Wednesday, November 21, 2012

Tire Test

Here's Nick's review of our amazing Rock 'n Road tire:

"Last weekend's group ride was an excellent opportunity for me to take the Bruce Gordon Rock 'n Road tires out for a test spin.  Here was a ride that had it all: smooth stretches of well-kept blacktop, rolling gravel fire roads, chunky granite climbs, and sloppy, muddy singletrack with a few hairy switchbacks.  I threw pretty much everything available at the Rock 'n Roads, and they did not disappoint. 
The test bike, a custom offroad tourer by Bruce Gordon.

Let me first say that I'm biased when it comes to 29er tires.  I like them fat.  So when I try on a skinnier pair of tires- and I know calling a 43mm tire 'skinny' sounds ridiculous- I don't expect them to perform as well as my usual Ralphs, Nanos or Ardents.  But the Rock 'n Roads soaked up the hits as well as any fat tire, they didn't lose traction uphill, and they felt solid in the corners.  I was frankly surprised by how well they performed off-road.

They were even better on the paved roads.  Getting to and from the park has always been a bit of a pain in the ass when I'm riding 2.2"-or-wider knobbies.  But the Rock 'n Roads were fast-rolling, especially considering their aggressive tread.  They felt nimble on the descents and confident in corners.  It was inspiring to watch Mike Varley, on his Rock 'n Road-shod bike, tuck and bomb our last descent  with grace and precision.  

The Rock 'n Road is a great all-arounder, jack-of-all-trades type of tire and would be especially well-suited to mixed terrain rides, bike camping, or any other kind of on- and off-road adventure.  They also happen to be damn handsome.  I wholeheartedly and sincerely recommend these tires." 
  

If you'd like to get some Panaracer + Bruce Gordon Rock 'n Road tires for yourself, order them directly from us!










Monday, November 19, 2012

Rock 'n Road Ride Recap


Our group of eight, led by Mike Varley and Bruce Gordon, departed from Black Mountain Cycles in Point Reyes Station.  Conditions were a bit wet, a bit cold, but generally just bracing enough to get the blood pumping.  We started with a nice stretch of smooth paved blacktop.


 We passed through Inverness and then began our ascent of Mount Vision.  The ground here consisted of decomposed granite and pine needles, a nice chunky mix to test the capabilities of our new tires.


At this point, we rode some more fire roads and descended the breathtaking Inverness Ridge.  I was too busy riding with a big dumb grin on my face to take pictures at this point.   


Afterwards we sat around Mike's shop/museum and told stories, drank beer and hot toddies, and unabashedly ogled Bruce's new monstercross bike.



Thanks to everyone who showed up, it was a world-class group.  Check the Black Mountain Cycles blog for a more complete recap of our course. 




Thursday, November 15, 2012

Retro-Future


Here is a classic Italian-American beauty made with vintage lugs and tubing from the golden era of cycling.  Bruce dialed the time machine back to 1979 and retrieved a stamped wave-shaped Cinelli lugset and Columbus SL tubing.  When he made it back to 2012, Bruce designed and built a roadbike with a touch of the past and a bit of the present. 
 





 






Cinelli lugs before: 
 



Cinelli + Bruce Gordon lugs after:


 This bicycle was built to accommodate a modern 130mm spaced rear wheel, so you don't have to get in a time machine to find period correct parts- in fact, we think it would look (and ride) great if you were to deck it out in modern components.  The geometry is designed for comfortable, all-day riding.  

Specs are below.



54cm Center to Center Seat Tube
54.5cm Center to Center Top Tube

73˚ Head Tube angle
73˚ Seat Tube angle
42cm Chainstays

  

This frame is currently for sale for $3000.  That's $800 less than our going rate for a custom frame with cutout lugs, and it comes with a very snazzy silver Ed Litton paint job.  Call the shop if you have any questions: (707) 762-5601. 






Wednesday, November 7, 2012

Short Notice Rock 'n Road Tire Shameless Self-Promotion Ride






















To celebrate the arrival of the second coming of the Rock 'n Road tires, we are teaming up with Black Mountain Cycles for a group ride on Saturday, November 17th. We will meet at the shop in Point Reyes Station at 9am, depart at 9:30 to ride Mike Varley's favorite on-/off-road loop, and then return for warm drinks, food, and conversation.

The purpose of this ride is to show off the versatility of our new rubber, so bring your RnR-shod bikes to ride. If you don't yet have the Rock 'n Roads on your bike, you are welcome to come ride with us and see how capable these things are for pretty much any on- and off-road riding you might do.


If you have any questions, call the shop. If you'd like to order some RnR tires, go here.