Gold deep v’s, black spokes to formula & O8 hubs.
Stolen from in front of Junkman’s Daughter in Little 5 Points.
Contact Brandon at brandon.static [at] gmail dot com with any info!
Tag Archives: Features
Matt Reeves, Atlanta Messenger
Met up with Matt downtown earlier this week. He was one of the main NACCC organizers last year.
We met at the courthouse. I was applying to become a notary and Matt offered to sign as an ‘endorser’.
Back when i was a fulltime student, I was always downtown. Everyday. I totally miss it.
I miss riding in the midday traffic, in the areas of Atlanta that feel like a city.
I had fun rolling with him for a few stops. Keeping up on my Civia was pretty tough.
One pick up was rather strange. I think the run was from a food processing plant to a restaurant direct.
He said he was picking up some freshly pickled ginger. I laughed. What? Really?
Meanwhile, I scoped out his Leader workbike. The ever reliable Shimano Tiagra group with Sram cranks.
Of course Thomson stem and seatpost and a classic Turbo saddle topping it off.
Continental Gatorskins are really the only way to go in my opinion.
Yep. A freaking heavy duty jar of ginger. Don’t let that bust open in your bag man!
I needed to go and Matt now had his last delivery of the day. We headed north on Peachtree.
Passing through 5 points instantly reminded me how EVERYONE is ready to lay it all on the line to jaywalk.
I’m always commuting from Grant Park to Buckhead and need to get downtown more often!
It was good riding with you Matt! Look out for him this season at the track on his new Gan Well Pro!
Finally ‘Wrapping Up’ My Costello Build, Brooks Leather Bar Wrap
I have been riding my current commuter set up since January when first I did some riding down in Florida.
The missing piece of the build has been literally right beneath my nose these past few months.
Chris at Loose Nuts had initially wrapped some ever classic Newbaum’s cotton bar tape.
The distinction between Brooks leather wrap and cotton is longevity.
Where many may argue on the aesthetic and style each approach contributes to a build,
the leather simply lasts longer. Not only that, like all Brooks products, it actually gets better with age.
The first step was to pop the cork out of the bars, then flip up the hoods and get in the zone.
Rather than peel of the well used newbaums I opted to double up. Though this potentially could harbor water,
it will make for a bit more cushion and a larger grip. The adhesive gripped well and I slowly began.
When you see Brooks wrapped bars in the wild, always take a peek and see if it is started and ended well.
This may be the last time the bars will ever be wrapped and its all in the details!
When I was done Chris and Howard took a look. Both know how long it took the get this rig rolling.
I am super pleased to finally wrap it up with Brooks leather bar wrap and still sit on my 6 year old Swift!
Brooks products as recently highlighted, are some of the longest lasting velo investments you can make.
Check out my flickr for more photos of awesome builds featuring the latest Brooks offerings at NAHBS.
NAHBS Day 1 Photos Are Up!
Ran out of time to pen a proper post but did get all the shots published. Enjoy!
The Freiburg Collective
On the eve of NAHBS it seems fitting to give a shout out to an overseas event inspired by the now legendary annual event.
The Freiburg Collective will take place in Freiburg, Germany May 7th & 8th 2011.
Philipp of European Touches will there providing full coverage of the rides and events.
Stay tuned for more developments on this unique concept for a bike show hosted by Crema Cycles.
See everyone at NAHBS tomorrow!
First Run of twotoneatl.com Stickers!
I am stoked to announce that leading up to the site’s 1 year bday,
twotoneatl.com stickers will be available in time for NAHBS.
I teamed up with two of the best guys in the biz to get the job done.
Kurt of Kräutstache Design developed the logo.
Phillip of Velo Stickers & Cutaway Clothing is bringing them to life.
They will be 1.5″ wide & available in BW (seen above) and color (below).
Contact Jon[at]twotoneatl.com if you’re interested in getting your hands on some.
Brooks Visits Loose Nuts Cycles
Michael & Gianmarco of Brooks England stopped by Loose Nuts this past Saturday to showcase several
of their new products for 2011. Brooks is continuing a tradition of ingenuity in product design and these
offerings are not just for die hard Brooks fans with an aesthetic attraction even non-cyclists can appreciate.
Anyone who know me knows I am fanatical about Brooks. How could you not be?
They have been getting it right introducing new options and reiterating classics since 1866!
For more info and photos of these stylish, durable and functional goods head over to Loose Nuts.
FM:RACE 2011 Kit Sneak Peek!
I am excited to be racing with FM:RACE this season and just saw the new kits. So sick!
Unveiled for the first time today on FM, the design looks great.
Especially with the support of such awesome sponsors.
Kurt of Kräutstache Design really nailed it this year!
Look for some twotoneatlxkräutstache radness soon too!
Product Review: Selle Royal Contour
The The Selle Royal Contour is back. A re-ride of the original 1972 Contour.
According to Selle Royal, it was the first saddle to consider the relationship between
saddle fit, the human anatomy, comfort and performance.
I recently got a hold of a white microtex covered model and took it out for a brisk 40 miles this morning.
Its was quite surprising to me how unassuming this saddle is.
I mean, white saddles always manage to be more conspicuous than than darker ones.
But, the Contour has made its point over the past 40 years, and knows how to do its job discreetly rather well:
Be classic.
Be comfortable.
Designed and shaped with slightly visible indents toward the rear of the saddle,
the Contour provides a ‘natural’ platform for sit bones.
Like the original Contour, this saddle includes two hardly visible indents,
providing a pre-shaped sitting surface for the sit bones and requiring zero break-in time.
Speaking of break-in time, If you know me, you know I swear by Brooks.
All my bikes have a Brooks saddle and most with Brooks leather bar wrap to match.
Though there is always that first few weeks where Brooks tests your love to some degree.
As I headed east towards Stone Mountain with Justin and John this morning.
I even forgot I was on a new saddle. In fact, I forgot about my saddle completely.
Justin Barber below, an FM:Race teammate and ALTA colleague had a buddy, John, in town from Nashville.
We decided on rolling out to Stone Mountain and doing a long loop then heading back. A cool 40 miles.
I take that back. A cold 40 miles.
John had hoped to get some time on the road while in town on a short visit and I think he got his wish!
The cold kept the streets and especially Stone Mountain Park pretty vacant. That was a great bonus.
Beautiful weather, minimal wind and hardly any cars on the street?
What more could you ask for?
How about a unique piece of cycling heritage that is as at home on a period specific build from the 1970’s,
an around the town fixie, or even a modern road racing rig? The Contour fits the bill across the board.
Not only do Brooks require breaking in, but most saddles require time to get taint acquainted.
Right off the bat, The Contour let me focus on riding whilst lending timeless style to my steed.
For more photos of this morning’s ride, check ’em here on flickr and more info on the Contour go here.
If you are in Atlanta looking to treat yourself, or that special cyclist in your life to some Contour comfort,
contact the fine folks at Loose Nuts Cycles in Grant Park. Or purchase direct at origins.selleroyal.com
The Adventures of Otto ~ Vol. 1 | MLK Day
Today was a very important holiday, The Martin Luther King Jr. Day of Service.
Though neither my wife nor I are employed at companies that offer the day off, our son’s school was closed.
Initially, the plan was that I’d work but the plan changed and instantly I got stoked about Otto’s 1st field trip.
We live very close to the MLK National Historic Site and not visiting on such an occasion wasn’t an option.
It was Otto’s first visit and certainly not his last.
Don’t let his mean mug fool you. He was excited about this and every trip on our Civia Loring!
We stood and listened to Mayor Kasim Reed’s speech and took a look around as the day’s crowd grew.
You can see the big screen above right where all the events transpiring within the church were shown.
Behind where I am standing taking this photo, Auburn Avenue was closed and vendors were setting up.
Otto caught a glimpse of bikes and we rolled over to check it out.
He has become quite adept at identifying bicycles in books, pictures and of course in streets.
It was the Metro Atlanta Cycling Club!
Next year will be the 10th Annual “Let Freedom Ring” MLK ride
I’m bummed we missed this ride, I need to step up my radar of ATL bike events. Please email them to me!
I am certain Otto and I will participate next year.
I followed the peloton north on Boulevard and turned off at the Freedom Trail for our day’s next stop.
New to me, Condesa Coffee has been open a month or two.
They serve Intelligentsia & Spanish style Bocatas with style.
The space looked great and had some good reading out for patrons to peruse.
I had a machiatto and Otto & I shared a slice of vegan zucchini bread. Otto was fanatical about it.
Again, the space looked great. Clean and well designed.
The view is off the charts and atmosphere on point.
Otto and I decided to head south for another cruise through the MLK Festivites as naptime encroached.
We spotted a track bike that looked familiar to me. A KHS?
A quick release?
It was my buddy Joy. The KHS Pursuit formerly belogned to a former friend of mine and looked real nice.
Joy is a cycling connoisseur like no other. His period specific builds have always been amazing.
His Viner Pista was always one of my favorites. Good to see you Joy!
Below is the original Ebenezer Baptist Church on Auburn.
Atlanta really was the epicenter of some epic events from that era in American history.
Its hard to imagine how recently segregation existed. Or that it existed at all. Seriously.
America has come a long way and I look forward to seeing how it changes as Otto grows older.
We kept cruising west on Auburn. An unfortunately derelict district despite its deep roots.
Not to mention it was no mistake the 75/85 Downtown Connector was paved straight through it.
Horrible.
Though some lots are coming to life it appears, as the community garden below reveals.
Signs of life. Indeed, its rare that many people are found on Atlanta’s streets on any given day.
Events like this are great. Its nice to see this many people walking, riding and getting around sans cars.
Ariel Hart of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution wrote:
In the early 1950s as a six-lane thoroughfare The Downtown Connector was introduced.
According to Wikipedia, it carries more than 272,000 vehicles per day at its busiest point
— between Martin Luther King Jr. Drive and Edgewood Avenue,
while no portion of the Downtown Connector carries fewer than 236,000 vehicles per day it is
one of the 10 most congested stretches of interstate in the U.S.
Again.
Horrible.
And speaking of horrible.
Who do these these guys think they’re helping? Today’s supposed to be about service. Not scary signs.
Though this is the blog’s 1st Otto Adventure installment, its hardly his first adventure.
Otto & I have conquered the streets of Chicago, visited Starlight Bikes in Roanoke & Bilenky in Philly!
Stay tuned for our next Adventure in San Francisco happening later this month.
On our way home as the clock struck nap-thirty Otto zonked out and he made it into the crib still asleep.
Below on our route back to the house is the King Memorial Marta Station. More photos can be found here.
Happy MLK Day!
