The Structure of Bicycle Revolutions

          New cycling stuff rocks. I’m always stoked to buy something new for my bike. Often it means that I can explore somewhere I wouldn’t have been able to before. The right tires, bars, saddle and bags for the conditions make it easier to explore terrain that would otherwise be
inaccessible. A lot of times, this takes the form of a specific trip or ride that takes on a meaning of its own. Preparing for the Oregon Outback last spring, every new piece of gear was one puzzle piece of the whole trip fitting into place. A physical token of miles to be ridden, hills to be climbed, mechanical challenges to be fixed and nights to be spent under the stars.

           A new bike is the ultimate embodiment of this sense of possibility. An admission that there is something unexplored, something inaccessible that goes beyond a new set of tires, or wheels, or whatever. In many ways a new bike is a new paradigm; a completely new way of looking at your
environment. Exploration and inspiration become available that were previously unimaginable.

          My paradigm is about to change. A couple weeks ago I put in an order for a Surly Wednesday. The possibilities of a fatbike have been gnawing at me for years. The black space on the map that is sand and snow and “omniterra” as Surly has aptly named all the other challenging terrain that huge tires make accessible has been highlighted by photos and videos of riders sessioning 100’ sand dunes, riding through the Alaskan wilderness, and rolling through snowy landscapes previously reserved for skis and snowshoes.

Fat Forest Fat Biking.

          I have been planning new trips in daydreams from the moment the bike was on its way. Some so unreasonably challenging that they will never see the light of day. Others so mundane that when they inevitably happen when I get on the bike they will pass unnoticed. Both are a product of the type of unreasonable optimism that is not limited by time off, or weather or stretched chains and worn out cassettes. That optimism is the reason I will never leave a bike unchanged, and the reason that I continue to pedal over familiar roads and new landscapes.

The Author enjoying his newly obtained steely steed of satisfaction. Note: The Author realizes his fork is on backwards. He is trying something out.

Continue the stoke through this next video...

100% Real. Custom Surly Pacer

Continuing our greatest hits resurrected from the ashes of our old website; here's a drop-dead gorgeous Surly Pacer we built in 2013. The client was after a classic all-weather steel road bike, and this Pacer delivered.

Build Highlights

• Sram Rival groupset with Apex levers (no carbon fiber on this bike!)
• Chris King headset (of course)
• Tune Mig/Mag hubs laced to H+Son Archetype rims with Sapim CX-Ray spokes
• Custom Black-anodized Honjo hammered fenders, made in Japan, blacked out in PDX.
• Yokozuna Cable Housing, ZIPP Bar, Thomson stem and post, Brooks Cambium saddle

Surly Disc Dirt Speed Trucker

We like the Surly Disc Trucker, but sometimes feel the sweet geometry of this big stable sled is hampered by the overtly robust build. Sure, it's great if you're touring to Tierra del Fuego or Outer Mongolia, but for so many folks Truckin' around Portland, the bike is a little pokier than it oughtta be. So we took a 54cm 26" wheel Trucker frame and shod it with slightly larger 650b wheels and some big fast cushy 650x2.0 tires. Also, hydraulic brakes for when you're trucking a little fast. It ended up not so-heavy and way more fun to jam around town (and maybe on dirt) than the standard Disc Trucker. Sure you might want more gears and heavier duty bits if you're going to the end of the Earth but for sporty daylong expeditions on roads with any kind of surface this is stable fast and fun. This was a shop build done in Fall 2014 and sold sometime thereafter.

Build Highlights

• Downtube Shifters and 2x10 drivetrain with 1x1 low gear.
• TRP Hylex full hydraulic brakes
• Shimano/DT Swiss 650b wheelset
• Custom decal treatment