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Nick’s Team Dos Llantas Hub and Spoke Cycleworks Track – Kyle Kelley

Reportage

Nick’s Team Dos Llantas Hub and Spoke Cycleworks Track – Kyle Kelley

Nick’s Hub and Spoke Cycleworks Track
Photos by Kyle Kelley, words by John Watson

Just as news of the Southern California framebuilder and painter Brian Baylis’ passing made its way to Los Angeles, this bike rolled in through the doors of Golden Saddle Cyclery, immediately grabbing Kyle’s attention. Its owner, Nick Brock races for team Dos Llantas in the San Diego-area. When he wanted a custom frame to fit his obviously very tall stance, he contacted Hub and Spoke Cycleworks in National City who took the important measurements and got to work.

Once the frame was complete, it was painted by Brian Powell, an owner of Hub and Spoke who also paints at Joe Bell’s paint shop. From there, Nick built it up with a Chub hubset on H+Son rims, with a Sugino crankset, FSA cockpit, seatpost and a Fizik Antares saddle.

With NAHBS coming up this week, a bike like this truly embodies what small-time frame and paint shops embody: creativity and customization. You can have all the flash without burning all your cash. Even though we lost Brian Baylis, his legacy lives on with every new builder or painter that pops up in Southern California. If you ever get the chance to see a Baylis in person, take some extra time examining it and you’ll see what I mean.

If you live in the National City area, make sure you swing through Hub and Spoke Cycleworks to check out their shop!

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Follow Kyle on Instagram, Nick on Instagram and Hub and Spoke Cycle Works on Instagram.

Radar

Empire 2

Crihs has been working on this project for some time now and it’s finally getting wrapped up. Featuring riders from all over the world, Empire 2 picks up where Empire left off, documenting what it’s like to ride a bike in the city.

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Atlanta

In cities like Atlanta, the best way to experience them is by bike. Come to think of it, that’s always the best way to explore a city!

The  Wolfpack Hustle Austin Finale Crit – Chris Lee

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The Wolfpack Hustle Austin Finale Crit – Chris Lee

Wolfpack Hustle: Austin Finale Crit
Words and photos by Chris Lee

A group of 30 or so men straddled their bikes as they looked around for their teammates in coordinating outfits. All of the sudden a voice rang out over the large amplifiers near the opening of the smoothly paved racing track.

“Men’s track please come to the staging area!”

This was the beginning of the last race that would close out the Unified Title Series, hosted by Wolfpack Hustle, and the season for fixed gear criterium racing around the world.

Austin, Texas hosted the finale race at The Driveway, a paved race track normally used for cars and kart racing, this past weekend. While it’s usually used for motor sports, The Driveway does see it’s fair share of bicycles as Holland Racing, an Austin based business that organizes and facilitates bicycle races, hosts a weekly crit series every Thursday during road season. So with the Unified Title prize on the line, this crit drew racers from all over the US and it’s territories, from New York and California to Puerto Rico.

Radar

Evian Nice

Woah! This is awesome. Last June, Thierry Saint-Léger, 57 years old, completed the first non stop crossing of the French Alpes on a fixed gear. See more at Mavic.

The 2015 Bike and Beer Festival: Gavin’s Muirandessi Track

Reportage

The 2015 Bike and Beer Festival: Gavin’s Muirandessi Track

I’m here in Portland, Oregon attending the Bike and Beer festival at HopWorks Urban Brewery. While I’ll be documenting many of the frames, I’ll also be capturing the general vibes. For now, let’s just check out some bikes!

When I first saw this bike, two things came to mind: Cannondale’s track bikes from the 90’s and Makino’s NJS bikes. This thing is a rocket with tight clearances and just the right amount of nuances you’d expect from a custom build. AJ from Muirandessi has a great eye and his client Gavin knew exactly what he wanted: a track bike that he could race and also spin around Portland on.

I know I don’t say this often, but keep that rubber side DOWN, dude. That is one nice machine!

The 2015 Bike and Beer Festival: Muirandessi Cycles Sparkle Explosion Fixed

Reportage

The 2015 Bike and Beer Festival: Muirandessi Cycles Sparkle Explosion Fixed

I’m here in Portland, Oregon attending the Bike and Beer festival at HopWorks Urban Brewery. While I’ll be documenting many of the frames, I’ll also be capturing the general vibes. For now, let’s just check out some bikes!

For the past five and a half years, AJ Lu of Muirandessi Cycles has been working on frames, one by one. After attending UBI framebuilding school, then getting his certification, AJ spent his free time researching the art and history of building a bicycle by hand.

When it comes to new framebuilders, it’s tough to make a leap out into the world and grow your brand or clientele. In the brief time I spoke with AJ, I didn’t get the sense that he was eager to be the next big thing, he just wants to perfect his art and build bicycle frames for people with a purpose.

This Muirandessi Cycles has an interesting story. It was built to be the owner, Lucas’ daily work bike at his company Cascadian Courier Collective. Earlier this summer, Lucas and his buddy Alexander decided to make the trip from Eugene, Oregon to Portland. A tour that most people would plan to undertake with panniers and a touring bike, yet they decided to make it a bit interesting and ate 99 Doughnuts along the way…

Recently it was powdercoated with a metallic flake clear and as the morning sunlight caught each individual flake, the bike illuminated itself in the most flamboyant way. Personally? I freaking love it!

Chas’ Cinelli Mash Work Bike with Zipp Firecrest 404 Track Wheels

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Chas’ Cinelli Mash Work Bike with Zipp Firecrest 404 Track Wheels

Chas’ Zipp Firecrest 404 Track Wheels
Photos by Kyle Kelley, words by John Watson

When Zipp announced their Firecrest track wheels in both the 404 (58mm deep) and an 808 (82mm deep) model, it was very apparent they were making wheels specific to the track criterium crowd, not the velodrome crowd. Track racers who invest in a set of Zipp’s would opt for the Firecrest 404 or 808 tubulars. The clincher Firecrests are clearly designed for the street use.

These new 404 Firecrest track wheels come in a 28h front / rear 2x lacing pattern, use a single-sided fixed asymmetric rear hub with a non-proprietary lock ring and rather than go for a 15mm bolt, Zipp chose a 6mm allen.

Chas has been racing on these wheels, which found their way onto the Cinelli Work frameset. A steel singlespeed frame that can be ran as a fixed crit bike, work bike or even a singlespeed ‘cross machine. Kyle caught up with Chas at the Wolf Pack Hustle Civic Center crit a few weeks back and loved the look of these wheels.

With the Red Hook Crit Barcelona underway this weekend, Chas, his bike and those wheels will go through a thorough amount of work and personally, I like how this bike is looking.

Zipp Firecrest 404:
58mm deep
1,655g wheelset weight
$950 front and $1,150 rear

Zipp Firecrest 808:
82mm deep
1,805g wheelset weight
$1,100 front and $1,300 rear

In stock now at Zipp.

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Follow Kyle on Instagram and Chas on Instagram.

The Mash and Cinelli Work Frames are Now Shipping

Radar

The Mash and Cinelli Work Frames are Now Shipping

Whether you’re into messengering, street fixed gear races or even singlespeed cyclocross, the new Mash Work Frames will fit the bill. Born on the streets and trails of SF, the Work Frame’s versatility is its most shining asset. As Mash’s first steel frame with Cinelli, the Work Frames were born from Chas Christiansen’s idea to have one frame to rule them all. Rather than painting the frames, Mash went with a raw, with a clear powdercoat, which will most definately patina over time with heavy use. These frames are spaced at 100mm and 120mm, with clearances for a 35mm tire and an english threaded bottom bracket.

The Work Frames are in stock now at Mash for $875.