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When someone says “hybrid bike,” chances are, old department store ATBs and comfort bikes with super high-rise stems come to mind. Yet, as Matt from St. Paul, Minnesota, shares with us in this edition of Readers’ Rides, they can be a lot more! Let’s check out his beautiful 1996 Trek Multitrack below…
If you’re one of the people patiently waiting for a model René Herse tires to land in stock, today is your lucky day. This morning the Seattle-based tire manufacturer just received a shipment of their most popular rubber including the 650B x 55 Umtanum Ridge, 700C x 35 Bon Jon Pass, the 26″ x 2.3″ Rat Trap Pass, and more. Head on over to René Herse to see the full stock availability.
As someone who documents all sorts of framebuilder creations, it’s always this sort of bike that gets me every time. There’s something really wonderful about a builder’s personal bike, especially when it’s a byproduct of their own journey as a constructeur. Flashback to last month and the Baphomet Bicycles Shop Visit. I spent the day watching Dillen work, discussing his story – which if you’re just now joining us I suggest you read – and eventually, I began documenting some of the bikes had had in his shop. We saw the “Shreddy Rando” bike, which was a crowd favorite with its pristine presentation, chrome bits, and as we say “dialed” build. Now it’s time for the really good stuff. Bikes with beausage and a story will always tug at my heartstrings and this one is no different.
Most of you know I’m attracted to weirdos and eccentric people, so of course I love stopping by the BTCHN Bikes shop here in Chico to see what Tyler is welding on. He’s spent most of his life racing all types of motorcycles at insane speeds, and has been adapting the hyper-analytical engineering he’s learned in the motorized world into pedal-powered machines he pushes to equally scary speeds. He’s also one of the most enthusiastic people I’ve ever met, so imagine that he’s yelling and gesturing wildly with his hands as you read this interview about his latest prototype.
With two wheel options, 650b or 700c, flared dirt drops, a 1x drivetrain, disc brakes, and 450mm chainstays, the new 4130 All Road model from State Bicycle Co looks to be one of the most popular items in their lineup, especially with a price of only $799. No wonder they sold out already! You can sign up to be emailed when they’re back in stock at State.
Remember Sarah’s SIQuoia flat bar? I like to think that builds like that prompted Specialized to experiment with their newly-launched Diverge line announced today. Nestled in the EVO line – the catalog reserved for experimentation – the new Diverge EVO joins the newest in Diverge tech with a flat bar package suitable for singletrack riding. This model retails for $2,600 and the EVO Comp model retails for $1,600. The only bummer is that these flat bar aluminum frame models lack the SWAT storage the carbon models use. Now the next question is, when will Specialized release an Aero-Bar build kit like Sarah’s?
Check out the full lineup at Specialized.
Specs:
-E5 Aluminum frame
-Future Shock 2.0 with an adjustable hydraulic damper offering 20mm of travel
-Shimano XT 1×12
-Magura MT4 brakes.
-X-Fusion Manic dropper
-Rhombus 42mm gravel tires
-DT Swiss G540 alloy wheels.
Leading up to the Land Run, I was advised by all to put 700c wheels and a fast rolling “dirt” tire on my bike of choice, that way, if it was muddy, there would be plenty of clearance. I knew I wanted to ride my Crema on the course, with its more upright riding off-road position, versus the Firefly which is more elongated as per a road fit. When carrying a camera pack, being more upright really helps out in terms of soreness and the Crema has been my go-to for such outings.