Mission Workshop has released two new jackets this week. The very expensive Orion, pictured above, and the Bosun jacket. Both look to be quality items, with functionality taking the lead. I’m hoping to get my hands on the Orion for a full review in the near future.
Sharrows have arrived on 4th Street in Hancock Park.
The eebrakes are my favorite component on my bicycle. I have now been using them for close to a year, and I cannot find any faults with them. VeloNews just reviewed them in their most current issue, and the only fault they could find was their price. They are indeed pricey, but they do just what they are supposed to do. They stop brilliantly. They are also very light and really good looking. Craig Edwards has done a fine job, and I look forward to trying out his upcoming crankset when it is released.
From Outlier and Chari & Co. This looks to be a shirt I would wear often. It looks incredibly comfortable. Maybe for Christmas.
Last weekend I had the pleasure of going to San Francisco. I always delight at checking out the shops in the city and Marin. It’s mind blowing the quantity of good shops in Northern California. This trip was short, but I did manage to squeeze in a visit to Ube’s Ice Cream Shop. Ube can take your frame, and paint it any which way you like. It seems that the options are endless. Strangely, I discovered Ube’s shop in an issue of Loop Magazine that a friend from Tokyo had brought me. In the magazine there are a lot of photos and text, though the photos were all I could comprehend. The visit to the shop was not disappointing. Ube is an incredibly gracious person, and also an amazing artist. He showed me the different areas of the shop, the paint booth, where he does his sketches, the rows of frames hanging from the hooks, even the conference room in the back yard. It’s an incredibly cool setup. I’m already having visions of how to paint my old De Bernardi. Here are a couple of photos from the shop. I highly recommend a visit if you find yourself in the Bay Area.
I picked up the Mission Workshop Vandal backpack at Interbike back in September. I previously only used messenger style bags, but my back was beginning to strain under the uneven weight distribution. Backpacks are more comfortable for carrying the heavier loads, though not as convenient to access. The Vandal is Mission Workshop’s larger backpack. It was a bit of a struggle deciding which size to get, but ultimately the larger won out. I couldn’t be happier with my choice. The Vandal is a well thought out bag with plenty of storage for everything. On the outside are two small pockets perfect for keys, cards, gum, and all the other small but necessary things. The next two separate compartments are perfect for my daily planner, iPad, laptop, magazines, bills, etc. The final pocket closest to your back, is my choice for shoes, jackets, sweaters, lunch, and tools. Because there is an internal sleeve on the back side of the bag, nothing will poke your back. It is always comfortable to wear.
Yesterday, I was finally able to test, what is in my opinion, one of the greatest features of the bag. I needed to go to Trader Joe’s to pick up groceries for home. I purchased a 1/2 gallon of milk, a six pack, orange juice, and quite a few other things. I managed to get everything into one Trader Joe’s paper bag. I then un-zipped the backpack in the middle section, which then allowed the grocery bag to slide neatly into the backpack. It’s quite amazing how easily the bag adapted to carrying such a large load. The backpack with the groceries and all my other regular stuff weighed in at 44lbs according to my scale at work. I was apprehensive about riding home with such a load, but the Vandal handled it all with ease.
I’m very impressed with this bag and recommend it to anyone needing to shoulder their life around. I’ll post more updates as it gets worn in.
Not exactly bike related, but very definitely on the road.
http://www.kuriositas.com/2010/11/ben-wilson-chewing-gum-artist-and.html
I just received the following e-mail from Slate at Rapha. I’m super excited to check this out.
Chris Jones of the Rapha-Focus cyclocross team will be racing the UCI Elite-mens race this Saturday and Sunday at Griffith Park. A cool new venue for the Southern California Cross Prestige Series, the Elite race at 3pm caps off each full day of racing at this historic and beautiful park. The fact that this is a UCI race should mean that the competition will be deep and fast as racers try to snatch up those much-sought UCI points. Coming off a great showing at USGPs two weeks ago, we’re pretty excited about Chris’ chances.
If your plans already include racing or watching ‘cross this weekend, give a shout to Chris when you see him. If you’ve never been to a ‘cross race, this should be a fun one, especially with the backdrop of the Greek Theatre at the park.
More information on the race here: http://socalcross.org/events/scps-race-9/
All the best,
Slate
