Some Bicycles Things I’m Stoked About On A Friday, May 29th.
It’s somehow already the end of May. The school year is almost over for Claire. We’re already talking about Cumberlandworx*, 2026. We have a few rear hubs that are due for service. My double-hardtail could really use a brake bleed. Claire’s almost ready for a wider bar and/or longer stem. I desperately need a fresh pair of flat pedal kicks. So, in other words, things are pretty normal for this time of year, going back half a decade at least.
Today’s SBTISAOAF is brought to you by the letter ‘S’, for stoked, and also for everything on this week’s listicle. It feels like a bit of a slow news week in the work of riding mountain bicycles, even bicycles in general, but it also felt incredibly busy. Ongoing. June is going to be action-packed, and I suspect that MEATengines will remain fairly post-light. Sorry. With that in mind, I’m buoyed by the number of inquiries I’ve had regarding AaSS and Bicycle Valentines. Love the community content. Thank you.
*{One of these years I’m going to arrive in Cumberland, and the local crews at Forbidden Bikes and Marin Canada, along with the plethora of shops in the region, will be headlining an actual Cumberlandworx event. I can feel it.}
{Photos: MEATengines unless otherwise noted.}
Space
Working gigs around The Clairebarian’s schedule, one of the things I’m very grateful for has been always having a space to securely stash our mountain bikes any day between drop-off and pick-up. Okay, to be honest, I’ve taken it for granted until recently talking to another primary-parent crushing the part-time economy about how Claire and I manage to ride and hike into the woods so frequently while stacking sufficient sleep, schoolwork, and choring. It only works because we’re stopping at the trails on our way home from school. No late-afternoon homebody heaviness to overcome, we packed in the morning.
I know that a lot of folks don’t have a safe place to store one commuter bike at their office, never mind a couple of mountain cruisers*. Even with their #VikApproved full-on anti-theft devices, and their only-meat power source, I wouldn’t be keen to leave them on the back of my car.
In the time since my reassessment of spatial appreciation, I’ve noticed a fair few nice mountain bikes on the front of buses in the morning, headed away from the trails. I’ve noticed nice rigs on the back of cars with drivers dressed for deal-making not dirtbagery. I’ve noticed folks clearly commuting on high-tack Enduro rubber with armour strapped to their packs. And, I’m stoked to think that all those folks have the secure space at work, and are making it work to add some trails to the end of their day.
*{I’ve had a few funny interactions arise from folks recognizing my bikes, but not me.}
Super-D
Before the rise of Enduro racing, in North America at least, I knew quite a few folks who were passionate about Super-D. Think Enduro with more climbing sections and a technical difficulty level closer to Tech-C than World Cup DH. A bit of an aside, but I’ve heard it effectively argued, more than once, that Enduro became so popular because folks on full-on XC race rigs kept winning the Super-D races.
Claire and I were out marshalling at this week’s NSMBA Fiver race on Seymour, and while it had a beautiful mix of run-what-you-brung bikes from a few hardtails to full-on DH rigs, each section of the course had enough pedaling to put a few folks close to hurling. Emesis is your nemesis! I did very much enjoy Jeff K’s explanation that the climbs were actually a nice break from descents but I think it’s fair to say that it was a minority opinion.
I would have been dead last with the possible exception of folks with proper mechanicals, but its the first time in years I’ve wished I was a participant rather than a vollie. Maybe next year. Informal Super-Dirtbag, AKA hardtail, class anyone?
{Photo: Penny Deck.}
Squads
One more from the Fiver last evening. The neatest aspect of, at least grassroots, Enduro or Super-D racing is, of course, the time between timed sections. Sure, between the gates everyone is going their hardest, riding their race, but it’s nice to see folks hanging out at the end of stages cheering on their friends, and family. Sharing stories, helping with mechanicals, and creating a positive break for everyone to enjoy.
In no particular order, a shoutout to Branden and the friendly crew representing Steed Cycles, the pack of folks from Norco Bikes riding a range* of rigs, the crew from DEVO Cycling, and everyone who brought their own crew to build the ‘group race’ atmosphere.
I’ll add an apology to the volunteer squad here. I {me, Drew-Bob} managed to miss a turn riding out with some other course vollies and turned a chill spin into a proper all-out powerline effort in order for Naked Nic and Don to make it to their checkpoint on time. I don’t know that anyone racing worked hard than those two gents to make it happen. Sorry!
*{Pun intended.}
Stooge Moto Bar
If Stooge made a higher rise version of their 7000-series aluminum Moto Bar I would own one. 58mm rise? 68mm rise? 78mm rise? Sure. I mention it out of habit, like my ongoing harassment of Chromag about making high-rise alt-bars for folks that need their comfort to be cool, but deep down I also feel like there’s enough eager folks that this one will happen eventually.
Anywho, there’s something about the shape of my 780mm {cut down from 800mm} x 17° backsweep x 5° upsweep that works as well for me as anything else I’ve tried. I appreciate that the bar is designed to be used without swapping to a longer stem, which adds significant value for folks keen to experiment with more backsweep who don’t have a drawer of spare stems. And, I love the accessory friendly {light-mounts for me}, unique looking 180mm wide extended clamping area. The bar isn’t overly stiff to boot, even with a couple of centimeters chopped off.
Yeah, so. I’m asked semi-regularly about alt-bar recommendations and in my classic dislike for spending other folks’ money I’ll wax on forever about the great options from SQlab, the Soma Dream Bar {I’d like the backsweep of the Lowdown mated to the rise of the Regular & Hi-Rise versions}, the Nitto-made Hunter Smooth Move, etc. But, for whatever it’s worth, when I need a bar, for an application where the 38mm rise is perfect, the Stooge is the one I bought.
Slip-On Grips
It finally happened. At last, I replaced the well-over-worn push-on grips on Will’s Chromag with a fresh pair of the same. ODI Longneck Soft in the extended 160mm length. Iridescent purple, of course. Glued {clear spray paint, actually} and safety-wired, of course. And now my hands will be happy again. I actually installed two pairs, with my Honzo BMXC double-hardtail rig receiving a fresh Moto Bar at the same time.
On the one hand, every ride I’ve managed to go on, and it’s been a handful or two, since I decided I was due for fresh grips was a value extender. On the other hand, it goes without saying that I wear down grips in the specific spots where I’d like more cushion than less. The freshies feel so good by comparison and somehow my brakes and suspension feel better now as well. Talk about an ultra-cheap upgrade.
I understand why most riders use lock-on grips. Heck, when it comes to installing them in a shop environment, I’d always rather sell lock-on grips. ‘Slip-ons’ are either being shot on with air, which generally leads them to becoming throttling slip-offs for year-round riders in our wet climate, or taking the time to install them properly, again for local conditions, adds significantly to the cost and complexity versus turning a couple screws. But if you’re the DIY type and haven’t tried nothing-but-rubber grips, it’s worth the time and effort.
Salted Lime Lager
Big-City at SuspensionWerx was waxing on about La Cerveceria Astilleros’ El Valle Salado Salted Lime Mexican Craft Lager {say that five times fast} at work today, and clearly he has a future in marketing beer or I’m highly susceptible to suggestion, or both. It feels like and age since I’ve enjoyed this “award-winning Mexican-style lager… brewed with imported Spanish salt and conditioned on fresh Mexican limes for a crisp, citrusy finish” and it was as dialed as I remember. I have no doubt it would have been even better after punching my pedals through some freshly moisturized North Shore singletrack.
If you’re beer-inclined and haven’t yet tasted salted summer in a can, well, La Cerveceria can be found in liquor stores and they deliver BC-wide. For folks who aren’t living in the pacific south west, maybe one more tiny reason to stack on the scale of justifying your trip to ride Shore-to-Sky trails?
Supercargo
“When Copenhagen’s finest cargo bike meets Milan’s most iconic bike brand…”
I saw this on the Radavist and felt compelled to share a link to it as well. A limited run, 120 cargo rig collaboration between Omnium x Cinelli featuring Cinelli’s 1980s track-bike-blue and some full-strength Columbus steel tubing. Who doesn’t love a little nostalgia mixed in with their urban pedaling?
Anywho, I enjoyed the marketing effort and it’s a beautiful bicycle. Here’s a few words and photos from the collaborators:
“Omnium builds cargo bikes that ride like nothing else — lightweight, precise, alive. Cinelli builds bicycles that have defined what Italian cycling means for over seventy years. When the two met, the brief was simple: merge two design languages into a single, undeniable object. The Supercargo is the answer. A cargo bike with the soul of a Cinelli Supercorsa, finished in Azzurro Laser — a blue pulled straight from the Cinelli archives, from the era of the Laser track bike.“
{Photos: Omnium Bikes.}
Climbmax
If I say “the standard stuff” do most folks know I’m apologizing, again, for not, yet, responding to the About a Single Speed submissions, other MEATengines correspondence, and etc.? Sorry. As for what’s pending, I have some Grom-gear related content coming live on Sunday, AaSS will hit on Tuesday, and then there’s any number of half-done things I’m eager to make live. My poor Arcturian Voyager is feeling super-trashed so maybe some maintenance related entries as well.
{Photo: Crash Test Kevin.}
Larry Talker Tunes: By Andrew
When Terry Walker texted me earlier this week he was busy bolting fenders onto his ’80s Talbot single-speed in order to put the pedals to a bit of randonneuring this weekend. No word on what Model-T was listening to at the time, but with it’s obvious Audax theme I’m guessing it was probably P!NK’s 2023 album TRUSTFALL Deluxe Edition.
The album features randonneur-ready tracks like Long Way To Go {featuring The Lumineers}, When I Get There, Lost Cause, Runaway, Feel Something*, All Out Of Fight, and the fully rad Just Like Fire/Heartbreaker** {part Pat Benatar cover!}. There are definitely some throwback sounds to help pump up the panniers.
*{“I did it again and again and again and I got nothing / But I do it again and again and again ’til I feel something“… “It’s only a matter of time before the good starts hurting“… I mean, just saying, it might be time to try a different saddle?!}.
**{This one might be saddle related as well.}
{Photo: P!NK}
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