From Beretta to Bicycles: Tom Ritchey on Investment Casting and 1990 Eisentraut Mountain Bike

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From Beretta to Bicycles: Tom Ritchey on Investment Casting and 1990 Eisentraut Mountain Bike

We’re in a seemingly new era of bicycle framebuilding with the proliferation of 3D-printed components. While this movement might feel “unprecedented,” a similar thing happened with framebuilders in the mid-1980s and into the 1990s with technology borrowed from the Beretta gun manufacturer in Italy.

In what has to be one of our most intriguing Vintage Bicycles articles to date, John hops on a phone call with Tom Ritchey to discuss a rare 1990 Eisentraut mountain bike that Tom had recently acquired and the technology that made it possible.

More Kids on Bikes: How NICA is Changing the Culture of Youth Sports

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More Kids on Bikes: How NICA is Changing the Culture of Youth Sports

Stacked on a foundation of building strong minds, bodies, characters, and communities, The National Interscholastic Cycling Association (NICA) has been getting more kids on bikes through mountain bike racing, adventure riding, trail building, community outreach, and scholarship programs since being officially established in 2009.

Katie Sox spills the beans on her experience photographing for the Oregon League and how NICA continues to expand its offerings while cultivating a healthier and more equitable approach to youth sports.

ENVE Fray Endurance/All-Road Bike First Look

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ENVE Fray Endurance/All-Road Bike First Look

Released today, the Fray is ENVE’s new all-road/endurance road bike. The Fray is positioned in ENVE’s lineup between the Melee and the MOG, with a geometry optimized for tire sizes between 700 x 31c and 700 x 35c, and clearance up to 40c.

Petor stumbled on one of the first production Fray bikes ahead of its release for a long weekend in Girona last October. Below, he shares a first look and some initial ride impressions…

BTCHN’ Bikes Paul Crank Adapter

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BTCHN’ Bikes Paul Crank Adapter

The problem with the PAUL cranksets is the chainrings wear out and they’re not compatible with narrow-wide 1x setups, so you’ve gotta run a chain guide. They’re also not compatible with 10, 11, or 12-speed drivetrains. BTCHN’ bikes have been there… so they made this PAUL crankset adapter. This is 3D printed in aluminum and will bolt up to your Paul Crankset using their factory chainring bolts. It will adapt to any 104BCD chainring using standard 1x chainring bolts while maintaining the original chainline.

First debuted at the 2022 MADE Bike Show and pre-ordering now for $95.

See more at BTCHN Bikes.

Monē Bikes SB2 Review: Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’

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Monē Bikes SB2 Review: Cruisin’ for a Bruisin’

We talk a lot about the early klunkers, from Breezers to Cunninghams and Ritcheys, but what about the very first MTBs in the US, the coaster cruisers, aka mountain cruisers? These esoteric singlespeeds rely on a coaster brake hub to control their speed and were adapted from old Schwinn newspaper bikes.

Read on as John reviews his coaster cruiser, a Monē Bikes Small Batch Straight Bar, aka the SB2. These bikes are the simplest mountain bike you can ride: No hand brakes. No gears. Big bars. Balloon tires. This is peak coaster cruiser!

Forever Bike: Josh’s Custom Oddity Singlespeed With Ignite Components

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Forever Bike: Josh’s Custom Oddity Singlespeed With Ignite Components

Nearly three years ago this week, Josh picked up a custom titanium singlespeed Oddity hardtail that was originally Burnsey‘s show bike for the 2021 Philly Bike Expo. It’s become his most-ridden bike and has been subject to plenty of component swaps over the years, yet it hasn’t been fully documented with a dedicated article here on this site. Josh recently outfitted the bike with Ignite Components and (finally) shares a review and breakdown of the build below, including an interview with Ian Colquhoun of Ignite…