Tag Archives: bicycle

Icebreaker SS Apollo V merino t-shirt

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Ever since Outlier put out their $75 Empire merino t-shirt last year, I’ve been wondering what the big deal is. Well, as of today I am officially a convert – I picked up this merino t-shirt by Icebreaker last night and it is wonderful.

The cut and the fit are perfect, and it is incredibly comfortable as a base layer as well as all-day outerwear. Icebreaker’s shirt is $55 and available from their site. Or check out Outlier’s version, as well as their amazing merino hoodie.  I’m ready to get myself more merino shirts and outerwear; it’s absolutely worth the premium cost.

New Fuji Track Pro pictures

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photo by CyclingWMD

photo by CyclingWMD

Last Sunday we had some warm weather and I rode with a couple buddies from the NYC Fixed.gr forum out to Floyd Bennett field and Jacob Riis beach.  There was a spectacular sunset at the beach and I asked CyclingWMD to take some “bike porn” pictures of my Fuji Track Pro.  It’s evolved a bit since I last posted about it: I’ve switched to Syntace bullhorn bars, clipless Shimano pedals, and a black Dura-Ace 47T chainring.  And I added a carbon HED3 Tri-spoke front wheel.  This bike is so fast and comfortable now, having evolved into exactly the right fit for me and a joy to ride.

photo by CyclingWMD

photo by CyclingWMD

Bianchi “What You Want Ho” Pista

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sideangle_NDS_pista

Here’s a build I threw together the other day from parts I had around the house.  It’s a 2007 Bianchi Pista frame that was powdercoated red.  I added a Sugino Messenger crankset, BMX platform pedals with clips and doubles traps, a brown leather Concor Max saddle, flat bars w/ Oury grips, and a flip-flop wheelset.  I found a nice old Shimano side-pull caliper brake for the front as well.  The NYC “pistadex” took a nose dive this morning when I sold it for $310.

sideangle_DS_pista

Quoc Pham Fixed Shoe

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fs0905_01

I just heard about these from Prolly via his blog.  I checked out the Quoc Pham website, and while the only version available currently are the black leather ones, I liked these tan ones the best.  They are reasonably priced at £90 (about $130 USD) and I plan on picking up a pair when they get more colors in.  Check out the full review from Prolly, who got a tester pair recently and seems to like them.  I hope they also consider making versions that accept SPD cleats as well, like the Dromarti shoes.  I am loving the resurgence of classic cycling attire these days – I think it’s a lot nicer than high-top Nikes and a Kid Robot hoodie (soooo two years ago!).

quocpham2

Dromarti Sportivo cycling shoe

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sportivo_MED

Dromarti is an Italian maker of fine handmade bicycles and shoes.  The Sportivo is their SPD-compatible shoe, and there’s also Race and Storica shoes compatible with other types of foot retention.  While the Sportivo carries a pricetag of $215 USD, I think that’s completely reasonable, even low-priced considering that this is handmade Italian leather!  They have so much class – hopefully I’ll get my hands on a pair one day.

Alien 53cm fixed-gear custom build

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I have waited nearly a year to build this bike: I first ordered the frame from Alien Bikes as part of a group buy last October, receiving it last May.  Despite the ridiculous wait, the frame is gorgeous and well-made, especially considering the low $350 pricetag for a hand-made lugged steel frame.  I used wire brushes to remove most of the phosphate coating from the tubes, exposing the raw steel and bright gold flux around the lugs.   The inspiration for this build is a classic Italian racer, something that looks like a throwback to the 1940’s or 50’s, but built from a mix of affordable modern and vintage parts.

Click “Read More” to see a hi-res gallery pf photos.

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Kicks for fixies: the 661 Filter SPD shoe

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661_filter_spd_bk

Recently I switched from riding in clips and straps (MKS GR-9 pedals with Toshi double straps and Soma double clips) to clipless pedals.  It was an amazing difference; easily the best upgrade I have ever invested in for my bike.  Within minutes I could do stuff that had always eluded me with clips and straps – I can skid, even while seated, and can ride no-handed.  Handling and power transfer is superb.  But I still had a problem: when I wasn’t riding, walking around in fancy road shoes and cleats was pretty lame!  They don’t look cool, they were noisy, and at one point they made me slip and fall down a flight of stairs!  (Luckily, I was OK).

filtercleat

Then at the Bike Jumble last week I bought a pair of these 611 Filter shoes from Continuum Cycles.  They are skate-style shoes with stiff reinforced soles and mounts for cleats!  Perfect!  They are comfortable and solid, holding my foot as well as my road shoes.  The cleat is recessed into the sole, so you have the full grip of the sneaker tread – no more slipping around on bulky cleats.  I am using them with Shimano SH51 cleats and M520 dual-sided clipless pedals.  I definitely recommend these shoes to any urban fixed-gear riders who want the benefits of riding clipless without the annoyance of walking around in road shoes all day.  Check them out at 611’s website or you local bike shop.