tag
We love the King Cage Manythings cargo cages for carrying Nalgene bottles, fuel, and Jetboils. Over the years, some bag makers have even adorned these versatile cages with custom bags. But what if you wanted to carry something longer? Well, a few weeks ago, King Cage teased these Longer Thing Cages on its Instagram, and then the brand reached out to John to see if he’d like to check them out. Read on for more…
When you consider that a lot of Moots’ bikes run for well over the $11,000 mark, a brand new, electronic shifting disc brake Moots doesn’t seem that bad at $7,499. The Vamoots 33 is as entry-level as Moots will get without sacrificing what makes a Moots a Moots: the welded in house frame constructed from US made titanium. This build joins the long legacy of the Vamoots family of road bikes from Moots. A bit of DNA from each model that has come before it has played a part. Tip of the hat to Vamoots, Vamoots SL, Vamoots RSL, Vamoots Disc RSL and even the more recently Vamoots CRD and Vamoots RCS.
The Vamoots 33 is priced competitively with other manufacturer’s high end carbon road bikes but will last a lifetime and is made in the Rockies.
See more at Moots.
If you fancy yourself some steel or titanium bars from BTCHN’ Bikes, now’s the time. BTCHN’ is offering up 22.2 mm clamp bar stock in a number of rises (45 mm or 75 mm), 820mm, 800mm, 780mm or 760mm widths, 13° or 16° of backsweep, and a variety of finishes. All starting at $160 for steel or $290 for titanium. The pre-order runs from now until January 28th. The 4130 bars will ship out on February 19th, and the titanium bars will ship out on February 9th.
See more at BTCHN’ Bikes.
We received news this morning that Eddy Merckx has re-launched the brand, including steel and titanium bikes amongst the flashy carbon fiber racing machines…
Mountain Safety Research, MSR, just introduced three new products to its Titanium cookware assortment for spring 2024 – a Titan Double Wall Mug ($49.95), Titan Long Spoon ($17.95), and Titan Spork ($14.95). The brand also refreshes the collection with thoughtful updates to their Titan Kettles and its 450 mL Titan Cup, all designed to be more functional, packable, and long-lasting. We love titanium cookware, as it requires no non-stick surface, and as such, it can be used directly in a campfire (except the double wall mug and other insulated containers.) Some of our editors have titanium cookware in their kit that they’ve had for over a decade with no sign of wavering.
See the full lineup at MSR.
Fat bikes are strange birds in the cycling world, with their crazy-wide q-factors and monster clearances, but they are also extremely capable platforms that lend room for a lot of creativity. As an arctic blast sweeps across much of the US, and snow blankets our favorite Southwest trails, we’re taking a look back at our ten favorite fat-bike reviews from the last few years. You’ll see a few of the usual suspects from Surly, but we’re also resurrecting one-off creations from the archives and even a Readers’ Ride. Drop into the comments and let us know how you’re getting ‘Fat’ this winter!
King Cage’s most unique bottle cage design just got a refresh in titanium. The Iris cage is a fan favorite and last year, King Cage announced the Iris Titanium ($45) cages. Well, they’re back in stock now so we’re here to tell you about them…
Ever expanding its Frame Finish in-house department, MOOTS just unveiled its new anodizing finish for 2024 called Ground Swell.
Falconer Cycles is now making titanium frames and last weekend, he unveiled a stunning titanium hardtail touring bike to John…
For creatives – be it sculptors or painters – expanding into other mediums is often fulfilling and cathartic. Learning new methodologies and processes keeps makers engaged with their work. Lots of bicycle fabricators start out TIG welding steel frames and, later, expand into working with titanium. This offers new horizons for not only the brand but also for loyal followers to access a superior material.
Cameron Falconer is the latest builder to be documented here expanding into titanium from steel. While in Southern Arizona last weekend, John caught up with Cam who showcased a titanium hardtail touring bike with a custom titanium rack. This was “John’s modern bike shoot of the year” as he put it excitedly and you can see why below…
Announced at this year’s Moab Outerbike, the Esker Cycles Hayduke LVS –available as a frame ($2,950) or a complete ($4,950)–is a hardtail mountain bike with 600-millimeter chainstays and touring accouterments aplenty. Esker even developed a specialty rack for this bike, dubbed the Molle Rackwald ($300.) Needless to say, it’s a unique offering from the brand.
John was able to ride one for a bit, including on an overnighter with the Esker Cycles team and Sincere Cycles in Santa Fe, so read on for an in-depth look at this rare and funky bike!
I’m in Germany for the 2023 Bespoked Handmade Bicycle Show, which is taking place this weekend, October 13-15 in Dresden. Prior to traveling to Dresden, I was in Berlin with Flo and Tine of Fern/Allygn Bicycles and Gramm Tourpacking where we had an action-packed day visiting various makers around their workshop in the east side of the city. One of our visits was to meet Dan Pleikies of Wheeldan Custom Bicycles. Dan isn’t able to make it to Bespoked, BUT I was able to pull aside a client’s stunning randonneur bike he had on hand to document. Let’s check it out below!
A couple of weeks ago, we shared Mike’s unique Meriwether build for our Readers’ Rides and this week, we have an interesting project from Whit, the owner of Meriwether. Whit wrote up a long-form review of the process behind designing and fabricating his “Luddite Softtail” mountain bike. Without further ado, let’s check it out!
Over the years, I’ve had the ability and privilege of throwing my leg over a number of fat tire, drop bar touring bikes. From the almighty Tumbleweed Stargazer to the readily available Kona Sutra ULTD, these robust bikes with an off-road and load-bearing geometry make for great interstitial, genre-bending machines for all sorts of riding.
Yet before brands like Salsa were even making high clearance, drop bar, 29er, disc brake, production touring bikes, a brand called Singular Cycles in the UK shifted the paradigm with its Swift in 2007 and, later in 2008, Gryphon models. These frames featured high stack numbers, fit big tires, and most importantly, had rack/fender/cargo bosses aplenty.
This year, Singular debuted its custom Gryphon Titanium, and once again, I’m questioning which bike to crown “best in class.” Check out my full-length review below…
Today we’re bringing you a great feature from Mike from Big Wheel Building who recently took delivery of a Meriwether Cycles 60mm rear travel soft tail 29er, dubbed the Miser. This is a very unique bike and we’ve got a wonderful piece from Mike, so let’s get to it!
According to the internet, The Beatles’ song “Yesterday” has been covered between 1,200 and 3,000 times, which even on the low end of that range makes it the most covered song in history. The spare lyrics, describing the ever-relatable ache of lost love, and string arrangement make it a simple yet sophisticated work that has managed to transcend the six decades since Paul McCartney first dreamed (literally) up the melody. The uncluttered elegance has rendered “Yesterday” truly timeless.
While first unveiled in 1994—incidentally, the same year that both LeAnn Rimes and Boyz II Men covered the McCartney classic—Merlin’s cruiser-inspired mountain bike, the Newsboy, has also reappeared in various forms throughout the intervening years. Like McCartney’s paired down lines, the Newsboy shares an on-the-surface simplicity and a nostalgia-driven design that has contributed to its lasting appeal. Merlin has just launched its latest Newsboy redesign, let’s take a look below…
There’s no shortage of drop-bar, dirt-oriented, MUSA titanium frames to choose from these days. Yet, one company’s consistently impressive designs continue to stand out in this somewhat crowded market: No. 22. John got his hands on the latest member of No. 22’s Drifter family, the Drifter Adventure, which became his “get into shape” bike this spring and summer. After logging miles on his favorite loop in Santa Fe, he’s ready to discuss what makes No. 22 and this new Drifter Adventure so special.
Read on for a fat gallery full of details and scenery, and his review…
We’re not in Kansas anymore. Certainly not. Unlike the hard bedrock of the flint hills and similar gravel roads that pattern the Midwest, The Mid South (or “Mud South”) hosted in Stillwater, Oklahoma is characterized by its rich red clay. Second only to race director Bobby Wintle‘s finish line hug for every rider, The Mid South has become infamous for its often wet weather that turns that beautiful red clay into drivetrain-eating mud. Re-routing the course is never even a topic of conversation.
Geographic locations and riding can add a lot to the picture when considering what your dream bike may be. Massive tire clearance? Tall or low bottom bracket? Slack or steep head tube angles. Well after riding in an area for so long you figure out what works, what doesn’t, and what you wish someone could just get right. With these thoughts in mind Bobby collaborated with Wilde Bikes to develop a bike that is Mid South approved. How so? Read on to find out a little bit more about this bike from Jarrod Bunk and check out some flicks on the red dirt.
Using the name “Evergreen” on a titanium chassis gravel bike is very fitting. As Seven knows, ti bikes are immortal, and throughout one’s ownership of one, often go through many build iterations. Dan sent in his Seven Evergreen, which has taken him all over and has been built with various build kits. Let’s check it out in detail below!
