PROLLY IS NOT PROBABLY

Posts Tagged ‘Los Angeles’

Shop Visit: SWRVE’s Storefront

The last time I visited the Los Angeles-based cycling apparel brand SWRVE‘s shop, they had just relocated and had big plans to expand their floorplan to include a storefront. Last week, before skipping town, I headed over to check out their newly-opened retail space. For a brand like SWRVE, most of their sales are online, so a retail space wasn’t of the highest priority. But they wanted the city of Los Angeles to have a place where customers could come try on the clothing and actually touch the product before committing to buy.

I don’t need to explain any further the merits of buying from a store, versus buying online, so I’ll let the photos do the talking…

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Beautiful Bicycle: Neil’s Cannondale Commuter

When Neil walked through the doors of GSC one afternoon with this bike, I couldn’t help but be intrigued. There were so many little details that drew me to scope it out. It had a substantially higher bottom-bracket than you’d normally see on a MTB, especially a Cannondale. There was a Death Spray Custom sticker on the downtube, and a rare one at that. And it was covered with team sponsorship logos.

While some would say it’s not a MTB if there are road tires on it, I would disagree. It’s the frame and the frame’s geometry that decide the nomenclature and this is most definitely a mountain bike, albeit with its flip flops on…

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Shop Visit: Moth Attack

Moth Attack is one of the most unique builders I’ve ever met and not just because it’s owned and operated by a woman. I spent a few hours visiting Megan in her commercial live work space in Los Angeles, touring her facilities that are literally feet above where she sleeps at night. This is the ultimate bike apartment, where everything from racing bikes to commuters and mountain bikes hang from the walls but to add to the mix, Megan designs and fabricates custom bicycles inside the space.

Sharing the loft is Jack, a track cyclist and mechanic. Both Megan and Jack have seperate, lofted studio spaces where they work. See for yourself below…

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Beautiful Bicycle: Andy’s Signal Commuter

Seeing a show bike in a booth, at a convention center is one thing but bumping into it on the street is another treat. While I was in LA, I met Andy, the owner of this beautiful robin’s egg blue Signal Cycles commuter. I had seen this bike before, at the 2012 NAHBS but being able to actually take it for a spin around the block, as I looked for a photo spot, was an honor. It really did ride like a dream and it’s been everything Andy asked for, and more.

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LA Randomness 02

Well, after two weeks in sunny SoCal, I’m back in even sunnier and hotter Austin. I cannot express with words how much fun I had this round in LA. We rode and rode and rode, all the while I tried to document the daily happenings going on around me. There’s much more to come but these photos didn’t really fit in with any of the future photosets, so I’m dumping them into a Randomness gallery. Enjoy!

If you have questions about any of these photos, hit me up in the comments. And thanks to everyone who made this trip such a blast for Lauren and me.

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What a Day!

Since arriving in Los Angeles, Kyle from Tracko / GSC has been going on and on about how he was going to take me on the “Cloud Bonk” ride. As the name implies, it’a a gnarly loop, that’s literally up in the clouds. Well, 7,000′ up. We left this morning at 6:30am and rode to the ride (rather than drive). After a 30 mile trek to the base of the mountains, we climbed for 30 miles. Then 30 more miles and then, 30 miles home. Totaling 10,200′ and 120 miles. As you can imagine, I’m beat. So after a few bourbons, I’m calling it a night.

Read: I’m too tired to post anything!

A few notes:

-YES, I received your emails today.
-NO, the Ride Hills T’s have not shipped from Kyle’s warehouse. He was busy riding mountains today. Expect those to ship ASAP! Or as soon as his interns get them out.
-Gah, I love riding in LA County.
-Check out more Instagram photos in the blog footer, or click here and here.

Beautiful Bicycle: Ty’s S&S Geekhouse Mudville Cross

Beautiful Bicycle: Ty's S&S Geekhouse Mudville Camping Cross'r

The last time we saw Ty’s Geekhouse Mudville, it was in the middle of cross season. So what do cross racers do in the “off season”? Some choose to ride their cross bikes on singletrack, over fire roads and through the woods. While most people hang them up in their sheds or garages, Ty and a lot of other riders prefer to ride theirs year-round.

When he decided he would try to travel as much as he could this year, he comissioned Megan from Moth Attack to add S&S couplers to this already versatile bike. Gotta love that Geekhouse team livery all torched up! He left with Moi this morning on a week-long trip and the bike was looking great yesterday, so I had to photograph it.

I wish these two dudes the best of luck. Have a blast!

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Beautiful Bicycle: Moi and His Kelly Cross

So I don’t know if you know this, but saying “adventure” really rubs some people the wrong way. And I can see why. “Adventure” has become synonymous with “epic” and sure, there are more descript adjectives out there but what else would you call a week-long, dirt, camping and river rafting experience? Moi is a very rad man. I’ve spent some time in the saddle with him these past weeks and it’s been a blast getting to know him. Today, he and Ty are heading out on a “bike ride week-long extravaganza”. They’re strapping all they need to their saddle rails and posts, as they embark on this radcation.

I shot some quick photos of Moi and his Kelly cross bike the other day, before the sun went down. Check the rest out below.

Beautiful Bicycle: 50th Anniversary Paramount Track

Beautiful Bicycle: 15th Anniversary Paramount Track

The customers and their bikes that walk in and out of Golden Saddle Cyclery amaze me. One minute, a custom Moots, the next, an Indy Fab cross bike. It never really gets old but you quickly adapt to seeing Beautiful Bicycles everywhere you look. Then a gem like this rolls into the doorway. A 50th Anniversary Schwinn Paramount track. These frames were made at the Waterford facilities in the late 80′s and it shows. The finely-crafted lugwork, anniversary logos and bright jade paint make this track frame one Beautiful Bicycle. I took it outside, in the last moments of sunlight and tried to capture all these details.

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Beautiful Bicycle: Diego’s Grime G.O.A.T.

One of the GSC shop rats, Diego just built up a new Grime G.O.A.T. 26″ fixed freestyle bike. These frames evolved from a strong bloodline of street riders in NYC and have found themselves all over the world. The G.O.A.T.s have a cult-like following and Diego says it lives up to all the hype. The chartreuse frame really pops in the Los Angeles sun, so I took it out for some lens love.

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