New Bicycle Quarterly 4-Packs
The popularity of our 4-packs of Bicycle Quarterly back issues has surprised us. They provide a neat way of reading up on a topic that interests you, whether it’s tire performance, American framebuilders, or tandems.
Especially popular has been “Our best interviews”, which includes Grant Petersen; the legendary builders at TOEI; a double feature with Jacquie Phelan/Charlie Cunningham; and Paulette Porthault.
You may not know Madame Porthault, but you’ve probably seen her: On the Bicycle Quarterly web site, she is climbing the Galibier in 1936. You’ll want to read her story: She toured all over Europe during the 1930s. During the war, she won the Poly de Chanteloup hillclimb race (above). Then she rode for René Herse in the Technical Trials. She was incredibly strong, yet she really enjoyed leisurely touring, too. Her stories have been an inspiration for all of us at Bicycle Quarterly.
We put together two new 4-packs:
- Our best bike tests. Of course these are not just cut-and-dry bike tests. We take our test bikes on adventures that you’ll enjoy whether you are in the market for a new bike or not: Descending gravel-road mountain passes at night on a Calfee carbon bike during the Volcano High Pass 600 km Super Randonnée. Riding a MAP in search of the secret passes of the Cascades (above). Taking a J. P. Weigle to the original Bicycle Quarterly Un-Meeting. And going bikepacking in the snow on a Jeff Jones titanium 29er.
- Classic Bike Technology. Read what it’s like to ride a Bi-Chain, Retro-Directe and the early racing derailleurs like the Super Champion. Learn to shift Campagnolo’s Cambio Corsa, which requires opening the rear quick release and backpedaling. We’ve ridden them all! How do they compare to Campagnolo’s ground-breaking Gran Sport or its predecessor, the Nivex? What about Simplex and Huret Jubilee? Or the marvellous Spirax with its automatic chain tension adjustment? Discover the 1930s ancestor of the Huret Duopar with its two separate parallelograms. Fascinating stuff! This 4-pack also includes Bicycle Quarterly‘s “Brake Special” (imagine a Dancing Chain about brakes). You’ll be amazed how many different brake designs there have been over the last century (above). And we explain how Retrofriction and PowerRatchet shift levers work, with specially commissioned drawings by George Retseck.
Of course, each back issue contains many other articles that you’ll find enjoyable. In fact, many readers have been ordering our complete set of BQ 1 – 50, which give you 2844 pages of reading enjoyment at a special price.
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