Newsletter June 2021
*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|* Joe Appaloosa touring frame, and some new and restocked touring gear Happy summer, friends! I've been seeing more and more of you out and about wherever I've been riding. Just make sure you stop and smell the roses on the way.As you know, it's not like anyone has bikes right now, and it's no different for us. I quite enjoyed how clearly this article sets out the weirdness of this year (and coming years). If even the big companies are having a hard time of it, you can imagine what it's like for the likes of little ol' us.Fortunately, we do have some good and rare touring gear that's either arrived, or is lined up and will come soon. Check it out below.We're also still taking pre-orders for the next Bassi frames, which arrive at some point this summer. As we get closer we'll get in touch and see how you want yours built. Joe Appaloosa Rivendell Day is always thrilling, and just today (we're telling you before anyone else) we received several Joe Appaloosa frames. It's a gorgeous, fully-lugged, super-long touring and all-rounder frame that'll fit 2-inch tires. It's real dreamy. We've promised a couple to some people building them up with us, and I ordered one for myself, but there's still a good few to go around. Just reply to this email if you want to talk about a build, it's what we do best! Touring Bags Good stuff here! Last week we opened accounts, and placed orders, for bicycle bags from Swift Industries (made in USA) and Carradice of Nelson (made in Lancashire, UK). They're not in the store yet, but keep an eye there. Swift Industries: they make bikepacking, pannier, and randonneur bags out of technical fabrics, and are probably the most beloved modern, professional and diligent American bag maker today. A few of our crew have ridden theirs hard and still love them. Carradice: the arch-traditional saddlebag, British country touring style. Made of traditional waxed cotton duck cloth, these are waterproof, quite affordable, and surprisingly roomy. Once you have one, you'll genuinely wonder why everyone else doesn't, too. I've had one for a few years, and our friend Matt (from the UK) even longer, and they wear in really elegantly. Some say old-school retro, I say don't mess with success. More restocks As usual, some interesting restocks you might want to know about: Velo Orange: handlebars, racks of all types, bottle cages, a few new products too Voilé Straps: we got a couple of new colours of the C&L branded ones, and some regular ones in varied sizes from teeny-tiny to really chunky. Coming soon as well, Terry saddles, they're ordered and on their way up from Vermont. Fantastic saddles for long distance riding if you've got lady parts touching the bike, and I have yet to find anyone who regretted theirs. For ourselves, we've got a couple of staff and friends rides planned soon, now that all our friends have their vaccines. Get yourself a group together and let us know how your big rides went. Hope to see some of you around enjoying the freedom to ride all over the place!
Newsletter October 2021
*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|* It's the big frame restock! You wise newsletter subscribers are the first to know: our long-awaited restock of frames is now here. The Hog's Back returns with small improvements, the Rachel is redesigned and spiffed-up, and the fixie returns with the Bloomfield.Details below! What happens now Well, first we unload the container. Julian, Simon and Jo are hard at work on that. Then, we'll start shipping out to our dealers and to those who pre-ordered frames. After that we can start building bikes! Shipping will take a few days, and building will take a few weeks, if you pre-ordered a bike we'll be in touch when your build is done.If you're not local, our dealers in North America will have the frames shortly and can hook you up with their own custom builds, they're always really interesting for us to see (because so different from ours): Natural Cycles in Winnipeg Urbane Cyclist in Toronto Kissing Crows in Vancouver Analog Cycles in southern Vermont Old Spokes Home in Burlington, VT The frames Hog's Back: Our big touring frame is as tough and cool as ever, and on this batch we've added a coating straight from our painters to the inside of the frame, for added rust-resistance. It's not always necessary, but it is always nice to have. The frames also now come with an integrated seatpost binder bolt. It's simple too, all you need is an M6 bolt and a 10mm M6 nut, and those come with the frame already.Rachel: We call this Version 2. Our step-through rambling do-it-all bike is now more shapely, accepts a wider tire thanks to a redesigned back-end and a new fork, and uses v-brakes instead of sidepulls. We also added an extra bottle cage mount by popular demand. You'll be shocked how versatile this bike has become.Bloomfield: It's an updated fixie frame, like our old beloved Roma-Tokyo, hot and stylish, but way more useful. Good tire clearance, track dropouts, a few eyelets, and a quick, fun handling. Oh, and your choice of 650B or 700C wheels, which is very special and very odd for a rim-brake frame. The parts Partly Bassi, partly restocks of other things Bottom Brackets: from Tange, our usual and eternal bearings supplier. Sizes we ran out of and sizes we need to go with our Bassi cranks Transmission parts, which aren't on the webstore but which we'll be using to build you some bikes without worrying about supply shortages Our classic Bassi stems in two colours Replacement left arms for those Bassi cranks, let it not be said we don't support our products (I don't think it's been said) Dynamo hubs from Shutter Precision. We use these a lot so it made a lot of sense! Let us know if you'd like us to lace one to your wheel. Steel for accessory and parts makers: we got some steel tubing from our regular steel people. It's tough 4130 cromo, seamless drawn, like our frames, but thicker and in a few sizes. Good for handlebars and racks, if you're handy with a brazing torch. Neat things that came in recently, not related to our frames: Easton cranks for 2x10 transmissions. I guess this is related to Hog's Backs actually, Jenny's bike really caught peoples' attention. King Cage titanium products are back at last! Stainless is delayed but don't let that hold you back. The DangoBros straddle cable button. This comes from our Bassi chums Crumb Works and is just the cutest thing you can use for your canti brakes. If you want to be inspired by a really weird bike, you should check out what Julian did to his Hog's Back this year. It's worth the read, you've never seen one like this. Also, there's a whole paragraph about a pair of pedals that was manufactured before I started kindergarten.
Newsletter December 2021
*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|* Winter cycling, specials, and a preview of 2022 Welcome to winter cycling, friends! The days are brisk and we've had snow and ice in Montreal. Happily, we're all stocked up with warm gear, winter tires and fenders, and both our shops can install them without an appointment. We'll be open until the 23rd of December, and will close until the 3rd of January for some R&R.In other good news, we got in touch with Rivendell Bicycle Works, and we now have a very firm idea of which frames and bikes we'll be getting next year, and when. Read on for that info.We also got some very excellent restocks and new products that we've been waiting on for many months. You may have seen some of these on our social media: Stridsland parts for old-school MTB cranks, MKS pedals, and Nitto handlebars and stems.There's now also a stock of complete Bassi bikes at the stores, since we've been able to make headway on building them. You can swing by to see them if you want, both stores have some! First things first: the specials We got a screaming deal from Terry down in Burlington on some overstocked saddles, so we're passing along the savings. Their saddles are supremely comfortable, even for very long hours in the saddle, and we have men's and women's models. For newsletter friends, use the code TERRY until the end of this year for an extra 15% discount on all in-stock Terry saddles!I've also been struggling with how to ship orders of bicycle rims. Our shipping calculator gets weird with objects that are very large but lightweight, and wouldn't work properly when someone had two rims (the normal amount of rims) in their shopping cart. So! We're just going to ship rims for free in Canada if you buy a pair. Try it out, we've got some for all sizes of bikes. You can also get us to cut you some spokes if you're putting together your own wheels. The Rivendell update I had a good phone call with Vince in Walnut Creek the other week and we worked out what frames C&L will be able to get over the course of the next year. We've committed to more or less all the upcoming models, and we have some good notions of when they should be on their way. You should check the product pages for more info, but here's the skinny: Atlantis and Roadini this winter A. Homer Hillsen and Platypus in the spring Sam Hillborne early summer Clem Smith Jr. L frames and completes next autumn or winter We'll be getting all sizes and colours, whatever they turn out to be. We don't intend to pre-sell the frames, but we're happy to reserve one for you if you commit to a custom build! Just shoot us an email or drop by the stores. Also, Julian is leaving his Clem at the Rachel shop this winter if you want to have a real thorough up-close look. Winter biking It's absolutely the time to get ready for winter. Over the next couple of weeks we'll start seeing more snow and ice. Just in time, we made sure to have a good stock of winter tires and winter clothes for you. 45NRTH clothes from Minnesota: superb balaclavas and winter hats. A good windproof or wool hat, along with a scarf, will be comfortable on all but the coldest days in Montreal. They also have 650B and 27.5" studded tires! Just loads of studded tires: of course the Schwalbe classics, in 26" and 700C. Always a sure choice. We also got a small stash of 27" studded tires for your old 70s bike that's still kicking through the winters, but you'll have to pop by the store for those. Julian had to go down to Vermont to pick them up and bring them across. There's a nice writeup of Sam B.'s winter bike here, if you want to see what they can look like. If we're missing any important winter gear, shoot us an email and I'll see what I can find! Restocks and new bits The new: Stridsland parts. This guy's a real go-getter, and likes vintage mountain bikes, which a lot of our friends do, too. He makes limited batches of no-drop chainrings for 90's cranks in the 94mm BCD five-bolt standard, which are basically impossible to find otherwise. He also has some very fly coloured bolts and bits. MKS Bear Trap pedals. This is a re-do of an old SunTour model. Blue Lug, Japan's alt-bike leaders, convinced MKS (who made the originals!) to manufacture these. They're super wide and grippy, and have the unbeatable MKS reliability and classic good looks. The restocks: Everything else we usually buy from MKS. We've got (in principle) a year's supply of pedals right now, with plenty of variety. I don't know quite how to express the beauty of Nitto's handlebars and stems. The differences are so small compared to generic parts, but they truly add up to a gestalt that makes the mind run to poetry. It doesn't hurt that they're also tested for far greater strength than is at all reasonable. We restocked many stems, handlebars, seatposts, and a few other little bits. Just bask for a while in the elegant curves. Coming soon: Starting in January we'll be stocking Gilles Berthoud. They're a workshop in southern Burgundy who make excellently designed, durable and beautiful parts, all manufactured in-house. Their saddles and fenders will be our focus to start off with, but please do get in touch if you need anything else. They're a pleasure to work with so we'll be glad to special-order for you. Phew. That was a big update, but I thought you'd like to know. If we don't see one another until then, happy holidays, and enjoy the winter snows!
Newsletter February 2022
*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|* End-of-winter specials, fresh hot saddles, and upcoming bikes Okay, yes, end-of-winter is optimistic, but we're genuinely halfway there. This will be a short one, I just want to point out some upcoming and freshly-arrived things many of you wanted to know about. Today's special We're knocking 20% off the price of all of our studded winter tires. If you've realized you need something a bit chunkier, or you've done a few winters on your current ones, now's the time to get a fresh grippy set! This is good in-store and online, while stocks last. Gilles Berthoud As promised, these Made-in-France products are here! They make a devastatingly handsome leather saddle, about the price of a deluxe Brooks but fully maintainable and rebuildable (and in my opinion they choose nicer leather for the tops). Want to switch to titanium rails someday? They'll sell you the parts and you just need a Torx wrench.You'll be able to borrow these to try out, the photo up there shows the test models we got, it really covers the spread.We also got their bar-end plugs to match the saddles, and their famous little bar-end mirror. We'd ordered a load of fenders, too, but their machine for 60mm fenders needed parts and some calibrating, so we'll have those in the spring. The price is right, though, and the fenders are super-long and stainless steel! Upcoming frames We've gotten a full run of Velo Orange Piolet frames. They're kinda like a Hog's Back crossed with a Surly ECR, with VO's nice-weird styling. They're waiting to cross the border so they'll show up soon. Write in if you'd like to talk about a build. Pre-orders are open for the Rivendell mountain-bikey Hillibikes, the Gus and Susie. Arrival got pushed back a month but they'll be here in the spring. That's the '20s for ya. Bassi: although we have a good stock of frames, production has just now started on the next run of Bassi frames, a restock of the Montréal and Hog's Back. The Montréal will be black, as usual, and we're settling on HB colours, you'll like them. Rough ETA is end-of-summer, hopefully not as late as the 2021s. Not major news, but things are ever progressing. Restocks now and in the next week The fine folks at King Cage finally finished our huge order of steel bottle cages, and we're stocked for 2022. They do amazing work for a thoroughly fair price. Our big Velocity rims order arrives next week. They've been working hard at the factory in Minnesota, including a custom size of a current rim, just cause we asked. We've got a bunch of variations, sizes, drillings, finishes, etc. so if it's confusing, just write in! We intend to build a bunch of wheels with these before the weather gets mild, so it's a good idea not to wait if you know what you want. We're also down for custom jobs. Some recent bike reading We've been seeing lots of funky custom Bloomfield builds from staff and our dealers, so we put together some different takes on our newest frame, a track/city/rando/cross singlespeed. Short read, to-the-point, but great photography from Jo. We also posted a little something about a bike you really can't get anymore, from that run of rigid chromoly Marinoni MTB old-stock we had a while back. It's a really cool look at one of our builds after a year of use and customizing. Nothing to do with our bikes, but this week I stumbled on this article about what Graeme Obree has been up to lately. Never mind the weird tone from the author, I love the parts and choices on this bike. Graeme has always had some of the most idiosyncratic ideas about going fast on a bike, and really puts them into practise. For those who don't know, Graeme Obree has held some world records and basically invented being aerodynamic on a bike. He was so fast that his bike designs and positions were banned. He deserved better than the way the racing world treated him. All right, that's all this time. Cheers, and keep an eye on those later and later sunsets! C&L Cycles
Newsletter March 2022
*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|* Spring begins! Even though I had to ride to work in the aftermath of some sleet yesterday morning, astronomers assure me Spring has begun, and I trust those space nerds.That means many bike parts are showing up, and we're opening our stores many more hours in the week for ya! Summer hours For the first time in two years, we're back to summer hours, and we might even have the staff to pull it off. That means: Both stores open seven days a week Evening hours Thursday and Friday So you'll be able to come say hi after lattes on Sunday, and have a poutine dinner next door and still have time to pick up your bike parts in the evenings.Check out our schedule here, this'll be good until the end of fall for sure, but I always keep that page updated anyway. Velo Orange frames This is the first year we've gotten a whole size run of Vélo Orange frames on spec. They're very creatively designed, and you can usually put together almost any kind of bike from them. Neutrino is their Minivélo, and it's as rad as it is cute. I've been riding mine for a couple of years, hauling cargo and puttering around twelve months of the year. This year's Pistachio colour with shiny reflective logo has been making me want to trade in... You can build it using normal parts. Even the wheels are 20" BMX size, so availability is never a problem. It fits 2.3" tires, with fenders. Tell me that's not fun. The low centre of gravity means it's easy to carry everything you need. Best of all, it rides like a full-size bike, but is easy to tuck into a corner, and to pack down for travel. Small is practical if you're living up two flights of stairs. Piolet is the off-road tourer, go-everywhere all-rounder. Build it with MTB parts and it'll ride basically anything. As a bonus, it's gorgeous. 2.4-inch tires, wheels proportional to the frame size of course. Every eyelet in the world. Uses normal hubs and normal bottom bracket. Write in if you want to chat about what a build would look like, we are fizzing with ideas of how to build these things! Restocks that I can remember right now Velocity rims keep trickling in, and we've added some SKUs due to popular demand. As always, if there's something that's missing, let us know! Loads of transmission parts. They aren't all online, but for those of you who trust us to work on their lovely bicycles, we've got what it takes. Do make an appointment to drop off your bike though. Along with the VO frames, a whole whack of handlebars are back. Since we've got a fixie frame again (hi Bloomie) we've stocked up on singlespeed and fixie parts. Some of them are over here, and more here. Bike reading My companion for morning coffee all month has been The Dancing Chain, by Frank Berto. It's one heck of a reference on everything to do with the historical development of derailers, and entertainingly written, too. Nobody knew derailers like Frank. I don't know who distributes it in Canada, but find a used copy if this interests you, they're around. Just try not to get it from Amazon if possible. Happy summer, bicycle gang! C&L Cycles
Newsletter May 2022
*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|* Just one simple topic this time We want to let our beloved readers know first: we've just turned on pre-orders for the 2022 Bassi frames.We'll be receiving them this summer (it's really hard to predict specifically when, but let's call it August, plus or minus a month, with no promises!). This shipment will be all the sizes of Hog's Back and Le Montréal, as well as some parts to build complete bicycles. The details Hog's Back 2022 It's the same frame, because you don't mess with success. You can build it as a comfortable world-tourer, just as easily as a super-tough around-town everything-hauler. The two new colourways are, as ever, designed by Simon Roy, who's done all the previous HBs. Sandy Beige is as it sounds, with metallic inclusions that add depth and fascination in sunlight. You've seen this beige before on the 2020/2021 frames, but we changed the colour for the contrasting details. You can't really show this one well on a screen, but if you've seen it, you know how gorgeous it is, which is why we brought it back. Aqua is a brand-new colour, which is a lot less royal-blue than in the preview. It's a touch more green and evokes the surf off the Sandy Beige beach, and is also a deep semi-metallic. We're excited to see this one live, it'll play off the beige handsomely. Le Montréal V3 2022 There's no big change to this frame, just some little adjustments to the fork that you won't even notice. It remains the classiest frame with which to build a classic-looking bike that works like a modern sport-touring, randonneur, or townie bike.The only colour this year will be the traditional Le Montréal black-and-white, with the orange sunset on the headtube. It's simple and it goes with everything, no matter how you've customized your bike.And of course all our frames now include an ED coating inside all the tubes to help prevent the formation of rust. You don't need to ask for rust-proofing, it's automatic! What happens after I've pre-ordered? We'll reserve a frame for you, and make a note of whether you want it shipped to you or if you prefer to pick it up in person. Once we have a firmer arrival date for the frames, we'll reach out to you if you expressed an interest in us building it up for you to find out how you want your bicycle built.Along with the frames, we'll be getting quite a few parts to put together the affordable stock builds, along with working on reserving other stuff for custom bikes.Write in if you want to chat about what a build would look like, or check out what others have done with theirs over here. Have a good day, talk soon!
Newsletter June 2022
But first, Holidays We'll be closed next Friday, June 24th, and the following Friday, July 1st, for National Holidays. We will however be open the following Saturdays and Sundays. New Stuff New C&L Bidons! We’re not big on rules around here, EXCEPT when it comes to colour coordination. So we naturally ordered new bottle colours to match the upcoming run of Hog’s Backs due to arrive in August. Stridsland Barnacle fork: This Denmark-based one-man brand has been slowly coming up with some really nice products and we’re happy to have been able to get our hands on a few Barnacle forks. We have a couple of the 1-⅛”, QR variety left. Meant for 26x3” or 27.5x2.6” wheels, these are perfect for the retro-MTB project you’ve been dreaming up. We've also pre-ordered his next run of chainrings, ETA: mysterious. Riv Shiny rear rack This stainless steel rack is beefed-up where it needs to be, is super easy to install and will likely last a lifetime. Tarugata grips Designed by Rindow Bikes in Japan, these absolutely lovely grips might just be the finishing touch you need for your vintage (or vintage-looking) bike. Fairdale X Toy Machine Beautiful things happen when unlikely companions join forces. Fairdale teamed-up with iconic skate brand Toy Machine to create the Lookfar. This cruisy ride comes stock with the Fairdale Adjust-A-Rack and Skaterack. MKS Sylvan Gordito super-wide-platform pedals New Albion Sub-Compact 46/30 crankset Kryptonite Mini-7 lock, it's nice and small, and less heavy and expensive than many others. It comes in colours, too! Stuff Coming Soon Made in Montreal Memento Racks. Fairly new, Montreal-based, LGBTQ-owned operation Memento has been refining and perfecting their platform rack design over the last year or so and we’re stoked to have some coming our way. They’ve also been hard at work making bike frames and cargo forks. Needless to say, we’re very excited about what the future holds for Memento! Limited Edition Gravel Kings These staples of every-road biking are on the way in two new colours: all-brown, and blue-grey and brown. They’ll be available in 700x32C and 700x38C in the Smooth, Semi-Smooth and Semi-Knobby varieties. Bikes! Here are a few builds that left the stand recently Danny wrote us an ode to his home-built, super-fun Hog’s Back, and it’s lovely. Send us your Bassi if you’d like it featured here! One of our staff members, Delphine, finished building herself a Bloomfield very recently. Having bought the frame in the fall and received the saddle as a Christmas gift, she had plenty of time to daydream about how to build it. Expect a full gallery very soon! We finally got the last piece of Loic’s Hog’s Back-shaped puzzle and were able to hand it off to him just the other day. We’ll let him break-in the bike a bit before giving it full the spotlight. Closing out today’s update is a teaser of maybe our favourite photoset to date. We’ll be posting the entire gallery and write-up in the coming days. Happy riding!
Newsletter July 2022
*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|* Rivendell frame news We've finally received our shipment of Rivendell frames which were meant to arrive this Spring!Gus Boots-Willsen and Susie W. Longbolts (aka Wolbis Slugstone) are anagrams of each other. Both are hillibikes, meant to ride trails like the very earliest mountain bikes encountered. Gus is a bit stouter in the tubing and takes a threadless 1-1/8" headset, and Susie-Wolbis is slimmer and uses a normal 1" threaded headset. Both frames are fillet-brazed, and come in two excellent colours each. We have 'em all.Some lucky folks pre-ordered, so we'll be sending those frames out first, but do write in if you missed the pre-orders, for a frame or for a build. We'll have nicer pictures next week on our socials and on the website. Also, because I know a lot of people are excited for them, the Atlantis frames shouldn't be too far behind the G+S, they've been on the water for a while. RBW received theirs last week and we're usually just a couple weeks behind them. We're still accepting pre-orders for those! I hope everybody went out for some big rides over the two long weekends, I know I did. I'll be happy to have a rest weekend! See you soon!
Newsletter August 2022
*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|* We're having a sale! From Monday August 22nd to September 5th It's our first since 2019, and we need to make room for incoming frames and parts, so almost everything on the website and at both our stores is on sale. You've got until Labour day, so no rush, but don't dawdle either. What isn't on sale? Pretty much just Rivendell frames. Other than that, Bassi frames will be on sale only in our physical stores - no online discounts, sorry, but come on over if you're in Montréal! Special orders aren't discounted either, since the point is to sell the stuff we already have. Also excluded are custom bikes. OK, what is on sale? Literally everything else, as long as it's in stock. If you find something that looks like it should be but isn't, shoot us an email and we'll look into it. New Stuff Rivendell Atlantis: The bike that needs no introduction. It's an every day useful bike and your go-to touring bike. Rivendell Gus: If you missed our last newsletter, we have Rivendell's toughest "Hillibike" in stock. Le Gus is perfect for transporting you and all your gear across the vast ATV trails that snake through provincial parks and elsewhere. Rivendell Susie: Part of the "Hillibike" family, just like the Gus. Susie would also be perfect for ATV-trail exploration and beyond, especially if you weigh less than 210lbs and plan on carrying less than 25lbs of gear. The Susie is slightly lighter than the Gus but they both ride and feel extactly the same. Finally, we received a metric ton of our favourite tires in the galaxy (and beyond): Ultradynamico. All sizes and grades of Rosé, Cava and Mars are now in stock online and in-store. Recent Builds! Simon recently shared a few photos and words about his Rivendell Joe Appaloosa, currently prepped for the VTXL route he'll be embarking on next month. Very daydream-inducing! You can have your very own gentle giant, too, with the Atlantis which, save for a couple small differences, is pretty much identical to the Joe. Pat, an old friend of ours who's been having his salty winter bike serviced by our mechanics for years, pulled the trigger on this very special Hog's Back that's just the way he wants it - for now! We have a small handful of purple Hog's Backs left so hit us up if you're looking for your next trusty travel companion! Happy riding! C&L Cycles
Newsletter October 2022
*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|* We're ending the season right with a sale! Use code AUT22 for 20% off your next order Hope you all had an excellent summer season. Here in Montreal, it’s getting chilly and we’re already thinking of swapping to our studded winter tires.Before the weirdness, intensity, and challenges that started in 2020, we used to run a Fall sale every October, and we’re bringing that back on the weekend of 22-23 October at our stores and online. We decided to give our newsletter subscribers a head-start, so the discount code AUT22 is available to you all as of right now!Here's the deal: Everything is 20% off. Everything, except shipping and Riv frames, but those are the only exceptions. Only in-stock items, of course.The discounts are even better for our Montréal customers: the 20% discount is just the baseline. In-store deals will be much better for some products, but you'll have to come in person to see!So, all you'll need to do is use the discount code in your shopping cart. Please keep in mind that due to the volume of sales during these events, we might take longer than our usual two business days to ship your order! We pack faster when we're not answering emails, so sit tight and trust your C&L shippers. In other news We received a fresh batch of Aqua and Sandy Beige Hog's Backs a few weeks ago, and we're still not over how good these colours look! Rivendell Platypus Pre-Order: These absolutely dreamy rides are slowly making their way over to us, in Riv's Mermaid colourway. A few Rivendell Gus, Susie, Atlantis and Roadini frames remain. Act fast if you want one before your size is gone! We got a restock of Stridsland parts! 94 and 110BCD chainrings, stickers, self-extracting crank bolts and chainring bolts in a full gamut of fun colours! CRUMBWORKS X Nitto KT Handlebar: the long, long-awaited collaboration between the vintage-MTB connoisseurs at Crumb and the master parts manufacturers at Nitto is due to arrive at our door any day now. Our friends over at Chasseurs Courrier are organizing La Course des Morts, and we'll be offering a Bassi frame to one of the winners! Recent Builds! Staff Bike! Fab built himself a darn good looking Gus Boots Willsen. More on this soon! Chieko had us build her a very unique and fancy Roadini! She's super happy with the result, and we are too! Happy riding! C&L Cycles
Newsletter December 2022
*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|* December update We hope you all had a lovely fall season! The shops had a particularly busy November getting your winter bikes ready for what's to come. Thank you for your patience if you had a bike in our repair cue! Things are a little quieter now so now's a good time to swing by if you're still in need of some winter essentials.Now is also a good time to shop for some potential gifts and stocking stuffers! We just received a few really fun items that would warm the hearts of even the most frozen-over of your cyclist pals and loved ones.But first, a couple of announcements: Holiday Schedule We will be closed between December 24th and January 2nd Free Shipping on Bassi frames within Canada! Use code BASSICAN at checkout In other news (top) Senior mechanic Luc-Antoine recently wrote a nice article about his even nicer Rivendell Atlantis. It's a great read, and Troy gave this one a lot of camera love. A few of these frames remain! (bottom) Rivendell Sam Hillbornes should be showing up at our door any day now! This lighter-duty alternative to the Atlantis would make a great rando / road touring / commuter bike and will be coming in LimeOlive and Silver. Pics grabbed from Rivendell's latest newsletter. Widefoot Litercages are back! A lot of you were itching for it's return, so we're stoked to have them again in black and silver. The new stainless steel tubing makes them a bit lighter than the previous version, without sacrificing strength. Belldorado caps just came in all the way from Germany! Adam has been making caps with super creative prints for a long time and we love 'em! Made-in-Montreal Memento racks are available in a few variations. We've been restocking them as they go because we're so impressed by just how tough and well made they are. We love seeing locally-made stuff do so well! About that Susie W. Longbolts at the top of the page: The crew at our Rachel location just finished this very MTBish 56cm build for the shop floor. This thing looks like it would be a blast on an offroad tour! Speaking of shop builds, here are three that the team at our Villeneuve location have built recently as demos: Can you tell Luc-Antoine also built that very Riv-y Hog's Back? We decided to give the very last Yellow Rachel V1 a special town-and-country treatment with a Gran Compe leather saddle and Sim Works Getaround bar. Troy built the grey Rachel V2 to show off its off-road aptitude with a wide-and-low 1x drivetrain, wide handlebars, a front mini-pannier compatible rack, knobby tires and a cavernous saddle bag. Did you know a group of Platypi is called a paddle? Anyway, we have a few Rivendell Platypus and Leo Roadini frames left! There are lots of adorable and unique details to admire on both of these frames, and they ride like an absolute dream. We're currently cooking up a special Leo Roadini build, so keep your eyes peeled and your feeds refreshed! Fresh off the stands Pietro's Singular Peregrine was a long time coming, but as you can probably guess it was definitely worth the wait! Read more about it here. Check out Dustin's Gus if you haven't already! That's it for now
Autumn Sale
Please use the code AUT22 for 20% off your order through Sunday the 23rd! Hope you all had an excellent summer season. Here in Montreal, it’s getting chilly and we’re already thinking of swapping to our studded winter tires. Before the weirdness, intensity, and challenges that started in 2020, we used to run a Fall sale every October, and we’re bringing that back on the weekend of 22-23 October at our stores and online. Here's the deal: Everything is 20% off. Everything, except shipping and Riv frames, but those are the only exceptions. Only in-stock items, of course. There'll be a discount code visible on every relevant page of this site once the sale goes live this weekend. The discounts are even better for our Montréal customers: the 20% discount is just the baseline. In-store deals will be much better for some products, but you'll have to come in person to see! So, all you'll need to do is use the discount code in your shopping cart. Please keep in mind that due to the volume of sales during these events, we might take longer than our usual two business days to ship your order! We pack faster when we're not answering emails, so sit tight and trust your C&L shippers.
Bassi ATB Prototype
Well, here it is! The yet-to-be-named off-road oriented fun-mobile we’ve been working on lately. We had one of each size made (S, M, L) as prototypes to test, and test we did! What is it? A dedicated off-road exploration and fun-having steel-tubed machine. If the Hog’s Back is our true all-road tourer, this is our all-terrain explorer! Run it rigid or squishy up front, single-speed or with a cake plate-sized cassette, load it up with all your camping gear and accessories and get lost for weeks on end or get shreddy on the home trails you know like the back of your hand. It’s built around 27.5 x 3” tires across all sizes, BOOST spacing front and rear, rocking dropouts, 73mm threaded bottom bracket, internal dropper-post routing, rigid fork or up to 130mm suspension. We designed it for our favourite off-road activities: exploring trails, paths and “roads” for days on end, and navigating rocky, rooty, mossy singletrack. Eyelets on the fork and the main and rear triangles, on top of plenty of room for a frame bag, mean you can pack it with just about anything you’d ever need for that remote escapade you’ve been day-dreaming about. As lifelong fans of steel XC mountain bikes, we couldn’t overlook giving a nod to Chris Igleheart and the classic East Coast aesthetic he inspired with his iconic segmented forks. R&D, and what’s to come We purposely left one of the frames raw so our in-house torch heads could have some fun! One key element we absolutely want for this frame is single speed compatibility. You might notice that the dropouts originally don’t come with set screws or with any other sort of slip-proof mechanism. Even with all 6 dropout bolts set real tight, there was some slipping on the single speed prototype. After lots of discussing and sketching and some cutting and welding, we found a solution we’re able to test out. Beefing up part of the dropout in order to add a set screw might just be the way to go. Definitely stay tuned for further developments! How will it be available? On top of being available as a frameset, we might offer two stock build options: Bikepacking: Rigid, no dropper post, 3” tires to maximize floatation and comfort, and a touring-friendly handlebar (we’re currently working on that too!). Trail: suspension fork, dropper post, knobby trail tires and riser bars. There would obviously be a bit of a price difference between the two options, but both these builds showcase what the frame was designed to do, and do well. A lot of details still need to be ironed out, but we’ll hopefully have a better idea of the specifics sometime soon. When will it be available? Well…if the last two years have taught us anything, it’s that we shouldn’t make any timeline-related promises. Production is currently very backed up, so we probably won’t be seeing these until late 2023. Indoor shots by Troy Outdoor shots by Roberto and Fabien
Staff Gift Guide 2021
Our glamour model Sam M. is pleased as punch to be wearing the new colour of C&L/Bassi cap. You don't have to celebrate any particular festivities to enjoy giving your friends and loved ones things to delight them. We asked our little family here at C&L to propose some of what they've particularly liked this past year, while keeping things on the more affordable end. Take a look! Crane Bell There are so many bicycle bells available on the market that I find it a bit overwhelming to choose. I didn’t want to spend a fortune on one, but enough to make sure that it was the last bell I’d ever need to buy. I chose the E-NE from Japanese bell-foundry Crane. Simple and cost effective, it is smaller than most bells and features a timeless design. Form follows function. It rings out loud, falls naturally under my thumb and always put a smile on my face (and others’). Mine’s the polished copper, the most beautiful. What’s yours?-Stan Bike First Aid Kit Let’s be honest, when riding in a big city, the chances of getting a flat are as great as those of hitting a pothole in Montréal. If you’re looking for a gift for the cyclist that has everything, one can never have enough patch kits. And we even have something for those who worry about them grams on their bikes, cuz we have Titanium Tire levers, and odds are that your special someone doesn’t… Yet.-JD Opinel Considered one of the most traditional products of France, the Opinel is a knife with a lot of history. Designed and produced by the Opinel family at the end of the 19th century, its history reminds us of the French bicycle industry, since they have in common both the time of their design and their geographical location of development that is the east of France, where many cycle manufacturers settled in. This is also where Savoy is located, a region rich in culture where the Opinel, this emblematic knife, was born. Very simple and yet, very useful and well thought-out, the Opinel is a gift that will be greatly appreciated in a stocking.-Alex Phil Wood BioLube If properly applied, the bio lube keeps your chain clean and well lubed for months. It’s the perfect buddy for a bikes that’s abused on a daily basis. As the name suggests, it’s made with natural ingredients that are bio-degradable and non-toxic. See its big bro “Tenacious Oil” for winter use ❄️-Fab MKS Bear Trap An MTB pedal with 80’s style that will grip your soles without slashing your calves off? After a few years of Japanese exclusivity, this remake of the legendary Suntour XC-II is now available in our part of the world. -Fab Tote bags Tote bags in 2021 are aplenty, but these really set themselves apart from the pack. There’s so much about our shops and our bikes that’s featured in this lovely illustration by Julia Vallera, aka @lovedrawrings, a good pal from Vermont. You’ve got references to all the current Bassi frames: a coupla tipsy Hogs, a field of blooms, a griffon atop Rachel, and the big orange hot dog stand that’s such a striking visual landmark of our city. Our two storefronts are there, too, as well as a few archetypical C&L regulars wheelieing and lounging among the scenery. The bags, available in a beige natural canvas and classic black, were made by our friend John Bigsby @johnbigsby from Trame, and screen printed locally by The Letter Bet. They’re heavy duty, big enough for a good market haul, and look amazing!-Julian Dango Bros Yay to more smiles in cycling! These lovely brake bits will cheer up any of your cantilever or center-pull equipped bikes. I’d suggest to anyone who enjoys this sort of bike candy to check out Crumb Works, the home base of Magic Components.-Julian And these old favourites are still just as relevant: Aeropress coffee maker No more cowboy coffees, where the consistency is more syrup than an infusion directly descended from heaven, of having your spoon standing on its own in the middle of your cup. From now on, this bad coffee torture can end. While camping, in the middle of a ride or wherever, you can brew a cup that will make your home machine blush. Honestly, I only use the Aeropress 365 days a year to make my coffee at home! $45 (Sam M.) Darn Tough socks Socks are usually what we give to someone when we don’t know what to offer for Christmas. But with Darn Tough, it is completely another story. Made from Merino wool in Vermont and offering a lifetime warranty (!), these socks are the perfect gift. $26-35 (J-D) Voilé C&L strap A "bungie cord" on EPO, the Voilé strap – embellished with our iconic Cycle C&L logo – will solve many problems you'd run into during an adventure in the middle of nowhere. 11$ (Sam M.) Bidon C&L There are a lot of “hydration technologies” around in 2021, but we like to keep it simple with what’s probably the very best sport bottle on the market. Perfect flow, light and easy to handle while on the bike, and of course fun colours to match your favourite whip! 15$ (Julian) Nalgene 1L Bottle What can we say about Nalgene bottles? They last forever and have a million uses. Don't go an a trip without one. 17$ Wolf Tooth 8-Bit Multitools The ultimate tool for all road problems, multi-tools will help out the mechanic in you. In addition to being easy to carry around in your bag, they are pleasant and easy to use. With the right tools you can do just about anything and with a multitool, adjusting your brakes, your saddle, and tightening the screws loose on your cabinet doors, it'll be a snap! (Justine) Atwater Rambler 137 Basket Bag This basket-bag is one of the most versatile accessories on my bike right now. I’ve used it nearly every day this year, whether I was running errands around town or on self-supported tours. It has an easily accessible front pocket, a reliable tie-down system including an extra strap for rocky roads and potholed boulevards, and with its classy good looks, it’s a great gift for any cyclist. Plus, you can feel proud to be supporting a small Montreal company, Atwater Atelier. Made for the cheap-tough-good Wald 137 baskets, made in Kentucky since 1924. 168$ (Julian) SimWorks John Cage Inspired by the famous composer’s love of mycology, Sim Works made this beautiful bottle cage with laser cutouts to mimic an efflorescence of spores. 60 bucks is steep for a bottle cage, but its stainless steel construction, tough welds and gorgeous black or sandblasted finish ensure that, like mushrooms, the John Cage will outlast us. 60$ (Roberto) Widefoot Litercage The Litercage, to no surprise, is built to carry oversized bottles of a litre or more, such as those made by Nalgene. The 7-slot mounting lets you put it almost anywhere on your bike, and it’s available in black, mint and violet. 45$ (Roberto) Crane Bells Tired of loosing your voice because of the "hey, watch out!" an "on your left!" while driving on the new REV? We have the solution for you! In copper, bronze, aluminium, whichever "bing" bell you choose, it will signal your presence loud and clear wherever your two wheels can take you. For the "Insta-Famous" check out the hand painted Cranes. 16$ to 52$ (Sam M.) Optimus Stoves With their ultra light and compact size, the Optimus Burners are perfect for touring, bike packing, camping trips, or just for making a little coffee anywhere. from $50 (J-D) Widefoot/Anything Cage/King Many Thing Cargo Cages This one is a present for the creative cyclist in your life: you can strap almost anything you can think of onto cargo racks! Last summer I rode with all my sleeping-outside gear strapped to a cargo cage between my thighs. It was bulky but it sure got there. From 46$ (Simon) Bicycle Quarterly It’s a rare magazine that’s even worth opening, but Bike Quarterly is hard to even put down. I read it cover to cover four times a year, taking my time and enjoying every article on cycling adventures, weird new and old bikes, and product tests. It’s a slow and pleasant alternative to neverending social media posts and blogs about the latest greatest wonder-materials. 15$ (Simon) Polished Bike Parts from Velo Orange Let's face it, as a general rule, the more your bike is fitted with chrome parts, the more beautiful your bike is. So, to satisfy your needs for chrome parts or those of your loved ones, nothing better than a regular or 1L bottle holder (for your Nalgene C&L), or a luggage rack, or even Velo Orange fenders. From 30$ (Karo)
C&L does #coffeeoutside
#coffeeoutside is a worldwide social media phenom, where outdoor enthusiasts and coffee geeks find a middle ground getting fresh air together. With a bunch of the C&L team craving more touring vibes in our day to day life, a daybreak climb to the top of our beloved Mont Royal to brew a few batches of Aeropress is the perfect outlet. Stay tuned for more of these early events - once it's deemed safe to do so, we'll invite you all too! Caffeinated pics and complimentary croissants courtesy of photo pal @jochhoo
2021 Bassi pre-orders are open
It’s that time of year again! With the unprecedented boom in cycling popularity, lack of good steel frames, and production and shipping delays, we’ve found it a necessity to enable you to reserve your framesets ahead of time. This year, we’ll be receiving three models: Hog's Back A fan favourite, and rightly so. Featured in bikepacking.com, this versatile Leatherman-like do-everything frame can be built in myriad ways to suit a ton of different riding styles. Whether you wanna tour, bikepack, ride fast on dirt roads, ride fast on paved roads, cruise around the city, deliver stuff by bike, or wheelie, the Hog’s Back has a little something for everyone. 2.2” tire clearance, eyelets everywhere, and good looks are just a few of the things that make this a great frame. Available this time around in Matte Black or Metallic Purple New features: ED coating on inside of frame tubes to slow the development and spread of rust, integrated seat collar that’s matchy-matchy with the fork crown, internal routing for front dynamo lighting, and eyelets on the top of the fork crown to accommodate a few extra front rack models. ETA: Late Summer Bloomfield New kid on the block! Single speeds are important to us, because they represent where Bassi comes from, because they make so much sense for riders in Montreal and cities worldwide, and because they’re so fun to ride. The Bloomfield is the latest Bassi single speed that’ll cater to modern sensibilities. Available in an off-white soft lavender colourway Clearance for 650B x 47mm or 700C x 28mm tires and wheels, just change the brake type. Front randonneur-type rack eyelets, hidden fender eyelets, and two bottle cage mounts. Straight blade fork with a 1” threaded steerer. Horizontal track ends, 120mm rear spacing. ED coating on inside of frame tubes to slow the development and spread of rust. ETA: Mid Summer Rachel Last but not least! Our step-through has made many smile, and we’re happy to keep offering it with some exciting updates. A city bike at heart, this bike also does great on dirt, and holds its own touring, too! We’re proud that the Rachel has helped many on some impressive trips: it has crossed Canada from one coast to the other, it’s meandered through Patagonia, and it’s been over the Dolomites on a high mountain route between Munich and Bologna. Available in Beaujolais Burgundy and Asphalt Grey New features: ED coating on inside of frame tubes to slow the development and spread of rust, V-brakes for extra stopping power and tire clearance, slightly longer chain stays and wheelbase for more stability and comfort, and an extra bottle cage under the downtube for liquid carrying capacity. ETA: Mid Summer For each model, geometry charts and more details are available on their respective product pages. If you or a friend are interested in reserving one of these fantastic frames, you can do so through our webstore. While you’re waiting for your frame, give a build some thought - there’s plenty of sources for inspiration on our social media and website! We will reach out to all customers who have preordered in a few months to offer build options. For any questions about these frames, geometry, sizing, compatibility, please email us at info@clcycle.ca