Race With a Friend! Cross the Rock Relay Aug. 30!

Some things are better done with a partner. 

And Team Velocause is giving you a chance to pair up with someone to race cyclocross at The Rock!

Velocause, one of the teams sponsored by Ben's Cycle, is promoting Cross the Rock, a cyclocross relay race on August 30. Each person does one lap, then dismounts from the bike, and high fives the partner who goes on to do the next lap.

Save time by registering early.

Plus, there is a patio bar at The Rock, in Franklin, laser-cut trophies, and a DJ putting out the sound on the hill! 

We will be there supporting the racers and perhaps sampling what the Umbrella Bar has to offer!

CX Tape: Belgian Tape for Cross Tubulars

The only time our Milwaukee Bicycle Company racer Paul has ever had a broken bone in a cyclocross race (collar bone) was because of a rolled tubular tire.

boyauxbandit.blogspot.com

boyauxbandit.blogspot.com

While tubulars are by far your best option for racing cross, gluing the tires can be a challenge to get just right so that the tire doesn't roll off the rim at the wrong moment.


Ben's is running a special on tubular gluing right now to help you get ready for the cross season. Gluing tubulars is messy and best left to professionals to make sure the tire stays on the rim.

The key product in the gluing process is CX Tape, a double-sided tape that is wrapped around the rim to ensure the tire never rolls off. 

We have a love/hate relationship with CX Tape: if we ever need to change tires, the tape is a beast to remove. But that's the exact reason it works so well. In two years of racing wheels glued with CX Tape, we've never rolled a tire. The stuff works. 

Ben's stocks CX Tape in two-tire rolls for $7.99, available in the store or online.  

crossbikereview

It's the closest thing to a guarantee that your tubulars will never roll off the rim when you're flying around a corner. 

Milwaukee Bicycle Company Launches Facebook Page

The Milwaukee Bicycle Company has launched a new Facebook page!

On it, you'll find news, information, and special offers for the famous Milwaukee Bicycle Company bicycles and brand merchandise. 

Fugitive

Milwaukee Road

The Milwaukee Bicycle Company recently released the Mettle, its race-ready cyclocross bike. The Fugitive, the MBC gravel/touring bike, is schedule to arrive in early September. 

The Mettle

MBC supports the Milwaukee Bicycle Company Racing Team, a group of riders racing cross, mountain, and road bikes. 

Grit

MBC also has a number of events planned: 

• cyclocross clinics on August 11, 18, and 25 at Kosciuszko Park. 

• Cross-Shooshko Cyclocross Race Oct. 4, 2014 at Kosciuszko Park.

 

• a fat tire bike race this winter. 

Ben's and Milwaukee Bicycle Company Offer Cross Clinics

Cyclocross is the fastest growing type of racing in the U.S.

And it's the most fun you can have on two wheels. 

Cross racing is typically held in parks, where cyclists ride over grass, through sand, around obstacles, pick up the bike and run up hills and over barriers. It's generally an obstacle course on bikes. 

Curious? 

The Milwaukee Bicycle Company Racing Team, supported by Ben's Cycle and Milwaukee Bicycle Company, is hosting a series of cyclocross clinics in August to teach beginners the basics of cross.

These clinics, held on three consecutive Mondays, focus on the skills you'll need to try out cross for the first time.

Races last 30 minutes for beginners so while the ride is a challenge, it doesn't require huge training or a huge commitment of time. 

At the very least, learning to race cyclocross helps you develop cornering and riding skills, while also learning how to handle your bike on different surfaces.

 

The experienced riders of Milwaukee Bicycle Company Racing Team, which races cross, mountain bike, and road events throughout the Midwest, is hosting the clinics. The team, which promotes the Milwaukee Bicycle Company bikes including the Mettle, the cyclocross race bike, is also promoting the Cross-Shooshko Cyclocross Race Oct. 4.

Here is the Wisconsin Cycling Association schedule of races. Here is the Chicago Cross Cup schedule.

Ben's Employee Ian Haupt on Way to International Junior Race

While most of his graduating class at Whitefish Bay High School is going away to college in the fall, Ian Haupt, 18, is going to race his bike. 

Haupt, who works summers at Ben's Cycle, is heading this weekend to the biggest race of his career so far: the international  junior Tour de l'Abitibi in Quebec. The race, held since 1969, has been the launch pad for numerous cycling professionals over the years. 

Haupt and his ISCorp teammates leave Friday for the seven-stage race that runs from July 21 to 27. Teams from around the world come to participate.

Ian riding for my wife inc cyclocross in 2013.

While l'Abitibi is the biggest road race of Haupt's career, he is no stranger to success on his bike. He has been a national cyclocross champion, winning the boys 13-14 division.

And he's won numerous events both in cross and mountain bike as a junior. He finished 10th as a 17-year-old in the 17-18 division of cross nationals two years ago, after spending much of the season nursing a sore back. Last year, he faced similar physical challenges and missed nationals.

This year, though, he has his sights set high for cross. His long-term goal is to complete as an under-23 elite racer in Europe for the U.S. team. Given his past success, his goal is achievable. 

"Road racing is something that seemed to help my competitors in cross last season," Haupt said. "I feel stronger and faster after a season of road."

Haupt started as a Cat. 4 on the road even though he is an elite mountain biker and Cat. 2 cyclocross racer. He quickly moved up based on his results and now races as a Cat. 2 on the road as well. 

"In mountain biking, there aren't really tactics," Haupt said about other benefits of racing the road. "In road, it is a different way of thinking about a race. With cross, there is some strategy that I can use."

Haupt graduated from Whitefish Bay High School last June. He played varsity soccer as a freshman but stopped playing after his junior year in order to race cross. He will take two classes this winter as a part-time student at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. In his spare time, he listens to a lot of music, plays guitar, and watches Arsenal soccer matches.

Ben's/MBC: Your Source For Cyclocross

The cyclocross season starts in just over two months, and Ben's/ Milwaukee Bicycle Company is your source for everything you need!

For those of you who don't know about cross, racers get to ride usually in parks, over grass, sand, pavement, and mud. They are forced to get off their bikes and run over barriers and up hills. It's a bit of NASCAR, steeplechase, and a bike obstacle course all mixed up in a crazy blend of fun on bikes. 

The cross season typically starts in September and runs until the national championships in the U.S. in January. So that means cross weather can be beautiful, warm, and sunny or it can be cold, icy, and snowy, or somewhere in the middle. 

It's an awesome sport, one for everyone to try at least once. 

Here's are ten great reasons to rely on Ben's and Milwaukee Bicycle Company to support you during the whole cross season.
1. Our Mettle, the Milwaukee Bicycle Company cyclocross bike, is one of the best cross bikes available. 
2. We stock Specialized Crux bikes in both aluminum and carbon. We also stock the Focus Mares cross bikes, and we can order a variety of other bikes for you. 
3. We run a series of cyclocross clinics that start in August. Details coming soon!
4. The Milwaukee Bicycle Company sponsors Cross-Shooshko, a cyclocross race Oct. 4 at Kosciusko Park. Details coming soon.
5. We build disc and non-disc wheels with your choice of hubs (Chris King, White, Shimano, DT Swiss), spokes, and rims for clincher, clincher tubeless, and tubular.
6. We glue tubular cross tires.
7. We stock a huge variety of tubular and clincher tires, wheels, shoes, cleats, and other bike parts for the cross season.
8. We offer specials during the season on bike cleaning where you bring your bike in on Monday, we clean the mud and grime off, re-lube the chain and cables, adjust the brakes, and get the bike back to you Tuesday or Wednesday. 
9. Our highly-trained mechanics are able to fix any problem you bring us, including mechanical and hydraulic disc brake issues. 
10. Our shop-sponsored team, the Milwaukee Bicycle Company Race Team, has some of the best cross racers in the region and will race throughout the Midwest. 

Thinking of Cyclocross: A Review of the Specialized Crux

Cyclocross Magazine reviewed the Specialized Pro Race Crux in a recent issue, and we're reposting it here. 

While the reviewed bike is the super duper high-end cross race bike, Specialized also has the same frame with different levels of components at a lower cost. 

This is the frame I rode last year, and until we get the Milwaukee Bicycle Company Mettle, is by far the best cross race bike I've been on. I've ridden a variety of other brands, and the carbon Crux is the lightest, stiffest, and most responsive bike. 

I built it up with SRAM Force components, Avid BB7 brakes, and a Giro cockpit. I had zero issues with the bike during the season, including the disc brakes. 

It rides long, in that it carves through corners rather than twitches through them. When you come into a corner, the frame is so stiff, you rocket out of the corner as soon as you stand on the pedals. 

The front end is stiff, yet compliant in rough conditions. I felt completely secure in navigating steep, rutted, technical downhill sections. The bike felt perfectly balanced. 

I'm keeping the Crux as my road bike. The Mettle is going to be the race bike of the future, and I can't wait to ride steel again. 

For those of you who need carbon for cross, the Crux is really the only bike you need to try. 

Come to Ben's to try out our line of Milwaukee Bicycle Company, Specialized, and Focus cyclocross bikes as well as tires and all the other gear you'll need for your cross season. It's never too early to get ready for cyclocross! 

Milwaukee Bicycle Company Racing Team

Do you want to become a better mountain biker or cyclocross racer? This spring, we are launching the Milwaukee Bicycle Company Racing Team for mountain bike and cyclocross racing.

The Milwaukee Bicycle Company Racing Team is open to everyone who wants to ride. We offer clinics, group rides, races, and the opportunity to improve your skills and hang out with other riders.

Seasonal dues are $90 and include one team jersey. You’ll get significant discounts on Milwaukee Bicycle Company frames. You’ll also get discounts on team clinics and parts through Ben’s Cycles in Milwaukee

Milwaukee Bicycle Company Racing Team

• Steep discounts on Milwaukee Bicycle Company frames;
• Discounts on Milwaukee Bicycle Company/Ben’s kits;
• Discounts on mountain bike and cyclocross clinics;
• Discounts on all parts, including wheels, for your MBC frame at Ben’s;
• If you race at least five WORS or mountain bike races and/ or at least six Wisconsin Cycling Association or Chicago Cyclocross Cup cyclocross races, you can be eligible for a partial refund of your entry fees based on a percentage approved at the end of the season.

Team dues: $90 per year per rider includes team jersey

Rider Responsibilities:

• Register on USA Cycling for the Milwaukee Bicycle Company Racing Team when you buy your cycling license;
• Wear your Milwaukee Bicycle Company/Ben’s kit at all events and races;
• Represent the Milwaukee Bicycle Company Racing Team responsibly and professionally at all events. The team and/ or Ben’s has the right to remove anyone from the team for violating this responsibility. We also have the right to decline membership to any applicant.
• Note: The discounts only apply to MBC frames.
• We expect you to volunteer your time at team races and events. (We hold one cyclocross race in the fall at Kosciuszko Park in Milwaukee plus more events in the future.)

For more information and a team application, contact Paul Warloski at pwarloski@gmail.com

Recent Build: Milwaukee Bicycle Co. Disc Cyclocross

    Our customer chose this color to replicate a '69 Dodge Charger, and we must say it turned out great!  

Cyclocross Sale!

The first races of the 2013-14 cyclocross season are finished, and Ben's Cycles is ready to meet all of your cross needs for the rest of the season and beyond.

1. We are running a 25 percent sale on all cross products, including bikes, tires, wheels, and clothing in current stock!

2. We stock Specialized and Focus cross bikes, including bikes equipped with disc brakes. Plus we can order bikes and get them quickly. We even have a few pre-ridden Focus bikes!

3. We have a pretty big stock of cross tubulars! Challenge, Clement, and Vittoria!

4. We have cross wheels or 29er wheels ready for your cross ride.

5. We can build wheels exactly to your specs. If you want disc wheels, clinchers, we can build up wheels with pretty much whatever parts you choose.

6. Tubulars a little light on glue? Haven't reglued them for a few years? Bring them into the shop, and we'll glue your tubulars just right for cross racing!

7. We have a $40 offer for cleaning, re-lubing, and maintaining your cross bike after a muddy, dirty weekend. Bring it in on Monday, we'll wash it, re-lube everything, remove the bottom bracket and re-lube that as well, even adjust your brakes.

Ben's recently built up a carbon Specialized disc Crux for me. We had several sets of wheels built with Shimano hubs, Avid discs, and Velocity rims for a lot less than buying them somewhere else! Come see my rigs and wheels at the Trek CXC races this weekend in Waterloo and see some great pro and amateur cross at the Trek factory.

Cyclocross Bike Cleaning and Tune-Up

It's fall, and that means it's cyclocross season!

The Wisconsin Cycling Association's season has begun. The second race of the series, in Lake Geneva, was a cold, wet, and muddy race!

So Ben's is offering a special deal for cross racers throughout the fall: Bring in your cross bike (hopefully you've removed the big mud chunks!). We'll clean it, lube it, remove the bottom bracket to clean and re-lube, adjust brakes and gears and get it back to you in two days.

All of this for $40!

The worst thing you can do to your cross bike is let it sit muddy and neglected after a hard race. You cleaned up and showered: your bike should get the same treatment.

Spending $40 to get your bike cleaned and lubed is a lot cheaper than replacing parts when the dirt and grit build up in the drivetrain and any moving parts.

Call the shop for details!

Cyclocross Gear: Bikes

Cyclocross gear for 2013

Buying a bike:

You have numerous options to get a bike for the 2013 season.

Retrofit Something Old

If you are new to the sport and have never tried cross, I’d suggest borrowing a friend’s cross bike or use a mountain bike or hybrid. Get out to a cross practice or a race and give it shot. Wisconsin races now have a category 5 beginner’s class. Or if you’re older you can join in the masters category 4 race.

The biggest difference upgrade you can make will simply be the tires. If you can get some cyclocross knobby tires 32-33 mm wide, you’ll be fine for your first clinic or race. (See the tire section for choices.)

Buying Something New

If you’ve tried out cross and would like to buy a bike, again, you have several options. One of the awesome things about a cross bike is that you can use it for commuting and touring as well if you choose!

The first decision you make is frame material, and that decision really comes down to the money you want to spend. There are four basic kinds of frame materials:

- Steel: great feel, very comfortable and compliant. Can be heavy and not as stiff as other materials. Steel is usually reasonably priced.

- Aluminum: Lightweight, stiff. Lighter than steel but a less comfortable feel. Aluminum is typically fairly cheap.

- Titanium: Comfortable, stiff, Weighs about the same as aluminum. Fairly expensive.

- Carbon: Very lightweight, very stiff, comfortable ride. More expensive.

Aluminum/ Steel for Your First Bike

If this is your first cross bike, and you are working with a budget, I’d consider three different bikes from Ben’s:

1. The Milwaukee Bicycle Company cross bike. This is a ridiculously comfortable steel bike that corners like a dream. You can make it lighter by ordering lighter weight parts, but this will also drive up the price.

2. Specialized CruX alloy (aluminum). Many people will talk about the “geometry” of a cross bike. That essentially means how the builders use angles to put the frames together. Specialized got this dead-on right. The E5 alloy frame is responsive, fairly lightweight, and stiff. I use it also as my road bike!

3. Focus AX-1. Focus, a German manufacturer, redesigned the AX-1 this year. I rode these last year and really enjoyed the stiffness and the slightly more aggressive geometry, which means the head tube is a little shorter and you can dive into corners. Focus has not yet come out with the 2014 models, but Bens has several 2013 models available.

We can also order bikes from Surly, Salsa and some other manufacturers of reasonably-priced cross bikes.

Carbon: The Race Bike

The best all-out race bikes for cyclocross are made of carbon. While some may argue that steel is the ultimate frame material, carbon is lighter, stiffer, and more responsive. At Ben’s, we work primarily with three frame manufacturers: Specialized, Focus, and Foundry.

1. Specialized Carbon CruX. I’m building up mine now as we speak. It’s light, stiff, responsive. Great geometry that lends itself to great control going around corners and powering through straightaways. You can upgrade to the seriously stiff and light S-Works model.

2. Focus CX-1. Tight geometry. Light, incredibly stiff, and very responsive. I’ve ridden Focus CX and AX bikes, and they are incredibly responsive. They go exactly where you point them.

 3. Foundry Harrow and Auger. These two bikes are stealthy and beautiful. Foundry set out to make a no-nonsense carbon cross race bike in the Harrow and a solid cross bike in the Auger. Both have all the great characteristics of a race bikes. The Harrow frame is built up in the bottom bracket and front end to be stiffer and more responsive.

Components and Brakes

Two final decisions you will have to make for your cross rig are for parts and brakes.

1. Brakes: Traditionally cross bikes have always had center pull cantilever brakes for good stopping power in the mud. There are great options out there for you. TRP, Shimano, Avid, Paul, and other manufacturers all make great parts. Here is a Velonews review of canti brakes. If you buy a complete bike, obviously, brakes are standard.

In 2012, the UCI, the governing body of cycling, decided that cross bikes could have disc brakes. The advantages of discs are that you get much better stopping power in rain, mud, and snow. The downside is that they are heavier than cantis. While some companies like Avid have made discs for cross bikes for years, most manufacturers have released products this year for cross disc.

I chose to get disc brakes on my CruX bikes because of the control I get in wet conditions.

2. Components: You can spend as much as your heart desires on components. Again, complete bikes come with quality components. Shimano now has cyclocross-specific components as do many other companies. Since cross racing in tough conditions causes a lot of equipment failure, many cross racers - including me - go with less expensive but still good components, such as SRAM Force or Rival and Shimano Ultegra or 105 groups.

Cyclocross: The Specialized Carbon Crux Pro

Cyclocross Bike Review: The Specialized Carbon Crux Pro

Cross season is almost upon us. It's time to look at your bikes, wheels, tires, and other equipment to make sure you're ready.

Specialized released its carbon Crux last year to great reviews. With a slight redesign and new paint jobs, the new bikes for the 2013-14 season are stunning and will be available soon.

Specialized has spent a great deal of time and energy designing its Crux frame. I'm riding the alloy version now and it has amazing geometry that keeps me centered on the bike, able to make precise off-camber turns. The bike goes where I want it to go!

For a specific review, here is an article from Cyclingnews. My carbon Pro Disc Crux has already been ordered!

Stop in at Ben's Cycles pro shop to learn more about this bike and other cyclocross bikes! We also stock tubular and clincher tires and wheels, shoes, pedals. We'll review and recommend other cross products in future blog posts.

Here too is a profile of Rebecca Rusch's carbon disc crux that she used to win the Dirty Kanza 200 gravel bike race.

New Product in Stock: Cinelli MASH CX SS Framesets

We now have available in stock a full size run of Cinelli MASH CXSS framesets!

A new creation, based on collaboration with the MASH SF team: Singlepeed cyclocross frame made with Columbus Zonal triple-butted aluminum tubing

See our selection here.

Hot Off the Stand: Very Sharp OX Platinum Cross

Yet another hot cross bike leaving the shop, but not before it takes a stroll into the park.  We offer any color combination that you want to to make it your very own.

Cyclecross Special & More

Let the pros do it for you and while you're in the shop see our new selection of Ben's caps and water bottles. 

The new batch of caps and bottles will soon be available on our website, but if you can't wait stop on in!

Event: Learn to Race Cyclecross

Cross season is just around the corner and this is a great chance for any cyclecross racer to help hone in their skills for this coming season.  Come into the shop to get all your cross gear before it's too late!

Save the Dates!

• Sept. 11th - Dismounts, Remounts & Barriers
• Sept. 18th - Bike Handling & Cornering
• Sept. 25th - Starts & Strategy
• Oct. 2nd - Race Prep & Putting it all Together