Our Readers' Favorite BQ
BQ readers care about their magazine, and we get feedback each time a new edition comes out. And yet we were surprised by the sheer volume of comments, and by the enthusiasm they expressed. There is no doubt: The latest BQ is our readers’ favorite edition yet.
Many readers love the cover art, showing Natsuko peering through the window of the almost-mythical Alps shop in Tokyo as she contemplates her first cyclotouring bike. One reader wrote:
“Almost nothing compares to building up or buying a new bike. That experience was captured so perfectly in Natsuko’s piece. The insight into life in Japan and Miyoshi’s art were the frosting on the cake! What an enjoyable read!”
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Readers appreciate our behind-the-scenes visit to Firefly, the masters of titanium in Boston. In the video clip above, you see how titanium is anodized to create Firefly’s unique finishes. Watch how the metal changes color in front of your eyes!
“It was a great article. Love to learn about shops working on streamlined processes!”
For the magazine, we document how Firefly’s artisans butt their titanium tubes and how they weld the ‘lugs’ for a titanium-carbon frame. We ask them about their philosophy and how they custom-design every aspect of each bike specifically for its rider.
Many readers are amazed by the studio feature of an ultra-rare 1940s Barralumin with beautiful patina. No wonder: Nicola Barra was the mad scientist among the mid-century French constructeurs of cyclotouring bikes.
Barra was a pioneer of welded aluminum frames, but his genius didn’t stop there. Who else would have thought of using a Super Champion racing derailleur with a wide-range double crankset? And how about replacing the straddle cables of the cantilever brakes with spokes, to allow fine-tuning the position of the brake arms by turning the spoke nipples? To say nothing of the front derailleur that goes through the seat tube!
Even more remarkable: The entire bike weighs just 10.1 kg (22.3 lb), with fenders, wide tires, lights and rack. Clearly, there was a method behind Barra’s madness!
Madness isn’t how you’d describe the All-City Gorilla Monsoon: It’s an affordable all-road bike with everything you’d expect: disc brakes, thru-axles, 1×11 drivetrain – unless you count that orange fade paintjob as madness.
As with all our bike tests, we don’t talk about the paint, but tell you how it rides. And how it compares to its distant sister, the Surly Midnight Special. The two bikes are far more different than we thought, and readers appreciate learning which of the two would fit their riding style best.
“Amazing build on the MAP!”
Dream bikes don’t get more exciting than the latest MAP All-Road. A lightweight steel frame. Custom rack and stem. Those are nods to tradition, but disc brakes and the carbon fork are decidedly modern. Add 11-speed Ergopower and a Rene Herse crankset with gearing for the real world, and you have a bike designed for long rides in the mountains.
And that is where we took it, on a 36-hour, 500 km epic that zig-zagged across the Cascade Range just before the high passes were covered by snow. Readers enjoy this adventure, even though most aren’t in the market for a custom bike. But then, our adventures never were intended as mere buyers’ guides…
“I loved the Transcontinental Race story! Agonizing in places, wondrous in others.”
Jonah Jones’ story from the Transcontinental is not a guide on how to ride: You probably shouldn’t start a 2500-mile race across the mountains of central Europe with a fractured pelvis. But little can stand between a cyclist and his dream! Many readers were inspired that Jonah not only completed the race, but found so much joy in it. And when you see his photos, you’ll want to ride those roads, too! (Although perhaps at a more leisurely pace.)
These are just a few of the features in this 112-page edition. Click here for a full table of contents. Or start your subscription today, and we’ll send your copy with the next mailing that goes out this week. That way, you can find out for yourself why our readers are so excited.
Thank you to all our readers who wrote and commented. Now our challenge is to make the next BQ even better!
