Ben's Cycle Rides at Levis Mounds on MBC Grit

We at Ben's Cycle ride what we sell, particularly the Milwaukee Bicycle Company bikes we make. 

Dan's Grit on Levis Mound

From Matt taking the prototype Fugitive, the MBC gravel and touring bike, out for a 750-mile test ride, to Chris riding a Bruiser for his bike polo games, we use our experiences to develop bikes and improve our customers' performances. 

Last weekend, Dan took his Grit, the MBC steel 29er mountain bike, out to Levis Mound park to ride with some friends. Levis and Trow Mound trails in Clark County is some of the best mountain bike riding in the Midwest.

 
Dan said the trails were in great shape, and the Grit smoothly handled all the steep drops and climbing at Levis.

Ben's Bike Tech Part of Bike Polo National Championship Team

Chris Simpson, one of Ben's Cycles lead mechanics, went to Minnesota last weekend to promote Ben's at the National Hard Court Bike Polo Championships. 

He ended up playing for the team that won the national championship. 

Chris has been playing bike polo for years and used to live in Milwaukee. Eric Kremin, a former Ben's Cycle bike and wheel tech, and Brian Dillman  were the nucleus of a national championship team called the Beavers based in Milwaukee three years ago. 

Chris played with teams that were fierce rivals of the Beavers.

Kremin and Dillman moved out to San Francisco, they kept the Beavers team and continued the friendly rivalry. Kremin and the Beavers won the national championship again last year, making Kremin and Dillman repeat winners. 

Chris left Ben's on Friday and brought bike polo equipment and extra products to support riders at the national championships. Milwaukee Bicycle Company has long been a sponsor of bike polo and makes the Bruiser, a bike specifically designed for hard court polo. Kremin and other Ben's employees played a big role in designing the bike.

But when Kremin fell hard on Saturday morning and broke his shoulder, Dillman called his old roommate to fill in. Chris was able to use Kremin's bike and equipment since he hadn't planned on playing.

"We finished two games on Saturday for seeding on Sunday," Chris said. "We won both of those games, and I spent a lot of time knocking the rust off." 

Chris and his new teammates talked a lot on Saturday and by Sunday started to click together. 


"Playing defense made it easier," Chris said. "It's more my style. This team works so well together that everyone knows what to do. It was really easy to jump into this team and play with these guys."

The team ended up winning all of the matches on Sunday and winning the national title. Since worlds are in France, Chris doubts the team is going to go.

Maybe Chris should bring his bike next time. Just in case he needs to help a team win another national championship.

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. 

Ben's Cycle Gives Back to the Community

One of our favorite things to do as a bike shop is to support bike events throughout the Milwaukee area.

 


We recently went on the road to support the Highland Community School and their Bike Walk Eat event along the Hank Aaron trail. Our inventory manager Steve Zielke worked a Saturday to do safety checks on riders' bicycles. 

We also recently supported the Southside Bicycle Days, an event organized by the amazing people at the 16th Street Community Clinic. Ben's, DreamBikes, and other local shops fixed up bikes donated by the Milwaukee Police Department. Big kudos go to Carolyn at Coast In Bikes who did initial checks of at least 60 bikes the week before the event! 

Milwaukee Bicycle Co. Mettle Now in Stock in 53cm, 56cm and 59cm!

The Mettle, Milwaukee Bicycle Company's cyclocross bike, is now in stock at Ben's Cycle!

We just took delivery of 53cm, 56cm and 59cm frames from Waterford. Our current turn-around on new frames is only about 10 days, including any custom color of your choice. Cyclocross season is right around the corner!

The disc-brake Mettle could be the best cross bike you've ever ridden, stiff, supple, smooth in the corners. 

Matt's Tour Continues: Riding With Da Yoopers

Matt, our internet sales guy, is taking the Fugitive, Milwaukee Bicycle Company's new gravel/touring bike, out for a 650-mile test ride through Wisconsin and Michigan. 

He left last Saturday from Milwaukee, rode through Wisconsin to Michigan, around the tip of Lake Michigan, and is now cruising south. 

He sent photos of his trip through the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Matt said Michigan state parks are awesome and worth a trip. For bike campers, the parks always make room, even if the campground is full. 

Milwaukee Bicycle Company Race Team Podiums at WORS #4

MBC Race Team rider Ron Knutkowski continued his strong season with a third place in the Comp division 35-39 age group. 

MBC Race Team rider Ron Knutkowski

Knutkowski, who has been on the podium for every WORS race he's entered this year, was only a minute back from the win. He was ninth overall in the Comp division, one of the fastest of the WORS categories.

The Red Eye Rendezvous in Wausau, Wisconsin, is the fourth of the WORS series races. 

MBC riders are gearing up for the fifth race of the WORS series in Eau Claire and then the Subaru Cup at Cascade Mountain. 

Knutkowski on the podium. Again!

Don't Tell the Boss: First Look at Fugitive

So the prototype for the Fugitive, Milwaukee Bicycle Company's new gravel bike arrived at the shop yesterday to be built up and tested.



And maybe the boss told me not to take any photos yet. 


But maybe I got too excited about the bike, and maybe walked by when he wasn't around and took a couple of pictures of the Fugitive.

Maybe I was dreaming about long rides on rough roads in comfort with the steel fork, longer chain stays, raised bottom bracket, and disc brakes.


But if the boss sees this post, I'm going to ask forgiveness rather than permission. 



The Fugitive will be worth it.  

The Mettle May Just Be the Perfect Cyclocross Race Bike

The Mettle, Milwaukee Bicycle Company's new cyclocross race bike, might just be the perfect cross bike. 

Crossers have always loved the feel of a steel bike but bemoaned the lack of stiffness or the straight head tube. And racers have often disliked the ride of aluminum and the cost of carbon. 

But the Mettle is different. The Mettle combines the ride feel of steel with the near stiffness of aluminum or carbon. And a full Ultegra-equipped Mettle will be less than $2,500. 

Here's what you need to know: 

1. The bike is made of OX Platinum steel from True Temper in Waterford, Wisconsin.This tubing is stiff, lively, and has a compliant ride. For cyclocross, ride quality matters a lot more than the lightness of carbon. This bike frame is everything you need and more in a high-quality cross race bike.

2. The frame has double-butted down, top, and seat tubes. We also widened the top and down tubes from 28.5 mm (1 1/8 inches) to 35 mm for the down tube and 31.8 for the top tube. This means added stiffness from our previous version. 

3. The chain stays are externally tapered, ovalized, and dimpled. The disc brake tab is ISO-standard. The rear brake cable is routed on top of the top tube to allow easy shouldering of the bike in run-ups.

4. Customers can choose any solid color for their frame. Adding panels will cost extra. 

5.  The frame alone weighs 4.4 pounds. Together with the Whiskey 7 fork, Cane Creek headset and seat collar, the weight comes to 5.5 pounds. 

6. While many customers purchased the older version of the cross bike, which came out in 2012, to use as a touring bike; the Mettle is still a versatile bike, it is designed for cyclocross racing. Milwaukee Bicycle Company will release its gravel bike, the Fugitive, in late summer(crossing our fingers, earlier), and that bike will be an excellent choice for touring, gravel racing, commuting, and general riding. 

7. Ben's will have frames in 53, 56, 59cm sizes by the end of June or first week of July; 50 and 62cm sizes will arrive a few weeks after. Customers can place their orders through the Ben's Cycle website. 

8. The geometry of the bikes will be the same as previous models of the cyclocross bike. The geometry was thoroughly researched and tested in race conditions to provide the perfect fit for a cyclocross racer. 

9. The new Mettle was designed and refined through racer feedback of the previous cyclocross bike. MBC tapered the head tube to allow for a tapered carbon fork and added stiffness. We also increased the diameter of the top and down tubes for additional stiffness. 

10. Check the internet. Look for semi-custom high-quality cyclocross race bikes. The Mettle has everything a discerning and fast cross racer needs : stiffness, snap, a pliable ride, custom builds.  Starting build costs for complete bikes include everything except pedals. Customers can also choose to upgrade and change build kits. 

Shimano Sora group:      $coming soon
Shimano Tiagra group:    $coming soon
Shimano 105 group:       $coming soon
Shimano Ultegra group:  $coming soon

Introducing the Mettle Cyclocross Bike... Start Drooling

We introduce to you the Mettle. 

The 2014 Milwaukee Bicycle Company Mettle. A true cyclocross race bike.

The USA made Mettle frame features a full OX Platinum tubeset as our original cross frame; but has a larger diameter top and down tubes for increased stiffness. Add a new tapered head tube for the stiffest, strongest carbon forks, and you have a bike that rides like steel with near stiffness of aluminum. 

We re-designed the Mettle to have a tapered head tube.

The Mettle features a thin stainless

 steel plate to protect the frame from the rotor during wheel changes. 

Disc-brake tab drop-out

Information updates HERE
 
Be Different. Ride a Milwaukee. 

Too Old to Ride? Jim Marx Destroys That Excuse

The gray-haired man who passed you on the Oak Leaf Trail? The same guy bombing down the gravity trails at The Rock? The same guy who rolls his mountain bike through the singletrack at the Kettles?

His name is Jim Marx. And we at Ben's Cycles were pleased he chose a Milwaukee Bicycle Company cyclocross frame as his road bike.

Marx is almost 70, yet he rides a bike every day. This morning, for example, he was out on the Alpha Trails at The Rock and rode a double black (or really, really hard) section of the downhill. 

Marx has been putting a lot of miles on bicycles in Wisconsin for the last 40 years. 

He started with the Wisconsin chapter of the National Mountain Bike Patrol in 2006, but since then has helped expand the bike patrol to non-mountain biking events, including triathlons, marathons, adventure triathlons, and the Wisconsin Cycling Association cyclocross series. 
 
 Last weekend, he patched up a member of the Milwaukee Bicycle Company racing team at a mountain bike event at Emma Carlin after a hard crash. He's a first responder on a bike.

He bought his Milwaukee Bicycle Company cyclocross frame 18 months ago and built it up over the winter in 2012.

His first ride on the MBC? A 450-tour across central Florida. He was 68 years old. 
 
"I built up the cross frame as a touring bike," he says. He put on front and rear racks, built up high-quality wheels with White hubs, and put wider tires on the rims. 

He bought a second MBC bike for his wife last year for a 40th anniversary gift. Since his wife has some challenges lifting her leg over a regular frame, Marx said Vince at Ben's helped design a frame that met her needs. 

"The Milwaukee gave me the opportunity to have a more pliable steel frame that felt good under me," Marx says. "I like the quality of the MBC. The cross frame worked really well for me."

Milwaukee Bicycle Company frames and forks are manufactured in Waterford, Wisconsin and sold through Ben's Cycles in Milwaukee. Customers at Ben's are able to customize paint, components, and styles. 

This is the first in a series of Milwaukee Bicycle Company customer profiles. If you have an MBC with an interesting story, contact us!

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

Spring Is Just Around The Corner

To say the least, this has been a long, challenging winter. So far, the coldest Milwaukee winter in 32 years. For those of us still embarking on winter riding and commuting-- studded tires, multiple layers and balaclavas have gone from a good idea, to practically daily riding essentials. With blizzard-like conditions hitting the city today, we want to remind everyone that spring can't be too far off, and warmer days will inevitably arrive; outdoor t-shirt and jersey riding is just around the corner.

When the weather finally permits, don't be without a ride to match. We currently have a couple great in-store sales running on in-stock inventory, including 20%-40% off 2013 and older model bikes, as well as a $500 gift card deal with the purchase of any 2013 or older Cervelo. A great price on a bike for just about anyone. Feel free to stop in or give us a call (414-384-2236), and we'll get you geared up so not to miss those first few nice weather days.




 

Milwaukee-bred Beavers Featured in GQ

From left to right: Joey Halvorsen, Brian Dillman, and Eric Kremin (Photo Credit: Matthew Reamer)

2013 world bike polo champions, The Beavers, were just spotlighted in a feature article in GQ magazine. As many of you know, The Beavers' Eric Kremin was a bike mechanic in our shop for a number of years until relocating to San Fran last spring. Milwaukee Bicycle Co. has been a longtime sponsor of the Milwaukee-rooted team and we couldn't be prouder of The Beavers' accomplishments and continued dedication to the sport of bike polo.

Milwaukee Bicycle Co. Frames in Production

  Our painter has been very busy lately!  Head over to Ben's Cycle to start your own Milwaukee Bicycle Co. build.