Hot on the heels of Walmart’s “fixed speed” comes this $260 “courier” bike from Schwinn. Available at Target, you may want to be wary of backwards forks and loose crankarm bolts, but it’s certainly better than the full-suspension behemoths they’ve been peddling for the past few years.
Via Prolly.
The real deal tool to fit the back of a chainring bolt is only a few dollars yet somehow is left missing from many tool kits. Ad-hoc methods using flat blade screwdrivers and pliers can work, and can end in bloody knuckles when one or the other slips. With either a bench or handheld grinder one can easily fashion two teeth of a worn out small cassette cog a bit shorter and squared up, making a near perfect fit for the back of a chainring bolt. Common in the throw-away parts bin at shops, if you don’t already have a worn cog it shouldn’t be hard to find.
It’s somewhat ironic that one of the finer 1″ threaded headsets on the market in 2010 is from the very maker that more or less relegated threaded headsets to the history books a little over a decade ago. The Cane Creek 100 threaded 1″ headset has all the obvious niceties you’d expect from a $100 headset these days—namely a precise feel, nice finish and quality sealed cartridge angular contact bearings. The headset is made from 7075-T6 aluminum alloy, a harder and more expensive to work aluminum as compared to the softer 6061 most headsets are formed from.
Beyond the scalloped spacers and the subtle etching throughout the headset, the adjustable keyed washer is a nice touch, making the headset compatible both keyed and non-keyed threaded steerers without grinding. There isn’t much more to say about a quality headset—it’s smooth as silk and sealed up to keep it that way.
Available in black or silver, the Cane Creek 100 is one of a dwindling number of choices in high end 1″ threaded headsets. With a number of frames featuring threaded steerers for easier stem adjustability and that classic look this headset option is a good finishing touch to round out a quality build.
EighthInch has just posted about their new polo goods expected this summer, namely an injection molded production mallet head and an iPhone app for managing tournaments. While the mallet head is just a mock up at the moment and time will tell if the design will work any more reliably than gas pipe and a ski polo, it’s interesting to see another maker jump on bike polo with dedicated products.
We’re not at liberty to say where, but a little bird at a relatively big brand told us about mallet kits and branded polo balls in the works, further evidence that people have their eye on the sport. Let’s hope this is the summer of polo.
It’s true… Bike Snob’s identity has been revealed by the Wall Street Journal.
Sometimes even if you can’t read the language it’s fun to look through the images from far off places. In this case one of our readers pointed us towards his blog about his hometown in Spain, Carril bici Unlimited Gijón, that features a lot of images of bike facilities and lanes that could make the blooper reel at the next advocacy meeting, along with other local stories.
Ah, Spring… Though it marks the end of Winter, the weather’s guaranteed to catch you off-guard. One way to prepare for the inevitable is with outerwear that does double duty—stuff that looks good and works well in dry conditions, and keeps you warm and dry when the rain comes down.
Showers Pass is a company who’s very existence is dedicated to helping cyclists keep riding, regardless of the weather. Hailing from the rainy Pacific Northwest, they know a thing or two about biking in downpours, and they also understand the needs of hardcore urban cyclists. They know that outerwear has to look good and work even better to earn our hard-earned dollars.
I was particularly lucky to receive the limited edition black and gold Portland Cap as a gift. At first I didn’t even turn a discerning eye towards it, I just liked the colors. The fit was a little tight, but loosened up after a few rides and now it fits my larger-sized head perfectly. I initially thought the multi-layer construction would make the hat too warm, but for Spring weather it’s been perfect. But when I really came to appreciate the Portland Cap was the first time I got caught riding in the rain with it on. The water simply beaded off, and when I got home my hair was completely dry—not even wet from sweat. Amazing.
The cap uses high–tech soft shell fabric and multi-layer construction to achieve a nice balance between water resistance and breathability, all the while remaining stylish and comfortable. The material is even soft to the touch, defying its hydrophobic nature.
The Portland Cap is sewn in Hood River, OR and retails for $40. Visit www.showerspass.com for more information.
From the Clankworks website:
The time has come, spring is here and to kick it all off, ClankWorks has decided to orchestrate a Tweed Ride in our fair town of Pittsburgh. We hope this will be a great chance to start what will hopefully become a yearly tradition.
As the poster shows, we will be starting in Doughboy Square, home to ClankWorks and the new home to BikePGH. From here, a brief ride through the strip, Allegheny West and Downtown will culminate in a brief jaunt in the South Side until we end at Piper’s Pub. The exact route can be viewed on Google Maps. We will begin milling about the square shortly after 2, but will have our door open earlier than that if you wish to swing by. Come out and show your support for good cycling, good friends and good times in tweed!
Visit www.clankworks.com for more info.
We’ve seen similar setups, but this one is simple enough to make you wonder how well it really works.
Via Trackosaurus Rex.
Culture Cycles is a new bike culture site based in Burlington VT, acting as a sort of distiller breaking down their favorite cycling content from around the net on their east-coast based blog. Commuting to downhill mountain biking and everything in between is the tag line, check it out to see it for yourself.
From Kat in Singapore:
I heard of Bert’s accident on Monday and I thought it was nothing major. But news came later that he was in a pretty bad accident, i managed to squeeze some time in between work to see him at National University Hospital on Tuesday. Though brief, it was good to see that he was in a stable condition. His friend, that was also in the same accident, was not in a good shape.
The Hollywood Hills and Nights alleycat in Las Vegas, NV is coming up on April 23. Covering the east side of town, this race will cover a few hills amongst the rest of the course, one of which clocking in at a 20% grade for 1/4 mile followed by a sprint to the finish.
This is all over the interweb, so we might as well post it, too…
Walmart is selling a $149 singlespeed bike. Frankly, it’s about damn time.
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