Chip Baker put some thoughts into words about his new Honey Cyclocross bike.
“When you are totally suffering and you look down at the bike it is impossible to not get a smile on your face.
“I can’t even wait to race it next Fall. For now I will have to be happy riding in the woods and taking it on nice dirt roads. We have been talking about D2R2 like we always do, but this bike may be what finally gets me there. […]
“In any other situation [with a new bike] I would have been freaking out. But I trust my friends. [Honey is] so PRO its not even funny. I left it all to them. That am […] I pulled it out of the van hopped on and voila. Perfect. I took two laps up and down Washington Street just to see how it felt. Felt like a bike I have been riding for years! […]
“Felt like home. The bike had soul. Why mince words. That is very important to me. And filled me with total confidence. The Ronde chews up bikes, parts and riders. We passed so many riders that day with sheared off derailleurs, broken chains, broken bodies from crashes. […]
“On the first trail sector I could tell what a special bike this is. Steel to me just rides so nicely. It can be stiff and smooth at the same time. That is its true magic. We had to climb some nasty fireroads strewn with big rocks and gravel and the bike just powered up the climb. When we got to the top there was a ripper of a descent on the back side of the hill. Tight and twisty with roots and water bars scattered about. I was able to bomb down it in total control. Hopping the water bars and shredding the corners. To be honest at that point I just let the bike do its job. […]
“I never once had to stop on the ride to adjust a thing. One of my friends texted me after the ride. His text read “You are sneaky fast in the woods.” Yep. And I have the HUP Honey to thank for that. […]
“Riding a CX bike in the woods is more flow and technique than smashing through stuff like on a mountain bike. Very bad things can happen if you try and ride your cx bike like your mtn bike in the woods. The Honey was smooth enough to flow over the rough terrain but still stiff enough to be nimble to accelerate out of corners and to hop over logs and rocks that came up too fast to avoid. […]
“One of steel’s greatest qualities is it does not beat you up. Even after 6 hours I felt great. No back pain, no neck pain. Still fresh. So we are flying through this sector with about 20 guys tagging along. We get to the end and pop out and look around. Its like the other 17 guys had been abducted by aliens. Gone. We waited. And waited. Nothing. So we rolled on. […]
“These are the traits you dream of in a cx bike. But how did it do on the road sections? A trail carving, bump absorbing cross machine should be whippy and too flexible on the road right? Not this bike. It has massive chainstays. There is black magic in them. I am sure of it. On the road the bike responded like my Scandium road bike. Fast and quick and climbed fantastically. […]
The HUP Honey did slay the Ronde. Kept me safe, made the ride so much fun. […]
It is the nicest cx bike I have ever owned. Still need to soak it all in and take it on more long rides. […]
As much as this bike was built to contest cyclocross races in one of the toughest regions in the Nation it seems like such a shame to only ride it for 45 minutes! […]
Maybe my favorite words:
“I like feeling unencumbered and filling my jersey pockets with the important things like rice cakes and pastries.”
And, as Chip mentioned, thanks to everyone that pitched in to make it happen:
- Dan V: for getting the design dialed in
- Matt O: for managing the production process
- Mike S: for building the frame without a moment’s rest
- Stef A: for providing perfect welding and brazing
- Matt S: for doing all the final machining and finishing
- Staci S: for working paint magic
What a team!
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