Ristretto Stories
Dear Kent (&Elaine, Dwan et al):
It was good to see you at the show again this fall. As you know, I built my Ristretto in early 2004. After riding it just a few times, I had a better understanding of why musicians only use certain instruments built by artisans. Back then, I wrote that my Ristretto rode the way a Stradivirius sounds.
In mid-2005 I had major reconstructive spinal surgery and thought I might not be able to ride again -- let alone ride the way I used to. After many months of recovery and rehab I was allowed to make the transition from the wind trainer to the road but I was very cautious as to the equipment I would use. I needed to ride a bike that could damp vibration as to not fatigue my back, and perhaps had to reevaluate my bike geometry and riding style altogether.
I started out on my steel Seven but this was a little rough, so I demoted it back to the wind trainer. Then I started riding my titanium LeMond, which felt a lot better and I stayed with it until I had enough endurance, strength, and clearance from my surgeon to start adding climbs to my schedule. But while the Ti is comfortable for most riding, it felt sluggish and dead going up and around my favorite canyon roads, like I had a constant slow leak in my tires.
So my Co-motion Ristretto, which had been on the storage hook for the better part of a year since my injury, was put back into service and I have never been happier. It is responsive, handles flawlessly, and required very little positioning change for my body other than a higher handlebar height. What surprised me even more was that the bike did a far better job than the titanium LeMond at damping road vibration and did everything better than my steel Seven, period!
I think having so much time away from all my bikes (including a full carbon Calfee as well) allowed me to compare each with a fresh set of senses and a newfound appreciation for being able to ride. In late August I went on a two-week vacation to ride the French Alps and Provence with my girlfriend. I took my Ristretto over climbs like the Colombiere, the Madeleine, and my first time up the Ventoux in over three years. I previously mentioned that I would add an Espresso to my collection but I am now firmly convinced that the Ristretto is the best frame I’ve ever owned, if not one of the finest road bicycles made today. Thanks again for the great work and I look forward to thousands of miles on your bikes for years to come.
Attached are a couple of pictures from the trip; one is at the Chalet Reynard turn on the Ventoux.
And yes, I really am an employee of CSC!
Joe Harris
Business Analyst Consultant
CSC Consulting Group
El Segundo, CA
Good Morning Co-Motion!! My new bike was ready to ride on Friday afternoon and I really wanted to play hooky and go for a ride. Saturday morning I got up extra early - too excited to sleep (felt like Christmas)...went down to the living room to check out (okay gaze) at my bike (yes, I parked it in the living room until the first ride). Checked the weather channel...looked iffy...Then the showers moved in.
I anxiously waited for a break in the showers on Saturday for my first ride on my new bike. No luck - it was horrible weather all day. Sunday morning we were all dressed and ready to go. I got "pinkie" out on the drive way and it started to pour! Back into the garage...FINALLY at 3pm it cleared enough to get out for a ride.
In the first few minutes of the ride I could tell that the fit was PERFECT! Immediately I could tell that this bike is more responsive than my Merlin...the best way to describe it is that it feels 'quicker'. While I do feel the road more - it did not feel like a long ride would beat me up. It feels to me like this bike better positions me for climbing than the Merlin - which is what I wanted.
Everything I wanted Co-Motion delivered...a beautiful performance bike.
I can't wait to go on my next ride - what a great way to turn 50!! :)
Thank you Co-Motion for a great experience and for being so good at what you do!
~Carolyn
PS: And Mike says I 'look good on this bike" - and THAT is what really counts!
Hi Dan, Kent and Pat,
Just wanted to let you know that minutes after picking up my new bike I took it on it’s maiden voyage (a hammer-fest on the steepest hills in town) and it performed FABULOUSLY! I was sort of worried I might not notice much difference relative to my previous “race bike”. No way - WHAT a difference! Biking is getting dangerously fun again. You won’t be surprised to hear that it handled perfectly and got me to the top of the hills in ways that I could only dream of before. Everyone commented on the great looks too, of course. You’ve taken human-powered machine-art to the limit! Nice work and many thanks). Please pass along my thanks to the others who helped (Bob, Billy, Alan, ...).
Best regards,
Eric
PS. Here's a picture of it (relaxing). Of course the picture doesn't do the bike justice.
Many thanks for that sweet new compact carbon stay Ristretto! I took it for its maiden voyage yesterday and it was so cool to be on a bike that fits exactly right. And this one is SNAPPY--it sprints for me! I was so enthused that I went harder and longer than I planned and effectively ruined this week's training schedule.
Forrest
July 29th, 2004
Hey Pat.
Raced the Ristretto for the first time Saturday. It's very fast and solid! A lot of compliments on the bike from the guys in the peleton. You guys make a real nice machine. I have a lot of confidence racing on your bikes. Thanks again for helping out our team.
Clint C.
Great job on the bike.
I built it up with a mix of mutt components from our VeloSport warehouse, mostly Chorus, but I went with the FSA compact crankset and an 11-23. I'm also trying the Arione saddle, which after a couple of rides on the old rig and my first miles on this one, looks to be a winner.
I took it up a few climbs to shake it out and work out the adjustments today. I'm really impressed with the Easton ride quality and the carbon stays. The bike has a unique feel that is responsive and efficient without the kick of other aluminum bikes I've owned. I've been using the same geometry for 15 years, so the handling is predictable, but it climbs like a rocket!
I stand by my assessment of Co-Motion craftsmanship--- simply superb and worth the extra effort. It feels all of a single piece, like an heirloom violin, and I can't wait to take it up the Ventoux in a couple of months... I'll get you guys a pic from the top for the archives. I also hope that we can keep an open ticket in the future, I'm so thoroughly stoked on this machine that I think I will be riding your bikes well into the future--- and I'll probably start by unloading my steel Seven to make room for an Espresso.
Thanks again to you, Elayne, Dwan, and Kent for all your help,
--Joe
Hi Dwan,
Saturday, we awoke to the pleasant sound of running water. No, hold on a second, that's a torrential downpour! And thus the day continued, with rain mixed with really heavy rain and 30-40 mph winds to complete the rosy picture.
The first half of the climb is in the trees, so the wind wasn't much of a factor. However, a large part of the second half of the climb was exposed to the wind, and with the heavy rain, the dirt sections of the road were slow going. Anyway, to make a long story short, I survived to finish 9th on the day and 2nd in the 35-39 category. Pamela was very worried by the bad conditions, greeting me at the finish with a concerned "You had better not have washed all the (new bike) Magic Fairy Dust off!"
I'm afraid my fitness wasn't quite up to doing the Ristretto justice, but the bike was a joy to ride. It was certainly enjoyable to carry 4-5 lbs. less than my regular bike up the climb! Oh, and just in case you're worried, judging from the way Pamela flew on the bike on Sunday, some Magic Fairy Dust (TM) survived the deluge!
Thanks to all the gang for a great bike,
John
Dwan & the Co-Motion crew,
A quick thanks for the terrific bikes! The first few races of the season have seen some nice rides on the stylish white Ristrettos. Kate's been racking up a couple 2nd place finishes as she prepares to upgrade to the 3s. Alec had a nice ride in one of the early road races. And the men's 3s squad looks like it's going to pack a wallop in '03, with podium finishes in the first two big crits of the season. It looked like we were going to have a third podium finish in the third crit of the season, until some guy caught a pedal in the second to last turn and the Solano guys (sitting pretty in 4th & 5th at the time) scattered to avoid the slop and lost their positioning for the sprint. Oh well, two out of three isn't bad.
We've been getting quite a few questions about the "new aluminum Co-Motions." The bikes are definitely eye-catching, and they look great with the team kits.
I'll be in touch. Hope all's well up north.
-DS
Dylan Seguin
Sponsorship Coordinator
Co-Motion Gang:
Thanks again for your patience and hard work with my outrageous demands and even more outrageous paint job. But, that is what "custom" is all about, and you guys do it well.
I couldn't wait to try her out, so I broke all the rules and raced my brand new bike the second day I had it. Wouldn't you know it, I got second place in a Pro 1/2 road race. I guess I'm happy with it . . .
Sal C.
Hutch's Bicycle Racing Team
