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Riding to the Concours d’Elegance
When my friend David Cooper from Chicago mentioned that he was a judge at the Pacific Northwest Concours d’Elégance in Tacoma, I decided to go and join him there. I don’t get to see him often, and...
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Bicycle Quarterly Wool Jerseys
When we received our first shipment of Bicycle Quarterly wool jerseys, they sold out within days. They are specially sourced from Italy. The weaving of the fabric, sewing of the jerseys, embroidering...
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The 4 Seasons of Mountain Roads
In Seattle, we don’t really have four seasons. The joke that we get a three months of summer and nine months of rain is fairly true. Yet I love to see the landscape change with the seasons and the...
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The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles – en Français!
Our first and best-selling book The Golden Age of Handbuilt Bicycles is now available in a French edition. Published by Editions Vigot and printed by a quality printer in France, the new book turned...
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Japan in Autumn
I just returned from Japan. It was an amazing trip of talking to Compass Bicycles’ suppliers and of collecting material for future Bicycle Quarterly stories. Most of all, it was great fun! We got to...
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ISIS Bottom Brackets
When we took over the distribution of SKF bottom brackets, we didn’t have high expectations for the ISIS bottom brackets. We were surprised when they became one of our more popular products. We sell...
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50th Issue of Bicycle Quarterly!
I love my work. A few years ago, I was concerned that editing Bicycle Quarterly might eventually become a “job” rather than a passion. As it turns out, I am still excited about every issue of Bicycle...
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Why I love Cyclocross
For me, cyclocross is the most fun you can on a bike in less than an hour! I don’t care much for racing any longer, but ‘cross is a different matter. Cyclocross is a very technical sport, where leg...
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Cyclocross Mud Contest: the Answer
Last week, I asked readers to guess how much mud my cyclocross bike carried at the end of a recent race. The answers varied greatly. Clearly, the mud around the bottom bracket and chainstays looked...
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What is Planing?
Can a 650B randonneur bike climb as well as the best titanium racing bikes? It did climb as well in a Bicycle Quarterly test, and that raised a few eyebrows. After all, the randonneur bike weighed 10...
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Exploring Close to Home
This week I am working on writing articles based on our recent adventures in Japan, while they still are fresh in my memory. And while cycling to 1200-year-old Onsen hot springs during a typhoon...
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Two New Books
We are excited to add two new books to the Bicycle Quarterly bookstore. One is a lovely little book with photos of racers from the 1920s and 1930s. Whether you are interested in racing or historic...
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Compass Centerpull Brakes Are Here!
We received the last parts for our centerpull brakes, test-assembled them, wrote the instructions, and now they are ready to ship. Click here to read more about the advantage of centerpull brakes....
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Gift Ideas from Compass Bicycles
This year, the holiday season has snuck up on me. I’ve been so busy with testing bikes, writing articles for Bicycle Quarterly, and developing new products, that suddenly it’s December, and I wonder...
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Delivering Bicycle Quarterly
Most of the 5800 copies of Bicycle Quarterly are mailed directly from the printer. Then there are those that go to local newsstands and bike shops, and I greatly enjoy delivering them by bike. It’s...
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Renault or Bugatti?
To North Americans, it may seem odd that the most advanced classic bikes – the ones that have inspired our “real-world” randonneur bikes – came from France. When I was growing up, Italian bikes ruled....
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New Handlebars and Stem
One of the all-time favorite handlebar shapes is the Philippe Professionel. Back in the 1940s and 1950s, you found them on the bikes of professional racers (below), randonneurs, cyclotourists, even...
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Rides to Remember
As the year draws to a close, it’s fun to look back at the memorable rides we’ve done this year. And what a year it’s been! We’ve discovered new roads and enjoyed new adventures. The links in the text...
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Happy Holidays!
Our best wishes to you for 2015! May the new year bring you wonderful rides and great memories.
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Supporting the Classics
When we took over responsibility for the René Herse name from René Herse’s daughter Lyli,* we had three goals in mind: Bring back some of the best designs of René Herse, so that today’s cyclists could...
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