Spring Days

Laid down about 20 miles of singletrack on Sunday.  A great start to the season.

Antonyo

Antonyo killz from Cole Ruffing on Vimeo.

Another one from MKE team rider Antonyo. Nice!

Milwaukee Bike Belt Drive Upgrade

Just picked up a MKE 29er frame after it received a belt drive upgrade! Ward is one lucky guy! He will be setting this up as a singlespeed with the new Gates Centertrack system, which allows the belt to stay on the sprockets without the use of guards. More pics to come!

Photo by John Prolly

Our good friend Pete from Cog also received the upgrade a couple of months ago and he's been clocking a ton of miles on it! More pics here. FYI, these couplers are installed by professional frame builders so rest assure that the installation is of the highest quality. Please contact us if you have any questions on putting a belt drive on your Milwaukee.

Eric Kremin's Milwaukee Polo Bruiser

Here's Eric's 'Deep Purple' Polo Bruiser. It has a flake finish so it shines in the sunlight. This is one fine looking bike!

He modified an Avid FR-5 so that it works both front and rear brakes, like the Paul Components Duplex lever. Pretty slick! Also combining Yokozuna brake cables/housing with Avid Single Digit Ultimate V brakes, Eric has made one strong brake set up. Check out or join Eric and the rest of the MKE Bike Polo crew out in Washington Park for some Sunday pick up games!

New Tricks for an Old Dog

Last October my brother Chris and I tagged along with some friends to Ray's MTB Park . After being off a BMX for over 15 years I wasn't sure I'd ride, I just wanted to see it. When I saw the park for the first time, my fear faded and I couldn't wait to start riding. Ray's Milwaukee has obstacles to ride for every level of rider. From beginner trails, jump boxes of all sizes, and even a full "skate-park" area with a mini bowl. It was slow going that first night (I was a little rusty and feeling old), but the next day I was tired like I'd been to the gym- it was a great work-out! So needless to say, I was hooked and have been riding there at least once a week since.

Realizing that I wanted my own bike instead of the rentals, I turned to Ben's Cycle to look for a park/dirt jump bike. They steered me towards the Specialized P1, a great entry-level bike that is upgradeable to adapt to your riding skill. It's strong and sturdy and the geometry of the P1 reminds me of an over sized BMX, but more forgiving. The 26 inch wheels allow you to roll or jump everything with ease. Having the dirt jump frame makes it feel as if you were riding your old BMX you had when you were a kid.

Now that I have become more comfortable riding the P1, I have seen my skill level increase every time I ride at Ray's MTB Park. The first couple of times I went to ride, I stuck to the beginner sections. The regular riders encouraged me to keep trying new things and improving. The vibe of the place helps you learn. Weeknights are not usually crowded. The Ray's staff and other riders are willing to help. I never thought I would be doing this in my mid 30's, but man it's fun!

Milwaukee 29er Build

Wow, Tomi sent us photos of his new Milwaukee 29er all built up and ready for some Finland trails. Check out more on his Flickr. Thanks for the pics!

Off Road Drop Bars

Took my new Bontrager Privateer 'Monster Cross' through the Oak Leaf trail a couple of weeks ago to hit up some singletrack (when there was snow) at Grant Park and the Seven Bridges Trail. This build/ride has a couple of firsts for me: 1. This is the first time using Dirt Drop handlebars off road, 2. I've been starting to use Revelate Design Bags on the trail. These two endeavors were sparked by two of my Madison friends registering for the Tour Divide race this summer. The idea of combining two of my favorite hobbies, camping and mountain biking, got me excited to try some new products!

I've used the dirt drop bars on a rando build so I'm very familiar to the shape and feel. I was a bit skeptical on using them off road but I was surprised in how well they handled. I didn't feel like I would slip and the wide ends helped on the climbs. Now, the ride quality rests a lot on the stem and how the rest of the bike is set up. After a couple of changes, I'm very happy with the build.
I plan on using this bike and set up for many gravel road rides/races this coming spring and summer. These bars would be great for touring and those long non-paved rides. We have WTB and Nitto RM-013 and RM-014 versions in stock with some Salsa ones coming in soon. It is quite the deviation from your traditional road bar but with certain set ups, they'll work perfectly. More on Revelate Bags and bike packing soon!...

Pedal Consumption New Site for 2012

Patrick's been working hard to get this up and running; click on over and check it out.

Rowerowa Szkola - March Bike Classes!

Just finished up the March schedule for our Bike School! We've had such a great response to all the classes and we want to invite more to enroll. March will also include weekend sessions for those who are not able to make it during the week. We've had to change the prices but all in all, we will continue with more sessions throughout the whole year! Contact me at 414-384-2236 ext 1007 or email bikeschool@benscycle.com if you want to learn more about your bike (or bikes)!

Nitto B259AA Recall Reminder

Just making sure everyone knows about this. Please pass the word. More information can be found HERE

Cycleops SL+ Powertap Hubs

Want a great deal on a 2011 Cycleops SL+ Powertap Hub?! In addition to this great price - Buy the hub, spokes and rim from us and we'll build it for FREE! See our Custom Wheel Builder for build options.