Bikes Archives
October 28, 2008
Pharrell's Gangsta
Pharrell got himself a Gangsta track. Aerospoke wheelset too. I know the guys at Brooklyn hooked it up!
All City Cranks
I know these have been posted in various other places, but they're available at your LBS through QBP right now. All City Cycles meeting the demands of today's market for sure. Tons of colors too!
Mobius
Anna Telcs and I worked on a submission for NYC's competition to design new bicycle racks for the City.
The design intent was to create two racks in one, eliminating the dead zones created by staggering bicycles. We were also going for a less-expensive, easy to produce and install approach, which many designs lacked.
I know we didn't win, but I'm happy with the way it turned out.
October 29, 2008
Terror Bear
This video makes me wish Bike Kill was every weekend. It really captures the chaos and energy. That and Luke, who's got to be a closet furry, has the best game face stance!
Missed Point
Cycling has generally evolved from when bikes are introduced to a new and often unintended terrain or use. I know I've made this argument before, but early British Path Racers were used as both street bikes and race bikes both on the track and on terrain. From there, cycling branched off to road bikes, cross bikes and track bikes.
Generally speaking, most bikes have evolved just like Darwin's Galapagos finches. Look at early BMX bikes compared to the urban assault tanks that they are today. In my opinion, the track bike is going through another transformation. We're seeing more and more fixed gears on the market with relaxed angles, risers and cable guides. This is evolution and progression, not regression. People enjoy commuting on fixed gears, so the market adapts.
This bike, designed by Dovetusai, pictured above is regression. I know that's harsh, but nothing about the design speaks to me as an improvement. I understand the design intent, but not the practical or the forced devolution of the form. Downtubes are structurally important guys!
What is fairly interesting to me is how a company like Brooklyn Machine Works, with a background in downhill bikes and bmx's have made a bike that is single-handedly reinventing the way people ride fixed gears. I'm sure we'll see more companies making such moves in the future and I can't wait to see where this all heads and where it is in 5 years.
William Roberts
These pieces by British artist William Roberts (No, not Rick Ross, different artist) just struck me as note-worthy. The one on the left is entitled Combat, 1915 and on the right is Les Routiers, 1931. Roberts being a Cubist often distorted figures into complex compositions. These two pieces are so similar that they made me think of how everyday as cyclists, we're in combat with other elements.
Wear your helmet and be safe out there.
Starforkers
Japan-based Starfuckers have created a pretty bad ass fork. Can't tell if it's a unicrown or not, but it does look like 1 1/8", which is stronger than 1" for sure. Take note of their dual-dropout system for adjusting your rake depending on how you're riding your bike at the time. Interesting spin on things for sure.
Innovation!
Gage & DeSoto
In case you haven't seen these shirts yet, then you need to head over to Gage & DeSoto and check out their full line.
It's strange, I've seen these shirts everywhere and never really knew where they were from. Now I know. The C-Record and I COG NY shirts have been all over the place so get on the Cannibal Wagon!
Where's the Cinelli love? Good stuff guys, keep it up!
October 30, 2008
Macaframa NYC Premiere
This Sunday, check out the SF-based video Macaframa at Arlo and Esme in the East Village. There are two showings, one at 8pm and one at 10pm and it's first come first served so get there early.
October 31, 2008
Fyxomatosis x Ed Fox
Andy, my red-bearded brethren from down under, sent me this photo and it made my day. True bike porn. C-Record Delta brakes are some of the sexiest bicycle components ever made. Form and function [arguable in some camps] conquer all!
Thanks Andy, once again, you deliver!
Squarebuilt
Handbuilt in Bushwick, Squarebuilt frames have some of NYC's best messengers riding them. This frame was just built up last night and the owner's really digging it. Traditional track angles, 74° 74° and a barspinnable front 700c wheel. This frame's powdercoat is 3m reflective, to keep the rider safe at night.
I rode it at Peel Sessions last night and it's steeper than my Merckx. Great job Squarebuilt!
thanks to Katy for the pics!
Falcon Swoops
Falcon Duran's newest pics are so bad ass. Miguel and Wonka, each with their own style, tearing through NYC!
Staple Design
Streetwear blog Hypebeast has teamed up with Staple Design to make a 3 year anniversary raglan shirt. My friend Jun is modeling the shirt on his track bike. Jun's a fast dude who always hustles at all the Peel Sprints and other competitions. Good job dude!
Grab the shirt here
Bike Kill 666 Patch
Holy, I mean Satanic Shit! James, you maniac, hook it up!
November 1, 2008
NYBD
NYBD - TKYO from Eli Tokyo Jitensha-Jin on Vimeo.
Tak's a rad dude who loves bikes and takes amazing pictures of both them and their riders. He recently had a few exhibitions in Japan and it looks like the party popped off proper! Kyoichi and 3Bancho reppin some Mishka in there are well.Check out this video from Jitensha-Jin.
November 2, 2008
Faster Blade
Andy from Fyxomatosis listed another bit of Campagnolo porn on eBay recently. Check out these gorgeous c-record hubs.
If I wasn't so prone to breaking shit, I would love to lace these up to some MA4s.
3 Different Approaches
This weekend I spent a lot of time with James Newman, from Macaframa and Mash fame. We rapped a bit about the various approaches to fixed gears and track bikes and it's great hearing multiple perspectives on everything that's going on now.
I can really appreciate his style of riding and the thoughtfulness and finesse of his particular approach. He also said a few times that the NYC and East coast riding associated with Bootleg Sessions and future project, Empire definitely has evolved from the terrain. I'm not saying he'd ride a Brooklyn Machine Works if he lived here, but it's a valid point that we all ride bikes that are suited to our particular style of riding. For him, steeper track angles make for easier skids and for me, a more relaxed compact geometry is ideal for tricks.
All in all, this weekend can be summarized up by the picture above; a classic steel track bike, a modern aluminum bike and a cross-over fixed gear trick bike. We all rode this weekend and we all had a blast. Thanks for coming out to NYC James!
November 3, 2008
Hi Tek Shades
Amanda just showed me these glasses she came across in her constant search for fashion tidbits. They're made by Alexander Hi Tek in London and obviously are suitable for my attention. The lens covers flip up individually so as not to impair your vision while riding.
One thing though, where's the foot retention and derailleurs? The glasses are entitled Tour de France!
There are also ear rings available for $10...
Tom being Tom
yeah... I just wish Tony's timing with the fountain woulda been better!
Trackolantern
Cycling WMD's latest is one for the ghouls! Check out the NOS Orange Turbo and the custom painted trispokes. Alan, I'll throw a pumpkin at you if I ever see you riding it without a cape!
Macaframa NYC
So Macaframa's premiere in the great city of New York went pretty smoothly. A good number of people gathered for a small and intimate viewing of the film based in SF. I was glad Collin and Colby came out for it. A lot of people were stoked to see them. Once again, thanks guys, it was rad hanging out.
Sorry to those who were under 21, the organizers weren't aware that would be an issue until the last minute!
pic by Chicken Kid
Starfuckers Build
Just came across this picture of the recent sample frameset from Starfuckers, Japan. I posted their double-dropout fork earlier and this is what their beast of a frame looks like. I have to say, it's a rather non-traditional geometry, but I like it!
Burd, there's your complete build you wanted to see!
Brooklynelli
Getta Bmx!
Tom's the only guy I know who kills every bike he's on. Whether it's a 20", a 24" cruiser, a fixed gear, a track bike or in this case a 24" ACL.
He's riding a prototype from BMW at the spot in Philly where I pitted my headset on my concept and we were promptly encouraged to leave by the neighborhood kids.
Via Tony Fast's Flickr
Black Profile
Got the first half of my new wheelset's hubs in the mail today. Profile makes the sickest fixed hubs. The black anodizing just looks so boss. Waiting on those fix / fix hubs to get colored too!
These beasts will be laced up to Sun DS1-XC (Welded) XC rims. Eyeletted and welded. Much stronger than deep section rims.
Get low get low.
48h Polo Hubs!
Since we're on the subject of hubs...
All you Polo heads, check out these little beauts. Ben's Cycles just listed these custom-drilled MKE flip/flop hubs on their blog.
48 holes to give the ball enough options on which spoke to break!
November 4, 2008
Sam Miller!
Sam Miller doing big things in Vancouver!
Outlier Preorder Exclusive
Abe at Outlier just informed me that they will be launching their product line on Wednesday, but for readers of this blog, you can preorder them now for a savings. He's stoked the pants have come out so well. For being made in NYC, we're all thrilled on their final product. You'll rarely have to wash them, they repel stains and are self-cleaning. The cut is perfect for cycling and to be honest, the black pants are killing it! Make sure to read up on the facts on the preorder page.
I have a pair of pants from a previous season and they're super comfortable to ride in. Not to mention water resistant as well. I will say that you should measure your proper waistline. I wear a 34 in jeans and a 34 in these pants as well. Pictured are also Outlier's gloves, soon to come.
So be sure and check out that preorder page and spread the word.
Jumping the Shark
Thanks to Andrew in the Trackosaurus comments for this!
November 5, 2008
Graffiti Rider Alleycat
Look at this sponsor list!
Another 5 Boro Generals Production. Should be a blast! Rumor has it that the winner will get one of Affinity's new Kissena aluminum frames. Paintjob by Krink too!
November 6, 2008
Super Ted!
November 7, 2008
Dirty Down Under
She's so dirty she has to bathe after working on her SLX Pista. Andy, my red bearded pirate brother has sent me this picture. I just got back from Peel Sessions and this is what is sitting in my email box.
Cheers Andy. Cheers.
Check out Fyxomatosis' newest gallery, here!
November 8, 2008
Outlier Offer
Outlier has offered to keep the "Prolly is not Probably" pre-order price active! Now that they've launched their line, it will obviously no longer be a pre-order, but you can still get the pricing.
So head over and buy some great pants. Be sure to keep watch on their blog as well for updates!
New Bike Day
Just bought a grail of a bike from a friend on Friday. Full Shimano 600 with original barcon shifters.
Bridgestone's RB-1 is a highly sought after bike. Grant Petersen of Rivendell cycles designed bikes for Bridgestone in the 80's. The RB-1s and XO's are some of the nicest frames to come out of the Bridgestone name before Bridgestone Japan canceled the domestic branch.
I think I may put some mustache bars on it and keep the 28c tires.
Edit: I threw an extra Cinelli 1a stem on it with some Cinelli Priest bars... just need some bar tape now!
November 9, 2008
LOOK Mondrian
Dave's a lucky guy. Not only does his family have a long, long history in cycling, but he also has a sick bike work station at his architecture office. He was building it up for a family member and the end product is gorgeous! That's a pretty awesome rug I might add as well.
This LOOK Mondrian road frame equipped with Campagnolo SUPER Record 11 is a roadie's wet dream. These frames are so beautiful and I'm sure the test ride Dave took it on today was worth while!
Ride Ride Swerve
Wonka at the Graffiti Rider alleycat! Pic by JOSE THE MAN MARTINEZ!
Cheezy
Check out this saddle jewelry from Cheez. Not sure if it's for sale or not. Don't lock your bike up with that wrench on your rails. Someone may take it and gank your wheels!
[that's a joke, that wrench looks like a 5mm]
Via Honeyee
RB-1
It's such a nice day out. If you're reading this, go outside and ride. Please!
I went over to Affinity Cycles and hooked up the RB-1 today and then took it around for a spin. Love the Cinelli Priest bars on it with the original Barcon shifters. These bikes are so practical for an everyday ride and the new setup makes it a joy to spin around on.
Hopefully I'll get a Cetma rack for it, or maybe some more Velo Orange goodies.
More images here on my Flickr.
November 10, 2008
I Envy You
I envy you riders with indoor velodromes. In a few weeks, I won't be able to ride without a balaclava or gloves and even now, it's snowing in Wisconsin. The days are shorter and it's almost time to break out the rollers again. I wish I had an indoor track where I could train when it's nasty out.
This pic, from the Flickr stream of Giothebike is really awesome. One of the first times I've liked a fisheye photo of a track bike.
The rest of his bike pictures are worth scrolling through as well!
JAN Frameset
Kyoichi just built up his JAN frameset for doing tricks. I always love reading his posts because he makes them in both Japanese and English. Check out his words below:
changed my jan frame setup for doing tricks. everyone who got the jan frame had been saying that it's so good for wheelies. but i was pretty skeptical on that, and just thought that it was some kind of mental thing, people just getting hyped up because they got a new bike. but it really is easy to do wheelies on it. i'm really surprised, it has a large sweetspot. it has a much quicker response than the surly, which is kinda scary but really fun to ride. it also gives you a position a bit higher off the ground than the surly. overall, it makes you feel like your on a real bike. compared to my surly which, i don't know what that is now with all the conversions i made on it...
Just don't do any bunnyhop 180's on that fork man!
Trackolantern 2
An update on Cycling WMD's Bob Jackson, aka the "Trackolantern'.
Alan took some daytime pics and since the bike is made from Black Magic and is concentrated evil, it still has to lurk in thy shadows... Pure evil man! Next time find an old Church to take pictures in.
San Marcos Fixed!
San Marcos Fixed v.1 TEASER from Zach Roth on Vimeo.
Zach Roth has been filming the San Marcos fixed kids for a bit now and they've got a teaser up on Vimeo. Justin rides for Mishka / DART and you can see this kid's skills! Why'd you gut your hair dude?
Good job guys, looks great!
November 11, 2008
SF to NYC
Condition SF has his pics up from his NYC visit. He was here for about a week and from the looks of it, covered most of the Big Apple. Check out these four pictures especially. Not sure if it was intentional, but I think it was. Pretty good comparison.
Fixed Crust
Hey London Fixed... I WANT ONE OF THESE SHIRTS! Someone holla! I have monies!
Hat's Off to You...
Matt's a blind trials rider and he kills it! So inspirational. Thanks to the Ben's Cycles Blog for the link!
November 12, 2008
Campy Coke Spoon
Devotion is a maniac. He is the most bicyentric person I know and this is just the tip of the iceberg. In the tradition of modifying 1960's Campagnolo downtube shifters, he has re-shaped these with a slight bend, that in his words "Kinda looks like a 70's coke spoon".
Well done my friend.
Sam Miller 720!
Sam Miller gettin those 720 Big Spins down! I love seeing how different people do them. Big ups my Northwestern friend! Come back to NYC!
Charge Ti
Sak Passé
Help raise money for Partners in Heath for hurricane relief. Should be a fun race. I'll be there even though there are rumors of militant guerrillas shotting racers with paintballs from a Chinatown terrace.
November 13, 2008
Nikon D90 Test
Nikon D90 BMX Test Video from Jason Black on Vimeo.
I don't know much about the D90, but this video looks pretty good. The tricks are also very very smooth and to be honest, I can see the fixed gear riding we're doing now evolve into this kind of riding.
Seen at 3Bancho
City of Crank
City Of Crank 3.5 from Blackgoldcycling on Vimeo.
Just got this in my email box and it's worth watching. Great seeing Bootleg Sessions' influence on riders across the World.
London Leaves
Chris at FGLondon posted this and I thought it was a pretty good solo filming job. Watch to the end. Nice moves. Watch out for those wet leaves though. They're like black ice.
Mishka Spetsnaz Mark II
NYC plays hosts to every weather condition imaginable! From blizzards, torrential downpours and heat waves, this variety of conditions creates a unique and challenging riding climate for cyclists.
Last Fall Mishka introduced the Spetsnaz Tech Jacket as an all-purpose, functional jacket against the elements. This Fall we went back to the drawing board to up the ante with the Spetsnaz Mark II, creating a better fit the jacket to the needs of NYC's cycling community! In addition to the already taped seams, the jacket was made waterproof and coated to withstand a whopping 10,000mm of water pressure and treated to not only be wind-proof but also breathable by wicking away sweat your body heat creates. Coupled with undearm arm ventilation zippers, the jacket offers up the perfect comfort control for cyclists plowing through NYC streets. And for those messengering, the jacket features a generous 13" x 10.5" back pouch to safely store any and all important documents that need delivering, while keeping your hands and torso free of a cumbersome bag.
But don't just take our word for it as we let these jackets get tested by some of NYC's most dedicated riders.
"Riding in NYC is no joke. Especially this time of year, one day it'll be sunny in the morning and cold and rainy come mid-day. When I ride to work, I want a jacket that keeps me warm and breathes well and this jacket does just that. It's got enough pockets to hold what you need and keep those items protected from the elements. Things you want in a jacket."
- John "Prolly" Watson
Trick Cyclist/Mishka DART Sponsored Rider/Web Celebrity
"I messenger in this thing all day in any weather. I have put in 12 hour days in the pouring rain and when everything else is soaked, my shirt is dry. All I need to stay warm is a base-layer and this jacket. No need for anything else. "
-Wilis Johnson
Messenger/Mishka DART Sponsored Rider
Unfortunately, taking all of these technical features and coupling them with very small production runs results in the unfortunate side-effect of a hefty retail-price. We at Mishka are not oblivious to the fact that this may very well boost the jacket to an unaffordable price for many people whose livelihoods are dependent on their bicycles.
We would like to offer a 35% savings on our Spetsnaz II to those out there who can not live without their bicycles and use them as their primary means of transportation.
Simply use discount code: GETPITTED for 35% off your purchase of a Spetsnaz Mark II
Mishka Spetsnaz Mark II
Always enjoy your ride!
photos by Luke Stiles
November 14, 2008
3Bancho Hat
Indoor Bike Parking
By RSVP Studio of New York. Not so sure this really works as well as their rendering wants you to think it does. Bikes weigh different amounts. Still interesting nonetheless. Via the NYCity Racks Blog.
November 15, 2008
Back to Basics
I am tired of my Deep V's. After riding them for almost 4 years, I've had enough. When I was looking for new rims, Drew from Milwaukee recommended the 700c Sun-Ringle Equalizer 23's. They're a box-section 29'r rim with eyeleted spoke holes, welded seams [Velocity's are pinned, not welded], no braking surface [!] and much lighter [almost half as light] than most deep-section rims. Add Profile fixed hubs to the equation and you're rolling on a solid wheelset ideal for trick riding. The Price? About $60 per rim. You can ride your normal tires on these too. They're no wider than any other 700c rim.
After riding them at the banks in Greenpoint last night, I noticed a huge difference. They handle better, feel much more solid and corner much tighter. The only comparison I can make were the wheels on my old Higgins path racer. Resilion track hubs to Mavic MA2's. After doing some 180's and other moves that put a great amount of lateral stress on the wheel, I'm certain that they'll hold up well.
People always tell me that a "deeper rim is stronger". That's bullshit. If that were the case, DH MTBs, BMXs and other bikes that take nasty drops and other forces would be rolling on a deep section rim. Everyone doing anything on a bike where your wheels leave the ground often is usually on a box-section.
Hopefully more and more people will see this and begin to rock lighter, more durable wheels and not just focus on color-matching their rims to their grips.
I'm 100% sold on these wheels and will keep you posted on how well they hold up. Sorry for the shitty indoor picture. It's been raining a lot!
thanks James for the correction on the rim model...
Cyclist Project
November 16, 2008
All Lefts
Really awesome. Puts you right in the pace line.
November 17, 2008
Grunge Saddles
So I recently purchased a Grunge saddle from Tokyo Fixed Gear's pop up shop. It came to about $50 usd shipped from London. Let me preface this by saying I love Turbo saddles. I'll swear by their comfort, look and durability. I usually buy them slightly beaten up from eBay for anywhere between $10 - $50.
It's sad ruining beautiful retro saddles doing tricks and I've been long looking for a cheap alternative. Vetta made a Turbo knock-off back in the 80's that's pretty comfy. You can find them for cheap on eBay once and a while.
Back to the Grunge saddles: In a nutshell, they're not as comfortable when compared to the Turbo. It seems like the shell used is too rigid. It rides like my Cinelli Unicanitor on my Merckx. I rode it all weekend and my ass is getting adjusted to it. Yesterday I wore bike shorts under my jeans and it was fine. The pleather, faux leather, grips well and is pretty durable. It's also "vegan friendly". Not sure how it will break in, but I'm sold on it. I don't wanna ruin any more Turbos doing tricks and $50 isn't bad for a saddle.
The pop-up shop still has them, in 3 colors, so head over and try one out.
Growing Empire
MPLS Sunday!
MPLS Sunday from Andrew Gruhn on Vimeo.
Introducing Jesse Hillard. Watch this video. It rules! The 180 Bunnyhop at the end is BALLER! Just get some foot retention and you're golden!
Big Spins 180s Taps
Really solid riding. Looks like broke his fork a few days later. The spot he's riding looks awesome too. A 3-set, a huge plaza, brick volcanoes and no people.
Glad to see Japan embracing all this. Is he wearing a JAN crew shirt too?
Tom and the Tit
Words cannot express how bad ass this picture is. Tom just sent it to me. He and Steve went to FDR and rode tonight. Massive tiregrab bunnyhop over the Tit.
Pic by Steve Hartley
November 18, 2008
Another Angle
Bike Jerks Weekend from BikeJerks on Vimeo.
Just got another nugget in my email from Jeff at Bike Jerks. Some good moves in it as well as another angle from that 180 bunnyhop Jesse pulls off the bank in the other MPLS vid I posted.
Keep it up guys!
Kamizaze
Just found this on Sasha's Flickr.
So, $10 back for every $100 I spend on bike parts? I'd like to look into this.
Get Twisted in Tokyo
... at the new Kinfolk bar in the Nakameguru section of Japan's exponentially growing scene. Not only can you ogle the Keirin frames hanging from the rafters, but you can get your drink on and even buy a Keirin-inspired track bike that bears the same name.
The Kinfolk track bike's history can be found here. The Brooklyn brownstones threw me off for a second!
Trilly Philly
November 19, 2008
The Best Craigslist Post Ever
I won't say anything... just read it here.
I've also copied the text and took a screen shot here on my Flickr. I really want to have a beer with that dude.
!!!!!!!!
Google and Bikes
Google just added a ton of images from Life magazine's photo archives and a simple "bike" search brings up plenty of vintage bike porn.
Enjoy!
Powercat 2
Them San Marcos boys are up to it again. This year even bigger than ever. The Powercat returns for it's second year. I'm sure it'll be a big turnout. Glad we could help out over at Mishka!
Have fun guys! I wanna see pics and video!
Sorry for the caps, but I don't feel like re-typing all this.
**THIS IS IMPORTANT**
THE RACE IS GOING TO BE TEAMS OF 2.
SO IF YOU ARE TRYING TO WIN, I'D SUGGEST FIGURING OUT WHO YOU'RE TEAMING UP WITH, OR HOPE FOR YOUR RANDOM PARTNER TO BE PRETTY QUICK. YOU'RE GOING TO BE GIVEN A TOTAL NUMBER OF CHECK POINTS, THE TWO OF YOU CAN COMPLETE THESE CHECKPOINTS IN ANY FASHION YOU'D DESIRE, AS LONG AS THEY ALL GET DONE. I.E. ONE PERSON COULD GET 3, WHILE THE OTHER GETS 7 (ASSUMING THERE'S A TOTAL OF TEN CHECKPOINTS). I THINK THAT MAKES SENSE. CAPS LOCK.
NOVEMBER 22ND, TX STATE QUAD, 4:3OPM. I'LL GIVE DIRECTIONS TO THE QUAD LAST MINUTE.
November 20, 2008
The Holy Grail
Sure, the Holy Grail to most is a golden goblet from which Christ drank from at the Last Supper. Indiana Jones taught us that the grail was in fact, made from wood, since Christ was a carpenter. Well, this my friends is not about a goblet, this is about the Holy Grail for Eddy Merckx fans.
Karl, who I recently bought a jersey from on eBay, got ahold of this 7-Eleven team Merckx. This isn't just any 7-Eleven Merckx, it's the very frame that Axel Merckx, Eddy's son rode and it's made from Reynolds 753. 753 is the heat treated cousin of the famed 531. Not sure on the size, but it looks like a 62cm. Edit: here's the auction, all the information is listed. Now bid away you fiends!
Karl will be listing this on eBay tomorrow, so keep your eyes peeled. I can't wait to see how much this beauty goes for.
3Bancho'd
Man, every time I get a package from Japan, I'm amazed at how quickly it arrives in NYC. Kyoichi sent me a 3Bancho hat two days ago and when I got to work today, it was on my desk. Thanks so much man! It's a great hat. New Era's sizing has been so wonky lately that it's refreshing to get a hat that fits true to size.
Get over there and buy one now. I actually had a Boston Red Socks fan ask me where I got it...
Big ups dude!
November 22, 2008
Chari & Co Sale
Get up on this! Chari&Co sale.
November 23, 2008
Chainring Grind Fail
Falls are great.
November 24, 2008
Naked Bike Chicks
All you bike nerds, get your nerdom on. Is that a word? Nerdom? Anyway, the lovely Minx has alerted me that the Team Pegasus calender is done.
Be sure to select either the SFW or NSFW version.
What's the deal with all the nakedness in calenders lately? Shitty economy + visual stimuli of the nude female variety = happy people?
Whatever it is, it must be working.
Back to the Drawing Board
At first, I wasn't going to post this, but after thinking about it for a bit, I decided I should. There have been some conversations lately on this blog about rims. I'm not going to get into the debate again and I do think that this is a freak accident, but I've never seen something like this happen before and I believe it's important to get this out there.
That being said, let me apologize to H+Son [H plus son, H + Son, ect] for posting it, but if this starts to happen a lot, you guys are going to have to re-evaluate how you're manufacturing your rims.
You don't want people's wheels exploding on them while they're bombing traffic, hills or whatever.
Thanks for the info Ganring.
My take on what happened:
It's obvious the rim exploded at the valve-stem drilling in the rim. What most likely occurred was that the rider made an error we all have at some point; he didn't properly nest the tube and tire within the hooks of the rim's cross-section.
What usually happens when you do that is your tube slips past the wire bead of the tire and forms a bubble. You can ride on it like this, but it will eventually explode. From my observation, it appears that the rim's inner wall was weaker than the tire bead and it took the released force the hardest resulting in the damage shown above.
These rims are deeper than Velocity Deep Vs and appear to be 1/2 the weight as well. Something has been compromised in the process.
The rider was not bunny-hopping or doing anything that would cause this kind of fracture. I was told that he just did a skid and heard a "pop".
EDIT: Jay Rooney just alerted me to their new use!
Writing on the Wall
| Add Writing on The Wall to your page |
Beautifully done. Nike 6.0's video Writing on the Wall makes me want to ride my bike RIGHT NOW. Fakie Wheelie... um damn!
Anouck Lepere and Gios
November 25, 2008
Starfuckers Inc.
Really like this shot I pulled off the Starfuckers Blog. These bikes look so boss!
I wonder though, did they get their name from NIN's hit off the Fragile, Starfuckers Inc.?
Concor Returns
When I saw San Marco's booth at Interbike, I was stoked beyond anything else. It seems that they are reissuing the Concor. My two favorite saddles of all time are the Selle Italia Turbo and the San Marco Concor. Both saddles fit my big, yet tender rear just right and I have put several through hell.
Because of Kyle's post on Tracko today, I meandered over to the San Marco site to find that you can now buy one of the new / reissued Concors for € 90.00
Keep in mind these saddles were the "shit" when they were in production and being the "shit" means that the price is premium. I won't ride one on my beater / trick bike, because I have a cheap knock-off for that [which is holding up great by the way], but I will buy one for my Merckx.
November 26, 2008
Bootleg Sessions 3
So Burd finally let the cat out of the bag. Bootleg Sessions 3 is ON. He's almost done scouting for new riders and since the release will most likely coincide with Empire's release, I don't think there will be many if any NYC riders in the 3rd installment of Bootleg Sessions.
That being said, time to sack up and get out of the parking lot. Get onto them walls kids!
Tom and Tony, once again, showing everyone how it's done.
Steve, once again, showing everyone how it's done by who does it... does that even make sense?
Black Friday Sale
If you're looking for bike bits on the cheap, check out Milwaukee's Black Friday sale. 15% off!
Outlier Winterweight
Outlier has just released their new Winterweight Dry Pant on their website. Read up on the details and look over all the high-resolution images. I see Abe at least 3 times a week and he's always wearing his product. It's hand made in NYC and look like they'll be able to deal with Winter riding throughout the US.
Contact them with any questions!
November 28, 2008
Stussy Milano Cycling Hats
Stussy Milano has made a few cycling hats reminiscent of the old Brooklyn Chewing Gum hats and other cycling hats we've all been paying $10 for over the years.
Is Stussy stepping into the "Fixed" market place? At least they don't say "FIXIE" anywhere on the hats.
I do wonder if they'll release them in the US. I'd be down with a Stussy NYC hat for sure.
Torey in Tompkins
Tompkins Square Practice from hfwido on Vimeo.
It's Fall in NYC and the days are getting shorter and colder. Tompkins Square has this huge blacktop where local kids skate and this woman on a unicycle practices her moves. I usually head out there on my lunch break when it's nice out and mess around for a bit.
Years ago you couldn't walk through this park, now it's pretty gentrified with a dog park and all.
Torey's taking advantage of the weather with a quick session. Enjoy the warmish weather while it lasts!
edit: yes, I always misspell Tompkins and Kierin.... sorry to deeply offend anyone.
November 29, 2008
Bike Repair
Bike Repair. from Stegnco on Vimeo.
Using a car to straighten out the rake on your fork = priceless.
Ben Ingham for Rapha
Photographer Ben Ingham took a series of photographs for cycling wear company Rapha recently in the Swiss Alps. Out of all the shots, this one captures the spirit of cycling. It's timeless.
The photographs are silver gelatin archival prints and were printed in limited quantities.
December 1, 2008
Twelve Vibes
When I saw these pics on Kyoichi's blog, I thought I was looking at some BMX competition at first. A crowd, a DJ, some ramps and people doing tricks. After I read a bit, I found out that 12 Entertainment threw a fixed gear show at Twelve Vibes.
The stage looks a little small, but I'm sure pics will surface on Flickr shortly since it IS Japan!
Read up on it here!
Coroflot on Courage
Coroflot interviews Aaron Hayes of Courage Bicycle Mfg. If you're not familiar with the company and its ideologies, read up!
Some good info and great process pictures.
December 2, 2008
Mean Combo
Japanese Pop Electro
3bancho part34 from hc100 on Vimeo.
...and tailwhip [whhhhhhhhhhhip] action. JAN needs to make a unicrown fork don't they dude?
New BMX Bike
Check out my sick new BMX bike bro. More to come...
Outlier keeps rolling out the goods
Tyler and Abe at Outlier just told me about the new Wool pants and hats they're releasing tomorrow.
Read up below:
This week Abe and I are releasing our Wool Lotus Trousers and Wool Lotus Cap in charcoal gray. The cap we made in collaboration with our friends Victor and Zach from Victor Osborne. They share the same vision that quality garments can be made right here in New York City, so it was pretty easy for us to work together and create a great looking cap.
And to follow up our previous releases, comes the OUTLIER Wool Lotus Trouser.
More information is here. Keep it warm and classy guys!
Stealth
Cannondale designed a stealthy new concept bike and then fucked it up by putting flat bars on it. Integrated flat bars at that.
Honestly, how are you going to break the sound barrier on flat bars?
Where's the integrated monocoque Cetma rack? How am I going to carry a 12 pack of Budweiser on this thing? Sheesh.
Ok, it looks really cool and is entirely monocoque, including the chain and seat stays. Cannondale claims that it won't go into production at the moment, but that elements from it will appear in future Cannondale models.
Kanye West on his Track Bike
A while back, I posted about Kanye West buying a Cinelli Vigorelli from Trackstar. Soon afterwards, the internet kinda went nuts and more photochops started popping up all over. Well, there's been little media coverage regarding the subject and it wasn't until recently that press photos emerged showing his new ride, a Gangsta Track.
Now there's this.
At around 13 minutes into his interview, an MTV reporter asks him about his Brooklyn Machine Works that he recently got while on tour. Kanye had the following to say about it:
"I feel very much like my life is at risk when I ride it"
He then went on to state that:
"You would really hope that your businesses would run like a fixed gear. When you pedal, it moves."
Don't worry Kanye, you're not a poseur.
It's a pretty good interview and at least he's being honest about his new experience with it.
December 3, 2008
2008 Pista Concepts in Stock
... over at Milwaukee Bicycle Co. $799 for the frameset. They've still got some sizes left, so scramble over and get them while they last.
MKE 700c Unicrown Fork
It feels like it's been ages since I first began talking to Milwaukee Bicycle Co. about doing a Fixed Gear bike designed for the ever-evolving freestyle rider. We've logged in many many Gmail conversations over the past few months and finally, the fruits of our labor have begun to ripen.
Here it is, well part of it anyway, the new MKE 700c Unicrown Fork. I can't really go into to much detail about the specifications because it's a prototype, but I can say that it fits on my Gangsta Track fine and even gives me more clearance for barspins than the stock one did. It's designed for a steeper HTA, so the bike handles a bit differently, but in a good way. It is not as long as the Black Market or DMR forks because it's designed specifically for a 700c wheel. Not a rigid 26" bike.
Within the next few weeks, you'll see the second installment of this project. I can't wait. Milwaukee has been great about supporting this evolving sport. Their ability to change their products based on rider feedback will set this bike apart from the rest.
Ride / Relax!
December 4, 2008
HxC Food Drive
Ryan over at Bike Bloc sent me this flier. If you're in Seattle and looking for something to do this weekend, check it out! $2 Entry fee, great sponsors and of course, free beer!
It's this Saturday, December 6th at Golden Gardens in Seattle. Registration's at 1:30pm and the race is at 2pm.
Tioga Gets it
A while back, Drew at Milwaukee sent me some hacked up Wellgo pedals. They're the result of a conversation we had regarding me constantly getting pedal strike while riding fakie and cornering tightly. Since I've been riding them, I've yet to get serious pedal strike.
Platforms are more comfortable than track pedals and they last a lot longer for me. I was breaking cages every few weeks. Not clips, cages...
Now, it seems like Tioga has a pedal available that addresses this problem. I thought I had seen them before somewhere, but perhaps not. It looks like D-Spider is roughly the same width as my Wellgos, so I may give them a try.
D-Spyder
Drew sent me the following information on them:
All of these will accept standard toe clips, but they do offer their own
adjustable version.
Measurements:
Spyder and the Surefoot are 90x60mm comes with replaceable surefoot pins
D-Spyder is 90x75mm also comes with surefoot replaceable pins
All sealed bearing, cromo axles and pretty light.
Retail
Surefoot 125g ea. $75 pr.
Spyder 130g ea. $80 pr.
D-Spyder 155g ea. $85 pr.
It's a shame the retail is so high, because pedals always get thrashed when you're using them for tricks.
Spyder
Surefoot
These also come with a 35 piece spike kit and their own wrench. Sorry for leaving this out before.
DQM x SAG
Lamour Supreme and Fyxomatosis
My boy Joel teamed up with Fyxomatosis to put out a run of shirts that feature his most notorious image. Joel's done some crazy shit in the past, but this is by far my favorite graphic!
Get them here!
Squarebuilt Update
Brooklyn-based Squarebuilt has launched their website. After flipping through Lance's blog posts, I came across these pics. This is what it's all about. A bike bred from fire and is just pure evil. Dark Horse indeed dude!
I can't wait to see what Lance comes up with next! Great job man!
December 5, 2008
OPEN
OPEN will be opening in Boston relatively soon. More information to follow, but Zach and his friends are throwing a proper event this weekend in Boston to kick off the Winter.
If you're in Boston and you're hankering for some Boldsprints (Boston's Goldsprints), check out their 10-race series. They'll be releasing a flier Sunday with all the appropriate information.
It's Friday Again
December 6, 2008
Peel Sessions
If you live in NYC or are just here for the week visiting, come by the Peel Sessions every Thursday night in Brooklyn. It's under the BQE in Williamsburg at Jackson and Meeker. We usually meet around 8:30 rain or shine [well, in the dark most of the year] or so and then we'll head out to a neighborhood bar around 11:30 typically. It's intent is to give people an environment to practice the various tricks on fixed gears, meet other riders and socialize.
A lot of great people have rolled through in the past and I want to encourage more great people to come through.
I've added this flier and the important information in the About section of the website.
Zlogness
Spinning Seattle from ZLOG on Vimeo.
Zlog put out a new video showcasing:
Justin Av
Zach Hoffner
Chris Clappe
Justin's 360 taps are super smooth.
Ground Black
Ground Black from Luke Stiles on Vimeo.
One of the best Electric Wizard songs ever.
Just a simple video we shot for Milwaukee Cycles, to promote their chainring guard, the Stout. I know a lot of people don't like the way chainring grinds look on fixed gears, but man, it's a lot of fun. When you can dial in a long-ass grind on a nice waxed ledge, on the same bike you ride to work on and pretty much spend most your time on while riding, it's worth something!
Luke Stiles and Chris Wielk shot the footage and it's edited by Luke. Camera is an HVX and an HV20. Music is Electric Wizard "the sun has turned to black".
December 7, 2008
London Big Spin
Andy, from Fixed Gear London has got the big spins down and Greg Canada has an awesome pic of it!
I dig it!
Fixtee has their new December tee available now! Inspired by Keirin racers, the tee is available in white print on a black shirt only. I dig it man. Good job!
December 8, 2008
Wastes of Time and the Wonders of Youtube
What the hell is this?
Then, to make things more complicated and still confusing, the owner has a Youtube clip of the bike, well falling over.
Still not satisfied? Well maybe you should look at one of the recommended videos Youtube suggests, like, say...
there? is that better?
Speaking of Grinds...
NYC NIGHT EDIT EDWARD LAFORTE from Edward LAforte on Vimeo.
More from the world of Wonka! Big grinds and nice combos. Skid plus rollout looks bad ass too.
World Champ Bearbrick
Wood Wood, home of the browser-expanding website and crazy flash animations teamed up with Medicom Toy Corporation to design a World-Champion Striped Bearbrick.
I'll buy it.
Beards are Weird
So sayeth the Trackstar. December 10th through the 12th, head over to NYC's one-stop track-shop with some kind of hair on your face and receive 20% off.
Just don't pull a Scott Tenorman.
Fyxomatosis and Milwaukee
I got two packages in the mail recently. The first was from Milwaukee. Last week I finally wore through the 144 BCD Stout I've been riding for months and it was time for a new one.
The Second package is a beefy-ass chain ring from down under. Andy at Fyxomatosis shot me over one of his chain rings in a 144bcd, 44t. I think there was some Aussie beer spilled on the envelope.
The machining on both of these components is so sexy!
Stoked!
Thanks guys! More pics here.
Brakeless.ca
I was recently asked to submit a survey for the Canadian track bike shop / website Brakeless. Check out some the other profiles, browse some pics of their shop and check in on their blog for updates!
Keep it up guys!
December 9, 2008
FDR Session
Fdr Session from steve hartley on Vimeo.
Steve Hartley posted a pretty rad video of Matt Lesher and him riding FDR.
Charge welcomes Tom La Marche
Transient Bags
Transient Bags sent me 2 of their hip pouches to test out last week. I rode all weekend with them, a small and a medium and they're seriously great. I have used other hip pouches before, but they're always so big and cumbersome. I was looking for smaller ones, but had a hard time finding them. These two sizes are perfect. When I wanna go ride somewhere and I don't want to carry my bag, the small fits everything I need:
-tube
-tire levers
-co2 cartridges
-digital camera
-cellphone
-park multitool [not pictured]
On the small pouch:
Length is roughtly 4 1/2" at the bottom to a 6 1/2" top.
Width is about 2"
Depth is about 4 1/2"
On the medium pouch:
Length is 6 1/2" to a 8 1/2" taper
Width is about 2"
Depth is about 5 1/2"
I could carry everything above in the medium as well as:
-iPod
-extra tube
-mini pump
-metric and standard allen key set
The medium has enough room to slide a ulock in the back as well, between the belt loops.
Both of these bags fit more practically for everyday use and I usually just keep the small pouch on during the day. They come in an assortment of colors and are available at their website.
Thanks Transient!
December 10, 2008
Nibs
I'm not a huge hater and this is interesting on many levels.
The lost boys reference is kind of fitting, seeing as how kids young and old now are picking up track bikes to feel young again, but the Kanye glasses and pink bandanna gotta go!
At the end of the day, I wouldn't buy it, but I feel weird wearing shirts with bikes on them.
Chari & Co ONLINE Sale
For all who complained earlier about the last Chari & Co sale not applying to their online store, looks like someone was reading your comments.
Chari & Co are having a huge online sale with items up to 40% off.
Swoop for the holidays!
DOOM in TX
Council of Doom will be premiering in Texas this weekend. Along with the premiere is a race, the Empire trailer and a new sneak peak into a forthcoming San Marcos video.
More information here.
Perspective
Kristian from Trackstand.com sent me a lint to Perspective Line, a short film by Bastien Lattanzio. This short was featured in the 2008 Bicycle Film Festival in Paris and features Jeffrey from Council of Doom.
December 11, 2008
Brothers from a Different Mother
Keo and Kai, aka the "Japanese Keo", getting drinks in Tokyo. Is there a Japanese Tony? Maybe in Osaka? Who's the Japanese Tom? Looks like a lot of fun. It's awesome people are finally meeting each other and riding.
Seen at 3Bancho via Charikichi's Flickr.
Get with it!
Argonaut
Stainless steel madness!
Argonaut's a frame builder out of Portland. I have to say, this is some of the most beautiful work I've seen in a long, long time. Just check out Drew's custom!
Great work. Keep it up!
December 12, 2008
Mosher, we <3 you...
Fixed Gear Barspin Tutorial from Tom Mosher on Vimeo.
This is too funny. Good video dude. I'm laughing, but it's only because your outfit is so awesome.
Hrmmmmm
No info yet. Pretty color though. Heh.
New York New York
It's cold out. Not as bad as elsewhere in the country, but it's still cold. Sasha captures Krillz randomly on 6th ave. Beautifully shot. Someone mentioned it almost looks staged. It's true man. Great photo!
December 13, 2008
Ramping Up
About 8 of us rolled out to Queens today in 30° weather to ride these banks. Tom, as usual was killing shit. The boys were in town, filming for Empire.
pic by Andrew Temkin
More to come...
Hiking Metal Punks
Hiking Metal Punks from John Prolly on Vimeo.
Nate's a hater. He's from the land of Burritos and Tecate. A magical place where people ride beautiful track bikes and bomb hills.
He's having a hard time adjusting to New York. If the bitter cold doesn't get to him first, the stupid fixed gear trick kids will.
Cheer up Nate. It'll be ok!
Special people need special things like warm coats, jameson, sparks and gloves.
Riders in order:
Tom
Tony
Torey
Music:
DARKTHRONE "hiking metal punks"
pure norwegian black death punk metal
RIDE/RELAX
December 14, 2008
Laced
As a continuing effort for riding and reviewing re-appropriated components from 29r, BMX and Mountain bike technologies, I'll be keeping everyone updated on how these new wheels hold up. Everyone seemed to be pretty involved in discussing the aforementioned Equalizer 23s. People have asked how they're holding up and to be honest, they're great wheels. Light, stiff and smooth. I've thrashed the shit out of them and have only had to re-true them once after basically landing on them sideways.
My only issue with them is that they don't come in 36h. People forget that I weigh 200lbs and am a big dude generally speaking. When I come down hard on a wheel, I have the potential to break anything. The Equalizers have held up great and as I pointed out earlier are about 1/2 the weight of a Velocity Deep V.
After talking to Milwaukee about a new wheel set, we had Sun Ringle custom drill 36h hoops for my new build. Profile provided the hubs and Sun Ringle provided the rims. The build is as listed below:
Black 36h fix-fix profile’s
Black Wheelsmith DH13 Spokes
36h Sun Odeg-XC’s
After riding them all weekend, I can notice a massive difference in not only weight, but overall handling of a 23mm wide rim. I'm still riding a 28c tire on them, and may switch to a 32c for the rear. Again, these rims weigh almost 100 grams less than a Deep V and that's a noticeable difference.
The only complaint I have is that they don't come in non-machined, which is understandable since they're a XC 29r rim for brakes. I plan on painting the sidewalls with a paint marker, or maybe spray paint later.
As I said, I'll keep everyone updated because one of the reasons why this new sport is so great is because the internet has proven to be a useful tool in experimenting with various components. If multiple people have good experiences with the same rim, fork or hub, then it's pretty easy to express this. Hopefully, we'll dial in a perfect 700c trick bike that can hold up to all kinds of abuse for all kinda of body types.
Hopefully, these rims will last me well through the winter and spring. I'll be even more stoked if they last longer, which I'm sure they will! Big thanks to Sun Ringle and Milwaukee once again.
Fixed Mag 2
Fixed Mag has dropped their second issue online. View it here for free!
Check out the article on Philly's heaviest hitters as well!
December 16, 2008
Here Comes the Boom!
First off, Seattle
then down the coast to Fullerton Cali
and east to Texas!
If you're still walking, head over to cold cold Boston for some more Boldsprints courtesy of Open!
Civic Duties
Civic Duties from Terry B on Vimeo.
DMR fork and a 650c front? Let me guess, corrects the geometry problem and gives less overlap? Interesting indeed.
What's even better is that baller-ass nose pivot to full cab around the 1 minute mark. DIALED!
and more from Japan... the W-Cup!
W-CUP from Eli Tokyo Jitensha-Jin on Vimeo.
Keo won it and he pretty much dwarfs everyone there. Pretty funny!
Outlier Workwear Week
Abe and Tyler are hustlin' at full speed. I gotta hand it to Outlier, they produce some fine clothing. I've worn these pants for about two weeks now and have been caught in the rain a few days. Their pants stayed bone dry. Even in the pouring rain.
When it's below 40 degrees, I wear my leg tights underneath and I stay warm, but not hot. The finish of the pants feels like Dickies on the outside, but is soft on the interior. They fit about the same as the Dickies work pants, but as I said, are water-resistant, stain-resistant and they don't stink like ass after riding in them for a week.
Some people do the wine test, but I spilled a good amount of Budweiser on them recently and it just ran right off! Not to mention coffee, while riding one-handed to work from Gimme! in the morning.
Here's some news ahead of the jump! Stay tuned all week as I update their drops!
An Outlier product is not your typical garment. We strive to make what we call future classics, garments that don't just last a season but instead work for decades. That means we are always in action, always tweaking cuts and experimenting with fabrics, always striving towards producing the perfect garments.
The experimental drop is a series of extremely limited production runs of the garments we expect to be producing full on a few months down the line. It's for the people who want to be ahead of the curve, who want to taste the future before the rest of the world knows it exists.
These are garments that are deep into our development process, we are pretty damn sure they are amazing, but we still want to test a bit more before we can give them that Outlier "future classic" seal of approval. With this series we are giving you a way in on the newness before the rest of the world is ready.
For the next four days we will be releasing one garment a day, each of which we have produced just 10 garments, give or take a few depending on the fabric.
TODAY we will be releasing a version of our OG Pant in a new Workwear fabric. The exterior is a tough canvas, the inside a soft fleece. This is the durable one, its got a high abrasion resistance, and Lotus treatment so that dirt and grease rolls off when exposed to water. It breathes great, is highly water resistant and dries fast. Available in a dark blueish gray.
If you're in NYC, you can pick these up at Affinity Cycles and Chari & Co!
Union Square
Jose, the man Martinez is finally back in NYC after traveling around documenting drift-car sporting events. He was out recently in Union Square shooting pics of the usual night riders, Alex and Mano.
Great shots dude! Alex and Mano, where you been mates?
December 17, 2008
Outlier Winterweight Hoodie
The second installment of Outlier's Workwear Week is now live. Check out this hoodie!
Next up in our experimental drop, the first Outlier hoodie in our Winterweight fabric. The cut is clean and minimal. Raglan sleeves for a full range of action, a big hood that can go over helmets and a long back to keep you covered when riding. An elegant yet tough winter layer that works flawlessly as a spring jacket too.
The Schoeller Dryskin Extreme + 3XDry fabric is perfect for the cool and the cold months. The inside is a heat retaining fleece, soft and warm. It stretches, breathes great and wicks moisture away from your body for maximum comfort in both motion and stillness. On the outside it's highly water resistant to keep the elements from ruining your comfort. The exterior weave includes Cordura for real durability and abrasion resistance. When I first tested this fabric I crashed a bike, the bike was ruined, my body bloody and the fabric barely even scratched.
The cut runs classic, a bit smaller than the inflated sizes of many contemporary American brands. Designed to be the second or third layer from the skin. If in doubt between two sizes, or if you want to rock it with big sweaters underneath, err towards the larger size.
Limited edition of 9 and not in full production until next fall at the soonest. Ships in January.
Empire Profile: Kai
Introducing Kai.
Empire has some updates, including a new rider profile.
As the youngest of the bunch Kai is focused primarily on high school and laying the foundation for his future, but he rides as much as he can. He races at Kissena and Trexlertown with Somerville Sports, and makes it out to Peel Sessions when he can. Kai rides fixed mostly, but also rips on his Brooklyn Machine Works BMX.
Like many of the Empire riders, Kai is a photographer and dabbles in film making by documenting his friends and the time they spend together.
Be sure to stay tuned for future updates!
December 18, 2008
In case you've never seen these...
Here's Devotion's classic Frejus with a Cinelli adjustable stem. Titan also made a similar quill and the idea was that rather than making multiple stem lengths, you just make one that's adjustable for different rider's specifications.
Sexy as hell and a bit pricey for NOS and used they fetch upwards of $200 USD. Even though it's vastly inferior to today's threadless stems in terms of stiffness, the old school track nuts go bonkers over them.
Eventually they just made varying lengths, as evident in my old Titan bar / stem combo that was on my Higgins.
December 19, 2008
Peel
Tonight ruled. Thanks to everyone who came out to Peel Sessions tonight and thanks to Jose Martinez for coming by. Jose's got some nice stuff coming later tonight. I'll post them once he ups them to Flickr.
Till then, here's some fixed mountain bikes and a track bike. Nate's still a hater.
Jose Martinez
1981 Cinelli Ad
Since we've been discussing classic Italian stems, this vintage Wool Line Cinelli ad is fitting.
Workwear Hoodies
Outlier dropped their last product in their Workwear line this morning. Read up below!
And now to wrap up the last component of our experiment, the OUTLIER Workwear Hoodie. The finale that Abe and I made sure we were to grab. Our super durable Workwear fabric for maximum abrasion resistance with a Lotus treatment. This is the one that you could take a spill without any notice. Throw some water on it and the grease and dirt will just roll off. The exterior is a tough canvas and inside a soft fleece that keeps you comfortable and moving through the day. It breathes great, is highly water resistant and dries fast.
The cut is clean and minimal. Raglan sleeves for a full range of action, a big hood that can go over helmets and a long back to keep you covered when riding. An elegant yet tough layer that works flawlessly as a spring jacket too.
The cut runs classic, a bit smaller than the inflated sizes of many contemporary American brands. Designed to be the second or third layer from the skin. If in doubt between two sizes, or if you want to rock it with big sweaters underneath, err towards the larger size.
Limited edition of 9 and not in full production until next fall at the soonest. Schoeller Dry Skin Extreme + Nanosphere. Available in a dark blueish gray. Ships in January.
carbr0n
Edit: It's sold!
Affinity has launced their new website, including a blog and soon, a web store. Right now, they've got a pretty slick prototype carbon frame for sale. Check this beast out! Tellem Prolly sent you!
Normally $2000, on sale for $1175 (includes frame, fork, integrated headset, and proprietary seatpost)
Sale is for this frame only, first come, first served. Call 718-384-5181 or email info@affinitycycles.com for more details…
Measurements:
Seat tube: 50cm (c-c)
Top tube: 54cm (c-c)
DQM x SAG in STOCK
DQM just got in their collaboration bags I mentioned earlier. Head on over [in the snow and ice] and pick one up!
Affinity Sale
Need a new bike for the holidays? Want a pursuit-style frame but don't feel like getting in an eBay bidding war for a Tommasini? Pick up an Affinity for a solid price.
$500 frame and fork. small, medium and large.
Edit: Sale is extended through tomorrow, December 23rd.
Buy today or saturday and get a free, aheadset, bottom bracket and seat post clamp.
Call the shop and ask for cellblock or colin. 718.384.5181
Matte white or matte black.
Happy Holidays
Thanks to Rob for this photoshop of Jose's pic from last night.
Everyone have a good weekend, ride safe and relax.
December 20, 2008
Cog Mag Photo Issue!
Mr. Kevin from COG magazine just sent me this sexy-ass image from their forthcoming Photo Annual. Forthcoming as in, get your ass to their site and buy one now before they're gone forever.
Over 100 pages of photographs from throughout the first four issues along with new, unseen images. Bi-lingual captions*, silkscreened hardcover signed limited edition of 2500 copies.
All this in a 12"×9" high-quality offset printed book.
December 21, 2008
Monster Track X
The OG track bike alleycat is back. NYC holds it down proper. Monstertrack will never die. Get ready. Ulgade's artwork is bananas. BOOM!
December 22, 2008
Geek Garage
GEEK GARAGE AND MATANKI NITE 2008 from Eli Tokyo Jitensha-Jin on Vimeo.
Pretty ill video showcasing BMX and fixed gear skills. Looks like a big-ass scene party blowout. One day I wanna be in attendance. Japan knows how to have fun!
... and god-damned Cannibal Corpse.
Stolen Grips
Grips that last and are comfortable can be one of the hardest bike parts to find. I went through a ton of companies before I found a grip that worked for me.
Stolen BMX has these grips, called "Money Grips" that are performing well beyond their $10 price tag. They're nice and grippy without being sticky and hold up really well. A lot of the mushroom-style flatland grips wear out really fast and rub off on your hands after just a week. I've had these for at least 2 months now.
Be sure, if you're using them on a standard riser, to get aluminum bar ends since the plastic ones won't fit your MTB bars. You can get the grips at Dan's Comp on the net or at Affinity Cycles in Brooklyn if you're in NYC.
Look! Colors too!
December 24, 2008
Urban Velo #11
I did a little sumpin sumpin for Urban Velo in their forthcoming issue. They've got a preview of the issue on their site along with a promise of a digi drop before the ball drops in NYC on New Years Eve.
If you use iTunes for podcasts, you can subscribe to their feed and you'll automatically get the pdf when it's released. Or subscribe the old fashioned way here.
London Bloody London
Don't Panic X Fixed Gear London from Steve_B on Vimeo.
Another great video from the Fixed Gear London / Charge crew. Awesome street riding. Pulling quick street lines is so much fun. Being able to ride around a city hitting spots along the way is one of the best feelings you can have on a bike. Also note his barspin bunnyhop with a 700c wheel [with lots of overlap] and that big baller-ass 6 set that he effortlessly 180's down! All on a bike that's set up to roll around on a take a beating!
Big ups guys. The Vans bike looks great. Now take care of my boys when they're over there in a few weeks. I can see Ted and Tony getting along great! Fixed Fight Club?
Thanks Burd for the head's up!
December 28, 2008
Street Tumblers
Street Tumblers Winter Teaser from Street Tumblers on Vimeo.
Zach from Denver just sent me this video. Check it out! Street Tumblers first teaser.
December 29, 2008
Merckx Porn
I'm no photographer and these are far from Fyxomatosis' work, but I just took some snaps of my Eddy Merckx pista with my new Canon G10 and I'm beyond impressed.
Check em out!
December 30, 2008
Stupor Bowl XII
I've been told this is the best that Minneapolis has to offer. The longest messenger-run alleycat in the US. Older than the NACC's and even Monstertrack! The 12th-annual Stupor Bowl is neigh.
Check out race info and updates at the Bike Jerks blog!
Edit: NYC's Halloween Race has been going for 14 years, so technically, it's the longest messenger-run alleycat in the US.
COG
I just got my COG photo issue in the mail, along with a COG shirt. The print is really great, colors are vivid and the cover is printed on a satin paper with the COG logo in a glossy oil. Geeky stuff like that really makes my day. Great job guys!
Will Stroud
Will Stroud Cinematography Reel from Will Stroud on Vimeo.
Now I don't BMX, nor have I ever, but Will's work has been featured in BMX videos like Odyssey's Electronical and others. Here's his reel, showcasing mostly BMX riding and some time-lapse cityscapes.
Nicely done!
Fast Tony Fast
Tony Fast doing a rather fast double barspin rollout. Smoooooooth!
December 31, 2008
Urban Velo 11 Article
I recently wrote an article on Fixed Gear Freestyle for Urban Velo. Well, the issue has dropped so head over and check it out!
Make sure you check their local distributors in your area as well so you can get a hard copy.
Thanks guys! Looks great!
Fixed Gears and New Years
I have to admit, this past year ruled. I was looking through some old pictures that Luke finally got around to developing when it dawned on me; we're all into this fixed gear trick thing and it's still so young. Where will we be next year? Who knows. But I agree with Zlog, this year's Bicycle Film Fest was awesome. We got to ride with some straight rippers from all over the country and even a Canadian! Everyone is developing their own styles of riding and their own approaches. It doesn't matter if you're a hill-bomber riding a track bike or a 700cbmx rider doing 180's, we're all in this for the same reason. It's fun!
May next year one-up this past year and I hope everyone sticks with this sport. Let's all push it to the next level!
... and yes Snob, more macro pr0n to come in the future.
Tom's Got Ups
I can safely say this is the first time anyone's bunny-hopped a jersey barrier on a fixed gear. WTF!?!?
Keep it trill in 2009 Tommy.
Rain Sleet Snow or Hail
No matter what kind of weather we've got in NYC, the Peel Sessions spot is usually pretty dry. Today Chris and I spent close to 4 hours under the BQE riding around. It was snowing and sleeting all day long and we were dry as a bone. I hadn't ridden my BMW in over a week so it felt great to be out riding. Above is Chris doing a rollout and below is me doing a kinda sketchy 540 cab. I'm yet again, impressed with my Canon G10's digital ability. Video looks pretty sharp for being a point and shoot.
Wilis swung through on his 'Noni later on in the afternoon and I snapped a few pics. Some people don't like the way 'work' bikes look. I personally love it. Look at what a year on the streets of NYC will do to a track bike. Wilis works on this noble steed almost everyday and I can't believe at one point, I thought this frame was my size!
Here's what it looked like prior to me selling it to Wilis. Check out the signature on the top tube.
Everyone have a happy New Year and RIDE RELAX!
January 2, 2009
New King Kog Location
The Brooklyn bike family continues to grow and grow. Gina recently moved her old King Kog storefront from Marcy ave to Graham ave literally one block from my apartment. I went over this morning to take a few pics. The space is a lot bigger and now has a work stand. Not sure who'll be wrenching there, but it's a big improvement. They'll be getting in more stock in the near future so swing by when you're in town!
455 graham ave
brooklyn ny 11211
www.kingkog.com
January 3, 2009
Kids These Days
Young Groms from John Prolly on Vimeo.
I was at the Polo Pit today riding around working on lines when these two kids came up and watched me ride for about 30 minutes. They approached me and started asking questions so I picked up my camera and filmed them. Young guns soon to be rippers!
Sorry the volume's so low, but if you turn it up on your computer and in the video, you can hear them fine.
January 5, 2009
More Big Spins
Matt Cole from Charles Reinagel on Vimeo.
Matt Cole's gottem down. Who else has videos?
January 6, 2009
Ed Glazar Photography
Ed Glazar has re-upped his website. Check out his web portfolio for some great NYC cycling photos. You can also see a few pics from Ed in the new Cog Photo Issue.
If that's not enough, check out his Flickr here as well!
3 Tap to Fakie
Sub level 13... winter training! from Andy Ellis on Vimeo.
Nice line from Superted here. via Fixed Gear London.
New Thomson Stems!
Check out these new Thomson stems that just dropped... Perfect for your girlfriend too! Sorry guys, black only.
Bio-Cycle
This Jud Turner sculpture is pretty metal. What else could you ask for? A chrome skeleton and a bike. Look! Bonespins!
Osaka Tony's Fixion Segment
A little long, but there are some gems in there. Dude makes it look effortless. Diggin the quick lines more than anything!
Sniped via Zlog via Fixed Gear Blog
Iced Out
I'm not a messenger nor have I ever been one, but I do commute everyday. Regardless of the weather, I ride my bike into Manhattan and to work. Today I got off work a bit later than usual. I checked the weather frequently because I knew it was going to rain and snow today. "Snow at 7:30".
As I got off work, it was raining and by the time I got to the bridge, it felt like there was a 5 degree drop in temperature. As I pulled up to my apartment, I noticed that my whole jacket was frozen. My pants weren't because they were moving, but my shoulder, sleeves, backpack, beard, everything was frozen. By the time I got the camera, most of it had melted. The rain hadn't even froze at that point!
Fixie Inc 5 Star
Check out this belt-driven, wooden-rim rollin', stainless-steel constructed beauty of a bike. You know what? I dig it. All of it. Really nice! Throw a porteur rack on the front and you've got a perfect beer bike! Well, besides the tubies. I do wonder how easy it is to take off the rear wheel with the belt-drive and the couplers on the seat stay.
Still not convinced? Head over to their Gallery section to find...
Selling for a Friend
Brand New Javelin Track bike
53cm CTC TT
48cm CTTop of TT
51cm CTTop of ST
27.2 seat post
75 STA
74 HTA
Mother of Pearl finish - decals UNDER clearcoat
includes:
drop-out plates
Integrated headset
carbon fork with carbon steerer
carbon steerer starnut
starnut
brake hole liner [fork is drilled]
$600 Brand New plus S/H - Retails at about $800 - PAYPAL only!
January 7, 2009
Kanye Wrecks his Cinelli
Just kidding.
This is what happens to your bike when it "mysteriously flies off the bikerack going down the highway" says Kevin from Texas. Pretty crazy.