Heather is a worker/owner at Mess Kollective in NYC.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Heather winning Monster Track X
I'd seen this photo on Corey's Flickr right after Monster Track and loved the hell out of it! It really captures the energy and momentum of Heather on her way to winning the race. Click to enlarge!
Heather is a worker/owner at Mess Kollective in NYC.
Heather is a worker/owner at Mess Kollective in NYC.
NYTimes Article on the Red Hood Crit!
I think you need a log-in to read the article to read it, so I've re-pasted the whole thing here. Number 13 below is John Ktel, the eventual third place finisher...
The old cobblestones on the Red Hook waterfront in Brooklyn have felt the weight of many kinds of vehicles, from wagons to tractor trailers to the snazzy cars and S.U.V.’s of the neighborhood’s newer residents. But as a soft drizzle fell on Saturday night, the stones felt something new — a clandestine bicycle race.
From shortly after 11 p.m. until nearly midnight, about two dozen cyclists hurtled over the bumps and around the tight turns of several blocks near the East River while spectators cheered from sidewalks.
The race, called the Red Hook Criterium, was organized by David August Trimble to celebrate his 26th birthday, which had been a few days earlier. Among the participants were art dealers, bike messengers, graduate students and at least one man who said he was happily unemployed. All were riding track bikes — fixed gear bicycles fit with narrow tires and aerodynamic frames for racing. And no brakes.
Before the race, bicyclists arrived at Mr. Trimble’ s home on Dikeman Street, where they pinned numbers to their shirts. Mr. Trimble, a designer for an architectural firm, explained that he had conceived of the criterium — a contest usually run on a short course on city streets — to draw together divergent strains of racers.
“It’s a combination of two different scenes,” he said. “It’s part road racing and part fixed-gear alley cat.”
As in road races — like the Tour de France or the Giro d’Italia — contestants followed a set course, riding in packs nearly wheel to wheel. But they also benefited from skills usually honed in outlaw messenger races, called alley cats, in which participants speed along urban streets weaving around potholes, pedestrians and moving vehicles.
Mr. Trimble spread the word to friends, and the race aroused attention in the blogosphere, where the setting appeared to elicit nearly as much interest as the contest itself. Bikeblognyc.com, for instance, described the criterium as “an unsanctioned race through a desolate, postindustrial part of Brooklyn.”
Perhaps drawn by the visual prospects, several photographers showed up. And a filmmaker named Kalim Armstrong arrived with a nine-person crew and eight digital cameras, including one mounted on a bike helmet that he hoped would capture the vertiginous feeling of speeding through dark streets.
About 11 p.m., the racers left Mr. Trimble’s home and assembled on Beard Street, where the cobblestones studded the surface of the road and tall shipyard cranes loomed on the horizon.
Although the organizers had not sought official permission, there were several police officers on hand. They did not try to stop the race but warned the riders to avoid the parking lot of the Ikea store on Beard Street.
The race began with a sharp whistle, starting the cyclists on the first of 16 laps around a three-quarter-mile course running in a rough rectangle along Columbia, Van Dyke and Richards Streets.
They sped past the Erie Basin Auto Pound, where the police keep vehicles that are being held as evidence, and past hulking brick warehouses and wood frame residences. They passed stacks of marble slabs in a dirt lot surrounded by a fence topped with shiny barbed wire and a mural on a sheet metal wall that depicted an unplugged television.
Car traffic was sparse and the race course was nearly silent except for the hiss of rubber wheels and occasional cries of encouragement from small groups of spectators, some of whom had gathered at a spot where Sigourney, Ostego and Van Dyke Streets formed a treacherous stretch that included two sharp, swerving turns.
The race ended 30 minutes after it began, won by Neil Bezdek, a 24-year-old management consultant. Mr. Trimble finished second, about 30 seconds behind.
Then riders and spectators adjourned to Mr. Trimble’s backyard, where they drank from a keg of beer as Mr. Bezdek was awarded several prizes, including a jar of homemade granola, a bottle of olive oil and a cobblestone from Beard Street, which he victoriously hoisted above his head while standing on a winner’s podium of stacked milk crates.
Nearby, the third-place finisher, John Kniesly, 27, analyzed the course.
“The cobbles got dicey,” he said. “A lot of slipping and a lot of near falls.”
Mr. Armstrong, the filmmaker, said he was looking forward to viewing footage from the helmet cam.
“It’ll be dark and grainy and there’s going to be rain on the lens,” he said. “But that’s O.K. because our idea was to show this race how it actually is.”
-By COLIN MOYNIHAN
-Published: March 29, 2009
The old cobblestones on the Red Hook waterfront in Brooklyn have felt the weight of many kinds of vehicles, from wagons to tractor trailers to the snazzy cars and S.U.V.’s of the neighborhood’s newer residents. But as a soft drizzle fell on Saturday night, the stones felt something new — a clandestine bicycle race.
From shortly after 11 p.m. until nearly midnight, about two dozen cyclists hurtled over the bumps and around the tight turns of several blocks near the East River while spectators cheered from sidewalks.
The race, called the Red Hook Criterium, was organized by David August Trimble to celebrate his 26th birthday, which had been a few days earlier. Among the participants were art dealers, bike messengers, graduate students and at least one man who said he was happily unemployed. All were riding track bikes — fixed gear bicycles fit with narrow tires and aerodynamic frames for racing. And no brakes.
Before the race, bicyclists arrived at Mr. Trimble’ s home on Dikeman Street, where they pinned numbers to their shirts. Mr. Trimble, a designer for an architectural firm, explained that he had conceived of the criterium — a contest usually run on a short course on city streets — to draw together divergent strains of racers.
“It’s a combination of two different scenes,” he said. “It’s part road racing and part fixed-gear alley cat.”
As in road races — like the Tour de France or the Giro d’Italia — contestants followed a set course, riding in packs nearly wheel to wheel. But they also benefited from skills usually honed in outlaw messenger races, called alley cats, in which participants speed along urban streets weaving around potholes, pedestrians and moving vehicles.
Mr. Trimble spread the word to friends, and the race aroused attention in the blogosphere, where the setting appeared to elicit nearly as much interest as the contest itself. Bikeblognyc.com, for instance, described the criterium as “an unsanctioned race through a desolate, postindustrial part of Brooklyn.”
Perhaps drawn by the visual prospects, several photographers showed up. And a filmmaker named Kalim Armstrong arrived with a nine-person crew and eight digital cameras, including one mounted on a bike helmet that he hoped would capture the vertiginous feeling of speeding through dark streets.
About 11 p.m., the racers left Mr. Trimble’s home and assembled on Beard Street, where the cobblestones studded the surface of the road and tall shipyard cranes loomed on the horizon.
Although the organizers had not sought official permission, there were several police officers on hand. They did not try to stop the race but warned the riders to avoid the parking lot of the Ikea store on Beard Street.
The race began with a sharp whistle, starting the cyclists on the first of 16 laps around a three-quarter-mile course running in a rough rectangle along Columbia, Van Dyke and Richards Streets.
They sped past the Erie Basin Auto Pound, where the police keep vehicles that are being held as evidence, and past hulking brick warehouses and wood frame residences. They passed stacks of marble slabs in a dirt lot surrounded by a fence topped with shiny barbed wire and a mural on a sheet metal wall that depicted an unplugged television.
Car traffic was sparse and the race course was nearly silent except for the hiss of rubber wheels and occasional cries of encouragement from small groups of spectators, some of whom had gathered at a spot where Sigourney, Ostego and Van Dyke Streets formed a treacherous stretch that included two sharp, swerving turns.
The race ended 30 minutes after it began, won by Neil Bezdek, a 24-year-old management consultant. Mr. Trimble finished second, about 30 seconds behind.
Then riders and spectators adjourned to Mr. Trimble’s backyard, where they drank from a keg of beer as Mr. Bezdek was awarded several prizes, including a jar of homemade granola, a bottle of olive oil and a cobblestone from Beard Street, which he victoriously hoisted above his head while standing on a winner’s podium of stacked milk crates.
Nearby, the third-place finisher, John Kniesly, 27, analyzed the course.
“The cobbles got dicey,” he said. “A lot of slipping and a lot of near falls.”
Mr. Armstrong, the filmmaker, said he was looking forward to viewing footage from the helmet cam.
“It’ll be dark and grainy and there’s going to be rain on the lens,” he said. “But that’s O.K. because our idea was to show this race how it actually is.”
-By COLIN MOYNIHAN
-Published: March 29, 2009
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Sugar and Spice and Everything Nice: Ladies Race in RVA
Starr is putting on this race in the RVA area and NO BOYS ALLOWED! Ladies only!
PRIZES FROM:
SAGE BROWN
SURLY
KING KOG
LAEKHOUSE
TRACKSTAR NYC
FABRIC HORSE
OUTLAW EARTH
NYCBIKES - is donating a frame!!!
LOCAL BIKE SHOPS:
CYCLUS
LADIES:
Entry fee is $5, this pays for race entry, a raffle ticket and free drinks! Any left over money is being donated to a women's charity.
Bring a pen!
Prizes for:
1st place
2nd place
3rd place
Girliest girl
Biggest tomboy
Raffle!
and many more...
I'm no lady, but anytime someone wants to throw a Woman specific race, expect me to kick down some gear with the quickness. Every time!
The Red Hook Crit Aftermath
I didn't make it last night due to a prior engagement, but here is a recap from Gabe of Team Pista Face.
"That was a super fun race. One of the most exciting times I've had on a bike in recent memory. The course was so fast, hard, slick and bumpy.
As an example of how bumpy and hard we were pushing I lost 2 spoke cards and I know Chris lost at least one. With the sound Dave's frame made hitting a pothole in turn 1 mid-race I was sure he cracked a frame or something. Amazed he didn't flat. Was great working with the chase pack, but I came from behind and never even saw Neil, so I thought there was another group of 5 or 6 riders we were chasing, didn't know it was just one guy. I think being in a break-away had a definite advantage, as the gains you got from drafting on the straights were lost by having to sort a pack out to single file for the technical sections. Neil could just choose the perfect line and TT it. Crihs was definitely super strong based on how he kept yelling at us to get organized and chase, and even had breath to yell at the bystanders (there was a particularly hilarious "Fuck you get out of the way!!" at the chicane one lap). I was hoping to have more gas left for the final sprint, but everyone checked out going over the final cobble stones, I almost got JT at the line but he got 5th by half a bike or so.
That chicane was awesome to blast through as a pack, the direction change reminded me of a motorcycle race, especially with getting on the power coming out of it in the wet.
Big ups to Neil for staying away, John for repping Team Pista Face and coming in 3rd, Crihs for making us work, the corner marshals for keeping the busses at bay, and Al for running the thing so smoooth. Many many thanks to Dave for the race and the excellent times and the beer."
Posse in effect.
Eventual third place finisher, John Ktel. Congrats son!
Lead race marshal Alex (last seen on this blog killing it at the Monster Track Gold Sprints)
Peloton before actually becoming a peloton.
Racers in action, dealing with the rain on the black top and cobbles can't have been easy.
More pics here:
Gabe's shots
Groovylab's flickr
"That was a super fun race. One of the most exciting times I've had on a bike in recent memory. The course was so fast, hard, slick and bumpy.
As an example of how bumpy and hard we were pushing I lost 2 spoke cards and I know Chris lost at least one. With the sound Dave's frame made hitting a pothole in turn 1 mid-race I was sure he cracked a frame or something. Amazed he didn't flat. Was great working with the chase pack, but I came from behind and never even saw Neil, so I thought there was another group of 5 or 6 riders we were chasing, didn't know it was just one guy. I think being in a break-away had a definite advantage, as the gains you got from drafting on the straights were lost by having to sort a pack out to single file for the technical sections. Neil could just choose the perfect line and TT it. Crihs was definitely super strong based on how he kept yelling at us to get organized and chase, and even had breath to yell at the bystanders (there was a particularly hilarious "Fuck you get out of the way!!" at the chicane one lap). I was hoping to have more gas left for the final sprint, but everyone checked out going over the final cobble stones, I almost got JT at the line but he got 5th by half a bike or so.
That chicane was awesome to blast through as a pack, the direction change reminded me of a motorcycle race, especially with getting on the power coming out of it in the wet.
Big ups to Neil for staying away, John for repping Team Pista Face and coming in 3rd, Crihs for making us work, the corner marshals for keeping the busses at bay, and Al for running the thing so smoooth. Many many thanks to Dave for the race and the excellent times and the beer."
Posse in effect.
Eventual third place finisher, John Ktel. Congrats son!
Lead race marshal Alex (last seen on this blog killing it at the Monster Track Gold Sprints)
Peloton before actually becoming a peloton.
Racers in action, dealing with the rain on the black top and cobbles can't have been easy.
More pics here:
Gabe's shots
Groovylab's flickr
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Friday, March 27, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Red Hook Crit this Saturday
Press Release yo:
The Red Hook Criterium returns in 2009. Saturday March 28th
This race can best be described as a hybrid street criterium and caters to the strange half-breed racer type that is a combination of glory chasing scenester and ultra competitive road racing athlete.
The .75 mile 10 turn course in Red Hook is tight, twisty and dangerous. The course is haphazardly closed (with volunteer street marshals) and lighting is dim at best. A fast cobblestone hairpin requires teeth chattering grit to transverse smoothly and a wide open and brightly lit finishing straight offers a perfect runway for a chaotic sprint finish. In order to do well in this race you’ll need street tuned handling mechanics and an engine to match. Brakeless fixed gear bikes are required (as are helmets). Gearing is recommended to be somewhere between 85 and 90 gear inches. Lapped riders will be allowed to stay in the race but will be shown a blue flag when the leaders are approaching and must get out of the way. The finish will be video tapped for accuracy and scoring provided for at least 25 places. I will also be posting a chart with a run down of each lap time. The entry fee is $10.
The race will be 30 minutes plus 3 laps. The final race course design will posted in the next week. I am expecting a tighter and more technical layout which will include the same cobblestone stretch on Columbia St but avoiding the highly residential street of Dikeman. There will be (3) primes. One at the end of the first lap, one at the end of the halfway mark and one with 3 laps to go. The prizes for the primes will include homemade granola and booze. There will be a bell indicating primes as well as a board counting down the laps with 5 to go (based of a time calculation to determine how many laps the race will be).
Race registration starts at 9 pm. The race itself starts at 11:00 pm. Awards will immediately follow the race at 65 Dikeman in conjunction with Dave Trimble's annual birthday party.
This race will be excellent for spectators and photographers as most of the course is visible from the start/finish line and fast lap times will be around 2 and a half minutes.
Date: March 28th, 2009
Registration: 9:00 pm at 65 Dikeman
Race Start: 11:00 pm (pre-race meeting at 65 Dikeman at 10:45pm)
Entry Fee: $10
Prizes: $300 1st
$150 2nd
$50 3rd
Primes: (3) Prizes to be announced.
Rules:
Brakeless Fixed Gear Bikes only
Helmets required
No free lap
More excellence from Outlier
I'm going to just cut and paste here...
"A great cap will fit you like a second skin, it doesn't just protect your head and keep you warm, it becomes a part of you. It's there every day, every ride, ready for the rain, the sun, and wind. When we set out making a spring time, cool weather cap, we wanted to make something that would last for years on end. Not just another flimsy cycling cap, but a premium garment that is wind proof, water resistant and ready for those crisp morning rides season after season.
This spring we're introducing the OUTLIER Waxed Cotton Cap. Made in collaboration with our friend and master milliner Victor Osborne, we designed this cap to fit solid, look great and age to perfection. Waxed cotton (like good whiskey) builds character and develops with time. The colors darken and the fabric's appearance enhances.
Available in navy, army green, black and tan. Fit wise, a medium is 22.5 inches naturally and stretches to 23.25 inches. A large is 23.5 inches naturally and stretches to 24.25 inches. A traditional look with a modified four panel construction, fully lined and made in New York City for style and quality.
Thanks to Chris Reed for the pic below."
Willis with Manhattan in the background.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Alas, we hardly knew you...
I finally went and did it.
I sold The Roach, my erstwhile polobike. It treated me well, but after gathering dust for about nine months (due to a nagging shoulder injury caused by falling on myself), it was time to call it quits and cut my losses.
I'd never named a bike before, but the name 'The Roach' seemed all to proper for this rugged little Trek 1200. I ran it 1x7 and used a brake lever that linked the front and rear brakes (a key part of my technique was going really really slow (don't ask)) and it worked well for that. Both the wheelbase and frame were way to small for me (it was a 50 and I ride a ~54) and it made for a twitchy ride.
I'll miss you little buddy! Have fun in the Polo court in the sky!
I sold The Roach, my erstwhile polobike. It treated me well, but after gathering dust for about nine months (due to a nagging shoulder injury caused by falling on myself), it was time to call it quits and cut my losses.
I'd never named a bike before, but the name 'The Roach' seemed all to proper for this rugged little Trek 1200. I ran it 1x7 and used a brake lever that linked the front and rear brakes (a key part of my technique was going really really slow (don't ask)) and it worked well for that. Both the wheelbase and frame were way to small for me (it was a 50 and I ride a ~54) and it made for a twitchy ride.
I'll miss you little buddy! Have fun in the Polo court in the sky!
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Outlier Merino Shirts
Outlier has just released their Empire Merino Tee (in conjunction with the Empire Begins film project).
Outlier's Empire Merino Tee is made of specially sourced blend of ultrafine New Zealand merino. Shipped as bolts, the shirt was designed and manufactured in New York City. The quality and feel is light-years beyond anything I've seen at a comparable price (I had the chance to handle one on Sunday and I likey). As a surprise plus, the shirt is machine washable!
Interview with Keith Bontrager
Retrobike.co.uk interviewed Keith Bontrager, a seminal character in the development of the Mountain Bike, in early March. Regardless of what type of bike you ride, if you don't know about someone as important to cycling as Bontrager, you owe it to yourself to spend some time researching him.
I would love a chance to ride one of his mid-90s frames!
Read more:
Interview on Retrobike.
Wikipedia Article
Monday, March 23, 2009
Bike Shorts, April 12th
The next Bike Shorts is coming up on the 12th, the last call for submissions on the 5th. Organized by Ken Stanek and Luke Stiles.
Seriously?
Seriously? Non-domesticated wildlife has no business on the velodrome. Get the goddamn Coyote off the track!
from Harry Schwartzman
from Harry Schwartzman
Friday, March 20, 2009
Interview with Matt Ruiter from Velocity
When I heard about Velocity's forth-coming rim, the B43, I emailed them with a few questions to see what else could be learned.
Name?
Matt Ruiter
Position?
General Manager
USA or AUS?
Velocity USA - Grand Rapids, Michigan
Role in the development of the B43?
The nine of us here in the US worked together to develop a plan for the rim. I just had the opportunity to visit our factory in Brisbane, Australia (the B in B43), so I'm pretty familiar with our production processes and was able to relate that knowledge to the design of the rim.
Project Goals?
Produce a rim that can withstand the relentless abuse of progressive urban riding, utilizing design qualities that allow the rim to fit multiple niches...all while looking damn good.
Are they deep enough to be aero?
Yes. They would make a good training wheel for a road bike.
Projected final weight?
Around 730 grams.
Drilling and finishing?
24, 28, 32, 36, 48 hole in three new anodized colors: olive mist, midnight blue, and bronze. Black, white, bright silver and mill finish are also available in these drillings. Electric red, lemon yellow, electric blue, popsicle purple, bright gold, tangerine orange, lime green, titanium grey, bubblegum pink, SID blue, celeste, antifreeze green, frost blue and teal are available in 32 hole drilling only. ELVS and powder coated images can be applied to mill finish rims on a per order basis. If the demand is there, we'll keep them in stock in bigger quantities.
MSW?
Sidewalls are non machined only, but you can use rim brakes if you really want to. Non machined sidewall anodized rims actually perform quite well.
Eyelets?
As with all of our V section rims, there are no eyelets. We use extra thick aluminum through the spoke bed. Eyelets are unnecessary in these rims and would just drive up the cost.
Sold as a built wheel?
Our team of builders would love to create a custom set for you.
Who is going to be testing these on the street?
A bunch of our friends including Sam Miller and Tom LaMarche from Bootleg Sessions. Leon the Messenger from Cleveland is going to use them on his new Cicli Polito workhorse. We're thinking about building a cart for our aged shop dog Trigger, so she'll be rocking them as well.
Trigger and her rim
Release date?
We should have limited quantities available by the end of April.
And there you go.
Name?
Matt Ruiter
Position?
General Manager
USA or AUS?
Velocity USA - Grand Rapids, Michigan
Role in the development of the B43?
The nine of us here in the US worked together to develop a plan for the rim. I just had the opportunity to visit our factory in Brisbane, Australia (the B in B43), so I'm pretty familiar with our production processes and was able to relate that knowledge to the design of the rim.
Project Goals?
Produce a rim that can withstand the relentless abuse of progressive urban riding, utilizing design qualities that allow the rim to fit multiple niches...all while looking damn good.
Are they deep enough to be aero?
Yes. They would make a good training wheel for a road bike.
Projected final weight?
Around 730 grams.
Drilling and finishing?
24, 28, 32, 36, 48 hole in three new anodized colors: olive mist, midnight blue, and bronze. Black, white, bright silver and mill finish are also available in these drillings. Electric red, lemon yellow, electric blue, popsicle purple, bright gold, tangerine orange, lime green, titanium grey, bubblegum pink, SID blue, celeste, antifreeze green, frost blue and teal are available in 32 hole drilling only. ELVS and powder coated images can be applied to mill finish rims on a per order basis. If the demand is there, we'll keep them in stock in bigger quantities.
MSW?
Sidewalls are non machined only, but you can use rim brakes if you really want to. Non machined sidewall anodized rims actually perform quite well.
Eyelets?
As with all of our V section rims, there are no eyelets. We use extra thick aluminum through the spoke bed. Eyelets are unnecessary in these rims and would just drive up the cost.
Sold as a built wheel?
Our team of builders would love to create a custom set for you.
Who is going to be testing these on the street?
A bunch of our friends including Sam Miller and Tom LaMarche from Bootleg Sessions. Leon the Messenger from Cleveland is going to use them on his new Cicli Polito workhorse. We're thinking about building a cart for our aged shop dog Trigger, so she'll be rocking them as well.
Trigger and her rim
Release date?
We should have limited quantities available by the end of April.
And there you go.
More Dernys
More Derny pics pulled from Google this time:
My next post will be on the Derny bikes themselves. There is evidently quite a storied history to Derny racing, the Derny marquee and the bikes themselves.
My next post will be on the Derny bikes themselves. There is evidently quite a storied history to Derny racing, the Derny marquee and the bikes themselves.
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Major Taylor and the Copake Auction
The annual Copake Auction and Swapmeet in upstate New York is coming up in Mid-April (17th for the swapmeet and 18th for the auction) featuring some new-to-me Major Taylor imagery and other vintage equipment.
Best shots I've ever seen of the man! Clued on to this by Harry Schwartzman.
Derny Driver
Just sayin'
edit: I love this guy's style. Seriously! If I had a moped, I would have a helmet just like that.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Monday, March 16, 2009
Just some pics and a recap
Yah, I'm on a mountain bike kick right now. Rode some trails yesterday with my kinesthetically gifted friend WillH and we were both reminded how far we've fallen down the fitness tree. I'm trying to winch my way back up, but lets be honest, it would help if I made better dietary concessions then picking Turkey baloney over Mixed-Parts baloney.
Some vintage MTBs culled from Retrobike.co.uk's BoTM (Bike of the Month)competition:
Crazy Shock-a-Billy from Fat Chance.
Incredible rebuild of a Yeti C-26. Those black pieces are carbon tubes, this includes the fork.
I think this one is my fav. Can't go wrong with black and red ano!
Not familiar with Zieleman per se, but I love the build and refinish.
Yeti Ultimate. Really great snapshot of MTB history!
Some vintage MTBs culled from Retrobike.co.uk's BoTM (Bike of the Month)competition:
Crazy Shock-a-Billy from Fat Chance.
Incredible rebuild of a Yeti C-26. Those black pieces are carbon tubes, this includes the fork.
I think this one is my fav. Can't go wrong with black and red ano!
Not familiar with Zieleman per se, but I love the build and refinish.
Yeti Ultimate. Really great snapshot of MTB history!
Friday, March 13, 2009
Velocity's New Rim
I know that I'm a bit late on this one in the Velo-blogo-sphere but Velocity is working/developing a new rim called the B43. From the outside, it looks like a wider, deeper and iteration of their evergreen highly popular Deep V. Internally, there is extra reinforcement via a cross-beam near the nipple bed.
Mind you, there is almost always a weight penalty for anything that increases in size and thickness, and the B43 will be no exception (physics yo). Parallels are easily drawn between the B43 and the H+Son rims with their similar rim depths and target audiences. But they are guaranteed to diverge in long-term performance as the cross-beam and extra mass of the B43 assure a solid and reliable rim.
I've been working with Velocity for well over a year now finishing their Deep V's with ELVS (black and silver pearl) and look forward to seeing the B43 cross my work table.
Mind you, there is almost always a weight penalty for anything that increases in size and thickness, and the B43 will be no exception (physics yo). Parallels are easily drawn between the B43 and the H+Son rims with their similar rim depths and target audiences. But they are guaranteed to diverge in long-term performance as the cross-beam and extra mass of the B43 assure a solid and reliable rim.
I've been working with Velocity for well over a year now finishing their Deep V's with ELVS (black and silver pearl) and look forward to seeing the B43 cross my work table.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
A.Calder and Abstract Mobiles
I know this is more then a little bit random, but as I was going through my Google Reader earlier today, I came across a post on Monoscope that was a repost from Dinosaurs and Robots (new to me as of today) about making your own Alex Calder/abstract mobiles.
designers never smile for some reason. creating shit is serious business.
Totally made me remember how blown away I am with Calder's mobiles. The simplicity of the forms, the cleverness of the mobile's construction, the slow and heavy way the whole unit moves. Really quite genius and something I'd like to own at some point in the future.
Some of his work:
Art car project for BMW in the 70's. So rad!
designers never smile for some reason. creating shit is serious business.
Totally made me remember how blown away I am with Calder's mobiles. The simplicity of the forms, the cleverness of the mobile's construction, the slow and heavy way the whole unit moves. Really quite genius and something I'd like to own at some point in the future.
Some of his work:
Art car project for BMW in the 70's. So rad!
Wednesday, March 11, 2009
The Milwaukee S700, PaintJobs and Neon Splatter
If you follow the fixedgear blogs at all, you've most likely stumbled across Prolly's blog: Prolly is Not Probably. Noted rider, nice guy, frequently referenced Bike Snob material and progressive fixed gear trick rider. Prolly has been working with the guys at Milwaukee bikes on the development of their fixed-gear freestyle/street frame, tentatively named the S700.
For at least a couple of years now, I've been wanting and waiting to see some of the elaborate paint jobs of yesteryear come back to the forefront. I mean, why not? People around these parts are snatching up vintage roadbikes with the quickness, and frankly (though I wouldn't have space) I fully support it. Quality stuff and crazy paint jobs (Colnago and Klein were prime offenders). Anyway, one of my favorite styles during the period of the crazy paint job was always the neon splatter. A black base with neon splatter or a neon base with black splatter.
I'm guessing that the test riders are getting to customize their paint jobs on the S700. This guy's rules hard. NEED MORE. NEED MOAR SPLATA.
side note: If you come near me with a fisheye lens, I might stab you. Its just as bad a slo-mo in a Clay Porter film. Ugh.
For at least a couple of years now, I've been wanting and waiting to see some of the elaborate paint jobs of yesteryear come back to the forefront. I mean, why not? People around these parts are snatching up vintage roadbikes with the quickness, and frankly (though I wouldn't have space) I fully support it. Quality stuff and crazy paint jobs (Colnago and Klein were prime offenders). Anyway, one of my favorite styles during the period of the crazy paint job was always the neon splatter. A black base with neon splatter or a neon base with black splatter.
I'm guessing that the test riders are getting to customize their paint jobs on the S700. This guy's rules hard. NEED MORE. NEED MOAR SPLATA.
side note: If you come near me with a fisheye lens, I might stab you. Its just as bad a slo-mo in a Clay Porter film. Ugh.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)