Lightweight Urgestalt
ATA Cycles is a shop out near the Boston Metro area focusing on bike fits and custom bike builds to line up with exactly what their customers are looking for. This custom Lightweight Urgestalt is no exception. When this thing showed up on the group ride a few weeks back we knew we needed to put together a bike check. See below for details!
Ok so this bike comes from ATA, a shop known for their bike fitting process. Did the bike fit seem worth it and how did that translate into a new bike?
Yes, the bike fit was awesome. I've had other bike fits, but this was incredibly detailed and technical, and Husam measured everything from my ankle rotation to my femur to the angle of my hips. Then he built the bike to exactly fit all of those measurements. I'm very small for a cyclist, and there aren't a lot of frames that will fit me well. Lightweight only made ten frames in this size for the entire United States. Because this bike is custom built to my specs, it is really comfortable. I don't get numbness in my hands or feet, and my back doesn't hurt. I'm not getting any younger, so the comfort of the bike makes a big difference to me.
The shot bloks on the handlebars, we gotta know, what’s the origin here / why are they here?
Ha! That's a triathlete trick. I lick the bottom to make them stick, and then I eat them one by one during the ride because it's easier than trying to open a gel. Sometimes I throw one at someone who is messing up the paceline. Or offer one to someone who let me hang on their wheel for a long time :).
The saddle, it's a firm one. Now that you’ve ridden the bike a good amount, what’s your take on carbon saddles vs the traditional saddle with padding in it?
That was the weirdest part when I first got the bike. It is very slippery and I felt like I was sliding off. But it's really comfortable and I don't notice it anymore. I think my weight is really well distributed on the bike, so there's not as much pressure on the saddle.
The number one thing you’ve noticed in performance gains since getting this new ride?
When I even slightly increase my power, it feels like the bike surges forward. It feels like all my effort is translated into forward motion, and I can push just a little bit, and it accelerates immediately. And the bike is built and geared for climbing, so I can really eat it up on short punchy climbs. I'm a lost cause on a long climb, but that's not a bike problem :)
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How has the experience of electronic shifting been?
I've been riding with electronic shifters for years - it's good. But my gravel bike shifts differently so it takes me a few minutes to remember which shifter does what.
Tire pressure, the constant debate. What are you running now and are you happy with it?
Ha! Everyone cops a feel on my tires, and then offers me their opinion. At ATA, they said 90, but that's probably too high. I'm gradually lowering it to see what I like. I'll probably end up somewhere around 75.
We’re all big proponents of Shimano pedals here at the shop, how have these Time pedals been so far?
I had Shimano pedals before, and then Favero Assioma power meter pedals. These are my favorite so far, they don't spin and they are really quick to clip into.
Last but not least, what type of rider would be interested in a bike like this?
I mean, what rider wouldn't be interested in a bike like this? If you own bibs, you would like this bike.