I saw this over on Urban Velo.
I have a Cetma 5 rail rack on my rain bike- and love it for hauling stuff rain or shine. This is a cleaner looking mounting system, that is supposed to be super strong as well. It retails for $120 powdercoated, or $100 if you want bare metal. I like the little knob things that you can mount lights onto as well. More info and pictures at the Cetma Cargo site.
Buy theme HERE
Over the past year or so, Stevil Kinevil has been building his All Hail The Black Market empire. His beginnings in stickers and beer coozies soon grew into the hat and socks market. He now stands on the edge of the stage looking into the crowd- poised like a cat- only wondering if his leap will end in a successful crowd surfing experience, or if he will drop to the floor like a sack of dirty laundry.
Stevil is considering making the jump, offering kits for pre-order. Because of the cost involved however- he would like to get a show of hands on how many people would buy one of said kits. This is not asking if you like the kits- of course you do- it’s whether or not you like them enough to drop some coin on them. It’s a pre-pre-order. If there is enough interest- a pre order will be made and then finally, an order.
Costs are high- and though you may be shocked to find out that blogging does not pay very well- it does not. Don’t leave him holding the bag. The cost will be in the ball park of:
Jerseys $90
Bibs $120
Skin Suits $140
Check them out HERE
Frankly- I thought they would have a little more G.G. Allin in their flair- or the skin suit would be more like the skin suit from Silence of the Lambs- but they may not have the market potential that these do. They look really good. I did hear that there was a couple “limited edition” kits with Merkins attached, though I have not seen the photos to prove it. Kudos to Stevil for his design, and really– check them out and let him know your thoughts.
email Stevil at ste...@allhailtheblackmarket.com
Last November I posted a collaboration from Swift Industries and Partybots. The two companies have a similar ethos, creative minds, and love bikes. Now they have another collaboration featuring new artwork from Karl at Partybots. As soon as the Seattle Bike Swap you will be able to purchase products with the hand screened “Bike Parts” Partybots art work on them.
I mentioned in another post my love for the Swift Industries Pelican Porteur bag, which here has the print on the flap. Waterproof liner, 3M reflective tape on the front, and built to mount onto a Cetma 5 rail rack.
Matt and Brittain came through town last month and snapped some photos of those that were into the idea of supporting their book- “I love my bike” It’s a pretty neat project, and it sounds like they’ve met some great people. Here are a couple pics from their gallery online.
Check out the website HERE
Bubba
Ryan
Carmen
I can't remember this guy's name- but he loves his bike too!
It was nice to meet Matt and Brittain both, and we are excited to see how the book turns out!
Charge Bikes, across the pond in London is bringing more bikes and softgoods to the table. Offering a bike for just about any rider, they are currently working on their Cross bike- “The Freezer” which looks impressive. They also have an solid squad of riders, with the likes of Tom LaMarche, Super Ted, Juliet Elliot, and Sam Humphrey on the team.
Their expansion into what is a growing market for softgoods geared towards urban riders is whats up next, with the release of the Surface line of clothing. It seems to be shaping up nicely. There isn’t much available on their site, but searching around a bit I found the following:
A lightweight and windproof shell is almost essential for fall and spring. Though I can’t confirm- I imagine there is a water repellent finish on the fabric that would keep you moderately dry in light showers. The purple color is a little too hip for my taste, but something in a black or dark gray, with purple or blue accents would work nicely. Retail: TBD
Technical Trousers, made from a fabric called “Liquistretch.” Water is supposed to bead up and roll off- and then able to be brushed dry. A stretchy fabric, with the look of slim cut jeans or slacks- these may be more suited to those that don’t carry as much junk in the trunk as I do. I don’t typically wear skinny jeans- and there aren’t many products available for people with my body type. Finding a new pair of trousers to ride in would be nice- I like my Republik’s- but they are about worn through. Retail: $91.
Their “wool” jacket. Designed for the urban rider, it’s longer back and arms are key in keeping the wind from creeping down the back. Not actually wool, the fabric is woven nylon and offers breath ability as well as a small amount of water resistance. A high collar, with a zip off hood rounds it out. This jacket looks great- I’m not certain if there are any pockets on the back- but a zippered chest pocket and hand warming pockets are a nice addition. The cut looks baggier than many cycling jackets, which could be a turn off for some- but I would prefer to err on the side of sizing down, than exposing a bare midriff. Retail: $198.
No real information as to when these products will be released, but I hope to get more information soon. For now, here is one of their edits that they post online. You can follow charge on Twitter, or go to their Website. Enjoy.
Gears are nice sometimes. Though I wouldn’t go so far to call them a necessity, some people would. That’s fine. I’ve always had a soft spot for coaster brake bikes and I started riding fixed wheel bikes in the street in 2000. Even my mountain bike is a single speed. I just like a straight chain line. I don’t have to worry about derailleurs getting damaged, chain slap, or any of that. in 2005 I ran a Shimano Nexus 7 speed with a roller brake on my winter bike in Anchorage, Alaska- though I wasn’t too fond of the weight or stopping power, I knew that as technology improved I would revisit the idea of running an internal hub.
The Shimano Alfine system has been out for a little while, and even comes with a generator front hub. I just saw a little sneak peek on Bike Radar of the new Alfine 11 speed that is set to release in September 2010. I recently tested the 8 speed Alfine on a cargo bike and was impressed with the shifting being much smoother than the Nexus that I had used 4 years earlier.
The new Alfine has been improved in part by changing to helical cogs, similar to those in car gearboxes which should mean smoother shifting. Weight watchers generally don’t jump at the idea of internal gearing and the new 11speed hub should weigh around 3.5lb. I personally like the combination of an internal geared hub and a belt drive system- It takes some of the weight back out of the equation and you gain the gears that belt driven systems would typically forbid. Add a disc brake and you have a solid urban bike drive train.
To me, the main drawback of internal hubs is the fact that most people would be screwed if they open it up and attempt to fix anything. Here in Seattle, Aaron at Aaron’s Bicycle Repair is the only one crazy enough to try, let alone enjoy such a task. I am curious to see how well these hubs hold up in off road riding, if they do well there- I think that the everyday riding of an urban commuter should be an easy task for them.
Being born in Oregon, I look at photos of my family when we lived in Oakridge: my parents lived in flannels or embroidered tops and their bellbottoms were held up by handtooled leather belts. Men had facial hair, shaggy hair was common, and my dad could usually be seen with a can of Coors in hand. Me and the sister were barefooted and when we weren’t nekkid, we’d be in our jeans and tye-dyed shirts, all either made by Mom or picked up from some crafty hippie living in the woods. My parents were born 50 years too early. Then they were rebels- now they would fit in on stage with some hipster band playing electro.rap.rock.opera.metal. My folks were O.G.’s.
Fast forward to 2010. You may have heard that people in Portland like bikes. Another fact that you may or may not know is that Portland and Oregon as a whole, is still home to some crafty people. Outside of Eugene- leather work has steered away from belts displaying tooled images of dragons relaxing in a field of mushrooms and marijuana. Portland based Walnut Studiolo is a company working with leather and making some impressive handicrafts. I found them on Etsy, where their Portage strap caught my eye.
Walnut Studiolo will be exhibiting with BikePortland at Pedal Nation April 10-11: www.pedalnationevents.com
Check out their latest news and pictures on their Facebook page HERE
Or follow them on Twitter: @walnutstudiolo
I usually don’t wear a jersey when I ride around town. When running errands or heading to a bar or a cafe, I don’t find them comfortable wearing them in public. They work well on the bike, but off the bike I feel a little out of place. I will often wear some sort of wicking top, but I typically have my bag with me- rendering the rear pockets superfluous, if not a little uncomfortable.
Some commuters wear cycling clothing to and from work, but generally these are people whose place of employment provides a space to change. While touring by bicycle- cycling shorts and jerseys are nice, though synthetics usually hold smells if worn for longer periods of time. When going on a longer day ride, with the sole purpose being a bike ride- alone or with friends, jerseys are comfortable and practical. Some of the best places to ride are on country roads- where your speed is not limited by roller bladers and the trio of new mothers walking three abreast pushing strollers.
If you ride in spandex- you may appreciate the jerseys below. Most of us have felt frustration while riding on the road. I don’t know how the average driver will react when they see a cyclist with a jersey like this, but the reality is- they are thoughts that go through our heads, so why not make those thoughts visible. SHARE THE DAMN ROAD. You can find more HERE.
Recent Comments