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You can do gravel rides on a road bike with 23c tires if you’re careful and you pick your lines wisely or you can roll on some 33c Grifos and enjoy the ride a little more. This new Signal Cycles Gravel Crusher looks like a lotta fun, especially with the Mini Moto setup. Check out more at Signal Cycles’ Flickr.
The wait is over. Paul Components have just announced their new RHub‘s availability. These beautiful, American-made hubs have been floating around their tradeshow booth for about two years now. If you’ve ever owned Paul track hubs, you can attest to their quality and finish. It’s real tempting to pick up a set now, just for the hell of it!
Check out more details at PAUL.
The first product in the Purple Projects collaboration line is here.
I love the PAUL Components Touring Cantis. I’ve had them on my touring bike, my cross bike and just about everyone I know has them on at least one of their bikes. As a throwback to the 80’s MTB era of bright anodizing, I teamed up with PAUL to produce a limited run of purple Touring Cantis and matching Moon Units.
SORRY SOLD OUT!
The Purple Projects line fully supports Made in the USA components. Stay tuned for more!
*Please note: The anodizing is less blue than shown here, it tends to be more magenta, much like the purple anodizing from the 80’s. It’s hard to get the tone right in these photos.
Truth be told, I put a deposit down for a 2012 Geekhouse Team Mudville cross bike before my Woodville touring bike was stolen. While I’m planning on racing here in Austin when there are local events, I’m also just stoked to finally have a cross bike to travel with. Over this past year, I’ve come to determine that a cross bike is an ideal travel bike.
You can do just about everything on them: singletrack, off-roading, gravel, road rides and even light touring. Because this bike will be 60% all that and 40% racing, I built it up initially to respond to riding in Northern California and a brevet I’ll be riding later on this month. Hence the double cages, clinchers and Ramblin’ Roll. In fact, I’m heading to Cali right now to partake in some dirt rides.
Enough of the intent, how about the bike? A few things are new on the 2012 Team Mudville models. For one, the ENVE tapered fork and headtube. It’s so big and yes, it really offers a noticeable difference in handling. The tubing selection is a little different on mine than the other bikes. Columbus Life stays ensure my big ass won’t tweak the rear end riding like an asshole or casing barriers.
I honestly don’t have tubular race wheels, so I’ll be using my trusty Profile Elite road hubs to HED Belgiums. The SRAM Force group, ENVE stem, Thomson Elite post, 3T bars all compliment the brightly anodized Chris King InSet Mango headset and matching bottom bracket. A Paul Components Funky Monkey drops the front cable a bit lower and stopping power is provided by Paul touring cantis. After getting everything dialed in, I can say that I’m really enjoying the ride.
Many thanks to Geekhouse bikes for the stellar frame and Ben’s Cycle for the parts!
Enough copy, check out the photos!
There’s a lotta ‘Mericuh in these two photos, all the way in Japan at Blue Lug, the purveyors of all that is fine in this cycling world. Their latest acquisition (for sale) is this custom Cielo cross, loaded with Chris King and Paul components. I love me some mango! Check out more at Blue Lug’s Flickr.
With Swobo under new ownership, they’ve taken their single speed and fixed gear line back towards the States. The Divine is their new city fixed gear, made in the USA and shown here, as a PAUL Component build for around $1,800 dollars. They’ll also be offering up a Taiwanese parts build for around $1,200 but who can Resist some PAUL parts? Expect these to hit your LBS’ shelves in 2013. I dig it. Replace that stem, bar and saddle and that’s a nice looking build.
Check out some more shots below!
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.
Click on the above photo to launch the gallery, or here to open in a new tab.
It doesn’t take a lot to classy up a stock build, or even a frameset. Especially when it comes to a Surly. These “do anything” bikes are great. Throw some dirt drops, barcons and knobbies and you’ve got an off-roader, camping mobile. Or roll one stock and race cross. Perhaps you just want to have a nice, balanced and smooth, reliable ride to scoot around on. The latter was the inspiration for this recent Golden Saddle Cyclery customer build.
A 1×10 is ideal for a city commute. Then, by adding a tried and true Wald basket, a Brooks, one slick Archive x Tracko bag to the mix, along with a mix of Paul Components and some solid wheels, you’ve got a stylish, balleur and relatively affordable ride.
Click on the above photo to launch the gallery, or here to open in a new tab.
I’ve been tempted to roll with Paul MiniMOTO brakes on my cross bike this year. Especially after seeing Kyle‘s photos of this Nature Boy all pimped out (love the Easton fork on this by the way). Check out more slickness here.
Jono from Paul sent me this photo of one of the Team Paul Comp rider’s bikes. I like everything I see here.
Two names you can’t go wrong with in the style category of cycling is Beloved and Rapha. You’ve most likely heard of the latter but Beloved was a new name to me up until last summer, when I toured the Chris King facilities prior to my tour. Their niche is deeply tied to their slogan “Let Us Chase the Sun” and it’s only fitting that these bikes are born in the Pacific Northwest where chasing the sun is a literal activity. Marketing aside, Beloved makes timeless bicycles with details to match. Most of this bike was made in the USA and that’s a huge plus in my book.
This Rapha Every Day townie bike sits pretty in the Cycle Club SF window, so I took it outside for some lens love and SF sun (i.e. overcast)…
Check out more by clicking the photo above or here to open in a new tab.
Oh man, this is great. Blue Lug does it again! Thanks for the heads up Tracko.
