A sumptuous collaboration between Travelteq and Cicli Maestro of Milan, every part of their bike is assembled piece by piece and the frame painted with three different layers. The front brake is a dual-pivot die-cast alloy and also packs a cold forged aluminum 48T chainwheel, high-profile 30mm double-walled aluminum rims, Brooks saddle and North Road (mounted upside down) or drop alloy handlebars, setting you back a pretty smooth €850.
A hand-made frame alongside some of the best components available, Detroit Bicycle Company’s Madison Street bike is probably the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. Show the rest of this post…
With the forks, stem, seatpost and steastays all plated in fine, golden copper, you’d almost be tempted to hang the Madison Street on your wall, and leave it there, for fear of it getting dirty. What a waste, however, that would be, and with prices for Detroit Bicycle Company’s bike around the $3,200 ballpark, you’ll want to get some use out of it too. All of their frames are made with Columbus SL CRO-Mo tubing and Nova lugs, while Campagnolo and Cinelli parts, track rims with Vittoria Zaffiro tires and a Brooks leather saddle fill out this model too. Unfortunately there’s shipping and import tax to add on if you’re far away from the States, but see if that’ll hold you back.
Available in a sumptuous chrome, yellow and tangerine mix, Vanguard’s Sherbert is the perfect entry in their Velocommute series. Crafted from a fully restored 1970s Ishiwata racing frame, it’s been redesigned and overhauled into the perfect city bike, capable of some decent speed when you need it too. The four-speeder comes with a Brooks saddle and saddlebag as standard too. Available from the Singapore Design Museum shop.
If you’ve been holding out on buying a road bike until a company made on in tribute to your favourite soul singer, Marvin Gaye, at last the time has come when you can get your cheque book out. With Midnight Love Gaye’s final album, Sleepstreet Bicycles’ sumptuous blue frame with white wheel rims does the man proud. Though it’ll set you back a meaty €1,750, the Midnight Lover does come with front and rear brakes (installed or separate) and a flip-flop hub on the rear wheel whether single-speed or fixed gear is your preference. They’re shipped for free too.
Pro-rider Danny MacAskill takes on the unpredictable Capetown streets to produce what is effectively free-running, on a bike. And he sure makes the most of his enormous playground. Directed, filmed and edited by Maik Scharfscheer and Thomas X. Stoll in a production sponsored by the wonderful Leica cameras.
Draining the pool of a soon to be demolished LEA swimming hall in Dagenham, East London, the space was quickly converted into a world-class BMX park, and hosted much-hyped competition, The Pool. With such an unusual layout of trick spaces, The Pool allowed for truly unique runs and pitted 40 international riders against each other, but this project was always going to be about much more than just a bunch of 540 caballeros.
If you thought a single speed was the coolest way to get around. Think again. It’s not even the most dangerous. Instead both crowns go to the Hoverbike. It’s estimated to reach an airspeed of around 150 KIAS, which although we have no idea what that means in mph, sure sounds fast, and certainly you’ll be wearing a crash helmet on this thing. The flat, twin 4-stroke engines pack 1170cc, so the Hoverbike could certainly never be considered a slouch. Oh, and it can reach altitudes of 10,000 feet+. The production model is coming soon, but if you’re really impatient, you can buy a working prototype today. Probably better get some life insurance packaged in with that too.
Continuing to amaze with another wonderful biking film from apparel brand Rapha, their Continental short is an account of the group’s 2010 travels through North America. Boy does it make you want to follow suit. More here.
Classically styled like a 1930s Path Racer, Pashley’s Guv’nor bike features their Reynolds 531 diamond frame, a Brooks B17 titanium saddle, drop North Road handlebars with leather grips, and a Sturmey Archer single speed rear wheel with 28 inch gold lined black alloy rims. Available in a three-speed model too, the Guv’nor will set you back a hefty £795, but somehow, it’s just about worth it.
A pretty amazing bargain at only $495 off the peg, though it’s probably always better to go vintage and restore, brand new fixies are becoming all the more appealing. Show the rest of this post…
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