Sim Works‘ Doppo Ronin is a new entry in the all-road category from the Japanese parts brand. They’re tig welded and made in Japan, so let’s check it out!
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Radar
House of Looptail Snake Belly Tires Reissue Review
One tire dominated the market when it came to the mountain bikes of the early 1980s: the Snake Belly. House of Looptail just reissued this classic pattern with the original Japanese tire manufacturer, Panaracer. John bought a set at their launch and has a hands-on look at and review of them below…
Radar
Crust Bikes Has a Size Large Chunk Frameset in Stock in the USA
The Chunk frame, a made-in-Japan fillet brazed cruiser-inspired modern mountain bike by Crumbworks in Japan, caught our eyes when it was announced last year. These bikes feature non-boost spacing, thru-axles, and disc brakes, designed for dirt riding and touring. If you live in the USA, ordering one from Japan is expensive, but Crust Bikes brought in a few frames from Crumbworks and now only a size large remains. Available in raw for the paint finish of your choice or run it raw for $2,100. Check out more at Crust Bikes.
Radar
Touring Through Japan
“Mystery Tour: Bikepacking Through Japan” follows friends Jackson, Jake, Kyle, and Fischer on a bike tour across Japan on State Bicycle Co.’s Titanium All-Road bikes. From navigating Tokyo’s chaotic streets and subways to cycling along the coast and through scenic landscapes, their journey is filled with surprises, new friends, and spontaneous detours.
Radar
Sim Works Limited Edition Gold
Eagle-eyed readers might have caught a glimpse of the new Sim Works limited edition Gold color in our MADE People and Products Reportage. Well today the Japanese-based cycling company has released its 2024 Gold component kit online with both sizes of its Bubbly pedals, Rhonda stem face plate, Sim Drops bar ends, and stem caps all in a lustre gold finish.
Find the full kit at Sim Works.
Reportage
Nitto: Embodying the Spirit and Legacy of Japanese Bicycle Craft
Today, we’re peeling back the curtain on one of the cycling industry’s most experienced, globally recognized, and revered manufacturers of superlative bicycle components that continue to define and stand the test of time. Join the SimWorks crew for a trip inside Nitto for thoughtful insights into their commitment to traditional craft and manufacturing processes, their uniquely Japanese philosophy on quality and dedication to process, and how their past continues to direct their future.
Reportage
Readers’ Rides: Julian’s Cherubim Triplecrown Track Bike
Wow. A Cherubim Triplecrown track bike for a Readers’ Rides?! What is this, 2008? We’re all here for it. Track bikes. We can’t quit drooling over them. The most simple form of bicycle that has been sculpted and crafted into stunning machines. Julian, who happened to work on this website’s design, submitted his stunning Cherubim Triplecrown track bike for this week’s Readers’ Rides. Let’s check it out!
Radar
VIDEO: Japan’s Underground Bike Parking
Jonathan B Roy takes us on a look inside Japan’s underground bike parking in this YouTube video! Watch as he showcases this high-tech parking system where more than 1,000 bikes can be stored in a completely automated way. The bikes are protected from weather, theft, and rubbing against each other or a rack. With the help of an e-card, it even only takes an average of 13 seconds to get your bike back…
Radar
MKS BM 10 Foot Jaws Are Back
Those of us who grew up in the 1980s and 1990s remember these pedals. Or at least our shins do! Before clipless foot retention, having a flat pedal with “bite” was necessary! The BM 10 pedals, aka the “Foot Jaws” feature a cage wrapped with teeth that grab onto your sneakers for a premium grip. These iconic pedals are coming back for MKS day 2024 and are in stock at Blue Lug today. The US should be getting these in stock any day now as well!
Radar
Blue Lug Purple SON Hub and Edelux ii
When it comes to the world of dynamo lighting, one name reigns supreme: SON Nabendynamo. The German manufacturer has made the world’s best dynamo lighting for decades, and to celebrate its accomplishments, Japanese bike shop Blue Lug just announced an exclusive, limited edition purple SON hub ($388.80)–in quick release and SON 28 ($453.60) 12 mm thru-axle–to match the purple Edelux ii ($230.40) lamp.
These are in stock now but probably not for long. Roll on over to Blue Lug to see all the details!
Reportage
Origins and Activations: How Ronnie Romance Found Inspiration at Blue Lug Bike Shops
This is a long story. It is a story of Blue Lug‘s influence on me, an interview with the co-founder, and hopefully it will lend some inspiration to American bike shops.
The photos you are seeing are of Blue Lug employee bikes that I shot one after another as we visited each location. We thought it would be cool to document the personal bikes of the build artists whose handiwork you see each day on the Blue Lug Instagram softcore porn for bike nerds.
We will begin with the story of my 650b leather and canvas activation as a lead in…
Radar
Radar Roundup: New Chris King Color “Midnight”, Steve Potts Original Dirt Drops, Kate George x Cosmic Dirt, Angel Revo Saddle, Soma Jawbone, Ergon BA Hip Bag, and Cycling to Argentina
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
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Radar Roundup: Sim Works Super Chill, Welldone Chips Bag, RX8/RX8R, Big Kev, Bicycle Film Festival Returns, and Kromvojoj 2022
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
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Readers’ Rides: Takahiro’s Panasonic Singlespeed Basket Bike
Basket bikes are our Achilles, and today, for our Readers’ Rides, we bring you Takahiro’s Panasonic singlespeed. If you’re into clean, minimal builds and photos, this one’s for you!
Radar
Radar Roundup: Manitou Mastodon, Tomii Stem Caps, CnGS Mugs Return, Pit Viper Flip Up, Cool Breeze Party Pace Cycling Cap, The Good Days, and ANOTHER Trophy Cup Flick?
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
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Radar Roundup: Shafer AL, Sim Works Refresh, Tange 26″ Forks, Lolo Pricing, RLT 9 RDO, OD/Coyote Cams, 2022 HuRaCaN 300, Rwanda Tour, and Part of Me
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…
Radar
Sim Works Updates the Doppo ATB All-Terrain
The Doppo ATB has been a popular frame for Sim Works since its original release in 2018. Over the years we’ve documented multiple ATB builds (like this, this, and this) highlighting the frame’s versatility. With the updated model that’s available today, Sim Works has made it even more capable by using a lighter tubing spec, changing from quick-release to 100×12 thru-axles, Paragon rear dropouts, and three-pack mounts on fork legs and underside of the downtube. Continue reading for more details from Sim Works…
Radar
Radar Roundup
Our Radar Roundup compiles products and videos from the ‘net in an easy-to-digest format. Read on below for today’s findings…