This is a time marker for the last mixed-terrain ride that I shepherded for the 2016 season.
Thanks all for such a great series of rides. New leaders now.
More next year for me!
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Generally, it’s a lot easier to create a mascot than to create a project. And, it’s often more fun.
Conjure the Rabbit brings the spring. Stay tuned for details about Conjure.
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Sometimes riding in the snow takes precedence over everything else. Even with an approaching storm.
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Honey Bikes’ good friends at Cyclefit have just written a great and flattering piece about the Honey Allroads and Honey as a company. Cyclefit and its creators are among the most influential, important, thoughtful, and friendly retailers in the world.
Their article begins:
“Everything about Honey Bicycles is mystifying. Maybe even deliberately so? I have been around long enough in this industry to know that it is impossible for a brand new company to bring something this new, perfectly designed, formed, presented and finished, AND be fabricated with genuine homegrown design and handmade credentials in Boston USA. And yet here it is in front of me.”
Obviously, they speak about Honey a lot better than I can. Their article explains why that’s so!
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First tracks in new snow, across a quiet stream, at dusk. It doesn’t get much better than this.
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On March 3, Thursday evening at 7:00 pm, Patria Lanfranchi and I will be presenting a bikepacking how-to clinic at Ride Studio Cafe. I’m really looking forward to this because it’s such a big topic, and I’ve made all the mistakes along the way.
We’re going to cover too many topics, including:
- Bike setup and parts selection
- Packing system methodology
- Sleep systems
- Shelter systems
- Cooking systems and food management
- Water management and treatment
- Light systems
- Electronics management: solar, generator, battery systems
- Ways to travel with your bike
- Wildlife encounter management
- Weather and climate management: From 20 to 100 degrees Fahrenheit. From snow to days of rain to endless summer sun.
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Lovely Bicycles wrote another great piece — how can anyone be surprised — titled, “Steering Your Loved Ones’ Bicycle Purchase Decisions.”
As with much of Velouria’s writing, it’s difficult to distill the article. So, instead, here is one of the quotes that stood out to me — that also relates to Honey Bikes.
“The bicycle itself he found “extremely comfortable” and “eager to accelerate.” However, being steel, he speculated, was certainly a handicap compared to a carbon fibre or even an aluminium bike from the same era. “Not necessarily,” I said, trying to stay calm and not go into Preacher Mode, instead gently pointing him toward information on contemporary lightweight steels, oversized tubing, custom builders, et cetera.”
You’ll want to read her article for yourself, particularly for your loved one.
Thank you to Velouria for helping people enjoy riding more!
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Joe Cruz. If you know already know his name, I already have your attention.
“[Joe] is perhaps the world’s premier bikepacker. He spent a year pedaling Pakistan, Nepal, and Tibet in 2007, and rode his Pugsley the length of South America, to name a few notable trips.”
That’s a good introduction to Joe. And he’s so much more. Seems like he’s ridden everywhere and everything. And now Seven Cycles is working with him on a new bike project. I was fortunate to work with Joe this evening on the fit and design of his new Seven Treeline at Ride Studio Cafe.
We had a great meeting — that felt more like a clinic for me. I’ve done a fair bit of bikepacking but I can’t say that with a straight face when talking with Joe. We discussed just a few of his many travels, the way in which his new Seven could be helpful in his journeys, how he approaches bikepacking, his next few trips, and some of the ways in which I’m in awe of what he’s done.
Seven is designing a few unusual details of Joe’s bike; the frame is going into production next week and we’ll have the built up machine ready by early February — just in time for one of his long adventures.
More details to come. And, I hope to have more stories from Joe’s world soon.
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Seven Cycles just received a brief review of an Axiom SL in The Guardian. Our good friends and partners at Cyclefit made this happen.
Here are two of the highlight quotes from Helen Pidd’s article:
“Is it just me, or does this bike go far farther than you expect with every pedal stroke?”
“I adored the feel of titanium: smoother than carbon, it more or less eliminated road buzz […]”
Thank you The Guardian and Cyclefit. Let’s ride!
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A couple weeks ago Doug Meehan from WCVB Channel 5 visited Seven Cycles to put together a piece for a new show segment they’re producing called “Made in Mass.”
It’s a segment that’s part of the seven o’clock news program. Seven was fortunate enough to have a piece on the first episode of the series. It aired this evening and they’ve posted the brief spot here.
I was interviewed by Doug and we covered a lot of topics I was sure would end up on the editing floor. Our discussion included:
- Some of the reasons that Seven is in the Boston area.
- Boston is an extremely expensive place to run a business — particularly in manufacturing. However, you get what you pay for and we’re very fortunate to be in this area. Boston has so many colleges and universities with smart, young, motivated people. Our company is filled with them. This writer excluded.
- Boston has a very long history of bike building — from Pope manufacturing in the 1800’s through to the second wave that started with Chris Chance.
- Boston has a deep bench of bike builders, probably first or second in the country.
Doug was very kind and interested. Thank you Doug and Channel 5!
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