Keeping it real this week: real helpful. Tips, tools of the trade, suggestions, wisdom, know-how, how-to, ideas, thoughts...we've got you situated to leave this Weekly Roundup knowing some stuff you didn't used to know. You ready? Get ready. In no particular order:
A little something on the BMX side: Our friend Amos Brumble has a bike shop. They put together a cool video walking you through every step of building a BMX bike. It's long, but well worth checking it out, and some of the steps shown here apply to freeride bikes, singlespeed bikes, etc.
A different sort of machine now: A new entry in the next-gen bike movement from the UK this time. Stuff like this appeals to us from a design perspective - a look at our most treasured machine from a new angle. But it also sets off our grumpy alarms when we see a design and engineering firm take a stab at the bike market like this because they seem to be addressing design elements without truly considering how it will positively affect the ride and performance of the machine.
Remember Erik Saunders? Southeastern guy, transplanted to Santa Barbara, long time road pro, unusually articulate for a professional athlete, super hardman, all-around nice guy, and widely respected for racing clean through the 90's and the early (dirty) part of the 2000's. Anyway, he's all about sharing the love for enduro moutain biking these days. Apparently it's his new, post-pro jam/hobby. He compiled a pretty helpful little list of necessary gear and wisdom for new mountain bikers, and we think it's worth bookmarking. Thanks, Erik!
We dig bikes around here, it's true, and we pay a certain amount of attention to the handmade sort. You know this, and you probably appreciate fine welds, pretty paint, and niche value as much as we do. Apropos of nothing in particular, we thought we'd give some props to Paul Sadoff of Rock Lobster fame for sharing some unique insights into his craft. The guy's been at it longer than almost anyone else you can find to talk to, and we listen when he talks. #5 seems particularly useful. Besides, this gives us the opportunity to share the above link to our own (shameless!!) article, shot by the inimitable Jeremy Jo. Does he make the pretty images, or does he make the pretty images. Gosh.
Better and better, he gets. The superlatives employed to describe our hero wander into cliché with no clear point of demarcation between the two; but the fact is that Jens Voigt is a force of nature. If you've been following him for a decade or so, this result will give you special emotions. He smiles a lot, he loves his sport, he loves his 5 kids, and he isn't afraid to work really REALLY hard. If you love bike racing, how do you not love this man? Can he win the ToC? Well, it gives we romantics something to wish for this week.
The merry merry month of May is more than half gone, already. Have you ridden your bike enough? Get out there.
