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The brands within the umbrella of QBP have something for everyone and now, with the introduction of Teravail, their newly-launched, in-house tire brand, they deliver something for just about everyone in terms of tires for varying terrain.
The initial Teravail product line includes tires for three categories: all-road, gravel, and off-road, ranging in size from 28mm up to 2.2″. Check out the models below.
“Il Faut Toujours Souffrir.”
That’s what’s painted on the top tube of Barry’s Stinner disc all-road frame. Roughly translating to “we must always suffer,” this saying acts as not only a motivation for Barry on rides, but as a reminder as to what cycling means to him in relation to life. Nothing good comes easy.
Barry‘s an illustrator, a typographer, a graphic designer and in Los Angeles, that means freelance. It takes a certain soul to be a freelancer in LA. You’ve got to hustle, be on your game at all times and yes, sometimes suffer the ups and downs of the creative economy. That means some weeks, months, years, you’re on your game and others you’re not. It all takes sacrifice.
Mark’s Black Cat Gatto Disc All-Road
Photos by Derek Yarra, words by John Watson
Grinduro, the timed segment gravel race in the Sierra Nevada mountains approaches (10.10.2015) and for people like Mark Riedy, it’s the perfect opportunity to get a California builder to construct a dream bike for the event. An race like Grinduro will bring about polarizing opinions regarding what the ideal equipment might be. Some would say a hardtail or a rigid mountain bike, since the descents are technical and the last 12 miles of the course is singletrack.
Others would say a disc “all-road” or ‘cross bike because of the timed road segments and the 20-mile climb. Mark Riedy, Giro’s longtime PR guy, is clearly in the drop bar camp, so he looked to Santa Cruz’s Black Cat Bicycles to build him a bike.
Now, for those of you who know Mark, you can attest to his love of the Gios Torino road frames. They’re classics and Mark is always on the lookout for one in his size. Perhaps this was his motivation when contacting frame painter Keith Anderson, or perhaps he just wanted to have the word “Gato” on his head tube.
I reached out to Mark and asked him what he was trying to accomplish on Grinduro weekend. To which he replied, “I’m riding Grindruo just for fun and to be able to get in a weekend of camping with my family, so it doesn’t matter to me if I win or finish last, but I do want to have the most fun.”
SRAM 1x, Zipp and yes, white bar tape with a white saddle topped off this very modern bike inspired by an iconic classic. A guy who spends most days riding the dry, gravel fire roads of Marin County, Riedy wanted a bike that handled exactly like a performance road bike, but featured clearance for up to 38c tires and disc brakes. For most rides, Riedy runs Continental 28C Gatorskin Hardshell rubber, but for Grinduro he’ll definitely go with something bigger, like a Conti CycloXKing.
See you at Grinduro, Mark! I’ll be on my rigid…
Grinduro still has spots available, so head over to check it out.
Thanks to Above Category‘s Derek Yarra for the photos!
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Follow Derek on Instagram.
We got the jump on our own brief review and photos early on with the Slate. Some people loved it, others hated it and for good reason. While I wouldn’t call the notion of a suspension fork on a road bike a new idea, with the old Team Gan and other Roubaix bikes having done something similar in the past, the Slate does offer a rather unique riding style and honestly, it just looks like a freaking beast. Granted a beast that was made in some genetic lab somewhere, but albeit, a beast.
The Slate will be landing at Cannondale dealers in October. Offered in three build options: a $2980 105 kit in OD green, a $3520 Ultegra kit in raw aluminum, and a $4260 CX-1 kit in black with purple accents. Check out build specs below.
It’s not a cross bike, it’s a road bike with clearances for bigger tires. Sure it uses an ENVE disc cross fork, but the bottom bracket drop, chainstay length and angles are more in line with what many would categorize as a road bike. A road bike that likes to gobble up rugged and rutted roads.
The Bruce Gordon Rock n Road tires were the starting point for Ian at Icarus Frames to build Tyler his new all-road machine. He wanted hydro disc brakes and road gearing, which he may or may not swap out in the forthcoming months for a clutch and a wider range cassette. With a burnt orange paint and subtle Icarus branding on the downtube, Tyler’s bike has a confident stance without being overly gaudy. Keep it clean with the paint and get it nice and dirty…
Truth told, I’ve been wanting a bike like this for some time now and it was a pleasure being able to document it both for Icarus Frames and Tyler.
Thanks to Jonathan from Mellow Johnny’s for the build!
What do you do when an accomplished athlete backs you on a gamble and encourages you to do something different. Something that might change the face of “all-road” cycling forever? Or at least for a little while anyway…
The story of the bike goes back to March in 2014, when Tim Johnson and his wife Lyne were riding in Louisville along the bourbon trail. David from Cannondale put one of these bikes under Tim and watched the atavism take over. Tim hit every curb cut in sight, skidded around corners and sprinted like he was riding his EVO… Tim’s a cross racer through and through, so dirt and speed are his top priorities. Oh and fun. Having fun too. Right Tim?
Niner has really nailed this one. With the success of their RLT, they’ve just issued a steel version, marketed towards bike packing, camping and light touring. While it’s not a full blown touring bike, you can strap a few bags to it, as well as a rear rack and take off into the wilderness.
With a geometry dialed in for gravel, cross racing, all-road conditions and even some singletrack shredding, the RLT 9 steel presents itself as a new platform for those who want to get the most out of their bike.
Made from Reynolds 853, with thru-axles, fender / rack mounts and PF BB30, the RLT 9 Steel utilizes modern tech with the feel of steel. Am I excited about these bikes? Yep. We’ll be riding them in the forthcoming weeks…
Available as a complete with multiple build kits, or a frameset in two color combinations. Check out more photos below and see pricing and sizing information at Niner.
Moots have been making moves over the past year to redefine some of their lineup. Their Psychlo X got an overhaul and inspired the Routt, which then spawned the Routt 45 and while that might be exactly what you want, or need, they also offer custom designs.
This all-road is one of those custom designs and it features one hell of a build kit. That super tricked out ENVE GRD fork made its first appearance on this bike, as well as those new 12mm thru-axle King hubs (more to come on those). One other detail worth noting is the prototype ENVE seat post, with a double clamp mechanism – a vast improvement over the current design.
Overall, this was my favorite titanium bike at the show because it not only looks capable, it looks confident.
Shouts to Mike Cherney for making every. single. one. of those Moots head badges by hand!
For Mosaic Cycles, they don’t grind gravel, they just go on road rides. Roads that are mostly dirt, so when Aaron decided to make a bike for ‘all-road’ conditions, he didn’t have to change much, aside from tire clearances. He did however add a few braze-ons for versatility reasons. Fender and light rack mounts are the most obvious additions. This particular frameset includes the new Ethic Industries fork. The GS1 is offered both as a steel bike, built from True Temper S3 tubing, or a titanium frame, with a geometry slightly tweaked for off-road or all-road riding.
The GS1 is designed to ride better on those long days in the saddle on dirt. This is one bike that has intrigued me and I’ll be able to actually ride it in the near future as part of a long-term review. Stay tuned…
If you’re intrigued, holler at Mosaic, where they’ll be more than happy to answer your questions or build you a bike of your own.
For it being LoveBaum Bicycles‘ first year at NAHBS, I’d say it was a successful one. Winning the “Rookie” award is quite the honor for the framebuilding pairing from Denver. While their curved seat tube track machine was very much about performance and style this bike is all about customization. Chad Lovings, the other half of LoveBaum, recently completed this build, an all-road bike that oozes that ever-present NAHBS panaché.
For starters, the client’s initials have been carved from the seat tube cluster lug. A bold, cursive KP with crisp lug lining is the highlight of the frame, while other details like the internal routing and custom stem are equally as pristine, yet flow so well, they disappear in the overall package.
Built from a True Temper S3 and Nova, Chad used Fillet Pro to create smooth transitions, tube to tube. Finally, a rust orange and forest green sparkle paint job makes this bike pop with gold lug lining and dropout cell fill. For the build kit, the client went with Ultegra Di2, ENVE, Challenge Almanzo tires and Chris King.
Does this bike deserve the “Rookie of the Year” award? Oh yeah…
Aptos, California’s Black Cat Bicycles is a jack of all trades and a master of them all. Fit, frame construction and paint are all done in house by Todd Ingermanson, the self-described one man dance party. His bikes are purpose-driven with elegance. Todd will always fit a bend or two in one of his bikes.
Having been shredding a mountain frame from him over the past few weeks, I can attest to how they ride.
For NAHBS this year, Todd brought a couple of gems with him. An Operation Thunder Monkey rowdy 29’r hard tail and this all-road disc bike. Fitted with Clément X’plor USH tires, a Brooks Cambium, Shimano from head to toe and a custom fillet stem it’s hard to overlook this cherry red beauty. Oh and that paint, yeah…
While we’re on the subject, head over to Black Cat Bicycles to see Todd’s brand new website and follow him on Instagram!
You know what? I think Drew at Engin’s work is some of the finest in the world and when it comes to mountain frames, his titanium trail rockets are the things dreams are made of, so why wouldn’t he be able to make a sick cross bike, or all-road rig? Look at the body language and stance on that thing!
These bikes look the part and although I’ve never ridden one, I bet they rip just fine.
Check out more at Engin.
Lifestyle photos by Chris Blott
Shand calls the Stoater a “cross bike for people who don’t race cross” and here in the States, bikes like this get labeled “gravel grinders” or “adventure bikes”. I like to think of them as all-road bikes.
The Stoater can be run as a singlespeed, geared or Rohloff. Shand achieves versatility through using a PF30bb, so it can accept a Beer Components EBB and the Paragon Polydrop dropouts with interchangeable inserts. This, along with modular cable routing, drivetrain swaps are easy. Built from Reynolds 853 with Deda and Columbus stays, the Stoater can take what you can throw at it.
See more of the Stoater at Shand Cycles.
Photo by Anthony Bareno
Eric at Winter, like many builders, has been busy, busy, busy with frames, the most recent being this Consano All-Road. This frame is equipped with clearances for bigger tires, while maintaining a road geometry and feel. Equipped with PAUL MiniMotos for stopping power and a deep red coat of paint from none other than Keith Anderson.
Head over to Winter Bicycles for more.
Photos by Andy Bokanev
The world of “gravel grinding” and “adventure” bikes has expanded exponentially over the past few months. While Specialized is no stranger to dirt, the new Diverge all-road disc bike takes cues from their MTB line and adds them to a new drop-bar bike called the Diverge…
Yonder Journal‘s Brovets have both broken me and proved to be an ideal testing ground for products. Long, 200-400k rides will take their toll on equipment, especially when there’s dirt involved.
Ty is part-owner of Golden Saddle Cyclery, a shop in Los Angeles that was the starting point for Yonder’s Brovet 01. Back then, Raleigh didn’t have any real all-road options, but promised something ideal was on the way.
In 2014, Raleigh released the Tamland 2.0, an all-Reynolds 631 steel, disc-equipped “all-road” bike that comes stock with Shimano Ultegra. These bikes offer a burly, yet lively ride, loaded or unloaded.
When the road gets rough for long miles, Ty opted for the Ergon CF3 Pro Carbon seatpost to dampen the ride a bit and Bruce Gordon Rock n Road tires.
For the past few Brovets, Ty, Cole, Kelli, Daniel, Hahn and Moi all rode the Tamland 2.0 with a front SON Edelux upgrade. I like photographing bikes like this, because they show how a super simple upgrade can add a new level of functionality to a stock bike.
The classic rando bag, totally reimagined by the minds at Gramm Tourpacking. At 7.5 liters, the Diamond Bag – see Josh’s review in our archives – offers a happy medium capacity perfect for all-day rides. The folding lid opens towards the rider rando-style, allowing easy access to critical gear while on the move. Just announced on Gramm Tourpacking’s Instagram, you can now custom-order the Diamond Bag in over 40 technical fabrics.
The Diamond Bag is specifically designed to pair with the lightweight Allygn Diamond Rack. Select the Bundle for a deal on the set. For a larger bag, check out Gramm Tourpacking’s Diamond Bag (Tall) and Grill Bag.
See more at Gramm Tourpacking!
The updated Singular Cycles Kite Titanium is an evolution of the original steel Kite, one of the first gravel bikes to accommodate large tires. Like, really large tires. While the titanium frameset has remained a popular option in Singular’s catalog, the UK-based brand just launched a revised version that features an entirely new titanium fork with 3D-printed crown and UDH-compatible rear dropouts.
Josh, who is consistently interested in testing chubby tire gravel bikes in his home turf of southern Arizona, spotted a prototype Kite Titanium earlier this year at the MADE show. That particular Kite happened to be Singular owner Sam Alison’s personal build, and he let Josh keep it in the U.S. for a couple of months before sending it back across the Atlantic. Read on below for Josh’s impressions of the quick and capable Singular Kite.
