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Admit it, you've felt that twinge of jealousy before. You've just come to the end of a grueling century ride with rolling hills and steep climbs, angry at yourself because the entire time you just couldn't kick up enough speed to pass that one fearless, powerful Lance-Armstrong knockoff. You feel like you drafted behind him the entire ride. To make you feel even more inadequate, he tells you jovially during the post-ride water break all about how he built that gorgeous stunner of a bike all by himself, choosing the parts and assembling it all on his own.

Singlespeed bikes have become somewhat of a phenomenon in the biking industry of late. As they are suprisingly growing in popularity, the need for high-end, higher-quality parts is suddenly a very prevalent reality. Serious cyclists are now wanting that bike that fits their specifications and their needs to a tee, and they are going to serious lengths to learn how to build their own perfect machines. SRAM's Noir 1.1 crankset is crafted from carbon wrapped over a forged aluminum spine for a smooth yet steady ride with no excessive weight, and has become a very popular option for those build-it-yourselfers. When it comes to biking and cranksets, indestructibility is a must, and the Noir 1.1 fits the bill. It's carbon-fiber chain guard allows for movement in just one direction and comes with a 32-tooth alloy chainring. The lightweight alloy bolts help keep the rider spinning with no added weight, which adds to great aerodynamic performance.

This beauty retails for just under $450; not a bad price for a top-of-the-line piece that will get long life. And for those who still have lingering doubts, rest assured that SRAM knows what it's doing. SRAM has been around for 20 years and cranks out not just those cranksets, but also brakes, stems, forks, bars, and shocks. This company is showing an authoritative face in the biking world with its quality bike parts, churning out equipment that should continue to appeal to singlespeeders and those who want to "build their own" for quite a time to come. Find out more at www.sram.com.

Learn more about this author, Logan Stewart.
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