TdF.

3 July 2009

Tomorrow is the start of a little race that some of you may or may not be watching. For those looking forward to it, I think this year could potentially be one of the most interesting tours of the past few years. Actually for the past many years since Mr. Juan Pelota rose to his firm seat on the throne. Here is a quick list of the reasons why I think this may be a very exciting race.

1. Boonen is in! This just came across the newswire, but Tom Boonen who is quite infamous for his loving of very young women, very fast cars, and very speedy extra curricular substances is allowed to race. Finally, a possible proper chance to see him go up against the Manxster, Mark Cavendish (and Tyler Farrar needs a proper mention with these guys as well).

2. Astana. Are we going to see what could be another La Vie Claire episode? Never has a team been so formidable ever started the Tour de France, and never has there been so much confusion as to who is going to lead and who will lead. Alberto? Lance? While Alberto could easily dominate the whole race, I doubt Lance will let him do it easily. Hello, Hinault/Lemond episode number 02.

3. Radio Free days. Finally, we shall see what real bike racing is like. I wrote about this a while back, but the organizers have decided on two days of radio free racing. This could either be really good for the peloton or really bad. I am leaning towards bad, since most of these riders have never known racing without orders being given through an ear piece.

4. The Biological Passport is working. Riders, even from a few years prior, are being caught by irregular blood samples. Hopefully this means it is a totally clean peloton and the racing should be human.

5. Christian Vandevelde. Why? Because I am a huge fan of this guy, and he has the ability to stand on the podium.

// Jonathan

Broke.

2 July 2009

(First image found under “berlin track bike” search on Google Images, and one Lily and I worked on for the Macaframa Premier here in Berlin)

Berlin Polizei have been in a love affair with confiscating track bikes and fixed gears throughout the city recently. I first heard through emails from friends while I was traveling in the States, that fines were being issued and bikes withheld for indeterminate amounts of time. After getting back, and post ECMC, I found out that they had taken about 18 bikes from various people throughout the city. Luckily, from what I know, a lawyer stepped in and found that the confiscation of the bike was illegal, so some were returned to their owners. Now, I hear it is a mandatory fine, and they are specifically going after track bikes and fixed gears for the next two weeks.

Germany has a lot of rules (especially for bikes), so this shouldn’t come as a complete surprise, but the attention the police are giving this matter now seems pretty silly. As a whole the track bike scene is still pretty small here, and Berlin is relatively safe with proper bike paths and lack of any terrain (meaning hills). Plenty of people who can’t control themselves like every city with fixed gears, but it is rarely a situation that is dangerous. When you see 10 officers standing around chatting and waiting for a track bike, you have to wonder is this is an appropriate measure for them.

// Jonathan

Global Gutz.

30 June 2009

Global Gutz is an annual alleycat that holds individual races at the exact same time in as many cities in the world that want to hold it. A great idea for a simple way to try and get people to compete in an international arena, and get some riders out that normally you would never hear of. And while there will probably be some discrepancies on the route and difficulty depending on time, terrain, traffic etc etc, it is really nice to think that you are racing other riders all around the world at the same time.

Not sure how the creators would feel about it, but this idea could use some serious backing to make it a more televised race where you can follow the events in live time.

Congrats to Irek Gruszczynski and Anette Michel from Warsaw and Zurich.

// Jonathan

1949.

25 June 2009

We’re not all plastic bikes and semi-flammable clothing here. In trueness, the thing we ride most is a steel bike while in jeans and a t-shirt.

The well-crafted object will always appeal and speak to us in ways assembly-line robotics can only hope to, and the wool Rapha CAMPIONISSIMO jersey fills the void in the schism created by the realities of mass-consumer produced goods and realizing a creation with both integrity and trueness-to-vision.

Detailing like the metal-reinforced, wood buttons and concealed chest pocket exemplify this notion. The tailoring is impeccable –the piece’s silhouette is decidedly cut for action and movement but, it is equally at home worn off the bike and as casual clothing. Like all pieces by Rapha, the story on the inside tag describes a rider and rides of the past –in this instance, the (true) myth of Il Campionissimo, Fausto Coppi.

Photo taken of a bronze bust dedicated to Fausto Coppi at the chapel of the Madonna Ghisallo, last OCTOBER.

_garrett chow

Not quite July 4th, but…

22 June 2009

The Penal Tour de France is off for its own epic race. What seems like an amazing system allowing convicted criminals that are in able condition to ride and have records of good behaviour, are out riding around the French countryside. Somehow I don’t see this happening in the USA. I’m also really taken back by their kits, not bad at all.

// Jonathan

360°

20 June 2009

Circularity is rad.

We love the circularity of a perfectly trued wheel. We strive for perfect circles in our pedal stoke. And, maybe most of all, we all love the circularity of life…

June weather in Santa Cruz is temperamental. It can be 90 degrees / bib and jersey weather one day; and overcast, cloudy / arm-warmers and windvest weather the next. Knee-warmers are reserved for the coldest days, so the best means to stave off the chill is an EMBROCATION designed for warmer weather.

JEREMY kindly sent along some Mad Alchemy with a few other LOVELY ITEMS, (which I’ll talk about more, later in the week). I used the cold weather embrocation during February’s Tour of California and while perfect for the cold of winter, it would have been a little overkill on today’s ride…

So, back to the circularity of life: I arrived home from today’s ride, looked down to admire the day’s worth of chip-seal detritus that hitched a ride home on my legs…

…and was pleased to find a package from the EMBROCATION offices on my doorstep. I opened it to find some of the new, LUCHADOR T-SHIRTS!

Full circle.

Jeremy –who also does Embrocation (the magazine, and the rubbing of the stuff on the knees and legs)– and his crew have been very busy building an incredible journal of ALL THINGS CYCLING. I’ve loved watching as with each successive issue comes content, design and photography ever stronger and richer; and their publication moves from strength to strength.

It’s a great honor therefore, to have been asked to contribute to the upcoming ISSUE 4.

Jeremy and I would love for you to enjoy one of the above shirts. The first person to send name and address, and the CORRECT ANSWER to the following question will receive 1 large Embrocation Luchador T-shirt, and 2 of the very limited MASH waterbottles.

Here’s the question: Why a bike?

_garrett chow
luchador_bidon@yahoo.com

Globe

17 June 2009

I think cyclists in general will be floored at what Garrett has added to the 2010 lineup for Globe. I had the opportunity to shoot images for their new roll-out earlier this spring, and if anyone fans out on Garrett’s personal bikes, they will be big fans of what he has been working on with globe. Refined city bikes. Their street/track slot relates to most of us. Starting at around 550$ for spring 2010.

SUBURBS

16 June 2009

I have been spending the past week in the suburbs of Amsterdam, the government here over the past 10 years has been making land from what once was water. As a result a blank canvas has been created where young Dutch architects have been able to experiment with many types of housing. I have been asking myself what is the future of these places, some of the distances that the suburbs are from the cities that they are supposed to supply with housing are simply too far away, even with the efficient Dutch train system. I look forward to visiting these places again in the future to see what in fact is the result in 20-30 years time. Will they become the future ghettos of europe?

WILL MEEKER

FIRST LOOK.

15 June 2009

Here’s some photos of the Globe bikes due out in time to be ridden for Summer! Mike shot some lovely photos of them a while back and they are featured here, alongside studio shots from the trip out to TAIWAN a few weeks back…

The fixed gear ‘Roll’, with plenty of details and features more commonly seen on a bike 4 times it’s price:

The ‘Live’, also available as a coaster-braked single speed, or a belt-driven Alfine 8 speed; and a mixte:

The ‘Haul’ features an integrated, wooden rear rack rated to 50KG:

_garrett chow

ROTTERDAM/ANTWERP/AMSTERDAM

7 June 2009

Been on the road for some days now. traveled through Rotterdam and Antwerp and now in Amsterdam for the next few weeks.

MVRDV in Rotterdam has been pushing the direction of the new urban housing condition that has been created over the past 30 years.

They renovated the Lloyd Hotel in Amsterdam where I am now.

Antwerp is the fashion city of Belgium, most of the stores including Dries van Noten are in and around the Nationale straat neighborhood. Also there is a nice Fashion Museum.

Amsterdam Centre for Architecture (ARCAM) is showing an exhibition City on Wheels.

The exhibition about urban space, focusing on the relationship between the ground level and everything that runs and rolls over it focusing on 55 types of wheeled devices and their interaction with the ground.

WILL MEEKER