SON has introduced a few useful products that have us quite excited. First, there is the 12 mm Thru-Axle Adapter. You may know the dilemma: As the days get shorter, you really want to equip your bike with generator lights, but you don't want to invest in a hub that soon...
We are excited about a number of new products. MKS has reworked their popular Sylvan pedals with silky smooth cartridge bearings. Now called the Sylvan Next, we've carried the Touring version for a while. New in the program is the Track pedal (above). The new Track pedals are a great choice...
Since our first visit to Japan last year, we've been fascinated by Rinko, the Japanese system of packing bikes for train travel. The Rinko system developed by the builders Alps and Hirose is especially elegant and results in the smallest possible package for the bike. It still amazes me that a fully equipped...
We've been wearing Woolistic's merino 100% wool jerseys for fourteen years now, since we first ordered these for the Seattle Randonneurs. We appreciate the scratch-free comfort and the wide range of temperatures in which these wool jerseys are comfortable. During long rides, we are glad these jerseys don't smell like...
The Spring 2014 Bicycle Quarterly came off the press earlier this week. It's another exciting issue, full of inspiring stories, useful technical articles and beautiful bikes. We tested a new semi-production bike from Mitch Pryor (MAP). This was a perfect excuse for us to embark on a "fast camping trip" to...
When building my René Herse randonneur bike, I was unable to find a taillight that combined the functions I needed along with a classic appearance. I ended up making my own taillight. Now this light is available from Compass Bicycles Ltd. I wanted a generator-powered taillight that matched the appearance and...
We have reduced our prices on many products that we import. It's rare that prices go down, but we price our products fairly, based on our costs, rather than "what the market will bear." Over the last year, the Japanese yen has lost significant value compared to the U.S. dollar, making...
Our René Herse cranks come with classic 15 mm crank bolts. They are beautiful and easy to tighten. However, it can be hard to find a matching 15 mm wrench. Most wrenches have walls that are too thick to fit inside the hole of the crankarm. (We cannot make the...
Usually, products we sell are products we need ourselves. Most of our components are created because we needed something we could not find elsewhere, whether it's a high-volume, supple tire, a book about René Herse, or a handlebar with more reach and better hand positions. Recently, a customer contacted us with...
Amazon's prototype drone for same-day deliveries (below) has been all over the news lately. It is probably just a publicity stunt, and I am amazed that so many newscasts and newspaper articles fell for it, and then gave the company what amounts to free advertising. Our innovative idea is to...
Many wonderful bikes have been made in France in past decades. Not just the great machines from small constructeurs like René Herse and Alex Singer (above), but also more common bikes like the Peugeot PX-10, the nicer Gitanes and many others. High-end French bikes often used relatively lightweight tubing and...
We just received a new shipment of René Herse cranks. In addition to the double and triple cranks, this production run includes the single-speed cranks (shown above). We also have all chainring sizes in stock (except 50 teeth, which are due to arrive in Seattle in a few days). The single-speed...
For 2013, we are proud to introduce the Classic Bicycles calendar featuring studio photos of thirteen classic bicycles. The “cover model” is a 1965 Cinelli Supercorsa, built up by the legendary Spence Wolf of the Cupertino Bike Shop. Other racing bikes include Eddy Merckx’ winning machine, Francesco Moser’s hour record bike,...
The Autumn 2012 issue of Bicycle Quarterly will be mailed next week. This issue celebrates 10 years of the magazine. That's right: Ten years ago, the first issue of what was then Vintage Bicycle Quarterly was mailed. It's been a long journey from a magazine that focused mostly on vintage...
LEDs have revolutionized generator-powered bicycle lighting. They are bright, use less power, tend to last (almost) forever, and easily can be combined with a standlight. However, many riders prefer the elegant shapes of classic taillights. Combining LEDs with classic taillights offers the best of both worlds. Our LED insert replaces...
If there is one single topic that summarizes Bicycle Quarterly, it is the search for the best solutions. The Summer 2012 issue focuses on the "ultimate" bicycles. Note the plural form: There seem to be as many "ultimate" bikes as there are individual riders, so we examined a few different...
The first production run of the new René Herse cranks has sold out. Reports from users have been very positive. The cranks work well with current 10-speed drivetrains, as well as classic setups with 5-9 cogs in the rear. The second production run is under way. In a month or two,...
Cyclists come in all sizes, as illustrated on the cover of the Spring 2012 Bicycle Quarterly. In this issue, we look at riders that are outside the range of our usual testers. How will a low-trail bike handle for a novice rider? Is “planing” something that all cyclists can experience?...
Customers who pre-ordered their René Herse cranks before February 1 should receive a box in the next few days. Inside... ...is the new René Herse crank. It is delivered with our custom crank bolts and pedal washers. We are ramping up production slowly to ensure the cranks are made to our...
We now have braze-on pivots for centerpull brakes in stock. Small parts like these are easily overlooked. They aren't exciting, and there is little profit in them. But when you need them, you appreciate them. Centerpull brakes have seen a resurgence in popularity in recent years. With brazed-on pivots, they are...
In today's world, it is crucial for companies to listen to their customers. Give customers what they want, and you'll be successful, the reasoning goes. Combine that with the economies of scale of mass production, and most manufacturers chase the same "average" audience. As a result, more and more products...
When I started researching the history of René Herse more than a decade ago, I never thought I would end up buying the company! During my research, I talked to riders on Herse's team and people who had known René Herse himself. I rode surviving examples of his bikes, and even...
I am excited about the new Wide-Body SON Delux generator hub. It allows you to enjoy a super-strong wheel, yet roll along with the less resistance than other generator hubs. It is available now in limited quantities with 32 or 36 holes. When Schmidt Maschinenbau developed the standard SON Delux generator...
Developing an excellent product takes time and care. The first run of our new René Herse cranks has been forged. Above, you see a raw forging being removed from the forging die. Above are the raw forgings for the crankarms of the first production run (three containers in the foreground). Around...
We are grateful that we can ride beautiful bicycles, both for enjoyment and for transportation. We discuss issues like geometry, load placement and the advantages of generator over battery lights. Much of the world is less fortunate. Even in the United States, one of the richest countries anywhere, there are many...
When I knew Ernest Cuska, the long-time owner of Cycles Alex Singer, he did not have bottle cages on his bikes. After riding with him a few times, I realized why: He did not drink anything while riding. Imagine my surprise when I looked at old photos of him and...
As a small publisher, we don't have a "publicist" who works full-time to promote our books. Therefore, we always are excited when one of our titles is mentioned in a major publication. Over the years, our books have been featured in the Sunday Times UK, one of Britain's largest newspapers,...
Paris-Brest-Paris is an event that captures the imagination. It's not just the epic length of the ride – 1200 km or 750 miles – but also the history that makes this event special. Paris-Brest-Paris (or PBP in short) was created in 1891 by Pierre Giffard, a colorful journalist, with two goals:...
Net-Shape Forging The new René Herse cranks will be offered in one length only, 171 mm, which allows us to have the cranks forged to their final shape. (The photo above shows the raw forging.) The process is called "net-shape forging." The grain structure of the aluminum is aligned during the...
The Winter 2011 issue of Bicycle Quarterly is at the printer and will be mailed next week. Our full report from the Oregon Manifest (pictured on the cover) showcases the innovative and inspiring bicycles that excelled in the technical trials. We also take you on an epic ride across the...
Compass Bicycles has added SON generator hubs and Edelux lights to our program. We are excited to carry the best bicycle lighting systems ever made. A few years ago, a reporter asked me what I considered the most important innovation in bicycles during the last half-century. After thinking about the many...
About ten years ago, I walked into a small bookstore in Seattle's Fremont neighborhood. I saw a beautiful book on motorcycles, and even though I am not particularly interested in motorbikes, I picked up the book. The photography in The Art of the Motorcycle was stunning. I liked it so...
The new René Herse cranks have entered production. The arms are being forged, the chainrings are being machined, and the crank bolts are being made, each by specialist manufacturers who are among the best in their trade. The photo above shows the final production version of the arms and chainrings....
The Autumn issue of Bicycle Quarterly is at the printer. It will be mailed next week. On 72 pages, we cover a variety of topics, including: High-wheeler racing in New Zealand today. Test of the Calfee "Adventure" – a carbon fiber bicycle for the real world. Braking: We test how it's done best,...
During the development of our new René Herse cranks over the last two years, I have been thinking a lot about crank design. Modern cranks are an interesting story of standards that evolved until nobody remembers why they were adopted in the first place. Here are a few questions that...
There are different philosophies on how to set prices. The traditional way is to figure out how much something costs to make, add a little profit, and determine the retail price. The more modern way is to keep your prices low on "high-visibility" items for which people comparison-shop, but inflate...
In our original announcement of the new René Herse cranks, we wrote that they were lighter than Campagnolo Record Carbon cranks. A few readers asked us to substantiate this. We weighed the cranks on Bicycle Quarterly's precision scale (above). We don't have the final chainrings for our new cranks yet, so...
Once in a while, we get a question about whether we will offer a digital edition of Bicycle Quarterly. For now, we are committed to paper. I love paging through magazines with my children. Many of those magazines I have kept since I was a teenager. And I love libraries...
When we presented the new René Herse cranks last week, a number of people wondered whether they would be strong enough. After all, most cranks have four or five spider arms, whereas the Herse cranks use only three. And what about the small bolt-circle diameter? Does it support the chainrings...
Compass Bicycles and René Herse Bicycles are proud to introduce a modern version of the classic René Herse crank. The new crank will be available this fall. Some products are hard to improve; they make you wonder why all components are not made that way. The classic René Herse cranks are...
Happy Solstice! This means that summer officially has started, and the Summer issue of Bicycle Quarterly is at the printer. It will be mailed next week. The topics include: Do larger wheels roll faster on bumpy roads than small ones? Collecting roads: How to find the best backroads. Test of the Ellis Randonneur...
We finally got our shipment of Cecilia Vanman's book Copenhagen – City of Bicycles. You can order your copy here. City of Bicycles is a full-color, hardcover, 196-page book that provides an in-depth look at what makes Copenhagen the most bicycle-friendly city in the world. Vanman explains how Copenhagen was...
At Compass Bicycles, we carry products we value, even if we don't expect them to be very profitable. The Iribe bottle cage is a case in point. On the face of it, $ 150 for a bottle cage is a lot of money. It's only slightly lighter than a Nitto...
When I became interested in the bicycles of the French constructeurs many years ago, the little information that was available came from Japan. I am happy to return the favor: Our book The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles now is available in Japanese. Maybe it will broaden the appreciation of...
The Spring 2011 issue of Bicycle Quarterly is at the printer, and will be mailed next week. Here is a sneak peek at the new issue.
Compass Bicycles is proud to be the sole distributor of SKF bottom brackets world-wide. Svenska Kugellagerfabriken (SKF) has been the leader in bearing technology since 1907. Today, SKF is the largest bearing manufacturer in the world, and their bearings are used in Formula 1 racecars and other high-end applications. SKF's ball...
From 1938 until today, Cycles Alex Singer has made some of the most wonderful bicycles ever made. (I may be biased, since I ride my 1973 Alex Singer randonneur bike more than any other bike.) Alex Singers have been appreciated especially by Japanese cyclists. This new hardcover book celebrates Cycles...
Does this book look familiar? Look again: It's the German edition of The Competition Bicycle – A Photographic History, published by Covadonga in 2009. Our books and Bicycle Quarterly are being read all over the world. Here are a few examples: The Times (London, UK) mentioned Bicycle Quarterly's article on...
At Bicycle Quarterly, we sometimes discover products that are superb, but nobody imports them to North America. Or our research indicates that certain classic components work better than those available today, but nobody is making them. We have suggested some of these products to existing manufacturers. I told Paul Price how...
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