Bike Hugger 

A photo posted by MUcyc - Melbourne Uni CC (@mucyc) on Mar 3, 2016 at 10:48pm PST

According to the Internets, a University of Melbourne student ignores a no photos card and takes the picture of what appears to be the new Shimano Groupset, which without confirmation we can guess was taken at the Taipei Bike Show. For further analysis, I texted Mark V who awoke from a dream about robot factories, manga, and ramen to reply

Photos suggest similar crank design to DA9000. Rear derailleur may perhaps be a direct mount, like some of their MTB designs. The rear hub is obviously a thru-axle, so the direct mount style, which uses a more robust hanger that frame manufacturers often integrate into the thru-axle’s threaded receiver, making the hanger more robust and anchoring it to the hub via the thru-axle.

Rumor has it that Shimano will introduce 3 gruppos branded as “Dura Ace”, involving mechanical shifting, Di2, and disc brakes (or some combination thereof). These photos clearly show discs and Di2 derailleurs. I count 11 cogs on the back, and as a quick guess I would say that the largest cog is around 28teeth. The long cage on derailleur looks like it could handle 32teeth or bigger though.

The disc rotors, if they are Dura Ace items, seem odd because they don’t obviously show the large, aluminium cooling fins that Shimano pioneered on their premium ICE-tech rotors.

Indeed. Not knowing if this is from the Shimano booth either, could be a hack too? Regardless, thru-axle disc from Shimano…bring it.

The email of the day goes to Clueless who asked

I think it’s time I purchase a new bike. And, when I say “bike” I mean…. super casual-non-competitive-stroll down Burke Gilman-with my kid- type of bike, not something expensive and badass like you’d get. Any suggestions on where I should go and/or brand?

Well, Clueless, we get asked this more often than not. I shared your email in our Facebook and the responses keep coming in. The timing of the question is good too, because we have a Detroit Bikes en route to us for demo. You can’t get much simpler than that, and they are made in the USA. My personal fav, city bike is the Shinola. Those are also made in the USA, but in the $1K to $3K price range. The models from Detroit are no more than $699.00, well equipped, and made with durable steel.

Detroit B Type

Depending on the budget, I’d buy a city bike from the Motor City: Shinola or Detroit.

As a Sony staffer said to me, “date cameras, marry lenses,” and we’ve been courting the G Masters this week in Florida at a media event. Read more about the a6300 and G Masters on Medium Bicycles.

How a bit of software and tech may save the lives of many cyclists

While assembling and editing Issue 33, I shared a few photos of a Triple Three Fab bike in a preview post here and on our Instagram. It was designed, built, and assembled for NAHBS at DKCB and a featured gallery in the issue, with commentary from Mark V. This weekend Patrick Brady noticed Max’s (the K in DKCB for Kullaway) skill too in his honorable mention post

Maxwell Kullaway, the welder at 333Fab is a former welder for Seven and Merlin. There’s no other way to really say this: it shows. The category of Best TIG Welding is rarely a contest and this year it was close. Kullaway’s work was clean and perfect in a way that many aspire to and few rarely achieve. With guys this good judging comes down to looking at each one of a bike’s welds and examining the end point for the weld. Kullaway’s work on this bike would have been an easy winner in this category were it not for the category’s eventual winner. This stood out noticeably from a truly exceptional group of entrants. These welders are better than the guys working in aerospace.

The welds speak for themselves. Read more about NAHBS on RKP and Issue 33 Crafted is available now on iTunes and the Web.

In the few times I’ve hung out with Tim, he’s never mentioned a desire to ascend Mt. Washington on a Fat Bike, but here he is doing it for Red Bull. Why? To do something creative and I can’t argue with that…

Getting the opportunity to do this is, first of all, fun. But it’s also challenging and creative in a sport that really is not [creative]. Cyclocross and road racing, by nature, are not creative — you’re simply trying to beat the hell out of yourself and, essentially, survive longer than the person you’re racing against. That’s it. It was really cool to experience this, and see it from a different angle than what a “bike ride” was all about for me for so many years…

In that quote, Tim also states what’s I think is going on with road and the return of adventure…it’s do more than fighting to cross a finish line first, and suffering greatly in the process.

Cyclists are also after the perfect ride, a stress-releasing mood, hitting a zen state, or they simply have, “Miles to ride and all day to get there.”