May 01, 2024
A Sarto Raso in Fender Daphne Blue
A Stratocaster-playing customer wanted to further his other 'hobby' with the latest from Sarto, the Raso, and we were only too happy to give our happy plucker his heart's desire. In typical Sarto fashion, his bike is custom in every way, from the geometry to the ride feel to the finish....
Peter Harrington
May 01, 2024
Girona: Is it the Upside Down Marin?
We're rolling up the Els Angel climb for the third time during our trip to Girona, and just like every loop of our beloved Seven Sisters back home, we can't imagine this sweet piece of asphalt ever getting old. Els Angel is 11.1km long with an average gradient of 3.9%...
April 25, 2024
On the Road Part 1: Julius' Scarab Apuna Journey
After living in the Bay Area for a few months, I realized I would need a road bike to supplement my gravel bike to take advantage of the beautiful roads and fast-paced group rides we are lucky enough to have at our doorsteps. The bike I chose was a Scarab....
Julius Berith
April 18, 2024
Time and Time Again: An Artist's Prova Integrale
This is the sort of bike you stare at for several minutes, a speed sculpture that makes you shake your head to shift the dream, only for the light to reveal a new complexity to the paint, the shapes it makes, inviting a deeper appreciation for the mesmeric blend of metal,...
Peter Harrington
April 09, 2024
Always Be Prepared: Early Season Gravel Racing and Q36.5 Clothing
We caught a jet plane out of SFO and headed for Dallas/Fort Worth, hoping to get some warm early-season miles and maybe even a decent showing in the first of the year's gravel races. On tap was the inaugural Valley of Tears gravel race in Turkey, Texas, a place we...
April 09, 2024
Carbon Copies: A BOTW Pinarello Dogma Duo
Yes, you are seeing double. When one Dogma F is not enough, why not two? One for our client and one for his nephew - a carbon copy in every detail. Submissions for the coolest uncle in the world are now closed. This brace of BOTWs celebrates the modern classic...
Peter Harrington
April 05, 2024
Save the Date: Upcoming AC Scarab Ride
On Saturday, 27th April, mark your calendar for an AC x Scarab climbing ride as we explore some of the short and steep hidden climbs of Marin County in the company of Santiago from Scarab Cycles. Here's the Strava link. Both rides start from AC - meet at 07.30 at the shop for...
Peter Harrington
April 03, 2024
Los Escarabajos: Talking Scarab Cycles With Founder Santiago Toro
"I started Scarab in 2018," explains Santiago Toro, the earnest, chatty and immensely likeable founder of the South American brand Scarab Cycles. Over Zoom, his smile takes up almost the whole screen. Santiago is a ball of energy that his seat can't quite contain. Today, he's at home with his...
Peter Harrington
April 02, 2024
BOTW: A Scarab Cycles 'Campesina' Apüna
This week’s featured build comes via our newest brand, Colombia’s Scarab Cycles and its Apüna all-road/race gravel frameset. It’s a fast ticket, with a road bike aesthetic and wider tires that promise easy entry to the rough stuff. The Apüna features a well-appointed chassis that pairs Columbus’ Spirit tubing with...
Peter Harrington
March 28, 2024
It’s Tube, Not Me: Talking TPU Inner Tubes With Rene Herse
Think Rene Herse, and you tend to think of plush tubeless tires with big names that bring to mind the mountain passes, verdant rainforests, ribbon roads and rich loam of the Pacific Northwest. However, while Rene Herse has many tubeless tires in its range, the team behind the brand, led...
Peter Harrington
March 27, 2024
BOTW: A Dark Blue & Bronze Bastion Superleggera
This week’s featured build comes via a Bastion Superleggera, with a paint scheme chosen by the client’s partner - a woman of some taste, given how beautifully the Super’s dark blue tint over carbon with copper accents came out. Marrying blue and black takes an exceptional eye, but as this...
Peter Harrington
