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New to the Road? Read This!


Ibis Silk Carbon (Holy S***!):
Yup, they're back. And the team consists of a fistful of dedicated, incredibly talented, and nice guys who have done lots of big important stuff in the bicycle industry. But they're all too modest to ever volunteer information like that. They have put all their smarts and riding know-how together and have conjured up this beautiful, incredible riding bike. You can get yours as a frame to hang on your wall as precious art, or we can build it with some real tasty components like an Easton fork and wheelset and 10-speed DA or Ultegra. Mmm, sounds good.


Specialized Specialized S-Works Tarmac SL (Holy S***! x 2):
Thirteen point seven pounds. Yes, 13.7 pounds. Not a typo. Our very own Cat 1 racer Neal (who also happens to be an engineer that rips apart any product that has marketing hype but no performance to back it up with) rode one and proclaimed the following, “That was the stiffest, fastest, most responsive, but somehow most comfortable freakin' bike I have ever ridden!” Neal does not get excited. Neal got excited. Everyone wants one, very few can afford it. This is the Ferrari Enzo of bicycles, except you can put a lot more worry-free miles on a Tarmac SL than anyone will ever put on an Enzo. Oh, and you can buy one of these for yourself and one each for 99 of your best pals for the same price as an Enzo.


Specialized Specialized S-Works Tarmac (Holy S***!):
This is a very fine bicycle. Lincoln, one of the coaches of the Solano Avenue Cyclery sponsored El Cerrito High School Mountain Bike team purchased one of these after having owned many other high-end carbon road frames from various manufacturers and liked it so much that he also bought an S-Works Roubaix for all-day rides. Obviously your $5,099 gets you full DA-10 but you also get full FACT carbon bars and stem, a Toupe saddle and Ksyrium ES wheels which are lighter and look slicker than the standard Ksyrium SSL's.


Specialized S-Works Tarmac E5 (Holy S***!):
Ferrari with two wheels? Yeah, that sounds about right. “How could it be,” you say? Well, how about a frame that is part carbon monocoque and part hand-welded E5 double-butted aluminum? Not good enough? Okay, add to that a full carbon fork, a carbon S-Works stem, carbon S-Works bars, Mavic's new Ksyrium SSL wheelset, leather S-Works saddle, and a full 2006 10-speed Shimano Dura Ace groupo, and you have, quite possibly the most advanced road bike on earth. Maybe anywhere in the Universe even. Well, okay, we heard that on X9-Gallaga-4 in the Delta-7 Quadrant they have an Unobtanium bike with a Foeschizzlized carbon fork, but unless you are an 800 foot-tall alien with 12 legs that bike is not gonna make you any faster. Independent testing showed that the E5 is actually the stiffest road bike on earth, and seems particularly suited to heavier riders who are tired of wobbly flexy frames. That said, if you are feeling like this bike has your name written all over it, then we'll let you in on a little secret: Compared to the SL, this bike is a bargain.


Specialized S-Works Roubaix (Holy S***!):
All-day ride your thing? Tired of riding a high-end “Race” bike that leaves you squirming around at 90 miles because your neck/back/arms/etc. are killing you? Not willing to take some other manufacturers bike with weird geometry that makes it handle like a beach cruiser once you get up to speed? Problem solved. The 2006 S-Works Roubaix is designed from the ground up as a bike with perfect handling and cornering, balanced with the utmost in technological advancements and top-notch equipment, all while delivering all-day performance and compliance like you have never experienced.


Specialized Langster ($$):
Oh man, where do we start here. Okay, this bike started as a single production run project in November 2003 and that was to be it. We immediately ordered nine of them for stock, and soon grabbed any remaining bikes that were still available. Needless to say, we weren't the only ones who liked this bike, and here we are with 2007's rapidly approaching and the Langster is still around. Not much has changed in terms of spec, and it comes with a flip-flop rear hub so you can run it freewheel or fixxy.


Specialized Roubaix Pro (Holy S***!):
The crew here at Solano Avenue Cyclery has more or less adopted the Roubaix as the road bike of choice. Charlie, Marty, Neal, and Eric are all aboard one model of Roubaix or another. This is interesting because Marty has a BMX background and mainly rides mountain bikes. Charlie is also an off-road kinda guy with a history of downhill racing. Neal is a Cat 1 road racer, and Eric hadn't ridden anything other than a BMX bike until 3 months ago and now almost keeps up with Neal and pretty much destroys everyone else at the shop on road rides (I hate 17 year olds…) Point being, the Roubaix has so much universal appeal that we have yet to meet somebody who doesn't love it. Never seen anything quite like it before, but we are very impressed. The Pro comes stacked with a full Dura Ace 20-speed groupo including the super-sweet DA wheelset, carbon FSA K-Force crankset, carbon S-Works stem and a pair of S-Works FACT carbon handlebars.


Specialized Ruby Expert - Women's ($$$$$):
You may very well know that Specialized doesn't just paint a men's bike pink and say, “WHOA! Look, a women's specific bike!” There is a whole team of female designers down in Morgan Hill who dream up and put together all the women's products from saddles to jerseys to complete bikes. Very cool, and very sensible. How does a 6-foot-four designer know what saddle should go on a 44cm road bike? Another big thing with Specialized is that every women's road bike has 700c wheels, even the smallest frame size. Most people don't realized that the easy way out of designing a small bike is using a small wheel, and that there is a huge impact on ride quality and how far you will go per pedal revolution. A rider with 650c wheels on her bike will have to work much harder to keep up with anyone riding 700c wheels. Not that you can't do it, but do you really want to? Okay, about this bike: Full 7r carbon women's specific frame, full carbon fork, carbon seat post, carbon compact FSA cranks, Shimano 600R wheels, Ultegra 10-speed drivetrain and brakes, women's Jett saddle, 4-way adjustable stem, women's Pro handlebars, and no pink paint jobs.


Specialized Roubaix Expert 30/20 ($$$$$):
Two versions of the Expert are available, the only real difference being that one comes with a 30-speed Ultegra drivetrain and the other with a 20-speed. The frame and fork remain the same as the Pro model, but it rolls on R600 wheels and steps down a bit to an FSA SL-K crankset and a Pro-Set stem and Zertz Pro handlebars. Every bit as compliant and easy to ride all day as the Pro, but at a price many more folks can justify. This might be the best bike for the money currently available from any manufacturer.


Specialized Tarmac Expert ($$$$$):
Here in the Bay Area there are lots of hills, so people seem to gravitate towards bikes with a 30-speed drivetrain versus just double front rings. But those select few that want a top-notch light weight carbon bike with race geometry, but don't want to suffer on beat up streets, the Tarmac offers a compliant ride with unsurpassed bottom bracket stiffness meaning the Tarmac will get up and go when you jump on the pedals but won't beat you up like an aluminum frame. The Expert comes with a full Ultegra 20-speed groupo, a Mavic Ksyrium Equipe wheelset and a titanium railed Alias saddle.


Specialized Ruby Comp - Women's ($$$$):
Same frame, fork, bars, stem, seat post and lack of pink paint job as the higher-dollar Ruby Expert, but with a full 10-speed 105 groupo an aluminum FSA compact crankset, Shimano WH-560 wheels, a Dolce women's saddle. This is our most popular women's specific road bike.



Specialized Roubaix Comp 30/20 ($$$$):
I admit it, one of my favorite things about the Comp Double is the Gerolsteiner paint job. Of course I have no problem with the full carbon fork and carbon seat post, 105/Ultegra 20- or 30-speed drivetrain, the FSA SL-K Carbon 2-piece cranks, or the fact that every bearing on this bike is a sealed cartridge unit, so when you go training in the wet your bearings won't be fried after half a dozen rides. Oh, and we get lots of people asking why there is a beer sponsor on the bike. Gerolsteiner is mineral water, not beer. Now ya know!


Specialized TriCross Comp ($$$):
For many years, we here at Solano Avenue Cyclery worked with our friend and local Pro racer Andy Jaques-Maynes. Almost the entire time he worked here he was also racing Pro (as in sponsored and traveling to races all over the country) AND getting “A's” at UC Berkeley on his way to an Engineering degree. Did I mention that he somehow did this while drinking Mountain Dew and eating Chili-Cheese dogs and Doritos from 7-11? I know, it doesn't make any sense to me either. Where am I going, you wonder? Well after Andy graduated from UCB he decided to retire from Professional racing to take a job at Specialized designing and spec'ing bikes (his “retirement” lasted about half a season and now he's kicking ass racing pro again). Specialized has been without a bike in the “Do-Everything” category for a long time, but Andy took all his racing knowledge and book smarts and done built his'self a mighty sweet ride. Fortunately for the rest of us, it is now available for purchase at Solano Avenue Cyclery. Bottom line is, the TriCross Comp works just as hard as Andy, is equally versatile, and is all smiles, all the time. If ever somebody translated themselves into a product, I believe Andy has become a TriCross.


Specialized Tarmac Comp ($$$$):
The Comp is the “Entry-level” Tarmac, which by no means makes it a low-end bike, just the most affordable model in the line-up. You get the same frame as the Expert and Pro models but to save some bucks this bike comes spec'd with a 20-speed 105 groupo and Mavic Aksium wheels. It still looks like a million bucks, it just doesn't cost a million bucks. Yeah!


Specialized Dolce Elite - Women's ($$$):
With the Dolce Elite you get all the same designed-by-women-for-women traits as will the more expensive Ruby line, but at a lower price point. Full aluminum frame, carbon fork legs on an aluminum steer tube, a 9-speed Shimano 105 groupo, and Alex brand wheels all help to knock about $900 off the price of the Ruby Comp.


Specialized Roubaix Elite 27 ($$$):
This bike makes us wonder if the number crunchers at Specialized have lost their marbles. What makes us think such crazy thoughts, you ask? Well let's see, full carbon 6r triple monocoque frame, full carbon fork, carbon seat post, a 27-speed 105 & Ultegra drivetrain with an FSA 2-piece crankset, an Alex ALX wheelset, Specialized Pro 4-way adjustable stem, and a Body Geometry Avatar saddle all for about the price of a Specialized Roubaix Pro frameset. It's madness, we know.


Specialized Roubaix ($$$):
If you are in the market for a bike that runs around a Grand, test ride this bike. Yes, it's a little more expensive, but we have seen so many people relieved they bought a Roubaix instead of a cheaper road bike with more aggressive geometry. The Roubaix is built on the same platform as the Roubaix Pro, but for 75% less money! An aluminum frame with carbon seat stays, a carbon fork and seat post, full 27-speed 105 drivetrain with FSA 2-piece crankset, 4-way adjustable Specialized Pro stem, and sealed bearing hubs on Alex rims make this a bike you can ride not just for hours on end, but one you can ride for hours on end, for years to come. Well thought out, and very aggressively priced. Check one out at Solano Avenue Cyclery.


Specialized Allez Elite Triple ($$$):
Need a fast, light bike that looks good but won't cost several thousand clams? The Allez Elite has been a favorite for years among Solano Avenue Cyclery shoppers for it's value and performance. An E5 Columbus aluminum frame, FACT full carbon fork, a full Shimano 105 groupo with a Sugino 2-piece triple-ring crankset, Alex ALX wheelset, and a racy but very rear-end friendly Avatar saddle make this bike an excellent choice for folks that would rather buy a cool road bike and a cool mountain bike than just a really cool road bike.


Specialized Allez Sport Triple ($$):
If all your pals are egging you on, trying to get you to join them on the road, but you're not so sure that you'll like it as much as your trusty 'ole mountain bike, then you probably don't want to drop fifteen hundred bucks on a road bike. For a bit more than half that you can get a Tiagra/105 equipped Allez Sport Triple and test the water. Then, when you realize that kicking your friends butts on the road is quite excellent, you can come back and buy a $5,000 S-Works from us. We won't mind.


Specialized Dolce - Women's ($$):
Even the least expensive model in Specialized's women's specific line, the Dolce, uses 700c wheels on every frame size, even the 44cm. Reason being that if you had 650c wheels (popular with other brands on small “women's” bikes) it would force you to work a lot harder just to go the same speed as somebody riding normal sized wheels. Specialized's team of female designers make sure all their women's bikes work perfectly, without some of the issues other companies have, like toe overlap with the front wheel while cornering. The Dolce features an aluminum frame, carbon fork with a chromoly steer tube, an 8-speed Sora/Tiagra drivetrain, a Dolce saddle, women's handlebars, and a 4-way adjustable stem.


Specialized Allez Triple ($$):
There are entry-level road bikes out there with aluminum or steel forks and we guarantee you don't want one. There is a reason all nice road bikes have carbon forks, weight and comfort. As in low weight, high comfort. On the Allez Triple you also get a Sora/Tiagra 24-speed drivetrain to conquer whatever hill you meet, fast Specialized Mondo Pro tires, a nicely padded Body Geometry road saddle, and Specialized famous “Bar Phat” handlebar tape to keep your paws happy mile after mile. Not only that, but you can pick the frame color, Silver or Team Red whichever matches your taste. Yeah!


Felt Racing F1C (Holy S***!):
The ride of choice for the Solano Avenue Cyclery road team. Very light, very fast, very expensive. The F1C offers you a full carbon frame, Reynolds fork, FSA bars, and Ritchey seat post, a full DA groupo, limited edition Ksyrium ES wheelset, and a chance to be just like our team of pavement shredders. What else could you possibly want?


Felt Racing F3C ($$$$$):
With the F3C you can look like you sprung for the high-dollar F1C, but you can keep half your money. Not a bad thing if you ask us! You still get a carbon frame and a Reynolds fork, you still get a Dura Ace drivetrain, but with a set of TruVativ carbon 2-piece cranks, and a pair of Mavic Aksium wheels. This is the working man's carbon race bike, and we here at Solano Ave Cyclery can appreciate that, being that we're working men and all. Get yours before Boeing decides to build a 50,000 seat airliner out of carbon. That would mark the second time in several years that enough carbon to build a years worth of road bikes got used to build a dashboard for a freakin' airplane.


Felt Racing F4C ($$$$):
The magazines are already showering praise and awards upon the slick F4C. Lots to praise, we admit. A full carbon frame and fork complete with a Shimano R550 wheelset, FSA carbon compact cranks, and a Dura Ace/Ultegra 20-speed drivetrain, all at this price, means you can go racing and still have enough money for gas to get home afterwards. That is assuming you don't win, get sponsored, travel the globe racing and having every need taken care of by a team of people wanting nothing more than to please you and get your autograph after yet another win. Then you won't have to worry about gas for the trip home. What? It could happen.


Felt Racing F1X ($$$):
Not to be confused with the F1C, the F1X is built for gettin' muddy! This bike has gotten little upgrades over the last few years, but hasn't changed much. We like the whole “If it ain't broke, don't fix it” mentality, and apparently, so do the folks at Felt. If Cyclocross is your game, or you just want an all-purpose road bike then have a look at the F1X. A Superlite butted aluminum frame, carbon fork, sealed bearing hubs on Mavic CXP-22 rims, an Ultegra 20-speed drivetrain with TruVativ cranks, Tektro Oryx canti brakes, and Kenda Kwick tires make this one beautiful ride, for some ugly conditions.


Felt Racing F75 ($$$):
Matte Black paint says, “I'm not flashy, I'm fast.” And with a Superlite double-butted aluminum frame with carbon seat stays, a carbon fork, a 10-speed Ultegra/105 groupo, Shimano R500 wheels, and an FSA compact crankset you shouldn't have any problems living up to the part about being fast.


Felt Racing F80 ($$):
Saying that you want a performance road bike, but want to get out the door for under a thousand bucks will have a lot of shops laughing at you or lying about the performance of your new bike. At Solano Avenue Cyclery we like to laugh, but not at you. We like to laugh with you. And we all will be, since a value this good sounds like a great joke. Only it's real! Felt's F80 comes complete with a carbon fork, full Shimano 105 drivetrain, FSA triple crankset, and an Alex AKX wheelset. Most bikes in this price range have Tiagra components, which are far from performance-based, so you'll feel like you hit the Lotto when you check this ride out, and that will make you laugh again, or at least smile. And smiling uses less energy than frowning, so therefore if you buy a Felt F80 you'll frown less, and have more energy to ride farther on your new bike. Man, they really thought this one through down at Felt, didn't they?


Giant Bowery ($):
This is a cool bike. Good value, good looking, good fun. A butted high-polish aluminum frame, chromoly fork, single-speed crankset with a 48-18 gear combo, double-wall 36-spoke rims and a flip-flop rear hub ready for a freewheel or a fixed gear cog might just be all you need to have a blast around town. If you need more, then the bike also comes with a set of brakes and brake levers, but whether or not you want to use them is entirely up to you.



Giant OCR 1 & Giant OCR 1 Women's:
The OCR line from Giant is designed around the rider that wants to spend longer hours in the saddle, versus trying to out sprint a pack of racers to the finish line. With that in mind, Giant set out to build a bike with a slightly taller front end to give your back and neck a rest without putting you in a position that's like riding a beach cruiser. At around a thousand bucks you get quite a build kit for your money: an aluminum frame and carbon fork with alloy steer tube, Formula wheelset, a light and comfy WTB saddle, a Shimano 105 drivetrain, and an FSA triple-ring crankset. Giant is even kind enough to throw in a set of clipless pedals, thereby saving you another $50 in the process.


Solano Avenue Cyclery  1554 Solano Ave. Albany CA 94707
510.524.1094