#UK

tag

Where Bintage Hides In The Spectrum Of Fantasy And Reality: A Tael Of Two Brother Cycles Mr Wooden Builds

Reportage

Where Bintage Hides In The Spectrum Of Fantasy And Reality: A Tael Of Two Brother Cycles Mr Wooden Builds

Petor Georgallou recently built up a Brother Cycles Mr. Wooden alongside his buddy Neil. Below, Petor delves into piles of parts and decides on some unusual choices as the cornerstone of his build. Follow along for his musings on old bike parts, laughing with friends, and maybe even getting two whole bikes running for the price of one. 

Helpful as an English House Elf: Wizard Works Hobgob Hip Pack Review

Radar

Helpful as an English House Elf: Wizard Works Hobgob Hip Pack Review

Launching today, the Hobgob Hip Pack expands the lineup of London-based bag-makers Wizard Works‘ collection of wearables for both on and off the bike. With multiple clever features – including a side-loaded Fidlock Hook buckle, two zippered pockets, wide hip wings, and an optional bottle pocket in both stock and custom configurations – this pack is sure to be popular. Josh and John participated in the prototyping phase of the Hobgob and, below, offer a detailed look and review of the new pack.

A Little Goes a Long Way: Starling Cycles Murmur V3 Review

Reportage

A Little Goes a Long Way: Starling Cycles Murmur V3 Review

Back in late 2018, I took delivery of a quirky steel full-suspension bike to review from a small framebuilding operation in the UK called Starling Cycles. Over the course of a few months, I rode the shit out of it in Los Angeles, where I was living at the time, and couldn’t get enough of it. As someone who lives metal bikes and loves riding trails, I hadn’t fully migrated to a full suspension chassis because I didn’t like the way the widely-available carbon models rode. The Murmur changed that for me. I reviewed the Murmur in April 2019 and immediately bought a V2 Murmur. 

Now living in Santa Fe, with arguably more technical terrain, I haven’t been able to put down the Starling Cycles Murmur; taking it high into the Sangre Mountains and beyond, this steel full-suspension bike really changed my perspective on the potential ride quality of full-suspension mountain bikes. Late last year, Joe from Starling reached out, saying he had a V3 frame for me to test out, and once again, I’ve been reaching for it nonstop.

Let’s look at my thoughts on the small changes the V3 underwent, leading to large improvements, and a broader perspective on steel full-suspension bikes below…

Everyone’s Nice at Brother in the Wild Dorset

Reportage

Everyone’s Nice at Brother in the Wild Dorset

Petor Georgallou steals his sister away as a (reluctant) partner in crime to check out the Brother in the Wild Dorset, hosted by Brother Cycles. He’s pleased to find a “field full of weirdos” and a plethora of equally unique and odd bikes and, it turns out, everyone’s nice. Stick around near the end for a lengthy discussion on the merits and cost of silver brazing, and a sampling of the bikes that made an appearance.

Of the British Isles Pt. 2: How Albion Cycling’s Apparel Performs On and Off the Bike

Radar

Of the British Isles Pt. 2: How Albion Cycling’s Apparel Performs On and Off the Bike

As a companion piece to his workshop visit with Albion Cycling Clothing, Petor Georgallou spent the majority of the past year reviewing multiple pieces across Albion’s range of cycling and cycling-adjacent outerwear product lines. Below, Petor shares his experiences with the Ultralight Insulated Jacket, Zoa Rain Trousers, and Zoa Lightweight Insulated Jacket

Of the British Isles Pt. 1: A Workshop Visit with Albion Cycling Apparel

Reportage

Of the British Isles Pt. 1: A Workshop Visit with Albion Cycling Apparel

Founded in 2016, Albion Cycling has dramatically expanded its apparel offerings in the past decade. And while the product line has grown, the UK-based company has stayed true to its fast-paced iterative roots and is now working closely with the technical fabric company, Pertex, in designing remarkably lightweight and packable products, for on and off the bike. Petor Georgallou pays a visit to Albion’s design HQ for a closer look…

Ultra Distance Plastic Resistance: An Open Pledge for the Ultra Community

Reportage

Ultra Distance Plastic Resistance: An Open Pledge for the Ultra Community

We all know about FKTs and ITTs but there’s a new acronym on the ultra scene: PFT. The brainchild of Taylor Doyle, PFT stands for “plastic free time,” and was an ultra-racing style she undertook last year on the 2,600km Pan Celtic Race. The effort was so eye-opening about the amount of single-use plastics that are thrown out during most ultra distance cycling events that she’s back now with a new kind of challenge for would-be ultra racers: the Ultra Distance Plastic Resistance pledge. Read on for the full deets about this inspiring challenge!

Centuries of Saddle-Making in Birmingham: A Factory Visit with Brooks England

Reportage

Centuries of Saddle-Making in Birmingham: A Factory Visit with Brooks England

Although I’ve struggled with a lifelong tendency to overcommit, I’m not a total megalomaniac. A few months ahead of this year’s Bespoked, I asked Josh to make the trip over from Arizona to London to cover the event while I (along with my business partner, another Josh, and an amazing team of volunteers) administered it. Running the show was already a massive feat, and I’d have done a disservice to both the show and the builders by trying to document it at the same time. Josh flew over and covered a huge number of bikes and builders with the diligence and dedication that they deserve (for a refresher, you can view those pieces here and here). It was cool to finally meet the guy on the other side of the emails, as we’d been working together for the better part of a year. During the show we were both focused on very separate tasks, but we made some time for a little road trip to visit the factory where Brooks England manufactures leather saddles, which is just outside of Birmingham in the little industrial town of Smethwick.

Cute, Durable, and Ethical Cycling Bags: A Workshop Visit with Wizard Works

Reportage

Cute, Durable, and Ethical Cycling Bags: A Workshop Visit with Wizard Works

London-based Wizard Works makes decidedly cute, sturdy, and durable bags for cyclo-touring and bikepacking. Founders and owners, Harry and Veronica, are committed to producing everything in-house, sourcing materials from within the UK and Europe, and supporting their small staff with livable wages and a positive work environment. They’ve turned what was once a hobby into a robust brand, now with stockists around the globe. Following this year’s Bespoked, Josh got to play tourist and eat biscuits while getting treated to some behind-the-scenes time at Wizard Works’ new workshop in Greenwich. With their cheerful space, happy colors, and employee-first practices, this is some wizardry where you very much want to look behind the curtain. Read on for more from Josh’s shop visit!

Quirk Cycles and the Kintsugi-Inspired Mamtor All-Road

Reportage

Quirk Cycles and the Kintsugi-Inspired Mamtor All-Road

The Mamtor from Quirk Cycles is UK-based framebuilder Rob Quirk’s all-road model, designed for mixed paved and gravel riding with clearance for up to 700 x 38c tires. The Kintsugi-inspired Mamtor was one of our favorite bikes from this year’s Bespoked where it won “Best Finish,” and today, along with a brief glimpse inside Quirk’s workshop, Rob gives us a full rundown of this ornately-finished machine by Velofique Designs, accompanied by a gorgeous photoset from Nikoo Hamzavi. Enjoy!

The Shed of Shred: A Workshop Visit with Starling Cycles

Reportage

The Shed of Shred: A Workshop Visit with Starling Cycles

Midlife crises come in all shapes and sizes. For some, a bright red Mustang relieves the itch. For others, some Eat Pray Lovin’ on a beach in Bali is just the ticket. But for Joe McEwan, Founder of Starling Cycles, chucking in his job as a successful aerospace engineer to build steel mountain bikes in a garden shed was just what the doctor ordered.

In this shop visit, we dig into the brand’s origin story, go behind the scenes at their Bristol workshop and learn why their signature single-pivots and retro rear shocks prove that simplicity never goes out of fashion.

2022 Bespoked Mega Gallery, Part 02: Prova Cycles, Clandestine, Black Sheep Bikes, Etoile Cycles, Dawley Bikes, Avalanche Cycles, Coal Bikes, Black Cat Custom Paint, Fahrradbau Stolz, and Sour Bicycles

Reportage

2022 Bespoked Mega Gallery, Part 02: Prova Cycles, Clandestine, Black Sheep Bikes, Etoile Cycles, Dawley Bikes, Avalanche Cycles, Coal Bikes, Black Cat Custom Paint, Fahrradbau Stolz, and Sour Bicycles

We’re back today with Josh’s second installment of coverage from the Bespoked Handmade Bicycle Show! Let’s jump right in below with more recapping and a gallery of beautiful builds from Prova Cycles, Clandestine, Black Sheep Bikes, Etoile Cycles, Dawley Bikes, Avalanche Cycles, Coal Bikes with Black Cat Custom Paint, Fahrradbau Stolz, and Sour Bicycles