Today began our insane trip to Shanghai. To be honest, I had no idea what to expect. Even after arriving Saturday night, we were all a little unsure of what awaited us in the morning. After woking up bright and early, we all met up with Tyler from Factory 5, who had the day all planned out. The Mission Workshop Shanghai trip had begun…
Check out some narrated photos in the Gallery and keep an eye on Mission Workshop’s (@MissionWorkshop) and my Instagram (@JohnProlly) during the day for updates.
Killing two birds with one stone, we got in a little bit of riding today as, we knocked out some filming for the forthcoming Mission Workshop Acre line. We already had video and photos from urban riding and I had a hankering for some elevation. The hardest part about traveling is falling out of your riding routine. It had been a few days since I had even ridden my bike and I wanted to keep my legs loose and my fitness up, so we found a short and sweet climb to ride.
I threw my Mamiya 7ii in my musette and shot some, then at the halfway point, I switched to the 5D and the 40mm pancake, which these photos were taken with. Climbing in the horrible air quality and intense humidity was no easy feat. My lungs feel sore and my sinuses are in pain but it felt great to get the blood moving…
Check out some narrated photos in the Gallery and keep an eye on Mission Workshop’s (@MissionWorkshop) and my Instagram (@JohnProlly) during the day for updates.
Ok, I know I’m going against the category of A Day in 10 Photos but I couldn’t narrow it down to less than 20. Plus, the galleries look nice with two rows of photos.
We were all pretty tired come Wednesday and the last place I wanted to go was a tradeshow but the allure of the Taipei cycle show was enticing. A quick walk of the aisles and I had seen everything worth seeing. The juxtaposition of an international company’s booth like Mavic right next to a Taiwanese bootleg version was quite comical. Most of the products I had seen at Interbike and the show was smaller than NAHBS this year. We were done seeing everything in under two hours.
From there, we made it out for some food before heading to the Mission Workshop and Voyager party at Werd Magazine where some of the many locals rolled through and had a few drinks. What happened afterwards is the reason why I didn’t make a post yesterday. We were all up too late, partying too hard and feeling like crap the next day. At least I’m over my jetlag and reenergized now, ready for a busy day ahead…
Check out some narrated photos in the Gallery and keep an eye on Mission Workshop’s (@MissionWorkshop) and my Instagram (@JohnProlly) during the day for updates.
Ok, I know I’m going against the category of A Day in 10 Photos but I couldn’t narrow it down to less than 20. Plus, the galleries look nice with two rows of photos.
Today was awesome. All we had on our agenda was to visit a camera store to pick up some batteries and storage cards. For a majority of the day, we ended up walking around the various discricts in town, stopping when something caught our eye and dipping into some of the insane storefronts that line the streets of Taipei. Immediately, I was drawn to the camera stores, where I attempted to haggle an owner out of a lens until I began to asses the financial implications of said purchase. Maybe another day.
While a majority of the stores are filled with useless garbage, there’s a nice collage-like effect they have on the city. Flashing lights, bootleg merchandise, food carts, people in shopping frenzies and crowded sidewalks are just some of the sights you’ll see on foot in Taipei.
Check out some narrated photos in the Gallery and keep an eye on Mission Workshop’s (@MissionWorkshop) and my Instagram (@JohnProlly) during the day for updates.
Since the primary goal for me on this trip is to pull together some photos from my film cameras, I dumbed down my 5D setup with ease in mind. The day before I left, I picked up the Canon f2.8 40mm pancake lens and took off the battery grip. It’s amazing how much of a difference in bulkiness and weight it makes. I’m more likely to stuff it into a musette or a bag and focus on the film shots.
For the past 24 hours, I’ve been in airplanes and airports, making my way to Taiwan. The guys from Mission Workshop arrived tonight and we took a stroll around our neighborhood in search of a bite to eat. After a day of traveling, the last thing I feel like doing is narrating any kind of story, so enjoy nine more photos in the gallery. Don’t worry, there’s more to come from Taipei this week!
Everyone that reads this website has had a moment in their life where cycling became something more than just pedaling around. They found a bike, or had a moment out riding that changed their perspective forever. For me, it was a mountain bike in college. Sure, I had bikes growing up, but they were always used for transportation, or hitting a kicker ramp and some trails once and a while. It wasn’t until college that I found something I vibed with. The trails became an exit from architecture school. I sucked and was slow but loved going fast and mostly avoiding the occasional wreck.
That was over 10 years ago and since moving to Austin, I’ve wanted to get a new MTB but never really had the opportunity arise. I didn’t necessarily want a modern machine and preferred steel. This year at NAHBS, when I walked up to the Independent Fabrication booth, this blue beauty caught my eye. I walked over, checked it out and quickly realized that THIS is what I was looking for. Rigid, modern components, throwback Somerville geometry and an Igleheart fork. It looked like a modern day Fat Chance.
Gary walked up and told me how the Deluxe Reduxe came about. Last year, when Chris Chance came to NAHBS, he was asked what he thought of modern day MTBs and his reply was something along the lines of “things got really complicated”. The Deluxe Reduxe is IF’s answer to that. They hired Chris Igleheart, ex employee of Chris Chance to make 20 forks and IF would make the frames. They were each painted either electronic blue, hot lime or lavender.
Decked out with Shimano XT, which uses arguably some of the best hydraulic disc brakes in the industry, Chris King throughout, with Crank Brothers Cobalt bars, stem and post. The Deluxe Reduxe is topped it off with hand-laced Luxe Wheelworks Stans Tubeless wheels and some Racing Ralphs. It was even Mudfoot blue!
Knowing that I had to have it, Gary and I struck a deal. For me, the parties involved in this bike are so special and so Somerville that it was a worthy MTB choice. Here in central Texas, things can get rocky, fast but since I’m used to pulling lines on the cross bike, I’ve found this bike just eats that shit alive. I have a general rule about posting my bikes: don’t post about them til you’ve had a moment with them and this week, I’ve had a few. Last night when I shot these photos, I had one of the best rides on it yet.
This bike and I have clicked real hard this week. I’ve crashed a few times, finding the pocket on a sharp turn but have been able to pump and thrash through some technical sections with ease. It just jams through my favorite trails. As shown here, it’s all stock, even with the XTR pedals. I wanted to give everything a chance before swapping parts out. In the end, I’ll probably go ENVE cockpick and post. I’m not a fan of the Crank Brothers Cobalt post but the bars and stem are growing on me. I’ll switch to tubeless when I’m back from China as well.
What about suspension options? Well, Igleheart told me it’ll be tricky but possible, only because of the rake. This bike has a trail of 73mm. A rake of 50mm and a heat tube angle of 71 degrees. I could lock out a 100mm Fox at 80mm and achieve roughly the same HTA but I don’t think that’s what this bike deserves. At some point, I’ll go full suspension but right now, this is a great machine for how I’m riding.
If this is something you like, there are still a small and a medium Deluxe Reduxe for sale at IF for $4,500, which considering the parts alone, is a steal for steel. Contact IF for more information.
I feel like this goes without saying but Pearl Velo, Berkeley Supply Co and Avery County Cycles really left a great impression on me and just about everyone else who was visiting for this year’s NAHBS. These three shops have created a really admirable energy through their spaces and the shop owner’s faces.
Pearl Velo would fall into what I’d like to call a neo bike shop. While it is full-service, Tyler won’t hesitate to send work down the street to the larger shop. You walk in the doors and everything is merchandised with thought. Its surfaces are clean and orderly, so much so that you almost don’t want to touch anything, but you do anyway. Tyler sells everyday accessories from brands you trust, he carries complete bikes and frames from the manufacturers you probably ride and as previously stated, his own branded products are worthy souvenirs.
To top it off, Tyler’s father hand-painted each of the wooden signs outside the shop. They’re so beautiful that I had to shoot the first couple of photos in the Gallery with my Mamiya 7ii to capture the color and light just right. Check out more photos in the Gallery and shop info below!
Nestled in between Pearl Velo and Avery County Cycles is Berkeley Supply Co. Having opened last December, Eli has focused entirely on made in the USA clothing and accessories. For someone like me, who usually buys clothing when I travel (not a whole lot of options in Austin believe it or not), I was very impressed with the shop and environment Eli has created. Many of the brands he carries I’ve been wearing for the past few years and have had the best of luck with them. A lot of these clothes are what I would consider an investment, as Berkeley Supply Co’s slogan states “outfitter of things that last”.
Check out some photos in the Gallery. Find shop hours and info below.
When Josh from Avery County Cycles won the rookie of the year award at this year’s NAHBS, I don’t think anyone was surprised. I for one, was not in the least bit. His self-described Colorado front-range commuter is a mixture of things. Part cross bike, part light-tourer / commuter, with a trail suitable for off-roading. He kept the rear end tight, at 405mm and a nice, even bb drop of 65mm. While there are rack provisions on the rear, Josh prefers a bit of backpack camping.
Enough about the use and geometry, this is a show bike with all the suiting accoutrement. The hardware is copper-plated, there’s a machined lamp tab on the non-drive fork, Avery “A” fork crown inlay and a ‘perty blue matte coat of paint. The color really looks great in person. In fact, this whole bike looks great in person and in photos. See for yourself in the Gallery!
The classics never go out of style, they just get a facelift, or in this case, a splash of color. In the years that Denver’s Topo Designs has been in business, they’ve striven for American-made portage that has a modern façade with a classic silhouette. All of their bags are manufactured in a LEED-certified facility at the foothills of the Rockies and while their bags aren’t designed specifically for cycling, they are versatile, durable and innovative.
I had the opportunity to visit Topo’s design and shipping facilities while I was in Denver and was immediately pulling out my card to make some purchases. From a new (out soon) backpack that stuffs into a pocket, padded laptop carriers (out soon), to their classic Klettersack backpack, nesting bags and even their accessories like the Web Belt and Liberty co-branded water bottle, I put a dent in my checking account!
I’ve honestly never purchased them before because I never saw anything Topo made in person. In this case, seeing and feeling was believing. With high-quality, wear-reducing cordura on the bottoms of their bags, you’ll have them for years with no issues.
Check out more photos from my Shop Visit to Topo Designs in the narrated gallery and check your local Topo retailler here.
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