By: Jeremy Dunn Wednesday March 10, 2010

First a little follow up from the day before. Ok, I get it. They are Carbon Tubulars on Zanc’s bike there. Sheesh you would think that I insulted the Pope claiming his brother was in a sex prostitution ring or something the way that people react sometimes. Nah, just kidding, it was not that bad. It is just that I sort of mentally put Edge Carbon Clinchers on Zanc’s bike. It is what I did with every bike at the show. Except for the ones in Cole booth. Those I left untouched.

You know how some people try to imagine girls naked? Other people do that right? I try to imagine bikes with Carbon Clinchers on them. I try to imagine a world where everyone rides carbon clinchers, all the time, except during cross season. Sometimes it happens, and sometimes you’re left with ratty old Dura Ace laced up to ages old Mavic GP-4’s, but I guess that is my problem (hyperbole.)

Speaking of COLE wheels. Its time for the second, or first EMBRO Award.

EMBRO Award: Cyclocross Bicycle (Race)
Winner: Richard Sachs Cycles

Cross Racing: Big Confirm.
Ability to Mud: Of Course.
Heritage of Sport: Very, Very High.
Funtimes Factor: Good, very good.

Do not even really know what to say about this one. I will start with “I’m not surprised.” And “Fuck yeah!” You put it to the people and they vote and this is what they say and I raise my fist at you in a sort of rock and roll way.

Really though I don’t know what to say so I will relate a conversation. Tonight, Steven Hunter and I were talking about Cyclocross and the upcoming season. A little early? Maybe, but it is still applicable here so I am going to just plow on, get it all out. We were talking about this little cross bike that popped up at the show… Rapha Speedvagen Speedvagen Rapha, did you see it? I’m certain you did. It was also in the running for best Cross bike. Had a lot of votes. Not enough, but still a lot.

Well, Steven and I were chatting about the… how should I say this… pleasures of riding on Carbon race bikes and debating going back to something like a steel cross bike (he had a Gunnar and me an Igleheart). My point was Dan Timmerman. Just that, that ended the conversation pretty much, because we both went, yeah – DT – that guy rules and he does it with a big fucking beard and a steel bike. See below.

Well, which ever way you roll there is no denying the heritage of sport that goes along with this one. Clear cut winner for me in that department. I do not know anyone who has more of a passion for this sport. And I will fight anyone with my bare hands that says otherwise. But be warned I will be holding a roll of quarters and shouting the whole time.

I guess it should also come as no surprise that Richard is also a big supporter of what we do over here in EMBRO land. I do indeed have one of his road bikes that much is true. Which, was also at the show. Also true is the fact that if he tried to steel me (yeah, I wrote ‘steel’ what you gonna do?) from my own team, he could probably do it. He would probably just stand one of his bikes on top of a hill somewhere (or get bearded Timmerman to do it, more biblical) and I would just wander around until I saw his bike shining from a mountain top and that would be it. It could happen you never know?

Ok, now I also have to say that there were some pretty cool cross bikes at the show this time around. When I first went to San Jose there was not a lot of Cross action going around. Seriously, I’ll try to dig up some photos, but I remember (evertime that Igleheart would actually come back to the booth and stop chatting with K. Anderson) that I would cruise the isles like some horny teenager on the prowl. And what was a looking for? The sweet scent of, well, mud I guess, cross bikes definitely…

Nope, I just checked, my photo archives don’t go back that far. Or at least not on this harddrive. But there are some pretty funny ones from Indy and Portland the year before. Ah how people liked me so much more when I just paid the bill and kept my mouth shut…

Runner Up #1: Igleheart Custom Frames and Forks

I really liked the Cross Bike in Chris Igleheart’s booth. Why? Well, for one because I chose the paint scheme and that goes a long way for making me like something. Sorry, I do not mean for that to sound so…self promoting…but I have a couple bikes with the same paint scheme and I really like it. I also like Chris because he is one of the hardest working nice guys I know. And his heritage for the sport goes back as far into the New England scene as anyone else.

In fact I would like to make it official here. I do not know how this Framebuilders Collective happens to choose its members, but I would like to humbly submit Christopher for some of this action. And while I am asking for things that I will never get, I would like to be on the judging board of the NAHBS next year. What do you think? Vote for me. I’ll spice things up a bit. Just sayin. Stranger things have happened.

I also appreciate the fact that Chris (and JimW) are going out of their way to use some alternate components on the bicycles that they bring to the show. SunRace? Honestly, I do not think that I even knew that they had a group available out there. So, it is a refreshing change to the usual Three (yes, there are three now – pay attention). So great f-ing job Jim and Chris for being there time and again and loving the Cross and helping to instill the cross love in me. Readers may remember that Jim is the one who first got me on a Raleigh Cross bike (who cares that it has 135mm rear spacing it was awesome).

Cross bikes, cross bikes. We have two winners today people. Both that win just based on the simple fact that they both pour their hearts into each and every bike that they make. I can get behind that action. And I just knew that chasing those dudes around at Nationals was going to come in handy.

By: Matthew Karre Monday March 8, 2010

Riding can be a contemplative time. Whether riding in a group, racing for 45 minutes or 4-5 hours, or, most certainly, riding solo, thoughts meander in and out with the least significant of muse. Different intensity levels procure different levels of cognition. The book by Tim Krabbe called The Rider exemplifies the wandering mind during a 200 page road race. The rider ponders all level of emotion, with self doubt and self confidence taking the forefront. Also prevalent is indirect and largely unrelated historical assessment. Generally, Krabbe’s thoughts are about cycling and racing, specifically professional races, but rarely do the meandering thoughts relate to Krabbe himself. Except, of course, as a vehicle to drive the mind away from the physical exertion taking place outside the mind. In the last couple dozen kilometers of his race he ponders: “In 1919 Brussels-Amiens was won by a rider who rode the last forty kilometers with a flat front tire. Talk about suffering! He arrived at 11:30 at night, with a 90-minute lead on the only two other riders to finish the race.” Some, like Graeme Fife in his A Beautiful Machine store some hostility in their thoughts on certain rides: “The effort of pushing my bike, my shoes slipping on the grass, the foul mood and sense of doom eroded all charity from me. By the time I got to the top, my mood had turned homicidal.”

During crits I usually inadvertently find a muse in the logo writing on other riders’ jerseys. The dental office sponsor triggers my tongue to rub over my front teeth to make sure they’re smooth (they’re not because I am mouth breathing), which triggers thoughts of reading Highlights for Kids in the dentist waiting room, which leads to counting the years since last I visited a dentist, and lastly the dull discomfort of freshly picked, polished and fluoride-treated teeth. At this point there are three laps to go and I can soon be done.

Recently, while riding with two other people (this is not a criticism of the conversation during the ride, mind you) I thought about a book I read in high school. The first reaction was: why do I so easily remember this book I read in 1997 when after that, during college, the kind one pays for, I read numerous other books much more recently? The thought fleeting, I quickly came back to the book, which was Walter Miller’s A Canticle for Leibowitz. It is a science fiction classic. Written in the late 1950’s, the book won several awards including the Hugo Award Best Science Fiction novel in 1961. It landed on the required reading list for 11th grade English and I read. As with most required reading, it’s a different kind of reading; usually less pleasurable and constantly over thought. The futuristic, post nuclear fallout story has many characters and many events. What popped into my head (pun intended, wait for it) was the character Rachel, the bicephalous mutant half of Mrs. Grales. Her importance to the story is less thought provoking than the fact that she had two heads. Two headed characters are probably not terribly rare in sci-fi books, though it was a first for me in required reading (anthropomorphic polytheistic Greek mythology aside). I tried to imagine what Rachel would look like and what it would be like to have another head. Would Rachel insist that Mrs. Grales ride faster if the situation of a post apocalyptic bike race should ensue? Aerodynamics notwithstanding, it seems the benefit of another little voice in your (other) head could be quite beneficial.

The next day I went on another ride, this time with three other people. About 16 miles in, one riding partner mentioned a pimple that had become over grown, that it might develop its own personality, if not tended to. Someone then immediately said “Must be Tyler Hamilton.” Short silence. Recognition. We all remembered one of Hamilton’s reasons for his whacky blood measurements was that he might have a chimera twin, the result of fused embryos and thus unmatching red blood cells. Did Hamilton have a Rachel, too? What would he have named it? Tugboat, Jr.? How is it that two rides in a row have distinct thoughts about conjoined twins, in one form or another?

Shortly after the giggling subsided about the former champion Hamilton, we made a turn past a small farm house that had a couple donkeys and a sheep. This is not an uncommon sight in this region but the countenance of the sheep was quite unique. It had two large horns jetting outward, the right one almost flopping like a bunny ear. Additionally, it had two other horns curling down around its face like side burns. To say the least it looked like Tim Curry’s devil character in The Legend (during Tom Cruise’s dreamy stage rather than creepy scientology stage). There it was, empirical evidence of conjoined/chimera twins right in front of us. Clearly that sheep had somehow fused embryos with a large hare at some point in its ancestry and/or it was in the infant stages of bicephaly. Its other head is slowing growing out, at some point probably resembling Samuel L. Jackson a la Pulp Fiction.

This is what I think about when I’m riding.

Naturally, riding is more than a physical activity. The duration allows the most pressing of issues to come to light, as we’ve just found. In Part 2, we’ll examine relativity, the influence of comprehensive bike computers and lengthy movie quotes.

By: Kyle von Hoetzendorff Friday March 5, 2010

As I write this, sitting at my dining table in the late afternoon, a glass of red wine at the ready just off the port side of my laptop listening to the new Dios “Cosmic Rays” album, feeling my breath move across my chin, which happens to have been freshly released from a winters beard, our main man at Embrocation HQ, Jeremy Dunn, is trolling the aisles of the North American Handmade Bike Show. I know that to most of you my current situation sounds ideal. Truly an afternoon hammering away at these silver keys is enough to satisfy most, but I must admit I am little jealous. The twitter feed is going crazy as each show attendee starts to weigh in with photos of their current discoveries and obsessions. I am not going to start listing all the heavy hitting items, I have a feeling the big boys in the industry will bring you all the best replete with winning captions. If you are like me you are holding your breath for both James Huang’s and Road Bike Action’s coverage; really those two have set the high water mark for our industries journalism.

There is one thing though that I don’t think is getting nearly the attention that it deserves. This is the trope of the attractive decidedly non-cyclist model on a bicycle-poster. So far, all of the NAHBS feeds have missed or skipped over these poster boys and girls. I don’t believe that a bicycle show can truly be a bicycle show without poster models, and if this is the case then let NAHBS be warned, they are on thin ice as far as this habitual bike show attendee is concerned. To be fair, I don’t think that the standard girl in bikini, guy in briefs model is necessarily the right method for the hand-built show, but honestly I think some men and women clad in the latest Brooklyn inspired Americana meets Beatnik fashion would be a boon to any builder looking to get her or his brand some additional publicity. Think of it, the photography could be fashionably crossed, processed or possibly shot as a Polaroid, and maybe there is a little story about how this person is not only a model but also a photographer/sculptor/engineer/doctor/barista/etc. Listen builders, this technique is really going to move some numbers. I for one would be happy to see the sex sells model applied in more sophisticated way and I think that NAHBS is just the place to do it. As a side note, every time I ready a caption or hear some one refer to a piece of bicycle equipment as sexy it enforces my understanding that our schools are failing. I can understand if someone refers to a Real Doll as sexy, strange but understandable, but a bike part, that’s just completely missing the point.

With the information super highway, the ol’ internet, at the beckon call of our collective finger tips any one of us, unless you are under the unfortunate rubric of parental controls, has the ability to access countless sophisticated images of good looking people, but this would be missing the point. The attractive person shop poster is a staple item of any bicycle shop, carried back from Interbike as if one were a crusader carrying a relic back from the crusades. This is an intrinsic part of bike shop ephemera, as important as black grease under a mechanics fingernails or a three way Allen wrench. Sexy posters will always be in bicycle shops, so instead of the same rehashed models borrowed from monthly Mini-Truckin’ shoots set to stand over some beat beach cruiser in a terry cloth bikini while smiling out from under what appears to be an indoor water fall, whose source seems to be just out of frame. Let’s do this thing right and lead the next generation of shop employees down a path towards a higher aesthetic, because in the end sex sells isn’t going away, but we can do our best to make it look better.

By: Jeremy Dunn Friday March 5, 2010

I was actually really surprised at the outcome of the Actual Awards (this isn’t it, they will come later.) But that is pretty much how my life goes. I think it will go one way and it ends up working itself out in an entirely different direction. I would think that Liz Hatch (from watching her Twitter – total follower) would have a whitty and insightful quote to insert right here. But I am not her, no matter how much I may try.

So, Awards aside, I saw a lot of funny and interesting things at the show, some related to bikes, some not so much. Wait, so I take that back, not Awards aside. I will get to the bikes later.

The SNAHBS HUMOR AWARDS

#1: The Not A Stoner But Has A Hard Time Convincing People Otherwise Award

This one is going to have to go to Rich Bravo. I mean, take a look at the photo above. I tried to take the photo twice and let me tell you this is the better of the two. Of course the huge doobie in the foreground (of the other one) did not help much. Kidding, I’m kidding. But Rich was pretty stoked out to get ahold of one of these Columbus stickers from Lodovico.

#2: Hairstyle Matches Own Logo Award.

I think that Erik was the first official friend that I made at the San Jose NAHBS a few years ago. We became friends at the bar (surprise.) And god damn if this is not one open and honest man. I love you for that Erik, I love you like one man loves another in a non homosexual way. By hugging openly in public a lot, and hi-fiving even more. In fact if you are not at every SNAHBS Show that happens from here on out I will cry one tear and then party the place to the ground in your honor. Erik also painted a disk wheel with a rape scene on it one year. And caught a lot of flack for it. Well fuuuuck that I say paint whatever the hell you want on it, its your disc wheel after all. I heard that there was some talk of banning him because of this. Anyway, I am not trying to bring up some old dirt, just pointing out that I like the fact that Erik is just going to do exactly what he wants.

#3. I Found Little Bobby’s Backpack Award.

Yes, yes you did. And thanks for standing there while I took 40 photos of the damn thing. How amazing is this? I want one. And there could not, hands down, be a nerdier cyclist to properly convey the backpack theme. Myerson could give it a go, but it would have to be a Boston Redsox themed one, and Molly would kill it with a Hello Kitty Custom one, but I think that simplicity wins out with this one.

#4. I Will Not Talk To Anyone Till KBK is Over Award.

I witnessed Slate tell more than a few people that he would not talk to them about anything until the final 5k of Kuurne -Bruxelle -Kuurne was completed. In this case Steven Bilenky was the target of his wrath. It was short lived however, because Slate then rallied the troops and everyone within earshot found themselves cheering for someone they knew nothing about – Bobbie Traksel. Well, they do now. Hopefully.

#5. Best Use Of The iPhone Award

This is Slate’s iPhone. As we were walking in to the hotel on Sunday night he said, “Whoa, Darrio just confirmed me as his friend on Facebook.” And there he was. So, we promptly went over and told him about it, hoping for a great laugh together as newfound friends. He did not know what we were talking about, so we had a good laugh about it and became better friends. In other news I was very glad to see that “Slate Olson” was not one of his Google Alerts.

#6. Brand Most Likely From Portland Based on their Products.

It is cool. Now Molly can eat their cutting oil. Which is vegan by the way. Their hubs and headsets are too. Annodizing is what you do to those big ear pluggy things and we all know that they are safe for vegans, so, gobble gobble. I heard that there are less pawls (get it Les Pauls – nevermind) in some of their hubs this year as well. Something about not angering bees as much. (just roll with it, its funny for me.) Look for my returning series of Tweets called “That’s SOOOO Portland” it may include things along this hippy related topic.

#7. Best Shark Related Cycling Cap Award

No idea who this guy is or who he works for (total lie) but I really liked his hat. Jay Sycip somehow managed to stay out of this photo, but for quite some time they were wrestling for possession of this hat. Its wearer is granted special hub polishing properties and I think that Jay was trying to win them over for CK. No big deal, he lost.

#8. Best Bellhop that Posed as a Framebuilder Award

Speaking of Jay Sycip here is his brother Jeremy pretending to be a bellhop. Who knows what is going on here, but damn if he does not look official. I like this guy. Know why? Because he (and his father) have prototype Nike’s. I guess I am not “Prototype Size” which I am sure is something small, petite and not very manly, but I am still jealous.

#9. Best Shave Job Award and Most Handsome Man (tie)

This is Lex from Villin Cycles. He got best psyche out for shaving his beard. I have a video that I shot of his beard from last year. Just his beard. I will have to dig that one up for you because it is pretty awesome and has not seen the light of day yet. Lex would also go on my list of people that are awesome (with Erik and Jeremy) so there is a sub list for you. Plus, someone actually voted Lex’s shaven chin “Best Promotional Materials” on the Embro Awards. Not sure how many votes that got, but it definitely made me laugh. If you are wondering what I am talking about, check out Dan Action’s photos of Lex HERE.

I think that this s all that I have for you. There are much more that would and will be good to get up here, but they are all stuck in the purgatory between phone and computer. Some day we will get to see what Kyle from Trackosaurus looks like, but not today friends, not today.

By: Whit Yost Thursday March 4, 2010

It was Spring Break during my sophomore year of high school; some friends and I decided to hop on the train and head into Center City. Our destination was South Street, the cultural, alternative, artsy-fartsy, capital of Philadelphia. Home to the city’s first “designer condom store”, countless tattoo parlors, and several stores selling Nirvana and Pearl Jam t-shirts, South Street was the place to be young, white, middle-class suburbanites who didn’t quite feel like they fit-in with their peers. In other words: me.

The highlight of that day was my first step inside Tower Records, the now-defunct bastion of corporate record stores at a time when there were actually several corporate record stores. Sure, Tower’s employees didn’t maintain the condescending, yet cool indie personalities of the college record shop near my home, but what it lacked in atmosphere it more than made up for in grandiosity. Tower had everything—everything. And thus, upon entering I was immediately overwhelmed with a fear that I might not be equipped to see and do it all—in other words, a state of pure sensory overload.

In many respects, my first NAHBS experience was similar to my first Tower Records experience as my initial thought when I stepped into the showroom in the Richmond Convention Center was, “Holy crap! How am I going to have time to see all of this?” In the end of course, once my feelings subsided and I adjusted to my surroundings, I realized the show was smaller than I had originally thought to be—on a scale from my local record shop to Tower, it rated somewhere near The Wall or Sam Goodie.

First, you have your new releases, usually of the pop/rock variety, sometimes the newest buzz band finally hoping breaking through to wide-stream notoriety after several years of critically acclaimed, but low-selling albums. Case in point: Vanilla Cycles with their super-cool display and beautiful bikes. Sitting smack dab in the middle of show’s floor, Vanilla was truly one of the show’s highlights. Expect to be hearing more from them in the future as the new Rapha-Supervagen cyclocross team heads on tour to a town near you.

What about those artists making concerted efforts to revive their careers by reaching-out to newer, younger audiences? De Rosa couldn’t hire Rick Rubin to produce an album for them, but they could take their bikes to NAHBS—although it’s unclear why, as De Rosa’s haven’t been made by hand for quite some time now, I imagine.

How about electronic music—you know, the kind that sounds good on your headphones but is a pain in the ass to actually dance to? Japan’s Cherubim provided two of the most beautiful bikes on display—shiny, bright, and with superior craftsmanship and attention to detail. But, while aesthetically pleasing to the eye, it’s hard to see anyone actually riding them.

Don’t worry, Bonnaroo fans, there’s something for you too at NAHBS Records. Let the boys from Banjo Bikes size you up for one of their genre-defying jams. Want something new age? Try Sylvain, Calfee, or Boo, all builders who experiment with wood and bamboo in designing their framesets—even the classic rock stalwarts at Serotta took a stab at producing a wood-inspired concept bike.

Do you like jazz? Stop-by the Crumpton booth, where you’ll find smooth and relaxing carbon fiber frames waiting for you. No fancy logos, graphics, or pretense here, just the well-executed efforts of a master craftsman.

But in the end, my favorite artists were those producing some good, old-fashioned, handcrafted rock and roll. Mike Zanconato and his band displayed some pitch-perfect cyclocross and road bikes. New kid in the scene, Foresta, brought only one bike to the show—the NAHBS equivalent of releasing an EP. Ellis Cycles was another purveyor of some well-crafted rock and roll, presenting a mix of bikes integrating both the old and the new, including one sporting a full mid-1990’s Campagnolo Record group—with Delta brake calipers!

In the end, NAHBS has something interesting for everyone. No matter where your tastes lie, it’s a fun and worthwhile trip. And next year it’s in Austin, Texas—maybe you’ll get to hear some good music too!

By: Jeremy Dunn Thursday March 4, 2010

EMBRO Award: Best Road Bicycle (Race)
Winner: Zanconato Max Road

above photos by Whit Yost

Road Racing: CONFIRM
Belgie Rating: HIGH
Edge Carbon Clincher Rating: OFF THE CHART

The results are in and now you shall have them (yes I am aware that I skipped Cross -for now). There was a little bit of question (from the higher ups) as to why I was doing this at the show. Why should I put together my own awards show when The Don already has one? Why Not? That is the simplest answer, but the real reason is two-fold.

A: Content – Things to talk about in Embrocation Cycling Journal
B: The People – They want to take your money? Well, then you should have a say with the judging at NAHBS. Hell, I want to take your money, so you should have something to say in ECJ.

I do not know if you know this, but I am always trying to find ways to gather up a little content. No offense to anyone in charge over there, I could rely on what comes out of it, or I could chase it down myself. Chances are that if you hold up these bikes with a different set of lenses that maybe you might see something that you missed otherwise. (Which I would guess is what they are doing with their panel of judges) Also, I have no idea who does their judging but apparently they did not realize that they already had a tandem category when they gave BEST ROAD BIKE to Bilenky Cycles for a Tandem. And it should go without saying that I am a huge fan of the Bilenky family. But really my friends? A tandem? “Pffff” that is what I say to that.

So, that is just one example of — A: Road Bike to talk about (it wasn’t a tandem) in the publication. And B: You (the people who voted at the show) chose it, so you had a say in it.

We also did our own awards so that we could talk about the racier end of the family. And I do not just mean that weird uncle who kept trying to play grabass with your cousin Suzy, that was just weird. I mean race bikes.

I thought a lot about just this subject as I threw my leg over the ol trusty steed not once, but twice this past weekend. The weather in this fair state of Oregon was nothing short of magnificent. And when the weather turns in this direction it is without hesitation that I will reach for the “race bike.” If I were a professional judger of “race bikes,” which I am not I would look at them with a few different things in mind. Categories, if you will. Now, these would not be the most technical ways to look at bicycles, just my own approach so bare with me.

1) Awesomeness – this is mostly the aesthetics department. How does the bicycle look and how would I (being the judge) look astride a machine of this caliber? (obviously we are only judging the highest of caliber here.) Is the paint something that looks like it was gleaned from a mid 90’s Alien Drag Race movie? Or does it have the subtle tones and unweilding power of…well, I do not know what… The thing about “awesomeness” is that it also goes miles in the ability to catch ones eye while at a tradeshow, and this, my friends is a not an easy thing to do. With bicycles all but piled from aisle to aisle you need something that is going to jump out and grab your attention.

Example: One company that does this day in and day out is Independent Fabrication. Every time they go to a show they find another way to keep things fresh. Could have something to do with my man Clint putting the finishing touches on them? Could also have to do with the fact that they care about what they’re doing over there and that is kind of a big deal.

2) Weightness- We are talking race bicycles here right? Well, then guess what…weight is going to be a factor. And just as it might be tough to drag your own 150 lb frame (and I am using frame here in place of “body”) up a mountain…it would most definitely be tougher to push your 150 lb frame and a 25 lb frame (bicycle in this case) up that same mountain. So, I am going to say the lighter, the better. I am also aware of this strange ability for bicycles to “ride light” which I would have to say that my Richard Sachs bicycle does.

Standout in this area would have to be Crumpton Cycles. With again, the IF wrecking ball close behind, but maybe I am a little biased?

3) Lateral Stiffness – Not really, just trying to throw you off with that one.

4) “Work Hard and Be Nice to People.” This is actually kind of a big one for me. Because I am thinking about things in the terms of being a customer and the customer experience. For example I like dealing with Richard Sachs because he is a really nice guy – if you have ever stepped up to talk to him you would know this. Chris Igleheart gives me the biggest hug every time I see him – this is an action that makes me want to give him my money. Tyler from IF has slapped me on the ass more than once (I’m not sure exactly what this means). And Dave Kirk and his wife were excited to show me their new logo and paint jobs, this bodes well because I instantly made a connection with them (being a fan of graphics) and I remembered them when I went on to something else.

5) Historical Relavence — What do you know about these builders and where do they come from? And how does this sort of thing relate to you? I like the stories that go behind these builders. How many frames do they build in a given year? How long have they been doing this craft? What sort of riding do they personally do?(Sachs still races cross and Igleheart rides more than anyone I know). And all of these things become a factor in owning what you as a customer would consider the best bicycle EVER…

This is just my way of looking at a show like the NAHBS. Blink judgments and quick assesments are the way to go namely because as a buyer you do not have time at the show to look through everything. I definitely did not get to see everything that I was hoping to see. This might also be because I was trying to work in two booths and take a few photos along the way as well. Whew.

But as this week progresses I will tell you who won each category and then take a little more of an in depth look at who each of these people are. And of course how it all relates back to riding bicycles, embrocating your leggies, and well, I can’t think of a third one at the moment.

Does any of that make sense?

By: Frances Morrison Wednesday March 3, 2010

Who invented potholes anyway? Who thought that they would be a mighty fine addition to our nations roads and highways? Come on, raise your hand; I know you’re out there, hiding from my scrutiny. It was also you who decided to fill them with water, wasn’t it? Fresh, sweet, snowmelt, dribbling as though from a bubbling brook, settling over the jagged, hidden counters of your despicable, tire flatting, rim busting abomination! Alright, alright, I know. I can’t blame some random person for potholes, or for the fact that I am hitting them and flatting my tires.

Why am I ranting about potholes? Why, simply because I have begun to ride outside again. With February hunkering back down into it’s dreary hole for the next eleven months and the first few days of March tentatively stepping onto the stage things look…optimistic for us cycling folk. It reminds me of the phrase, ‘out like a lion in like a lamb.’ I may be applying this to the wrong two months, but with February spitting and snarling snow, slush, and rain at me in it’s last week of 2010 existence, and March strolling onto the scene with sunny skies and melting snow, I think I will change its application.

I feel very similar to March right now, or perhaps similar to a bear coming out of hibernation. I sneak outside every morning, sniff the air, assess whether I will wear twelve or twenty-four base layers (just in case) and then suit up to go foraging for food, I mean journeying about on my bicycle. I must be jinxing myself. Weather this pleasant at the beginning of March is just begging for a three day blizzard to come and dump six feet of snow back on the roads. This would merely be a minor inconvenience to my base miles, of course. Why, in the days of Napoleon we rode on top of the snow!

It’s not all sunshine and butterflies (cold, semi-frozen butterflies) though, as there are the certain evils of early season riding to contend with. Case in point, potholes. Sometimes it seems like to avoid one, you have to jump into another one, or alternatively, you are faced with my favorite situation: a pothole, a large puddle, or a large truck. Oh yeah, date night at it’s finest, but who to choose… The puddle of course leaves you with a streak of mud halfway up your backside and the usual residual splatter. I love riding around looking like I had an accident with some Indian food. The pothole may wish to buy me dinner and then flat my tire but this is not my idea of a fun night out. The truck…I know it wants to love me violently but I don’t love it back.

Although this is all small beans when you think about the fact that riding outside is about a thousand times better than riding on the trainer indoors. There is not a movie in production that has enough constant explosions to keep me entertained for more than an hour on the trainer. Even Mr. Schwarzenegger falls short in this realm. So for this reason I will deal with the potholes, and the flat tires that ensure. I will deal with the muddy butt, and I will deal with the trucks swerving around you in confusion, ‘CRAP. The cyclists are back swarming all over my ROAD.’

Happy outdoor riding everyone. (Please don’t hit me with your car.)

By: James Morrison Tuesday March 2, 2010

I just now walked in the door from my return trip from Richmond, VA and the 2010 North American Handmade Bicycle Show. This has become an event that we, and many cycling enthusiasts like us, come to look forward to every year. This year drew the biggest crowd yet of any NAHBS show and with it some of the best bikes, displays and personalities in our industry. It would impossible for me to recount all the highlights of the show to you in any one sitting, or even multiple articles, so I’ll go ahead and give you a little recap of the show and Embrocation’s involvement in this year’s edition.

If you were at NAHBS, you might have visited us in the Embrocation booth, number 245, located just in front of the awards stage, just next to Dinucci Bicycles (who went on to win the official NAHBS award for best lugged bike) and across from Dromarti, a company that makes some classic leather cycling shoes that I may or may not be obsessed with… Anyway, it was a great show for us. We met many of you who follow our online articles, read the journal and are general fans of what we have going on. Needless to say, we more than appreciate the support and talking with you. We also met a bunch of you who hadn’t heard of us before – now you have, and I hope you’re reading.

Speaking of awards, I have to mention that we’ll be unveiling the NAHBS Embro Awards – our own unofficial, somewhat scientifically derived awards – in the next day or two, once we’ve finished counting the ballots. Unlike our end of the year Embro awards, in which we basically just picked categories and winners that arbitrarily appealed to us, this time we turned to you, our audience, to give us some feedback and decide for yourselves. It’s our way to get the pulse of the show, get you involved, give some attention to some of the crowd favorites and have a little fun. Many show attendees were kind enough to fill out our ballots in several categories as they walked the show floor. Jeremy was also walking the floor getting pictures and talking to all the builders who emerged as front-runners over the first two days, so he’ll be bringing you the results before too long.

When we weren’t doing awards, or talking up the publication we were entertaining a list of celebrities. Whit Yost spent a good deal of time with us. If you’re one of the many who enjoys Whit’s musings here on the Embro site or at his blog, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy Whit’s take on NAHBS, coming soon. Molly Cameron also stopped by for a little while and did her thing, talked to the crowd and might have even signed an autograph or two. All the while, Ira Ryan and Tony Pereira were making the occasional appearance as they walked the show – neither of them had decided to exhibit, opting instead to take the lower stress option of attending as guests.

Dario Pegoretti stopped by with a few of his buddies. He said he liked Embrocation and even signed a copy for one of his fans.

Actually, come to think of it Ira Ryan signed one for one of his fans, too, since we have an article about Ira in Volume 5.

Then there was your typical trade show weirdness. Some fellow was, well… here, why don’t I just show you what this guy was doing:

Then some roller derby ladies showed up and tried to get us to attend their next bout. We never did do that, but I might look up my local roller derby chapter sometime this year.

Brian Worthy from Vermarc is a bicycle industry legend and might be the nicest person in the world. He hung out for a while and hugged Jeremy.

Lots of love all around. So, it was a good time. And we have some really cool new T-Shirts. Look for those soon and like I said, look for the Embro Awards coming soon as well.

By: Jeremy Dunn Monday March 1, 2010

Signal Cycles with Chris King WTB Headset from j. dunn on Vimeo.

Here is a little video for you. This is Matt Cardinal of Signal Cycles showing me the Chris King headset on one of their most recent creations to feature at the NAHBS. The first moment that I was taking a look at their booth Matt called this to my attention. Pretty great way to go about things for a few reasons. One of those is because I like interesting things and a great way for me to hang around your booth is for you to point them out to me. (Dave Kirk’s wife did the same thing by telling me that the new font they are using is something called Crime Scene -so maybe that says I am easy to please?)

Pretty cool concept for a greasing a headset. Especially when Matt said that Chris King himself stopped by the booth and gave him the full lowdown on the headset. This bike was a creation for Eric (above to the left of his bicycle) the proprietor of Monkeywrench Cycles in Lincoln, Nebraska – where Nate Meshke – the second half of Signal used to live. I have officially made Monkeywrench go straight to the top of my list of bike shops that I need to see (others include Above Category and Cronometro). If only for the fact that Eric claims to have not one, but…er…more than one of these amazing headsets. Apparently there was also a pedal and hubset that went with it. The Hubs are actually on the bike.

Matt claimed that this was a pretty ideal build for them as Eric basically gave them the headset and asked them to build a bike around it. Silly? Maybe, but you might also be surprised at just how often this sort of thing happens. Stop by at Harris Cyclery and I am quite sure that they could give you more than a few stories along these lines (think Sturmey Archer.) The ease also has something to do with the customer putting trust into what these guys are bringing to the table in terms of their taste. And with a glance around their booth it is easy to see why customers would leave the whole taste debate up to them.

The second bike that I was excited to see in their booth was one that they built for my favorite local bookstore/awesomeshop Ampersand Vintage. The blue bike bares the signature ampersand on the downtube and more than a few shiny bits to spice up the frame. I do not know if this would technically be called a rain bike, light touring, or maybe even the West Hills name that has been kicking around recently, but whatever you choose to call this style also add “Sick” to the front, effectively making it the Sick Light Touring, or the Sick Rain Bike, or even the SICK West Hills Bike…

Days before the show Matt and Nate went in to Ampersand to pick out a few extra little pieces for the bike and came away with this antiquated map of Portland to give it that extra touch. And when it is nestled all nice and snug under the viewing port of the leather accented bag it makes me want to do some light touring. Some leisurely parading, or even, if you must a romp through the forrested hills of Southern Oregon. I am not joking.

Myles has mentioned a few times the trip that he took a few years ago out of Portland and down through California on his previous touring bike. Nothing like a new bike to get you motivated to do some riding. I kept thinking about just this thought as I madly roamed the isles of the NAHBS “What is going to be my new bike? I want a new bike.” Careful or I will get all Veruca Salt on your ass. Not the band.

The thing that I came back to while I was looking through the photos from the Signal booth, and it did not really hit me until I looked at them for the third time today was Signal’s use of Portland throughout their booth. Take a look back through the photos and see what I mean. The Handlebar on the Orange one? Vertigo Cycles. The Hubs and Headsets on all of them except the orange one? Chris King. The Ampersand bicycle being a representation of the store and even the red 29er had “Portland, OR” emblazoned on the top tube. Hell even the handmade Carbon Wheels on Carey’s Team Cross bike had one of the new incarnations to the club — Corsa Concepts.

So, I will leave you with that, and that is a good one, especially because it is well known that I am just a little bit obsessed with Carbon Clinchers these days, so I will look forward to hearing how these fare…

We are still waiting to hear a couple things about the Embro Awards. I will let you know the winners just as soon as I got the total tally and we check with the Supreme Court to see if that pesky First Amendment thing went through. Could be quite a bother if it does not because then all my reportage will be for naught. The people need answers.

Full-ish Set on Flickr.

By: Jackson Weber Saturday February 27, 2010

January and February is generally a time of for all the annual irritations of a mature life – car inspection, physical (body inspection), eye glass prescriptions, etc. ad nauseum. I generally put off all of these things (nothing like putting off a car inspection for 6 months and explaining that one to a police officer). However there is one thing I have become religious in yearly (if not more often) seeking out, bike fit.

Fit, one of those words in the cycling world that people can bicker over like the merits of Campy against Shimano against SRAM. The end goal is the same – comfort and power – but the paths travelled to get there might be compared to the struggles of creationism and evolution. Holy word, science, black magic, common sense – go to four different fitters and you could find yourself in four different positions. I myself have been fit to bicycles with nearly every method
imaginable. The “inch-between-your-crotch-and-top tube” method, the slight bend in your knee at the bottom of the pedal stroke, that you should be able to block out your front hub with the front of your stem, knee over pedal spindle, Euro stretched and slammed, American upright a la Pruitt, laser levels, video recording, motion
capture, a fitter can rarely surprise me with a fitting technique or concept.

Of course, I still managed to donate a year and a half of my
life and part of knee due to injury thanks to (you guessed it) poor fit and
biomechanics. Now I’m about as neurotic about fit as Merckx or the Princess and the Pea. I have fortunately recognized that I know enough about biomechanics and fit to cause irreparable harm to myself. Thus I now seek out fitters like wine aficionados seek out elusive bottles. And upon finding them interrogate them until they’re either irate or I’m satisfied.

These days a fitting session for me is like therapy. I’ve found a fitter whose blend of science and common sense fit comfortably with my own ideas that I’ve concocted over the years. Getting measured and stretched puts my mind at ease in a way few things do. Riding a trainer while wired up for motion capture is bliss. I can and have happily spent hours with my fitter tweaking measurements by millimeters, as it all means one thing: I only have to worry about driving my bike as hard as I can, no worries, no excuses.