Author: Mischa

Skin Grows Back

I don’t usually use this site to push products (I think…?) but occasionally I can’t help myself. Some quiet time browsing the Skin Grows Back website has left me happy. I’m pretty far behind the eightball on this really, as these guys have been around for yonks and have been sponsoring and promoting left, right and centre. They’ve even got a link to us on their website (good people) and I have bought and do actually own one of their top tube pads. While it was given as a joke and doesn’t really get used, I can definitely vouch for its solid construction.

I’m not a courier and probably fall solidly into the fakenger list, given I ride around with a big Chrome bag on one of them tricky fixed gear bicycle things and now sport a U-lock in the back pocket (…and justice for all).  As such, the gear these guys make probably isn’t aimed at me directly, but I still think it’s damn fine looking stuff. The obvious bonus is that it’s made in Australia by decent folks using local and recycled materials. It’s designed to handle the rough and tumble abuse of daily bike riding, and works just as well for the messenger types as it does for every day commuters and those of us who like to spend as much time as possible on the bike, or falling off the bike. One of the reasons I love my Chrome bag is that it’s built tough as fuck, it’s waterproof, comfortable on the bike, and holds a shitload of stuff (even though it ain’t the big model). The SGB stuff is made in the same way, but in our own backyard by people you may well see on the street.

I have to admit, I’m a little excited by the coming soon messenger bag that’s in their gallery. I may not do it for a living, but I’ve hauled enough shit on my bike to appreciate a good bag with features that are easy to use and make sense. Upgrading from my old Crumpler to a one-handed strap was the best thing ever. I dunno how far away the SGB bags are, but they look like they’ll tick all the boxes that amount to a good dose of awesome. Heaps of room, heaps of adjustment, padding in the right places, plenty of pockets, smart straps, and some kick arse bits for handling shit that’s too big for the bag.

So if you haven’t been over to check out the product over at SGB yet, do it now. If you already have, go back again, even if it’s just to increase their web stats. Tell your friends, support your local heads, give props where it’s well deserved, and use your gear without mercy.

Bottling Australia

bnc-bagear

I have to admit, I get a little wigged out at the places that BnC randomly shows up. Strangers in distant pubs, stickers in obscure places, random newspaper articles, and links from strange websites. I think this latest appearance takes the cake for me though.

I always spot the Bicycling Australia magazines at the newsagent, as I’m picking up my copy of Dirt (to prove I’m hardcore), Singletrack (because it’s good) and AMB (to prove I’m an idiot). I always write them off as boring mags for weekend cyclists with very little of interest given my particular tastes. I’m pretty sure I’m still right. Regardless, the ol’ BnC Team Kit has somehow made its way onto the BA Gear website, surrounded by TdF merchandising and guides to the best bike paths around the country. I think Ben and his lack of concentration may have had something to do with it, combined with his love of e-mailing people and talking smack with anyone who’ll give him 30 seconds of their time.

Either way, it does give BnC that ‘super commuter’ cred that we’ve always been looking for. I guess now that we’ve hit the mainstream I’ll have to give up all hopes of becoming an underground hipster merchandise mogul and instead start pushing for more on-air promotion from Phil and Paul. “Now Paul, I may not have mentioned it yet but the top 20 riders in the bunch is really where you want to be. It’s much safer up there and you can really show off your team kit, be it Silence Lotto or Bottles and Chains.”

I am a little curious at to how we somehow ended up in the ‘Training and Nutrition’ clothing section. I suppose someone got confused between drinking sessions and training sessions, or took our talk of hydration at face value. According to the discerning editors at BA Gear, “this jersey is an innovative and fresh design suitable for every cycling enthusiast” and will allow you to “wear a jersey with an exciting and unique design on your next training ride!” Not only that, but we’ve come in at number nine in the category’s top 10 items list, beaten only by a few far more clever and witty jersey designs. I only wonder if being in that list means that someone’s already bought a jersey through the website? Unfortunately, as I tumbled through the list trying to pick my next purchase I realised that the gripping editorial attached to our innovative and fresh design was a little less unique than I originally thought.

Anyway, if you haven’t got a BnC rag already, I’d suggest you “enhance your cycling experience” as quick as you can and go buy one now! Just give it a week or six.

Get Your Sexy On

Shifter Dan runs a damn fine emporium of bicycle goods, with a heavy bias towards all things single and all things pretty. He also reps the BnC Melburn chapter, which means he’s good bloke, a sexy motherfucker, and all round approved. I was just over on the Shifter Bikes blog and noticed that he’s got a few snaps up of some damn sweet looking gear that’s in stock at the moment. Heaps of coloured bits and things that aren’t so readily available in most bike shops. I tried to steal all his photos to post them here but his HTML code is all whack so instead I’m going to have to do the decent thing and link you to his website so you can go and check it out, which you should do, because it’s good.

Cool As Houses

When sitting around wasting time on the internet (as I often do), I inevitably end up passing through a trendy fixed gear blog. It seems like they’re waiting for you around every corner. Much of the time they’re good, honest sites maintained by people who have a genuine love of bikes. A fair few come across as a little pretentious and wanky, but I’ve always got that from edgy, trendy websites anyway. What tends to amaze me these days is that number of sites who seem to be in on this whole merchandising, limited edition, colab, colourways, sponsored event type things. Every second site seems to be tag-teaming it up with underground fashion labels or graphic designers and creating over-priced one-time-only garments or anodised components. And the thing is, it must be selling because it’s not stopping. It’s like the post-threadless design-your-own t-shirt website explosion a couple of years back. Same aesthetic everywhere, the same semi-elitist, somewhat removed and minimalist bend to posts, heavily over exposed photos with lowered saturation and odd angles, bold logos splashed across t-shirts and specially formulated jackets or new era hats. The list goes on.

How the hell do they do it? Where do these companies come from, and where the hell do they get the money to do it? The fixed gear trend has been going strong for what, six to eight years now? Have they all been around from the start, working hard with no recognition until now? Are they trust-fund projects? Are they the kids cool enough to market ideas to the advertisers and get the backing to make it happen? Maybe it’s just that fixed gear and the culture that seems to have sprung up around it is actually big enough to maintain the momentum of these companies.

It also seems as if the focus is evolving a little (or maybe it’s just me being sllow to catch on). With the spring classics filling blogs the vintage aspect that track bikes championed is expanding and covering wider ground. For a while now the vintage road bikes have been growing in popularity, and a fixed conversion isn’t always the first idea to spring to mind when a tasty lugged steel frame is spotted. It goes hand in hand with the jerseys, ‘real cycling’ and the increasing popularity of ‘hard man’ cycling and epics. Rapha’s continental series is a perfect example (though less influenced by trends and more by Rapha’s general direction I think), but it’s bee preceeded by the established Cannonball run documented by Andy and others. Now the Mash kids are out on the road, riding across California looking schmick in their nicely designed jerseys and riding sexy bikes.

What am I getting at? Fuck knows. Maybe I want in? Maybe I’m jealous that these people have the market or the savvy to be printing up t-shirts and jerseys every week while we have to scrape a little harder to make it happen. Maybe I’m confused about how exactly you tap into ‘the cool’ (not that I have any desire too, but it does appeal to my curiosity). Maybe that BnC X Obey X Nike colab that Quon keeps harping on about keeps it on my mind. Maybe I spend too much time on the internet and not enough on my bike (probably).

Either way, it’s nice being able to roll back to Bottles And Chains and find some homely, down-to-earth smack written by people with average literary skill who as a general rule are far from being cool enough to ever get in a video or be sponsored just for riding around on a track bike. Is that a little harsh? I love it!

Roll on BnC, keep it real. Hellbound and pedalling.

That said, if anyone wants to throw us lots of money I’ll get started on some t-shirt designs right away. I’m always for sale.

This post inspired by and tributed to: MASHSF X ArkitipIntel Mash X HipsterNascar X Fyxomatosis X Trackosaurus – Much love.