Back in Stock and New Fenders
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 pick up sticks and rocks that risk collapsing less-strong fenders. (Of course, no fenders are totally fool-proof – always use good judgment and caution when riding off-pavement.)
At 75 mm wide, our H98 fender works well with mountain bike and One-By drivetrains with a wider chainline. If you use a road drivetrain, you’ll either need to indent your fender to clear the chain in the smallest gears – you’ll need about 6 mm clearance – or can run our narrower H80 fenders that have the same radius, but less coverage on the sides of the tire.
Before you ask why the new H98 is available only in a polished version, and not in black… The thicker aluminum isn’t available pre-coated in black. We could have spray-painted the fenders, but the result wouldn’t be as scratch-proof as we’d like. And nothing looks worse than black fenders with scratches that show the silver aluminum. (Sort of like black anodized cranks with rub marks from your shoes/heel…) So they’re aluminum, which means you won’t see scratches and can easily repolish them if you don’t like the patina they develop over time.
Like all our fenders, the new H98s have extra-long coverage to keep your feet and drivetrain dry and clean, and they come with our custom hardware and with detailed mounting instructions.
We do offer the new fenders with tubular stays. They save 35 g with no loss in strength. Those who calculate the price-per-gram-saved ($0.50) will confirm that it’s one of the cheapest weight savings upgrades you can find.
In more fender news, we’re now offering the 62 mm-wide H80 in a 700C version, perfect to cover our 44 mm Snoqualmie Pass tires. (The H80s are also available in 650B and 700C.) This one comes in black, too. In the past, we’ve run the narrower H50s as on David’s bike above, but a little more clearance will be welcome here. And we now offer the tubular stays for our narrower 700C fenders as well. They’re available separately if you want to retrofit your bike.
All other Rene Herse fenders are back in stock, too. And we’ve updated our page that lists the recommended fenders for each tire size.
In the same shipment as the new fenders were also many parts that have been out of stock. For those of you who’ve been patiently waiting for the Rene Herse decaleurs to mount your bags more securely, we’ve got good news and we thank you for your patience while these were in production.
Among our most popular products are our handlebars, and all models are back in stock. For long-distance comfort and all-day rides, you won’t find better bars than these, with their generous curves that support your hands and allow room to roam and find new positions when your hands get tires of holding the bars in one place. And to continue the weight savings theme, our bars are among the lightest aluminum bars that pass all the safety standards. (You can make lighter bars from ultra-strong 7000-series aluminum, but this material is brittle and has a tendency to suddenly break without warning.)
We wrap our bars with Maware leather bar tape. Made from pigskin, it’s thinner and a little grippier than most leather tapes. Riding through the night during last year’s Paris-Brest-Paris, I remember the small delight every time I changed hand positions and felt this wonderful tape under my palms. (I usually don’t wear gloves.)
The brown and tan colors are back in stock (as is the off-white). We’re still waiting for black – sorry.
We’re also restocked on all MKS pedals, including the always-popular Allways flats with their slightly concave surface that hold your foot so much more securely than most other pedals.
In our boxes were also small parts like the MC-2 cleat that allows you to ride traditional toestraps with modern 3-bolt shoes, and separate Rinko adapters for riders who want to use one set of pedals on two different bikes. If you need these parts, you’ll appreciate them.
Kaisei frame tubing is found on more and more bikes these days, because builders appreciate the high quality of these tubes. They’re mostly made for the bikes of professional Keirin racers, and when you livelihood depends on your bike, you won’t settle for second-best. Above is J. P. Weigle’s latest bike taking shape. We’ve been out of seatstays – Peter got the last set! – but they’re now back in stock.
Nitto bottle cages are welded from stainless steel, they are light, strong, never drop a bottle and look great. Now back in stock for that final touch on your bike. (If only we could get our new waterbottles, but they are stuck in California…)
Photo credits: Nicolas Joly (Photo 4), Peter Weigle (Photo 10).
