The Radavist

Frostbike 2019: Three Shots of Whisky With a Carbon Back
Photos and words by Jarrod Bunk

Whisky Components chose Quality Bicycle Products Frostbike to unveil some new products this year, and along with it, they proved that the sum of a well-appointed bicycle is in its parts.  With three unique builds designed around a Surly Wednesday, Surly Karate Monkey, and Surly Midnight special, all shod in a certain shade of retina burn that when entering the expo halls was sure to catch your eye.

There’s much more going on than at first glance, but the paint/carbon combo worked out really well, I’ve been told the Wednesday weighed under 27lbs.

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Stayin’ Warm At Frostbike
Photos and words by Jarrod Bunk

Frostbike, it’s that time of the year when dealers from all over the country descend on the frozen tundra that is Minneapolis because in the middle of winter this is the one event sure to throw some logs on your fire and rekindle that stoke.  Sadly I flew in a day shy of what I’m sure were some of the best presentations in recent memory.  The expo wasn’t devoid of the flash that I thought it may be, instead, there was a smattering of new bits from QBP’s house brands as well as some other fantastic brands that QBP distributes. This gallery is full of some new product all of which are now off embargo.

Since its inception, Frostbike has been held out of Quality Bicycle Products Minneapolis facility, but for 2020 the event is moving to Denver.

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If You Were Wondering, Frostbike’s Still the Best
Photos and words by Kyle Kelley

Especially for newcomers! It was really rad seeing Sean and Danny from Team Dream and the Cub House experience this unique event for the first time. It really got me thinking about a few of my first Frostbikes, and how a lot of my really good friends have actually spawned from this event. I’ve even seen other friendships flourish from introductions at Frostbike. Going to Minneapolis in the middle of winter as a cyclist probably seems like a bad idea, but when you actually think about it, it’s genius.

Cool Stuff at Frostbike
Photos by Kyle Kelley and words by John Watson

Frostbike. It’s part party, part bike industry tradeshow and all fun. Each year, Quality Bicycle Products, the largest distributor for bike shops in the US, invites a handful of media and tons of shop owners to its facilities in Bloomington, just outside of Minneapolis, Minnesota. Once within its walls, attendees get a sneak peek at many of the brands QBP carries’ newest offerings.

This year, we didn’t line anyone up to cover the event, but Kyle was there for his shop, Golden Saddle Cyclery. Because he is a shop owner and a regular contributor to the Radavist, Kyle’s eye for what is “cool” really resonates. You’ll see a lot from the brands commonly featured here on the site and if you’ve got any questions, just drop them in the comments.

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Frostbike’s the Best
Photos and words by Jarrod Bunk

I look forward to this time of the year, I get to catch up with friends, check out fresh bits from companies that I dig. You could say that Frostbike is a mini Interbike, without the tedium. QBP invites some of its dealers each year to view bikes, parts, and projects. Bikes, I love them, I love getting people on them, I love riding them. We all do right? QBP does a great job of creating bikes that small groups want and promoting cycling though all of their brands. Frostbike isn’t about just QBP brands though, there are plenty of non Q-brands that display here.

Its been said that there ain’t no party like a QBP party ‘cause a QBP party don’t stop. Obviously winding down after a day of seminars and bike stoke needs to happen. I look forward to the All City ’17 model year release every year. Jeff has a great program over there!. The log lady is a show stopper. Speaking of show stoppers, Whiskey Parts Co. has a pretty awesome project this year. They displayed six bikes as parts of their Whiskey Six Select, and let me just say oh man, these bikes are beautiful, from a custom Salsa Cycles Horsethief to a Retrotec, there is sure to be something for everyone.

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I love how you can take a frame that’s very accessible and affordable, strip it, then paint or powdercoat it. From there, you can either rebuild the stock kit, or build it up with choice components. For Matt at Whisky Parts, he did the latter.

Matt put a Whisky fork, bars on the front, a Whisky seatpost, Chromag stem, saddle, Industry Nine wheels, Middleburn cranks, HOPE pedals, Hope brakes and a Chris King bottom bracket. The all black component list just makes that gold powdercoat pop! I think this bike was my favorite at Frostbike and I gotta tell ya, it makes me want to do something rad with my Pugs…

See more in the Gallery!

Adopting the 5″ fat platform, the Surly Ice Cream Truck fatbike was the prize of their booth at Frostbike this year. Dubbed the ICT, this symmetrical fatbike just looks mean. But it’s got more than enough elegant details to soften that tank-like aesthetic.

Oversized tubing, tighter wheelbase, pressfit 30 bottom bracket and an insane sparkly paint job makes this bike stand out from the rest of their lineup. The hub spacing is determined by the new MDS dropouts. These allow for either 197mm 12mm thru-axle or 190mm quick-release.

When asked to describe the ride characteristics of the Ice Cream Truck, Tyler from Surly said “you have to use your whole body to move the bike, but it’s an incredibly stable ride”.  The wheelbase is tighter than the Moonlander for a zippier ride and while I didn’t get the chance to shred it, I look forward to the day…

The ICT will come as a complete or frameset in XS – XXL. If I recall correctly, the MSRP will be around $2400 with an Ops version for around $2700 and the frameset will retail for $850. 

See more in the Gallery!

As part of their unveiling for the 2014 cross bike lineup. All City threw a Snow Ball on Friday night during Frostbike. Jello Shots, dancing, free beer and formal wear filled the room at the Eagle Club as people could fondle three new cross bike models.

I ended up waiting for two hours as the shuttle bus returned to the hotel on frozen roads, so I missed out on a lot of fun but when we finally got to the party just before midnight, it was still bustlin’. Check out some photos in the Gallery!