10/20/05 - ENGRAVED HEAD TUBE

6/28/05 - NEW PHOTO GALLERY

By request, we have restructured and added to our Photo Gallery. We now have our photos arranged by the type of photo (close-ups and wide shots of steel and titanium) as we always have. On a separate page, we have arranged images by individual bicycle. In this new photo gallery area, we have expanded how we show the images by adding significant commentary on each image. The new structure will allow us to add new bicycles and images more easily and without any disruption of the existing images.

6/20/05 - ANNOUNCING THE TOM KELLOGG 30th ANNIVERSARY
PHOTOGRAPHS AND DESCRIPTIONS

We had been kicking around the idea of producing a number of "Classic" steel frames of very limited quantity. These would be custom built using frame components from my beginnings in the mid '70s. As it turns out, 2006 is my 30th Anniversary in the custom frame business. The 30th anniversary series will be these traditional frames.

6/20/05 - THOUGHTS ABOUT MODELS

Someone asked me recently why we don't introduce new models more often. I had never thought about it, but it got me thinking ...

Why not introduce new models? It seems that most of the bicycle companies are forever introducing new models, kind of like "New and Improved" Tide or Kleenex. The thought took me by surprise since I have never considered our frames to be certain models. We do use a variety of materials and we offer our customers all of those materials for their frame sets. We offer the materials not as models, but as ways of tuning a frame to our individual client's needs. While one customer might be best off with a Carbon/Ti frame, another would be better off with a lugged steel frame. In an effort to clarify what certain materials cost, we call types of materials by name for pricing purposes.

I guess that adding a carbon tube or two and giving that combination a name is a way of drumming up business, but from the perspective of a custom builder who just builds frames one at a time for individual customers, it seems kind of silly.

As noted above, the materials I choose for each frame, in fact each tube I choose is done so for a reason. This is one of the ways that we make our custom frames custom. If we were to simply offer models, we would be severely limiting what we can do for our clients. Although most of our clients are not terribly interested in the tube gauges, diameters, butt lengths and taper angles we spec. for their frames, we do insist on a wider variety of frame materials than anyone else, period. No one builds with such an exacting variety of material specifications as we do. We do so not to brag about it, but because it enables us to control the way a frame works to a greater degree than anyone else is capable of. We won't be limited by the tubing specifications as delivered from the mills. Instead, we specify wall thickness down to the thousandth of an inch and butt length down to a couple of millimeters. With this kind of design flexibility, talk of model introductions makes no sense at all. Can we make a titanium frame as stiff as a Cannondale? Easy. Can we make one as rough riding as a Cannondale? Sorry.

So there you go... Do you want a Spectrum "Ion" or an "SXG/Zr?" You'll have to wait 'till I am dead.

Tom

6/14/05 - Spy Photos revealed, To Secret!!

Click here to see our top secret report from the Pro feed zone

2/23/05 - A couple of items ...

 

CycleFIXX E-commerce site goes live 10/15/04 at noon.
CycleFIXX.COM Launches it's commercial web store, serving the high end apparel and training needs of serious cyclists. They offer the highest end bicycle clothing and indoor training DVDs at fair prices. Delivery in the New York Tri-State area is free. They offer the complete line of Spectrum Clothing and even some new items, like Spectrum socks and winter clothing. Important; The folks who have set up CycleFIXX are cyclists, not your typical E-business startup types. They understand what riders need.
To give you an example of how their decisions are made... they do not offer Spectrum gloves because they have not yet found a supplier who can make them to their, and our, standards. If they can't come with a glove that is good enough, they will simply not offer anything less. They are responsive as well. If you think that they need to add to their current offerings, they want to hear from you. Like any other new business, the CycleFIXX guys are excited to do things right. Contact them and take advantage of their startup specials and their enthusiasm.

JEFF FILLERUP WINS WORLDS
Jeff Fillerup,  a 45-49 Masters rider won the 3000 pursuit on a very custom aero compact Spectrum track frame.  Our thanks go out to not only Jeff, a very dedicated and intelligently trained athlete, but also to Rich Goldie, his mechanic who spent untold hours making sure that his equipment would be perfect.  Jeff began his quest for a world championship a couple of years ago when he asked Rich to find the perfect bike for his needs.  Jeff if a pretty big guy and is quite powerful.  We could not make him some sort of super light, super aero frame, as it would have caused his starts to suffer.  His earlier (now UCI illegal) pursuit frame had just this problem.  The new one solved the start problems and actually ended up being a bit more aero than his old one was.

SARAH UHL WINS JUNIOR WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP! - (7/28/01)
In the final ride of the final event of this year's Junior World Championships held at the Lehigh Valley Velodrome Sarah Uhl convincingly overpowered her German competitor to take the rainbow jersey in two straight rides.  In fact, after qualifying third in the 200 meter time trial, she never lost a heat on her way to the championship.

Sarah's bike is a Custom Spectrum sprint frame with a Reynolds Ouzo Pro Piste fork.  It was designed and built by Tom Kellogg and Jeff Duser at Spectrum Cycles with her unique strengths and tactical abilities in mind.

Even though we have earned many world championships before, this one has meant the most to us on a personal level.  We spent a great deal of time with Sarah developing the frame design and working up a "No-Fault" sponsorship schedule. As of last night, Sarah earned back the full purchase price of her frame as part of her sponsorship deal.  We also worked with her during the season to ensure she maintained a position and fitting adjustment that maximized her abilities.

CONGRATULATIONS SARAH, we are proud of you.

MIKE AND MIKE WIN NATIONALS!
Mike Beers and Mike Grabowski win the Elite Nationals tandem sprints AGAIN on the most recent Spectrum track tandem.  As Mike Grabowski suggests, many sprinters avoid tandem racing as its often a sketchey proposition from a mechanical perspective. The combined weight and force of two 185lb riders sprinting is usually enough to cause most tandem bicycles to creak and moan. Not so with this year's National Championship Spectrum Tandem. Thanks to special help from Phil Wood and Company for some amazing tandem bottom brackets and hubs, Mike and Mike's tandem disappeared under them as they won this year's championship.

Our Spectrum boys were challenged this year more than in years past and needed three rides in the finals to win Mike Grabowski reported that they rode the first heat very poorly and simply gave their opponents an opening. A close second heat set up a dramatic scene in the third where Mike and Mike won convincingly. An excited Mike Beers reported by cell phone that the bike worked perfectly, never made a sound (unusual on a tandem) and that they were never really challenged in the final ride. CONGRATULATIONS!