Winter in Yorkshire
As Seattle is receiving a dusting of snow, I received this wonderful photo of Bicycle Quarterly contributor Tim Bird ("A Day Out in the Yorkshire Dales").
Wide-Body SON Delux Generator Hub
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:30-07:00I 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...
People who have inspired us: Grant Petersen
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:30-07:00An 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 during...
PBP: The Movie
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:30-07:00Last week, Sur la Route de l'Extreme by Sandrine Lopez and Philip Dupuis was shown on French TV. It's a well-done documentary of this year's PBP, with beautiful shots showing the variety of randonneurs who participate, from the fastest to the slowest. There are great shots of the lead peloton....
Bike Tests
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:30-07:00Good bike tests provide information that allow you to choose a bike that is right for you. Your bike need not look like the one that was tested, because it often can be customized to your personal tastes. When we test a production bike, the bike we test is the bike...
The Technical Trials
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:30-07:00The Technical Trials are best known for the incredibly light bicycles that constructeurs built in the 1940s. (The 1946 Alex Singer above weighs a little over 17 pounds fully equipped.) More importantly, the Trials advanced bicycle technology by serving as a test bed for new bikes and components. Low-trail geometries, braze-ons...
Charity Drive: Thank You!
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:30-07:00The Bicycle Quarterly charity drive was a success. Together with our readers, we raised almost $2000 for charity. Thank you to all who contributed.
Bicycle Quarterly Charity Drive
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:30-07:00We 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...
Bottle Cages
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:30-07:00When 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...
Why Bolts Come Loose
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:30-07:00Fenders, racks and other attachments can remain maintenance-free for 10,000+ miles, yet other bikes require tightening bolts on a regular basis. Why do some bolts stay tight, while others loosen quickly? We have covered this in detail in Bicycle Quarterly's article "Engineering a Bicycle" in Vol. 5, No. 4. The essential...
Farewell to a Dear Bike
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:30-07:00Before packing up the Calfee "Adventure," I took it out for one last ride. It was a lovely afternoon that did not feel like November. The sun was out, and it was 59 degrees F. The weather forecast was for rain in the lowlands and snow in the mountains. It...
The Competition Bicycle – Price Reduced
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:30-07:00As 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 – The Book
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:30-07:00Paris-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 and Crank Length
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:30-07:00Net-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...
Winter 2011 Bicycle Quarterly
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:30-07:00The 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...
Ode to a Road
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:30-07:00The German poet Friedrich Schiller wrote his Ode to Joy in 1785, celebrating friendship and the unity of humanity. Ludwing van Beethoven set the poem to music and incorporated it into his 9th Symphony as the final movement. I was thinking about the Ode as we rode a favorite road a...
SON Generator Hubs and Lights
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:30-07:00Compass 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...
A Future for Independent Bookstores?
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:30-07:00About 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...
Coming up on 10 years
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:31-07:00Bicycle Quarterly is entering its 10th year! We recently mailed Vol. 10, No. 1, the Autumn 2011 issue. It has been a remarkable journey, and it is nice to see how much the bike industry has changed over the last decade – for the better. Quite a few things that we...
Science and Bicycles: Frame Stiffness
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:31-07:00Lightweight frames, made from high-strength tubing, were thought to be stiffer than ordinary frames. They performed better for most cyclists, but the conclusion that stiffer frames were better was erroneous. Eventually, this led the makers of steel bicycles down the wrong path and may have hastened their demise. When the plague...
Riding the Oregon Manifest
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:31-07:00Two years after the inaugural event, the second Oregon Manifest design contest and technical trials were held last weekend. The Oregon Manifest crew put together a great event, even better than the first. I see the Oregon Manifest as an idea lab for the future of the urban bike. Builders,...
A Trip to France
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:31-07:00Going to France was a treat. Not just because PBP is a wonderful adventure, but because I love visiting France. In August, Paris loses some of its urban edge, and people become more relaxed. The city organizes Paris Plages ("Beach in Paris"): For a few weeks, sand is trucked in,...
Autumn 2011 Bicycle Quarterly
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:31-07:00The 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,...
A Journey of Discovery: The Lure of Racing Bikes
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:31-07:00When we wrote the "A Journey of Discovery" series for this blog, we started with the racing bikes we rode a little over a decade ago. However, my "journey" has been much longer... I grew up in Germany, where all bikes had fenders, lights and racks. When I was ten years...
History of Aluminum Cranks
Jan Heine2022-01-15T13:36:22-08:00During 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...
The Dangers of Narrow Tires
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:31-07:00It is unfortunate that most "road" and even "hybrid" bikes are sold with tires so narrow that you cannot cross streetcar tracks at an oblique angle without risking a fall. The Seattle Times reported recently about a rail line that crosses a city street not far from my house. "A bicyclist...
Report from Paris-Brest-Paris
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:31-07:00I enjoy returning to Paris to ride the Paris-Brest-Paris event. Paris is a place steeped in cyclotouring history. Several of us met in front of Notre Dame to ride to the start for the bike check; this is where the Flèche Vélocio used to start for the teams from Paris....
Letters to the Editor
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:31-07:00We get many letters and e-mails. We read them all, but we cannot reply to each and every one. We select a few for inclusion to Bicycle Quarterly "Readers' Forum" pages. How do we select these letters? To be published, a letter must add something new to the discussion. We really...
PBP Preparation: Bike Route from Paris to the Start
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:31-07:00For those staying in Paris before PBP, here is a bike route from the Arc de Triomphe to the start in Saint Quentin-en-Yvelines. The route is easy to follow, yet it doesn't see a lot of traffic. There is a nice bike path after you ride past the Chateau of Versailles....
PBP Preparation: Quality Time Off the Bike
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:31-07:00Many people think that the difference between a fast ride and a slow one is a superhuman power output. While some riders ride somewhat faster than others, especially on hills, the main factor affecting the time to complete a ride is off-the-bike time. In Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP), imagine riding from Carhaix to...
PBP Preparation: Mavic Reflective Vest
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:47-07:00In my quest for a suitable reflective vest that meets the PBP regulations, that is comfortable to wear, and that doesn't take much space in my handlebar bag, I now have bought a Mavic reflective vest. How does it compare to the "official" PBP and the Rapha vests, which I...
The Aunt
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:47-07:00One of the best things of editing Bicycle Quarterly have been the wonderful people I have met all over the world. Even among these amazing people, Paulette Porthault stands out. Most of you have seen her many times: On the Bicycle Quarterly home page, you see her climbing the Galibier...
René Herse Crank Weight
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:47-07:00In 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...
PBP Preparation: Reflective Vests and Rapha Jersey
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:47-07:00Rapha recently introduced their "Paris-Brest-Paris Jersey." It is designed specifically for randonneuring, and as a bonus, it comes with a reflective vest. The vest has generated considerable interest among randonneurs... Randonneuring requires riding at night. To improve rider safety, randonneuring rules not only require lights, but also reflective clothing. Reflective vests...
Bicycle Quarterly Get-Together at PBP
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:47-07:00Following Paris-Brest-Paris 2011, Bicycle Quarterly readers (and others) are invited to an informal get-together at the historic start and finish of the famous 1200 km ride. On Friday, 26 August 2011, starting at 11 a.m., we plan to meet at the Brasserie Aux Trois Obus. During the 1940s and 1950s, randonneurs...
The Beauty of Paper
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:47-07:00Once 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...
René Herse Cranks – Strong Enough?
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:48-07:00When 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...
Fully Equipped Bikes – Follow-Up
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:48-07:00A little while ago, we talked about how sports cars are equipped with lights and fenders, and nobody thinks they are less sporty for it. Performance bicycles don't have lights and fenders, because most "weekend warriors" don't think they need them. After all, they usually ride during daytime and in sunny...
PBP Training: Recovery
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:48-07:00In the past, we've discussed hill intervals and how they make you stronger. They've certainly worked for me this spring, as I achieved one of my big goals this year: I completed my Cyclos Montagnards R60 Honors. You get faster and stronger through overload and recovery. This means not only that...
Summer 2011 Bicycle Quarterly
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:48-07:00Happy 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...
Fully Integrated Design
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:48-07:00Car drivers are lucky: They can buy sports cars that are fully equipped to be driven in the rain and even at night. And their fenders rarely rattle loose, their lights don't fall off, and most car owners think little of driving 1200 km without having to tighten bolts or...
A Performance Bike
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:48-07:00In recent years, the bike industry has realized that most riders don't race, and so the racing bike has been renamed: It's now called a "road bike" or a "performance bike." In the minds of most cyclists, a performance bike has narrow tires, no fenders, no lights, no racks. My...
PBP Training: Hill Intervals
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:48-07:00Whether you are training for Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP), a century ride or racing, speed is an essential part of a successful event. Simply put, the faster you are able to ride, the more enjoyable (and less stressful) your ride will be. You'll be able to work with pacelines, rather than just...
Keeping an Eye on Cranks
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:48-07:00I spend so much time assembling test bikes, testing components, etc., that I have little time to work on my own bikes. Fortunately, my Alex Singer (above) has been very reliable, even though it is 38 years old and has been ridden at least 200,000 km (120,000 miles) in its...
Preventing Flat Tires
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:48-07:00Every cyclist knows the sensation: You ride along, feeling at one with your bike and the world. Suddenly you notice your tire going soft, often accompanied by a hissing sound. Like Icarus, who flew too high and got singed by the sun, your euphoria is dashed as you come to...
The Cover Photo
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:48-07:00A number of readers have asked where the cover photo of our blog (above) was taken. Here is the story: An old road above Leschi in Seattle switchbacks though an Olmsted Park, with a set of S-curves that we use for assessing a bike's handling. It's downhill, and with a bit...
The History of Bicycle Brakes
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:48-07:00Bicycle Quarterly always has been intended as a timeless resource, rather than a magazine to be read once and then recycled. Over the last 8.5 years, we have published no fewer than 1711 pages! Many issues are dedicated to a topic and provide an incredible resource for very little money....
Bicycle Stability – Everything Works Together
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:48-07:00New theoretical research in bicycle stability shows that many parameters interact to make a bicycle stable. No single parameter (e.g.: trail, head angle, wheel size, weight distribution) determines whether a bicycle is stable or not. When one parameter is altered, then the other parameters may need to be changed to...
An In-Depth Look at Copenhagen
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:48-07:00We 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...
A Journey of Discovery, Part 7: The Future
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:48-07:00In this series, we have explored how our preferences changed from mid-trail geometries, 700C x 28 mm tires and saddlebags to low-trail 650B bikes with much wider tires and handlebar bags. What will come next? Will we soon ride fully-faired carbon bikes with fenders and racks that form structural parts of...
The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles in Japan
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:48-07:00When 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...
Which Bike to Ride?
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:48-07:00Most of the time, I ride two bicycles: My 1973 Alex Singer Randonneur for spirited rides with friends, and my Urban Bike for rides that involve carrying loads that do not fit in a handlebar bag. (Due to lack of time, my Alex Singer Camping bike does not see much...
PBP Preparation: Flèche Vélocio
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:48-07:00By March, the distance/base mile phase of my training is over. It is time to work on speed and strength. This transition is hard every year. I remember how strong I felt when I climbed mountain passes last September, and now it seems like even small hills have grown into...
A Journey of Discovery, Part 6: The Way We Ride
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:49-07:00In the previous parts of this series, we have looked at how our preferences in bicycles changed over time. More important is how the changes in our bikes have expanded the way we ride. Indeed, we replaced saddlebags with handlebar bags, triple cranks with compact doubles, mid-trail geometries with low-trail ones,...
A Journey of Discovery, Part 5: Frame Stiffness
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:49-07:00In the previous parts of this series, we have looked at how our preferences in bicycles changed over time. We started out on "state-of-the-art" bikes with mid-trail geometries, 700C x 28 mm tires and saddlebags. How did we come to prefer low-trail 650B bikes with much wider tires and handlebar bags?...
A Journey of Discovery, Part 4: Front-End Geometry
Jan Heine2022-04-30T11:52:53-07:00How did our preferences change from our familiar bikes with mid-trail geometries, 700C x 28 mm tires and saddlebags to low-trail 650B bikes with much wider tires and handlebar bags? In the previous parts of this series, we related how we found out about the advantages of handlebar bags, aluminum fenders,...
PBP Preparation: Planning Your Trip To France
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:49-07:00If you are planning to ride Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP) this August, you probably have started training already. We are adding some hills to our "base miles" now as the brevet season approaches. Now also is the time to plan the trip. Booking airfares early usually results in less expensive...
A Journey of Discovery, Part 3: Wide 650B Tires
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:49-07:00How did our preferences change from our familiar bikes with mid-trail geometries, 700C x 28 mm tires and saddlebags to low-trail 650B bikes with much wider tires and handlebar bags? In the first two parts of this series, we talked about discovering handlebar bags and aluminum fenders. Inspired by the old randonneurs,...
SKF Bottom Brackets: World Exclusive
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:49-07:00Compass 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...
A Journey of Discovery, Part 2: Handlebar Bags and Aluminum Fenders
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:49-07:00In the last installment of this series, we looked at the bikes we rode when Bicycle Quarterly got started almost a decade ago. How did our preferences change from our familiar bikes with mid-trail geometries, 700C x 28 mm tires and saddlebags to low-trail 650B bikes with much wider tires and...
A Journey of Discovery, Part 1: What We Used to Ride
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:49-07:00We sometimes hear people criticize our technical analyses: "Bicycle Quarterly's testers simply prefer they bikes that they ride most. You get used to anything, and then you prefer it." Or: "Jan has got his preferences. He started a magazine so he could have a place to talk about them." The reality is a bit...
A New Book on Cycles Alex Singer
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:49-07:00From 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...
Preparing the 2011 Cycling Season
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:20:49-07:00Happy New Year! After my December rest period, it's time to start training for the 2011 cycling season. Whether you race and prepare for a specific event, whether you plan to ride your first double century or brevet series, or whether you want to be in shape for a week-long...
Handlebar Width
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:21:07-07:00A few people have asked about handlebar width in our handlebar discussion. Compass handlebars come in widths between 40 and 46 cm, which may appear narrow by some standards. Many riders, even very tall ones, prefer relatively narrow handlebars. Above is my friend Ryan, who is 6' 4", riding on 41...
Happy Holidays!
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:21:07-07:00May the new year bring you wonderful rides and great memories!
Urban Delivery
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:21:07-07:00My favorite bookseller called and said: "We just sold the last copy of The Competition Bicycle, and there is a gaping hole next to your other book in our window display." There was only one thing to do: I loaded up the trusty Urban Bike with a 40-lb box of books...
PBP 2011: "We Hope to Accommodate All Riders"
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:21:07-07:00Many randonneurs are planning to ride in Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP), the famous 765-mile ride in 2011. The next edition of PBP will bring some changes to deal with the large number of participants. PBP is organized by the Audax-Club Parisien (ACP), the influential cycling club founded in 1903. The ACP created...
Avoiding Numb Hands
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:21:07-07:00Hand numbness can spoil the most wonderful long distance ride. A cyclist's hands can get numb from vibration and pressure. The first step is to eliminate as much vibration as possible near the source (road surface). Supple, wide tires, run at moderate pressures, are key. Flexible fork blades and suspension are...
Mr. Pedersen – A Man of Genius
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:21:07-07:00David Evans spent more than a decade researching the life of Mikael Pedersen, who is best known for his unconventional bicycles. I have been fascinated by these machines since we photographed a rare racing version for our book The Competition Bicycle (see photo below). I have ridden a reproduction Pedersen,...
Bicycle Quarterly Press Around the World
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:21:07-07:00Does 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...
A Neat Bike
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:21:07-07:00When I was working with Peter Weigle on an article on fender mounting for the Winter 2010 issue of Bicycle Quarterly (now at the printer), Peter sent me a photo of his latest bike (above). His bikes always have been special, but on this one, I noticed a lot of...
Farewell to the Mountains
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:21:07-07:00Autumn is a melancholy time. In Seattle, it is hardly noticeable, as the weather gradually gets cooler and wetter. But in the Cascade Mountains, the change of the seasons is swift and spectacular: Cold nights turn deciduous foliage into bright hues of yellow for a brief time, before snow falls...
Carbon Fiber Handlebar 911
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:21:08-07:00Emergency Roadside Repair in 3 Easy Steps Materials required: • wooden stick • steel strap • big rock • 5 mm Allen wrench (optional) Time required: 25 minutes. On a spring-time ride in the Cascades, we took a side road from Sultan to Gold Bar in the Skykomish River Valley. Our destination was Index, and we were...
Seattle to Portland through the Backdoor
Jan Heine2022-07-18T09:57:47-07:00Recently, I had to return a Bicycle Quarterly test bike to MAP Cycles in Portland. I really don't like boxing up bikes, and very much prefer to ride them. Boxing a bike takes half a day, riding to Portland about a day, so it was an easy choice to ride...
Welcome to Our New Blog!
Jan Heine2021-04-23T14:21:08-07:00In this space, I'll blog about what is going on at Bicycle Quarterly: Rides we do, how we keep our bikes on the road, new products, glimpses of topics in upcoming issues of the magazine and more. BQ's contributors will feature occasionally as well. We welcome everybody to join us...
