Zack Vestal
BACKGROUND: Zack Vestal joined VeloNews in 2009, bringing 15 years of industry experience to the Tech Editor position. Most recently manager and mechanic for the Trek-VW mountain bike team (2004-08), he has an unused geology degree from Whitman College (and a well-worn Ph.D. from the school of hard knocks). Vestal covers the latest in cycling gear online, and brings in-depth perspective to the magazine.
BIKES IN THE GARAGE: '09 Gary Fisher Superfly 29er (rigid fork, single chainring), '08 Trek Top Fuel 69er, '07 Trek TTX, '08 Trek Madone 6.5, '08 Trek XO-1
Stories by Zack Vestal »
Posted: Fri, Nov 6th
Tech Gallery: Seen and heard in the pits at the Blue Sky Velo CupSaturday’s Blue Sky Velo Cup cyclocross race on the Xilinx campus in Longmont, Colorado, might already be a fading memory, but there’s a good chance that a few bikes (and riders for that matter) are still bearing the muddy ...
Posted: Mon, Nov 2nd
Wrenched and Ridden: Time Hi-Tense wheelsTime is better known for pedals and high-end carbon bike frames than wheels. But the 2010 Time catalogue includes not just bikes and pedals, but also stems, bars, shoes, saddles, gloves, shoe covers, and now, wheels.
Like many companies these days, Time is branching out into ...
Posted: Tue, Oct 20th
Rudy Project wants to butt heads with the helmet giants, with two new offerings this fall.With the introduction of two new helmets for 2010, Rudy Project is taking a stab at the top of the helmet hierarchy, and hoping riders will take notice.
“In essence, we’re calling 2010 the ‘year of the helmet,’” said Paul Craig, Rudy Project's North America CEO. ...
Posted: Sat, Oct 17th
Wrenched and Ridden - Ritchey WCS Alloy 1-Bolt seatpost and Streem saddlesSeatposts with 1-bolt saddle rail clamps are not uncommon—in fact, several designs have all proven to work just fine. But Ritchey’s WCS 1-Bolt system is especially effective in that it’s adaptable to saddles with different rail dimensions.
Posted: Tue, Oct 13th
The $600 cycling jacket and other new products from Campy, Mororex and PactimoEven though the September trade shows are over, there are still plenty of new products on the horizon. Based on company press releases, we found the following to fuel our post-Interbike gear lust.
We'll start with the bling - Campagnolo's new clothing and wheels, and then ...
Posted: Mon, Oct 5th
The Clothes Line: Outfits from Descente, Capo and CampyEditor’s note: The Clothes Line is an occasional column about clothing, shoes, helmets, and other accessories we’ve encountered. Clothing is possibly the most personal of all gear choices: two riders can try the same jersey and come back with completely ...
Posted: Mon, Sep 28th
Tech editor Zack Vestal digs up a few more tech tidbits from the just-concluded Interbike showInterbike 2009 is officially over, in the books. We at VeloNews escaped Sin City without injury, and have just a few more tech tidbits and quick looks to share. Look for more detailed reporting on certain items in the months to come as we get to test them out for ...
Posted: Fri, Sep 25th
Interbike Tech—DT Swiss, Camelbak, Titus, and 2XUWe got a first look at a new 2010 DT Swiss wheel line in Germany, at the Eurobike show. Like so many things over there, we ran out of time to have a good look and get the story out. Fortunately, DT Swiss is well supported here in the States with a U.S. office, and they put on a ...
Posted: Wed, Sep 23rd
Interbike Expo: Light wheels, light helmets — and lights, tooThe rumor that Interbike 2009 might be smaller than in years past didn’t seem to hold up on opening day — there was quite a crowd queued up at 8:45 a.m. for the show's 9 a.m. opening at the Sands Expo and Convention Center, and we’re seeing plenty of cool new products in ...
Posted: Wed, Sep 23rd
CrossVegas: Compton gears up for 'cross seasonAfter a challenging summer fraught with sponsorship problems, Katie Compton has her program back on the rails, just in time for cyclocross season.
For starters, she signed with Planet Bike as her primary sponsor. Then, a few weeks before opening weekend, a choice blend of ...
Posted: Mon, Sep 21st
Tech editor Zack Vestal sees — and rides — new stuff at the Interbike outdoor demoGlaring sun, hot temperatures and a stiff wind didn’t snuff enthusiasm for the opening day of the Interbike On Dirt Demo. I managed a couple of mountain bike rides, but spent most of my time checking out road gear. Here are some highlights of the day, which are by no means ...
Posted: Mon, Sep 21st
Urban renewal: Cannondale's city bikesAfter a few years of erecting one of the larger tents at Interbike’s Outdoor Dirt Demo but largely forgoing a presence at the Sands Expo and Convention Center, Cannondale and the rest of the Dorel Industries Cycling Sports Group (which includes Schwinn, GT and Mongoose) will ...
