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Off The Beaten Path

Indiziert seit
11.01.2016
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325 (10 / Woche)
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Beiträge

Climbing into the Clouds

Off The Beaten Path
06. August, 10:50 Uhr

A recent hiking trip to Mount Rainier also provided an opportunity to revisit a favorite climb – and work on my form for the upcoming 1200 km (750 miles) of Paris-Brest-Paris. This time, we headed to Mount Rainier by car, loaded with four people, backpacks and associated gear. Fortunately, the J.P. Weigle from the Concours de Machines is a Rinko bike, which packs quite small. The extralight...
Politik
19 3 933

Ted King Wins SBT GRVL on Rene Herse Tires

Off The Beaten Path
24. August, 10:06 Uhr

The inaugural SBT GRVL (Steamboat Gravel) race saw more than 1,500 riders at the start in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The field include the Who-Is-Who of gravel racing: Ted King (two-times Dirty Kanza winner), Colin Strickland (this year’s DK winner) and Payson McElveen (winner of this year’s Landrun 150). It turned out to be an exciting race over the beautiful high-country gravel roads....
25 1 3 171

Bicycle Quarterly Un-Meeting in Portland, OR

Off The Beaten Path
13. August, 10:32 Uhr

We’re looking forward to this year’s Bicycle Quarterly Un-Meeting – our annual get-together to share the joy of riding off the beaten path. It’s not an organized event – we just publish a date and time, and everybody is welcome to join. There are no fees, no registrations, and no services are provided. The photos here are from last year’s Un-Meeting, when we spent a great two days along the...
Politik
55 1 3 426

Why Square Taper Bottom Brackets?

Off The Beaten Path
05. Juli, 19:14 Uhr

Square taper bottom brackets may seem like anachronisms dating from the last century, and yet they remain the best option for metal cranks. Here is why our Rene Herse cranks use square tapers and will continue to do so in the future. Modern bottom brackets have larger spindles, so they can use thinner walls. The result is a lighter bottom bracket – but the larger spindle requires more material...
Rennrad, MTB und Bahnrad
95 1 3 835

A Bike for the Solstice Ride

Off The Beaten Path
10. Juli, 12:29 Uhr

During the summer solstice, Ryan Francesconi led a group of 14 friends on a truly amazing adventure: We took the train to Klamath Falls on the border between Oregon and California and then rode back to Portland on forest roads and trails traversing the Oregon Cascades. It was a 2-day, 640 km (400-mile) ride that challenged riders and bikes to the max. Not only was our route 90% gravel and...
MTB, Touren und Politik
8 3 1251

Bamboo in the Cascades – the Movie

Off The Beaten Path
16. Juli, 14:44 Uhr

For the Summer Bicycle Quarterly, we test the incredible Calfee Bamboo show bike from the North American Handmade Bicycle Show. Not only does this bike feature Calfee’s new bamboo tubes – lined with carbon for lighter weight and greater strength – it’s also equipped with Rotor’s brand-new hydraulic shifting. When I admire bikes at shows, I always wonder how they ride. Fortunately, Craig Calfee...
Rennrad
1 3 169

Back in Stock: SON Generator Hubs and Lights

Off The Beaten Path
22. Juli, 16:51 Uhr

With the 750-mile Paris-Brest-Paris coming up, demand for generator hubs and lights has been high. We’ve just received another shipment, and now all products are back in stock, plus there are some new items as well. By far our most popular generator hub is the SONdelux Wide-Body. In addition to all the standard SON features of extremely low resistance and superior reliability, it features a...
Equipment
21 3 750

Rene Herse 700C x 44 with Endurance Casing

Off The Beaten Path
25. Juli, 07:42 Uhr

We developed the Endurance casings for our Rene Herse tires based on requests from gravel racers like Ted King (above), who need tires for truly harsh conditions. A race like Dirty Kanza traverses 200 miles of sharp stones in the Flint Hills of Kansas. The lead racers travel at high speeds in densely packed pelotons, unable to see the road ahead – and thus unable to avoid hitting big and sharp...
Profiszene
18 1 3 664

15% Off Tires for Paris-Brest-Paris Riders

Off The Beaten Path
30. Juli, 09:47 Uhr

Paris-Brest-Paris, the epic 1200 km randonnée in France, is coming up fast. More than 6000 riders are busy with their final training, setting up their bike, preparing their trip… To help PBP riders out a bit, we are offering a 15% discount on a set of tires for the big event. (Details at the end of the post.) Many randonneurs choose Rene Herse tires for their comfort and speed. We want to...
Touren und Politik
40 3 646

New Sealant for Rene Herse Tires

Off The Beaten Path
31. Juli, 14:18 Uhr

Tubeless tires have changed what we can do on a bike. When the terrain is really rough, not having to worry about pinch flats allows us to run lower tire pressure for more comfort, more traction and more speed. (The speed comes from the lower pressure on rough surfaces, not from the tubeless setup itself.) Setting up tires tubeless can be a hassle – and high-performance tires require more...
MTB
37 1 3 531

Berthoud Open Saddles in Stock

Off The Beaten Path
10. August, 11:30 Uhr

We just received our first shipment of Gilles Berthoud “Open” saddles. In the past, I’ve tried many saddles with cutouts, but none were comfortable. While they relieved pressure in the center, the sharp edges of the opening were uncomfortable. So I was skeptical when I received a sample of the Gilles Berthoud Aspin Open. I was surprised to find that I could not feel the edges of the cutout at...
Politik
54 415

Myth 3: Fenders Slow You Down

Off The Beaten Path
16. Januar, 12:26 Uhr

To celebrate 15 years of Bicycle Quarterly, we are looking at ‘12 Myths in Cycling’ – things that aren’t quite what we (and most other cyclists) used to believe. Part 3 of the series is about fenders. Many cyclists here in Seattle install fenders when the rainy season starts, and remove them for the dry summer months. British time trialists even had quick-release fenders that they used on the...
Profiszene
394 5 787

Allroad Riding in Alsace (Open’s Video)

Off The Beaten Path
13. September, 11:39 Uhr

Open made a video to introduce their facelifted U.P. wide-tire racing bike. They went for a beautiful ride in the Alsace Mountains of France, coincidentally the same region where the first post-war Concours de Machines was held in 1946. A few months ago, we sent Open’s Andy Kessler a set of Compass 650B x 48 mm Switchback Hill tires for testing. He put them on the new bike and featured them in...
MTB und Equipment
5 1 162

Myth 5: An Upright Position is Always More Comfortable

Off The Beaten Path
12. Februar, 11:08 Uhr

“Raise your handlebars, and you’ll be more comfortable.” It’s one of those almost self-evident ‘truths’ of cycling. And yet the reality is not that simple… To celebrate 15 years of Bicycle Quarterly, we are examining 12 myths in cycling – things that we (and most others) used to believe, but which we have found to be not true. This post is about optimizing your riding position for comfort and...
Rennrad, Touren und Profiszene
205 5 781

One of the 5 Fastest Tires in the World

Off The Beaten Path
31. Januar, 12:12 Uhr

Recently, the German magazine TOUR published a table showing the ‘five fastest tires in the world.’ We are excited to see our Compass Bon Jon Pass 700C x 35 mm tires on this list, in the company of the fastest racing tires. A 35 mm-wide tire on a list that otherwise includes only tires between 23 and 26 mm wide! That by itself is already cause for celebration. It means that our casings really...
236 5 485

Myth 7: Tubeless Tires Roll Faster

Off The Beaten Path
15. März, 11:35 Uhr

When tubeless tires first became popular on mountain bikes, it was their resistance to pinch flats (above) that made them popular. Off-road, there are few nails or broken bottles that can cause punctures (and even those usually will be pushed into the soft ground rather than puncture the tire), but rims can bottom out on sharp rocks and other obstacles. So much so, in fact, that top mountain...
MTB und Equipment
141 5 1007

Derailleurs of the World: Huret

Off The Beaten Path
26. April, 12:41 Uhr

In the history of derailleurs, Huret is an often-overlooked. The French company cannot lay claim to big innovations like Campagnolo (first parallelogram racing derailleur), Simplex (first spring-loaded upper pivot to compensate for front shifts) or SunTour (slant parallelogram). And yet Huret’s derailleurs were innovative in their own ways. Hideki Sasaki has added a new books on Huret to...
Equipment, Touren und Profiszene
74 754

Myth 6: Tread Patterns Don’t Matter on the Road

Off The Beaten Path
22. Februar, 13:13 Uhr

To celebrate 15 years of Bicycle Quarterly, we are examining 12 myths in cycling – things that we (and most others) used to believe, but which we have found to be not true. Today, let’s look at tire tread. “Bicycles don’t hydroplane,” declared some experts many years ago. “Hence, tire tread patterns don’t matter on the road.” The first part is true – even wide bicycle tires are too narrow to...
72 3 1052

Autumn 2018 Bicycle Quarterly

Off The Beaten Path
02. Oktober, 12:24 Uhr

The Autumn 2018 Bicycle Quarterly is at the printer and will be mailed soon. It’s another action-packed edition that will bring many hours of reading enjoyment. What better way to test the Masi Speciale Randonneur and the Frances Farfarer trailer than to take them on a real adventure? For our third attempt to cross the Sawtooth Range, will a new route bring success? Is the affordable Masi bike...
Rennrad, Equipment und Touren
40 439

Which Gilles Berthoud Saddle is Best for Me?

Off The Beaten Path
10. April, 11:41 Uhr

Compass Cycles is the exclusive North American distributor for Gilles Berthoud. We are especially excited about their saddles, which combine amazing comfort with modern design and superior durability. All Berthoud saddle tops are cut in the grain direction of the leather, which means that they won’t sag or become lopsided. Unfortunately, most other saddle makers try instead to get as may...
Equipment
103 650

Myth 8: Modern Components are Lighter

Off The Beaten Path
05. April, 11:50 Uhr

To celebrate Bicycle Quarterly‘s 15th anniversary, we are looking at myths in cycling – things we all used to believe, but which we’ve since found out not to be true. During these 15 years we’ve learned a lot, and perhaps the most intriguing discovery is that modern parts aren’t as light as some classics. In some cases, there are functional reasons why modern parts are heavier. At other times,...
Rennrad, Equipment und Profiszene
173 2 1325

Tubesets for Our Bikes: Oversized

Off The Beaten Path
29. März, 11:05 Uhr

In addition to individual Kaisei frame tubes, Compass Cycles offers three complete tubesets: Superlight, ‘Mule’ and Oversize. Each tubeset is based on bikes that we have found to work extremely well. The Superlight set is the lightest steel tubeset available today, great for riders who prefer a flexible frame. The ‘Mule’ set uses an oversized down tube for a little firmer feel. It’s also better...
Touren
45 2 612

Compass Introduces Quintuple Cranks

Off The Beaten Path
01. April, 07:02 Uhr

Seattle, April 1, 2018: Compass Cycles is proud to introduce the new René Herse quadruple and quintuple cranks. We are one of the few manufacturers of triple cranks with a wide selection of chainrings, and we’ve received requests for even more choices. There is a historic precedent for this: Alex Singer showed a bike with quadruple cranks at the 1973 Salon de Cycle in Paris (above). The idea...
MTB
651 5 808

Myth 13: Leaning without Countersteering

Off The Beaten Path
13. August, 13:27 Uhr

Glancing at the photo above, you might think that I am turning right (seen from the rider’s view). Actually, I am beginning a left turn. What you see is countersteering – literally the only way we can lean a bike into a corner. This post is part of our ‘Myths in Cycling’ series to celebrate Bicycle Quarterly’s 15th anniversary. In these posts, we examine things we used to believe, but which...
MTB
5 1 721

Global Cycling Networks Video on Frame Flex

Off The Beaten Path
04. Februar, 18:18 Uhr

Global Cycling Networks just published a video in which they did an experiment that many of us have been talking about: Load up a frame with flex, and then release that energy. The rear wheel turns as the energy is returned to the drivetrain. It’s nice to see it in practice… Also nice to hear: “I wonder whether frame flex is going to be the new tire pressure. Go back 10 years, and we all knew...
107 148

City Cycling in Kyoto, or How to Make a Fully Equipped Bi...

Off The Beaten Path
28. Oktober, 09:09 Uhr

During a recent visit to Kyoto, we rented bikes for a day. Cycling is a great way to get around this beautiful old city, and it also presented an opportunity to experience Japanese city bikes. Our guest house offered bike rentals for the equivalent of $ 5 per day. In Kyoto, bicycles are one of the main means of transportation. We saw them everywhere, ridden by everybody: men and women of all...
MTB, Equipment und Politik
7 1 2233

Supple Trumps Wide

Off The Beaten Path
03. Juli, 14:53 Uhr

High-performance bicycles have changed tremendously in recent years. As one manufacturer said at last year’s Interbike: “In the past, everybody asked how much your bike weighed. Now all they want to know is how wide a tire it fits.” Wide tires have revolutionized how we view performance bikes. In the past, you knew a rider was serious about going fast if his or her tires were narrow. Now it’s...
Rennrad
82 655

Myth 10: Stiffer Forks Steer Better

Off The Beaten Path
18. Mai, 10:59 Uhr

To celebrate Bicycle Quarterly‘s 15th anniversary, we are looking at myths in cycling: things we used to believe, but which we’ve since found out not to be true. This week, we have a ‘double feature’ that looks at fork blades. In the first post, we looked at whether they flex enough to improve comfort. Here we examine the belief that stiffer fork blades make the bike steer better. Looking at...
MTB
88 1011

Back in Stock / Expected Soon

Off The Beaten Path
10. Mai, 14:00 Uhr

At Compass Cycles, we try to keep our entire program in stock all the time, but some items are so popular that it can be difficult to keep up. Our cyclotouring knickers continue to be one of our best-sellers, as riders appreciate their comfort and light weight. One reviewer wrote: “I am practically living in them.” The knickers are sewn right here in Seattle. We just received a new batch, and...
28 207

Myth 9: Fork Blades Don’t Flex

Off The Beaten Path
17. Mai, 07:03 Uhr

When we first started talking about shock absorption and fork blades, it was commonly believed that fork blades didn’t flex significantly. Experts told us: “All the flex in a fork is in the steerer tube, where the lever arm is longest.” And yet, when we rode bikes with flexible fork blades, they clearly took the edge of bumps. Was this another myth in need of debunking? We designed a simple...
130 1 624

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