When Lael and Rue came to Seattle late last year, I didn't know what to expect. I mean, I think I know Lael. I've watched her in countless interviews and videos. We've talked on the phone dozens of times. We've worked together to develop two tires, the Fleecer Ridge...
Hidetaka Hirose, the genius behind C.S. Hirose, died early on Saturday. For 40 years, he built bicycles that were custom-built for their riders in every way: Not just size, geometry and tubing selection, but even the components. (more…)
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...
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....
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...
When Compass Cycles became Rene Herse Cycles earlier this year, many cyclists wondered: Who was René Herse, and why is his work relevant today? Here is the story of how René Herse and his bikes have inspired modern all-road bikes: Eighty years ago, René Herse entered the cycling world with...
Lyli Herse would have turned 90 years old today (January 6) – and this post was written to celebrate her life that has inspired so many of us. But alas, I have to report instead that Lyli died on Thursday after a very short illness. Despite the great sadness...
The Bicycle Quarterly "Team" is the inspiration for much of what we do. Whether it's the ride stories in Bicycle Quarterly or the components made by Compass Bicycles, it all starts with a bunch of friends riding bikes. You may have noticed that "team" is in quotation marks, because it's not an official team, but a really remarkable group who have found each other over the years. We all are of similar strength, which means that a common pace comes naturally. We've...
A few weeks ago, I visited the Tokyo Handmade Bicycle Show. It was a lot of fun seeing what Japanese builders are doing these days. Before we entered the show, we parked our bikes outside. The bike parking area by itself was worth a visit: Virtually every bike was a...
After Paris-Brest-Paris, Theo and I rode out to Chanteloup in the hills west of Paris. After every PBP, we organize a small reunion of the Pilotes de René Herse (the riders on René Herse's team) at the restaurant where the team used to eat after the Poly de Chanteloup...
When Bicycle Quarterly did an article on Tullio Campagnolo, you knew it wasn't going to be another fluff piece re-hashing the same old stories and myths. We did some real research, and we were surprised by what we uncovered. Cyclists who know their history have heard how in 1927, Campagnolo...
On September 1, 1930, two French pilots were the first to fly from Paris to New York. This was a huge achievement for them, but also their aircraft, since they flew against the prevailing winds. Most people know about Charles Lindbergh, who had flown the other way just three years...
When I was researching our René Herse book, the most difficult part of the story were the war-time years. Herse started making bikes in 1940, while Paris was occupied by the Germans. Being conditioned by war movies and war-time memories from German relatives, I found it hard to imagine...
Today is the 100th birthday of Paulette Porthault! Madame Porthault was an avid cyclotourist from the early 1930s until well into her 80s. She has been an incredible resource for information and insight into the "Golden Age" of French cyclotouring. Most of all, she has been a wonderful friend...
When I interviewed Roger Baumann for the René Herse book, he told me: "In Paris, there was this club of older riders, the Audax-Club Parisien. [...] They did great rides in the mountains [...] They were a leading light in the sport. They created many events: Paris-Brest-Paris, Flèche Vélocio..." When...
It's hard for me to believe, but it has already been three years since Ernest Csuka passed away. I wrote in his obituary in Bicycle Quarterly: "He was the last of a generation of great constructeurs." Indeed, Ernest Csuka had experienced most of the post-war history of the French...
One of the greatest influences that led to Bicycle Quarterly and Compass Bicycles has been Mike Kone (center above, discussing a historic photo with Robert Limouzi (right), who rode on the René Herse team in the 1960s, and the author (left)). I have known Mike for almost 20 years...
I learned about the history of Paris-Brest-Paris from the late Bernard Déon's excellent book Paris-Brest et Retour (unfortunately out of print). Déon was a great storyteller, and I found his report from the epic 1956 particularly gripping. The main protagonist of that dramatic edition of PBP was a young...
Before the Internet became the most important medium for communication, fans of classic bikes communicated by phone, or in person at the occasional "Classic Bike Show" organized somewhere. Through word-of-mouth, I learned that Gabe Konrad in Michigan was publishing a little "zine" about classic bikes called Aeoleus Butterfly. I...
An endeavor like Bicycle Quarterly does not happen out of the blue. There are many people who influence us as we develop tastes and ideas outside the mainstream. A major influence for me was Grant Petersen. Grant was influential in making Bridgestone into a maker of slightly left-field production bicycles...
