SELECTED WRITING
A French Education
Julien is French. His accent gives it away, although there's a hint of German in there if I'm not mistaken. "Ha, yes, I lived in Germany for the last fifteen years," he replies, "and this year, my wife and I decided to move back to the south of France." As we settle into our call to chat about his relationship with Sarto, Julien explains the roots of his move to Germany and how a post-grad job that seemed like a good use of his engineering degree drew him north, all the while thinking he'd only be away from France for a few years. "Then I met my partner, and four years became fifteen!"
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Los Escarabajos
"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 wife in Bogota, but Scarab operates out of Medellin. "This country is crazy," he laughs. "Can you believe it's a 25-minute flight to Medellin from Bogota, but to drive seven to eight hours??" Santiago is referring to the slight problem of navigating around the Andes, the longest mountain range in the world with some of the highest peaks. Bogota, the cultural heart of Colombia, sits pretty at over 8660 ft above sea level in the Cordillera Oriental of the Northern Andes Mountains. Medellin, to the northwest, stands at almost 5000ft, surrounded by no less than 49 named mountains, few of which dip below 9000ft. The scale of the place is dizzying.
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Nature, Nurture and Learning to Race
"Through cycling, I've developed a surprising closeness to the land," says Bay Area resident and proud Sarto Seta Plus owner Sarah George. "When you work in a city like San Francisco and assume there's nothing but brick and concrete around you, then learn through exploration that the city is alive with trails and nature that doesn't conform to neat lines, your perception changes radically.”
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Pegoretti’s Duende Rock & Roll
Towards the end of every summer for the past twenty years, when the swallows start to think about their journey south, we’ve made Duende CX frames. However, unless you’re a fan of cantilever brake, wide-tire cyclocross frames, the CX may have passed you by.
After fielding requests for an update to this beloved Pegoretti frame, we decided to add a new model to the Duende family, the Duende Rock & Roll. The new frame blends the all-terrain heritage of the CX with the spirit of our road frames and takes off for pastures new with the versatility to ride on any surface.
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The Routist
Most people who move to a new area make friends slow and steady. There’ll be a little coffee that turns into crullers and coffee, WhatsApps, a work lunch, and finally, the home dinner invite – the highest step on modern society’s ladder and a clear sign of congenial acceptance. Congratulate yourself!
Other people take a saw and machete to these societal norms – literally. Having moved from Seattle to Portland, Ron Lewis, one half of OMTM.cc and onetime bassist for The Shins, neatly sidestepped the chitchat, and got down to business as a semi-professional Routist, rolling the path less pedaled, and cataloging his findings alongside other OMTM-er Brandon Day for the benefit of gravel and groad riders everywhere. Well, at least in the Pacific Northwest. He may move again.
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Back With a Baum
Darren Baum is an affable, interesting man. Two hours-affable, according to my watch, once we say our final goodbyes, he with an authoritative nod of the head from his desk in Geelong, Australia and me with a wave, wondering how I'm going to render what he said into words. The problem is, there's just too much. Darren isn't a bike builder; he's a force of nature. The man whose flowing lines, flawless welds and ever-innovative ideas made a lifelong fan of even the great Dario Pegoretti, who saw in Darren a brother in arms and perhaps one of only a handful of people in the whole world who could understand what Darren's work represented: craft, commitment, the freedom of an empty workshop, blind passion, bastard belief and the hope that this night might move the needle, the experience to know it probably wouldn't, and the will to do it anyway.
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The Fest Flintstone
It had been a long day on the mountain. Most of the riders had landed their last runs and were weaving back to their trucks, eager for post-ride beers and barbecue. “That was when Sam Reynolds came over,” remembers photographer Lisa Paarvio. “He asked me, ‘Are you going to shoot? I’m going to do some more runs.’” Turning to look down the course, Lisa saw that the others had almost made it back and would soon be packing their bikes away.
“There was this amazing feeling of stillness; a pause before the lengthening shadows slipped over the mountains,” she says of that final session of the 2015 Fest series at Retallack Lodge in B.C Canada, named Hoff Fest in honour of organiser Kurt ‘The Hoff’ Sorge. “I wanted to shoot some more, so I told Sam yes, and asked him which jump he’d like me to cover.”
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Simon’s Somewhat-Rapha Saporito Responsorium
Flashes of pink, grey and black, clues to who might be piloting the Pegoretti Responsorium that pulls to a stop outside, its navy-clad rider neatly dismounting, before wheeling his bike inside over tall, closely-marshalled characters proclaiming that “it’s never just a ride”.
Of course, it’s not much of a guessing game. The rider is Simon Mottram, the founder of Rapha Racing and the creator of the ubiquitous pink, grey and black colour scheme that now adorns his Saporito graphic Responsorium. I’m here at Rapha’s North London offices in Holloway to interview Simon about his new bike, how it came to pass and how he arrived at its final look.
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Moshi Monster
Cory Wallace’s head would be an interesting, boundary-expanding place to visit. Where others see impossible challenges, this chipper endurance mountain bike legend sees the opportunity for adventure. Just take a look at his oxygen-sapping palmarès: Himalaya Annapurna circuit record holder, three-time World Solo 24hr MTB champion, two-time Canadian Marathon champion, and two-time BC Bike Race champion. And now, with his recent ascent of Tanzania’s 5,895m Kilimanjaro mountain, he can add the FKT (fastest known time) of the world’s highest single free-standing mountain to his cabinet of medallions.
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Parcours & Panache
The cycling world was incredulous when Fiona Kolbinger won 2019’s Transcontinental Race. Blogs and the BBC alike parroted the same lines. The bike industry worried someone had slipped the sponsor net. Things were offered – and declined. “I’m not much into Instagram or social media,” Fiona says with a sigh. “My world is better when I’m present.” But still, the noise. “I had to make a Facebook fan page, just to separate myself,” she admits. To understand her unwillingness to engage is to recognise that Fiona rides for fun, not the future. And the fact that even before her win was secure, she had started to receive marriage proposals via Strava – unwanted attentions that did not quickly disappear. “My freedom is the most important thing,” she says. “So I decided that the joy I find from cycling must be kept clear from contracts, brands or the media.”
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