Polishing Some Brakes, Living the Dream

Playing a little catch up on the technology curve can be an interesting. The BG websites are starting to transform into something worthy of 2011, SOPWAMTOS is getting off the ground and people love our shirts (hurry up and buy them, we'll make more. And maybe even some stickers. But I digress). That said, via one of my google alerts I learned of a discussion that compared an el cheapo Tektro canti brake (the 720) to a BG-designed canti brake. That seemed like comparing a Kmart Huffy from the 80's and a Mercx MX Leader. There really shouldn't be a comparison. Sure, technically they're both brakes that fit on a bike - but that's where the comparison really ends. How do I know? I put a set of OEM 720's on my commuter bike and rode it up/down Alba Road in Ben Lomond...

Why You Shouldn't Cheap Out On Crap Brakes
First off, I'm not directly calling the 720's garbage (or Tektro's in general), though in their off the shelf configuration they left a LOT to be desired. Then again, what do you really expect for $27 per set? Here is what I experienced with lack luster brakes:

• Extreme pad wear.
• Chunking of aluminum (from rim). This means the rim is taking the abuse, not the pad, causing premature rim wear.
• High rim temps (due to incorrect pad compound) and very poor modulation.
• A nasty mess all over the bike from pad dust. All. The. Time.

Am I suggesting that you need to spend $300 for a decent set of brakes? No, but considering this is a component that will help prevent you from going off the road, running intersections or generally going OTB, quality should not be taken lightly (neither should tires, but that is another post). Hard pads will wreak havoc on rim braking surfaces (Jim Langley agrees), offer poor performance and add a cost to replace the pads (and rims if you're not careful).


Where Quality and Art Meet
This is the selling point for the BG aluminum cantilever brakes - they are a beautiful blend of form and function. Machined in the USA, hand polished and come standard with Kool Stop pads, it's hard to really complain about quality. You will be hard pressed to find other bikes with the same brakes - making them quite the exclusive item (not that bikers care about that kind of stuff). Bruce has spent some time over the last few days polishing up more sets of brakes. Reward his effort by picking up a set up for your canti'd bike (cross or road, doesn't matter).  I promise they'll look hot. My new bike is even going to sport these awesome brakes - and yours can too!

Going Big Time - Google Product Search

Just a quick morning update before getting back to work on a new fendered road bike (equipped with only some of the coolest stuff made by White Industries), but we're getting cozy with Google Merchant. What does that mean for you? That means our products will now be part of Google's product search (shopping), which enables you to see what great deals some of our products (like the BLT) are against rivals like the Surly Long Haul Trucker. Not saying our competitors products are bad ('cause they're not), but we like to think ours are, well, better.

Which reminds me - tell your friends about our BLTs. We don't have too many left & the sooner they're gone, the sooner we can focus our energy on new cool stuff. Like a new (to you, but not to us) tire for the 29er/cross crowd. But the BLT's gotta go first.

Until next time...

Making a Splash at Pedalfest

First off, want to thank everyone that dropped by the custom bike area of PedalFest yesterday. We met some great people and chatted bikes with people of all walks of life. Met a couple interesting Bruce Gordon bike owners too. One gentleman had ridden his Rock 'N Road touring bike well over 100,000 miles(!) having purchased it new in 1993. Said the frame and racks are still kicking like they did on the day he bought it. Another gentleman is still rocking a custom lugged Bruce Gordon from 1978!

PedalFest also brought about the reemergence of SOPWAMTOS. The lab coats, Fez's and a Golden Toity made an appearance for the show. Bruce and Sean (Soulcraft) even had some shirts made up for the event. They are available in limited quantities, so grab them now while they're still available. Printed on very soft and very black American Apparel shirts, you can profess your love for SOPWAMTOS for $20!

Hello From Pedalfest - where are you?

Hey all - we're here at Pedalfest in Oakland, representing the custom bike crew. Come on down and join us, we'll be here all day. Oh, New Belgium Beer is right next to us (even more reason to show up).

SOPWAMTOS - We're Back!

(Or maybe we never left)
Yes - there was a bit of a leak yesterday morning that SOPWAMTOS is back. Truth of the matter is, we never really left. But now there is some actual organization to the movement. Not a lot (wouldn't be our style) - just enough to bring our fellow followers a central point to find some very cool American made bikes and parts.

There I go again, letting more things slip. Stay tuned - we're working 'round the clock to make this happen. In the meantime, the BG Cycles store has been updated with all kinds of new products (new to you, that is). Check it out when you have a chance. Feedback is (gasp) always appreciated.

Bruce Gordon Rock 'n Road Tour on Tour

Mike Lopez (of Serotta Composites) is riding down the Oregon Coast on his Rock 'n Road Tour with his friend Leslie. WOW, one of the Carbon Fiber gurus riding a steel bike.

Anyone with pictures or stories about using Bruce Gordon products - please feel free to comment and add a photo.

The Store

Hey! We have a BigCartel store up now, and it is full of good stuff. We're currently working on redesigning the website, but in the meantime the new store is ready to go. The White Industries/BG stainless clips combo deal is up there, our racks are up there, and the very last remaining BLT's are on there. We hope you like the simplicity of the layout (our rude worker robots certainly do- no lousy humans to talk to on the phone). Questions or comments are welcome below.

HERE's the link: http://brucegordoncycles.bigcartel.com/