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Compass Tire Prototypes: Really Big Tires!
Our very first Enduro Allroad prototype tires started out as knobbies with supple casings – then we had the knobs shaved off by Peter Weigle. We wanted to test the concept of a very wide, supple tire...
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Snares and Traps for Cyclists
What does the photo above show? It reminds me of the traps used to ensnare animals, used by trappers who hunt animals for their fur. As the animal passes, its leg gets caught in the snare… So why are...
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Allroad Bikes Hit the Mainstream!
The big news in the bike world this week is Cannondale’s introduction of an Allroad bike, which will be equipped with 650B x 42 mm tires. And those tires have a file tread pattern, and generally look...
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Bicycle Quarterly Un-Meeting
This year’s Bicycle Quarterly Un-Meeting will take place on September 26 and 27 in Cle Elum, Washington. The Un-Meeting is a simple idea for an event: Anybody is invited, but there is no organization,...
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Citroën Day
A recent ride with BQ contributor Mark was typical: a combination of great training, enjoying the sights, and stimulating conversation. Except that this one was enriched by encountering some of my...
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E-Bikes are Game-Changers
“This is the future. It will change everything!” said Koichiro Nakamura as he pointed to a bright green women’s bike in front of his office. We had met to discuss cycling and the media in Japan… and...
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Inner Tube Quality
Inner tubes often seem like generic commodities. One is as good as the next – so buy the cheapest one… I used to think that, too, until I started to see split seams, valves separating from the tube,...
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400 km Brevet Video
Theo is the ride organizer of an upcoming Seattle International Randonneurs 400 km brevet. So a week ago, Theo, Hahn and Ryan of the Bicycle Quarterly team pre-rode the course, to make sure that the...
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Centerpull Brake Parts and Tools
For our Compass centerpull brakes, we started with a design that had proven itself in decades of hard use: the Mafac Raid brakes. In fact, we had logged tens of thousands of miles on our own bikes...
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Last-Minute PBP Prep: Tabata Intervals
Paris-Brest-Paris is less than three weeks away. If you are riding in the 1200 km ride, you already have qualified and trained. You will have thought about your equipment and tried any changes that...
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Testing the Compass Elk Pass Tires
We recently received the first production samples of the new Compass tires. We’ve been testing the high-volume tires on our own bikes, but we don’t have any bikes designed for the 26″ x 1.25″ Elk Pass...
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PBP Preparation: Rest, Check Bike, Learn French
Paris-Brest-Paris is less than a week away. That means that training is over. Any hard or long rides from now will just fatigue your body, rather than make it stronger. All you can do to get your body...
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Compass Tires and Tubeless
I was trying to put a photo of the new Compass tires’ bead here, but it’s hard to photograph the difference… What is important is this: our upcoming Compass 26″ x 2.3″, 650B x 48 mm and 700C x 35 mm...
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Customer Newsletter
Along with our updated website, Compass Bicycles updated its customer newsletter. We use it to announce things like new items, products that are back in stock, and other noteworthy news. It’s the best...
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A Lap of the Poly de Chanteloup
After Paris-Brest-Paris, Theo and I rode out to Chanteloup in the hills west of Paris. After every PBP, we organize a small reunion of the Pilotes de René Herse (the riders on René Herse’s team) at...
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Autumn Bicycle Quarterly
We seem to be at the apex of Summer: Jan and Theo and other randonneurs experienced Paris-Brest-Paris, and we see many of you on great cycling outings. Yet, we all notice how the sun sets a bit...
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New Compass Tires in Stock
The four new Compass tires are in stock now! They are the Rat Trap Pass (26″ x 54 mm), Switchback Hill (650B x 48 mm), Bon Jon Pass (700C x 35 mm), and Elk Pass (26″ x 1.25″). The Rat Trap Pass...
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How Far We’ve Come
A few weeks ago, I was working on the third-ever issue of Bicycle Quarterly: Vol. 1 No. 3, a slim volume of 24 pages. We are reprinting this issue as part of our commitment to keep all this timeless...
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Weight Limits?
We sometimes get the question whether there is a weight limit for Compass tires or components. The answer is “No”. That doesn’t mean that our components are indestructible. It’s just that we have...
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Visiting a Bicycle Mega-Store
During a pre-PBP visit to Germany, I had the opportunity to visit one of the largest bike shops in the region. Germany is the country with the most bicycle sales in Europe… and it shows. This shop is...
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