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
April 21, 2023
Dressed to Impress: Q36.5 Summer '23 Has Landed
Mark Twain said that naked cyclists have little or no influence in society, and he was right! Or possibly, he said people. Either way, the father of American literature knew the value of being well dressed, and this week, in the best tradition of sartorial elegance, the arrival of Q36.5...
April 12, 2023
BOTW: A Two-Tone Sarto Raso
Frameset: Sarto Raso frame, fork, bar/stem, seatpost and Ceramicspeed coated headset.Group: Shimano Dura-Ace 9270. 170mm cranks, 52X36 rings and 11-32 cassette, /w 160f and 140r rotors.Power Meter: Garmin Rally RS200 with SRM PC8 head unitWheels: Partington MKII Tires: Vittoria Corsa N.E.X.T 700X28Saddle: Fizik Arione 00Ceramic: Ceramicspeed coated bb, alloy, coated...
Chad Nordwall
April 11, 2023
Ride Review: The Sarto Raso
Getting straight to the point, this is the first modern (disc brakes, internal everything, electronic shifting, carbon) bike that I truly want to ride every ride. I've liked the other bikes I've been on but was always looking forward to returning to one of my other bikes. I had no...
Chad Nordwall
