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The playful, go-anywhere-themed Element + Pelago Silvo collaboration hits Richard Pool hard with a heavy dose of teenage skateboarding nostalgia. Read on for his review (and accompanying playlist!) for this bullmoose-equipped and gravel-ready commuter, built around an eccentric bottom bracket for the singlespeed conversion this bike is asking for…
Launching today, the LeMond All-Road Prolog E-Bike is the dropbar sibling of the original super-commuter/hybrid Prolog, which we reviewed last year. Equipped with Shimano GRX di2 and Mahle X35+ rear hub motor, the complete carbon build weighs in at under 30lbs. Richard Pool (aka Bicycle Crumbs) has been putting the Prolog AR through its paces in Portland, OR for the past few weeks and, below, provides a first look at the bike’s tech/design, and proposes which types of riders it’s best suited for…
Earlier this year I was able to spend some time on the Chris King GRD23 wheelset. It was during the tail end of Portland, Oregon’s rainy season and I rode the wheels, photographed them, and started typing, yet I kept thinking about the wheels and have revisited this “short and quick” review many times over. I was just trying to figure out what I was hung up on or why this particular review was so difficult. Even though I had almost nothing but good things to say. Sometimes it turns out that great products are simply hard to talk about.
The GRD23 is Chris King’s first foray into their own “house” wheels. Featuring a FusionFiber rim (we will get to that) with, you guessed it, a 23mm internal width paired to their legendary center lock R45D hubs. King’s design intent for these was for an all-road wheelset or a perfect wheelset for someone who wants to swap between their slightly-plump-road bike and their gravel bike.
Note: since I did the testing and took forever to wrap this up they have followed up with the deeper more road oriented ARD44.
Since the Cannondale Compact Neo e-bike launched last fall, I was certain I had to review it. I always wanted a Hooligan (how did they not call this the e-Hooligan and where’s the Lefty?!?), their previous compact 20”-wheeled model, and as more e-bikes become available I have grown increasingly curious about trying one out for commuting. The more I looked at Compact Neo, the more I thought that its folding design and utilitarian features might just make it the perfect bike for Portland: fenders, lights, and plenty of mounts for racks. And, it’s not too flashy. After a few months riding the Compact Neo for daily commutes and “car-free” family weekend adventures, this entry level e-bike has unexpectedly re-energized the way I view the commuting and the point-to-point side of cycling.
Y’all Silca is going to be mad at me for this one. The Silca Terra Floor Pump is the best pump I’ve used from them, and I own a SuperPista Ultimate. Yup, I said it. So how does the Terra—their lowest-priced floor pump (retail of $145.00)—take down the most expensive pump on the market? They kept it simple, and then they innovated. Let’s check it out below!
Purpose-built for commuting, the Ortlieb Commuter Day-Pack High Visibility brings new meaning to the term reflectivity. But before you start picturing a Day-Glo aesthetic, this piece utilizes a high-luminosity yarn that’s woven throughout Ortlieb’s signature black, waterproof fabric. After testing the backpack through moody Portland commuting, Bicycle Crumbs shares his review.
Next up in Richard Pool’s (aka Bicycle Crumbs) review series, he takes a look at the Ripton & Co. Diesel Overalls that have become a popular cold-weather apparel choice for cyclists, skiers, and many other #performancedenim people. Continue reading below to find out what all the hype is about!
Today is our kick-off in a new series that features the art of Richard Pool, aka Bicycle Crumbs. In this new column, Richard illustrates his favorite products and writes about them. We’ve been longtime friends with ‘Crumbs and are stoked to present you with this new column, so enjoy!
Editor’s note 3/11/2022: This bike is now for sale over at our parent company, The Pro’s Closet.
And so it goes…
Mike DeSalvo is a friend of mine. I’m a fan of his work (I own a bike from him) and I believe he’s a fan of my work. We’ve done a few projects over the years now. Each one always rooting itself in some sort of nostalgia as the inspiration. Be it our shared love of the Raleigh Team Ti scheme and 80s skateboard graphics. Or his love with Volkswagens, somehow we always, naturally zero in on the thing that inspires both of us.
During the fabrication of a Pursuit Cycles, Carl Strong’s custom carbon brand, each of the six sections of the MUSA carbon frame come out of the mold and then are printed with some stats. This includes mold number, frame size, layup version, and a number of parts made from that mold, then finally weight is handwritten on. Eventually, when the frame is complete and getting prep for paint these notes are removed. As this bike was one of the firsts Lead Out ARs to be produced this idea hooked me, I loved the process and tracking, I wanted to play into that. Taking some inspiration from recent sneaker trends as well. I decided on a Helvetica style to the point design.
Bicycle Crumbs entered the cycling industry as an industry outsider, an observer, a consumer. An everyday cyclist. Now he works at Speedvagen, designing their products and helping run the show there, yet he continues to possess an interesting perspective on the ins and outs of cycling culture. He recently collaborated with Portland’s North Street bags on a non-fluoro Hi-Vis bicycle portage collection, using rainbow sequins and the Bicycle Crumbs signature Radar Print. This collection is a pre-order, running from now until September 26th. You can even us a code for 10% off during this presale, simply check out with code crumbs-crew2019. Head to North Street Bags to see the collection and specs below.
The Bougie Boys of Cycling lineup is the brainchild of Bicycle Crumbs, who wanted to inject a bit of fun into the world of cycling t-shirts. Inspired by the GSC Righty-o shirt, the Fat Cat Longsleeve-T substitutes Felix for another cartoon cat. See more at Bougie Boys of Cycling.
As Bicycle Crumbs describes these pins, “they’re the dumbest thing ever,” but we all can agree, they’re kinda clever. They’re in stock now, for $20 a pair at Bicycle Crumbs.
Mr. Crumbs, I agree, this might be the dumbest, yet best thing you’ve drawn. If you agree, swoop up one of these shirts at Bicycle Crumbs.
… features not only some beautiful bicycles from the Portland brand, but also plenty of illustrations by Bicycle Crumbs. Check it out at Speedvagen.
If you like to get trippy on a bike in the woods, D.Fender and Bicycle Crumbs have you covered. Crumbs’ concentric circle design adds a whole new element to D.Fender’s made in the USA mountain bike fenders. These are up for a limited pre-order, in four color options – scoop yours at D.Fender!
Bicycle Crumbs recently collaborated with Franco Bicycles on a custom painted, custom spec’d version of their Grimes all-road bike. Crumbs’ signature style is all over this build: a subtle dazzle pattern takes its color inspiration from a natural turquoise stone, which sits in contrast to orange and red concentric circles meant to mimic a desert sunset.
Check out a few more details below, and see the rest at Franco Bicycles!
Instagram has been good to Bicycle Crumbs, an illustrator who leapt onto the scene just recently but has already gained a steady flow of commissioned work from brands, many of which are at NAHBS. Recently, Bicycle Crumbs, or Mr. Crumbs for short designed the newly re-branded Philosophy Cycles. If you recall Lovebaum Cycles from last year, the guys decided to change their names to Philosophy after a bit of internet controversy.
Once the branding had been dialed in, Mr. Crumbs hollered at Philosophy to design and fabricate him an all-road bike, designed to take on long days over gravel in the saddle, as well as sporting a flashy half matte, half gloss paint job. Details abound on this one…
