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Josh’s Favorite Products of 2023

Reportage By: Josh Weinberg

Josh’s Favorite Products of 2023

It’s been a wild year around these parts. In addition to the organizational changes we experienced with this website, I feel fortunate to have met and collaborated with many amazing people in addition to traveling to some truly remarkable places. My list of favorite products ended up being rather eclectic, but I think it reflects the wide range of material we get to cover here. Of course, music was an integral backdrop to my work – on rides, traveling abroad, and with my family at home – so I have joined some of our other contributors in offering a selection of favorite tunes, alongside a handful of products, below.

Finding an Ideal Low Trail Road Bike: Soma Grand Randonneur Review

Reportage By: Mitchell Connell

Finding an Ideal Low Trail Road Bike: Soma Grand Randonneur Review

After spending years swapping the same worn-out parts between vintage steel frames, I was ready to build my ideal “road” bike in 2020. I wanted something that was comfortable, versatile, and beautiful, and after much deliberation, I settled on the Soma Grand Randonneur. Read on to learn why I chose the Grand Randonneur and my thoughts on the bike after two tours, a gravel race, and many long days on country roads.

René Herse Got a Big Shipment of Tires In

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René Herse Got a Big Shipment of Tires In

If you’re one of the people patiently waiting for a model René Herse tires to land in stock, today is your lucky day. This morning the Seattle-based tire manufacturer just received a shipment of their most popular rubber including the 650B x 55 Umtanum Ridge, 700C x 35 Bon Jon Pass, the 26″ x 2.3″ Rat Trap Pass, and more. Head on over to René Herse to see the full stock availability.

2021 Philly Bike Expo: Royal H Cycles Bed of Roses Neo-Randonneur

Reportage By: Bryan Hollingsworth & Jarrod Bunk

2021 Philly Bike Expo: Royal H Cycles Bed of Roses Neo-Randonneur

Bryan Hollingsworth of Royal H Cycles has shown bikes at each Philly Bike Expo since its debut in 2009. And he always brings the heat. This year, Bryan returned with another stunning creation, the Bed of Roses, which blends classic randonneur elements with modern accouterments. Bryan walks us through the design impetus for this artistic build below, along with Jarrod Bunk‘s illustrative imagery.

Jan from René Herse Sets the Oregon Outback FKT

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Jan from René Herse Sets the Oregon Outback FKT

Earlier this year, Lael and Jan set out to FKT on the Oregon Outback. Things didn’t work out for Jan on that run, so he returned before the season ended and it worked out in his favor:

Jan set a new FKT (Fastest Known Time) on the epic Oregon Outback course. Riding unsupported and alone, he covered the 585 km (363 miles) of rough gravel (and some pavement) in 26:13 hours, taking more than an hour off the previous best. Jan averaged 13.8 mph (22.3 km/h) – stops included. It was a beautiful ride, traversing some of the country’s most spectacular scenery. It was also a great test for the concept of the all-road bike – a bike that can travel on rough gravel with road bike speed and road bike fun. Jan was riding a custom-built Rene Herse steel bike, equipped with 26” x 2.3” Rene Herse Rat Trap Pass Extralight tires. Flexible fork blades helped with comfort and speed on the notoriously rough surfaces of the Oregon Outback. Wind tunnel-tested aero fenders helped tackle the infamous winds on the approach to the Columbia Gorge. Jan observed at the finish: “The gravel roads of eastern Oregon will always be rough, but this is as good as it gets. It was fun!”

A full track of the FKT ride is at Trackleaders.

René Herse: 27.5″ x 2.2″ Umtanum Ridge TC Tire in Stock Now

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René Herse: 27.5″ x 2.2″ Umtanum Ridge TC Tire in Stock Now

The long-awaited 27.5″ x 2.2″ plump and knobby Umtanum Ridge TC Tire is now in stock at René Herse. Ever since Rene Herse Cycles has worked with Lael Wilcox to develop the 29″ / 700C Fleecer Ridge dual-purpose knobbies, they’ve been deluged with requests for 26″ and 650B versions with the same noise-cancelling tread pattern. They launched the 26″ Humptulips Ridge late last year. Now they are introducing the 650B / 27.5″ version, the Umtanum Ridge.

Pick up a pair now in Standard, Extralight, Endurance, and Endurance Plus casings at René Herse.

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