"Connected" Cycling - Here We Go Again

Yet another Kickstarter campaign is upon us which promises to improve the cycling experience by getting us connected through technology. The makers of COBI call it the "world's smartest connected biking system" and "the smartest way to upgrade your bike -- making every ride more rewarding and more fun."

And there's a video!

In it, we meet Andreas, the founder of this new startup.

"As an active surfer and mountain biker, I've always been fascinated by ideas that combine technology and design with sports."

Andreas has a problem with his bicycle -- and ultimately, I think his problem is going to have something to do with the fact that it isn't enough like a car.

"Whenever I look down at my handlebars, it seems that there is something wrong."

Hmm. . . could it be that his handlebars look a little like a mobile RadioShack?

"It wasn't an integrated and connected experience. . . It wasn't beautiful."

I have a suggestion. Just take some of that crap off the bars and leave it at home. But then, that wouldn't allow him to enjoy riding his bicycle as much. Apparently the "modern cyclist" can't enjoy a ride without being inundated with data, keeping up with text messages, tracking every little thing they do with social media, etc., etc. Honestly, some people don't seem to know they're alive if their experiences aren't posted on social media. Which brings to mind a philosophical question: If a Fred rides a bike but doesn't see his data on Strava, did he actually go for a ride?

Next, we hear from Carsten, the "Head of Brand Experience."

"So far we haven't seen an interface that matches the needs of the modern cyclist."

By the way, what the hell does a "Head of Brand Experience" do? Is that what we used to call "marketing"? And what exactly are the "needs of the modern cyclist"? What does COBI do that "makes every ride more rewarding and more fun"?

Just like a car that will remotely start for the driver, COBI will "start" your bike for you when you get near it with your cell phone. (Hey -- I'm just reporting it. I'm not making this up)

Yes, you might already have a weather app for your smartphone -- but apparently the COBI system has an "Enhanced Forecast" that chides you into riding. "The forecast is sunny. Hit the streets like a bolt!" Maybe it should also nag you about maintenance. "Hey PigPen, you haven't cleaned your chain for a while!"

So much for eliminating all the extra hardware from the handlebars - there's also a "thumb controller" that lets you scroll through all your on-screen options, so you can keep your eyes where they belong . . . on your cell phone! A particularly handy feature for urban riding.

Don't forget the ever-popular navigation system. . .

. . . built-in headlight, and an automatic brake light with turn signals . . .

. . . and a "custom bell" that issues a pathetic little "ding" from the cell phone.

Of course, there's also an anti-theft system that "only unlocks for you" and a "motion sensitive Theft Alarm" that "scares away thieves with its light and sound alert." Yes, because car alarms that go off in the middle of the night are truly effective at pissing off the neighbors even though they do little to keep determined car thieves at bay. A flashing, beeping bicycle is sure to strike terror into the dark souls of bike thieves. It just sounds laughable.

To be honest, I don't know how any of this is supposed to improve our riding experience and make it more rewarding, but again and again we have people telling us we need to be "connected" when we ride.

Want to know how to get "connected" with your bike and your ride experience? All you need is THIS:

The best way to be "connected" to your bike.

And THIS:

The best way to be "connected" to your ride experience . . . 

(. . . or if you prefer, the "gooier" version.)

That's it. That's really all the "connectivity" you need for a rewarding bike ride. The rest is just a distraction.

My Retrogrouch-y Advice: Unplug once in a while. Just ride the damn bike.

More Resurrected Classics

After looking at the new frames from the resurrected Holdsworth brand, I thought I'd take a look at some other resurrected classics that are available now from memorable older brands. Like most bike companies today, these brands have made the shift mostly to carbon fiber frames -- most likely popped out of molds in Taiwan or China. But in an effort to recapture some semblance of heritage, they have come out with vintage-inspired lugged steel frames. Like the new Holdsworths, I believe these are brazed in workshops in Italy, rather than being mass produced in Asia. It's possible that some of them could even have been built in the very same workshop, as I don't think these companies are likely doing a lot of brazing themselves nowadays.

Checked out Bike Nashbar lately? Among all the inexpensive and generic-looking Nashbar-branded bikes and frames, right now one can find two very interesting vintage names on new lugged steel frames:

Guerciotti Record -- $999! There's a great old name that I remember well from my younger days -- known for some really beautifully made road racers. They also gained a lot of popularity for their cyclocross bikes (the Guerciotti brothers, Italo and Paolo, were avid cyclocross racers, and Paolo was a national champion, though most of their cyclocross bikes were lugged aluminum frames built by ALAN). Built with Dedacciai ZeroUno steel, the bikes have internal brake cable routing through the top tube, and English-threaded bottom bracket and headset. I'm not crazy about the fork crown with its rounded shoulders -- but at least it isn't a welded unicrown. Available only in silver on the Nashbar site, it may be available from other sources in a variety of colors -- but that price is pretty good for a hand-built lugged steel frame. In doing some digging, I've found confirmation for my hunch that the Guerciotti family is not building these frames, but that they are built in an Italian workshop that specializes in building steel frames for several brands.

Ciocc San Cristobal -- $1599 (shown here in an awesome orange, but only available in black on the Nashbar site). I remember lusting after Ciocc bikes back in high school and college. The bikes I remember were known for tight geometry and X-Acto-like handling designed for American criterium racing. The Ciocc brand was created by Giovanni Pelizzoli in the late 60s, but the brand has changed ownership a few times since its inception. Beginning in the 90s, they started shifting first to aluminum, then later to carbon fiber, just like the rest of the industry. Recently, they have introduced their "vintage" line of lugged steel, though the company website isn't very specific about whether the frames are built in-house, or contracted out (I'm guessing the latter). Nevertheless, the workmanship looks quite nice. The new San Cristobal is made from Columbus Niobium SL tubing, has a 1" threaded fork steerer, and Italian threaded bottom bracket. 

Not available from Nashbar, but another "resurrected" frame of interest, is the Pista Classica from Bianchi.

I doubt that Bianchi still has anyone brazing lugged frames in-house, having shifted most of their focus to carbon fiber, but the Pista Classica has a nice vintage look to it, with the familiar celeste paint with cream head tube and panel. They also offer the "regular" welded pista that is so popular with the urban fixie crowd -- but why would anyone get one of those when they could get this pretty piece of work? Ok, maybe it's the fact that at $850, the Classica frame costs as much as a complete welded pista bicycle, ready to ride. Then again, I know which one I would choose. One thing about the Classica that track-bike purists might notice is that the rear fork ends appear to follow the line of the chain stays rather than being purely level (as in, level with the top tube, or the ground). Most people probably wouldn't notice or care, as that's a convention that seems to fallen by the wayside. It's a trifling matter anyhow, and shouldn't detract from what is a nice looking frame.

I can only speculate as to why there has been this resurgence in popularity for lugged steel, but I can say that it's a development that I feel pretty good about. Maybe in this time of molded plastic, and boring welded frames, some people are finally looking for something that reflects a certain level of craftsmanship, or just a bit of aesthetic personality. 

The Return of Holdsworth

Serious vintage bike fans probably have fond memories of great old Holdsworth bikes of the past -- bikes with their wind-themed model names, like the Whirlwind, the Mistral, the Cyclone, and more. The classic orange and blue livery of the Holdsworth-Campagnolo pro team bikes of the 70s is still a favorite among a lot of retro bike fans.

With its classic orange and blue color scheme, along with
Reynolds tubing and lugged construction, the Professional
model recalls the vintage look of Holdsworth racers of the 70s.

By the 1980s, the Holdsworth brand was struggling and went through ownership changes resulting in a loss of its history and its status. Production left the U.K. and the brand gradually faded away into obscurity, just another of many trademarked names languishing in a portfolio. But recent news has it that the classic Holdsworth name is back -- on new vintage-inspired steel frames, and with plans to eventually bring production back to the U.K.

The British bike company Planet X, which focuses mainly on direct sales of decidedly non-retrogrouch-y bikes and components, has acquired the Holdsworth name from its previous owners, the Tandem Group. Planet X owner David Loughran told The Telegraph that he was negotiating a "close-out" sale of Taiwanese carbon fiber frames from the supplier and managed to get the Holdsworth name as part of the bargain.

The Mistral is listed as the touring model, with rack and
mudguard eyelets front and rear. However, with clearance
for tires "up to 28 mm" with fenders, it might not be the best
choice for serious long-distance touring.

The first batch of lugged steel frames seems to have a lot going for them from a retrogrouch perspective. With Reynolds steel, level top tubes, and classic-style paint schemes, the frames are currently being built by a "specialist workshop in Italy," though Loughran says his plan is to eventually move production back home to Britain. In the Telegraph article he says, "As a business owner it's one of my last goals to control our production from parts right the way through to end consumer, and do it in England from start to finish."

There has been some speculation among classic bike enthusiasts as to who exactly in Italy is building the frames currently -- but a look at the Planet X website, where the new frames are already available for purchase, one can see that the firm also sells a lugged steel frame from the Italian Viner brand, and I'd be willing to speculate that the same workshop could be brazing both brands, and perhaps a few other resurrected names as well.

The sport-touring Cyclone has chromed fleur-de-lis lugwork, a
classy vintage-inspired paint scheme, and chromed
 stays and fork ends.

In any case, without seeing a frame up close, I'd say that the construction looks to be very nice and the details look "right." They definitely have that kind of retro-style that appeals to me.

There is a full range of models available -- the racing Professional, the sport-touring Cyclone, the touring Mistral (also available in a mixte configuration), and the Zephyr track model. Prices range from about £800 - 1200 ($1250 - $1900 at current exchange rates -- but don't forget to factor in shipping). Obviously more expensive than generic-looking welded frames, or even mass-produced lugged frames from Taiwan -- but not outrageous given what looks like nice workmanship and style.

Now that we see some of the new offerings from this vintage marque, how about a little history?

W.F. "Sandy" Holdsworth started the company bearing his name in the 1920s, originally selling cycling clothing and later accessories for riding. By the 1930s, the company was known for their "Aids To Happy Cycling" catalog which sold bicycling clothing and other products via mail order. They also had a handful of retail shops, the most well-known of which was in Putney, London.

The W.F. Holdsworth shop in Putney, was opened in 1927.
 Roy Thame managed the shop from the 1950s until his death
in 2006. The shop closed its doors in 2013.

The Holdsworth company was building a few frames in the 1920s, but the framebuilding operations didn't really get going in earnest until the mid 1930s. Bill Rann, who had previously worked for F.H. Grubb, was the foreman. He was soon joined by Bill Hurlow, who would be widely regarded as one of the best British framebuilders of the post-war era. Another noted builder in the Holdsworth shop was Charles Roberts, who would later form his own eponymous company, known today as Roberts Cycles.

In the 1950s, Holdsworth purchased two other respected bicycle operations, F. H. Grubb and Claud Butler. Also in the 1950s, retired racer Roy Thame joined Holdsworth, and headed up special frame building operations, and later oversaw the company's competitive racing program. In the late 60s and through the '70s the Holdsworth-Campagnolo racing team, with Roy Thame as director, became one of the most dominant British teams of the era. Thame had also taken over management of the well-known Putney shop in 1958, which he managed until his death in 2006. That shop only just recently closed its doors in 2013.

After the death of W.F. Holdsworth in 1961, and the death of his wife Margaret in 1964, the shop operations and the factory operations became separate entities. That separation grew wider over the next decade and would eventually lead to some confusion between "shop" and "factory" product offerings.

By the late 1980s, the Holdsworth brand was flagging and was eventually purchased by Falcon Cycles. But the flood of cheaper Asian imports really hit the British industry hard as a whole, and eventually the various brands, like Holdsworth, Claud Butler, Falcon, and many others were swallowed up, taken over, transferred, etc. etc. until they bore no resemblance or connection to their former entities. And that brings us back to the beginning of this article -- when the Tandem Group, which was the most recent owner of the Holdsworth name, transferred it to Loughran of Planet X.

The first frame offerings from this new Holdsworth brand look promising to fans of classic-styled bicycles. Here's wishing them success.

Bike Safety 101: I Like Bikes, But . . .

As the next installment of the "Bike Safety 101" series, I'd like to give a synopsis of a vintage bicycle safety film that probably left its viewers with the following message: I like bikes, but why can't they just get the hell off the road and stay out of my way? In fact that's practically the title of this 1978 film, I Like Bikes, But . . ., produced for General Motors by Centron Films of Lawrence, Kansas. Centron produced approximately 100 educational films between 1947 and 1981, and was probably best known for their "social hygiene" films such as The Bully, The Snob, and The Trouble Maker -- although my personal favorite is the VD film The Innocent Party, in which Don loses his virginity to a "loose" girl from the city, then later discovers he has some kind of strange sore . . . down there.

I Like Bikes, But. . .

Perhaps the most condescendingly idealized car/bike image ever put on film. The car-bike love bump. When cars hit cyclists, it's because they love them.

If I had to guess, I'd say the intended audience of this film was not bicycle riders, but rather young Drivers' Education students working on getting their drivers license, hopeful that they'd never have to ride a bicycle again. The film combines live action scenes with cheap animation of a riderless bicycle named Ike -- who repeats again and again "I like bikes." Ike is presumably the narrator of the film, but throughout the whole thing we see Ike creating havoc and headaches for motorists everywhere he goes. For roughly the first 5 minutes of this 13 minute film, we see clip after clip of people of various ages riding bikes of practically every type -- including a unicycle and an obligatory "old timey" penny farthing.

The penny-farthing was a minor blip in the evolution of bicycles and basically extinct since the 1880s -- so why are some people unable to think of bicycles without picturing one?

Welcome back, Mr. Kotter. "I like bikes."

In the title sequence, a little kid falls off his bike in the road, almost disappearing under the bumper of a car . . .

. . . then the driver screams at kid for slowing him down.  I like bikes?

From that point, the film focuses on little Lisa as she discovers bicycles. By the way, little Lisa was a toddler in the car above -- riding in the front without a safety seat -- thank you GM!

Lisa gets her first bike at age 5. "I like bikes."

Lisa at 10. "I like bikes."

Lisa at 15. "She likes bikes, but she loves cars."

Next the narrator asks "When Lisa gets her license, will she change her likes? Will she still like bikes?"

She's got her license now. . . .

Cue the music from a low-budget slasher film:

Her first night "solo" in the car, she runs over her bike! It's an incredibly appropriate metaphor in a society that sees cars as "real" transportation, and bicycles as toys for kids -- or maybe for "fringe-dwelling" adults who are too weird to drive.

At this point, it's more than 5 minutes into the 14 minute movie, and there's still been nothing of substance. But no, Lisa really doesn't seem to like bikes anymore. In fact, now that she's a driver, she's quickly discovering all the reasons why bicycles are so infuriating. The film goes on to give us all the reasons why drivers are basically justified in their anti-bike hostility. For one, they're so hard to see! Yeah - but if they were easier to see, then drivers wouldn't have that awesome "get out of jail free" card when they hit one. "I couldn't see him! He came out of nowhere!"

By the way, Ike the bike likes to rhyme:

I like bikes, but they're so hard to see. Oh yeah, they're so hard to see. Look at me! I blend with fog. I hide behind dogs. And when the thunder crashes, I'm out there makin' splashes. I lurk in drives. And when the sun gets in your eyes, Surprise! Oh yes I'm hard to see, so please watch out for me.

Here's one of those "hard to see" cyclists. Lisa narrowly avoids creaming him in the most wide-open, visible intersection in America.

Another "hard to see" cyclist almost gets doored by Lisa. Actually, the way she throws her door open, even with car traffic coming, she's lucky another car doesn't rip the thing off.

And then there's the fact that bicycles can crash so "easily." "A bike is easily upset," we are told -- and they're usually inconsiderate enough to do it in front of cars so they can be a real nuisance.

A bike is easily upset. You bet. It isn't only when I'm wet that I'm easily upset. Just let me try to travel on gravel. Or tangle my chain, or run across a roadway drain. Or fallen leaves. Sheesh! What a pain! Little things upset us!

Another inconsiderate cyclist wipes out on some slick pavement -- probably just to inconvenience drivers like Lisa. 

And then, unlike cars and drivers who ALWAYS pay attention to where they're going and what they're doing -- those pesky cyclists never look where they're going.

Why can't we seem to notice that a sign beside the road was meant for us! The signs all point the way to accident prevention. Oh why oh why oh why can't we pay attention. Until the day we do, I'm afraid it's up to you.

An unruly mob of elementary school students cause chaos for drivers in the school zone. Again I ought to mention that you should pay attention, because sometimes we don't. 

I like bikes. Gliding fancy free. I like bikes. They're number one with me. I like their style. They make me smile. They suit me to a T. But safety-wise please realize you NEVER should trust me.

Untrustworthy Bastards! Unlike a nice, trustworthy corporation like GM that would never put profits ahead of public safety, regardless of anything that commie Ralph Nader claimed.

Any Drivers' Ed students who watched this probably got their drivers licenses and never considered riding a bike again. I wonder how many of them followed Lisa's example and promptly ran over their bikes?

I Like Bikes, But . . . doesn't seem to be out there on YouTube. But I've uploaded a copy of it here -- Enjoy!

Exclusive Sneak Peek: New Curtis Odom Hubs

That artisan creator of some of the most beautiful hubs available today, Curtis Odom, has been at the drawing board working on a brand-new hubset that bridges classic and modern elements in a light, strong, beautiful, and serviceable package: at least temporarily known as the E13 Hubs. Though still in the design and computer rendering phase and not yet in production, the hubs look like they would look at home on just about any bike, old or new. Curtis was kind enough to share a sneak peek at what he's working on.

"The point of this hub is to bridge the gap to the rest of the cycling world, or at least more of it, but still retain some nice styling," Curtis told me. He added that the hubs would be a little lighter than some of his more retro-inspired hubs -- a "reasonable weight, but not ultra-weight weenie," he said.

From a technical standpoint, the bearings will really set these hubs apart from a lot of what's available currently. Curtis has designed these hubs around an "E-series" bearing, also known as "Magneto" bearings because of their use in Lucas racing magnetos on vintage racing motorcycles and cars. "It just so happens to be the same type of bearing used by Maxi-Car on their famous hubs," Odom said. Maxi-Car hubs, highly prized by cyclotourists for their smoothness and durability, used E9 and E10 bearings for their front and rear hubs, respectively. Those same E9 and E10 bearings have also been available as on option on Curtis Odom's current hub models. For clarification, the number represents the size in millimeters of the inside diameter of the bearing.

"A proper bearing for bicycle hubs"

But for these hubs, Odom has upped the size to 13 mm (E13) to increase durability. They will also have oversize aluminum axles to help save weight. Curtis describes the magneto bearings as an open angular contact bearing -- "a proper bearing for bicycle hubs!" he added. But another element is that the bearings are completely user-serviceable. Yes, that means occasional cleaning and re-greasing -- but it also bodes well for long life. From my retrogrouch-y perspective, I'll always choose serviceability over so-called "maintenance free."

It was a cool idea then, and still is.

Another well-thought out detail in the hubs is the thread-in dust caps. It's another element inspired by the classic Maxi-Cars -- but improved with a somewhat familiar "twist." The dust caps will have a reverse spiral machined into them that is designed to clear contaminates and water from the hub. Familiar? Yes, it's a trick borrowed from old Campagnolo bottom bracket cups. Curtis says he is also exploring some other types of non-contact seals to improve the life and performance of the new hubs.


Curtis is currently working on a couple versions of the hub, with some other variations possible. A light version for more "sporting" applications would be equipped with aluminum axles, semi low flanges, and an aluminum cassette body. A "rando" version would have steel axles, semi high flanges, and a titanium or steel cassette body. Solid "track nut" type axles might be a possible option for seriously heavy duty use. Curtis is considering other options, such as a disc-brake version if the demand is there. It is also likely that a track hub set would be built around the E13 bearings, which he says are ideal for the track. Would there be a version for thread-on freewheels? No plans for that at this time, as Odom gets so few orders for freewheel-type hubs as it is. Someone looking for hubs for a truly vintage bike might be more interested in some of the more traditional-styled Curtis Odom designs, anyhow.

For the time being, the hubs are un-named. Referring to them as the E13 is something of a "working title." Given that some of the inspiration seems to come from the classic Maxi-Car hubs, I think a name that somehow recalls that bit of design DNA might be appropriate. Any ideas on that?

There isn't info about the new hubs posted to the Curtis Odom website as of this writing, and some elements of the design may still change a bit before they become reality. Curtis says, "I am not to the point of making chips from bars of aluminum yet, but close." For someone looking for some great hubs that bridge the past and the present in a long-wearing, durable, and serviceable package, it may be worth keeping an eye out for these.

Thanks for the preview, Curtis!

Cool Bike Gear from House Industries

Looking for fun holiday gifts for the cyclist in your life -- or even yourself?

House Industries, primarily known as a creator of fonts or typefaces, also offers a lot of funky items that share the company's groovy and offbeat design aesthetic, from art prints, to housewares, to bicycling accessories.

Several cap designs and colors are available.

Last year, House Ind. teamed up with framebuilding legend Richard Sachs to sponsor his cyclocross team and to produce jerseys and other cool bike-related items. They also updated the graphics on Sachs' bicycles. Since then, the line of bicycling items has grown to include caps, shirts, musettes, water bottles, and more. Even bicycle frames, complete bikes, and some components are available with the House Industries designs. Some component collaborations include Brooks leather saddles, Paul Components brakes, and T.A. Specialties cranks.

The frames, built by Waterford Precision Cycles in Wisconsin, are a light-touring or maybe randonneur-style frame, with tidy-looking lugged construction and True Temper Platinum OX tubing. The design is mostly retrogrouch-y, except that the top tube has just a bit of slope to it -- Rivendell-style. Built for Paul's brazed-on centerpull brakes, the bike has clearance for 38 mm tires with fenders. Price is $2500 for the frame and fork. Complete bikes are also available.

There are several funky designs and colors of musette bags. I like bags like this because they can be rolled or folded up and kept in a jersey pocket or a small saddlepack -- handy for use if I make an unplanned stop somewhere and find myself needing to carry an unexpected purchase.

Some pretty cool water bottles are available, too.

Check out the full collection of bicycle goodies at House Industries, or pass it along to someone who might be looking for gift ideas. I'm hoping my wife checks it out.

Carradice Harris Tweed Bags

As a fan of traditional English-style saddlebags, I thought I'd pass along this bit of news from Carradice about their collaboration with Harris Tweed on a limited edition collection of bags.

There are nine Harris Tweed colors/patterns available on three different Carradice bags: the 9 litre Barley, the 3 litre Zip Roll, and the 1 litre Bingley bag. The little Bingley bag is a more recent addition to the Carradice lineup, meant to be mounted under a saddle, on the handlebars, or even carried on a strap. I use the 9 litre Barley and like it a lot -- if you don't need to carry a ton of stuff, or if you also have some panniers or a handlebar bag with which to distribute your load, it's a nice size.

The top flaps or "lids" of the bags, as well as the side pockets on the Barley bag, are covered in the tweed, but they are under-lined with the same cotton duck fabric of the regular bags so they maintain the same waterproofing characteristics the bags are known for.

Though some of the colors and patterns might be a little much for some tastes, they would definitely make a statement. Personally, I've long been partial to the simple utilitarian look of the classic bags, especially in olive green, and especially after it's faded and worn in a little with use -- or "beausage" for you Grant Petersen devotees. But on the right bike. . .

This "Flat Cap" pattern suits my taste pretty well.

See the full collection, and maybe even place an order on the Carradice website (see HERE). They are a limited edition, so when they're gone, they're gone.