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Eric’s Stinner Frameworks Romero ‘Cross

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Eric’s Stinner Frameworks Romero ‘Cross

Our thoughts go out to everyone in California who have lost their homes, their businesses and their local trails to these ravenous fires. The boys down in Goleta, a small town outside of Santa Barbara, at Stinner Frameworks were lucky. Real lucky. I don’t think anyone needs to remind them of that. With the Thomas fire reigning in heat, as California’s second largest fire on record, the shop at Stinner was busy preparing their own fire. This Romero frameset was hand-delivered to the Cub House last Friday so that Eric would be able to spend his Holiday break riding the mountains of Los Angeles.

As part of Stinner’s “The Collection,” this magenta and cyan coat was done in-house at Stinner, at no additional charge. These “stock” paint options usually offer a bright, colorful option, paired with a more subdued variant. This year’s other option is a matte desert tan and grey paint job, similar to the livery on the Stinner Hardtail I reviewed earlier this year.

Eric’s choice in build kit on this stock-sizing Romero features a Deda F-64 DB fork, which offered me something different to document, in what is usually a sea of ENVE forks. He also chose a KMC chain to match the paint, along with a combination of silver and gunmetal components like Onyx Hubs and a Chris King Headset, with a Paul stem. My favorite, perhaps unintended matching bit is the SRAM Force protective film on the rear derailleur. I couldn’t bring myself to pulling that off, though.

Crust Bikes: Lil Shorty 30mm Fillet Stem

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Crust Bikes: Lil Shorty 30mm Fillet Stem

Shorter is better sometimes, and for those times, there is Crust Bikes’ new 30mm fillet stem. Perhaps you want your bars 66.6cm wide and your stem as short as possible? Or maybe you ordered the wrong size bike for your t-rex arms. Whatever the reason, even if it’s experimentation, Crust has the solution to the problem you may or may not have known you had. These US-made stems come in 60mm or 73mm rise and in a raw finish, for you to paint to match for your bike or just ride it raw. They’re in stock now in limited quantities, so if your interest is piqued, waste no time! Head to Crust Bikes.

Kyle From Outer Shell’s Mikkelsen Drop Bar MTB

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Kyle From Outer Shell’s Mikkelsen Drop Bar MTB

How a “maker” builds their personal bike says a lot about how their mind works. For Kyle from Outer Shell, a bag manufacturer in the San Francisco Bay Area, that means go with time-proven staples and splurge on the important places. Kyle’s Mikkelsen is unique, to say the least, but every moment, every bolt, every component has been thought out, down to the cantilever arm, machined to hold his Sinewave Beacon light and Hite Rite dropper.

Spurcycle’s Tool

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Spurcycle’s Tool

IMO, there’s only one Tool, but the latest product from Spurcycle is giving the band a run for its money. Made in the USA from titanium, the Tool comes with a case and many, many bits. They’re up for pre-order now, with a pricepoint of $69. If the Tool performs like the Spurcycle bell, we’ve got a winner!

2017 Philly Bike Expo: Gallus Cycles Rando Bike – Jarrod Bunk

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2017 Philly Bike Expo: Gallus Cycles Rando Bike – Jarrod Bunk

2017 Philly Bike Expo: Gallus Cycles Rando Bike
Words and photos by Jarrod Bunk

Jeremy from Gallus Cycles brought his personal randonneur bike painted in vintage Ford Playboy Pink, by Black Magic Paint.  It features some fresh details, including a front rack with detachable low riders and a quick release decaleur, all made by Jeremy. A SON connector-less dyanamo hub provides power to both front and rear lights via internal wire routing.

Built with a mix of NOS Suntour XC Sport Components, Paul Component Racer Brakes, and a René Herse cranks this S&S Coupled masterpiece can go anywhere and have fun while you’re there.  Jeremy built this bike up leading into Philly Bike Expo this year and was even able to get some quality time on it before the show.

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Follow Jarrod on Instagram, and Gallus Cycles on Instagram

The Best Flannel EVER is Back in Stock at Kitsbow

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The Best Flannel EVER is Back in Stock at Kitsbow

I first bought the Kitsbow Icon in 2014 and out of all my apparel, both on and off the bike, it’s become a staple. As soon as the temps drop, it becomes my go-to mountain bike or bike touring jacket. I’ve taken spills, experienced thrills and everything in between with it. It’s a true example of a heritage piece, in a modern world where everything is disposable. Made in the USA from Oregon-made Pendleton wool with Schoeller®-shape 3XDRY abrasion panels and built to last.

My point is, the Kitsbow Icon is the best flannel I’ve ever owned and there’s nothing I’d change about it. Kitsbow agrees, although they do offer new colors each year… The Icon is back in stock at Kitsbow.

EDIT:
These features were added in the V2 Icon:
NEW Increased opening of cuffs to accommodate a watch
NEW Improved coverage of patches
NEW Improved articulation of shoulder vents (and made sure they don’t pooch out)
NEW Added some reflectivity for night safety

2017 Philly Bike Expo: Peacock Groove Track Bike – Jarrod Bunk

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2017 Philly Bike Expo: Peacock Groove Track Bike – Jarrod Bunk

2017 Philly Bike Expo: Peacock Groove Track Bike
Words and photos by Jarrod Bunk

Going into Philly Bike Expo I was looking forward to seeing what Eric Noren of Peacock Groove brought, especially since he brought the peoples choice bike last year. This S&S Coupled track bike, was on display having just been ridden to a second place at Madison Nationals by Tiana Johnson, did not let me down!

This bike featured a HED Jet 9 wheelset, one of Noren’s own Peacock Groove headsets and some of the wildest splatter paint, all finished off with Peacock Groove’s signature dropouts. There’s one thing for sure, the Liberace of bike builders didn’t let me down this year.

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Follow Jarrod on Instagram, and Peacock Groove on Instagram

2017 Philly Bike Expo: Winter Bicycles All Weather Commuter – Jarrod Bunk

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2017 Philly Bike Expo: Winter Bicycles All Weather Commuter – Jarrod Bunk

2017 Philly Bike Expo: Winter Bicycles All Weather Commuter
Words and photos by Jarrod Bunk

Eric Estlund, master metal manipulator of Winter Bicycles makes beautiful frames, racks and stems by hand, one-at-a-time in his central Pennsylvania headquarters.  Designed around his concept that you should be able to ride all year long, in all weather this commuter bike was built with a matching set of Winter-built-racks front and rear, fillet-brazed stem and a color matched Ruth Works Ultralight Porteur bag.

With durability in mind for daily commuting, Eric built a White Industries/SON wheelset and mounted some fenders.  The frame was built with direct mount Paul Racer brakes in mind and finished with some beautiful top eyes, all filed by hand, coming into the Philly Bike Expo.  I think this bike is a great example of an everyday workhorse of a bicycle that is both utilitarian and elegant at the same time.

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Follow Jarrod on Instagram, and Winter Bicycles on Instagram

Chumba’s Made in Texas Terlingua All Road Bike

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Chumba’s Made in Texas Terlingua All Road Bike

Named after a West Texas ghost town, the Terlingua, gets its namesake for the ability to traverse multiple road surface in this rugged part of the American West. Home of the Chihuahuan Desert Dirt Fest, the team at Chumba have fallen in love with riding there and wanted to design a bike that would be capable enough to handle the terrain, without compromising ride quality, or functionality. The Terlingua is a road bike, with large clearances, fit for dirt road riding, bikepacking and even ‘cross races. These frames are made outside of Austin, Texas and have all the boxes checked in terms of adaptability, they’ll fit a 700x50mm or 27.5″ equivalent, come in a variety of colors and pricing begins at $1450 for a frame. Check out all the details below and see more photos at Chumba!

2017 Philly Bike Expo: Pedalino CNC-Fillet Cross Bike – Jarrod Bunk

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2017 Philly Bike Expo: Pedalino CNC-Fillet Cross Bike – Jarrod Bunk

2017 Philly Bike Expo: Pedalino CNC-Fillet Cross Bike
Words and photos by Jarrod Bunk

Julie Ann Pedalino spent ten years working as a fine artist, making a switch over to building bikes some time ago. From a distance, the Spray-Bike paint job pulls you in and from there, her CNC-fillet lugs (which change with every one of her creations) draw you in closer on the bike. These lugs are wild, with some details that are hand carved further.

It isn’t just a show bike, even with all of the exposed ornate lugs it will be getting raced this year Elizabeth Reinkordt as a tribute bike to her family with 3 generations of cyclists, going back to her grandmother, who was touring by bicycle in the 1940s. While on display at Philly Bike Expo, there was a storyboard with some photos of the tour. The lugs and the colors of the bike draw inspiration from the wildflowers and sunset of her home state, Nebraska.  With a mix of  SRAM Force 1, Thomson cockpit, and some polished adornments from Paul Component by way of their Set N’ Forget through axles and QR seat collar, you can bet that this bike will be around for seasons of abuse.

 

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Follow Jarrod on Instagram, and Pedalino on Instagram

 

2017 Philly Bike Expo: Richard Sachs Candy Red Road Bike – Jarrod Bunk

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2017 Philly Bike Expo: Richard Sachs Candy Red Road Bike – Jarrod Bunk

2017 Philly Bike Expo: Richard Sachs Candy Red Road Bike
Words and photos by Jarrod Bunk

I remember this first time I had heard about Richard Sachs and his work.  I was 16,  flipping through some cycling magazines and a co-worker of mine at the time,  Em ( a much older and wiser person with over 30 years experience in the industry) told me to put them down and learn about Richard Sachs, stating that a Richard Sachs would be the only bike she could love.

This romanticised bikes in a way for me and I began to appreciate bikes with a bit more panache than the mountain bikes I grew up riding.  Fast forward a few years, and I’ve seen many bikes,  but this candy red Richard Sachs caught my eye from across the PBE show floor.  From the symmetric headtube logo to the dropouts, to one of the most beautiful seat-tube clusters.  I am blown away by just how beautiful each detail is up close.  The bike as a whole is a work of art and elegance, from a builder that we are lucky enough to experience in this lifetime. ATMO

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Follow Jarrod on Instagram, and Richard Sachs on Instagram

2017 Philly Bike Expo: Mars Cycles JRA Approved Track Bike – Jarrod Bunk

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2017 Philly Bike Expo: Mars Cycles JRA Approved Track Bike – Jarrod Bunk

2017 Philly Bike Expo: Mars Cycles JRA Approved Track Bike
Words and photos by Jarrod Bunk

David from the Bay Area contacted Casey Sussman over at Mars Cycles (Featured here during NAHBS) for this rad track bike!  Built for everyday commuting, from Columbus Zona double OS tubing, and featuring a wrap-around seat stay cluster that morphs into the ISP with a Ritchey topper, this bike is far from ordinary.

The Deluxe 840mm Ti bar stem combo along with 45mm deep carbon Deluxe wheels should make for some fun rips through traffic on this JRA approved track bike. Other details include an ENVE fork and a Columbus tapered headtube with raw, un-filed fillet construction throughout.  I’m so stoked on the stance of this bike.

 

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Follow Jarrod on Instagram, and Mars Cycles on Instagram