Mon-Sat 11am-6pm
Sun 12pm-5pm

Thanks for your winter business!

We hooked them up with a couple Superb caps which ended with them buying a bunch to take back to Japan to sell at Blue Lug, so if you are in their neighborhood stop by and pick one up!

Blue Lug crew with Nao from 3RRR on the far right.

They gave us some rad blue lug stickers which will go to the first customers to stop by and ask for them.

He stopped by the shop this week to build up his first fillet brazed road bike frame.

Paint job was done by Circle A Cycles in Providence.

Jason checking out Nao’s hand made headbadge.

Nao getting his brake installation on.

You’ll be seeing these around sooner rather than later, and keep an eye out for photos of the finished build.

I had to stop in and check out our friends at Breakbrake17. I met them last year on a non work visit and discovered a flourishing fixed freestyle scene. They were such gracious host, letting me ride their bikes out every night and taking me to all the delicious food stands. So it’s only natural I had to come see them again, especially since the scene has been growing exponentially.

Their new location in Taipei is clean and conveniently located near Sogo (high end fashion district). The shop is crisp and white, with steel piped displays and a dessert fridge for all the goodies (components).

I hung out with Yang, Ken and the BB17 crew at the shop. Yang showed me their Cobra forks, type 1 and 2, which are looking badass. They have their signature “17″ cut out near the drops outs and an integrated top cap. The fork is extra wide, for those super beefy tires and the steerer tube and crown is fully molded for extra strength. I would recommend snagging one of these for anyone that’s afraid of fork snappage.

They have a great selection of freestyle bikes from Brooklyn Machine Works to Volumes. They also have a great Keirin track source and can build you up a classy NJS whip too. But the best part is their mechanic area… They make do without a bike repair stand and cut everything with an angle grinder! Here’s Ken getting at a steerer tube with the angle grinder.

If you ever find yourself in Taiwan I would drop in for their weekly rides every Friday night!

Here the rest of the photos from the trip.

(Sorry the photo is out of focus guys. Guess the camera can’t keep it’s eyes off the Swrve merchandise either!)

It’s amazing what can happen a couple of stories up in a tiny office building. At Swrve headquarters, packed in were bolts of fabric, thread, sowing machines, drafting tables, computers, and aisles filled with boxes of merchandise. Matt showed me some new fabrics that he has just picked up himself for their new cycling caps. The new caps are very classy, consisting of flannels, houndstooth, and classic suit patterns. One of the cycling caps even has a cashmere mix for the discerning cyclist.

(The cashmere cap is on the left. I would definitely pick one up.)

They are always coming out with new fabrics and cuts, which is why I am not surprised that they have to keep expanding. I was able to get a sneak peak at some of the new prototypes, which I’m sure will be amazing once they finally are produced.

Here are some photos of their headquarters and all the goodies inside. You should stop in and say hi, especially to sift through the boxes of amazing clothing!

The first stop is Wheelmen  & Co. of which we just received a brand new shipment in. Make sure to come in and check it out!

Brad & Kevin, the founders of Wheelmen & Co. have become our good friends, hanging with us at Interbike, Bella Biciclette, and now in L.A. at their main headquarters. Their spot in Little Tokyo is where all the packing and designing gets done. Here are some shots of the office. Glamour shot of Brad at his desk and everyone packing for a big shipment to Japan.

Wheelmen is about to release their new backpack and almost every single one has been claimed. They also just dropped two new messenger bags in high end leathers. One in real burgundy patent leather for the ladies and one in supple gray leather for the men. I actually had the chance to model the new messenger bag with a friend on their rooftop. These classy bags were only produced in a limited run. So let us know if any of these wet your appetites and hopefully we can get our hands on them before the holidays are over!

Here is a behind the scene shot of the photoshoot for the new bags.

Photos By Jesse Weiner

Dustin opened the shop 6 years ago and has been selling track bikes, road bikes, and his own custom made frames for “the discerning enthusiast”. Cicli Berlinetta frames are all hand welded by Dustin himself and painted or powder coated in house. (Apparently matte black paint jobs are all the rage in Berlin now compared to the clear coat wave in Boston.) The sky’s the limit when it comes to getting the bike of your choice here. Dustin is a self proclaimed “find it guy”. If you want something rare or vintage, he can probably make your dreams come true.

There were some ridiculous pursuit frames, from a Cinelli laser to a wild Maza frame just kicking it on the floor. Two bikes that stood out were the Magni, which weight about 13lbs! and the Kestrel completely equipped in gold plated Campagnolo (which I was informed back then was worth about $15,000). There was a good selection of vintage cycling shoes, wool jerseys and caps along with their own branded ones. You could buy a tube protectors all the way to gold plated Campagnolo components here. In the back, they have a full service repair shop and will take in any bike, cheap or expensive.

Here are some shots of the shops gems. A prize to whoever can count all the frames and bikes in the shop, cause seriously it’s like trying to figure out how many jelly beans are in that gigantic jar at the county fair.

It was easy to spot the shop since they have a great mural of Keirin Racers in the front and it was bustlin’ with bikers inside and out. Gary explained the bike scene in Berlin, how now a days track bikes have been in a decline due to the Police. Like in the states, they have been cracking down on riding brake less. Apparently it is a $90 Euro fine for riding without a break and sometimes even with just a single brake. If they catch you more than once, they will even seize your bike! Don’t think that you can do a silent protest too with a break that is not attached to anything, because the cops will squeeze your lever to see if it functions.  From what I saw, kids were mostly riding single speeds. But a bike is a bike, ride what you can.

There were so many frames dangling off the ceiling on every wall and a huge collection of Pursuit bikes (which I have an affinity for). The vintage parts were ridiculous, things that I have only seen photos of. There was a gorgeous drilled out FB hub, a predecessor to Campagnolo. Also a crazy Dura Ace crankset with 10mm chain pitch. At first glance it seems like it’s running a 42th chain ring, but since the teeth are so tiny it’s actually a 48th. They knew all about the parts and even the manufacturing dates. If you’re in Berlin looking for a fixed gear fix, stop into the shop.

Here are some shots of the shop and goodies. I wish I had a better camera since the shop was so dark, so these will have to do.