Breadwinner Cycles is a new company founded by Tony Pereira and Ira Ryan. Combined, they have a total of 15 years of frame building experience. The line consists of six custom steel tig-welded bicycles. The model pictured above is the Aufderheide, a fully loaded touring bicycle. The website is a joy to browse, as the photography of these beautiful bikes is amazing. Now, if only I could see one in person.
The opportunity to buy this and many other beautiful motorcycles is happening tomorrow, January 9th, in Las Vegas. Over 400 motorcycles are being offered, some at reasonable estimates. For those not ready to buy, relax and enjoy sifting through the images of these beautiful bikes.
I don’t often post rides here, but today’s perfect weather coupled with the amazing Calfee Dragonfly prompted me to break with tradition. What a great day.
Canyon Bicycles has added Team Movistar to its roster of UCI teams riding their wonderful bicycles. Movistar joins Team Katusha in riding the three top road offerings from Canyon. I am happy to see these bikes on the pro tour, but only wish we might soon see these bikes in the US. Watching them race in all the iconic races will have to suffice for now.
The Christmas holiday isn’t over yet, but a lot has happened over the last week, and I wanted to report on it. First, despite yesterday’s 60 mile ride, I am nowhere near completing the Rapha Festive 500. According to Strava, I have only completed 27% of the goal. Other excellent activities took precedence, such as a camping trip to Joshua Tree, and a ski trip to Mammoth. If you factor in the ski runs and hikes, I’m sure I blew past the 500 kilometer goal, but alas, the Garmin wasn’t with me for those activities and I suspect the challenge is meant solely for cycling. Another reason for the bike sitting idle can be seen in the image above. The Lego Unimog was my Christmas present from Santa. Yes, I still gladly play with Legos, and this particular model was one I had been eyeing for several years. It was at the top of my list for Santa, and he obliged. I opened it Christmas morning, and I am here to report this is the most complicated Lego model I’ve ever built. Actually, today is the 30th, and the model is still awaiting completion. If all goes well, the hydraulics will be connected today, and the Unimog will be loading and unloading all sorts of objects around the house. Then, tomorrow, I will get back on the bike and do the last ride of 2013. It’s been a great year with the usual ups and downs, and this holiday season has been the perfect capper. Starting fresh on Wednesday with 2014, I look forward to bringing you more cycling news, adventures, reviews, and whatever else might be of interest. Happy New Year to everyone, and let cycling continue to be a means to happiness.
Any of these bicycles would be amazing to find under the Christmas tree. Let’s see if Santa will comply.
N.Bidlake is a company based in the San Luis Obispo area of California. They design clothes for the active lifestyle. This means materials that are wrinkle-free and low maintenance. My first hands-on experience with N.Bidlake has been with the All-rounder trouser. When they arrived, I was surprised at how much they looked like proper dress pants. Despite the formal look, they are designed to be used for biking. I love being able to ride in the trousers, and then wear them with a blazer for a night out on the town. They definitely can do both as they are made from a wrinkle-free blend of wool and recycled polyester. The material will repel water, oil and dirt, yet with a really nice natural feel. The cut is generous, allowing for complete freedom of movement while retaining a tailored look. These trousers are a nice showing from this new company, and I look forward to seeing more of their products in the future.
It’s not even 2014 yet, but I am already betting this will be one of the best shows of the new year. Spiritualized at the new Ace Hotel with orchestra, choir and special guests. I am very excited about this one.
This year I bought myself an amazing Christmas present. I had been eying the Kill Spencer briefcase for some time, and I finally opened the purse strings and bought it over Thanksgiving break. All of Kill Spencer’s designs appeal to me, but this particular briefcase in charcoal grey really grabbed me. I justified the purchase by telling myself and anyone who would listen that I needed something a bit more grown up to lug to the many meetings I find myself in these days. The requirements were simple. It had to accommodate my 15″ MacBook Pro, the corresponding cables and plug, my daily planner, and a host of other items. I also wanted something sturdy that had both a shoulder strap and handle, and could work on my bicycle commute. The Kill Spencer briefcase has all of the above in one of the most elegant looking bags I’ve ever seen. The design is extremely simple and functional. From the exterior the briefcase has the look of business with a slight edge. Perhaps the patented Cobra buckles contribute to this, or maybe it is the beautiful Swiss-made Riri zipper running across the top flap. The leather is stunning, with a slightly pebbled texture. The grey is unusual for a case like this and is another reason the bag feels unique. Inside, the briefcase has a padded compartment for the MacBook with an elastic security strap. There are two flat internal pockets designed to accommodate a passport and pens, and two expanding exterior pockets for the power cables and other bulkier items. There is an attachment webbing strip on these pockets that can be used to attach optional accessory cases. The shoulder strap has 1500 lb. mil-spec nylon webbing and is removable. The detail work on the briefcase is incredible, and the bag has held up beautifully under extreme loads. As is the case with all Kill Spencer products, the briefcase is made in their Silverlake workshop behind the retail portion of the store. For those living in Los Angeles, I highly recommend a visit to this wonderful store and workshop. Seeing all the beautiful products in person is a must. I am incredibly pleased with my early Christmas present, and I recommend Kill Spencer to anyone looking for beautiful and handmade backpacks, briefcases, and folios.
The title of this post may lead you to wonder if I have started speaking a different language, but rest assured we are still dealing with the English language here. So, to clarify, Qak (Quality Accessories are Key) is a Boulder, Colorado based company providing Bluetooth solutions for the active lifestyle. The premiere product from Qak is the Thump Blu headphones. They are Bluetooth headphones geared towards people needing a stable solution while cycling, running, etc. Out of the box, they are quite easy to set up and pair with a phone- in my case, an iPhone. Once paired, you have the option of controlling volume, changing tracks, and starting and pausing. In addition to music control, Thump Blu is also a hands free phone. There is a built-in microphone allowing for crystal clear conversations. There is also the ability to activate and use voice command, making it quite easy to ask Siri questions. The headphones are capable of seven hours of play time from a single one hour charge, making them a reliable solution for everyday needs. I’ve had fun using the Thump Blu, and think it is a great product for those who like to listen to their music wherever their lives may take them.
