Author Archive for brad

Bicycle registration systems are nothing new, but free ones just might be. BikeGuard is a program from MyAssetTag and is meant as a completely free registration system for each bicycle, providing a secondary serial number and individual website for each bike called up through the QR code in case of theft or accident.

Learn more at www.myassettag.com

Rubena is a well known European tire manufacturer just now making inroads to the US market. The company made its first bicycle tire in 1928, and today produces 6 million tires and 9 million tubes per year in the Czech Republic. Pictured below is the cream colored V99 Cityhopper tire, available in 26″ or 700c x 2.0″ size for $22 retail or $31 with their flat protection and 3M reflective sidewall options. For even more flat protection, like the pictured 3.5 and 5 mm thick thorn stopping strips you’ll have to go for the pictured black V66 Flash tire, available 26″ and 700c x 28-40 versions starting at $16 for a basic version and moving up to $40 each for reflective sidewalls and 5 mm thick flat protection. See more from Rubena’s city line at www.rubena.co.hu

While any publicity is good publicity, it’s a shame that Volagi is best known for their now-settled dispute with Specialized and not the bikes that they’re putting out there. Unfortunately up until this weekend that was more or less the story I knew as well. Their Liscio road bike made a splash with the full-carbon and road disc brake fans out there, and I expect the same from the pictured Viaje steel bike pictured, as seen at its Sea Otter debut. The geometry is within millimeters of that of their all-day friendly Liscio road bike, but the production Viaje will be able to accept 32 mm tires with full fenders, 42c or so without. The Reynolds steel frame has Volagi’s Longbow stays that upon close inspection are not attached to the seatube, but only to the toptube. In theory this allows to the stays and seattube to flex independently to take some of the sting out of the ride over the all day rides this bike is meant for. Sounds good, can’t wait to ride one. On paper this is more or less my ideal road bike—aggressive geometry with an all day, ride anywhere design sensibility at home on the dirt roads I love to ride. I’d personally prefer the full carbon fork had an aluminum steerer, but I may finally have to admit to holding onto past prejudices too long given what is out there these days. Expect to pay about $1500 for the frame and fork when it becomes available, hopefully in August if all goes well.

The disc brake ‘cross market continues to grow, both on the racing side and as more and more people realize that cyclocross bikes make more or less perfect “serious” commuters. Raleigh has updated their 2013 line to reflect the commuter sales that wiped them out of the successful Furley and Roper bikes (read our review of the 2012 Roper) with the pictured Tripper, featuring the same seamless, butted steel frame and fork as the Roper and Furley, but with an internally geared hub and clean looking one-piece bar/stem/headset cap. All three of these bikes are ones that can grow with your cycling lifestyle, as they can each be run geared, singlespeed or with an internal hub thanks to the eccentric bottom bracket shell and derailleur hanger, and are equally at home with a flat or drop bar as they use the same geometry as Raleigh’s raceir cross bikes.

Speaking of racier bikes, it’s all about disc brakes. While there are still rim-brake models available, I’d expect the disc brake RX series bikes to be hard to come by as people clamor for the more powerful and reliable braking. From the pictured silver and blue RX 2.0 to the full carbon RXC Pro, disc brakes are avaiable across the line, all using mechanical Shimano calipers to do the stopping. See more at www.raleighusa.com as the full specs and prices becomae available.