The job of a bicycle designer parallels that of a surgeon in many senses: triage what’s wrong, decide what no longer functions, find a way to solve the problem and repair or replace whatever needs fixing. And like any good surgeon knows, if the spine fails, so too does the rest of the body.
Tag: Bicycle Makers
Tech Specs: 1947 Hobbs of Barbican Superbe
Hobbs of Barbican Superbe Frame Reynolds 531 Tubing Hand Cut Lugs Rear Derailleur Mount Rear Brake Mount Fender/Rack Mounts Dynamo Mount Cable Guides Hobbs of Barbican Fork Reynolds 531 Tubing Elegant Rake Minimalist Box Crown Front Brake Mount Fender Mounts Mid-Rise Rack Mounts Brampton Headset (Steel) Reynolds Twin Bolt Stem (Aluminum) GB Handlebar (Aluminum) Williams Crankset…
Tech Specs: 1967 Jo Routens Randonneur
Jo Routens Frame Reynolds 531 Tubing Lovely Fillet Brazing Reinforcing Gussets Wraparound Seat Stays Front Derailleur Mount Rear Derailleur Mount Inward Cantilever Posts Fender/Rack Mounts Left Chain Stay Light Mount Dynamo Mount Internal Wiring Shift Lever Mounts Cable Guides Pump Pegs Jo Routens Fork Reynolds 531 Tubing Elegant Rake Twin Plate Box Crown Chrome Crown Top Rear Lower…
Jo Routens: Randonneur de l’Excellence
Joseph “Jo” Routens was one of the greatest makers of randonneur, cyclotouring and cyclosportif bicycles in all of cycling history. The only other name regularly considered alongside his more aged contemporaries, Rene Herse and Alex Singer, Routens was distinct from these seminal influences in his unwavering commitment to the everyday cyclist. Initially through his partnership with…
Hetchins Bicycles: Meticulously Lugged
Bicycle companies faced a historical deletion around the time World War II hit as the prevalence of automobiles and weight of war became overwhelming. Manufacturers, racers and race organizers found their livelihoods interrupted – and in some unfortunate cases, even ended. It was around this time that several European bicycle companies found themselves struggling through…
Mario Confente: Passion Personified
Road bike racing likely comes to most people’s minds when they think about sports in Italy. Given this strong association, it’s no wonder the country is birthplace to so many of cycling’s most legendary figures. Mario Confente – in a lifetime shorter than most – gained a prominent place in cycling’s pantheon as both racer…
Holdsworth: British Reliability, Personified
Like so many other useful things at that time and place, cycling apparel was difficult to obtain after World War One in Europe. The continent had been thoroughly ravished by a half-decade of brutal conflict and matters of sport went largely unaddressed by everyone except for their most ardent supporters.
Tech Specs: 1989 Raleigh USA Team Pro Track
Raleigh USA Track Frame & Fork Campagnolo C-Record Pista Groupset Campagnolo “Sheriff’s Star” Wheelset Cinelli & Selle Italia Cockpit
Ugo De Rosa: Father of the Future
“I am a man who goes straight to the point… And, by force of habit, I never look back and count the years I have spent making frames. I prefer to look ahead because, after working for half a century, I am still convinced that the bicycle has room for improvement. And just as I…