It's hard to believe that 15 years have passed since I got my first real taste of the performance of all-road bikes. On a Saturday in August 2005, the second Three Volcano 300 km Brevet was organized by Robin and Amy Piper of the Seattle International Randonneurs. The previous year,...
When we introduced the our Fleecer Ridge 700C x 55 mm dual-purpose knobbies, we sent two sets to Neil and Logan at Bikepacking.com. Since the Fleecers are our first tires specifically intended for bikepacking and the Tour Divide, we were eager to get their feedback. That was a few...
When bikepacking legend Lael Wilcox talked about the tires she wanted for her bikepacking adventures, she mentioned a 48 mm-wide knobby in addition to the Fleecer Ridge 700C x 55: Ideal for many modern gravel bikes like her Specialized Diverge. Lael suggested a great name for...
The Enve Builders Roundup is a show of custom bikes (and Enve's components). Among all the great bikes, here are three of our favorites (more…)
There's a lot of talk about optimizing tire pressure these days. In years past, most of us inflated our tires to the maximum pressure rating shown on the tire sidewall. It's more complex now. Like Goldilocks, we add air and then let out some again, until we've found what seems...
These days, it's widely accepted that 700C wheels roll faster than smaller hoops. It's a bit like the old belief that narrower tires are more efficient – so self-evident that it doesn't even need explaining. After all, simple physics tells you: A bigger wheel rolls faster, because it hits bumps...
Sometimes it's the small things that make a big difference. Things that we need or want, but that nobody makes because they are, well, small and not so profitable, since they'll sell only in small numbers. But we need them for our own rides, and so we're making them. We've...
When I asked which part of my bike for last summer’s Paris-Brest-Paris our readers wanted to hear more about, the answer was: “Everything.” So I'm writing a series of posts about the parts of the bike. I’ve already talked about the frame and the
There are few photos of Sofiane Sehili in full flight, because he's usually ahead of the photographers... Working as a bike messenger in Paris, Sofiane first dipped his toes into ultra-cycling in 2016, when he rode in the epic Tour Divide, the race that runs along the crest of the...
With great sadness, we say Goodbye to Raymond Henry, cycling historian extraordinaire, grand randonneur, and wonderful friend. He passed away today from the complications of a surgery that was to allow him resume his active life of cycling, woodworking and gardening. Raymond experienced the glory days of French cyclotouring first-hand. As...
Car and motorcycle tires have been tubeless for decades, but bicycle tires have continued to use tubes. That changed during the 2010s, when first mountain bikers and then the riders of all-road and gravel bikes started to experiment with tubeless technology. They reason was simple: If you could run your...
The Summer 2020 Bicycle Quarterly is at the printer. It'll be mailed at the end of the month, but we just learned that due to staffing shortages at our printer, we need to complete the mailing list tomorrow morning (Thursday). To get your copy with the first mailing, please make...
Ted King's DIY Gravel may have been born out of necessity – there are no gravel races right now, so why not ride our own rides and challenges in the mean time? Ted's idea has been a lot of fun, and more than a thousand riders have risen to the...
With all the emphasis on gravel and less-than-smooth backroads, it's easy to forget the joys of pure speed as you glide over smooth pavement. And perhaps nothing is more about speed than triathlons. Few people know that both BQ team rider Mark and I did triathlons way back in the...
There is much that needs to change in our world until all humans are treated equal, have equal opportunities, and feel equally welcome. We each must do our part to make it happen! At Rene Herse Cycles and Bicycle Quarterly, we are committed to diversity. We believe that great stories exist...
One of the highlights of last year's North American Handmade Bicycle Show was meeting Nelson Vails. I saw him walking by, and I thought: "That is Nelson Vails! I've got to shake his hand!" We ran after him... He turned out to be a most charming gentleman. Natsuko was surprised...
Rachel Henry (right) loves her Jo Routens bike. When Natsuko and I visited them for a story about her husband Raymond, the historian of French cyclotouring and long-time Bicycle Quarterly contributor, the two accompanied us out of town on the spur of a moment. Rachel prefers contemplative cyclotouring, but she’s a...
Now is a good time to think about the people who’ve inspired us. It’s a good time to show that cycling can be welcoming of non-whites. It’s a good time to listen to other voices. They have good stories to tell! JaBig is a DJ from Montréal in Canada. He first...
Now is a good time to think about the people who’ve inspired us. It’s a good time to show that cycling can be welcoming of non-whites. It’s a good time to listen to other voices. They have good stories to tell! Eritrea has a vibrant cycling scene, ever since Ghebremariam Ghebru...
Now is a good time to think about the people who’ve inspired us. It’s a good time to show that cycling can be welcoming of non-whites. It’s a good time to listen to other voices. They have good stories to tell! The Bruce family from Chicago were good friends (and customers)...
Last year, on the train to Sacramento, we met a wonderful black couple in the dining car. They had gone to Seattle to celebrate their wedding anniversary. They had met when they were part of the civil rights movement in the South. They moved to the West Coast, because, as...
We're excited about our new jerseys. For almost two years, we've been looking for the perfect jersey. We didn't just want to get some print-on-demand jerseys, but we wanted a jersey that offers the best performance and quality, as well as responsible manufacture. The Rene Herse x Velocio Ultralight jersey is...
It's hard to believe that it was 20 years ago when I first got to experience a 650B all-road bike. The bike in question was a 1952 René Herse Randonneuse. I had been curious about the bikes from the great French constructeurs, but there weren't many around. And those who...
Sometimes small things make a big difference: The Rene Herse musette bag is one of the most useful things you can bring on a ride. (more…)
https://youtu.be/IOscnup4Rys If you missed yesterday's live talk on Bikepacking.com, it's now uploaded to their channel – click above to view it. It was a fun conversation with two Tour Divide racers, Lael Wilcox and moderator Neil Beltchenko, about what they want in a tire, how we're developing tires, and how we've...
We've got the new Fleecer Ridge 700C x 55 bikepacking/gravel/all-round tires in stock now. They come in the Standard, Extralight, Endurance and Endurance Plus casings. This means you can get the volume and groundbreaking tread pattern – more of that in a moment – with a full range of casings....
Let's start with the most exciting part first: We've got new 75 mm-wide fenders, both in 650B and 26" versions to fit comfortably over our widest tires. They're made from a thicker aluminum for extra strength, so it's well-suited for bikes with knobby tires which can...
We're expanding our tire line-up for tough conditions: Two of our most popular tires are now available in reinforced Endurance and Endurance Plus versions. (more…)
The standard way to make tires for gravel racing is simple: Use a smooth center with side knobs that are supposed to help with traction in corners. The idea is that you roll on the smooth part most of the time, and you get added traction when you lean into...
Today would have been the Belgian Waffle Ride in California – which means that Round 2 of Ted King's DIY Gravel is starting. We've got until next Sunday to do our own version of this iconic ride, which offers three versions: Waffle is 138-miles, 53 off-road and nearly 12,000 feet...
When Ted King floated the idea of DIY Gravel, I was intrigued: For each gravel race that's cancelled, he challenges everybody to ride a similar distance – and elevation gain, if possible – near home and solo, within one week of the original event date. There's a Strava group and...
All of us are figuring out how we can resume our lives safely and responsibly. How can we ride our bikes? Does it make sense to train when races and events are postponed or cancelled? How can we enjoy the community that cycling brings us? I caught up with gravel...
This post is to say 'Thank you!' It's no secret that times are difficult. The news are not encouraging. Businesses everywhere are struggling, and we're not exempt. We appreciate your orders at all times, but now they are doubly important. As we take turns working in our empty office and warehouse, we're...
In this mini-series, we look at the bikes of the BQ Team. These are the bikes we bought with our own money and/or built with our own hands. These are the bikes we ride most often, because we feel they work best for the rides we do. And – most...
This mini-series shows the bikes of the Bicycle Quarterly Team. These are the bikes we've bought with our own money and/or built with our own hands. They aren't show queens, because we ride them hard. They've proven themselves over many thousands of miles on the – often quite rough –...
In this mini-series, we're looking at the bikes that the BQ Team rides. These are the bikes we've bought with our own money (or built with our own hands). These are the bikes we ride most of the time, whether we're heading for a quick 2-hour spin or a multi-day...
Everybody needs a good read right now! We all know what to do to keep ourselves and others safe. We all know what is going on in the world. There is a time when it's important to turn off our screens, make a cup of tea, and enjoy a...
Editor's Note: We've been thinking about our role in the response to Covid-19. Here is what we can do: If there is a way we can positively influence the situation – like advocating social distancing and wearing face masks before these practices had widespread support – it's our responsibility do...
April 1, 2020: This is the time of year when we take a break from the daily news and look at areas where real progress is possible in bicycle design. Forget marginal gains – today we're looking for revolutionary ideas! The industry likes to crow about disc brakes and carbon...
Sometimes, it's good to take a break from the news, turn off our screens, and immerse ourselves in a good read. Now this need is more urgent than ever, and so we're preparing a second mailing of the new Bicycle Quarterly this week – sooner than originally planned. Before you even...
Yesterday, Washington State finally issued an order for everybody to stay at home to slow the spread of the novel coronavirus. It's something most of us wanted to see much sooner, and we've been acting for several weeks as if it had been in place already. Bicycle repair facilities and companies...
Many customers and readers have asked and worried about us. This post is to reassure everybody that we're doing fine at Rene Herse Cycles. For the time being, Seattle is relying on everybody's best efforts of social distancing and staying home, and there is no mandatory lockdown. Fortunately, people are...
Over the last year, we've worked on re-introducing FMB tubulars to the North American market. FMB tubulars perfectly complement our Rene Herse clinchers. They feature similar no-nonsense tread patterns for road, dirt and mud. FMB's three casings all offer supple performance, but they vary in their degrees of sidewall protection....
In uncertain times, it's good to remember what is important to us and how we can continue to enjoy our lives. Cycling is what we do, and, fortunately, it's something we can continue to do. (more…)
It's always exciting when a new Bicycle Quarterly goes to print. After months of work, we finally see the magazine take shape on paper, and soon our readers will enjoy their copies. We're doubly excited about the Spring 2020 edition with its mix of engaging stories. Karen Yung reports...
Many of you asked for more tires with Endurance casings... The 700C x 35 has long been a favorite of gravel racers and all-road riders. Now you can choose between the versatile Standard casing, the superfast Extralight and the tough (but still lightning-fast) Endurance.
To celebrate International Women's Day, we selected four Bicycle Quarterly covers that show extraordinary women cyclists. (more…)
When we got one of the first prototypes of the new Crust Canti Lightning Bolt for testing, we decided to really take it to the limit: How would it perform on a 36-hour adventure in the Cascade Mountains? We took it from Seattle to the highest roads on Mount St....
As last summer's 1200 km Paris-Brest-Paris was approaching, my training went into high gear. That meant hill intervals and speedwork, but also occasional longer rides to maintain my endurance – and have fun! When Mark and Steve suggested a weekend ride up the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River, we came...
Rene Herse tires are safe to use on hookless rims from Enve and Zipp – even when mounted tubeless (for tubeless-compatible tires). Over the last year, we've worked with the engineers from both companies to ensure the full compatibility of our tires with their rims. Tubeless tires are an emerging technology....
Readers have been asking about our four-pack with the 15th anniversary Bicycle Quarterlies. When we streamlined out back edition catalogue, we had removed it. By popular demand, it's back. (more…)
At the beginning of the year, we talked about our predictions of where bicycles are headed in the upcoming decade. Now, with a little time to reflect on the 2010s, it's fun to look back and see what the last decade really has been all about...
When I asked readers which part of my bike for last summer's Paris-Brest-Paris they wanted to hear more about, the answer was: "Everything." So we'll make a series of short posts about the parts of the bike. I've already talked about the centerpull brakes here. Today, let's look at...
When the forecast predicted a rare break in Seattle's relentless rain, Ryan Hamilton and I quickly decided: "Let's head to Index!" It's a favorite winter ride that spears deep into the Cascade Mountains, but stays in the valleys (mostly), so it remains rideable while the high passes are covered with...
We're excited to announce that our ramped-and-pinned chainrings are 12-speed compatible. We knew that 12-speed was coming when we developed our 11-speed rings, so we tried to anticipate the requirements, so that our chainrings would be compatible with 12-speed as well. Now we've completed our testing, and we're happy to report...
Make a cup of hot chocolate (or tea or coffee), sit down with a good magazine, and enjoy the evening! That's what readers have done with the Winter Bicycle Quarterly. Before even opening the magazine, they've savored the beautiful cover painting by Myoshi. (more…)
Ryan Francesconi rode his steel-framed Smeltzer 'Thee Gifford' adventure bike in last summer's Paris-Brest-Paris. Ryan's tires were wider than almost anybody else's, and yet his 650B x 48 mm Switchback Hill Extralights didn't slow him down as he surfed the fast pacelines during the early hours of the event.
When David Wilcox signed up to ride in last summer's Paris-Brest-Paris 1200 km (750-mile) brevet, he wondered about which of his bikes – he has quite a stable! – would be best for this long ride. Comfort is paramount if you're going to spend 45+ hours in the saddle, but...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=579&v=Fz106hSZqJk&feature=emb_logo When Ted King, Ryan Atkins, Eric Batty and Buck Miller rode more than 600 km in northern Ontario last winter, it was a real adventure – and they raised money for a local charity. We were happy to be involved in a small way – we supplied the entire team...
Handlebar bags are one of the best places to carry luggage on your bike. Right in front of you, the contents are easy to reach. A handlebar bag doesn't increase your frontal area, so it's aero, and it doesn't get caught on obstacles when you ride through tight spaces....
When we started this series to celebrate Bicycle Quarterly's 15th anniversary, we thought we'd eventually run out of myths. But it seems that new ones are created as fast as we can debunk old ones. The latest is "700C wheels roll faster than 650B." This is stated with the same certitude...
When we started to publish Bicycle Quarterly 15 years ago, it seemed that most of the technical aspects of bicycles were well-known. And yet, as we tested many different bikes, we started to question many of the things we had accepted as 'facts.' To celebrate our 15th anniversary, we’ll...
Happy New Year and welcome to a new decade, the 2020s! Ten years ago (above), Bicycle Quarterly predicted that wide tires would become commonplace, that all-road bikes would replace racing bikes as the most popular genre, and that riders would soon venture off the beaten path and onto gravel. All that...
The most common comment we get from Bicycle Quarterly readers is "I wish the magazine came out more often." Publishing more often would be nice, but it's not possible: It takes three months to create each edition. With more than 100 pages of stories – all original contents...
All of us at Rene Herse Cycles and Bicycle Quarterly thank you for your support. We wish you a wonderful new year filled with many great rides! —The Rene Herse team
Since we've started making bike parts again in 2011, we've been working on reducing our environmental impact. We were among the first to use custom-designed cardboard boxes with inserts that hold our cranks securely. That has been part of our commitment to reduce our impact – while making sure that...
Word has just reached us that Frank Berto passed away last Sunday, aged 90. Berto was one of the most inquisitive technical minds in the cycling world and a long-time contributor first to Bicycling magazine and then to Bicycle Quarterly. An avid cyclist since his childhood in the 1940s, Frank...
The Winter 2019 Bicycle Quarterly is back from the printer. The cover continues our tradition of featuring original artwork: Myoshi's gouache painting shows the Crust Lightning Bolt during our test ride in the heart of the Cascade Mountains. (more…)
Today's Un-Ride, as Ted named it, was a blast. It was wet, it was tough, and it was great. We just rode hard and enjoyed the company of the group. There was no posing for the cameras – and it was too dark for good photos anyhow – but the...
How durable are leather saddles? It's a question we often get with respect to the Berthoud saddles we distribute in North America. Especially now that it's winter here, and often raining. Will a leather saddle be ruined if it's ridden in the rain? The answer is a reassuring 'No.'...
Just a quick reminder that our Un-Meeting-style ride with the 'King of Gravel' is this Sunday. The weather forecast is unseasonably good for Seattle – just a slight chance of rain in the morning. Here are the details: When: Sunday, December 8, 2019 Where: Seattle Ferry Terminal, 7:35 a.m. ferry...
Adventures in all their forms are the theme of the Winter 2019 Bicycle Quarterly. Lael Wilcox and Rugile Kaladyte tour Kyrgystan in preparation of the Silk Road Mountain Race. Three friends attempting a new route on the border between France and Italy. Two riders enter The Japanese Odyssey, a ride so...
Update 12/2025: More than six (!) years after this post was originally published, gravel and all-road bikes continue as the most popular bike category. What many originally wrote off as a passing fad—road tires with wide tires—has shown real staying power. And the latest crop of gravel race bikes have...
Thank you for your patience last week while we've transitioned the blog to the Rene Herse web site. We've moved all the old contents – blog posts and comments – to the new site, so everything continues to be available. If you've bookmarked a blog post, the link no...
During a recent trip to Japan, we saw a beautiful book about steel road bikes, published by our friends at Bicycle Club magazine. The cover bike may look familiar to Bicycle Quarterly readers – it's part of a famous Japanese collection that we featured a few years back....
After a remarkable run over 15 years, our first book, The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles, is now out of print. Published in 2005, The Golden Age was at the start of our fascination with the French constructeurs. It made Rene Herse and Alex Singer household names. If cyclists today...
Join us on a ride with Ted King, the 'King of Gravel'! We'll head to the Tahuya Hills on some beautiful (and hilly) roads. There'll be plenty of gravel, as well as an all-paved option. When: Sunday, December 8, 2019 Where: Seattle Ferry Terminal, 7:35 a.m. ferry...
We are excited to move our blog and integrate it seamlessly with our Rene Herse Cycles web site. This will allow us to create even more exciting content. And now we can link directly between blog posts and support pages. This and other changes will improve your experience as you...
When winter snow makes the high roads in the Cascade Mountains impassable, we turn to cyclocross. It's our preferred winter sport – challenging, fun and a great way to hone our skills for the big summer gravel adventures. The skills of 'cross are less about jumping across barriers – although...
You asked for it... Many customers requested our Barlow Pass with the Endurance casing. It makes sense – 700C x 38 is a versatile size. If your rides are littered with glass, steel wires or goatheads, the Endurance casing is going to be your friend. You get a tire with...
Rene Herse tires are available in many widths, with two tread patterns and four casings. All this so you can find tires that are ideally suited to how and where you ride. Today, let's look at the different casings. Which is best for you? (more…)
Unlike most posts, this isn't one that I enjoy writing... Over the past decade, we've seen a period of remarkably stable prices. In fact, it's been more than five years since our prices have changed across the board – and back then, they went down, because the exchange rate to...
If you've been to the Philly Bike Expo last weekend (or looked at the photo feeds), you've seen many custom bikes with our Rene Herse taillights. (Above is Brian Chapman's.) The taillight has been one of our more popular products. (more…)
We are really excited about our new cycling caps. They are great to wear under a helmet, or just by themselves. The quality is superb – as you'd expect, since they are made by Walz, a company known for their high quality. They are made in the USA. Best of all, the...
"Work brilliantly on a full range of terrains and surprisingly tough for a supple tyre." That's the summary of the test by Road.cc, the British website. To us, that feedback is especially valuable, because Road.cc really ride the products they test. They've got a number of testers, and their opinions are refreshingly...
When I spec'd my new bike for this year's Paris-Brest-Paris (and for our adventures in the Cascade Mountains), I opted for centerpull brakes. I didn't choose centerpulls out of nostalgia. For the riding I do, they are the best choice. Why not disc brakes? It's undeniable that the best hydraulic disc brakes...
Autumn means colder temperatures and rainy weather, here in the Cascade Mountains and in many parts of the world. More than ever, the grip of our tires is on our minds. Why do all Rene Herse tires have black tread? Colorful treads can look nice, but black rubber offers the...
When we started putting together the Autumn Bicycle Quarterly, we realized that, for each article, we had more material than planned – longer stories, more photos, and new angles. Usually, we test two bikes, but for this edition, we had the chance to ride five: two OPEN all-road bikes, plus the...
Before I started the 750-mile (1200 km) Paris-Brest-Paris on a brand-new bike, I thought about the tools I needed to bring. After months of training and the expense of traveling to France, it would be a shame not to finish the ride because of a mechanical. I love the feel of...
https://youtu.be/HwQEO5eZUYw For the Autumn Bicycle Quarterly, we tested two amazing OPEN all-road bikes. The brand-new WI.DE. can run 60 mm-wide tires – wider than many mountain bikes. The ultralight U.P.P.E.R. is a true racing machine – and yet it handles even rough trails with confidence. Which would you prefer? Enjoy the video...
I've been wanting to thank Bicycle Retailer and Industry News for the nice article about Rene Herse on the front cover of a recent edition. It's not often that the media talks about the contributions of small companies, especially those without a big ad budget. BRAIN's Steve Frothingham wrote that Rene Herse "has nurtured...
In the northern hemisphere, we are moving into the season where we need good fenders: They can make the difference between enjoying the ride and enduring it. The Pacific Northwest, where we live and ride, is known for its long rainy season. We cycle year-round, so it's natural that we...
Last weekend's Bicycle Quarterly Un-Meeting brought together cyclists from all over the United States. Despite an uncertain weather forecast, more than 70 riders met northwest of Portland for a weekend of riding, meeting friends and having a good time. A choice of five courses ranged from the 47 mile (76 km)...
We're celebrating our 2000th post on Instagram with a favorite image. It shows everything I love about cycling: small roads off the beaten path, beautiful bikes and great riding companions. I don't spend a huge amount of time on social media, but I've been enjoying Instagram a lot: Seeing where you...
How fast are our tires? We know that the casing, and not the width, determines a tire's speed. When I rode Paris-Brest-Paris on 42 mm-wide tires (above), I knew that I wasn't giving up any speed over narrower rubber. But in absolute terms, how fast are our Rene Herse tires? Manufacturers'...
If Bicycle Quarterly was a 'normal' magazine, the Autumn edition would look quite different. Which 'normal' publisher would add 25% more pages just because there are so many great stories? We simply felt that we had no choice... When OPEN told us that they had a new bike for ultra-wide tires...
The 2019 Bicycle Quarterly Un-Meeting is less than a week away. We're really excited to meet many of you near Portland next weekend! The Un-Meeting 'un-officially' starts at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019 at Stub Stewart State Park in Buxton, OR. We'll meet at the
When I built my new bike for this year's Paris-Brest-Paris, I was reminded of professional racers in the old days, who brought their favorite saddle and handlebars to the builder of their new bike. I've talked about handlebars here; today, I'll cover saddles as the second contact...
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve3tXQY5pFk&feature=youtu.be?rel=0&w=640&h=360] I've really enjoyed the stories that have come out of last week's Paris-Brest-Paris. Above is my friend and training buddy Ryan Hamilton's short video, seen entirely through the eyes of his bike-mounted camera. I was moved when seeing the great big bridge that leads into Brest. My eyes welled...
This year’s Paris-Brest-Paris lived up to its reputation as an epic event. Organized without interruption since 1891, PBP is the oldest bike ride in the world. It takes riders back to the 'Heroic Age' when races featured stages that began before dawn and ran late into the night, and beyond. Riding 1200...
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