An old Masi road bike brought back to life with an 11-speed Shimano Ultegra drivetrain and a modern cockpit — a quill-to-threadless adapter for current bars, the original crank and brakes retained, and the customer’s own wheels. When a vintage upgrade is worth doing, and when it isn’t.
A 2022 Pinarello Paris came in on trade. Steve rode it before the shop tore it down, found twisted cables inside the frame, and put it back together for the floor. Ride impressions and how the trade-in process actually works.
A first look at the Jamis Ventura All Road — a sub-$1,600 aluminum all-road bike with Shimano CUES 2×10, a Ritchey cockpit, and more tire clearance than the spec sheet suggests. We mounted labeled-40 Challenge Getaways and they fit with room to spare.
A parts-bin build on a Trek Émonda aluminum rim brake frame — Easton EC90 bars and crank, mixed-generation Ultegra 10-speed, American Classic wheels, and Vittoria Corsa tires. Comes in just under 16 lbs without pedals.
Steve was the original owner of this 2018 Trek Émonda SL6. It sold, came back as a trade, and now it’s a good excuse to talk about the bike — what it rides like, how Ultegra 2×11 holds up, and how it compares to what’s come since.
2026 Cervelo R5 – First Ride Review Jump Ahead Video Review What’s New on the 2026 R5 Cervelo focused heavily on weight reduction for this generation. Nearly every component was trimmed: frame, fork, hardware, cockpit, and seatstays. The bike ships just under 15 pounds with TPU tubes. With both TPU tubes installed, it is slightly … Read more
Steve’s take on the Bianchi Oltre Comp aero road bike with Ultegra Di2 — how the base carbon Comp compares to the Oltre Pro and the Cervelo S5, fit notes, tire pressure, and why it’s a strong-value way into an aero bike.
Two generations of the Cervélo S5 — a first look at the 2026 updates (new bar, deeper aero sections) plus a full review of the previous generation with Ultegra Di2. The bike that got Steve riding pavement more than gravel for six months.
A full season on the Cervélo Caledonia with Shimano Ultegra Di2. The bike that changed the shop’s opinion on endurance road bikes — fast, sharp-looking, and nothing like the tired bikes the category used to produce.
Watch the full custom build walkthrough on the Maklin Bikes YouTube channel This started as one of Steve’s demo bikes — a Cervelo Caledonia he’d been riding with Easton wheels — and when it came time to flip it to its new owner, we reconfigured it for what that rider wanted. Same frame, but with … Read more