T-Blog

Madeleine





The 2006 Madeleine returns to a dropped bar design at the request of many of our touring customers who felt they didn't have enough hand positions with the flat bar. For those who prefer the flat bar, don't worry: Madeleine can be converted to flat bars with no ill effects.

Another change is the frame material: the bicycle is now Al 7005 aluminum. The 20.5" Madeleine weighs 21.6 lbs.

The gearing is definitely suited for touring, with a 26/38/48 Sugino triple crankset mated with an 11/34 9-speed cassette. The low gear is 20.6 gear inches. Shimano Deore and Tiagra components are the mainstays of the bicycle.

The longer reach Tiagra brakes allow room for fender clearance. There are braze-ons for a rear rack and two bottle cages.

Adventure Cycling's Northern Tier route comes right by our offices, so stop in and say hello!

Click here for more information on Madeleine.

Tailwinds,
Georgena
talktous@terrybicycles.com

Posted by Georgena Terry at 01:01 PM | Permalink

Symmetry

Bar none, the Symmetry has been a mainstay in our line for many years. It's a great sports bike; good for club rides, cause rides, fitness training and credit-card touring. The 2006 Symmetry comes in a new frame material (7005 triple-butted aluminum). We've added black carbon seatstays and fork for a comfortable ride. The 19" (48cm) bicycle without pedals weighs 18.3 lbs.

The base group is Shimano 105 10-speed triple componentry (deviations from the group include an Ultegra rear derailleur and a Sugino RD-7000 triple). The rims are Velocity Spartacus with 20 spokes front/24 spokes rear in the paired spoke configuration. Shimano has added an adjustable 10-speed STI lever to their line-up this year. Combine that with the Salsa Short & Shallow handlebar, and you have a very friendly cockpit.

Symmetry follows in Isis' footprints: the 19" (48cm) size features 650c wheels front and rear. (Smaller sizes have a 24" front/700C rear wheel.) By choosing the correct crankarm length (165mm) and stem length (105 degree, 65mm), we offer a shorter, more comfortable reach to the handlebars than any other "women specific design" in this size.

This is a good time to address some riders' concerns about 650c wheels: "Will I be able to keep up with friends with 700c rear wheels?" A good question, since a smaller drive wheel is somewhat akin to a smaller gear. If you are in your highest gear on Symmetry (or Isis, for that matter) which means you are using the largest chainring (50 teeth) and the smallest cassette cog (12 teeth) and you're pedaling at 90 rpm, your speed will be 27.1 mph. At 100 rpm, your speed will be 30.1 mph. If your friends ride regularly in excess of these speeds then you may want to change your gearing. Want to play with the numbers some more? Try this site run by Sheldon Brown.

Click here for more information on Symmetry.

Tailwinds,
Georgena
talktous@terrybicycles.com

(coming....Madeleine....)

Posted by Georgena Terry at 04:36 PM | Permalink

This week, bicycle dealers across the country are at InterBike, the tradeshow for our industry. It's their chance to see and touch all that's new and wondrous in the world of bicycles.

At the Terry booth, we'll be showing new versions of Isis, Symmetry and Madeleine.

Before I go into a review of the bikes I'd like to share a little bit of my background. I cut my teeth on steel. With a family from Pittsburgh, it's in the blood. As a custom framebuilder, I used steel exclusively. And until recently, all of our production bikes were made of steel. I have to say that it's been painful to see such a gallant material come under fire from competitors. But such is change. And more choice is always good for the consumer.

Isis

Isis has gone on a diet, courtesy of some frame upgrades. The 44.5 cm size without pedals weighs 17.8 lbs (add an ounce or so for larger sizes). The frame is made of a scandium (Sc-7000) alloy.

Here's the scoop on scandium:
It's an element. When aluminum alloy is enhanced with scandium properly, it becomes stronger. The benefit is that a compliant, lightweight and durable frame can be built. You can find more information on Sc-7000 here. In a nutshell, the Isis is fast and comfortable. Ride hard all day and still have energy to tell your friends about it!

We added a "white" carbon fiber fork and seatstays to the package to make sure the ride really is compliant. The component group is Shimano's Ultegra 10-speed triple. The wheels are the Velocity Uriels - 20 paired spoke front/24 paired spoke rear. I've been riding these now for 5000 miles and they are still spot on! But here's the sweetest part: the tires are Schwalbe Stelvios. From the 24" front tire on the two smallest sizes of Isis, to the 26" (650c) and the 700c used on the larger sizes. All are foldable and have very low rolling resistance. You'll never feel stuck to the road on these tires. I've had one on my bike for the last 3000 miles and it's still in mint condition.

As far as frame geometry goes, the 16" and 17.5" Isis come in a 24"/700c wheel configuration. The 19", 20" and 21.5" come with 650c front and rear. The 23" Isis has 700c wheels front and rear. I can tell you in all honesty that there is no other "women specific design" on the market that fits the majority of women as well as ours does. I'll discuss bicycle design in a future blog.

Click here for more information on Isis.

(to be continued)

Georgena
talktous@terrybicycles.com

Posted by Georgena Terry at 12:37 PM | Permalink

Welcome to the t-blog! It has risen from the ashes of our message board, which was vandalized beyond recognition by evil web forces. Eventually, it will return...

Over the course of this blog, I'll fill you in on all I know about bicycles and bicycling and my personal experiences on the bike. I welcome your comments on the content: what you'd like to read about, questions you have. Email me at talktous@terrybicycles.com.

When I started this business twenty years ago hand building bicycle frames in my basement, I had no idea I was starting an industry. There were no "real" bicycles for women then other than custom-built ones. Most bike shops thought of women as small men. There was plenty of room for improvement. The first shop I visited with my handbuilt Terry Precision sport bicycle told me "no woman will pay $600 for a bicycle". Those were fighting words -- and I love a challenge!

From a base of Terry women specific bicycles for all kinds of riding, this company introduced women's bicycle saddles (and threw in a few for men, as well), women's cycling apparel and accessories. It still amazes me that women's cycling is considered a "niche" market???

Wonderful rides in Vermont developed into annual Terry Tours -- an opportunity to ride with customers and staff and share ideas on all aspects of cycling. What better way to get to know your customers than to ride with them?

Tailwinds,

Georgena

Posted by Georgena Terry at 12:16 PM | Permalink