July 25, 2022
Above Category Cycling Chamois Cream
Cycling chamois cream. It's ubiquitous. The name itself? A misnomer. Back in "the day" (before 1986, to be precise), the "pad" in a pair of cycling shorts was an actual leather chamois, requiring constant reconditioning and moisturizing to keep it effective at preventing chafing between the skin and saddle. Now,...
Peter Harrington
July 13, 2022
Launching the Ceramicspeed Cerakote OSPW X System
It's no secret that we love Ceramicspeed. So when the Danish components brand asked us to help them launch their limited-edition Cerakote OSPW X system, we jumped at the chance to get up close with their new off-road pulleys here at AC and out on our favourite trails in Marin. For...
Peter Harrington
July 08, 2022
Bike of the Week: A Color Pop No. 22 Reactor
Hot on the heels of our recent No. 22 Drifter X BOTW, we decided to double down with another project we worked on with the gang from upstate NY. But this time, the build started with No. 22's Reactor road frame before being shipped to our good friends at Velocolour...
Chad Nordwall
June 23, 2022
Bike of the Week: A Sea Green No.22 Drifter X
No. 22 don’t do fanfare. In fact, compared to most bike builders, they’re positively silent. But what they lack in chat, they more than make up for with the quality of their work, with frames like the Aurora, Reactor, Great Divide, and Drifter X. Recently, we got a chance to...
Peter Harrington
June 08, 2022
Three Pegorettis for Tre Amicis
Three friends came to us looking for three custom Pegorettis, each finished with Ciavete 'surprise me' artwork. This week, those same tre amicis rode out of Above Category aboard their new stainless steel machines, two on Responsoriums and one on a Round. Amidst the motifs of their individual Ciavetes, small details...
Peter Harrington
May 19, 2022
Making Weight: Optimizing Your Bike for a Hill Climb
Here’s my “road bike” as I ride it for daily use. As you can see, I’m anything but a weight weenie, riding with big tires for frequent ventures into the dirt and essential tools in my saddle bag - plus my beloved Silca hand pump. But that’s because I like...
Derek Yarra
May 17, 2022
Bike of the Week: A Sparkling Burgundy Bastion Superleggera
We have yet to properly introduce Bastion into our family of frame builders, which is somewhat of a miss because we've known Bastion since the beginning. In fact, I rode what I believe was chassis number 002, and Mike, our famed sales expert, purchased number 007 back in 2016 when...
Chad Nordwall
May 07, 2022
May Shop Ride - 5/29
As May rolls around, we're changing things up and taking our monthly ride to the pavement. In preparation for our upcoming OSTT race, we'll take to the slopes of Mt. Tam with a figure-eight loop that includes the Bo-Fax climb. To evade peak traffic, we'll meet at AC at 7:00...
Derek Yarra
April 29, 2022
Ride Like the Wind: Introducing the Campagnolo Levante Wheels
The Campagnolo Levante wheel is the Italian brand’s debut gravel wheelset, which given the company’s long and rather lovely association with road cycling, is pretty big news. However, this isn't Campagnolo's first time on the dirt. The Italian brand has been making some well-received trips off the tarmac in recent years,...
Peter Harrington
April 21, 2022
Behind the Build: A Climber’s Sarto Asola
Our client Josh tasked us with creating an exceptionally light road bike that would fly up the hills, a fun and carefree machine for rides in the Bay Area and Marin. Naturally, new builds often require a little back and forth between frame options, but not this time. With one...
Derek Yarra
March 20, 2022
Review: The Hammerhead Karoo 2
Above Category was founded with the idea of finding cutting-edge products that elevate our experience on the bike. From frames crafted with new technologies to wheels with unorthodox construction methods or timeless tig-welded machines, we're always on the hunt for genuinely beyond category products and partners. But that fascination, of...
Derek Yarra
