Cebu’s top bikes

Today and in the next few weeks, I’ll be rounding up some of the best bikes Cebu has to offer. I’ll start with Ome Rodriguez’s bike, the SCOTT Addict ISP.

Cebu has a rich population of high-end bikes. At the top of the heap is Ome’s 2008 Addict ISP. The Addict is the worlds lightest production bike frame, a sub 1-kilo frame that can hit the scales at an amazing 874gms! Frame material at this weight is clearly the pricey carbon fiber since the material can be manipulated to withstand forces at the discretion of the designer without apparent loss of strength. You cannot do that with either titanium, aluminum or steel. Titanium as a frame material is also expensive but its weight penalty is a turn-off for weight-weenies like Ome.

A Campyphile to the bone (or the skin, as he has “Campagnolo” tattoed on his ankle), Ome spec’d his Addict with the 2008 Record componentry. Now, if you don’t know who Campagnolo is in the bike industry, think Salvatore Ferragamo or Enzo Ferrari in their respective industries. While a few may question the functionality of Campagnolo, there is no question about its timeless beauty and esthetics. It would seem that God created Campagnolo and Italian women on a different day.

The complete Addict is 95% carbon fiber, making it one of the lightest bike in the country for its size. The UCI has a weight limit for the bikes that the pro’s used and any bike less than 15lbs in weight is considered illegal. The Addict, a featherweight at 14.5lbs, could not be ridden in the Tour de France!

The Vellum Of Miguel Flores

I envy Mike. He’s like the son of the candy store owner who has the choice of what candy he’s going to eat everyday. If I was the minority owner of VELLUM like Mike, I’d change bikes daily, too! Fortunately, Mike doesn’t do that but he wisely chooses the “Elemente”, their top of the line model for 2008 that replaced the 2007 “Edge”. The Elemente is a monocoque carbon fiber frame and like the Addict, is made in Taiwan, where all the top bikes in the world are now manufactured these days.

Another Campyphile, Mike’s Elemente is dressed up in Record carbon and a few after market brands for weight reduction. For me, putting anything else but a Campy Record in a bike that could pass easily as a show bike is heresy. A shade under 15 lbs, the red and white accent of the Elemente makes it look like a bike that doesn’t want to be denied crossing the line first.

So what do Ome’s Addict and Mike’s Elemente have in common? A lot. There’s carbon fiber as the material of choice and the Campagnolo componentry. Bolts and nuts are aero-grade aluminum which I think will be upgraded soon to carbon fiber. There is also the overt theme that the bike has to weight no more than is necessary without sacrificing the safety of the rider. In other words, these bikes are not only “showbikes,” but are real racing bikes that can withstand the rigors of racing on the roads of Cebu.

You might ask how much these beauties cost but does the Mona Lisa has a price?