Cadence Cycling – WOW!
Some major props are in order. People who know me know that I like sharing my opinions. There are plenty of places on-line where you can find reviews of triathlon-related products or services. I think I’m going to add some of my own to this blog. You know I love my Guru Crono. I’ve made it clear how strongly I recommend Chris Bergland’s book (and website), The Athlete’s Way. I’ve also praised JackRabbit Sports a bunch of times and reviewed a couple movies (here and here).
The following is my review of Cadence Cycling and Multisport Center, a Philadelphia-based bike/multisport store that recently opened shop in Tribeca:
During my ride on Wednesday morning, I noticed that my handlebar tape was really worn down. It was a particularly humid morning, so my hands were really sweaty, and I couldn’t get a good grip on the aerobars. Because I don’t wear gloves when I train – and won’t during the race – this was a problem that needed to be solved before next Sunday. Also, I noticed that my chain felt and sounded a little strange in certain gears. I know I could change the bar tape myself, but I’ve never done it before and this isn’t the time to learn. Also, the bike does have nearly 1,400 outside miles on it and about 75 trainer hours and had never been serviced, so it seemed prudent to have someone check out the chain and generally give the bike a once-over.
Unfortunately, I don’t have a “regular” bike shop. As you know, I bought my bike from Jackrabbit Sports, but they’ve since shut down their bike operations. There are a few other bike shops in the neighborhood, but I’ve never been really impressed with the service or employees at any of them. R&A is a great shop – that’s where I bought the race wheels – and they sell Gurus, but they’re in Brooklyn, which would involve a subway ride. Cadence doesn’t sell Gurus, but they’re a really high end shop and I trusted them to help. Also, at the Prospect Park Duathlon in March, I met Mikael Hanson, the guy who is running their New York coaching and training programs. I also randomly rode with him in the Park a few months ago. He seemed like a nice guy and from what he told me, the store was going to be pretty sweet. This would also give me a chance to check out the store.
I called them up on Thursday and described what I was looking to have done. The assistant manager, Jimmy, was super friendly and helpful on the phone and told me that if I dropped it off Friday morning, it would be ready that afternoon. So, yesterday morning I rode down there and dropped it off. Right from the moment I walked in, everyone was great – they acted like they wanted to help out. Wow! That’s not the situation at most bike shops! I brought my bike to Mark, the mechanic, and talked with him for a few minutes. He actually listened to my questions and concerns – again, pretty unusual for a bike shop! (He immediately put my bike up on the work stand and after a quick examination, he confirmed that my chain was done, and, because I’d rode the bad chain for too long, my cassette also needed to be replaced. Bummer, but now I’ve learned to have the chain checked out every 1,000 or so miles. Replacing the chain at that point should give the cassette a considerably longer life.)
Then, I got a tour of the facility. Their goal is to offer the “whole package” to athletes – particularly cyclists and triathletes. They offer personal training and coaching, group classes, biomechanical testing, nutrition advice, and I’m sure some other services I’m forgetting. They have a huge CompuTrainer room where you bring your own bike participate in group classes on individual CompuTrainers; they have a small weight room; they have a testing room for Max V02 and Blood Lactate Threshold testing; they’re installing a double-wide endless pool; they even have locker rooms and shower facilities. You can leave your bike there between classes, so you don’t have to bring it home. The whole facility is clean and modern and fancy looking. Of course, they also have a store – and they specialize in high end stuff. They don’t sell Guru bikes, but the brands of bikes they do carry (Cervelo, BMC, Cyfac, Kuota) is a pretty exclusive list. And they have sell about everything else a cyclist or triathlete would need to get on the road. They don’t have running shoes or running clothing, and I don’t particularly like the brands of triathlon clothing that they carry (Zoot, Craft and Orca), but those are three very popular brands and just my preference. JackRabbit doesn’t need to fear losing my business! Walking to work after dropping off my bike, I was already a big fan. But, just wait.
I went back last night to pick up the bike. The bar tape looked great and the new chain and cassette were shiny and new. Mark came out and told me that the bike was in good shape and ready to go. He nonchalantly said he’d tightened a few things and made some adjustments. The bike looked great, but this is where the story gets really impressive – during my ride today, I noticed just how much he’d done and how carefully he’d gone over the bike. For example, when I fell at Lake Placid, I tore up the bar-end shifters pretty badly. They had some pretty rough edges. I kept meaning to sand them down, but never got around to it. He did that. He also, tightened and trimmed the zip ties holding my computer and speed and cadence sensors in place. He got dirt and grime out of the tight places in the crank arms and derailleurs. He tightened bolts on my aerobars. All this was stuff that needed to be done and he just did it. Maybe all bike shops do that as part of a “basic” tune-up (which is what I was charged for and there weren’t extra labor fees for the bar tape or chain/cassette replacement), but I really feel like Cadence went above and beyond. I think the fees for the bike service were totally fair.
All that was a very long way of saying that I now have a bike shop in New York and I would definitely recommend that local triathletes and cyclists should stop in there and check it out. It’s not a cheap place to shop and the services they offer are expensive, but if you want high-end gear or services, you often get what you pay for. If the rest of what Cadence offers lives up to the standards they set for me yesterday, I’d guess Cadence is worth it.
Stretching/Core – July 13
Time: 30 mins.
Brick – July 14
Total Time: 2:09:34
Average heart rate: 138
Bike:
Distance: 32.9 miles
Time: 1:36:02
Average heart rate: 135
Course: Route 9W
Transition: 3:32
Run:
Distance: 4 miles
Time: 30 minutes
Average heart rate: 150
Course: Fort Lee, NJ
Conditions: hot, sunny