Pista Collective has some pretty rad shirts, I really like the “Move” design.

Available HERE

Vuelo Velo is based in Sydney Australia and have a few bikes that look pretty wild, made of titanium…

The “1″ is their fixed gear/track/single speed offering. How about that seat tube?!?  The double chain stays are intended to increase stiffness.  It’s definitely different- that’s for sure. I would be a little nervous with my heavy body sitting on a seat post at that angle.

And then there is the “Copenhagen”- a BELT DRIVE titanium town bike! (in the background) Nice!

Check out more images in their Photo Gallery

Vuelo Velo from Vuelo Velo on Vimeo.

Got an email from the folks over at Fyxation saying that their 23c tires are finally shipping!  I rode the 28’s for a few months and liked them a lot.  They aren’t designed for skidding, but their dual compound tires offer a strip of a harder rubber down the middle that make them more resilient for the occasional whipskid.

Pick them up HERE

In June of this year, the Vigorelli velodrome became home to a fashion show during Milan’s mens fashion week.  Thom Browne’s Gamme Bleu collection for Moncler, inspired by the Tour de France and the Giro d’Italia was on display- models riding around the velodrome to an orchestral version of Queen’s “Bicycle Race” and to Kraftwerks “Tour de France.”  I appreciate non-traditional venues for events, and an aged velodrome makes for an interesting fit for something like a fashion show.  You can see more of Moncler HERE- including the jackets designed by T.I….

Moncler Gamme Bleu Spring/Summer 2011 Runway from LAT Videos on Vimeo.

See more photos from Style.com (photos above taken from their site) HERE

Bike racing isn’t cheap.  In fact it may be one of the most expensive sports that a person can take part in.  Pound for pound… add up the broken parts, upgrades, spandex, race entry fees, travel to races…. it makes frisbee golf sound much more appealing (not really.)  For those of us that aren’t flush with dollars or don’t get hookups, but still can’t shake the bug- we watch from the sidelines, or race alleycats.  Fret not.  There is a lesser known side of bike racing- the single speed category.  The singlespeed category lends more of a blue collar feel to the whole approach, often the requirements for a bike are slightly less stringent- encouraging participation more than a strict adhesion to the rulebook..  Single Speeding is bike racing for people that don’t make six figure incomes- (by six figures I don’t mean the numbers to the right of the decimal, silly.)

As you likely know, Single Speed Cyclocross World Championships will be taking Seattle by storm this October, and it’s time that you get that bike built up.  Single speed cyclocross may be one of the most affordable forms of bike racing one can get involved in.  Single speeds; whether they be track bikes, mountain bikes, or cyclocross bikes- are much more affordable, simpler and therefore easier to maintain than their geared counterparts.

Below are just a few offerings that are out there- some are current models, while others like the Bianchi Roger and the Tricross don’t seem to be in production anymore.  Of course you can find bargains on Craigslist and Ebay, as well as at swaps and garage sales.  Buying used will reduce your carbon footprint too- so go buy that Big Mac at McDonalds without any guilt.

Complete Bikes

All- City Nature Boy Complete MSRP $899

This bike looks great and seems thoughtfully built.  All-City has been doing wonderful stuff whether it be on the fixed gear, polo, and now CX front.  At $899 complete it looks to be a pretty good deal.

Felt Bicycles Breed Complete MSRP $999

Aluminum frame and a carbon fork- the Breed has not seen any changes from 2010 to 2011.  Very classy looking-  Black and Belgian Blue…

Motobecane Fantom Cross UNO complete MSRP $895 ($399 delivered)

Raleigh One Way complete MSRP $770

Something like the “little old lady from Pasadena,” don’t underestimate this bike.  The One Way has the same geometry as the Raleigh RX (their cross bike.) With a Reynolds steel frame and a 4130 cross fork it comes with some great accessories to make it good looking commuter as well.  (You get serious style points if you race it as pictured)

Swobo Crosby Single Speed complete MSRP $999

An alloy frame and carbon fork, more of an “all-purpose” bike than either a road or cross frame.  Another multipurpose bike for those that don’t have space, or cash for a whole stable of bikes.

Framesets

Raleigh SSCXWC frameset MSRP $700

This aluminum frame and carbon fork was the limited edition SSCXWC paint scheme for their 2009 offering.  I can say matter of factly that this year there will be something new coming out for SSCXWC and it will be available to purchase soon- and it’s going to be very different from what you’ve seen before.

Traitor Cycles Crusade SS frameset MSRP $699

This bike looks really clean as well and I love the blue.  Columbus tubing and a Columbus fork which is great- it shows good attention to detail when it comes to cable routing as well.

Discontinued?

Bianchi Roger Complete MSRP $1099

This seems to be a 2007 model, which Bianchi discontinued?  Oddly enough, disc brakes were made legal by the UCI this year- maybe they’ll bring it back?

2010 Kona Majorone Complete MSRP $1099- Kona Race Light Scandium frame and a carbon fork.

Specialized Tricross Single Complete MSRP $910

Looks to be from 2008…

Anybody have any other recommendations for SS Cross bikes under $1100?  What are you going to be riding this year?

Mission Workshop…  Poets of the cycling softgoods world.

rondel |ˈrändəl; ränˈdel|

noun

1 a rondeau, esp. one of three stanzas of thirteen or fourteen lines, with the first two lines of the opening quatrain recurring at the end of the second quatrain and the concluding sestet.

The fine folks at Mission Workshop have outdone themselves, yet again.  They’ve already set themselves apart by doing something different with bags that other bagmakers haven’t (the vandal looks pretty awesome)- and now they’ve pulled the rug out from under the casual bike shoe manufacturers by offering something that many of us have been waiting for.  Sure you can get bmx, freeride and downhill shoes that are SPD compatible- but they all look too much like skate shoes.  These things will look good with normal clothes and they don’t look like something from a Redbull commercial.  If you are looking for a shoe a little more casual than the (very beautiful) Dromartis, this could be your ticket.  Available soon.  You can get an email update when they hit the streets on from their website.

Well done fellas!

Henrik Vibskov. A Scandanavian fashion designer with a different way of doing things. The titles of the show’s he has produced are anything but boring. “Big Wet Shiny Boobies”‚ “The Solar Donkey Experiment”, “The Slippery Spiral Situation”, and “The Fantabulous Bicycle Music Factory” being just a few. Part runway show, part theater, part performance art- the models are part of a moving display.  Interacting with the “Fantabulous Bicycle” in something that, if nothing else, is interesting to watch.

Rather than Kona being ridiculed for hopping on the fixed gear bandwagon, they decided to shout it from the rooftops themselves.  Now they invite you to hop on the band wagon with them- literally.

In true bandwagon style- It looks like it’s trying to appeal to too many markets with one bike.  For those that don’t want to commit to a fixed gear, you can run brakes on it.  Fenders even.  It sports the chrome finish that became so popular with the Bianchi Pista.

I’m usually a fan of Kona products, but feel that they may have missed the point on this one.  It doesn’t seem to be anything special.  Just a bike like most of the major companies are offering, with a Kona sticker on it.

If you are a Jack of all trades and a master of none, this bike may be for you.

That being said, I do love the name.

Thanks Koos for passing it on.

These are beautiful.  You can learn more about them, including where to buy one HERE.

I stumbled across a neat little company out of Sebastapool, California and dropped over to their website to see what they had in store.
First, I saw what they call their Traffic Master Jersey. I don’t know what it is, but this might be the first bright yellow jersey that I’d wear without feeling like I needed a helmet mirror and one of those rechargeable air horns.  It even has the United States Universal Vehicle Code, §11-1205

I also got a kick out of their Race Number Windbreaker.  Can’t seem to part with your race numbers?  Put them to good use with one of these..

Yes, they actually use race numbers that YOU send in.  I’m sure it’s way more comfortable than a jacket made of old spoke cards…

They have lots more to choose from, but below are some of my favorites.  Pick a little somethin’ up HERE.

They also have some neat stuff on their Confections page, including this rad pic of an old Frejus rider…

Good on ya Elevengear.com.