Outlier have released the Ultrafine Merino T-Shirt in two colors, yellow and gray. As is the case with most merino products, they are pricey at $98.00, but are great for all types of weather. Most importantly, merino stays fresh over time, making these t’s perfect for travel. If only I had a birthday coming up!
I have been riding with the Giro Prolight SLX shoes for a few weeks now, and my initial impressions are very positive. First, these shoes are crazy light, coming in at 205 grams for a size 42.5 with the ultra-light footbed. They really do feel light, in your hands, on your feet, and on the bike. The fit is nearly perfect, enveloping your foot as if molded specifically for your own comfort. The three velcro straps are what help to make the shoes so light. Giro have forsaken the ratcheting buckle closure on the Prolight in favor of three simple velcro straps. Before trying the shoes, this was my main concern. In terms of fit, my fears were erased immediately. The shoes adjust perfectly with the velcro straps and I like the simplicity of the setup. On the bike, the shoes perform exceptionally, as they transfer your energy to the bike seamlessly. This is the best fitting shoe I’ve tried to date. In addition, the light weight make these perfect shoes to travel with to keep your luggage light. In terms of longevity, only time will tell, but I think they will hold up well. This is a very well constructed shoe, made from a lightweight Teijin microfiber upper with an Easton EC90 SLX carbon outsole with titanium hardware. After a few short weeks, the Prolight’s have become my go to shoe.
© jean metzinger by SIAE 2012
This is a drawing by Jean Metzinger on view at the Peggy Guggenheim in Venice. Following is the text from the Guggenheim.
June 9–September 16, 2012
The exhibition revolves around Jean Metzinger’s At the Cycle-Race Track (Au vélodrome, 1912), a pivotal Cubist work at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection. Beyond exploring the theme of the fourth dimension, a proposed transcendental other reality, which fascinated the avant-garde in Paris before World War II, the show presents other Metzinger paintings and drawings on the theme from private and public collections, in addition to Mario Sironi’sThe Cyclist (Il ciclista, 1916), Umberto Boccioni’s Dynamism of a Cyclist (Dinamismo di un ciclista, 1913), and works by Pablo Picasso and Gino Severini. Photographs of the velodrome in Roubaix, France, and the champions that Metzinger represented are included.
How cool is this combo?
I came across this amazing bicycle light from Blink Steady. It is machined from solid aluminum and turns on automatically when you begin to ride. It then shuts off when you come to a stop. It also sports a light sensor to determine when it should activate, and it securely locks to your seat post to prevent theft. The design is incredibly simple and elegant. I look forward to trying one out.
A long awaited vacation is in my families future, and I am compiling my list of cycling related excursions I can drag my family to while on vacation. One such trip will be to visit Dario Pegoretti in Italy. I am planning to drive over the Stelvio and drop in to Italy for a tour of his workshop. In his response to my e-mail, he cheerfully invited me to come by, and I suspect he will be quite the entertaining host.
Yesterday I had the pleasure of viewing the private collection of Mark Mattei, the owner of Cycle Smithy. I only had about 45 minutes to spend with him, ended up staying an hour and a half, and could have stayed for days. The collection Mark owns has to be one of the finest I’ve seen. Over two hundred bicycles and I’d venture thousands of documents related to Schwinn are the core of the collection. Most of the bicycles are in original condition though the photo above is a restoration true to it’s original form. As a museum employee, I found all the documents incredibly fascinating. Above are photos of the original patent granted by the US Patent Office for the “receptacle for bicycles.” This was granted in 1935, and pertained to the Aerocycle, a bicycle initially released in 1933. Above is also an original drawing by Frank W Schwinn for a replaceable seat post clamp. A truly amazing piece, and just one of many original drawings by Frank. I could have stayed and gone through the paper portion of the collection for days and days. I have to thank Mark for his generosity of time in showing me these amazing items. My next trip to Chicago will definitely include another stop to this world class collection.
Atomic22 is a small UK company that has developed the Infinit3D Security System. The system uses a unique key to securely fasten any and all of the components on your bike. Without the key, it seems incredibly difficult for a thief to casually steal any of the parts off your bike. I’m hoping to be able to try out the system and report back my findings.
Seen at Cycle Smithy. Amazing.
It is fitting that a friend forwarded a link to this Waterford T-22 today, as it is being sold by Cycle Smithy, a shop I will visit on my trip to Chicago this week. Cycle Smithy is basically a bike museum that happens to have a bike shop within. All the vintage bikes hang from the ceiling in semi neat rows. Their inventory of new bikes isn’t bad either, as is evidenced by the Waterford you see above. I also plan on visiting Nonetheless Garments, a company specializing in functional menswear. I’ve been in touch with them off and on for about a year, so it will be nice to see their studio and their product. Most importantly, the Sycip is traveling with me once again, so I hope to get quite a few rides in, both in Chicago, and along the Mississippi River.
