NOW Helmet Zappi review

I got to spend some time with the Zappi lightweight road bike helmet from NOW Helmet and my initial thoughts are... I'm in love.

The Zappi features 32 vents that keep you cool, and feels so lightweight on your head, it'll make you think twice if you're even wearing a helmet at all. The Zappi has gone through extensive wind tunnel testing, and had been tweaked to become the perfect helmet for any rider looking for an edge. It complies with all safety standards and has been designed with speed, comfort, and safety in mind.

NOW lets jump into actually testing the Zappi on some rides. As soon as I put the Zappi on, it fit better than any other helmet that I've ever owned. To be honest, I love the fit of this helmet so much, I haven't even thought about wearing my Giro Synthe or Kask Vertigo since it graced my dome. The weather recently in Southern California has surpassed 100 degrees, and I have not experienced any trapped or unwanted heat under the helmet. With the open airy design, airflow gracefully enters and exits keeping you cool no matter what riding conditions you face. The Zappi was designed to absorb contact from an impact and protect your skull from further damage in the event of a crash. Most helmets on the market have a dense foam that will crack on the outer part of the helmet, where in fact, you need a soft cushion like the Zappi when impact is applied. Luckily enough, a crash was not part of my ride, but the extensive safety testing and design will ensure that this is the safest helmet in the event of an unfortunate crash.

As I took the drops, I got as aero as I possibly could and on a route that I normally take, I slowly watched my speed creep up and up until I started to obtain a pace I normally haven't hit. Once I uploaded my ride, It was refreshing to see that I had captured a few PR's. Looking back on the ride conditions, the only thing that was different was the NOW Helmet.

Zappi will not only look and feel great, I'm almost certain it will attract many looks from everyone you pass.

2017 Tour of California

     With 2017 being another fantastic year for the Tour of California, I wanted to take the time to reflect on my involvement with the race. Each year living in Santa Clarita I'm grateful to see at least one stage finish. This year was no different. The riders started their day in Santa Barbara and ended on Magic Mountain Road in Santa Clarita. The day of the Santa Clarita stage finish, Road Bike Action Magazine hosted a supported ride up Bouquet, to Spunky and back to the finish line down through San Fransquito Canyon Road. All and all there were a total of 100 riders. Just before the ride started, I decided to drop some race weight and head to the outhouse. As soon as I arrived there, I was passed by Phil Liggett. I let Phil do his thing before the official meet and great. I'm sure he gets stopped a lot at races, but Phil took the time to chat and even discuss our similar roadID safety bracelets. Now on to the ride. The headwind didn't care which direction you were going. If you were travelling East, it was blowing hard from the East. You turn a bend and started to head West, The wind suddenly came at you from the West. It was a day where you buried your head and kept your legs spinning.

     Once back at the Finish Line, I was lucky enough to have entered the VIP viewing area. Needless to say this area is filled with free food and adult beverages. We watched as the break stick and came flying into the Finish Line. It was nice to see the underdog Team Rally take the win.

     While watching the Mount Baldy climb, which I climbed last month with the l'etape California, I knew exactly what the riders were in for. 78 miles, and 11,000 feet of climbing. While keeping up with the live race stream, I was calling for George Bennett to take the overall tour win. He had been a very consistent rider and was always found upfront with the seasoned riders. Majka was holding strong until the end where Andrew Talansky took the victory.

     For the final stage in Pasadena, I went with my daughter and once again we found ourselves in the VIP viewing area. I think my daughter was more excited to visit vendors and receive free gifts and ring the cow bell than the actual race. Regardless, I'm grooming her to be a number 1 cycling fan. Team Rally Cycling grabbed the win on Stage 7 with Evan Huffman's second stage win of the 7 stage race. My Mt. Baldy predictions about George Bennett were true. The great thing about cycling is that you don't always have to be the fastest rider to win the tour, you just need to be consistent and lucky. George Bennett didn't have a stage win, but finished with an overall saddle time of 22h54m38s to take the Yellow Jersey for the 2017 Tour of California.

     I'm excited to see where Rally Cycling goes from here, and I know they can only continue to grow. Congrats to George Bennett.

Giro Synthe Review

     The streamline styling of the new Giro Synthe definitely caught my eye. The design and styling is that of a high end sports car. I’ve heard that with this aero style helmet, it potentially could shave time off of your rides, races, or TT’s. Once I properly adjusted the straps for my head, the Giro Synthe was a helmet that felt like it was designed specifically for me.

The aero venting provided more airflow than I have ever had with a helmet. With a quick turn of my head, the side ports allowed for maximum airflow to enter the side of my helmet. A quick turn of my head left to right, provided cool air to cascade over my entire head. At no point during my 40 mile ride did I feel any discomfort from this helmet. As mentioned before, the fit felt like it was customized specifically for me. Inside the helmet I found slender plastic ribbing that contours to the top of your head. This ribbing provided flexibility to essentially ensure that the helmet floats on your head. This gave me the sense that the helmet isn’t sitting directly on my head. I feel that this also contributed to maximum airflow.

     Unlike the Smith Overtake, at no point during the ride did I feel that the helmet was too hot. The weather and riding conditions were about the same, which gave me a close comparison. The forehead padding provided adequate absorption to prevent sweat from dripping down my face.
As for the aero design, without comparing two identical rides with the same riding conditions, it’s hard to say for sure how it performs. What I can say it while on my test ride, and hitting speeds of 40+ mph, I definitely felt like I was going faster. There seemed to be less wind resistance, which in turn felt like there was less strain on my neck muscles. I have no doubt that when looking to shave time off of a ride, the Giro Synthe is the everyday road cycling helmet to use.

     This helmet, hands down has been the most enjoyable helmet I have ever used. It definitely would make its way into my collection.

SOCALBICYCLIST.COM Cycling MOFO Wheel Review

I wanted to send a huge thanks to SoCalBicyclist magazine for publishing my review on the Cycling MOFO Carbon Wheelset. Please support their magazine by clicking on the link below to read my review directly from their website. Look for the print article to be published soon in edition #141.

CALI DOMESTIQUE - Cycling MOFO Wheelset Review c/o SoCalBicyclist

If you're interested in a set after my review, please use PROMO CODE "MOFOSHANE" for an instant $125 off on already amazingly priced wheels.

CyclingMOFOS MOFO50s Review

I received this wheelset directly from cyclingMOFOS, and I am impressed with every detail put into the production of these wheels. I’ve always considered myself a “Cycling MOFO,” and now I get to ride a product from a great company that shares my views and passion.

CyclingMOFOS wheels are built in a wide variety to satisfy your customizable craving. Starting at the rims, they range from a shallow 38mm to 50mm and 60mm, all the way to an 88mm for those triathlons that you want to smash. You’ll find 20 aero spokes on the front and 24 on the rear; select from three different spoke options when you create your order. You also get to choose from three hub options, from the good Novatecs to premium DT Swiss. The icing on the cake is that these fully customizable wheels are shipped worldwide for free, and are expected to be headed to your front door within 10-14 days.

I received the 50mm deep, 23mm wide carbon clincher wheelset with Novatec sealed bearing hubs and CX-Ray aero elliptical spokes. These things looked wonderful and spun true right out of the box.

The color combo complimented my bike beautifully, and with the company logo laid underneath the clear coat, I’ll proudly show my MOFO pride after years of gnarly rides and abuse. I’ve ridden many wheelsets over the years, so I was interested in carefully examining the quality and finish from a wheelset that comes with a price tag at a fraction of the cost of “high-end” market wheelsets, such as my trusty Reynolds Assaults. I eyed the wheels closely, and aside from grabbing my grandfather’s magnifying glass, was unable to find one imperfection with my MOFOs.

The co-founders of cyclingMOFOS, Martin and Tony, are riders who wanted the best bang for their buck. They spent many hours researching the perfect manufacturer to partner with in order to bring value, reliability, and integrity to the consumer. Unlike the bigger guys, cyclingMOFOS allow you to choose the color of your decals for that ultimate custom bike feel.

When your new MOFO wheels arrive in the mail, you get everything needed to get riding right away. They come complete with lightweight titanium skewers, rim tape, carbon-specific brake pads, and valve extenders.

The boys at cyclingMOFOS stand behind their wheels and offer a four-year warranty against material and workmanship, as well as a two-year crash replacement program. I felt a lot of assurance from their full breakdown of the 8 critical safety inspections and 10 overall steps that go into how their wheels are built.

I know – enough about how the wheels look, you probably wanna know how they feel and ride, right? Alright, let’s go!

For me to truly appreciate the awesomeness of these wheels, I decided for my first test ride I’d use them on my 6-mile commute to work. You may wonder why I wouldn’t want to show off my new wheels and go for a high mile ride, but I’ve done this commute hundreds of times. I know what my limits are, and I know that I’ve pushed myself on this route in the past, so any time improvement could be attributed to the new wheels.

As soon as I clipped into my bike, I could tell that the hard work from the staff at cyclingMOFOS in creating the ultimate wheelset at a fraction of the price had definitely paid off. The buttery Novatec hubs spun freely, and there was little drag or resistance while spinning under load. I’m a solid rider (I still enjoy my pizza and beer) so even with my 200lbs and 6’4’’ frame, I didn’t feel any flex and the response when I powered down was amazing.

Being such a tall rider, cornering isn’t my strong suit, as I can feel unsteady sometimes during a fast curve. The 50mm MOFOS gave me that stiffness and confidence to corner like I’ve never cornered before. I closed my eyes for a second and the sound of the Novatec hub spinning freely paired with the clunk of my gears shifting truly made me feel like I was deeply seeded in the peloton, caressing the hills of a Grand Tour.

As I pulled up to my destination and uploaded my ride, I was pleasantly surprised to see that after riding the same commute time and time again, I had achieved a few PRs. To obtain such results after such a relatively budget-friendly upgrade, I was ecstatic.

Unfortunately, I live in an area that is riddled with a headwind in every direction. The 50mm MOFOS had no issues when it came to cross-wind, and with the aero spokes, the drag resistance seemed to be less that my Mavic Cosmic Elites.

Alright, so my wheels snagged a couple PR’s on my commute, big deal. What about a real ride? I’m a sucker for elevation and climbing. I mean, I live in the heart of California and I’m surrounded by mountains. The MOFOS proved that there “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough,” and my quest for elevation was beautifully complimented with the ease of spinning up the mountain with my MOFO50s, which weigh in at just 1500 grams.

To sum up my initial impression, my riding review, and cyclingMOFOS in general, I simply can’t stress much more than, “cyclingMOFOS have made a kick-ass wheelset, for the everyday rider, any crit racer, and those weekend warriors on a budget.” To all the cycling MOFOS out there, if you’re looking for a top tier carbon wheelset that won’t break the bank, look no further because you’ve found them.

To design and order your dream wheelset, check them out cyclingmofos.com

You can find more from Shane Yorke on his website, www.calidomestique.com, and follow him on all channels, @calidomestique.

Velofix to the rescue!

     Do you know what Phil Gaimon and Shane Yorke have in common? We are both part of the Velofix family. Oh, and we ride bikes, like a lot.

         I've been so busy and focused on solo rides and commuting that today I was able to get out for my first group ride. There was a great turnout with an even greater group of riders or the CBS Saturday ride. As riders joined the Peloton along the way to Castaic, the pace held made it feel like no effort was needed at all. We powered out to Castaic Lake and started the long climb up Ridge Route. The weather was perfect, and traffic was noticeably minimal for a Saturday, After our up, and up, my wife and I turned around at Templin Highway due to babysitting constraints. We turned around, and headed to the all famous "Peet's Coffee House". Once there, riders from every direction seemed to trickle in.

    
       A friend of ours found himself with a flat tire upon arrival at the coffee house. I offered some patches and my tools. When he questioned where my second tyre lever was, I replied, "I only use one". That might have been the wrong thing to respond with. Before I knew it, he glanced at my Velofix jersey and I found myself scouring his tire for the culprit. Alas, I found the glass that had snuggled its way through the tread and into the tube. A quick scuff, a patch, and my CO2 had him ready for the road in no time at all.  The thing bout Velofix is that when you need service, we drive to you. I never really thought about a cycle service until today. :)

       I wanna thank Rod for the picture, and the opportunity to beat my wife's "Flat Tire Repair Time". Along with Paul Chi
a for organizing a great Saturday group ride.