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It’s All Ball Bearings: Chris King Precision Components Factory Visit

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It’s All Ball Bearings: Chris King Precision Components Factory Visit

Within a relatively straightforward product lineup, Chris King Precision Components manufactures hubs, headsets, bottom brackets, and, perhaps most importantly, the bearings inside that make them spin. On a recent trip to Portland, Oregon, Josh spent some time at the Chris King HQ factory to learn more about the company’s origins and what makes it continue to stand out in a crowded space of bearing-centric bicycle components. Read on below for the full rundown of what goes on at CKPC’s giant vegetable oil-fueled machine shop!

Hey, Sweet Bikes: A Visit to Sour Bicycles in Dresden, Germany

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Hey, Sweet Bikes: A Visit to Sour Bicycles in Dresden, Germany

Over the last couple of years, our European correspondent Petor Georgallou has gotten to know Sour Bicycles, a small East German bike company who are trailblazing in their mix of domestic framebuilding in Dresden and continued importation of Taiwan-made bikes. Read on to hear about the unique conditions that have made the former states of East Germany a hotbed of innovation and manufacturing in Europe, as well as how a mega fail by Petor leads to the second of many shop visits in Germany.

Built PNW Tough: Super Pacific and X1 Camper Review

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Built PNW Tough: Super Pacific and X1 Camper Review

While many of us attempt to adhere to a bike-centric lifestyle most of the time, vehicles are an unavoidable aspect of transportation. Especially for those of us living in the expansive Western United States. And for folks who like to travel distances for recreation, or need to travel for work, having a vehicle that doubles as a somewhat self-contained living space is more than just a luxury. Josh learned long ago that #vanlife wasn’t for him, and pull-behind campers were more of a hindrance than help. So a few years ago he outfitted his pickup with a bed-mounted wedge-style canopy camper. Then earlier this year he swapped that camper for a Super Pacific X1.

Josh has been fielding a lot of questions about the X1, both at the trailhead and on social media, over the past few months. In advance of a long-term review, he shares an overview of Super Pacific, the X1 camper, and aspects that differentiate the brand in a crowded truck camper space…

Sips and Service: Hello Bicycle Cafe and Shop Visit

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Sips and Service: Hello Bicycle Cafe and Shop Visit

Iterating on the modern-day classic of bikes and coffee, Hello Bicycle & Cafe offers denizens of Tucson, Arizona, a lovely place to land right off the popular Loop bike path. The cozy cafe is stocked with local pastries and it sits right next to a well-organized shop, offering everything from factory-level suspension service, to complete bikes for purchase. It’s become one of Spencer Harding‘s favorite hangs and he shares a shop visit below…

Rogue Panda Check-In and Tall Bike Check

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Rogue Panda Check-In and Tall Bike Check

Even as the custom and production bag maker community has continued burgeoning over the past few years, one name has remained an innovator in the space: Rogue Panda. When John was in Flagstaff, Arizona, last October, he swung by the shop for a quick peek and spent some time documenting one bike that stood out among the rest!

Rad Works: Sewing Bags in Southeast Idaho

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Rad Works: Sewing Bags in Southeast Idaho

During an overnighter with the crew at Oregon Trail Bikes in Pocatello, Idaho, Daniel Zaid and Karla Robles cross paths with Ben of Rad Works. Ben got started making hand-sewn goods for climbing, but has since expanded his lineup to include a smattering of bike bags. During their time in Idaho, Karla even had Ben sew a custom full-frame bag for her Esker Hayduke—read on for more info on Pocatello’s resident bag-maker and for a closer look at his handiwork! 

Keepers of the Flame: Shop Visit and Interview With Smith Levi of RatKing Frames

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Keepers of the Flame: Shop Visit and Interview With Smith Levi of RatKing Frames

Smith Levi, of RatKing Frames, has been dedicated to making frames and bicycle cargo accessories that merge fun and function for a decade. After getting started in Oakland, California in 2013, RatKing has since migrated north to Seattle, Washington and is a founding member of the creative collective Stunt Doubles. Andrew Johns recently had a chance to stop in the space for a chat with Smith and, below, shares a conversation that spans from the idea behind Stunt Doubles, to RatKing’s design inspiration and obsession with process, and Smith’s current offerings.

Who’s Got Next? A Framebuilding Summit at Caletti Cycles

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Who’s Got Next? A Framebuilding Summit at Caletti Cycles

Last week, John Caletti of Caletti Cycles hosted five up-and-coming bicycle framebuilders at his shop in Santa Cruz, California. An event that had been on John’s to-do list for the past few years, his first Framebuilding Summit was intended to be an educational meeting of the minds–a time dedicated to sharing knowledge with a group of young bike builders.

A Fine Time in Raleigh, North Carolina With Fine Bikes and Oak City Cycling

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A Fine Time in Raleigh, North Carolina With Fine Bikes and Oak City Cycling

Last year Mitchell Connell fell in love with a custom road bike he saw at a bike show. After missing an opportunity to test ride the bike, he took a road trip to Raleigh, North Carolina to find it and its creator, Charles Thompson of Fine Bikes. Along the way, Mitchell got to pay a visit to the iconic local shop, Oak City Cycling, and get the tour of Raleigh’s mixed-surface riding.  

On Growing Up: Swift Industries Celebrates 15 Years of Making Bike Bags

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On Growing Up: Swift Industries Celebrates 15 Years of Making Bike Bags

Based in Seattle, Washington, Swift Industries is a bike bag company known for blending classic randonneuring aesthetics with modern functionality. Co-founded in 2008 by Martina Brimmer and Jason Goodman, the brand has grown from a basement DIY passion project to a mainstay in the bike luggage space. In celebration of their 15-year anniversary, Hailey Moore writes about Swift’s journey over the years from its founders’ punk roots, to landing shelf space in REI.

Welcome to the Neighborhood: Treehouse Cyclery Opens in Denver’s Five Points

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Welcome to the Neighborhood: Treehouse Cyclery Opens in Denver’s Five Points

The door is freshly painted on the corner of Downing Street and 30th in the northeast Denver, Colorado neighborhood of Five Points. Behind the new blue facade, light washes in to reveal high ceilings and smooth wooden floors—heavily polished over time by both varnish and foot traffic. The rest of the space has that just-righted tidiness of a host’s house before a dinner party: intentional, inviting and immaculate. It’s an old building with a new idea, but Treehouse Cyclery isn’t its first bike shop.

Read on for Hailey Moore‘s shop visit to Denver’s newest, community-focused, bike shop: Treehouse Cyclery.

Summer Shreddin’ in Winter Park: Inside / Out at San Util Design

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Summer Shreddin’ in Winter Park: Inside / Out at San Util Design

Spencer takes us on a trip to Colorado to visit Winter Park’s local bag maker, San Util Design. Started as a one-man project, but ever on the up and up, the makers recently opened a new shop on the mountain town’s main drag and hired a few part-time employees. Boasting a range of products from hip packs all the way up to custom frame bags, San Util has some great handmade gear available. Let’s check it out below!