Colossi‘s been rolling out a few nice gems over the last week. Check out the Manero, a spin on British lugwork here and Sander’s ultralight XLR8R track bike here.
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Radar
LOOP x LOW
Andrew showed me these photos when I was visiting him in SF and LOOP Magazine now has this collaboration up for lottery sale. Not that you guys want to drop that kind of coin on a collaboration but it’s still a nice looking frame. While we’re on the subject of Loop, Dan Chabs made the cover!
Radar
Tokyo Fixed Bikes: 2012 Road Rocket
Tokyo Fixed Gear‘s frame lineup for 2012 is rounded off with their new road model, the Road Rocket. If you’re in London, swing through the shop to test ride one, beginning today.
“With the Road Rocket we went ahead and indulged by designing our dream road frame. We have used our favorite tubing (Columbus MAX chain stays and down tube, Spirit seat tube and head tube and a skinny Keirin top tube & seat stays) to deliver performance in all the right places. The frame weighs 1.7kg / 2.06kg inc the Columbus Minimal full carbon fork. The Road Rocket is a credible contendor against titanium and carbon frames with all the comfort and durability steel brings. Estimated retail price will be £775 frame only / £900 frame and fork. Our first shipment is in the water now and will be with us very soon.
We will be offering the Road Rocket as a great value complete as well as a framset with a choice of Shimano Ultegra or 105. “
Check out more at the Tokyo Fixed Gear blog.
Radar
Breakbrake 17: Transfer Low Pro Now Available
Breakbrake 17’s triple triangle, Columbus tubing, low pro is now available. Dubbed the transfer, these frames are in stock and ready to ship. Hit up your local Breakbrake 17 dealer, or iMinusD. For more photos, head to BB17’s blog.
Radar
Firefly: Anodized Pinstriping
Less is more and in this case, Firefly‘s newest project takes the anodized titanium decor to minimalerer levels. Check out more photos at their Tumblr.
Radar
Leader: 2012 Fixed Freestyle Framesets – Hurricane 700c and Pharaoh 26″
Leader‘s 700c and 26″ fixed freestyle framesets will be in stock at the end of the month and will soon ship out to retailers worldwide. The Hurricane’s their 700c offering and the Pharaoh, 26″ fixed. Both designed and street-tested by the Leader team.
Check out more information and photos below.
Radar
Chari & Co: Brooklyn Machine Works V2 Gangsta Track Spring Colors
Chari has a fresh stock of Brooklyn Machine Works Gangsta V2 framesets. Pick up what I’m calling John Deere and Yankees colorways while they’re still available.
Radar
Baum Cycles: Venomous Corretto
This looks so killer that it’s gotta be venomous. Baum continues their melee of color-mixing with this crystal blue and venom green Corretto road frame. I usually don’t like painted ENVE components, but Baum just does it right. See more at their Flickr.
Radar
The Bicycle Photography of Dennis Lo
When I posted the Colossi Rambler cross frame, Dennis Lo, the photographer dropped a comment. After a quick search, I found his Flickr, which is filled with gorgeous frame photography. Check out more here.
Radar
Hold Fast O.X. 29’r 26″ and 24″ Framesets Available Now
The Hold Fast O.X. frames are now available. OX Platinum, made in the USA and rider tested. These are looking DAMN good.
More details:
“We’re proud to introduce to you our latest, the Hold Fast O.X. Frame Series. They’ve been described by our test riders as the kind of bike that is so responsive, “all you have to do is think it, and the bike does the rest”. While we can’t make that claim ourselves (thanks a lot, Colin), our goal was simply to create an aggressive and highly responsive frame with a dialed-in geometry that encourages intuitive freestyle riding.”
This breaks down into three frames: The Converter 29’r, the Subverter 26″ and the Agitator 24″.
Pick these up now, because they won’t last!
Reportage
Another Round with LOW
It’s crazy to think that it’s been a year since Chas emailed me, asking me to post about Andrew Low‘s work, leading to a full queue for the SF-based frame builder. He’s been steady cranking away this year at frames, sending them worldwide.
In that time, he’s refined his shop, and over the past few weeks, he’s working on some frame refinements. Faced track ends and finished welds are just a few of the things Andrew’s been working on. I tell ya, if I raced at the track, I’d ride one of these bikes.
Click on the above photo to launch the gallery, or here to open in a new tab.
Radar
Hold Fast: 24″ Fixed Freestyle Framesets
The Hold Fast fixed freestyle framesets have been in the works for well over a year now but news of the 24″ FGFS frameset has only hit the internet in the past few weeks. Rob from Hold Fast sent over these two teasers. Expect more tomorrow but for now, check out the full build on the 24″ Hold Fast FGFS bike below.
Radar
Chris Clappe Welcome to Hold Fast
Chris has been riding the Hold Fast 29’r FGFS frame since last winter and on the eve of their media announcement tomorrow (shhhhh!), he put out a video showcasing the new Made in the USA frames.
Radar
All-City: 2012 Nature Boy Zona
Of course, if you wanted a single speed that weighed a little less, you could always go with the All-City Nature Boy Zona:
“Nature Boy Zona LE 2012
$795 MSRP
These bad boy’s are now decked out in black and silver and will be arriving in September.
Last year our run of 80 framesets sold out in a flash, so if you want this 1/2lb lighter version of the Nature Boy with a Press Fit 30 Bottom bracket, you need to act quick.
We are taking preorders now, so get into your local shop and let them know that you want one.
Like last year these will only be coming in 4 sizes, 49,52,55, and 58. However this year we tweaked the geo so that the 49 and 58’s mimic the standard Nature Boy (last year they were .5 mm shorter and longer respectively).”
Radar
Firefly Bicycles: Signature Downtube
Personally, I’d much rather have a builder’s signature on the downtube, rather than the top tube. And if this is a cross bike, it’d make for prime photo ops during #crossiefreestyle box jumps. Can’t wait to see how this new Firefly turns out!
Radar
Baum Cycles: Morepheous Purple Cubano
What can I say? I like purple road bikes. Is this a growing trend? Regardless, this Baum Cubano looks damn nice. See more at the Baum Flickr.
Radar
Tokyo Fixed Gear: The First Dart Build
The new line of Tokyo Fixed Bikes frames are looking damn nice. Aside from that Death Spray Low Pro, the Dart is my favorite of the lineup, especially all murdered out like Jamie’s build. See more of this rad machine at Tokyo Fixed Gear.
Reportage
My Icarus Columbus MAX Track Bike
I think every cyclist goes through ups and downs when it comes to what they want in a bike. When I began talking to Ian at Icarus last year about my ViKING track bike, I wanted something more relaxed to ride on. We kept the geometry of the frame true track and went with a fork with a little more rake than normal, to make the ride more road-like. That way, I could just drop a 32mm track fork on the bike and have that “aggressive” ride associated with a track bike.
Well, after having the urge to ride a fast, nimble track bike on the streets, I contacted Ian about making a 32mm rake fork. Initially, we couldn’t find a Columbus MAX fork crown in 1 1/8″ so we went with a unicrown. At NAHBS, Chris Bishop told me he had a stainless 1 1/8″ MAX fork crown, so I bought it from him and sent the materials to Ian at his newly-located facilities in Ashville, NC.
A few weeks later and this baby arrived. I held off on painting it for now because I can’t afford to drop the cash at the moment and I want to work out the paint scheme. But with the Chris King polished stainless headset, I plan on polishing the crown to really set the bike off. Because Ian knew I’d be riding it raw, he torched it a bit, giving it a hippie tie-dye finish and then coated it with furniture polish to keep it from rusting.
The feather on the blade lets you know this bike means business. Beware of impostors, there is only one feather to rule them all.
Check out the Gallery by clicking the photo above, or click here to open a new tab.
