As last summer's 1200 km Paris-Brest-Paris was approaching, my training went into high gear. That meant hill intervals and speedwork, but also occasional longer rides to maintain my endurance – and have fun! When Mark and Steve suggested a weekend ride up the Middle Fork of the Snoqualmie River, we came...
Rene Herse tires are safe to use on hookless rims from Enve and Zipp – even when mounted tubeless (for tubeless-compatible tires). Over the last year, we've worked with the engineers from both companies to ensure the full compatibility of our tires with their rims. Tubeless tires are an emerging technology....
Readers have been asking about our four-pack with the 15th anniversary Bicycle Quarterlies. When we streamlined out back edition catalogue, we had removed it. By popular demand, it's back. (more…)
At the beginning of the year, we talked about our predictions of where bicycles are headed in the upcoming decade. Now, with a little time to reflect on the 2010s, it's fun to look back and see what the last decade really has been all about...
When I asked readers which part of my bike for last summer's Paris-Brest-Paris they wanted to hear more about, the answer was: "Everything." So we'll make a series of short posts about the parts of the bike. I've already talked about the centerpull brakes here. Today, let's look at...
When the forecast predicted a rare break in Seattle's relentless rain, Ryan Hamilton and I quickly decided: "Let's head to Index!" It's a favorite winter ride that spears deep into the Cascade Mountains, but stays in the valleys (mostly), so it remains rideable while the high passes are covered with...
We're excited to announce that our ramped-and-pinned chainrings are 12-speed compatible. We knew that 12-speed was coming when we developed our 11-speed rings, so we tried to anticipate the requirements, so that our chainrings would be compatible with 12-speed as well. Now we've completed our testing, and we're happy to report...
I love the scenes in movies and the chapters in books when the hero is training and developing and working to become great; when you see that drive and ambition to face sacrifices and to improve. You see cold early mornings and sweat and pain become results. I want to live that story....
Make a cup of hot chocolate (or tea or coffee), sit down with a good magazine, and enjoy the evening! That's what readers have done with the Winter Bicycle Quarterly. Before even opening the magazine, they've savored the beautiful cover painting by Myoshi. (more…)
Ryan Francesconi rode his steel-framed Smeltzer 'Thee Gifford' adventure bike in last summer's Paris-Brest-Paris. Ryan's tires were wider than almost anybody else's, and yet his 650B x 48 mm Switchback Hill Extralights didn't slow him down as he surfed the fast pacelines during the early hours of the event.
When David Wilcox signed up to ride in last summer's Paris-Brest-Paris 1200 km (750-mile) brevet, he wondered about which of his bikes – he has quite a stable! – would be best for this long ride. Comfort is paramount if you're going to spend 45+ hours in the saddle, but...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=579&v=Fz106hSZqJk&feature=emb_logo When Ted King, Ryan Atkins, Eric Batty and Buck Miller rode more than 600 km in northern Ontario last winter, it was a real adventure – and they raised money for a local charity. We were happy to be involved in a small way – we supplied the entire team...
Handlebar bags are one of the best places to carry luggage on your bike. Right in front of you, the contents are easy to reach. A handlebar bag doesn't increase your frontal area, so it's aero, and it doesn't get caught on obstacles when you ride through tight spaces....
When we started this series to celebrate Bicycle Quarterly's 15th anniversary, we thought we'd eventually run out of myths. But it seems that new ones are created as fast as we can debunk old ones. The latest is "700C wheels roll faster than 650B." This is stated with the same certitude...
When we started to publish Bicycle Quarterly 15 years ago, it seemed that most of the technical aspects of bicycles were well-known. And yet, as we tested many different bikes, we started to question many of the things we had accepted as 'facts.' To celebrate our 15th anniversary, we’ll...
Happy New Year and welcome to a new decade, the 2020s! Ten years ago (above), Bicycle Quarterly predicted that wide tires would become commonplace, that all-road bikes would replace racing bikes as the most popular genre, and that riders would soon venture off the beaten path and onto gravel. All that...
The most common comment we get from Bicycle Quarterly readers is "I wish the magazine came out more often." Publishing more often would be nice, but it's not possible: It takes three months to create each edition. With more than 100 pages of stories – all original contents...
All of us at Rene Herse Cycles and Bicycle Quarterly thank you for your support. We wish you a wonderful new year filled with many great rides! —The Rene Herse team
Since we've started making bike parts again in 2011, we've been working on reducing our environmental impact. We were among the first to use custom-designed cardboard boxes with inserts that hold our cranks securely. That has been part of our commitment to reduce our impact – while making sure that...
In the last post, I talked about riding on the old road across Jikkoku Pass. Where to go on the second day? We haven’t quite decided yet. The typhoon is getting closer, and we don’t know what the weather will be like. If it’s just raining, it’s OK, but this...
Usually, October in Japan is a month of good weather, with an occasional typhoon that needs to be considered when planning a cyclotouring trip. But when I visited Japan this autumn, October saw so many typhoons and rain. It’s very unusual. We did not want to miss the short window of...
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...
The Winter 2019 Bicycle Quarterly is back from the printer. The cover continues our tradition of featuring original artwork: Myoshi's gouache painting shows the Crust Lightning Bolt during our test ride in the heart of the Cascade Mountains. (more…)
Today's Un-Ride, as Ted named it, was a blast. It was wet, it was tough, and it was great. We just rode hard and enjoyed the company of the group. There was no posing for the cameras – and it was too dark for good photos anyhow – but the...
How durable are leather saddles? It's a question we often get with respect to the Berthoud saddles we distribute in North America. Especially now that it's winter here, and often raining. Will a leather saddle be ruined if it's ridden in the rain? The answer is a reassuring 'No.'...
Just a quick reminder that our Un-Meeting-style ride with the 'King of Gravel' is this Sunday. The weather forecast is unseasonably good for Seattle – just a slight chance of rain in the morning. Here are the details: When: Sunday, December 8, 2019 Where: Seattle Ferry Terminal, 7:35 a.m. ferry...
Adventures in all their forms are the theme of the Winter 2019 Bicycle Quarterly. Lael Wilcox and Rugile Kaladyte tour Kyrgystan in preparation of the Silk Road Mountain Race. Three friends attempting a new route on the border between France and Italy. Two riders enter The Japanese Odyssey, a ride so...
Update 1/2026: More than six (!) years after this post was originally published, gravel and all-road bikes continue as the most popular bike category. What many originally wrote off as a passing fad—road tires with wide tires—has shown real staying power. And the latest crop of gravel race bikes have...
Thank you for your patience last week while we've transitioned the blog to the Rene Herse web site. We've moved all the old contents – blog posts and comments – to the new site, so everything continues to be available. If you've bookmarked a blog post, the link no...
During a recent trip to Japan, we saw a beautiful book about steel road bikes, published by our friends at Bicycle Club magazine. The cover bike may look familiar to Bicycle Quarterly readers – it's part of a famous Japanese collection that we featured a few years back....
After a remarkable run over 15 years, our first book, The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles, is now out of print. Published in 2005, The Golden Age was at the start of our fascination with the French constructeurs. It made Rene Herse and Alex Singer household names. If cyclists today...
Join us on a ride with Ted King, the 'King of Gravel'! We'll head to the Tahuya Hills on some beautiful (and hilly) roads. There'll be plenty of gravel, as well as an all-paved option. When: Sunday, December 8, 2019 Where: Seattle Ferry Terminal, 7:35 a.m. ferry...
We are excited to move our blog and integrate it seamlessly with our Rene Herse Cycles web site. This will allow us to create even more exciting content. And now we can link directly between blog posts and support pages. This and other changes will improve your experience as you...
When winter snow makes the high roads in the Cascade Mountains impassable, we turn to cyclocross. It's our preferred winter sport – challenging, fun and a great way to hone our skills for the big summer gravel adventures. The skills of 'cross are less about jumping across barriers – although...
You asked for it... Many customers requested our Barlow Pass with the Endurance casing. It makes sense – 700C x 38 is a versatile size. If your rides are littered with glass, steel wires or goatheads, the Endurance casing is going to be your friend. You get a tire with...
Rene Herse tires are available in many widths, with two tread patterns and four casings. All this so you can find tires that are ideally suited to how and where you ride. Today, let's look at the different casings. Which is best for you? (more…)
Unlike most posts, this isn't one that I enjoy writing... Over the past decade, we've seen a period of remarkably stable prices. In fact, it's been more than five years since our prices have changed across the board – and back then, they went down, because the exchange rate to...
If you've been to the Philly Bike Expo last weekend (or looked at the photo feeds), you've seen many custom bikes with our Rene Herse taillights. (Above is Brian Chapman's.) The taillight has been one of our more popular products. (more…)
We are really excited about our new cycling caps. They are great to wear under a helmet, or just by themselves. The quality is superb – as you'd expect, since they are made by Walz, a company known for their high quality. They are made in the USA. Best of all, the...
"Work brilliantly on a full range of terrains and surprisingly tough for a supple tyre." That's the summary of the test by Road.cc, the British website. To us, that feedback is especially valuable, because Road.cc really ride the products they test. They've got a number of testers, and their opinions are refreshingly...
When I spec'd my new bike for this year's Paris-Brest-Paris (and for our adventures in the Cascade Mountains), I opted for centerpull brakes. I didn't choose centerpulls out of nostalgia. For the riding I do, they are the best choice. Why not disc brakes? It's undeniable that the best hydraulic disc brakes...
Autumn means colder temperatures and rainy weather, here in the Cascade Mountains and in many parts of the world. More than ever, the grip of our tires is on our minds. Why do all Rene Herse tires have black tread? Colorful treads can look nice, but black rubber offers the...
When we started putting together the Autumn Bicycle Quarterly, we realized that, for each article, we had more material than planned – longer stories, more photos, and new angles. Usually, we test two bikes, but for this edition, we had the chance to ride five: two OPEN all-road bikes, plus the...
Before I started the 750-mile (1200 km) Paris-Brest-Paris on a brand-new bike, I thought about the tools I needed to bring. After months of training and the expense of traveling to France, it would be a shame not to finish the ride because of a mechanical. I love the feel of...
https://youtu.be/HwQEO5eZUYw For the Autumn Bicycle Quarterly, we tested two amazing OPEN all-road bikes. The brand-new WI.DE. can run 60 mm-wide tires – wider than many mountain bikes. The ultralight U.P.P.E.R. is a true racing machine – and yet it handles even rough trails with confidence. Which would you prefer? Enjoy the video...
I've been wanting to thank Bicycle Retailer and Industry News for the nice article about Rene Herse on the front cover of a recent edition. It's not often that the media talks about the contributions of small companies, especially those without a big ad budget. BRAIN's Steve Frothingham wrote that Rene Herse "has nurtured...
In the northern hemisphere, we are moving into the season where we need good fenders: They can make the difference between enjoying the ride and enduring it. The Pacific Northwest, where we live and ride, is known for its long rainy season. We cycle year-round, so it's natural that we...
Last weekend's Bicycle Quarterly Un-Meeting brought together cyclists from all over the United States. Despite an uncertain weather forecast, more than 70 riders met northwest of Portland for a weekend of riding, meeting friends and having a good time. A choice of five courses ranged from the 47 mile (76 km)...
We're celebrating our 2000th post on Instagram with a favorite image. It shows everything I love about cycling: small roads off the beaten path, beautiful bikes and great riding companions. I don't spend a huge amount of time on social media, but I've been enjoying Instagram a lot: Seeing where you...
How fast are our tires? We know that the casing, and not the width, determines a tire's speed. When I rode Paris-Brest-Paris on 42 mm-wide tires (above), I knew that I wasn't giving up any speed over narrower rubber. But in absolute terms, how fast are our Rene Herse tires? Manufacturers'...
If Bicycle Quarterly was a 'normal' magazine, the Autumn edition would look quite different. Which 'normal' publisher would add 25% more pages just because there are so many great stories? We simply felt that we had no choice... When OPEN told us that they had a new bike for ultra-wide tires...
The 2019 Bicycle Quarterly Un-Meeting is less than a week away. We're really excited to meet many of you near Portland next weekend! The Un-Meeting 'un-officially' starts at 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 14, 2019 at Stub Stewart State Park in Buxton, OR. We'll meet at the
When I built my new bike for this year's Paris-Brest-Paris, I was reminded of professional racers in the old days, who brought their favorite saddle and handlebars to the builder of their new bike. I've talked about handlebars here; today, I'll cover saddles as the second contact...
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ve3tXQY5pFk&feature=youtu.be?rel=0&w=640&h=360] I've really enjoyed the stories that have come out of last week's Paris-Brest-Paris. Above is my friend and training buddy Ryan Hamilton's short video, seen entirely through the eyes of his bike-mounted camera. I was moved when seeing the great big bridge that leads into Brest. My eyes welled...
This year’s Paris-Brest-Paris lived up to its reputation as an epic event. Organized without interruption since 1891, PBP is the oldest bike ride in the world. It takes riders back to the 'Heroic Age' when races featured stages that began before dawn and ran late into the night, and beyond. Riding 1200...
The inaugural SBT GRVL (Steamboat Gravel) race saw more than 1,500 riders at the start in Steamboat Springs, Colorado. The field include the Who-Is-Who of gravel racing: Ted King, Colin Strickland and Payson McElveen and other top-level racers. It turned out to be an exciting race over the beautiful high-country gravel...
We're looking forward to this year's Bicycle Quarterly Un-Meeting – our annual get-together to share the joy of riding off the beaten path. It’s not an organized event – we just publish a date and time, and everybody is welcome to join. There are no fees, no registrations, and no...
A recent hiking trip to Mount Rainier also provided an opportunity to revisit a favorite climb – and work on my form for the upcoming 1200 km (750 miles) of Paris-Brest-Paris. This time, we headed to Mount Rainier by car, loaded with four people, backpacks and associated gear. Fortunately, the J.P. Weigle...
Tubeless tires have changed what we can do on a bike. When the terrain is really rough, not having to worry about pinch flats allows us to run lower tire pressure for more comfort, more traction and more speed. (The speed comes from the lower pressure on rough surfaces, not...
We developed the Endurance casings for our Rene Herse tires based on requests from gravel racers like Ted King (above), who need tires for truly harsh conditions. A race like Dirty Kanza traverses 200 miles of sharp stones in the Flint Hills of Kansas. The lead racers travel at high...
With the 750-mile Paris-Brest-Paris coming up, demand for generator hubs and lights has been high. We've just received another shipment, and now all products are back in stock, plus there are some new items as well. By far our most popular generator hub is the SONdelux Wide-Body. In addition to all the...
For the Summer Bicycle Quarterly, we test the incredible Calfee Bamboo show bike from the North American Handmade Bicycle Show. Not only does this bike feature Calfee's new bamboo tubes – lined with carbon for lighter weight and greater strength – it's also equipped with Rotor's brand-new hydraulic shifting. When I admire bikes...
During the summer solstice, Ryan Francesconi led a group of 14 friends on a truly amazing adventure: We took the train to Klamath Falls on the border between Oregon and California and then rode back to Portland on forest roads and trails traversing the Oregon Cascades. It was a 2-day,...
Update 12/2025: In recent years, it's become clear that making aluminum cranks for modern oversized bottom bracket spindles is not always a good idea. The only way around that is to make the cranks hollow, as Shimano has done with their Dura-Ace cranks that are made in two halves and...
Small things can make a big difference, especially on long rides. With handlebar bags, it's important that they don't flop around as you ride. That is why they are supported by a rack at the bottom. At the top, keeping the bag from moving from side to side is helpful...
Our series of 'Myths in Cycling' continues with a look at rim width. You often hear that wider tires should run on wider rims. Intuitively, that seems to make sense – match the wider tire to a wider rim. You also hear that wider rims make the tire handle more...
With wide tires, you can tune the ride of your bike to the terrain and to your personal preferences. This gives you options that simply did not exist in the past. Gone are the days when we inflated our narrow tires to the maximum pressure and rode on rock-hard rubber. Even...
The Summer Bicycle Quarterly is back from the printer! In this edition, we test two bikes that wowed visitors at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show. How do they ride? The Calfee's latest bike uses carbon-lined bamboo tubes for an even lighter and stronger frame. The show bike is equipped with Rotor's long-awaited...
Riding long distances – especially on rough roads – puts different demands on your body and your bike than short and fast-paced races. The contact points with the bike become more important the longer you ride. These days, you don't hear much about them, especially the saddle and handlebars. If you...
As part of preparing this year's Paris-Brest-Paris (PBP), riders qualify by riding 200, 300, 400 and 600 km brevets. More than just preparation for the long ride in France, these rides are fun challenges in their own right. The last of the Seattle qualifiers started at 6 a.m. just south of...
Last weekend was the 14th running of the Dirty Kanza, the famous 200-mile gravel race in Kansas. After the race, I was chatted with Ted King (TK), winner in 2016 and 2018, about what makes gravel racing so special. JH: Congratulations to another great finish! TK: This was my 4th go at DK, and...
[youtube https://youtu.be/BTb4xIu4nr8?rel=0&w=640&h=360] The Summer 2019 Bicycle Quarterly is at the printer. It's an another exciting edition, full of bike tests, adventures and great stories. As a preview, we made the little video clip above of Natsuko riding the Frances All-Road. Perhaps you admired this beautiful bike at the North American Handmade Bicycle...
Every BQ test bike that arrives at our office is greeted with enthusiasm. When OPEN hinted that they had a revolutionary, top secret, new bike they wanted us to try, we were even more excited than usual. Until now, we've had to keep the new bike under tight wraps, but...
It's hard to believe that the first Oregon Outback, that incredible 363-mile gravel race, was just five years ago. It's almost like we live in a different world now, so much has changed... Back then, the idea of running a race that traversed the entire state of Oregon from south to north...
2019 will be remembered as the year when gravel racing started to be on equal terms with the great races of Europe. When Pro Tour riders appear at the Belgian Waffle Ride, you know that it's not just a local event any longer. And yet, the fun part of the...
Working with Ted King, winner of last year's Dirty Kanza gravel race, has added a new perspective to our R&D. We've got a lot of experience riding gravel, even racing it, but today's mass-start races aren't the same as exploring the Cascade Mountains on forest roads, or even racing the...
Like many cyclists, we love climbs, but we live for twisty downhills. The feeling of the bike leaning deep into a turn is something that is hard to explain, yet easy to enjoy. https://youtu.be/mvGv9IEiDzY This video clip was taken on a short descent toward Lake Washington. We know this road well, and...
At Rene Herse Cycles, we support the classics, in addition to pushing the envelope as we develop our modern parts. René Herse's bikes were prized for their beauty and performance, and today, they continue to be treasured like few other classics. I've enjoyed many great rides on classic Rene Herse bikes...
When Ted King recently won the Epic 150 gravel race in Missouri on our Rene Herse Steilacoom tires, many were surprised that he ran knobbies on a fast course. But there were a few muddy corners where the knobs would provide valuable grip, and Ted knew that on the smooth...
[youtube https://youtu.be/hI_p9uSSwz4?rel=0&w=640&h=360] Each edition of Bicycle Quarterly is more than just a magazine: It's a small book with more than 100 pages of timeless contents. The most common complaint we get is: "It doesn't come out often enough!" We can't produce more than four editions a year, but we do offer past editions in convenient four-packs....
As part of our series on myths in cycling, let's look at wheel size and how it affects speed. Even though all-road tires have grown wider in recent years, many bike makers have stuck with 700C wheels. It's a size that is familiar to road cyclists, and there is also...
If you've been curious about Bicycle Quarterly, we offer an easy way to have a look at the current edition: Simply add it to your Rene Herse Cycles order. You'll see a prompt when you check out. For just $ 7, we put the current edition in the box with...
Today is Earth Day – a day to celebrate our planet and think about what each of us, in our daily lives, can do to protect it. As cyclists, we get to enjoy nature in immediate ways: As we pedal over hill and dale, we feel the landscape, we smell...
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=youtu.be&v=bJxrxIcplvM?rel=0&w=640&h=360] In his latest video, Ted King takes us around his bike for Land Run 100 and explains why he chose the Rene Herse Snoqualmie Pass 44 mm all-road tires, rather than knobbies, for the race across the red dirt of Oklahoma. Click on full screen mode and enjoy!
After 2 years of R&D, we're excited to introduce the UD-2 rack in a version for cantilever brakes. All you need to fit this rack on your bike is a hole in the fork crown and cantilever brakes. Handlebar bags are popular for touring, randonneuring and bikepacking,...
Paris-Brest-Paris, one of the world's oldest long-distance events, is held every four years. 2019 is a 'PBP Year,' and thousands of cyclists all over the world are preparing to ride 1200 km (750 miles) from France's capital to its westernmost city and back. PBP is not just an epic ride –...
[youtube https://youtu.be/xBoNRa_62k0?rel=0&w=640&h=360] Gravel racing is one of the most exciting developments of cycling as a sport in recent years. It combines full-on racing with adventure and drama. Gravel races are a modern take on the roots of cycling, when racers were battling it out on the unpaved mountain passes of the...
We're offering a new chainring combination for our 11-speed compatible Rene Herse cranks. The 48/33 is a perfect size for fast-paced group rides – you won't get dropped even on downhills with a tailwind, yet the 48 is a bit smaller than the more common 50, allowing you to stay...
April 1, 2019: In recent years, there has been a lot of technology transfer from motorcycles and cars to bicycles. Modern bikes finally have tubeless tires and disc brakes, both introduced in cars as early as the 1950s! Cyclists tend to be a conservative bunch, but it's only a matter of...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zmt02COlmb4 The Juniper Ridge 650B x 48 mm dual-purpose knobbies have arrived. Unlike any other all-road tire, they combine excellent speed and cornering grip on pavement with unrivaled traction in mud and snow. At 450 g (Extralight) and 510 g (Standard), they are among the lightest tires in this popular size. We...
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 a...
They call Ted King the 'King of Gravel': Winner of both the Dirty Kanza and Grinduro in 2018, he's the man to beat. With 'gravel' being the fastest-growing segment of the bicycle market, even professional teams are lining up to challenge Ted. So what does a champion do when others...
[youtube https://youtu.be/Bqn2MZJw9-Q?rel=0&w=640&h=360] Beautiful bikes, great roads, traditional Japanese inns: BQ editor Natsuko Hirose's short clip takes you to the Izu Peninsula. It's the first trip on her new all-road bike – a great opportunity to enjoy cyclotouring with friends. Enjoy this preview, then read the full story in the Spring 2019 Bicycle Quarterly. Make...
Our Rene Herse cranks are available in three length: 165, 171 and 177 mm. We chose 3.5% increments, because that is the smallest difference you'll notice as you ride. That part is just common sense. What makes our cranks unique among small-production cranks is that we use different forging dies for...
The Spring 2019 Bicycle Quarterly is at the printer. We are finalizing our mailing lists – subscribe or renew today to get your copy with the first mailing. You don't want to miss this edition! One focus of the Spring BQ is women in cycling. More women enjoy cycling than ever...
We're excited to release our new Rene Herse waterbottles. The bottles are based on the popular Purist bottles and feature the new Rene Herse logo. The new design is limited to 500 bottles. Available now for $ 10. We're not suggesting that these will become sought-after collectors' pieces, but we do...
Tubeless tires have eliminated the risk of pinch flats. For riding in really rough terrain, they are a game changer. But like all new technologies, it's taken some trial-and-error until we figured out how to run bicycle tires tubeless. Of course, tubeless tires are nothing new. Car tires have been tubeless...
It's official: Compass has become Rene Herse Cycles. It's a big change, with a new name and new logo for a line of products that has a very strong following. Rest assured, our philosophy won't change, and neither will our products. We'll continue to make the high-performance components that we need...
SON generator hubs and other parts have been flying off the shelves lately. Some of it can be attributed to cyclists preparing their bikes for the upcoming Paris-Brest-Paris 1200 km brevet. More cyclists also realize that generator hubs provide peace of mind on long rides and commutes alike. As a...
The first rides of the new year are very special to me. Getting out of the city, breathing the cold mountain air, and feeling my body get in unison with the bike again – those are sensations that I've been missing during my annual early-winter rest. So I left just after...
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