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Can No22‘s bike offerings get any more dialed? The short answer is probably not, especially after their big unveil at NAHBS this year because right now, they’re touting perfection. No matter how practical their other bikes might be, with super sleek lines on their road, cross, gravel and mountain frames, the Silver Wing track machine is straight up other-worldly…
What can I possibly say about LOW‘s track bikes that hasn’t already been said? They’re sleek, made in San Francisco race machines with plenty of both street and track experience, a clean profile and killer, almost race car-inspired graphics. Hell, even as I’m typing this, you’ve probably already moved onto the photos!
Save the track bike! Year after year, the bicycle that used to over-populate NAHBS has a dwindling presence. That said, there are always a few on display that are customer’s bikes for racing at the velodrome and since they’re NAHBS bikes, they carry the slightest bit of ostentation. This Shamrock Cycles will catch your eye, as it did mine. That bright fascia paint with a printed Zipp disc helps without a doubt. Since this bike was built for a 130lb track racer, the tubes were kept classy and the fork steel, something you don’t see everyday…
If you don’t follow Damian Riehl on Instagram, you really should.
Nick’s Hub and Spoke Cycleworks Track
Photos by Kyle Kelley, words by John Watson
Just as news of the Southern California framebuilder and painter Brian Baylis’ passing made its way to Los Angeles, this bike rolled in through the doors of Golden Saddle Cyclery, immediately grabbing Kyle’s attention. Its owner, Nick Brock races for team Dos Llantas in the San Diego-area. When he wanted a custom frame to fit his obviously very tall stance, he contacted Hub and Spoke Cycleworks in National City who took the important measurements and got to work.
Once the frame was complete, it was painted by Brian Powell, an owner of Hub and Spoke who also paints at Joe Bell’s paint shop. From there, Nick built it up with a Chub hubset on H+Son rims, with a Sugino crankset, FSA cockpit, seatpost and a Fizik Antares saddle.
With NAHBS coming up this week, a bike like this truly embodies what small-time frame and paint shops embody: creativity and customization. You can have all the flash without burning all your cash. Even though we lost Brian Baylis, his legacy lives on with every new builder or painter that pops up in Southern California. If you ever get the chance to see a Baylis in person, take some extra time examining it and you’ll see what I mean.
If you live in the National City area, make sure you swing through Hub and Spoke Cycleworks to check out their shop!
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Follow Kyle on Instagram, Nick on Instagram and Hub and Spoke Cycle Works on Instagram.
Those classic black and white photos from the 1985 Berliner Sechstagesrennen Sid Day Race are now online for free. Not familiar with Trackside ’85? Here’s a synopsis, or you can just head over and check it out!
“17th of October, 1985, West Berlin, four days before the wall fell. The city is still an isolated island deep in East German territory. The cold war is more tangible here than anywhere in Europe although Glasnost will very soon spark the change that most Berliners are openly or secretly dreaming of. Trackside ‘85 is the work of Swedish photographer Staffan Jofjell and has been made public with the support of Ass Savers. The previously unpublished pictures were brought to life through a photo exhibition in 2014 that has been on show in Berlin, London, Barcelona, Oslo and Manchester. We are proud to finally bring this piece of cycling history to the internet. Enjoy.”
… Not the Lynch movie but it’s got some eerie vibes for sure.
Rad Race put together a video recap series from Sixdays Berlin. Here’s days 1-3 and you can see the rest at the Rad Race Vimeo page.
I always enjoy videos from the Dosnoventa team!
Hacheon Park takes us on a spin around his city of Seoul, Korea.
… and I’ll agree, that’s the most important thing.
Photos by Keith Trotta
Nicole and her husband Scott own Veloville USA, a bike shop in Purcellville, VA. Chris Bishop has gone on many rides with them over the past few years and eventually became very good friends with them. Eventually, Nicole expressed an interest in having Chris make her a track bike to race at the local velodrome with.
Because it’s a Bishop track bike, expect some beautiful lugwork and a NOS Columbus Gilco tubeset with 3Rensho Modeulo lugs, MKS track ends and a stiff Columbus Max fork. When it was finished being built, Nicole asked Bryan Myers from Fresh Frame to paint it like a butterfly wing. I’d say he nailed it!
See more at the Bishop Bikes Flickr!
The FBM Sword track frame is back this year and ready for pre-order. Available in clear, trans red or raw, with sizing from 48cm – 58cm and now with integrated headset cups as a standard option. The Sword is made in the USA by the same guys who make FBM BMX frames, so it’ll take a thrashing. Head over to FBM now for more information.
A stayer stem, cottered cranks and a well-aged patina are just some of the details found in this Schwinn Paramount track bike from River City Bicycles’ collection.
Photos by Andy White
Madisons are one of the most exhilarating track races to watch. Recently, the Austral / Australian Madison Championships took place in Melbourne, prompting Andy from FYXO to venture out in the hot, hot, hot summer heat. Clearly the outside temperature wasn’t the only thing on fire that day. Those BT bikes!
See more at FYXO!
“Cielos Infernales was being billed as the world’s toughest track bike race. The first of it’s kind- long, brutal, fast with miles of climbing into the clouds- on one gear in live traffic. 75 miles and 3 mountain ascents completely unsupported. It’s the first time an all-fixed gear alleycat has required the fitness and endurance of a stage race, and the street handling of a messenger. Plus racing in open streets in Mexico City is always a risk. Traffic is wild, roads are rough, and there’s always a chance of a stray pothole, dog, donkey or car catching you out. ”
Woah!
Boogie woogie bugle boy. Boogie on your bicycle, boogie to the party. Ace Boogie gets around, man.
Ace is the Sleepers, a one man video production outfit in Los Angeles. You’ve surely seen his work on this site, right?
His Cannondale track has seen various permutations, as these things tend to do. The ones that are actually ridden, anyway. From drops to risers and now a super simple city bar, Ace’s bike has finally hit that sweet spot for cruising around Los Angeles. I’m pretty sure Kyle shot photos of it a few years back, yet I can’t dig anything up. Some notable notes: the off-center head badge, Phil Wood hubs, Sugino cranks, loved and weathered Flite with one of those damn hot Salsa stems.
Crihs has been working on this project for some time now and it’s finally getting wrapped up. Featuring riders from all over the world, Empire 2 picks up where Empire left off, documenting what it’s like to ride a bike in the city.
