for the love of bikes: California

Showing posts with label California. Show all posts

25 May 2012

more rack love: PAUL's Flatbed

image via PAUL

I recently spotted one of these flatbed racks by PAUL locked up in front of my gym - and the owner was raving about it to me. What a functional beauty!

California-based bike component company PAUL makes these tubular anodized aluminum racks -- which I can't help compare it to the GAMOH front rack by Minoura of Japan. While similar in, here is how the two racks compare:

Disclaimer: I have never tested a Paul rack though have owned a GAMOH for a couple years and wrote this review in 2010

PAUL Flatbed rack

18" x 14.5" x 2.75" platform
6061 Aluminum Frame w/ anodized black or silver
Poplar hardwood slats
Max load 25 lbs.
rack weighs 3 lbs.
mounts on fork eyelets and stem
Fits 700c wheels
$199 (here)

)

GAMOH front rack

18" x 12.5" x 4.25" platform
steel tubing with black powdercoat finish
wood slats
Max load 40 lbs. (Ben's Cycles recommends no more then 25 lbs.)
rack weighs 5 lbs. 10 oz (2550 grams)
mounts on fork eyelets and front breaks
Fits 700c wheels
$114 (here)

In this case I feel you get what you pay for. Yes, Paul's rack is nearly twice the cost but weighs 2 lbs. less due to the aluminum frame. Another important difference with the two is the way they mount onto your bike, though each with a three point connection. PAUL's Flatbed mounts to the stem and fork eyelets. The stem clamp is adjustable for different frame sizes and works with threaded or threadless tubes. With the GAMOH the rack mounts to the front brakes with a steel mounting bracket -- which makes for a cleaner look BUT I had an issue with the bracket snapping in half.

Either rack you go with -- they offer a nice large surface to lug around stuff. Just don't forget to protect those nice wood slats. I opt for regular applications of tung oil!

my GAMOH rack with bungee around stem to help keep some weight off the bracket

20 July 2011

the beauty of Carmageddon 2011

photos above via LATimes

While I've never personally experienced LA's I-405 in all its many-lane-wide glory... still can't get enough of these photos of one of America's busiest highways which closed last weekend for (gasp) widening. One fabulous way of forcing people to attempt to think outside their car!

via NYTimes

01 March 2011

Mission Bicycle Company: on a Mission to build the bike of your dreams

Check out their lovely little promotional video which starts out sweet and sentimental "My first bike was a Huffy"...

Based in San Fransisco, Mission Bicycle Company offers simple straightforward steel frame bikes - sticking with the bare essentials - for city riding. Based on your riding style, fit and aesthetic choices you can customize your components and frame finish (from a serious rainbow of color options), choose to have a single gear freewheel/fixie/3 or 8 gear internal hub + they offer a 'build together' option! With a price tag starting at $750 they are pretty sweet street machines.

Jefferson, the store manager, walked me through the bike selection process:

When a customer comes in, we size them up and put them on a bike that we think will be a good fit. We have a demo bike built up in each size... send them for a ride around the block. We can tweak the fit with stem length, stem angle, handlebar style, and of course a saddle which is adjustable in 3 ways.

That's what we do for people that can physically come in to the store. Sometimes people will make a visit to Mission Bicycle a part of their vacation to San Francisco. They get to come into the store, we personal guide them through the whole process. Then we build their bike and ship it back to their home country. Last weekend to women flew up from Los Angeles specifically to build their own bike here. They took their bikes home with them on the plane the next day. We're shipping bike all over the world. Built right here in the Mission.

They crank out about a bike a day and don't think they've built two exactly alike. Just check out their online gallery for proof!

06 February 2011

wearable cam love

My friend - and brewmaster - Nathan Zeender sent over this link from BBC News this week... 'Helmet Cameras Capture Bad Driving' about a London commuter who recorded getting run off the road by a truck with a mini video camera he was wearing at the time and was used as evidence in a court case against the driver. (The cyclist won.) In the article the UK "cycling organization CTC says the more people cycle, the safer it becomes, as drivers become used to watching out for bicycles. The organization says there has been a 91% increase in cycling in London alone since 2000, while casualties have dropped by a third." Transportation Alternatives in NYC has similar findings. Clearly a huge drivers are just unaccustomed to watching out for cyclists - and they need to. It definitely can't do any harm to share a cyclists point of view.

... while on the topic of wearable cams, I do love watching helmet camera videos and the technology just keeps getting more and more amazing! GoPro’s HD HERO is one amazing video and still photo camera which you can attach to your sport helmet or body. Just watch the video above - highlights from the world's best freestyle bike athletes in Northern California at the 2010 Post Office Bike Jam! (Watch out, the soundtrack may get stuck in your head.)

14 October 2010

bike building IN SCHOOL

Even after recently graduating from a graduate program THIS really makes me want to go back to school!

The beautiful video above is by Tim Bishop, MBA in Design Strategy Alum, showcasing CCA's Industrial Design course "Bike Building I:The Frame". The course was taught at CCA's San Francisco campus and gave design students an opportunity to design and build their own custom bikes from start to finish.

Focusing on traditional principles and techniques of bicycle frame building, Nick Riddle led students through the process of researching, designing, crafting, and manufacturing a custom bike. According to each student's individual desire, some of the final bikes were for mountain riding, others were for road riding, and others were purely for leisure. All were conceived, designed, and assembled in just six weeks.

You can check out photos of the final designs and read more about the course [HERE].
Dreamy. Thanks, Tim!

10 June 2010

hello, Globe's LIVE (via Australia)

Last fall, to help kick-off Globe's new line of 'Live' city friendly bicycles, a contest was held to give a few away to individuals who proved themselves deserving. Samatha Boswell (above), who lives in Sydney, Australia won herself a Live 2 with this darling video showing her daily commute and how it would change with a bicycle (make sure the volume is on!)...

Globe's Live 2 in Luna Grey

Globe's Live 2 Mixte in Terra Brown

These 'light utility bikes' (starting at $580 for the single speed version) have all the simplicity in design and practical details that make commuters happy... double leg kickstand, sweeping handlebars, chain guard, fenders, single speed or rear internal hub (no derailleur to keep clean!), and most wonderful of all -- the ultra practical built in front rack/basket w/wood ♥ bottom. Each model comes in a 'Mixte' version with more feminine style (and geometry). If you are on their site - you have to check out the 360° viewing of the bikes. How nice! I have yet to test ride - though Bicycle Habitat in NYC carries them!