Have you ever had a tank slapper? It happens way more often on motorcycles, with similarly terrifying results, so I thought I’d share some thoughts on how chassis and suspension design can impact or improve the issue, with some practical ideas from motorcycles.
Read MoreThe news this weekend that Amer Sports has sold the Enve business to a new owner has landed hard with some commentators, who are wondering what’s going on at the Ogden, Utah based brand famous for its high end wheels, and Tour-ready carbon race bikes.
But is it bad news, or is it the best thing that could happen to Enve at this point in it’s development? We think so.
Read MoreLate last year we were asked to help Babble to build a top-spec road bike for the epic ultra-endurance relay, All Roads Lead to Rome. Raising money for the My Name’s Doddie Foundation.
Head to our Youtube to check out the build video and find out more about this important cause. Or, check out the stills here on the blog. Thanks to Simon Eldon for these brilliant photos. And, to Jack Kingston for the incredibly technical paint.
Read MoreCampagnolo launches Bora C23 Ultra and WTO, we’ve got some of the first pairs in the UK available for shipping now. Check out our thoughts after our first look today. This makes it difficult to ignore the Bora with a super competitive weight, class leading looks (who’s wheels look better?) and a hooked two-way fit, for added practicality. Order now for delivery this week.
Read MoreWe’re heading out to Briancon this summer to shoot some bikes and catch up with friends. The TDF is passing through so we thought we’d extend an invite to our friends and fans and bicycle owners, and show you around some of our favourite places. Would you like to join us?
Read MoreHas Decathlon pulled off a coup d'etat with their budget TDF bike? Their new bike challenges the big brands on perhaps the most important metric of all right now, price. Is it a gimmick, or can you make a competitive frame and sell it for half the price of the big brands?
Read MoreAward winning custom bike brand Spoon Customs has today launched a new, fully integrated version of its acclaimed Izoard RR road race bike. With cables at the front end now internally hidden, the new Izoard RR presents an even cleaner aesthetic than its predecessor.
The updated bike will be displayed at Bespoked 2023, the world’s biggest handmade bike show, which takes place in Dresden this weekend from the 13th October to 15th.
Read MoreWith big names like Pro Bike Kit going to the wall, and amazing consumer deals everywhere, it’s easy to see that it’s not great in the cycling trade right now. What’s not so easy to see is the root cause, and we can all do as consumers to make sure the good bike shops (and independent or mobile mechanics) survive this difficult moment.
Read MoreTo celebrate their new partnership with Enve (and to help out those people who can suffer from decision paralysis in their full-custom sweet shop) Spoon Customs today launches an ‘off-the-peg’ version of their best selling Izoard XCR available now for pre-order in strictly limited numbers.
Read MoreLast month we were invited to FForest Gran Fondo a wonderful cycling event that dispenses with cycling’s often pervasive power meters and occasional bro-vibes, in favour of good old fashioned bonhomie and good-times all set in the beautiful Welsh countryside above Cardigan Bay.
Read MoreOur new film shares insights in Ben’s wheel-building process as he laces, stresses and tensions a super lightweight climbing set up comprised of Enve’s awesome 2.3 SES rim, Tactic Racing TR01 hubset, and Sapim’s CX Ray spokes. The whole process takes 5 hours in total, time needed to properly bed in every component in the build.
Read MoreFor our new short film Mountain Pass, we had to ask a question I’m pretty certain none of you have ever worried about. Which bicycle works best at -22 degrees at over 8000 feet? The bicycles we used in the film weren’t designed for the job but still did a cracking job. Find out more about the bikes (and kit) used in the film and how it fared in this our latest blog.
Read MoreAt nearly two-and-a-half times the height of Mount Snowdon, and temperatures in January which can dip down to -30 Col D’Izoard probably isn’t a nice place to be in January. But it got us to wondering. Could we could ride up an infamous Col - which is fully capable of defeating any of us on the wrong day in June - in the cold dark depths of a freezing winter? We thought we’d pack up some bikes, load them with skis and go find out.
Read MoreUnit2 is a new creative and technical workshop space for Spoon brands, where customers can come to get a fitting, buy a bike or have one repainted, but it’s also designed with events in mind so cyclists and people interested in our work, can share ideas, get together and celebrate custom bike culture.
Read MoreWe very rarely share ‘non-spoon’ original work here, and this is hardly original given the obvious age of this bike, but if there was ever a bike for our times, it’s got to be this one: a 1985 Thomson with a Campagnolo group and some old Mavic wheels.
Read MoreWe got back to the Alps last week to catch up on production and plan our spring builds. We also made some time to meet Ben to finish the website, record a podcast and shoot some new content, in one of the busiest and challenging trips we’ve had for years. Find out more in our latest blog and sign up to the newsletter to get early access to ‘Mountain Pass’ our an adventure on Col D’Izoard in the depths of winter.
Read MoreOur new bike fit studio, MTCO, has been flat out almost every Friday since it opened. We’ve been pleased to see so many people from all over the country visiting with such a diverse range of fit requirements for their existing kit, whether that’s to tune out physical discomfort, optimisation for power or comfort, or help buying a new bike.
Check out the product of their latest efforts - built on a fully custom front end designed around the new owners fit requirement, finished in-house by Sam at Gun Control Custom Paint.
Read MoreTBA, has sadly closed its doors after some Covid-related troubles. The business took a life-threatening knock during lockdown. They made it through lockdown and out the other side through hard work and a refusal to give in, keeping TBA on life-support, even getting it open again and training new students I believe as late as last month, but ultimately their best efforts couldn’t overcome the impact of the pandemic. Find out more about TBA’s legacy here.
Read MoreSpoon Customs’ busy year is summed up at Bespoked this year with a collection of handmade bikes that shows the breadth and depth of their capability. Signalling their intention to double down on their commitment to the highest standards of fit, fabrication and finish, regardless of material choice—or now budget—they are using the occasion to launch their latest Sestriere Scandium road disc bike.
Read MoreSpoon Customs & Gun Control produce Babble-branded Vars Disc super bike and matching POC helmets for iconic annual endurance event, Ride Across Britain, which finished last month.
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