When I was preparing my FKT ride over the notoriously rough gravel of the Oregon Outback last year, I needed to figure out what tire pressure to run. I looked at some online tire pressure calculators. One suggested to run my 54 mm-wide tires at 16 psi (1.1 bar) –...
The Spring 2022 Bicycle Quarterly is coming off the press as you read this. Paper shortages have delayed this edition a little, but it's been worth the wait. Putting together the magazine has been a lot of fun. Our team followed with amazement as Lael Wilcox rode the entire Alaska Pipeline Trail...
Months of hard work (and patience) are paying off, and shipments are arriving at our warehouse almost daily. Most of the Rene Herse program is in stock now. The latest arrival are SON generator hubs, Edelux lights and associated small parts, like coaxial connectors and dropouts for the ingenious connector-less...
The new Rene Herse tire pressure calculator is based on hundreds of tests of tires from 20 to 55 mm wide. These tests have consistently shown that supple high-performance tires roll fastest at two distinct pressures: A relatively high pressure that provides a firm feel to the bike, and a...
The headline says all you need to know: A small quantity of 177 mm crankarms have arrived, so we can custom-build you one-by, double, triple and even tandem cranks. There's no need to bore you with more stories about supply chain woes. This isn't a post about why we like...
We've got rims again! Rims are essential components of our bikes – we can't ride without them. They are among the parts that we try to keep in stock at all times. But these aren't normal times... To give you an idea of what it takes these days to keep...
We feel it's time to take a break from the news. Not to close our eyes to the terrible things happening in the world. Not to stop being inspired by the heroism of the Ukrainians. Certainly not to block out the suffering caused by war. But to avoid getting numbed...
We get that question sometimes: "Why don't you offer tires with smaller or shallower knobs?" At first glance, it seems like Rene Herse offers only extreme tires. Our tires are either almost slick or have large knobs. Wouldn't an 'in-between' tire offer the best of both worlds – just a...
Thank you to all our readers and customers who chipped in and made our fundraiser for Ukraine a success. A few readers missed the deadline, but we were able to include their donations as well. We came close to our goal of donating $ 10,000 – so close that we...
We can't imagine what it's like right now to be in Ukraine. We've heard about bombing raids and invasions from our grandparents and from René Herse's riders and employees, but those were stories from a time long ago. (The photo above shows the Rene Herse shop window during the German...
JaBig and I have known each other for a number of years now. Back in 2019, he was planning a ride around the world to raise money for World Bicycle Relief, and we asked him whether he was interested in testing our tires on his ride across Europe, Africa and...
At Rene Herse Cycles, we offer parts that last a long time and that are rebuildable if it ever becomes necessary. And not just 'rebuildable' in theory – we stock the parts you need for the rebuild, and provide detailed instructions how to do it. It's all part of our...
Standards exist mostly to ensure interchangeability of parts. If you need replace one of the bolts that attach the bottle cages on your bike, you can go to any hardware store in the world and buy an M5 bolt. Unless it's specified otherwise, the threads will have a diameter of...
The readers of Bicycle Quarterly are a vibrant group, and that comes through in the Readers' Forum where we publish comments, opinions, and questions. It's more than just a 'Letters to the Editor' section; we also answer technical questions that don't warrant a complete Bicycle Quarterly article. In a recent...
"I feel like Santa Claus," said the truck driver when he saw our excitement as we unloaded the latest shipment. "You are! We've been waiting for these for a while!" was our reply. The shipment from Japan included some popular tires, like the 700C x 42 Hurricane Ridge and 700C...
When we talk about wide tires and other bike tech, it's for one reason only: so we can have more fun on our bikes. We have some amazing riding in the Pacific Northwest, and here we're sharing some of our favorite routes. First in the series is a wonderful loop...
Our bike shop partners tell us that the most asked question these days is: "Aren't wide tires slower than narrow tires?" That's what all of us believed for many decades, and old beliefs don't disappear overnight. Most of us agree that wide tires can make cycling much more fun, because...
This is so evident that it shouldn't need saying: Jews (and all other religious groups) should not have to be be afraid when congregating in places of worship. There is no place for Antisemitism. It's sad that almost a century after this photo was taken, Antisemitism is still very real and...
Inflation has been all over the news, and it's caused much confusion. Customers have asked us: Do we really need to worry if used car prices are high? We are cyclists, after all... From our vantage point, we don't need to worry, but prices will increase. It's a world-wide thing,...
When the project for a Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame was announced, there was immediately some pushback: Isn't 'gravel' too new to have a Hall of Fame? From the perspective of gravel racing, that makes sense. Many of the big names from the early days of 'gravel' are still racing...
It's been a long wait, but we have good news: Rene Herse cranks have arrived. We've got 171 mm arms, and the 165 and 177 mm arms are at the polisher. They'll be here soon. In an age of integrated spindles and carbon cranks, you may wonder why many riders prefer...
This is just a short note that we got more Merino Wool Jerseys. They're the ultimate performance cycling wear for the cold season, and they are a key part of what makes our adventures possible: They keep us dry and warm over a wide range of temperatures, during hard efforts...
The word 'Revolution' is overused. Almost every new product and idea is marketed as 'revolutionary.' And yet, once in a while, something happens that really does change everything. For bicycles, the 'All-Road Bike Revolution' has been perhaps the biggest change since multi-speed drivetrains replaced singlespeeds. The 'All-Road Bike Revolution' can...
We wish all of you a Happy New Year filled with health, joy and great bike rides! Jan, Natsuko & the Rene Herse team
Despite its many challenges, 2021 also brought out a lot of resiliency. We learned to live with the new circumstances, helped by the fact that riding bikes is actually safe, even in small groups. For us at Rene Herse Cycles, 2021 was another year where our tires and components were tested...
Rene Herse Cycles was born out of our passion for exploring the forgotten mountain passes of the Cascade Mountains and beyond. Now we are sharing some of our favorite routes, from an all-paved rambles through the Cascade foothills to the multi-day adventures that take you over the highest passes. Explore the...
For decades, cyclists have believed that trail makes a bike more stable. It makes sense: A bike's front wheel touches the ground behind the steerer axis. As the bike moves forward, there's a self-centering force on the front wheel – sort of like the caster of a shopping cart. Trail is...
We are grateful for your support, and we look forward to being part of your rides and adventures next year! Jan, Natsuko & the Rene Herse team
Winter is coming to Seattle, but, contrary to stereotypes, it's not always raining. Sunny days invite us to explore neighborhoods we usually don't visit. Last weekend, I decided to ride a bike that brings back many memories: The Rene Herse I used for years to commute around Paris. Back then, I...
We love history because the stories are so inspiring – real life is often better than fiction. One of my favorites is Lyli Herse's record-setting ride up the Puy de Dôme in 1951. Tour de France fans know the 'Puy' as one of the toughest climbs in France. Many times it...
We're excited to share a short review of our book The All-Road Bike Revolution. Adventure Cycling's Dan Meyer wrote: "Jan Heine will be a familiar name to longtime readers of this magazine (he wrote the Mechanical Advantage column for years). Heine has long been an evangelist for the "all-road" bike,...
The first 15 years of Bicycle Quarterly were spent unearthing previously unknown parts of cycling culture, talking to larger-than-life characters, and delving into long-forgotten photo archives. Many of these wonderful BQ editions are out of print, but we recently found a few boxes that had been mis-shelved. Among them is...
The Winter 2021 Bicycle Quarterly is at the printer. We are preparing the mailing list this week – subscribe now to be among the first to get a copy of this exciting edition! It's another un-missable BQ, starting with the cover story: Donalrey Nieva and Karen Yung climb Mauna Kea....
It's the season for giving nice things to people you like. It's an opportunity to show appreciation and love. Giving something that delights and is useful creates lasting memories. Every time we use a gift, we think of the person who gave it to us. It's always fun to use...
Our Merino Wool Jerseys have landed! I've been wearing the prototype for the past year, and I'm glad we can finally offer them to our customers. Some may ask: Why Merino wool? It's all about performance. Synthetic fabrics have improved a lot in recent years, but wool has a few...
Most of my bikes carry a full-sized frame pump, but on BQ test bikes, I often need to bring a minipump. When I had to air up a tire during a ride, Natsuko saw me struggle with the hose and multiple screw-on connectors. "Use my pump," she said and pulled...
Just a quick note that we've received a restock on our most popular tires of the moment, the new 650B x 55 Umtanum Ridge knobbies and 700C x 48 Hatcher Pass all-road tires. A few other models are available again, too. Ever since taking prototypes of the Umtanum Ridges (above) on...
Whether it's after a long ride (and shower and good meal) or on a day when it's not appealing to head out at all – there's nothing quite like making a cup of tea and sitting down with a beautiful book. Great books don't just tell stories and convey information,...
The latest U.N. Climate Talks concluded this weekend. There was some encouraging progress, but not nearly enough. Yet bike companies and social media has been mostly silent on what is probably the most urgent problem humanity faces. It's almost as if we don't want to talk about what many perceive...
Half-jokingly, we've been referring to the Autumn Bicycle Quarterly as the 'Steel Bike Edition.' We didn't plan it that way; it just happened. This illustrates how vibrant the world of steel bikes is today – arguably, they are better than ever before. Of course, there are also great carbon bikes...
When I was racing on fender-less bikes, chain lube was an important topic here in the wet Pacific Northwest. Back then, it was generally accepted that Dumonde Tech was by far the best lube. It was the only one that allowed you to complete a rainy ride without the chain...
We're excited to announce our partnership with the Mechanical Engineering Department at Cal Poly (Pomona) to explore cycling-related research topics. Starting this semester, 38 undergraduate and 2 graduate students are working under Dr. Nolan Tsuchiya on a variety of projects, including: Measure drivetrain losses: Does cross-chaining decrease efficiency? What about...
Today would have been J. P. (Peter) Weigle's French Fender Day, the gathering of cyclotouring bikes old and new at the master's workshop deep in the woods of New England. The meeting went virtual this year, with a photo contest on Instagram with the tag #ffd2021v. You can still enter;...
They are here! What is probably the most iconic stem of all time, the Rene Herse stem, is now available again, updated for the 21st century. And we're not just making the stem, but a complete, integrated system consisting of stem, decaleur and light switch, plus a few other parts. Typical...
It's been a while since we announced the 80th Anniversary Rene Herse bikes and frames and started taking orders. From the beginning, we had decided to offer just eight bikes and eight frames – this isn't a money-making project, but a celebration of our heritage and a way to share the...
Many years ago, the biggest American bike magazine published a short note about aluminum fenders with the comment: "We are charmed by the idea that there actually are fender snobs!" I had to smile, because the reason we care so much about fenders is simple: We like to ride in...
Before there was gravel, there was Paris-Roubaix. The famous race used to be a relic from a past when many races of northern Europe went over cobblestones. While other races – especially the Tour de France – became 'sanitized,' the Queen of the Classics played up its image as the...
People have commented to the stats of the Oregon Outback FKT. I find it interesting to review the ride – what went right and what could be improved in the future. These numbers can also help others who plan a long ride. Distance: 585 km / 363 milesElevation gain: 4,382 m...
In addition to making our Rene Herse components, we also distribute parts made by other makers. Our goal is to make products that don't exist, not to duplicate what others already offer, so we work with SON in Germany, FMB and Berthoud in France, as well as Nitto, MKS, Ostrich,...
The Autumn 2021 Bicycle Quarterly is coming off the press this week. We're preparing the mailing lists on Monday – to get your copy without delay, please make sure your subscription is up to date. Sometimes the best stories are rides where things don't go according to plan, and Jan and Lael's...
Few rides have captured my imagination like the Oregon Outback. It's not just the epic scale of it – traversing the entire state of Oregon on gravel roads – but also the varied landscapes. I love the wide-open sagebrush country in the south. There are few better roads than the...
The Oregon Outback has been a huge influence for us at Rene Herse Cycles. Back in 2014, the inaugural ride/race over the course made us realize the potential of truly wide tires. Ever since, I've wanted to come back with a bike built specifically for riding rough gravel roads at...
When we asked Lael Wilcox which tires she needed for bikepacking, the Fleecer and Oracle Ridge dual-purpose knobbies were the result: great traction on loose and muddy surfaces (and snow), but fast and grippy on pavement. Plus quiet thanks to our noise cancellation technology. These tires cover the multitude of...
We just received another tire shipment, this one mostly with Extralight models that had been out of stock for a while. For me, the Extralight casing is one of the things that defines our Rene Herse tires. It's the most supple casing you'll find anywhere, matched only by the finest...
Before our ride on the Oregon Outback, Lael replaced her headlight – which was designed for mountain biking – with a more road-oriented SON Edelux II. The more even illumination of the road surface by a shaped beam makes riding at speed much easier and less fatiguing. And a single LED...
Let's start with the new tire: We're excited to expand our 26" offerings with the 26" x 1.8" Naches Pass Endurance. The Naches Pass is the 26" equivalent of our iconic 650B Babyshoe Pass – the tires we ride on our own bikes more than any others. In fact, Natsuko runs...
"Racing bikes are defined by the riding experience, not by a few millimeters in tire width," says Jan Heine. The German edition of our book 'The All-Road Bike Revolution' just launched, and there's been a lot of interest in the German media. Gravel bikes are a brand-new phenomenon in Germany, at...
Our tires are developed in the field, by some of the world's best riders. For us, racing isn't about marketing, but about testing and improving our products. And there's probably no test as harsh as the Silk Road Mountain Race: A 1858 km (1154 mile) trek over old Soviet military...
The 2021 Bicycle Quarterly Un-Meeting will be hosted by Bicycle Counterculture (BCC) in Marin County, California. A group campsite is reserved at Samuel P. Taylor State Park on What: Bicycle Quarterly Un-MeetingWhen: Thursday and Friday, September 16-17, 2021Where: Madrone Group Campsite, Samuel P. Taylor State ParkWho: Everybody who enjoys cycling off...
We're offering the 80th Anniversary Rene Herse bikes with a choice of two drivetrains: either SRAM eTap or a Nivex rear and Rene Herse front derailleur. It's a choice between best electronic or the best manual shifting. Both the current Nivex and modern electronic drivetrains stand at the pinnacle of...
There's been a great response to our 80th Anniversary Rene Herse bikes and framesets. There's a lot of excitement. Even people who don't want to order one are glad that they'll exist. Just like I'll probably never own a great sportscar, but when I see one, I smile. Perhaps the biggest...
The response to the new 650B x 55 mm Umtanum Ridge surprised everybody: The Endurance casing was sold out within 4 hours, and the Extralights lasted only a little less than a day. We just received another shipment, so both models are back in stock. The Standard casing will follow...
To celebrate 80 years of Rene Herse bikes, we're excited to offer a limited edition of bikes and frames. René Herse entered the cycling world in 1938, when he introduced innovative superlight components that drew on his experience making prototype aircraft components. A few years later, during the German occupation...
The new 650B x 55 mm Umtanum Ridge tires have landed! Now our widest knobbies are available in the three most popular wheel sizes: The award-winning 700C/29" Fleecer Ridge is perfect for the latest drop-bar mountain bikes. The 26" Humptulips Ridge has made classic mountain bikes fun again. And now...
We're excited that cyclocross is back this autumn in North America. It's something we've missed more than almost anything else during the pandemic. 'Cross is so much fun in part because you get to ride multiple laps of the same course, so you get the opportunity to fine-tune your lines....
The Rift Iceland gravel race has fascinated me since it was first announced. I've only been to Iceland once, during a short layover on the way to France for Paris-Brest-Paris in 2015. I was overwhelmed by the magnitude of the landscape – everything seemed vast and inhospitable, yet also magnificent...
This year's Tour de France provided gripping racing and a worthy winner: Tadej Pogačar rode a smart, powerful race, and his second win in a row promises more for the future. Especially since he's just 22 years old and at the beginning of his career. And yet one of the most...
It's racing season, and so we've showcased a lot of really fast riders on our social media and in our Journal lately. We're proud to work with some of the world's best riders when we develop our tires and components. It's no secret that somebody like Ted King, leading the...
With the 2021 Tour Divide happening this year – on a shortened course, since the Canadian border is still closed – Neil Beltchenko from bikepacking.com looked at what he considers the best tire for this challenging 2,745-mile (4,418 km) course. Neil has more experience than most: He has ridden and raced...
Amanda Nauman is a true inspiration: Not only is she a top-tier cyclocross and gravel racer, but she also works full-time as an engineer – and she's putting together a gravel event, Mammoth Tuff, that takes riders into the beautiful eastern Sierra Nevada. We caught up with her after her epic...
Among all the amazing bikes at the Enve Builders Roundup, the entry from Horse Cycles stood out for me. Not because it was the most flashy, but because it is one of the bikes I'd want to ride, and because it breaks new ground in meaningful ways. In fact, I've known...
The Summer 2021 Bicycle Quarterly is another action-packed edition. We test one of Fern's dreamy creations, a pure adventure bike equipped to handle everything from fast road riding (with aerobars) to ultra-steep technical terrain (with a dropper seatpost). Outfitted with a full complement of custom-made Gramm_Tourpacking bikepacking bags, it's made...
It's been exciting to see the first stages of the Tour de France. A little too exciting, in fact, when spectators aren't aware that the privilege seeing racers zipping so close comes with responsibilities. Here's a little secret: Every bike racer, deep down, just a little bit, dreams of riding...
"Let's go to Spada Lake," suggested Steve when we discussed where to head for a one-day ride. Now that the entire BQ Team is vaccinated, we can return to our long-missed team rides. Steve mapped a route that combined favorite gravel and paved roads through the Cascade foothills to Sultan. From...
When Lael Wilcox repeated her win at Unbound XL, the famous gravel race in the Flint Hills of Kansas, it didn't come entirely as a surprise – Lael is in a class of her own. And yet that should not detract from the strength, stamina and focus required to...
If you've been trying to buy a bike or components lately, you'll have noticed that many things are out of stock. Shortages have affected not just the bike industry, and it's been all over the news... We've been less affected by this situation than most. We have long-term relationships with...
One thing that's great about gravel racing is its inclusiveness. Where else can you line up with world-famous pros and ride the same course, under the same conditions, and be cheered by the same spectators (who cheer even more for those who push themselves just to finish the event)? We've...
Exciting news: The German edition of our book The All-Road Bike Revolution is set to appear in July. We've worked with Covadonga, a specialist publishing house for cycling books, who already published The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles (Meisterwerke des Fahrradbaus) and The Competition Bicycle (Die Räder der Sieger). Translated by...
Congratulations to all riders at last weekend's Unbound. It was exciting to see so many riders ride through heat and the infamous Flint Hills – and enjoy the challenge. Special kudos to Ted King, who overcame breaking his collarbone just 5 weeks ago (and a veritable invasion of Euro-Pros) to place fifth...
Gravel racing – like randonneuring, passhunting and other cycling adventures – has always welcomed women racers as equals. We're excited to see so many women head to the Flint Hills of Kansas this weekend for Unbound, the world's most famous gravel race. We caught up with three of them to...
Last week, Lael Wilcox and I rode the Oregon Outback, the 364 mile (585 km) gravel route across the length of Oregon. It was an adventure, full of beauty and challenge. Starting the ride with Lael as the full moon (with a partial eclipse) was to our side, then seeing the...
It's been a busy weekend planning, packing, figuring out how to make a Spot tracker work, and going on a shake-down ride on my new bike. Now all is ready, I'm heading down to Portland on the Coast Starlight to meet Lael and Rue. Lael and I plan to start...
Over the last seven years, the Oregon Outback has evolved from a crazy adventure (and race) to one of themost popular bikepacking routes. Back in 2014, when Donnie Kolb first mooted the idea of this ride, gravel bikes were still in their infancy. I rode the first Outback on my...
All our research shows that wide tires roll as fast or faster than narrow tires (if they use the same casing). How come that generations of cyclists believed that narrow tires are faster? The answer is simple: Narrow tires feel faster. They simulate the sensation of higher speed – without...
Just before the pandemic made travel next-to-impossible, Natsuko and I visited Makino Cycle Factory, one of Japan's most renowned builders. It was intended as a short visit to take a few photos, but it turned into a wonderful day of watching the craftspeople at work, discussing frame geometry and stiffness...
We finally receive a big shipment of tires that had been on the seas for what seems like ages. And we've also got a new tire: The 26" x 2.3" Humptulips Ridge is now available with the ultra-tough Endurance Plus casing. Whether it's adventures into the unknown or gnarly singletrack,...
Why would anyone make custom derailleurs when modern electronic shifting works extremely well? It's a bit like driving a car with manual transmission even though the latest automatics are very sophisticated. It's about being involved in the operation of my bike, rather than just pushing a button. There's a joy...
We've decided to turn off the comments on our Journal for a few months. We really enjoy the interactions with readers and value the discussions, but running one of the more popular cycling sites on the web risks becoming a full-time job. A recent post had 80 comments, and reading...
We found another box of BQ 61, our 15th anniversary edition. Originally, it was so popular that it sold out quickly. The 128 pages were packed with special stories. (How can we top this when BQ turns 20 in a few years?) The incredible ride over Kurakake Pass in Japan remains...
Lyli Herse lived in Boisemont, on the hills above the Seine River. Now the town has named a street after the 8-times French champion. I found out the news when I talked to Lyli's neighbor, who has adopted her dog after Lyli died three years ago. We talk once in...
Last week, we talked about how real-road tire tests have revolutionized our understanding of how bicycles work. We've looked at different ways of testing tires, and why it's so important to perform tests carefully and under realistic conditions. Today, let's look at some results of our testing. Are Wider Tires Slower?...
Ever since we've worked with Lael Wilcox to develop the 29" / 700C Fleecer Ridge dual-purpose knobbies, we've been deluged with requests for 26" and 650B versions with the same noise-cancelling tread pattern. We launched the 26" Humptulips Ridge late last year. Now we're excited to announce the 650B /...
We've been working with Ted King and Lael Wilcox on developing tires for bikepacking and gravel racing for a few years now. When riders who've registered for Rooted Vermont, Ted and Laura King's big gravel race/ride, asked about tire choice, Ted suggested to bring Lael and me onto their Water...
April 1, 2021: Rene Herse is announcing a new wheel size for performance bikes: 13-inch wheels. With a bead seat diameter of 230 mm, the smaller wheels will improve performance by allowing the tires to operate closer to their optimum temperature range. "It's our latest innovation, and another way of...
One of the secrets behind the performance of Rene Herse tires lies in our R&D. We run our tests under real-world conditions, so we can optimize our tires for what matters: riding on real roads. When we started our research 15 years ago, high-performance tires were narrow and designed for...
Riding with Lael Wilcox, I was impressed not just by her speed and positive attitude, but also by her efficiency and planning. When we stopped at the small (and sparsely stocked) store in Index, I was still surveying the shelves when Lael was already checking out, having snagged the only...
Cable hangers aren't a very exciting topic. We love to talk about derailleurs or brakes, because they are complicated parts with many intricacies. But cable hangers...? And yet they're as important for the performance of your bike. It's small parts like these that can make a big difference when it...
I never thought of myself as Asian, because I lived in Japan most of my life, where I was just like everybody else. Only when I came to Seattle did I notice that I may look like a stereotypical Asian woman: I'm not very tall; I tend to smile when...
A few weeks ago, we talked about the difference between the soon-to-be-illegal 'Super Tuck' and the more stable 'Aero Tuck.' In that discussion, we touched upon the idea that a handlebar bag can act as a fairing and make the bike more aerodynamic. For years, I've noticed that I coast...
The Spring Bicycle Quarterly is at the printer! It's our 75th edition, and we've put together a very special magazine for the occasion. We visit an amazing framebuilder in Japan. Makino-san shows us how his small workshop builds frames of amazing quality and beauty, for professional Keirin track stars, road racers...
