Introducing Salsa’s new Blackbarow adventure fat bike
When the Salsa Mukluk first burst onto the scene in 2011, it was designed for backcountry exploration moreso than actual mountain biking. Well in the past few years things have changed quite a bit, and as fat bikes have become more specialized, tires have gotten bigger, and customers’ desires have changed, the bikes have had to evolve quickly.
See what makes the Blackbarow unique here.
Tweet PrintFirst ride: Salsa’s full-suspension fat bike, the Bucksaw
We had seen it coming. There were spy shots and rumors tossed around about a full-suspension fat bike. In fact, the Bucksaw isn’t even the first one—several smaller brands have built bikes that qualified as “full-suspension”, but this one is different. This is a major brand making a big commitment to a new product segment, and bringing an advanced suspension design with it. Mike Riemer, Salsa’s Marketing Manager, said that Dave Weagle, the creator of the Bucksaw’s Split Pivot suspension, told him it was the most complex project he had ever worked on.
One thing is for sure, this is not a “stealthy” bike. From the big tires to the candy-colored paint, the Bucksaw is breaking a new trail in mountain biking. But how does it ride?
Tweet PrintFirst Impression: Niner RLT9
Niner’s RLT is inspired by the “Road Less Traveled”, and is perhaps an unlikely leader in the adventure bike trend. There’s a lot to admire about the fresh-looking bike, even without pedaling it: three great color schemes, plenty of tire clearance, carbon fork, internal cable routing, similar airformed tubing to Niner’s AIR9 mountain bike, singlespeed or geared options, integrated fender mounts, rear rack mounts, relaxed geometry and disc brakes all make for an extremely attractive package.
Tweet PrintModify Watches let’s you rep your favorite cycling brand, or go full custom
I’ll admit I’m a bit of a watch nut so I was I wanted to share this new timekeeping option for cycling fans – or really anyone who wants something unique. Everything these days is about standing out from the crowd. Brands like Timbuk2 and Chrome offer custom products, and even Trek is in on the action with its Project One bikes.
Modify Watches was launched from a crowd-funding effort and offers stock or custom watches for less than $100. You can choose a pre-made template, use the online configuration to build your own, or even send in your own design and have it printed on the watch face. The cycling industry is getting in on the action with plenty of brands and styles to choose from.
Modify has made custom watches for SRAM,Pinarello, Ritte Racing, Hodala Cyclocross Team,Cyclehawk, Godspeed Courier and Levi’s GranFondo to name a few. Shops such as One On One Bicycle in Minneapolis and West End Bikes in Portland are signed on to carry custom watches as well as stock options. If you’re a brand or bike shop, get in touch with Modify to learn about making your own.
Want to let loose on the weekend but need to be serious at the office? You can purchase an extra strap for just $15 and switch the face out in seconds.
What do you think? Should we make a Bicycle Times watch?
In Pixels: Bicycle Times #30 is here
by GaryJBoulanger /
In this issue
Coverboy Jeremy Gray shows off his bikepacking skills (and colorfully inked torso) astride a Rivendell Hunqapillar near Glorietta, New Mexico, setting the tone for our most dynamic issue yet. The cover was shot by serial adventurer Cass Gilbert, who’s also friends with feature writer Nicholas Carman, who reports on his European bikepacking experience from the North Sea to the Black Sea, and all points in between.
Our ghost editor is Ernest Hemingway, the late adventurer and author who inspired us to take advantage of our days on earth. His legacy weaves its way through the pages, which also include tips on avoiding heat stroke and taking better bike photos. We even convinced Keith Bontrager to share his mushroom foraging secrets.
All this and more, now available on iTunes. Print subscribers should start receiving their copies next week. As always, order a subscription and you’ll never miss an issue.
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Join us at PedalFest in Oakland, CA, July 26
PedalFest is a epic, free celebration of all things bicycle in Jack London Square. No matter what type of cyclists you are, you’re sure to find something fun, including a chance to meet some of the most legendary American cyclists.
Learn more about the event here.
Tweet PrintBlackburn welcomes class of 2014 Blackburn Rangers
Created in 2012 to embody the culture of adventure, the Blackburn Ranger program supports cyclists that the brand admires on their journeys along the Pacific Coast and the Great Divide. This year, the brand has added four new adventure cyclists into the 2014 Blackburn Ranger “Out There” program.
To continue the legacy and spirit that Founder Jim Blackburn built in 1975, the Ranger program is created from a simple and effective people-and-product-first approach with everything it touches. This no-nonsense style provides in the field product development feedback that gets fast-tracked for future innovation and also places community first. Ultimately, the program encourages everyone to ‘get out there.’
Tweet Print‘Catch Wheel Fever’ with 1890s cycling experience
by AdamNewman /
Photos by Mike Morbeck
Take a trip back in time this weekend with The Wheelmen, a group of more than 100 vintage cycling enthusiasts in Wisconsin who will be giving demonstrations and leading rides on the latest in 19th Century bicycles.
Learn more about the event here.
Tweet PrintIn Print: Chasing Walter Greaves (for 45,000 miles)
By Léo Woodland, Illustration by Rich Kelly.
It’s been held by General De Gaulle’s chauffeur, by a professional, by several amateurs… yet never, so far as I know, by an American. It’s the record for the greatest distance covered in a year. And 75 years ago this winter the record was broken by the oddest man of all, and certainly the most disagreeable.
Walter Greaves had reason to think little of the world. For a start, he had only one arm. But he developed his grievance into such an unpleasant personality that one member of his old club told me he didn’t dare reflect on the old record-breaker “for fear of what I may say about him.”
The idea for a one-year distance record was born in the days when bike companies advertised the reliability of what they made. Working men bought bicycles and they wanted them as indestructible as themselves. What better proof than a bike that had gone further in a year than any before?
Tweet PrintReview: Swiss Side Gotthard wheelset
Swiss Side, started by a Formula 1 engineer and an award-winning sports equipment designer, produces only handbuilt wheels for road bikes, and nothing else. Their products already sound astronomically expensive—but they’re not. Founders Jean-Paul Ballard and George cant deliberately structured the company to be lean and mean to avoid overhead. (It also helps that the wheels are handbuilt in Taiwan, not Switzerland.)
The Gotthard wheelset is intended for rougher roads or heavier riders. The name, as it turns out, is not slightly offensive, but is in fact an homage to the Gotthard Pass in Switzerland, a twisty and treacherous pass that is one of the highest paved roads in Europe. This isn’t exactly a touring or rough-road wheelset, but is certainly more durable than typical racy road sets, and quite light to boot, at 1,465g for the pair.
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