Category Archives: Product News

Autumn 2011 Bicycle Quarterly

Posted on September 16, 2011 by Jan Heine, Editor, Bicycle Quarterly

The Autumn issue of Bicycle Quarterly is at the printer. It will be mailed next week. On 72 pages, we cover a variety of topics, including: High-wheeler racing in New Zealand today. Test of the Calfee “Adventure” – a carbon … Continue reading →

Posted in Product News | 4 Comments

History of Aluminum Cranks

Posted on September 7, 2011 by Jan Heine, Editor, Bicycle Quarterly

During the development of our new René Herse cranks over the last two years, I have been thinking a lot about crank design. Modern cranks are an interesting story of standards that evolved until nobody remembers why they were adopted … Continue reading →

Posted in Product News, Rene Herse cranks, Testing and Tech | 42 Comments

Pricing Small Parts

Posted on September 1, 2011 by Jan Heine, Editor, Bicycle Quarterly

There are different philosophies on how to set prices. The traditional way is to figure out how much something costs to make, add a little profit, and determine the retail price. The more modern way is to keep your prices … Continue reading →

Posted in Product News | 18 Comments

Compass Tires in 26″ x 1.75″

Posted on August 9, 2011 by Jan Heine, Editor, Bicycle Quarterly

Compass Bicycles is introducing our new Compass 26″ x 1.75″ tires (42 – 559 mm). Many readers and customers have asked for a 26″ version of the much-loved Grand Bois Hetre 650B tires. This would allow riders of mountain bikes, … Continue reading →

Posted in Product News, Tires | 24 Comments

René Herse Crank Weight

Posted on July 28, 2011 by Jan Heine, Editor, Bicycle Quarterly

In our original announcement of the new René Herse cranks, we wrote that they were lighter than Campagnolo Record Carbon cranks. A few readers asked us to substantiate this. We weighed the cranks on Bicycle Quarterly’s precision scale (above). We … Continue reading →

Posted in Product News, Rene Herse cranks, Testing and Tech | 19 Comments

Grand Bois Stems and Decaleurs

Posted on July 18, 2011 by Jan Heine, Editor, Bicycle Quarterly

Grand Bois recently introduced their new stems. The stems are fillet-brazed from steel tubing, then polished and triple-plated (copper, nickel, chrome) for a brilliant and durable finish. The special clamp bolts and the expander bolt are chrome-plated as well. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Handlebars, Product News, Stems | 33 Comments

The Beauty of Paper

Posted on July 14, 2011 by Jan Heine, Editor, Bicycle Quarterly

Once in a while, we get a question about whether we will offer a digital edition of Bicycle Quarterly. For now, we are committed to paper. I love paging through magazines with my children. Many of those magazines I have … Continue reading →

Posted in Bicycle Quarterly Back Issues, Product News | 46 Comments

René Herse Cranks – Strong Enough?

Posted on July 11, 2011 by Jan Heine, Editor, Bicycle Quarterly

When we presented the new René Herse cranks last week, a number of people wondered whether they would be strong enough. After all, most cranks have four or five spider arms, whereas the Herse cranks use only three. And what … Continue reading →

Posted in Product News, Rene Herse cranks, Testing and Tech | 27 Comments

René Herse Cranks

Posted on July 6, 2011 by Jan Heine, Editor, Bicycle Quarterly

Compass Bicycles and René Herse Bicycles are proud to introduce a modern version of the classic René Herse crank. The new crank will be available this fall. Some products are hard to improve; they make you wonder why all components … Continue reading →

Posted in Product News, Rene Herse cranks | 82 Comments

Summer 2011 Bicycle Quarterly

Posted on June 21, 2011 by Jan Heine, Editor, Bicycle Quarterly

Happy Solstice! This means that summer officially has started, and the Summer issue of Bicycle Quarterly is at the printer. It will be mailed next week. The topics include: Do larger wheels roll faster on bumpy roads than small ones? … Continue reading →

Posted in Product News | 5 Comments

How Durable are Grand Bois Tires?

Posted on May 16, 2011 by Jan Heine, Editor, Bicycle Quarterly

Tires are the most important component of your bike. Supple high-end tires roll faster and are more comfortable. A set of great tires transforms your bike’s feel. The down side is that high-end tires can be more fragile than sturdy … Continue reading →

Posted in Our Bikes, Product News, Testing and Tech, Tires | 23 Comments

An In-Depth Look at Copenhagen

Posted on April 22, 2011 by Jan Heine, Editor, Bicycle Quarterly

We finally got our shipment of Cecilia Vanman’s book Copenhagen – City of Bicycles. You can order your copy here. City of Bicycles is a full-color, hardcover, 196-page book that provides an in-depth look at what makes Copenhagen the most … Continue reading →

Posted in Product News

Bottle Cages, Bike Stands and Leather Washers

Posted on April 18, 2011 by Jan Heine, Editor, Bicycle Quarterly

At Compass Bicycles, we carry products we value, even if we don’t expect them to be very profitable. The Iribe bottle cage is a case in point. On the face of it, $ 150 for a bottle cage is a … Continue reading →

Posted in Bottle cages, Product News | 22 Comments

Smart Move Books – Reduced Price for Damaged Copies

Posted on April 8, 2011 by Jan Heine, Editor, Bicycle Quarterly

The book Smart Move is now out of print. We have a few copies with slightly bumped corners, which are for sale at 20% off the normal price: $ 68. Once they are gone, there will be no more. (Update: … Continue reading →

Posted in Product News

The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles in Japan

Posted on March 25, 2011 by Jan Heine, Editor, Bicycle Quarterly

When I became interested in the bicycles of the French constructeurs many years ago, the little information that was available came from Japan. I am happy to return the favor: Our book The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles now is … Continue reading →

Posted in Product News, Uncategorized | 2 Comments

Spring 2011 Bicycle Quarterly

Posted on March 8, 2011 by Jan Heine, Editor, Bicycle Quarterly

The Spring 2011 issue of Bicycle Quarterly is at the printer, and will be mailed next week. Here is a sneak peek at the new issue.

Posted in Product News | 7 Comments

Grand Bois Hetre with Red Tread

Posted on March 1, 2011 by Jan Heine, Editor, Bicycle Quarterly

Just a quick note: We now have Grand Bois “Hetre” 650B x 42 mm tires with red tread in stock again. Thank you for all who patiently waited for the favorite tire. We also carry white and black treads, of … Continue reading →

Posted in Product News | 2 Comments

SKF Bottom Brackets: World Exclusive

Posted on January 27, 2011 by Jan Heine, Editor, Bicycle Quarterly

Compass Bicycles is proud to be the sole distributor of SKF bottom brackets world-wide. Svenska Kugellagerfabriken (SKF) has been the leader in bearing technology since 1907. Today, SKF is the largest bearing manufacturer in the world, and their bearings are … Continue reading →

Posted in Bottom brackets, Product News, Uncategorized | 27 Comments

Tire Sizes

Posted on January 20, 2011 by Jan Heine, Editor, Bicycle Quarterly

Making tire molds continues to be an inexact art. For decades, riders have complained that many tires, especially wider ones, do not run “true to size.” In most cases, tires were narrower than their stated width, which caused Sheldon Brown … Continue reading →

Posted in Product News, Testing and Tech, Tires | 10 Comments

A New Book on Cycles Alex Singer

Posted on January 10, 2011 by Jan Heine, Editor, Bicycle Quarterly

From 1938 until today, Cycles Alex Singer has made some of the most wonderful bicycles ever made. (I may be biased, since I ride my 1973 Alex Singer randonneur bike more than any other bike.) Alex Singers have been appreciated … Continue reading →