Search Term – Change
Over the past few years – since moving to Austin in 2010 – I’ve been struggling with weight loss. Look, we’re all cyclists. We probably all ride with skinny, fit dudes and as a bigger guy, it’s frustrating. Even now, at the peak of my fitness, I still get dropped by “climbers”. What I found was to take these experiences and use them as part of my motivation. There was one defining moment however. A majority of it came from a ride I did in Australia a few years back…
I’ve been to Baum Cycles before, a few years back, but in that time, both Darren and I made a few big moves. While Baum is still expanding, it’s fun to see what the future holds for the Geelong-based frame builder.
No, it’s not April 1st, this one’s for real. In fact, it’s so real that it’s in stock now at the Velocity Web Shop… Tempting, isn’t it?
“Convinced there was a better use for leftover Australian-made rims (we now manufacture our rims in Jacksonville, Fla.), our in-house wheelbuilders at The Wheel Department set out to find it. We posted a picture of a prototype “upcycled” hanger online, and the response was overwhelming.”
Crikey!
Where do I even begin with 2013? If I can say anything about PiNP, it’s that the site is ever-evolving, much like cycling and my own experiences with it. As my own habits change, so does the content. Looking back over the past twelve months, I still can’t wrap my head around how much I traveled. It was overwhelming at times, but in the end, worth it.
So where do we begin? How about with the first Photoset: a new camera.
Check out the PiNP 2013: A Year in Photos below!
For some reason, I always assumed Euro was based in, I dunno, Europe? Turns out, Brian Hayes builds Euro Sport frames in Australia, which is where, coincidentally, Andy picked up this very frame. Now, to go from a Llewelyn as your everyday road bike to a Euro Sport might seem strange to some (it did for me), for Andy, it speaks one thing: Australian racing pedigree.
This bike is the shit. Euro Sport frames have been ridden by the Aussie National Team extensively. They’re aggressive, steep and responsive. This particular frame was built by Brian Hayes for Brett Lancaster, an Aussie pro. While Brian’s work has dabbled in ostentatious paint jobs before, he can’t recall painting this specific job… Which means, clearly aliens painted it because it’s out of this world, bro.
Paint alone doesn’t make the bike. You have to know how to piece it together. Enter FYXO: the man knows how to build a bike. Campagnolo Athena 11 speed, with custom panto, C-Record influenced cranks, Cinelli cockpit, Absolut Fyxo bidons, Regal saddle and good ol’ made in the USA White Industry hubs laced to Mavic Open Pros.
I love this bike, almost as much as I love its owner, so I spent extra time photographing it. See more in the Gallery!
As I’m packing for Australia, I was going over some essentials and two things I always take with me are a rain jacket and a lightweight, merino pullover. When layered, the combination ensures dry, breathable warmth. I’ve been using the Faroe pullover from Mission Workshop since they first released it. It’s the best merino pullover I’ve owned in both fit and durability. Now, don’t be mistaken. A lot of people will say there are cheaper options, but those options use Chinese merino and are made overseas.
The Faroe is made from doubleknit Australian wool and is made in San Francisco, California.
Mission just received stock of the Faroe in this grey color. Pick one up at Mission Workshop and you won’t regret it.
For me, nothing beats a 32h 3x wheelset for my cross bike but after talking with the guys at Easton about their new EA90 SLX tubeless race wheels, I was willing to try a set out.
While these can be used for road or cross, I have no desire to run them as road wheels. Tubeless rules for off-road riding, especially if you live in an area with a lot of rocks, roots and thorns. Why? There’s no pinch-flatting. The latex sealant also keeps trail debris from flatting your tires. Around this time of year in Austin, the thorns get blown and washed onto the trails, leaving you with at least one flat per ride if you’re not careful.
I don’t have this issue on my 29’r but my cross bike…
Check out more of my Initial Reaction to Easton’s EA90 SL tubeless race wheels below and more photos in the Gallery of my dialed-in Geekhouse Mudville, race-ready (for all who have asked).
I think it’s safe to say that the whole camo thing is at its prime so simply slapping an ambiguous pattern on a cycling kit, or apparel isn’t going to cut it. There has to be something unique, or even vernacular about the presentation. Enter the Fyxomatosis “Predator” cycling kit.
Disruptive Pattern Camouflage Uniform, or Auscam was developed in the 70’s and 80’s. Used by the Australian Defence Force, Auscam is very distinctly Australian. As Australian as meat pies and yes, as Australian as Fyxo himself.
Andy sent me one of these kits a few weeks back, which I subsequently shredded (literally) on the first MTB ride. Since Andy still owes me $999.99 from a bet, I told him I’d clear his debt if he sent me another one and here it is.
The kit itself is made from really nice fabric and stuff. The fabric is as Italian as a cannoli stain on an Armani suit, uses YKK zippers, J-TECK dies for crisp sublimation, UV protection SPF 25+ and has passed extensive PiNP x FYXO testing in only the finest lab conditions (i.e. the wood).
While the US dollar is stronger than the AUS, scoop one up at FYXO… and yes, this stuff will make you a god damned sexual Tyrannosaurus, just like me.
See more photos in the Gallery and all the fit information, plus detail photos you need at FYXO.
I wish I could be everywhere at once, especially with all these great events approaching in the coming weeks. The Rapha Continental undeniably changed cycling in the USA. As part of their First Thursday Rapha Exhibition series, Rapha will be presenting select pieces from the Continental, as well as a group ride on Friday:
First Thursday Rapha Exhibition – Exploring The Road Less Traveled
The exhibition will feature photographs, films, journals, the riders themselves and their individually handmade steel bicycles.
Thursday June 6th
6-9 PM
Nossa Familia Coffee
1319 NW Johnson Street
Portland, OR 97209
Lunch Ride With The Rapha Continental
On Friday June 7th, Rapha North America will host a group ride with the riders of The Rapha Continental at 12:30 PM. The ride will depart from and finish at the Rapha North America offices at 1915 NW Kearney Street in Northwest Portland. The ride will be approximately 35 miles and will include Skyline Road, Rock Creek Road and Old Germantown Road. All levels welcome, the ride will take place rain or shine.
See more information below!
Let’s see, brightly-colored, capable of holding water and made in Australia. Yep. That’s a FYXO Bidon. Swoop here. Oh and check out his new sticker packs while you’re at it.
“Le Petite Cannibal”
I have a ton of Merckx Mondays content coming from Australia over these next few weeks but today I’ve got one piece of radness to share. This year, all my friends seem to be having kids and it’s no secret that FYXO‘s a daddy now. Hence the mini Molteni Baby Skinsuit.
$40 and guaranteed to make your offspring faster. Or something. Made to order, bespoke baby wear and ends this week, so get on it. This is one example when it’s acceptable to buy upgrades…
“Aged many years in the wood”. How many years? Well, like everything in Straya, there’s a story for that. Daniel John Hale has seen his share of saddle time in the years he’s spent on Earth. An ex-pro mountain biker, owner of the Best Bike Shop in the World and one of the first solo riders to take on this particular area of Australian Bush, Dan’s no stranger to the wood.
Ten years ago, he did a similar ride to what we just completed this past weekend but instead of two days, it took him four. Rather than ride a mountain bike or a geared bike, he took his singlespeed Monster Cross. No GPS, no satellite phone and no idea where he was going, save for a map he bought on the side of the road. Later, he, Dave, Scooter and Andy began to tackle these rides annually. That’s 10 years in the wood of Upper Yarra, familiarizing themselves with the ‘bush, the many off-shooting tracks and trails.
Last year, a very similar ride changed me as a cyclist. It took the 215 pound me and slapped it around before spitting (i.e. shitting) it back out. I learned a lot in two long days, but left Melbourne wanting more. When I mentioned returning this year, Andy proposed me landing in for Dan’s 40th. As Andy put it, “we’ll do another ride”…
I’m now around 185 pounds and have been putting in serious saddle time, so the anxiety wasn’t as bad. Until he showed me the route. Day 01, 100 miles, 16,000′ of climbing. BUGGA!
A total of nine riders started, seven finished. Andy’s brother made it up the first climb before returning home and Scooter, one of the original badass couriers in Australia (and aforementioned Upper Yarra riders) only had time for Woods Point and back. That left Dan, Andy, Joe, Dave, Reuben, Mal and myself for the haul… Enclosed is the ride report for the first leg of this 26.6 MP/C* ride.
Check out a bunch of narrated photos in the Gallery!
Depending on how light you travel by bike, these two bags could very well hold everything you need for a week-long bicycle tour or camping trip and the best thing is, you don’t need rack mounts or any additional provisions. Just a seat post, saddle rails and handlebars. The frame, bar and saddle bags that are coming out of Porcelain Rocket’s shop in Calgary are strikingly beautiful.
This isn’t your traditional waxed canvas and leather saddle bags used by randonneurs. These bags are made from Dimension Polyant VX21, HDPE and clasp together with Rock Lockster buckles. They can be customized to any number of color combinations and patterns (see above). Used primarily by MTBrs, these packs will fit on just about any bicycle frame.
I’ve never used a Porcelain Rocket bag, but I had great luck with my Viscacha saddle bag by Revelate Designs, which looks similar. I’m heading out to Asia in a few weeks and then to Australia, where I’ll be using my Viscacha yet again. I would be picking up a set from Scott if he didn’t have such a long lead-time.
You’ll have to wait about 10-12 weeks for your Porcelain Rocket bag but they look like they’re worth the wait. Check out the full line at Porcelain Rocket and see more of Scott’s creations on his Flickr.
Last year, at NAHBS, I met Jeremy and Neil from Cedar Cycling, a new cycling wear brand. Using high-end Australian merino wool blend fabric and local manufacturing in California, I knew Cedar was really doing something genuine and legit. Over a bottle of bourbon, we discussed working on a jersey. But since they had barely just launched their brand, we knew it would be some time before we’d have samples.
Earlier in the summer, I met up with them in SF to look at fabrics and discuss the jersey in detail. Then, a few weeks ago, I finally got my hands on one. I was really, really impressed. This is one of the nicest jerseys I’ve ever owned. We worked really hard getting everything right, especially the fit. It’s form-fitting, without being race cut. The sleeves sit just right and the front lies flat on your chest.
One of my biggest qualms with a lot of jerseys that I own is the pocket room. Especially during the winter. You end up stuffing arm warmers, a gillet and gloves into your pockets on the daily. Three generous open rear pockets hold all your ride essentials, plus two hidden zippered pockets to keep your valuables safe. The whole jersey is held in place by silicone gripper imported from Italy. The fit is true to size. I wear a large shirt and a large jersey.
It fits great and is incredibly comfortable. What I’m trying to say is, this is far from just a new “colorway”…
Pre-order one at the PiNP Web Shop today! These will be shipped on January 18th.
*One small note, our factory sewed up all of the jerseys with the rear pocket purple trim except for the mediums. Medium jerseys will have a grey pocket trim, matching the jersey. See this picture. Everything else is the same. Sorry!
In 2012, PiNP’s content was like a pinball machine. It seemed like every other month, I’d find myself in another city. Some familiar, some new, but I traveled everywhere with my bike and camera in hand, ready to see what was out there. Throughout these travels, I formed a lot of strong friendships with a lot of incredible people. Some of which have become my best of friends. We rode hard, we partied harder and somehow, I managed to keep the year in focus.
Here’s the PiNP 2012: A Year in 55 Photos…
I really wish I could have visited KUMO Cycles when I was in Australia. Especially after seeing this Chassichrome track frame. I can identify with large frames and this 60cm Columbus Life beauty was made with Llewellyn lugs, sports a hand carved Kumo BB shell cutout and keeps it classy with a chrome fork and rear triangle. Check out more details at KUMO. Thanks for sharing Harry!
All Photos by Andy White
Andy from Fyxomatosis and I did something a little different this time around. He’s posting my photos and dictating over them and I, his. We loosely are calling this the Dueling Banjos. So here’s my side of the saddle:
When I found out I would be returning to Australia, Andy asked if I wanted to go on one of he and Dan from Shifter Bike‘s “epic” rides out through Woods Point. I’ve been following Fyxomatosis, since forever, so I knew what that meant. This was a man’s ride. A no holds-barred, dirt and hurt ride. Since doing my tour, I have stayed in the saddle. I had the base miles underneath me but did I have the ability to keep up with Dan and Andy? Nervously, I accepted the invite and the day before we left, Dan took my Milwaukee Orange One into Shifter Bikes for a cleaning.
We left that morning and met Andy in Lilydale. We rode along the Warburton Rail Trail, through flea markets and eventually stopped in Warburton for breakfast. Canadian pancakes, a long black, fresh juice and some pastries. As we were leaving the cafe, I thanked Dan for cleaning my bike, to which he replied “thank me in 30 minutes”…
I was in Sydney for a few weeks before I finally made it down to Sable & Argent on Bourke street. I thought for sure they’d just be another fixed gear boutique. Let’s just say, I wasn’t expecting to find a facade that caters to various forms of urban cycling. As I walked through their front gate, I couldn’t help but notice how carefully curated the interiors were. Each section of the shop was merchandized wonderfully. Rapha, Campagnolo, Catlike, Mission Workshop, DZR and other brands all had shelf space, shared alongside road, cross, track and commuter bikes. You could walk in here and buy a full “kit” for whatever kind of bike you ride. The interiors were well-lit and the overall vibe just exuded cool. See for yourself by clicking the image above.
