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For those über fans of the Richard Sachs House Industries ‘Cross Team, you can now pick up a limited edition Silca Custom Artist Edition floor pump. Yes, they’re expensive, but we already knew that coming into this, right? Personally, I just like looking at the detail that goes into these paint jobs. See for yourself at Silca.
Pretty in Grimy Pink Stinner Roadie
Photos by Kyle Kelley, words by John Watson
Ride Jah Bike!
Custom frames aren’t to be babied, or coddled, no matter how pretty they may be. Pink bikes especially. Now, the common misconception about pink bikes is that they don’t get thrashed; they’re too delicate. Like a flower. Or an orchid. Or a rare flower orchid that only blooms once every 20 years like that one in Dennis the Menace. Andrew, (@Moon_Raccoon) doesn’t care about babying anything. He bought a custom road bike from Aaron Stinner because when the rowdiness is happening, he wants it to fit like a glove.
Built with the usual suspects round these parts: a casual mix of SRAM, Thomson, King, Brooks and some nice, hand built wheels. While you might think this bike is a fashion statement, I can assure you this one is all about thrashin.
Less fashion, more thrashin.
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Coming in at 232g Hub Set (74g Front Hub + 158g Rear Hub), ENVE‘s new made / assembled in the USA 20/24 hubset caused quite the stir at Eurobike, winning a Eurobike Award and grabbing the attention of weight weenies everywhere. Even if shaving grams isn’t your thing (it’s not mine, personally), you can still appreciate these hubs’ beauty.
As with all lightweight, USA-made products, they’re not cheap, coming in at $1350 for a hubset. They are however one of the sleekest looking designs I’ve seen in the road hub market. Interested in a set? ENVE is taking orders now and will be shipping mid to late October.
For those wanting to know more, check out the full specs below.
Part commuter, part touring bike, beautiful functionality with that Icarus flair.
Chris wanted a bike that did all of the above. Having already commissioned Ian to build him a matte black road bike, he knew exactly what he wanted in a commuter. Tubus titanium racks, SON hub, Edelux lamp, Chris King, Paul components, custom painted Berthoud fenders, Swift Industries panniers, Jack Brown Blues and White Industries cranks, all being operated by SRAM’s XO long cage rear derailleur and barcons.
A lot of the parts selection was informed by my Geekhouse when Chris was selecting his kit. Dependability was the most important issue yet as we said earlier, it needed to be beautifully functional.
Maybe he’ll have time to get out on a tour? Or maybe it’ll just serve him as it has for the past year as a commuter for Austin, TX.
The poll is in and we have a winner… Get Ian from Icarus Frames to build you a winner by contacting him.
Everything is better with Multicam! Including these new Inside Line Equipment Seat Bags. Now available in black, white and standard (tandard as I like to call it). Made in the Bay Area and only $30. In stock now at ILE.
Yanco is a bag maker in Los Angeles probably known best for his collaboration project with Tracko, the Ramblin Roll. Over recent years however, he’s branched out into making specialty bags for the cycling community in LA.
Currently, he’s making everything from packraft bags, to handlebar pouches and little projects like this Cetma rack “wrap” he uses to make deliveries or on errands. It’s not a full-on bag and that’s the beauty of it. There’s little weight added and it stabilizes load. Also new to his product line is the bottle holster. While these can be found from numerous vendors, I liked his draw chord detail.
If you’re digging these bags, be sure to give him a follow on Instagram @jonesville and holler at him if you’d like one.
This is a great idea from our friends at Search and State:
“A Search Statement is a proposal for something you want to do. It can be anything, but should involve cycling in some way. It would be great if your idea has a positive impact on others, but it doesn’t necessarily have to. Perhaps you want to ride farther, longer, or somewhere no one has before. Maybe you want to build a cycling community where one doesn’t exist. Perhaps you want to create a photo exhibition, an art installation, a cycling movement, a safety device, an innovative type of bicycle, or a new way to ride one. We’re open. Try us. What’s most important is why it matters to you.”
Take some time and submit your Statement at Search and State!
The influx of Eurobike product launches has begun and while I couldn’t make it over there this year, some friends at Chris King sent over some new product launches, some slated for spring 2016 and some now available. There’s a lot of information, so I’ll just list it below. In short: thru-axle, singlespeed, centerlock, boost and the return of turquoise!
For Cannondale Hollowgram owners wanting a direct mount road or cross narrow-wide chainring, Wolf Tooth Components has exactly what you’re looking for. Available in 38t, 40t, or 42t patterns, their chainrings are made from 7075 Aluminum and are built to last. $98 in stock now at Wolf Tooth with free shipping. Those SRAM users can also join in the fun with GXP from 26t to 42t options!
Poler‘s kits are always the best! For the forthcoming fall months, they’ve worked out a pre-order with Castelli on a pair of bibs, a jersey and arm warmers using their Land-designed pinecone pattern. The pre-order is live now, so head over to Castelli to see more information. For what it’s worth, I’ve found these kits to fit true-to-size…
Aether’s newest piece mixes style with functionality, all with the bicycle, urban commuting and in general motion in mind. Made from Merino French terry fabric, with a chest pocket and a quarter zipper for easy removal. Made in the USA, with a retail of $195 and available in grey (pictured) or black. See more at Aether.
Photos by Marty Wood
To celebrate their 10th anniversary, Bike Jerks have just launched a kit pre-order. There’s a lot of great information up on the Bike Jerks blog, so head over to check it out. If you’d like to pre-order, you can do so at Podiumwear. Production will take 4-weeks.
While LOW Bicycles might be known best for their made in San Francisco track bikes, for the past year or so, they’ve begun to develop road and ‘cross frames. Debuted at NAHBS, the MKI road is Low’s first geared bike offering, selling in small production runs and starting as a collaboration with Cadence, a longtime supporter of the brand.
A lot has changed at LOW since my last visit. Andrew hired Michael full-time, who aids in everything from prep to production and finishing. This enables Andrew to focus on welding and keeping up with the ever-increasing demand for frames.
When I was at the shop, Michael was working on one of the LOW MKI ‘cross frames in their new color: safety orange. These frames are being raced by TCB Courier and should be available soon for purchase.
When visiting a longtime friend like Andrew, more time is spend chatting and catching up, but I did get a few photos of the shop, the new frames and his dog, Manny. Enjoy!
If you’d like to pick up a LOW, head to their web shop or email Andrew for availability of their new MKI road and MKI cross frames.
One of the main requests AARN receives from his track chainrings is a 51t track ring. Well, guess what? They’re in stock now. Head over to AARN to swoop one up.
In the world of track crits, like Red Hook Crit and this weekend’s Wolf Pack Hustle’s Civic Center Crit, racers quickly realize that a standard track bike might have its limitations.
Let’s look at what a track bike is designed for: all left turns on a banked velodrome, with walls around 45º steep for a 250m track.
These crits however are completely different. For starters, the amount of people racing is almost three times what a miss-n-out or win-in-out would have competing. There are both right and left turns, yet no banked walls. In road criterium racing, you can coast through the corners and rail all the turns. With a track bike you need to pedal all the time.
That’s where Marc’s one-off comes into play. He and Andrew from Low Bicycles discussed options for a bike that was bred from the conditions of track crits. How is it different? Well, in all things related to bike design, a few millimeters here or there can make a huge difference. The bottom bracket is higher, to make for more crank clearance in the turns and the wheelbase is a bit longer to make it easier to hit those turns at speed.
So far Marc has raced three or four crits on it, as well as taking it to Hellyer, the local track to race.
Me, I just think it’s a beautiful fucking machine. Made in San Francisco by Andrew Low, fitted with Ritchey parts and with PAUL wheels made by Fresh Air Bicycles.
Having essential tools you need in one easy to access and transport location is a must. Silca takes their precision line to another level with these German and Swiss precision hex heads, with a twist. Along with the standard hex wrenches, is the proprietary made in the USA SILCA 17-4 Stainless Magnetic Adapter. The Adapter with a pleasant magnetic click turns the 6mm Hex Key into a ¼” socket drive which can fit any common ¼” driver Bit. Also in the HX-One Kit are are the 6 most common Torx sizes, 2 Phillips Head and 2 Flat head Drivers.
All tools fit in a laser-etched Beech wood case. In stock from Silca for $125 on September 1st. Head over for more information.
The more I see the work of Cameron Falconer in person, the more I love his bicycles, especially his rigid 29’r model. Designed for everything from trail riding to multi-day bikepacking, these bikes have multiple layers of functional details. From the multiple water bottle braze-ons, to the segmented forks and custom racks, these bikes can be outrigged to take on anything you throw at them.
Gabe‘s bike in particular is a prime example. I first saw it in person when we went on our little camping trip Saturday night. The British Racing Green disappears in the low-laying shrubbery lining the hills outside of San Francisco, perfect for stealth camping and the no-hassle component build is easily serviceable from any number of spare parts bins you might find at shops while on the road during a trip.
While much of the drivetrain is no-nonsense, Gabe splurged a bit on the Thomson parts, the Jones H-bar, Paul thumbies and Spurcycle bell. Maxxis ardents provide ample puncture protection and trail bite while loaded and the Brooks saddle will continue to ripen with age. Yep. This is about as good as it gets in my opinion.
My favorite detail? The size small Revelate frame pack, cleverly hooked on the cable boss and bottle cage and the front derailleur mounting under the seat tube bottle cage…
Nao Tomii’s latest build process photos have me feeling all funny. I absolutely love the asymmetrical brake bridge and the sharp, pointed seat tube cluster. Keep on top of Tomii and his work at the Tomii Cycles Flickr.
