Some Bicycle Things I’m Stoked About On A Friday, November 14th, 2025
I’ve seen things non-riders wouldn’t believe. Sliding tires down rocks off the shoulder of Fromme. I’ve watched both shocks bottom in the dark near the Big Stupid rock. All those moments are lost in my mind, like beers in rain. Time to ride. ~ Drew-Bobby
Six things, or some things. Either way, this is the 75th edition of SBTISAOAF. Over that time, I’ve received a bit of correspondence saying that I should remove the Friday reference, since it’s often Saturday by the time I push publish. Sorry. I also hear now and again that these pieces are too long. Sorry. From where I sit, however, the silent majority, those tens of folks who read MEATengines, seem to keep coming back‽
Anywho, through the ebb and flow of MEATengines’ content, this has become the weekly anchor, and I enjoy putting it together. While I’m planning to step back a little bit from producing bicycle content here, it’s my goal to keep these pieces popping up every week.
Bicycle Valentines
Did you check out Matthew Lee’s excellent piece about his {temporary} Santa Cruz Butcher APP bike? It’s MEATengines’ Bicycle Valentines #4.
I’m so stoked about the number of inquiries I’ve had about Bicycle Valentines submissions. I’ll reiterate that there’s no minimum length, and no Shakespearean expectations. It’s an opportunity to share your passion for some human-powered two-wheeled wonder.
I’ll also re-note here, all FAQs given, that this is a full-disclosure, thick-grain salted, partisan, partial, & predisposed review environment. MEATengines readers understand that if you work for shop-X or bike-company-Y that you probably think pretty highly of the rigs you’re rocking. That doesn’t mean they aren’t rad. If you’re keen to share your authentic bicycle love story, please do. Just be upfront about your connection to the brand.
WZRD x Rootdown = #1FG
Woah. Some of the cleanest slotted IS tabs I’ve seen mated to Paul Comp track ends? This, this is beautiful, Emma. I mean, I’m at a bit of a loss for words beyond that.
Andrew wants!
And yeah, I know and have lived all the reasons that sliders {sliding dropouts} and swingers {swinging dropouts} are better than track ends for single-speeding. Especially in a world of flat tires, disc brakes, and gearing changes. And yeah, beauty is in the eye of the bike owner. But from where I sit, this is one beyond-lucky Chromag rider.
Hit up the WZRD.bikes ‘gram for more photos and details.
Darkest Before The Dawn Patrol
Survive to thrive. The bicycle industry has been working through the stages of grief with extensive belt-tightening, massive clear-outs & write downs, and much more disemployment than has been reported anywhere I’ve been reading.
Wait, wait, I know what you’re thinking, this is Some Bicycle Things I’m STOKED About On A Friday. Stoked. Not sad, sorrowful, sombre, sorry, or serious. Stoked.
I had coffee this week with an industry member, owner, rider, & thinker that I’ve known for a couple of decades, and I’ve been trying to come up with a single word that means ‘joyful defiance’ since then. Plenty of bicycle businesses are in survival mode right now, no doubt, but I’m stoked about that darkest before the dawn attitude that‘s growing.
{Above picture: Retrobike Rocky Mountain 1998 Catalogue}
Twelve more months? I heard it here first, from more than one bicycle boss. Sure, it’s 2008/09 on steroids, but businesses that can button, bind, bond, or bolt it down for another seasonal cycle are going to roll out into hero dirt. And yeah, the MEAT-powered market is going to be thriving on gravel-bike micro-categorization {from 1897 Audax, through 1997 NORBA, and all groadie options inbetween}, but we’ll take it with giant gunky-gritty-grins!
I’m keen to write more on this topic, so if you’re running a bike shop or bike brand, big or small, and are doing something authentically you, and are positive about where that’s headed, feel encouraged to drop me an e-mail.
{Above photo: Retrobike Kona 1990 Catalogue}
Chromag Sliders
The good folks in Whistler, BC, could make dollars, tens of dollars even, selling frame components to small builders. And if you’re thinking, “Andrew, they make bars, stems, pedals…” no, no, I mean frame components as in parts of the steel frame. Starting with their incredible stainless steel dropouts and aluminum sliders. Just machine some bears on there so everyone knows where they came from.
Yes, I’ll always be a massive fan of Kona’s sliders because they work great and the K-brand specs them on so many magnifique-for-the-money rigs, like the sub CA3K Honzo ESD and, of course, the classic Unit.
Also, yes. With the hardware swapped for deeper heads. I have nothing but nice things to say about Paragon sliders and swingers*.
But in all I’ve seen and worked on, these Chromag Voyager dropouts are my singular {pun intended} favourite.
What other bits could Chromag-builder-supply sell to small frame manufacturers? Their pressfit bottom bracket shells are perfect and rekindled my long-lost-love for the standard, and I’d bet they’d move a few of their ZS44/ZS56 headtubes as well. Yokes?
*{Just watch the caliper clearance if you want to run big brakes.}
Weatherworn
Trails for all; trails for weather. It was the second wet Wednesday in a row, and this week I found myself struggling to keep up with Naked-Nic and BEE both in terms of turning the pedals and just in general night-ride stoke.
The ground has become soft, or I have, let’s assume the former? Either way, I was very happy to have dropped a couple of teeth out of my chain ring this week compared to last. I felt much less wrecked despite being Trevor the whole time.
I’ll blame my lights? Normally, you wouldn’t hear me complaining about my budget-friendly, take-a-lick-keep-on-lighting Trek/Bontrager Ion Pro RT lamps, but in the darkest dark, trying to move along at my highest night-speed, my aging eyes could have used a bunch more beam.
Everyone was rocking a hardtail this week, and I mean, single-speed or multi-speed, that just makes sense. That said, sag-wagons are welcome if you want to jump on the Wednesday Night Bike Bus.
There’s been a great crew every night thus far. I mean, I might be a bit grumpy and weatherworn but I promise everyone else is stoked!
NSMBA AGM
For those localish to North Vancouver who love hitting the Shore trails, the NSMBA’s AGM is this coming Thursday, November 20th. Doors are at 6pm, and the agenda starts at 7pm. The meeting is down at The Wallace, in North Van’s excellent shipyards development.
If anyone is keen to go-by-bike, whether riding from home or parking and riding from somewhere, and would like to herd down together {yeah, pun intended there too}, let me know. I’ve confirmed we can park our superb steeds inside.
I‘m hoping it’s going to be a really positive AGM this year. There’s a lot of good news coming out of the NSMBA. I mean, actually. The general communication has been awesome since Cynthia started her role there in June.
One of the most exciting things this year is the number and quality of candidates standing for election at the AGM. I’m stoked to hear each of their two-ish-minute spiels on how their skills and experience will help the organization keep the builders building.
There is a diverse crew of seventeen candidates vying for five positions. It’s so great to see young faces in that crowd. I’m also personally engaged to see folks I know are keen to expand our trail network while keeping classic Shore trails running rocky and rooty. I also see piles of professional expertise listed that I can only imagine would benefit the NSMBA organizationally.
In addition to the folks running, here’s a link to the sitting BoD for members who want to take a few minutes to ponder which candidates they feel would best fill out the organization. Oh, and if you can’t, you don’t, or you won’t drop… in, you can watch the AGM and vote online as well.
This is SBTISAOAF, but I’ll still softly note that I would have been extra-stoked to read longer bios, plus Q&A, from the candidates. Especially with there being so many great folks and such limited time at the AGM.
And that’s a wrap on this Friday’s excitement. For the record, I actually didn’t drink a beer out in the rain, even though that’s my favourite, but I’ll rectify that after I pedal tomorrow. Wherever you are, I imagine the right trails are currently excellent, day & night, so stay human and turn two wheels.
Larry Talker Tunes
Alright, alright, alright. It’s my turn to assign some listening homework to Model-T, and I’ve been on an all-day Said The Whale kick, so that’s what he’s getting. It turns out that their most recent album, Dandelion, was the LTT musical feature for SBTISAOAF, Nov 15th, 2024, but that’s okay because their 2017 album As Long As Your Eyes Are Wide suits the weather better.
Check out Realize Real Eyes, Step Into The Darkness, I Will Follow You {“I will follow you/no matter where you go/I want to be the comfort in your company“}, and, really, every song is differently fantastic.
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