Clik here to view.
Thoughts about Getting Children Engaged in Cycling
Many avid cyclists would love to share their joy of cycling with their children, but some find that their children aren’t interested at all. I am lucky – for now – that my son shares my love of the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A Japanese Book on Simplex
Hideki Sasaki has released the second book in the “Derailleurs of the World” series. The new book covers Simplex, perhaps the most influential derailleur maker of all. From the earliest 1920s designs...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Actual Width of Tires?
Sometimes we get an e-mail or a phone call from a customer asking, “I bought the Compass 32 mm tires, but they only measure 28.5 mm on my rims. Why is this?” Decades ago, some tire makers cheated when...
View ArticleClik here to view.
The Stem formerly known as Nitto Pearl
Once upon a time, most stems had quills that inserted into the steerer tube. The stems were made from forged aluminum. Cinelli, 3TTT and others offered them. They were attractive and relatively...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Out of Reach
When I am riding alone, cycling is meditation for me. When riding with friends, it’s uninterrupted time together. In both cases, it means leaving my busy life behind. No random e-mails, no urgent...
View ArticleClik here to view.
My Favorite Bottle Cages
It’s rare that I fall completely in love with a product, but it happened with the Nitto bottle cages. Ever since I began cycling seriously, I have been looking for the perfect bottle cages. In the...
View ArticleClik here to view.
“What’ll she do?”
When I was a kid, I loved cars. My first question to any owner of a sports car was: “What’ll she do?” I approach bikes similarly – I care about how they ride first and foremost. Some cyclists these...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Rack Eyelets and Frame Alignment Gauges
It’s encouraging to see that handbuilt bicycles have made such a resurgence in recent years. Building a frame by hand is a labor-intensive process, but done right, the result is a bike that rides...
View ArticleClik here to view.
In Search of Hawaii’s Gravel Roads
During a recent family vacation on the Big Island of Hawaii, we did plenty of snorkeling and hiking, with a bit of surfing, and otherwise enjoyed the beaches. For me, the mountainous island presented...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Meet Our Polisher
Eric Hayes is the craftsman who polishes our René Herse cranks, locally on the outskirts of Seattle. These days, most bike parts are black, and few in the bike industry still have the skills to polish...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Putting Our Lives on the Line
Testing bicycles may sound like a dream job – you get to ride all kinds of bicycles without having to pay for them – but it comes with risks. We ride the bikes hard, although we don’t abuse them. We...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Autumn 2014 Bicycle Quarterly
The Autumn 2014 issue of Bicycle Quarterly is at the printer. It will be mailed soon. We are excited to share a variety of topics with our readers. The Oregon Outback was an exciting gravel event, and...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Scouting the Bicycle Quarterly Un-Meeting
On Labor Day, I scouted the routes and logistics for the Bicycle Quarterly “Un-Meeting”, which will be held (or “un-held”) in Packwood on September 13. After a few rainy days, it was a gorgeous sunny...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Packwood “Un-Meeting” Route Sheets
Next weekend is the Bicycle Quarterly “Un-Meeting” in Packwood. The weather forecast is great: warm during the days, a little cooler at night, sunshine. Bring sunscreen! Here are a few things about...
View ArticleClik here to view.
SKF Bottom Brackets after 5 Years
It’s been five years since Compass Bicycles started selling SKF bottom brackets, and three years since we became the world’s exclusive distributor. At that point, we extended the warranty to 10 years,...
View ArticleClik here to view.
A great time was had by all!
Last weekend was the first Bicycle Quarterly “Un-Meeting”. The weather was perfect, about 25-30 riders showed up, and everybody had a great time. Aside from handing out copies of route maps, I was...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Cycling Books That Have Inspired Me
I recently thought about my favorite books. There are many, and they span a wide range of topics, from Saint Exupéry’s The Little Prince to The Art of the Motorcycle. Here are six of my favorite...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Optimizing Tire Tread
Most tire manufacturers agree that supple sidewalls and a thin tread make a tire fast, but the role of the tread pattern remains poorly understood. Most modern tires have either a completely smooth...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Compass Centerpull Brakes
When we started Compass Bicycles, we dreamed of a new centerpull brake. We started developing and testing right away, but it has taken a few years for that work is coming to fruition. We just received...
View ArticleClik here to view.
2015 Calendar of Classic Bicycles
Bicycle Quarterly‘s Calendar of Classic Bicycles is now available, and we are thrilled to think of how many of you will use the calendar to plan great outings in the coming year. Let yourself be...
View Article