The Volpe is undoubtedly the most versatile bike in Bianchi’s lineup. It has lots of tire clearance, plus rack and fender mounts, giving it the potential to be a commuter, a touring bike or even a cyclocross racing bike. It comes standard with all terrain tires and a triple crankset, so you can literally take it just about anywhere. And that’s what makes the Volpe so much fun.

When the Volpe arrived back in October, my first inclination was to cruise across town to Frick Park and hit the dirt and gravel. This became a recurring theme all winter long. While it’s not terribly fast on the road with the aforementioned WTB 700 x 32 All Terrainasaurus tires, it’s not unbearably slow, either. And all that extra rubber is certain stave off a few pinch flats and punctures, too. Even if you were to install some bona-fide slicks, you might want to hang on to the stock tires for winter riding, as they’ve performed quite well in the snow and ice.

I’m constantly impressed by the latest entry-level drivetrain components. The 10-speed Shimano Tiagra shifters and derailleurs are nothing if not smooth and crisp. Ride after ride, the drivetrain has performed with little maintenance. Having the FSA Vero Triple (50/39/30) really encouraged me to find new routes, secure in the knowledge that I can crawl back up out of any valley.

At the heart of the Volpe is the frame, naturally, and in addition to being pleasing to the eye (as countless people have told me) the TIG-welded, butted chromoly tubeset is built to last. The bike isn’t the lightest in my stable, but the frame is relatively low on the list of culpable suspects.

The geometry is comfortable, but it’s definitely a departure from what I’m used to. The main difference is that I don’t seem to have as much standover clearance as I do with other 49 cm frames. The top tube is short enough that I’m running the stock 90 mm stem, yet I still find it easy to lift the front wheel off the ground. The bike feels like it rides somewhat high, yet it’s stable off-road and downhill.

Although not the lightest components available, the house-brand parts are functional and aesthetically pleasing. The wheelset is simple but strong, and it hasn’t gone out of true despite all of my off-road adventuring. The saddle has definitely grown on me now that it’s broken in. The handlebar on the 49 cm model seems notably narrow. It actually seemed quite nice for riding in traffic, but otherwise I might prefer a little more width.

My only real nit to pick with the Volpe is with the brakes, which I’ve never quite managed to dial in. As much as I love the interrupter brake levers, I have a sneaking suspicion they’re at least partially to blame for the weak braking.

In conclusion, the Volpe is a great all-around bike. If you can only have one, this might be a wise choice because of its versatility. The price reflects the quality of the frame and the drivetrain, and the finishing kit is nothing to scoff at, even if you might upgrade some of the components down the line.

The Volpe retails for $1200. Check out www.bianchiusa.com.

It feels like this sometimes doesn’t it?

This is actually very touching, but also fun to watch. Well done sir, well done.

Trash Bags is a small shop, housed on the fourth floor of a downtown building, you enter through the first floor hardware store and make your way up to the roughly single car garage sized space housing a few sewing machines and lots of fabric and thread. Besides their messenger bags and backpacks Trash Bags has started to develop winter riding gear for the all-day, sub-zero riding that courier work in Minneapolis entails throughout the winter. Their wind and waterproof cordura Trash Picker Mittens are out there now, keeping hands warm with their removable Polartec fleece liner. Potentially too warm for anything but the coldest of days, when you need them you need them. Same with the as yet nameless winter hat—cordura outside, insulated inside, with a buckle to keep the ear flaps tight against your head. While it looks thick, the hat is remarkably thin, enough so to fit under your normal helmet. Overkill on all but the coldest of days, and potentially a recipe for a cold sweaty head if it’s not cold enough outside, but this hat should help you to continue riding even when you’d otherwise just not be able to. The mittens retail for around $70, the hat is expected to go for roughly $50. See more or inquire about ordering your own at www.trashmessengerbags.com

As evidenced by this page of their site, bicycle prints aren’t lacking. So for us two-wheel oglers, we have one more opportunity to sit and stare at various bike images more than we normally do. Make a pillowcase, reupholster your lazy boy, hang some curtains, sew yourself a tie, decorate your panniers, etc. Whatever you do, never be able to turn 90 degrees without seeing bikes!!!!

Prices vary by the yard and types of materials to be printed.

You were born into the most dramatic population change in UK history. At every age throughout your life, you stood out for sheer numbers.

But you were not born in the 1960s, or the years immediately after World War II, the groups usually thought of as the “baby boom” generations.

Read more.

The book sells for a discounted price of $30 through their shop and that sounds like a steal for a full color, 240 page book! I don’t know who is on the inside at Gestalten, but judging by some of their projects they certainly have an appreciation and fine eye for bikes and bike culture. I’m looking forward to future releases.

Enter companies like Villy Customs, who sell you bikes, cruisers to be specific, that are built to your liking by choosing color options on nearly every paintable piece of their bikes. Through a process on their website you are able to pick frame styles, racks, fenders and a couple other options, then also able to pick the colors as well. To the right of your selections you can see your selections by price adding up to a total purchase. Admittedly, there is certainly an element of customization to this process, but I can’t help but feel this paints a grey area between stock and custom. Again, I’m probably just being a self-righteous purist, but I do so in defense of my frame-building buddies.

Let’s be fair though. These are bikes for riders more likely to purchase Dwell magazine than the Rivendell reader.

So, if cruisers are your thing and you’re dying to have every piece of your bike a different color, or the same for that matter, then you have a fun way of designing such a monstrosity through Villy Customs.