bracket shell, one-piece high-modulus carbon dropouts and tapered headtube all but guarantee it will withstand twisting forces better than the Parlee frames that have come before it.

The number of long drops around Mount Tamalpais gave us any number of opportunities to test the Z5’s descending manners. Most raved about the bike’s vertical compliance and how it definitely helped to keep the tires on the pavement and traveling in the same direction. While we couldn’t agree on where it was coming from, there was an inkling that this whisper light bike could’ve a bit more of the heft (think 1990’s Eddy Merckx with Columbus Max tubing) would help the Z5 to better carve corners. As it is, this is a bike you have to turn. Truth is, it’s a 14-pound bike and, at the end of the day, it’s not going to ride exactly like a 16 or 17-pound bike no matter how well the frame is designed or how dialed the geometry.

Back at the annual Interbike tradeshow in September, journalists were saying the Z5 could be the bike launch of the year. That’s big buzz for a small company that definitely wasn’t taking journalists on trips to the Tour or handing out free frames like Chicklets. The reason being that the Z5 is the absolute perfect match of clean, conventional lines and the latest advances in composite frame technology.



While the Z5 doesn’t come in custom frame geometry (as do many other Parlees), it's available in a total of ten different sizes if you count the standard and tall (additional head tube height) versions. It's also possible to order the Z5 with a range of custom decals and/or paint.

So, what do we think? It's not just that the Z5 is the lightest Parlee yet; it’s also probably the best riding. It’s tough to overestimate the effect of additional features like the BB30 bottom bracket, one-piece carbon dropouts, conical headtube and an exhaustively revised lay-up schedule. All those tweaks add up to one great riding machine.

Want to jump on the Z5 for a test? If you ride a 57.5 top tube, come into the shop—we’ve got a size Large demo bike. Or just give us a call if you want to hear more about Parlee’s best effort yet.

Bike Fit: It's Not The Tools, It's The Person Using Them!

The Holidays are fast upon us and it’s the time of year when a lot of people swap out gear, reassess their position or, if they’re lucky, switch bikes altogether. One thing that we don’t have on our website and we don’t make a huge fuss about here is our bike fit program. If you’ve been to the shop, you know that the space where we first opened the shop is now where Craig Upton does our fits. Who’s Craig Upton you might be asking yourself?

Mr Upton driving the break in a local race.

Well. Craig is a 39-year-old from Wellington, New Zealand that raced as a European professional with teams like the Brescia-Lat and Tönissteiner for a handful of seasons. During that time Craig raced some of the world’s most prestigious one-day races including Tour of Flanders, Ghent-Wevelgem and Paris-Roubaix as well as the world’s biggest stage races, including the Giro d’Italia. Craig also did a stint of racing in the USA with the Navigator’s squad. After stopping as a pro, Craig eventually wound up in New York working for a dot-com era start-up.

While in NY Craig kept riding and developed somewhat of a following as a coach and bicycle fit specialist. Just prior to the dot-com experiment revealing itself as a dot-bomb, Craig, who holds a degree from Victoria University in New Zealand, went full time with his coaching and bicycle fit business.

Initially, he opened his performance coaching lab in NY (where a branch of it still remains), but soon enough the enterprising Mr. Upton was living in Northern California and coaching a stable of top riders. By top we mean, Olympic and 2xWorld Champion Kristin Armstrong, Jeff Louder of the BMC Racing Team, a range of other professionals, via USA Cycling, the Women’s National program and the men’s U23 squad. While working with Kristin (who is now retired), Craig dialed in her position, working closely with her in the wind tunnel. So successful was he with Armstrong that Craig was also asked to lend his skills in the wind tunnel to riders like Tour de France champions and classics winners. Set foot in the hallway outside the San Diego Low Speed Wind Tunnel’s control room and you’ll see a number of Craig’s clients pictures lining the walls.

Craig with BMC rider and client Jeff Louder.

Most days you’ll find Craig riding the roads and trails in Marin and doing bike fits and performance testing in the space where we first opened Above Category a few years back. Over the years Craig has developed and refined a system for fine tuning a rider’s form and technique based on a unique set of physical measurements and physiological testing.  Craig has also been a pioneer in the creation of power-based training tools that have helped everyone from Tour de France competitors to first-time triathletes surpass their goals. We’ll delve into Craig’s system a bit more in the next posting.

Tis The Season: Toasty Assos Tights

For the past few weeks here in Northern California it’s been as cold as we’ve ever seen it. Weather that left over a foot of snow on Mt Hamilton left even devoted NorCal hippie raw food dieters looking for a cup of scalding hot soup.
With all this bluster, we’ve been forced to pull out the heavy artillery: Assos tights and an AirBlock jacket (as much as we’d like an excuse to wear one, the Bay Area never gets cold enough to merit a FuguJak.) Yet, when we need a little more than legwarmers, we reach for the Assos T RX.LL. The Levi’s 501 of cycling tights, the TT RX.LL has been refined for over a decade and, thanks to all the years of development, they fit like an absolute dream and provide additional warmth over a leg warmer and short combination.

Tights are one of those things. If they fit great, they make your ride so much better than it would’ve been otherwise. But when they're even the slightest bit off—little stiff in the knees or tight in the quads—you might just as well have skipped the ride and gone to yoga. Yeah, it’s that bad. Fortunately, Assos tights are sleek and supple enough that you’ll never even need to consider trying to figure out who Bikram is.

The T RX.LL are fabricated mostly from Assos’ Roubaix fabric, a much copied textile that mates a stretchy, slightly wind breaking Lycra exterior layer with an ultra plush, moisture wicking fleece that rides against your skin for an incredible balance of wind protection and flexibility. The key is that the Roubaix fabric provides just enough protection from the wind. It cuts enough of the breeze to keep you warm, but remains ultra supple (unlike a Windstopper fabric for example). A mainstay of Assos cool and cold weather garments years, it feels to us like the most recent iteration of Roubaix fabric is even softer and more plush than ever. A pair of the RX.LL tights and an ElementOne jersey and you’ll feel like you’re sporting a pair of warm winter pajamas.

One place where these tights have improved over the years is in the cut. Like Assos shorts, this garment has benefited greatly thanks to their AEPD or Advanced Ergonomic Pattern Design. While the T RX.LL might not feel perfect when standing in front of a mirror, they definitely feel right when you drop onto the saddle and reach for your bars.

Barring rain or worse, it’s not likely that you’ll need the heavier Assos tights as long as the weather you’re riding in stays above 40-degrees. Below that we go for the warmer and more windproof Assos Airblock Thermax tights. Which add a level of warmth, but start to feel more restrictive than a typical combination of shorts and leg warmers.

There’s some debate around the shop about whether to wear tights that don’t have a pad (and to wear shorts beneath), or to simply buy the version with a pad. Going all the way back to my mid-1980’s Giordana wool tights with natural chamois and aftermarket suspendors, I’ve always been a pad-in-the-tights kinda guy. But, hey, that might not be for everyone. Fortunately, Assos makes both versions.

If you're interested pop into our online store and order up, give us a call @ 415.389.5461 if you're unsure of sizing or color selection, come by the shop or hit online store if you're good to go!

Above Category Heads To Cyclocross Nationals!

All eyes in the domestic cycling world are focused on Bend, Oregon this weekend for the 2009 USA cyclo-cross championships. Of course the Above Category team is well represented with Spence, Alex, Blair, Michael and Bob in the mix. The riders left on Thursday afternoon for the drive to Bend and will race on Friday and Saturday in the Jr. events.

Riders will battle it out on a frozen and highly technical course along the Deschutes River; a circuit that has been made much more technical in recent days as race promoters have been forced to make significant changes to it due to unexpected levels of snow and cold temperatures. In the first day of racing, number of sections of the course were littered with the bikes and bodies of fallen riders that simply could not stay upright in the slippery conditions.



Thanks to bike sponsor FOCUS Bicycles, who have a tent, demo fleet and repair area, the team will have an additional level of support. There’s no question that the cold and snowy conditions and bumpy course will cause a number of mechanicals.

Stay tuned for an update over the weekend.



AC Jr's at Golden Gate Park. Spence won Mens B race and Bob S. finished second. Coach Craig Upton has these guys peaking at the right moment...

Another Stunning Pinarello Project Bike

Thought we’d take some time today to tell you about one other great project bike that we’ve got sitting in the showroom that we would love to find a great home for in time for the holidays.

It’s a 56cm, 2008 Pinarello Paris Carbon in the very limited silver colorway that you’re not likely to see in other places. It’s rare to see a carbon frame with finish quality this high. Even up close every square millimeter of the Paris Carbon has a flawless finish and a luxurious shine. A family of frames from Pinarello that were originally developed in thin walled aluminum, the Paris Carbon is a sub-1000-gram frame fabricated from Toray Japanese 46HM3K Carbon. That’s high-modulus carbon with a tensile strength of 46 tons per square cm (46HM), and an exterior weave of 3000 weaves per crossing (3K). The Prince Carbon features Pinarello’s Onda bend fork and rear stays, but the curves are somewhat less dramatic than a chassis like the new Dogma Carbon.


We decked this Italian dream bike out with, what else, Campagnolo 11-speed (Chorus level)! Then we added silver Campagnolo Eurus wheels Deda Newton stem and bar, MOST seatpost and FSA saddle.



This Paris Carbon was originally $7900 and we’re now letting it go for much less. If you're interested give us a call @ 415.389.5461 if you're unsure of the geometry or parts selection, email or just come by the shop.

Our Favorite Things: Assos AirJack 851

AirJack 851
Alright, I’ll put it out there. I’ve been in love this with this jacket for at least the past decade. I’ve ridden more hours swaddled in the AirJack in horrible weather conditions (horrible by California standards) while wearing an original black 851 than any other jacket.

Thanks to its incredible mix of wind blocking 851 fabric and plush Roubaix insulating textile, the AirJack is equal parts shell and base layer. For our money it’s slightly better than the ElementOne simply because you almost never need to wear a shell over it. If you do need to wear a shell over it, you might think about riding the trainer or going to the gym.

The portions of the AirJack on the forward facing surfaces (chest, arms, etc.) are fabricated using Assos’ exclusive Airblock 851, a three-layer laminated membrane fabric that protects your skin from cold air while still allowing full freedom of movement and good breathability. To compliment the wind stopping aspects of the 851 with incredible warmth and breathability, the rest of the garment is made from RX900 "Super Roubaix" fleece backed fabric. Over the years the Super Roubaix has only gotten softer.



The AirJack’s most prominent feature and one of our most favorites, is the snap closure on the jacket’s collar. An absolute savior in horrible conditions, the snap closure can be popped open while climbing and rejoined for an additional level of protection while descending. I can’t even begin to imagine how many times I’ve snapped up that collar as I’ve started to drop down to Stinson Beach or off the top of a favorite climb up in Somoma County.

Some may say that the AirJack is actually too warm for Northern California’s mild winters and prefer to wear an ElementOne Jacket with an Element Zero vest. That option is a little cooler and, because you can remove the vest and stuff it in your pocket, ultimately work in a wider range of conditions. Both good ways to protect yourself in cool weather, but I’m sticking with the trusted AirJack

If you like to get out there in the fall and winter, the AirJack will become a trusted riding companion for you. After a decade of abuse ours is finally starting to give up the ghost. Could be time for a new one; maybe I’ll go with white this time around?

If you're interested pop into our online store and order up, give us a call @ 415.389.5461 if you're unsure of sizing or color selection, email or just come by the shop.

Parlee Z3 SL Long Term Test

Welcome to Above Category's long term review of the custom Parlee Z3 SL.

First let me quickly set the stage for how we actually 'test' our bikes. Keep in mind that the bikes and equipment we carry do not define Above Category. We carry, ride and sell the products that we think perform the best for a given use, are original and are developed from passionate people that know and truly understand the sport we all love. Secondly, we ride, a lot. We understand the subtle differences between materials and construction techniques and use that to help put each of our customers on the bike that most fits their needs. Third, we keep a close and personal relationship with the folks who build the bikes we ride to fully understand and stay apprised of every detail regarding the bikes we sell. With that being said, let's get to the Z3!



Why are we testing a custom Z3 and what is the difference between it and a stock Z3? The only difference is the geometry. I have pretty short legs (888mm saddle height from pedal to top of saddle) and a long torso (785mm from sweet spot of saddle to center of the handlebars.) There are not too many stock bikes I can fit nicely on unless I want to use a 14 or 15cm stem. I'm usually fine with that, but even then, the head tube on those stock bikes is a little on the tall side and I find it hard to get the 8-9cm drop that I prefer. So this bike has a 56.5 top tube and a 48.5 seat tube, center to top. The head tube is 11cm and I use a 3mm Chris King spacer under a +/- 6 degree 3T stem. This gives me about 9cm of drop. Seat tube and head tube angles are 74 and 73.5 degrees respectively.

Of course a custom costs more: $1,500 extra ($6400 total) for the bespoke upcharge. Parlee has a ton of stock sizes and chances are one will fit you, if this is the case you are in luck as the stock size price for a Z3 is $4900. Everything is included in the stock price as well, any tubing you want or a mix of it, an EDGE 2.0 OR 1.0 fork (the best made), two choices of head tube length and any decal color. Also included is a Chris King headset, again, our favorite. My bike uses super light tubing for the top tube, seat tube and seat stays. Regular tubing everywhere else. Frame weight was 2.2lbs with all hardware. I chose the nude carbon finish with minimal decals...



For components I went mostly with the SRAM Red group. Traditionally I ride with Campagnolo components, but we want to be able to tell you the differences between all the groups out there and to do that we have to ride them all. Complete build is as follows:

1. SRAM Red rear derailleur, brake calipers, brake/shift levers.
2. SRAM Force front derailleur
3. Shimano Dura-Ace cassette
4. Campagnolo Veloce Chain
5. Fulcrum RRS compact crank and bottom bracket shell
6. 3T 44cm Rotundo Pro Handlebar and 120mm ARX Pro stem
7. Fizik Antares saddle with Kium rails and Microtex tape
8. Jagwire red cable kit
9. Speedplay Zero white ti pedals
10. Fulcrum Racing Zero two-way wheels with Hutchinson Fusion 2 tubeless tires
11. King ti cages
12. Thomson Masterpiece setback seatpost
13. Chris King headset
14. EDGE 1.0 fork

All in, with 1oz of Stans in each tire the bike is 14.94lbs. complete with pedals and cages. Pretty impressive especially since I'm using a $48 stem and alloy bars. If my goal was light weight, I could have built this bike in the very low 12lb range and ridden it comfortably every day.



Here you can see the bars and stem. Again, my goal was to build a sweet handling and durable race bike. In fact to be legal (for elite riders who actually have their bikes weighed), you'd have to add weight. SRAM Red brakes are fine, not as nice as Campagnolo nor as strong as Shimano but after Kris did a rebuild they offered great modulation. I'd see no reason to replace them and unlike Campagnolo I can change brake blocks in under a minute. Had to add a little bling so I put on the red Jagwire cable kit. Also, the stock SRAM cables leave a lot to be desired, so this was a nice upgrade as well.



EDGE 1.0 fork. Superlight but very strong. One of the best forks for transmitting road feel that I've ever used. Matte finish matches the frame. Fulcrum Racing Zero hubs have a carbon and aluminum construction and have been extremely durable.



Parlee developed their super lightweight front derailleur clamp. But the main reason it is great is because it all but ensures you can't over tighten your clamp and damage the thin carbon seat tube. They have beefed these up a little since the original design and I find the front derailleur shifting to be great. I also like the Force front derailleur. Just a little more durable and stiffer than the ti caged SRAM Red offering.



I love this saddle! Fizik products are incredibly made and have a model to fit almost any rear end. This is the Antares model and is pretty flat on top with a medium wide rear section. You can get Carbon or Kium rails and since I knew this bike would already be light, I chose to save a little money (and add some red) and went Kium. The saddle is sitting on one of the best seat posts ever made, the Thomson Masterpiece.



SRAM Red shifters are great. I love the feel of the Campagnolo 10spd levers and these are pretty close so it feels like home to me. They are super crisp and downshifts are the best in the business. You can shift up 3 cogs at a time as well.



Fulcrum Racing Zero two-way wheels. If you have not tried tubeless, do so. This is the future! The ride is so smooth as you can run pressure super low, 90psi in the rear and 85psi up front for me. The Fulcrum wheels are super durable and I have run them in some of the worst road conditions in races and training without a hint of them coming out of true. I run 1oz of Stans sealant in the tires and have yet to have a flat. Campagnolo, Fulcrum and Shimano are the only companies to really embrace this technology so far and will be way ahead of the game when others decide to employ tubeless. Dropouts on the Parlee Z1, 2 and 3 are 6/4 titanium and beautiful.



Here is proof to how strong carbon is. I'm not running a chainstay protector and there is not one scratch or ding on them despite all the chain slapping they take. Despite the smallish diameter of the chainstays, the Z3 has a very stiff rear end and sprinting on the bike is a joy. Also, as you can see from the cable stop, it is molded on, not drilled and riveted. Parlee does not believe in drilling any holes in their frames. Great attention to detail.



Another great example of how tough the Parlee is; I ride a lot of dirt roads and single track on this bike, these pictures were taken after a long ride in the dirt and after cleaning the bike it looks brand new. How many carbon bikes would you feel comfortable doing this on? Also, there is a reason these bikes ride so well, tube to tube construction. All the tubes are mitered and then hand wrapped in carbon. These are not pre-made carbon lugs where the tubes are just pushed in and glued. It give the bike the 'snap' of a well made steel, aluminum or titanium bike and is an expensive and time consuming process that sets Parlee aside from so many other custom carbon frames.



SRAM Red rear mech. A little more time intensive to set up but once there, holds it's adjustment flawlessly. Shifting is very accurate as well. A quick note on component selection; in these images I'm running a SRAM Red cassette and chain. They wore out very quickly--in just over 1,000 miles. In fact the chain was so worn that the cassette was useless. I switched to a Dura-Ace cassette and a Campagnolo 10spd chain and the shifting improved hugely. The Campagnolo chain is much more durable and I'm now getting over 2,000 miles out of one and after changing chains, the cassette is still fine. This is by far the way to go if you run Red, or Force for that matter.



Again, the 3T bar and stem. The Fizik tape is my favorite and in my opinion the best looking, but is a little firmer than some like. Can also tend to be a bit slicker, so if you don't like wearing gloves, take note.



The rear brake was performing very poorly at first, even with maximum spring tension. They were very mushy to say the least. But, they are also very easy to rebuild and Kris did so and re-torqued all the bolts and now they are much better, not the best, but like I said before, I don't see any reason to change them for a different model on this bike. The best pads for these wheels are the green Swiss Stop, much improved stopping power.



Another view of the matte finish and King ti cage. Understated but perform perfectly.



Chris King headset. You will not find another model on our bikes. Check out the cable stop, again, molded, not riveted.

So, how does the bike ride? It rides like a lighter version of my Pegoretti Marcelo. That is a compliment of the highest order. Perfect road manners, holds a line with out thought, dives into corners with out hesitation and comes out the other side like it was on rails. It does it all well, sprint, climb and descend. The fit is perfect and it is beautiful. Parlee, like Pegoretti and Moots, keeps it simple, round tubes, no extra bulges and oversize this oversize that. It does not need those things and rides as well if not better than any carbon or metal bike I have ever been on, period.

Parlee frames have been ridden by many European professionals (usually with decals from other companies) to a range of great results. Parlee is a soulful family run business that puts their pride into every frame that leaves its Peabody, Massachusetts workshop and have a lifetime warranty.

The bottom line, if you are looking for the best carbon bike made right now, I strongly believe the Z3 should be at the top of your list.

We will also add more to this review as we put more miles on this Z3. Next week though, I will be putting this aside for the winter and building up a Z1 for all the wet miles to come. Look for reviews of that bike as well as the Parlee Z5 in the near future.

Thanks for reading and if you have any questions at all, give us a call @ 415.389.5461, email or come by the shop.

BMC Pro Machine SLC 01 Project Bike

We built up this 53cm black-and-white BMC Pro Machine and are amazed at how incredible it looks—even after staring at it for a few weeks. As with most of the bikes you’ll see on our site, local Mill Valley photographer Dean Bentley snapped the photos of this Swiss-designed, all carbon chassis.
One of the most distinctive frames on the market, the Pro Machine was created with the help of the composite geniuses at Easton Sports. Using the same Composite Nanotube (CNT) technology found in their forks and handleblars (and even composite softball bats made by the company), BMC was able to get the weight of the Pro Machine under 1000-grams while still maintaining the integrity of the chassis. After working with Easton on the design of the frame, it’s only natural that the Pro Machine would come outfitted with a proprietary Easton carbon fork.

Built with a full Campagnolo Record 11-speed group, super fast Edge 68 carbon clincher wheels (with DT Swiss ti skewers) shod with Vittoria Open Corsa Evo CXII 320TPI tires, white Deda Zero100 Service Course stem and Presa white bar, Fizik Antares CX saddle.



While not decked out in Yule colors, this black-and-white beauty will definitely look great sitting under the tree this Holiday season. As usual, we’re happy to swap a part or two if it’ll make the bike work better for you.If you're interested give us a call @ 415.389.5461, email or come by the shop.