Cannondale is at BioWheels-Asheville

The US is very proud of our greatest bike company, Cannondale, and BioWheels is proud to represent Cannondale! They have been hand building world-class racing bikes with American talent since 1971, and they were the American originators of large-scale bicycle racing sponsorship on the road & dirt. Cannondale’s Regional Manager, Charles Stanley, puts it this way:

“We are a company of innovation and setting trends. We were the 1^st American bike company to sponsor a European team (Saeco) and race in the Tour de France. We also set the trend for big-budget mountain bike teams with Volvo/Cannondale. We have brought unknown riders to the forefront of the sport. Mario Cippolini, Missy Giove, Alison Syder, Anne Caroline Chaunson, and Tinker Jaurez, to name a few…Our research and development department is testing well above industry standards to insure that the bikes and the parts we put on them will exceed all racer and customers expectations. Whether you ride road or mountain you will be faster on a Cannondale. That is our purpose!”

You owe it to yourself to check out one of these bikes:

On the road, the Cannondale Synapse series bikes are built for comfort while still light, making them well-suited for training in the mountains. Many BioWheels racers utilize the Cannondale CAAD9 bikes for their stiffness & lightweight. The cutting edge Cannondale SystemSix technology melds an alluminum rear triangle with carbon main tubes - “The result is the lightest, stiffest, most explosive bike we’ve ever made”. The Cannondale SuperSix is the full-carbon result of 20 years of pro peloton racing!

On the dirt, the Cannondale Scalpel XC race bike is redesigned for 2008 - “More travel, lighter, stiffer”. the Cannondale Rush is a great endurance racing & riding machine. The Cannondale Prophet is an ideal do-it-all rig for the trails of Western NC and beyond. with full-suspension mountain bikes starting at just $1379 for 2008, you just need to chose how much travel you want. Their hard tails are still among the best in the business. From the race-ready Cannondale Taurine, to the awesome Cannondale 29′er Caffeine series, it’s obvious that this company has figured out some things!

BioWheels-Asheville has access to Cannondale’s entire line of handbuilt bikes, but we focus our inventory on the best for WNC. Stop by for a test ride. We usually have a demo bike available.

2008 Cannondale Synapse 3

I love all disciplines of cycling but when it comes down to it, I’m a mountain biker at heart. It’s easy to see why I was so drawn to BioWheels and it’s well known off road racing program when I first moved to Asheville almost two years ago. While my friends and I spend most of our time “riding bikes in the woods” as I’m known for saying, I certainly felt left out on the occasional group road ride. While I had a cyclocross bike for a short time it left me wanting a dedicated road bike that fit me so that I could train easier for my XC and endurance racing events.

Now as an employee of BioWheels I have a vast selection of bikes to choose from and once I waved a sad goodbye to my ‘cross bike I had the funds to pull the trigger on a true road bike. As you might guess I spent a lot of time researching what bike would be best for me and my budget. I was pleasantly surprised to find that a Cannondale Synapse was well within my grasp and after weeks of deliberation I finally decided on a Synapse 3. I have owned 4 Cannondale mountain bikes so having a bit of brand familiarity was nice when venturing into virtually unknown waters.

The appearance of this bike is stealthy, a “raw carbon” finish with some grey and silver highlights makes for a sexy looking bicycle, it’s also worth noting that the bike comes in a vivid red as well. Looks aside after the first ride on this bike I knew I had made the right decision. The Synapse 3 is a full carbon road bike and the vibration dampening properties of said carbon became apparent instantly on my first descent down Elk Mountain Scenic Highway, a route known for it’s chattering effects on speedy cyclists. Power transfer is not an issue and within the first few pedal strokes it almost felt like I was cheating. Coming from an aluminum frame to a full carbon frame is certainly going to feel a lot differently for anyone but even compared to other all carbon rides I test rode the Synapse still feels snappy and a little more forgiving than the average racer’s carbon choice.

I won’t get into the Cannondale specific mumbo jumbo too much, their SAVE (Synapse Active Vibration Elimination) technology is certainly a marketing term to be certain, but I can say this much, IT WORKS! One quick point of interest is that their SAVE chain stays are taken almost directly from their off road counterpart, the Scalpel.

While I’m still honing in my on-road skills I certainly feel a lot more comfortable on this bike than my old aluminum ride. With a slightly longer than average wheel base descending on the steep stuff is confidence inspiring. While the Synapse is not marketed as a race bike, it could easily be set up as one as climbing and sprinting is of course a non-issue on this machine. I removed a large headset spacer that comes stock on the bike to create a more aggressive position and after doing so it’s easy to see why a Synapse could be set up for riders of varying styles.

While a great frame is the foundation to a great ride, components play a vital role in the overall ride quality. So what do you get for your money here? Well after seeing what came spec’d on this bike I was sold. Mavic Aksium wheels take up the rolling duty. The drive train is composed of Ultegra dérailleurs, Ultegra STI shifting and braking, and a Shimano non-series compact crank set takes the job of attaching your pedal choice to the bike. There is a triple crank set option for this particular model as well. While the rest of the build is made up with Cannondale branded parts, (which I might add are just fine), Cannondale did a wonderful job with spec’ing this bike and I’ve only felt the need to change the saddle and add a slightly different stem. The bottom line is that you’re getting a full carbon frame and a full Ultegra / Mavic kit for just over $2000. Not a bad deal at all.

Another huge selling point is Cannondale’s lifetime frame warantee, and for a full carbon frame this is considered to go above and beyond what most other manufacturers offer. Perhaps you’re already a dedicated roadie who’s looking for that perfect century bike, an enthusiast who’s ready for a carbon ride without breaking the bank, or just like me, a mountain biker with a need for superb ride quality and efficiency for your on-road training adventures. In either case look no further, the Cannondale Synapse line is for you. For more information on all 2008 Cannondale products please visit the cannondale website or better yet just stop in and talk to one of our knowledgeable sales staff. We still have a couple of left over 2007 models on sale looking for that perfect new home. -Ian B

Bianchi comes to BioWheels-Asheville

BioWheels-Asheville has added an exciting new bike line for 2008. Bianchi has joined BioWheels to bring Italian design and tremendous bikes to our customers. Bianchi bikes are unique, not just in styling but in history & technological development. If you peruse their line, you’ll find some of the best specialty bikes you’ve ever seen.

We are particularly excited about the Bianchi C2C (Coast-to-Coast) series. These bikes are designed for comfort without sacrificing performace and are available with any parts kit you can imagine in full-carbon, carbon-aluminum blends, and full-aluminum frames. The value-oriented Via Nirone models in this series give you Italian design with a great part spec.

Bianchi also offers a broad range of cyclocross, touring and commuter bikes. Some of these bikes are unique to Bianchi, and offer versatility and styling not found anywhere else - such as the Bianchi Milano series and Bianchi Pista track and Bianchi Cross bikes.

It has been said that Bianchi was the originator of the 29″-wheel mountain bike. This may or may not be true, but they certainly were amoung the first companies to offer a 29′er, and they continue to be the mainstay of their US mountain bike sales. They also offer a solid selection of 26-inch hardtails. You should see the Bianchi SOK 29er and the Bianchi DOSS series!

Come in or call BioWheels to check out our new Italian bikes!