Monthly Archives: July 2012

New Products: Promenade Handlebars and Stem Bolts

Posted on July 30, 2012 by

The Grand Bois “Promenade” handlebars are a classic, swept-back design for an upright riding position. Similar handlebars were used on the city and porteur bikes of many French constructeurs. Below is a custom Grand Bois equipped with these handlebars. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | 16 Comments

Online Resources

Posted on July 27, 2012 by

The Bicycle Quarterly web site provides a number of useful resources. Most popular is the Color Photo Supplement. It shows color photos of the classic bikes that have been featured in Bicycle Quarterly over the years. Most of the bikes … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized

Science and Bicycles: Designing Experiments

Posted on July 23, 2012 by

Designing scientific experiments requires a lot of thought, if you want to arrive at useful results. Most studies of bicycles fall into two categories, which I’ll call observation-based and measurement-based. Observation-based studies starts with an observation. In our case, we … Continue reading →

Posted in Testing and Tech | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

LED Replacement Bulbs for Headlights?

Posted on July 17, 2012 by

LEDs have revolutionized generator-powered bicycle lighting. They are bright, use less power, tend to last (almost) forever, and easily can be combined with a standlight. However, many riders prefer the elegant shapes of classic taillights. Combining LEDs with classic taillights … Continue reading →

Posted in Product News, Testing and Tech | 2 Comments

Choosing a Builder for Your Bike

Posted on July 13, 2012 by

When you choose a builder for your bike, consider their experience with the type of bike you plan to order. Above is one of the first “compact” cars made in the United States during the early 1970s. Seeing that smaller … Continue reading →

Posted in Testing and Tech | 12 Comments

Hutchinson 650B x 32 mm Tires

Posted on July 9, 2012 by

Compass Bicycles now carries the Hutchinson “Confrérie des 650″ tire. The Confrérie des 650 was created by French riders who loved their 650B bikes. They were concerned that the wheel size might become extinct, leaving them without rims and tires … Continue reading →

Posted in Product News, Tires | 11 Comments

Catalogue Specifications and Apparent Bargains

Posted on July 3, 2012 by

When I started riding seriously while I was in college in Germany, it became apparent that my Peugeot 10-speed no longer was sufficient. Not only did it lack performance, but it required repairs almost daily. So I soon started shopping … Continue reading →

Posted in A Journey of Discovery, Our Bikes | 19 Comments