Bicycles and the Sartorially Inclined

Photo by The Sartorialist

This photo never gets old.  Tall bikes are awesome, the light is perfect and the rider is lovin' life.  It doesn't get much better.

Splinter Bike Quantam

Spotted on Designboom

Having dabbled pretty extensively in woodworking myself, the newest addition to the SplinterBike family immediately caught my eye. A completely wooden monocoque bicycle built for speed. The amount of time and planning put into this bicycle (over 400 hours) blows my mind. Not a single piece of metal was used to create the bike; just old fashioned wood and glue. The video is a bit dry but if you are interested in the technical aspect, it's worth a watch. The handle bars are fabricated from refinished broom handles, gotta love it!

Ritte Van Vlaanderen Overload

Ever since I saw the radical Ritte window display in Cadence Cycling and Multisport in Manayunk, I fell in love.  The style, craftsmanship and standard colorway are unbelievable,  the team is awesome and who else comes up with ads like this and this?  Fabrication videos are some of my favorites and this is no exception. Plus, the music is dope, which is always an added bonus.



In going with the Ritte theme, this is the best tattoo of all time (sorry for the lack of photo credit, it's an awesome shot that has been sitting in depths of the "random junk" folder).



I'm on Ritte overload right now, too bad I'm a starving college student.

Hell on Wheels: In Praise of Mutant Bikes

Spotted on LIFE Magazine

The other day a fantastic young woman sent me a link to LIFE Magazine's Hell on Wheels in celebration of bike month and I must say, these bikes are insane.  I posted a few that I thought were pretty whacky but honestly it is 100% necessary to check out the full post.  From a bicycle used to aerate a field to one with square wheels, I'm really not sure what is going on here; 1948 must have been a pretty wild year.

And for your listening pleasure, a modern twist on some jazzy old tunes. It seemed appropriate.

Stanridge Speed "Teaser"

Since I was young, I have always had a strong interest in woodworking.  Using your own hands, and a few well engineered power tools, to build beautiful furniture out of raw wood is one of the most satisfying feelings.  When I got into cycling I instantly took an interest in hand made bicycles. It never ceases to amaze me how these builders can start with raw tubing and a torch and build such a beautiful machine.  In recent months I feel as though private builders have been getting way more notoriety because of sites like Prolly is not Probably and companies like Rapha who are promoting small scale builders to the general public. Anyway this is a rad "teaser" video of Adam Eldridge, the founder of Stanridge Speed talking about the art of building a bicycle frame. I love the the random shots around the workshop, there's nothing cooler than beautiful old shop tools and the final product is so rad.

I can't wait to own a handmade bicycle of my own.

The 2011 Philly Bike Expo

This past weekend I decided it was in my best interest to brave the blizzard and make the trek home to attend the Philadelphia Bike Expo and man did it pay off. The 23rd Street Armory is an awesome venue with plenty of room and a really cool atmosphere. There were tons of vendors and the cream of the crop when it comes to north eastern frame builders. Some of my personal favorites included Peter Mooney, Royal H and of course Icarus and Bishop. Also noteworthy was Holland Cycles, I talked to a rep for a bit and the material they make their frames out of is so high-tech and beautiful that I couldn't help but drool (a mind blowing combination of Titanium and Carbon Fiber).  Unfortunately my camera is terrible and I didn't get too many pictures. There was also an outdoor section where cyclists were selling their own hodge-podge of parts or in some cases, just showing off their RIDICULOUS collection of vintage bicycles. I had the opportunity to have a short conversation with the man himself, Mr. Jon "Prolly" Watson, which I might add was pretty cool. I hope everyone that attended had as much fun as I did and I hope to see you next year (hopefully I'll have a real camera by then)!

I will also be adding a few more photos to my Flickr over the next few days if you are interested.

Let There Be Light

The other day a very good friend of mine sent me a link to these UNBELIEVABLE chandeliers assembled completely from bike parts! Looking through the gallery I was blown away; using mostly rims, chains and a few cassettes here and there, Carolina Fontoura Alzaga creates functional bicycle art that lights your home! You can order your very own bicycle lighting right here.

Icarus Bicycles

Recently I have seen a number of photos and promotions about Icarus frames and I thought I would check out there website for myself.  If I said what I found was impressive, that would most definitely be an understatement.  Their craftsmanship and designs are out of control.  This frame really stuck out, that seat tube is unbelievable, I have never seen anything like it.

Stop-O-Matic

Spotted at Trackosaurusrex

This thing is INSANE! A caliper that is connected directly to the sprocket! Who would have thought? With an invention like this machined rims will be a thing of the past. Check this mechanical genius out at Monkey Likes Shiny.