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Off The Beaten Path

Off The Beaten Path
02. Februar, 08:33 Uhr

The first rides of the new year are very special to me. Getting out of the city, breathing the cold mountain air, and feeling my body get in unison with the bike again – those are sensations that I’ve been missing during my annual early-winter rest. So I left just after 6 in the morning for an all-day ride. It was nice to just ride – no photoshoot for Bicycle Quarterly, no prototype components...

Off The Beaten Path
19. Februar, 14:39 Uhr

Tubeless tires have eliminated the risk of pinch flats. For riding in really rough terrain, they are a game changer. But like all new technologies, it’s taken some trial-and-error until we figured out how to run bicycle tires tubeless. Of course, tubeless tires are nothing new. Car tires have been tubeless for decades, but translating that technology to much more flexible and lighter bicycle...

Off The Beaten Path
06. Februar, 10:46 Uhr

SON generator hubs and other parts have been flying off the shelves lately. Some of it can be attributed to cyclists preparing their bikes for the upcoming Paris-Brest-Paris 1200 km brevet. More cyclists also realize that generator hubs provide peace of mind on long rides and commutes alike. As a result, some of the most popular hubs – especially the Wide-Body that makes for stronger wheels...

Off The Beaten Path
06. Januar, 13:55 Uhr

Today would have been Lyli Herse’s 91st birthday. And last Friday has been a year from her passing… … and the 111th birthday of her father, René Herse. They continue to inspire us in so many ways. Today, we just want to remember their smiles and their passion for cycling in all its forms. Lyli was a friend for so long that it’s hard to believe she’s gone. Until the very end, she rode her home...

Off The Beaten Path
10. Januar, 11:47 Uhr

How do you make an ultralight bag? That was the first question when the Concours de Machines announced that the weight of the bikes included the bag. Peter Weigle worked very hard to get his fully equipped bike down to just 20.0 lb (9.07 kg), and we wanted to make sure the bag was also as light as possible. Gilles Berthoud bags already are among the lightest bags available today. Even so, we...

Off The Beaten Path
17. Januar, 13:22 Uhr

“An exceptional tyre that will make you faster and happier.” That was the verdict when the British web site http://www.road.cc tested our Bon Jon Pass tires recently. When we hear positive feedback, whether it’s from a professional tester or a customer, it makes our day. I smiled when I read the calculation of the weight savings. It appears that, on average, spending a British pound ($1.28)...

Off The Beaten Path
22. Januar, 08:28 Uhr

All-road bikes with wide tires are the hottest trend in cycling. There is a level of excitement that we haven’t seen since the mountain bike boom of the late 1980s: These new bikes bring new people into the sport, who are enticed by the idea of cycling on small roads, away from traffic. The new bikes combine what people love about road bikes – effortless speed – and mountain bikes – go-anywhere...

Off The Beaten Path
29. Januar, 13:04 Uhr

BQ readers care about their magazine, and we get feedback each time a new edition comes out. And yet we were surprised by the sheer volume of comments, and by the enthusiasm they expressed. There is no doubt: The latest BQ is our readers’ favorite edition yet. Many readers love the cover art, showing Natsuko peering through the window of the almost-mythical Alps shop in Tokyo as she...

Off The Beaten Path
11. Februar, 08:04 Uhr

It’s official: Compass has become Rene Herse Cycles. It’s a big change, with a new name and new logo for a line of products that has a very strong following. Rest assured, our philosophy won’t change, and neither will our products. We’ll continue to make the high-performance components that we need for rides that mix gravel and pavement with plenty of adventure. This is the same style of...

Off The Beaten Path
22. Februar, 09:06 Uhr

We’re excited to release our new Rene Herse waterbottles. The bottles are based on the popular Purist bottles and feature the new Rene Herse logo. The new design is limited to 500 bottles. Available now for $ 10. We’re not suggesting that these will become sought-after collectors’ pieces, but we do suggest that you order your bottles while they last! We also have stickers with the new logo....

Off The Beaten Path
03. Januar, 09:05 Uhr

This used to be one of the first things you learned as a cyclist: If you want to go fast, make sure your tires are pumped up to the maximum pressure. The harder your tires are inflated, the faster they roll. We now know that this isn’t true. The realization that tire pressure does not affect performance is the key to the revolution that has swept through the cycling world in recent years....

Off The Beaten Path
01. Januar, 08:01 Uhr

We are looking forward to another great year! We wish all our readers joy, happiness and many great rides in 2019. See you on the road! —The BQ and Compass/Rene Herse team Photo credit: Ryan Francesconi

Off The Beaten Path
27. Dezember, 13:12 Uhr

Winter riding is fun. The crisp air, the clear skies and the beautiful views. Getting out and breathing fresh air. There are many reasons to enjoy it. Winter riding requires preparation. The most obvious is clothing – which we’ll leave for another post. Today, let’s talk about what makes a good winter tire. Cold temperatures make rubber less grippy. There is no way around this. In theory, it...

Off The Beaten Path
19. Dezember, 13:51 Uhr

As 2018 comes to a close, it’s fun to look back on the great rides we’ve done. For me, it’s been a wonderful year full of exciting adventures. It started with the annual New Year’s Cycling of Tokyo’s Yama Saiken (Mountain Cycling Club), the famous passhunters. Jikkoku Pass is a great destination at any time, but climbing it in the snow was doubly fun, especially with such a great crew. It was...

Off The Beaten Path
17. Dezember, 11:34 Uhr

What to give a cyclist? And as a cyclist, what to answer when somebody asks you to make a wish? Here are a few gift ideas that are certain to bring a cyclist joy for a long time. You can’t go wrong with Bicycle Quarterly. Each edition covers a variety of topics and perspective, with well-written articles that are illustrated with beautiful photos and original artwork. Give a gift subscription...

Off The Beaten Path
14. Dezember, 12:25 Uhr

How wide a tire can I fit on my bike? It’s a common question, and yet it’s difficult to figure out, especially when you plan to change wheel sizes. Hahn Rossman has developed a simple tire fit gauge that allows checking tire clearances on your bike. Put the disc for the tire width in the slot for the wheel size. Place the gauge on a dummy axle (any old hub axle will work). Rotate the gauge...

Off The Beaten Path
12. Dezember, 12:45 Uhr

Our knickers are back in stock. They are sewn right here in Seattle in small batches, which can make it difficult to keep them in stock. Now all sizes are back. Inspired by the clothes worn by the stylish Japanese cyclotourists, and refined for even greater performance, the knickers all but disappear when you ride. When you get off the bike, you are dressed to look sporting without pushing the...

Off The Beaten Path
10. Dezember, 12:34 Uhr

Starting in early 2019, Rene Herse Cycles will be the sole brand for all tires and components made now by Compass Cycles. This streamlines our two brands and clarifies the philosophy that guides us. Since Lyli Herse asked us to become custodians of the Rene Herse name more than a decade ago – above I’m riding with Lyli to celebrate her 85th birthday – we’ve introduced a number of products...

Off The Beaten Path
07. Dezember, 13:04 Uhr

The cover of our Winter edition is one of my favorites. It illustrates the story of Natsuko buying her first bike, when she was a college student. Read how she struggled to figure out what it meant when bike magazines listed the price for “frame+fork only,” and how she finally decided to buy a custom-made Alps cyclotouring bike. To bring Natsuko’s story to life, MIYOSHI, who went to art school...