Big news everyone: we’re a Yuba dealer now! We currently have an orange Kombi E5 in stock here at the shop. We really like how these bikes are spec’d and like how Yuba options these bikes (racks, pads, etc.). Interested? Stop by and take it for a spin!
One of the rad cyclists whom I like following is Leo Rodgers. Covered by the likes of Bicycling Magazine and The Radavist, Leo has been a fixture in the cycling scene for some years now as he’s ridden for Crust Bikes and Ultradynamico Tires. At the tail end of 2022, Leo was struck by an SUV and his neck was broken. I wanted to highlight his fundraiser here. Given how much positivity he’s put into the cycling scene, I think it’d be rad to share some positivity with him here. Should you be interested in learning more and/or contributing, I’ve linked the fundraiser here.
I was reading a blog post from Grant Petersen a couple of weeks ago when I came across his update that Zefal is discontinuing its HPX frame pump. I happen to have one on my bike and had another on my ‘85 Ritchey Ascent. Solid construction, relatively cheap, easily mounted, and way more useful than a pocket-sized, ultra-lightweight, gram-saving pump. It's better to skip the pump than carry a small, useless one.
I’m not, however, writing this to denigrate mini-pumps, but instead to lament the loss of a really good option. Fewer options for us cyclists is not so great. Consolidated production, fewer brands, less choice, fixed pricing. The lessening of creativity in the cycling industry doesn’t bode well for the future. The fact is that all major bike brands seem to focus solely on carbon and/or e-bikes with disc brakes with nary a steel option/rim brake option. Sure, there’s Surly, Crust, Rivendell, Soma Fabrications but those brands are niche.
I want to reiterate that I don’t dislike carbon bikes or e-bikes per se. Instead, I dislike hearing customer after customer come in here and express to me how they know that they need to go with carbon. Or that they want an e-bike, but only because e-bikes are spec’d with the features they need. The bike they really want simply isn’t made. I wrote about this a bit last week.
I see this, too, with any drivetrains that aren’t 11-speed or 12-speed or 13-speed. The rest is considered legacy componentry, with rapidly disappearing options and little to no higher quality options. Not everyone needs a 12-speed with a compact road double, nor do they need a 1x setup with 13 speeds in the back. Those are nice to have, but not for everyone.
I love bikes because each can be such a creative expression of the rider. While I don’t necessarily think that all bikes should be like the new Monē bike, I do like what it represents: a sort of future-proof frameset that gives the buyer some artistic license with how they spec it. I hope to see more of that.
Until next time,
Luke <3
P.S.: All of our old newsletters are now on our site as blog posts here.