Words

LISTEN UP! 

This is your first notice:

THE USED BIKE SALE & BIKE SWAP MEET is coming up at ONE ON ONE BICYCLE STUDIO, Sunday, 20 May. We will be selling over 100 fine pre-owned cycles that deserve your ass on their saddles. We will also be selling a bunch of crap. You should, too. Tables are availabe for $15 dollars. Admission is FREE! 

There will be loud rock-n-roll, loud noises, and I imagine a derby. It's Art-A-Whirl weekend, too, so there should be plenty of freaks on bikes.

Just get on with it.

Get Rad,

-Hurl

(picture: salt-licked Rapha cap, Ragnarok 105)

In the time that I've owned this Rapha Classic Wind Jacket, it has easily become my go-to item that, if not being worn, at least gets stuffed into my bag. The fabric is mind-boggling soft, yet durable, and the wind-proof quality of such a lightweight jacket is hard to over-emphasize. Also highly water-resistant, this wafer thin piece will forever be part of my cycling wardrobe. Now Rapha is offering the same material in a standard shirt, as well. Some people bitch and moan at the cost of Rapha gear, and decry their "epic" image. To those people, I can only ask, have you ever tried any Rapha gear? The pricing really isn't much different that other top-level brands, (Pearl Izumi, Garneau, Castelli, etc.) and much lower than certain players (Assos). But most importantly, the fit, finish, – and I cannot stress this enough, the function of Rapha gear, is top-level. And let's face it, unless you are a complete cad, the Rapha aesthetic is simply beautiful. This jacket looks good, with thoughtful design details that let you know they were designed for real riding, by real riders. It is, a true classic.

There's a lot of great new products becoming available this season, and I'm here to tell you about some of them. Local Mpls (+ NYC) apparel company Search and State have hit the ground running with some sweet jerseys and jackets. Made in the USA in New York's famed garment district, these pieces are designed for the discerning rider who wants performance, quality, and doesn't necessarily want to flaunt the sometimes garish logos and/or designs that advertise, "hey, look at me! I'm a serious cyclist!" Look for a more in-depth review after we get some riding time in wearing these understated, but well-made items.

Back for the 97th running this Saturday, 17 March, it's the Spring ClASSic, the Slick 50! Once again we will be rolling out on a nice 50 +/- ride of dirty proportions. The ride will begin from http://oneononebike.com  meeting at 10:00 am for coffee/maps/tubes, and depart between 10:30 - 10:45. We will be heading southwest on the LRT limestone trail towards Chaska, then meander some nice backroads thru Victoria, Chanhassen, Shorewood, Excelsior, and back into town on the Minnetonka LRT trail, ending at the Pizza Luce in Hopkins, right on the trail. Expect a 3+ hour ride. Remember, this is not a race, but it's not a pub-crawl neither. Average speed will be between 13-17 mph. While technically a "no-drop" ride," please be prepared for any and all conditions. Bring any tools you might need, a spare tube/pump, and food/water to sustain. Fenders are highly encouraged. There will be mud. Please note that there is no rest stop/midway lunch stop. As mentioned above, we will finish the ride at Pizza Luce in Hopkins, where the patio is reserved for us two-wheeled heathens. This is a great "training" ride for those participating in the spring gravel races. All are welcome.

Did a little video work for local company http://www.speedhoundbikes.com Speedhound Bikes. This is onne of three videos to be released this week. Click the link after the break.

http://youtu.be/eCMzsfRz320 Norman the tortoise.

[photo credit:brad from urbanvelo]

I can honestly say I'm pretty stoked for this upcoming collaboration with Levi's, who came to town last weekend. Souphorse, their man on the street, timed his visit perfectly with STUPOR BOWL 15.  After Friday evening's top-secret meeting at Haute Dish, the weekend exploded into a frenzied bender or truly Nordic proportions. The warm weather/lack of snow characterizing this winter continued, which made it all the easiert to roar around town in a two-wheeled trajectory. This included watching nearly 400 souls gathering in the alley for Stupor registration. I'm always amazed at the collection of bikes, riders, and just the pure pageantry of the event. Had to work until 5pm in the shop, so we made sure to stay hydrated and got to watch the riders come thru the back alley as part of the secret second manifest, before ghost riding two prize bikes to the finish line award ceremony at the Nomad. A blurred ride home followed, as you can imagine. Thanks to Brad @ Urban Velo, Charles @ ArtCrank, Gene @ OOOBS, and the Bureau of Tobacco & Firearms... And in case you're wondering, the beard is staying for at least another week.