This weekend, from 21-23 April we will attend the European Handmade Bicycle Exhibition in Schwabisch Gmuend, Germany. Due to this, we won’t be able to reply to inquiries as fast as we normally do, but we will off course reply as soon as we can.

As the name already implies, the show will be full of handmade bikes and suppliers of handmade bicycle worthy parts During the weekend I will try to keep you all updated through Facebook and Flickr.

On our booth we will have some very nice bike to show off some parts, and we will show the new tubular 29-er rims. These rims are made by FRM on special order and will only be available through Singlespeed Central. More info on the rims in a later post!

Hope to see you this weekend at the EHBE!

We hebben nieuwe grips in de shop!

Ten eerste de onder MTB racers immens populaire ESI grips. Deze silliconen grips geven optimale grip onder alle omstandigheden, zijn licht en hebben een ongekende schokabsorptie.

Verder zijn er een paar nieuwe kleurtjes Oury Lock On grips. Niet in het bonuspack, dus zonder de handvat klemmen.

Check de grips hier!!

polomania Website

Ik kreeg vandaag een wiel binnen waarvan de lockring erg vast zat en waarvan de hoeken niet meer zo scherp waren. Het ideale object om de nieuwe Phil Wood Lockring tool op uit te proberen. Het mooie van de tool is dat je hem met wat kunst en vliegwerk (lees: een White Industries freewheel tool eroverheen en daarop de wiel moer) kunt vast zetten op de lockring zodat los schieten vrijwel onmogelijk is. Zonder zweet, open knokkels of ander ongemak dus lachend elke gare lockring los krijgen. Top tooltje!

Some facts:

P35 29-er: 34.7mm wide, 614 grams
Salsa Gordo 29-er: 35.5mm wide, 683 grams (the difference is pretty much the eyelets I suspect..)
Velocity Blunt 29-er: 490 grams
NoTubes Flow: 515 grams

Why would you want such wide rims? Not to long ago people raced their MTB on tires slightly wider then this.. Well, times changed, and bikes changed. With the return of the rigid MTB people are asking for large volume tires. A wide rim gives a tire an even bigger volume. More volume means less prone to snakebite. Also, these rims can be used on the hardcore XC and All Mountain Full Suspension MTB’s which are getting better available every week now. These bikes can be ridden at a higher speed, which means more high impact action for the rims. Not your average XC race rim, better used by the fun bikers out there!

Great feature: Available in 650b

So 29-er wheels are to big for you? But there is something inside you whispering a slightly bigger wheel would make sense? No worries, there is still hope for you, and it is called 650b, or 27.5″. That’s right, just between the currently so much hyped 29″ wheel and the 26″ wheels, known since the beginning of the MTB.

Why 650b? The biggest problem for 29-er tires is the more sluggish feeling they give compared to 26″ wheels, so people who have a very active riding style (lots of bunny hopping, short direction changes by lifting the bike, or in general, used to a lot of air time) may find the 29-ers limiting for their riding style. Also, a 29-er requires a complete new, special made 29″ frame and fork. 650b may fit lots of 26″ frames (Surly, Salsa, …, but try before you buy ), which results in a overal shorter wheelbase compared to 29″. So: a more active riding style possible and in some case no new frame/bike required. Another advantage may be small peoples bikes should not be tricked geometry wise to prevent toe overlap etc..

Like for every platform, there are disadvantages. Availability, slightly higher bb on a 26″ frame..

What tires are available?

Pacenti Cycle Design : Neo-Moto 2.3″, Neo-Moto 2.1″, Quasi- Moto 2.0″
Kenda: Nevegal 2.35″
IRD (Interloc Racing Design): Fire XC Pro 2.1″
Schwalbe: Racing Ralph 2.25″
WTB: Wolverine 2.2″

Also, quite some rims are available at the moment:

Stan’s No Tubes ZTR355
Sun Ringle EQ27
Sun Ringle CR18
Velocity Blunt
Velocity P35
Weinmann XM 280
WTB Laserdisc Trail
And more…

Finding a proper MTB worthy dedicated 650b frame may be a strugle yet, as most 650b frames are designed to be touring frames. Some smaller MTB brands offer a 650b frames (Siren, Carver), but also some bigger brands are kicking in (KHS, Haro, Jamis). As it was with 29″, it is just a matter of time for more options to become available.

Of course at Singlespeed Central you can find a selection of 650b parts, like the rims of Velocity and NoTubes, tires of Schwalbe, Kenda, Pacenti and WTB. Be sure to drop us a line if you need more info!

So you like these funky bars? They are not as ‘alt’ and funky as many people seem to think. In fact most of the time they are just the improved evolution of bars used for decades. What makes them special is that they are now strong enough for MTB usage, and that is good. The theory is known; more angle in the grip area makes them more comfortable to ride. Lots of variations are available, from the original H-bar of Jeff Jones through the still popular On One Mary, the Brain Child of designer Brant Richards, to his newest creation, the Ragley Carnegie’s bar. The latter now available in a rise (the original), flat and drop version.

The theory behind this (and the Mary) bar is kinda smart when you think about it: forward sweep to compensate for the back sweep at the ends of the bar, rise to compensate for the drop at the end of the bars (you use the bars angled down a little, rigth?)

Now there is a flat (for a more racy, deeper position) and a drop version too. An issue with a medium or small 29-er frame is sometimes that the rider wants a deeper position on the bike without using an angled down stem. The drop in the bar compensates some height compared to the original riser version, giving the rider a deeper position.

Good stuff, now avaiable at Singlespeed Central!!

Fresh from the Forest of Dean, decided upon by the Knights of Niche:

The Singlespeed Euros 2011 will be held at the beautifull country of Belgium!

Be prepared for a killer weekend full of all things Belgium is well known for!! More info will be available when time is there on the weblog:

ssec2011.blogspot.com

This weekend we will be off to the Euros Singlespeed in the Forest of Dean, UK. We may be a little slow on the mail during the weekend, but eventually we will answer all mail.

The weather seems to stay good, so have a great weekend out there!

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