May 30, 2023
First Ride Review: The New Campagnolo Super Record Wireless Groupset
It's a tremendous honor to be able to bring you one of the first real ride reports for the new Campagnolo Super Record Wireless 12-speed groupset. We've had the good fortune to work closely with Campagnolo on a few projects over the years, like launching the Super Record 11-speed Campagnolo...
Chad Nordwall
May 24, 2023
BOTW: A 50s Flyer Sarto Raso
This week we have the pleasure of presenting an impeccably clean example of Sarto's new Raso. Frameset: Sarto RasoGroup: Shimano Dura-Ace Di2Power Meter: SRM Origin with titanium spindle.Wheels: Lightweight Fernweg 63mm, Schwartz ed.Tires: Rene Herse Stampede Pass - ExtralightSaddle: Fizik Antares OO, AdaptiveCeramic: Ceramicspeed coated bb, coated standard size pulley...
Chad Nordwall
May 16, 2023
Extralite HyperStem Review: Ride the Lightning
The right stem can look and feel as though it was intended by the framebuilder to complete the bicycle. At least, that's how the Italian-made Extralite Hyperstem feels on my Pegoretti. Refined, machined aluminum in gloss black complements the frame's finish and geometry. Lightweight at 83g (for 110mm), the Hyperstem...
May 16, 2023
BOTW: A New Wave No. 22 Drifter X
This week we have the pleasure of presenting a fully integrated Drifter X, the first of many new-wave No. 22 bikes featuring 3D-printed stems, headset top caps and spacers we've been building for clients across the US and beyond in the past few months. THE BUILD Frameset: No22 Drifter XGroup:...
Chad Nordwall
May 11, 2023
No Stock Specs: Introducing AC S-Works
At Above Category, we build bicycles with the rider’s aspirations in mind, backed by decades of experience and guided by our singular approach to quality, aesthetics and performance. We don’t rely on stock specs. Every AC bike has an optimal fit and the perfect balance between looks that pop, panache and...
Ben Jones
May 11, 2023
Fast Forward: The Way of the Aethos
A lot of ink has been spilled about the S-Works Aethos' staggering 585-gram frame weight (56cm in Ready to Paint) and its phenomenal ride quality, both of which are accurate. But when I think back on the time I spent riding my S-Works Aethos, I think of free fitness. For those...
Ben Jones
May 04, 2023
Making MKII: How Partington Evolved the R-Series
In 2021, Above Category helped introduce our followers to the rarified world of Partington, a top-tier Australian bike wheel brand founded by English engineer Jon Partington. The brand's first model, an all-Aussie designed and built wheel called the Partington R-Series, rocked our bars in a big way. Jon's superlative rollers rivaled...
April 28, 2023
Win Some, Learn Some: Brennan Wertz on Learning to Shred
With the Sea Otter Classic and the first stop of the Lifetime Grand Prix now in the rearview mirror, I wanted to take a moment to take stock of the process I went through as I attempted to prepare myself for my debut cross-country mountain bike race. In the grand...
Brennan Wertz
April 28, 2023
BOTW: An AC Approach to an S-Works Aethos
This week's Bike of the Week, the S-Works Aethos, is a bike that needs no help to keep its weight in check, but that didn't stop us from pulling out the scale anyway. The goal with this build was to make this particular Aethos lightweight yet maintain daily drivability. Spec...
Ben Jones
April 26, 2023
Better on Reflection: Skyler Taylor on Racing Sea Otter
A few people have asked me what my goal was leading up to Sea Otter, and I realized I wasn’t sure. With the Fuego XL being the first race of the 2023 Lifetime Grand Prix, there would undoubtedly be a deep field of pros from all over the world in...
April 21, 2023
BOTW: A Hockenheim Silver Prova Speciale
This week we have the pleasure of presenting this stunning Prova Speciale finished in one of our favorite colors, Hockenheim Silver. Frameset: Prova Speciale Group: Campagnolo Super Record EPS Power Meter: Garmin Rally RS200 Wheels: Lightweight Obermayer Tires: Continental GP5000 Saddle: Fizik Antares 00 finished by Busyman Ceramic: Ceramicspeed coated...
Chad Nordwall
