Riding in the I.E.

Riding in the I.E., a set on Flickr.

Different kind of scenery on today's ride. Welcome to the Inland Empire.

SunTour is Coming Back

Readers of this blog who were looking for alternatives to ShimaNO until about the early 1990s will likely have fond memories of SunTour. Although never a threat to Campagnolo's elegance, SunTour offered some very nice products. For a time in the 1980s, they actually outsold Campagnolo and ShimaNO combined in the US market. The ball-bearing jockey pulleys on their Superbe rear derailleur were a favorite upgrade for many Campy fans (Campy Only included).

SunTour meeting in the old days. Company president Junzo Kawai is third from right.

So it comes as good news that SunTour is planning to come back, reborn as SunXCD (SR SunTour is a different company). As reported on the web site of Sun XCD (the new name for SunTour),

"Junzo Kawai, former President of SunTour Japan, has returned to bicycle component manufacturing. He is now the Chairman of a new company, SunXCD, that has now begun production of cranks, hubs, rims and complete wheels. SunXCD will soon focus on derailleurs and shifters, much like the SunTour of old."

SunTour plans to focus on a niche market, making components aimed at the small (but growing) touring an randonneuring market. Their web site currently lists cranks, hubs, rims, and wheelsets. Photos from the Sun-XCD web site:

 

 

 

4-14-13 100K Bella Bru Populaire

4-14-13 100K Bella Bru Populaire, a set on Flickr.

Photos from today's ride. Enjoy.

Rapha Cycle Club, SF

Rapha Cycle Club, SF, a set on Flickr.

We happened upon Rapha's San Francisco shop just by chance ... actually, we were on our way to another shop. The opportunity to ogle their nice, but pricey merchandise was too tempting to resist, so we stopped in.

$220 jerseys? Check. $40 T-shirts? Check. We made it out with just a $19 water bottle (well, it does say 'Rapha' on the sides).

Here's the official info, in case you want to visit yourself.

Roads Were Not Built For Cars book & Kindle & iPad versions by Carlton Reid — Kickstarter

This looks like a worthy project. Campy Only just signed up as a Kickstarter backer.* How about you?



Roads Were Not Built For Cars book & Kindle & iPad versions by Carlton Reid — Kickstarter

* Thank you to our sponsors for making this possible. Who sponsors Campy Only? Check them out here: www.CampyOnly.com

Ride Photos: 4-13-13

4-13-13, a set on Flickr.

Yesterday's ride through Napa and Sonoma counties. Gorgeous weather for a somewhat challenging ride over Spring Mountain (which always seems to be able to throw in a new steep section).

Today's Retro Fix

This predates Campagnolo by a bit, but it's such an epic picture that it deserves to be seen here.

In the photo, an unnamed rider ascends the Col de Peyresourde in the 1921 Tour de France. Racers in the Tour in those days still used fixed gear bicycles ... and if you look closely, you can see that his wheels are held in place with wingnuts. It was wingnuts like these that froze shut on Tullio Campagnolo's bike during a mountain race, prompting him to invent the quick release.

Today's Ride: April 7, 2013

Today's Ride: April 7, 2013, a set on Flickr.

Photos from today's ride. Bike of choice today: our Campy-equipped Raysport fixie.