Staff Bikes

Lili's Bassi 03

Open images in a new tab for big A forever changing bike, one of too many, my FactoryBassi 03 is probably the bike I ride the most. Everyday commuter and hill climb lover, my favorite part remains the crankset. I do enjoy having my front brake lever on the right side. Nearly zero maintenance, but too often I find myself having to replace my rear tire last minute before leaving for work. Thankfully I have a precious backup pile taking up all the space under my bed. This bike was, at first, a used Factory Five Stream I bought from friendly Corey, who enlightened me about NJS components. The front wheel had to be re-laçed after its first ride during which I fell trough a manhole cover. I later changed the frame to a Bassi 03, keeping the more aggressive original fork.I try not to get too deep in the n+1, but there is no coming back now.

Bobby's Le Montréal Rando

Being already at its 3rd redesign, the Montréal is one of Bassi’s longest-standing models. It was always intended to be a versatile bike for the city and beyond, but this version’s updates make that truer than ever. It’s an incredibly well-rounded bike and looks darn good too! Despite it having a lower stack height than most touring bikes and even some gravel bikes, the quill stem makes its easy to set the handlebar height to each rider’s preference. So you can just as easily slam the stem for a real sporty ride or have it high for comfy cruisin’ without needing a massive stack of spacers. I built mine up with a lot of parts I had lying around just waiting for the right frame to show up, like the Cambio Rino shifters I took off a Le Croco road bike that was gifted to me a few years ago. Bassi Le Montréal frame and fork Tange CDS headset Crust stem by Nitto Sim Works So Bar by Nitto TRP RRL brake levers Brooks Cambium C17 saddle Vintage Cambio Rino downtube shifters Sim Works Bubbly pedals by MKS Sakae CX crank with 45/30 chainrings 11-36 9-speed cassette NOS Shimano XTR M960 rapid-rise rear derailleur WTB Byway 650x47B tires Atwater Atelier rando bag It's a sweet ride that's faster than a touring bike and more capable than a road bike, and you should be one! There are only a handful of these frames left so be sure to reach out by email or visit one of our locations if you’re interested. Photos by @Jochhoo

A Straggler from Mars

This is the bike I use the most, a Surly Straggler. It’s the first bike I’ve ever bought new. I built it in 2019 and its configurations haven’t stopped evolving since. The frame’s aggressive geometry recalls that of early steel mountain bikes from the ‘90s with its long horizontal top tube. Although the Straggler was designed for 700c 622mm ISO wheels, I chose to lace a pair of 650b 584mm ISO wheels to have room to fit 50mm tires. The wider tires and smaller diameter wheels on a steel frame add to that early MTB aesthetic that inspired this build. In keeping with that theme, I pulled out an old Deore XT triple crank from my parts bin and dressed it with a narrow-wide 32-tooth chainring. I really wanted a small ratio because I like to bike slow. The last piece of the puzzle was finding an XTR RD-M592 rear derailleur because it’s one of my favorite components ever produced. It took a few months of searching on the used market before Zach finally found one for me and I couldn’t have been happier when he did. For brakes I have Avid BB7 road callipers with discontinued Deore XT levers, also from my parts bin. The adjustable pull on the levers means that they can be used with any kind of brake, making them very versatile. The Crust rack and Wald 137 basket hold all my daily items eliminating the need for me to carry a backpack. I like using this bike in all sorts of different contexts be it for trail, touring or to go to work and school. I love this bike and I hope to keep riding it for a long time to come. Marcel

J-D's Rachel!

Early on in the arrival of Rachel framesets a few years back, J-D had a stroke of genius with this practical but creative Rachel build. The Moustache handlebars, bar-end shifter, and dynamo lighting keep him comfy rolling late through the night on ice cream runs. A fun anecdote - J-D's leather bartape has been on the road for about ten years by now, and has been transferred between many a bike. A very special detail here is the front rack. The all-rounder handy person of the crew, J-D conceived and welded it in his basement! We'll be getting another batch of Rachel frames in a few weeks! Reach out by email if you'd like to discuss a build, and pre-order your frame here to reserve inventory. Specs Bassi Rachel Frame and Fork Tange CDS headset Bassi Classic Narrow-Wide Crankset CR18 Polished rims Soma Shikoro tires Vintage Raleigh/Suntour bar-end shifter Decade-old leather bartape Brooks B17 Special Nitto Moustache handlebar Nitto Technomic Stem Custom rando rack Wald 137 basket Photos by @jochhoo

Alex's flat-bar Bianchi

Alex, a recent addition to the team, is already leaving us to move out west to become an aircraft engineer.Although we’re sad to see him go, we’re excited about his bright future and know that his radiant smile and good vibes will pierce through even the greyest of Vancouver skies!Here, he shows off his trusty Bianchi that he’ll be taking with him to commute from home to school. Thanks for all the good times and tasty carrot cake, Alex ✌️

Delphine's Specialized Rockhopper

This is her first mountain bike with mostly original bits from when her mom bought it in 1994. The first thing she did as soon as it became her's was max out the tire clearance with 2.2” Continental RaceKings and add a pair of brake boosters. Next she’ll likely swap the handlebars to something a little wider and more upright. Rigid mtbs from the 90s are perfect for managing the tight and twisty trails ‘round these parts and for learning how to read the trail and pick lines. We’re excited to see how this bike will evolve as her riding progresses! Photos by the Rockhoppeur connoisseur @jochhoo

Julian's custom JJJJound x Bassi B/01

Back in 2017, we collaborated on a very fun project with tasteful designer and manufacturer of handy, beautiful objects, JJJJound. The B/01 was what we came up with as an everyday, short distance, efficient cruiser for coffee or pizza runs in Montreal. It was a smart, sensible bike that became many folks' everyday ride. That build was centred around a CB-E110 Shimano coaster brake hub, but when I got my hands on one back then, I had big plans for it that only came to fruition quite recently. My custom B/01 has an amalgam of some gems from my parts bin, some shiny parts I treated myself to, and some well worn classics. It heavily features parts from my new favourite component brand, Sim Works, very solid stopping courtesy of Paul Price, and some track components from the 1970s that I pulled off an old Windsor frame that I bought from a collection in the attic of an Eastern Townships bike shop and haven't been ridden in decades. We'll be releasing a new Bassi single speed, the Bloomfield, later this summer, so if you want a build similar to this one, reach out to get the discussion started! Until then, here's how I built mine: Bassi x JJJJound B/01 frame and fork Tange Levin CDS Chrome Plated headset Sim Works Gettin' Hungry Tomato quill stem with Lettuce top cap for green vibez Sim Works lil' Nick bars. Thanks Jo! Rustines Constructeur gum grips Paul Component Canti Levers, Moon Units, and Racer calipers Sim Works Beatnik seatpost Brooks Swift Chrome Vault by Vans saddle. Thanks Justin! Sugino Grand Mighty 151BCD track crank Sim Works x MKS Bubbly pedals SRAM PC-1 nickel plated chain White Industries trials freewheel Campagnolo NR Pista hubset HPLUSSON TB14 polished rims Sim Works The Homage tires Crispy photos of crispy bike by @jochhoo

Jean-Michel's Hog's Back "The Green Thing"

Here's one of the very first Bassi Hog’s Backs that was built in early 2020. Jean-Michel had been riding a yellow prototype for a long time before transferring all the parts to this one. Those who are lucky enough to meet him on Montreal’s cycling paths know about this beautiful yellow bike. The “Green Thing”, on the other hand, is constantly changing, first to adapt to the seasons, but also because JM loves to try new configurations. It keeps the build dynamic, as he says. Here's a bit about JM and his bike! Your favourite Montreal restaurant : Jean-Talon Market Your favourite tool : Anything Ratchet Your favourite meal : The midnight snack Your favourite part on your bike : Bassi’s shoulder strap Photos by @jochhoo except the last one by Jean-Michel

Julian's All-City Log Lady

It's now Julian's turn to introduce us to his All-City Log Lady. A single-speed bike made for playing in the mud, but just as comfortable for short rides on Mount Royal or everyday transport. It's a bike that has seen quite a bit of backcountry here and elsewhere. Without further ado, here is Verbec and some recommendations from Julian. Your Favourite Montreal’s restaurant : Le Jardin du Cari Your Favourite Tool : 8/10 ratchet Your Favourite Meal : @pizzabouquet potato pizza Your Favourite part on your bike : Piña Stem Protector @lovedrawings Photos @jochhoo

Jean-Michel's Marinoni

Guiseppe Marinoni gave me this stunningly beautiful frame in 2010. An aggressive road geometry to match the Colnago Master Series and brass brazed by Guiseppe himself. To honor Lombard craftsmanship, it has been fitted with a full Campagnolo Chorus / Athena groupset and an Ambrosio Excellight rim set. This bike is a work of art that symbolizes the quintessence of my early love for cycling. Photos by the one and unique like a Noni @jochhoo

Sam B's Rockhopper and Hardrock

Everything started when I candidly said that I might want to find an old MTB Specialized frame while working with Jo Chhun aka The Specialized Collectionneur. Two days later, he sold me that frame. The only downside: the BB was seized. Long story short, the problem was solved around a Boréale on a Friday evening after the shift. Making up my mind on what this bike would be was probably the longest step. It went through a few iterations in my head: from a single speed beater to a 3x9 configuration, to finally settle on a 1x11. All good ideas, but I wanted something different than what I already have or had before. Then came the parts compatibility problem, which was resolved with help from Sam M and Simon (thanks guys!), since a lot of the parts that I wanted at first were victims of the Great Parts Drought of 2020-202?. I even ended up lacing Rhyno rims - not the Lite version - that we had in the shop’s basement because wider rims were nearly impossible to find to fit with my Deore XT 32h hubs. The waiting has been unbearable but I finally ended up building my Rockhopper last fall. What a charming ride! With the Soma Oxford bar (Albatross minus Nitto’s glory), the 1x11 drive train, the Maxxis DTH 26x2.15" tires, everything was what I wished for. Unfortunately, winter was coming and I couldn't see myself riding my new bike in Montreal's slushy and salty winter. So I went on a search for a similar bike to carry me during the cold months. I just love old MTB geometry. They sit tight on the road, they are not too nervous and you can ride them with big tires. Going through Marketplace and Kijiji and having notifications on for every new ad that fitted my criteria, I ended up finding a reasonable Specialized Hard Rock. I obviously made a couple parts upgrades and changes, like the Surly Open Bar handlebar, a Gravdal winter tire in the front (the rear one was in good shape and knobby enough for our winters), I blocked the front derailleur to make a 1x7 transmission, and an old Brooks C15 I had on another bike. Nothing too fancy of course, but just enough so I would enjoy my winter rides. Let me tell you that it's a big change from a fixed gear without brakes…! Now that biking season is at its peak, my dear Rockhopper had a small makeover. The release of SimWorks’ Bubbly pedals changed my world. It moved me to the point where I couldn’t resist buying a pair. The fit was also perfect with this bike. The cockpit went through some changes to have a more versatile setup that I would enjoy on long distances; Salsa Cowchipper handlebar 52cm (why not?) and the beautiful VO Faceplate quill stem which is made to fit modern handlebars onto bikes from another era. I also got lucky with the Newbaum’s eggplant coloured bar tape which is a perfect match with this bike lettering! Photos by photographer and bike-pusher @jochhoo and yours truly

Marcel's GT/Crust Timberline Clydesdale

Marcel is the ultimate lover of rare parts and unusual builds. Never has anyone been so ecstatic about a Dura-Ace quick-release axle, a Campagnolo down tube shifter, or a bichain drive train fixed gear. It’s beautiful and inspiring for everyone on the team to witness. Marcel's a gem. Here's a little more about this great connoisseur of Naruto and his magnificent bike. Your favourite Montreal restaurant : Yokato Yokabai Your favourite tool : Cone Wrench with a Pabst can Your favourite meal : Soup Your favourite part on your bike : The Crust Clydesdale fork Photos by @jochhoo

Jonathan's Winter Hardrock

Hi, this is my 2021 winter beater. First of all, the bike is mostly assembled with used parts that I already had on hand, or that I took from other bikes in my fleet. The frame is a 1992 Specialized Hardrock: an entry-level mountain bike, using 26-inch wheels, with enough eyelets to attach accessories and turn it into a great city bike. A must in winter: the mudguards, to which I always add mud flaps to stay really dry. Leather is a great material for mud flaps because it is stiff enough and ultra durable. The alloy or stainless steel mudguards from Velo Orange are perfect: silent and durable, you can always re-polish them if necessary. Personally, I use Gilles Berthoud mudguards because I had the chance to go to France and bring some back, but the Velo Orange are very similar. The mud flaps, were made by a friend and he offered them to me. Thank you Rémi. For added safety, I ride with the 45NRTH Gravdal studded tires, which are great especially if you want to ride on roads without asphalt, like snowy country roads. For the city, I like the Winter tires from Schwalbe. About the brakes; I always use Kool Stop salmon colored pads, which provide excellent braking. cantilever brakes, although less powerful than V-brakes, offer much more clearance between the rim and the brakes, so less rubbing noises when dirt and slush build up. A single-speed bicycle is very practical in winter, because it requires less maintenance. You will also limit mechanical problems due to its simplicity, in addition to making the bike lighter. To convert to single-speed, several things will have to be considered (frame shape, ratio, type of hub, need for a chain tensioner, etc.). A store visit will make your life much easier! I like to use a specific chain for winter, the KMC’s are affordable and very resistant to rust and salt. This year I am testing a system with 2 speeds, via a Paul Melvin chain tensioner, which allows this somewhat eccentric system. For now, I'm not sure if I'll keep this transmission ... the single-speed is still more reliable and elegant! For the ratios, I use 46/34 teeth chainrings and an 18 tooth sprocket at the rear. I use Crane ENE bells on almost all of my bikes. I ring for my safety and out of courtesy when passing other riders. The brass versions offer the nicest sound in my opinion. When it comes to errands, nothing works better than a Wald 139 basket. Affordable and big enough to hold a backpack lengthwise. I always attach it to a luggage rack to increase rigidity and to carry more weight safely. I'm using a rather expensive Nitto Mark's rack here, but another slightly less expensive model that I like is this one. Finally, I use a Lezyne front light which comes in several power levels. I like being able to illuminate the road and obstacles well, not just being seen by motorists.I like to put it up front, near the top of the wheel, for optimal lighting. If you fix the light on the handlebars, the beam can be blocked by a full front basket. I had to use a bit of resourcefulness for the binding system. It consists of a piece of Nitto hardware, an Axiom fender adapter, a fork column stub and a headset cap! For the geeks and retrogrouch of this world, here is the complete parts list! Specialized Hardrock 1992 frame, 18 ”. Nitto Bullmoose handlebar (the modern model) Luggage rack: Nitto Mark's rack (extra-long Nitto rods) Basket: Wald 137, without the original hardware Tires: 45NRTH Gravdal, 26 ”x 2”. Wheels: Shimano LX M565. Rims: Mavic 231 Front shifter: Friction microshift Front derailleur: Shimano LX 565. Crankset: Deore, 46/34 teeth. Chain tensioner: Paul Melvin + Wolftooth sprocket, 18 teeth. Pedals: Ysixty with extra long pins Mudguards: Gilles Berthoud + homemade leather mud flaps Brakes: Dia Compe XCE cantilevers + Kool Stop salmon pads. Brake levers: Shimano Saddle: Terry Liberator race, TI Bell: Crane Ene in polished brass Pictures also by @jochhoo

Vincent's Hog's Back

I started 2020 telling myself (and all of my co-workers) I wouldn’t get a Hog’s Back this summer, because I was already getting a hardtail. So, yeah… Here’s a piece about the Hog’s Back I got this summer. This build was a long time in the making, mostly because of stock shortages, but also because of my own indecisiveness. My good friend/colleague/boss Roberto and I spent soooooooo much time discussing and ping-pong’ing ideas about what our respective Hog’s Backs would/could be like. Mine went through many iterations in my mind, ranging from dirt drops to triple cranks. I finally settled for what I consider a mountain bikey, off-road/rough-stuff oriented setup. It’s not what I would call a "beautiful" bike, and by that I mean I didn’t pick the components solely based on aesthetics or on how well they match together -- except for the flowery housing, it just looks too good. I really chose the components based on their simplicity, durability and ease of replacement. The all-steel cockpit from Sim Works is just the best. The Fun 3 Bar is super comfortable, but doesn’t feel awkward on tech-y MTB terrain (and also looks fly as hell). The White Industries headset was an easy choice : more than decent price, easily accessible replacement bearings, and obviously amazing quality. The wheelset couldn’t be simpler: DT Swiss Champion straight-gauge spokes handlaced in 3-cross, Velocity Blunt SS 32-hole rims, DT Swiss 350 hub at the rear and the new Kasai Field-Serviceable Dynamo hub at the front (no need to ship my wheel halfway around the world if anything happens to the hub!). All this makes for a very sturdy yet lightweight wheelset. This might come as a shock to some, but I actually love the silent freehub of the DT Swiss 350. I can just quietly listen to the surroundings while coasting, without having a giant bee chasing me. The Sim Works Super Yummy 650B x 2.22" is a great all-road tire, but I decided to go for a bigger and knobbier Maxxis Ikon 650B x 2.35" at the front, because why not. Both have tubes in ‘em. Although it took me quite some time to be at peace with how expensive they are, I went with Paul Klampers for the brake calipers. They might not be the most powerful on the market, but in terms of durability and serviceability nothing comes even close. I always like to dig deep through our suppliers catalog to find the lesser-known, but oftentimes most interesting, components nobody uses. That’s how I found these neat brake levers from IRD. They do both long- and short-pull, have a long enough lever, they’re tough, and they look great. The drivetrain is where things get a little weird. I settled on a 1x setup, but most readily available groupsets just don’t do it for me. Call me a retro-grouch, but nothing will ever beat a friction transmission. A friction shifter doesn’t care about your bent derailer hanger, or your rusty shift cable, or whatever number of cogs you've got, or even what derailer it’s activating. It will still pull that cable and move that derailer up and down those cogs. But building a wide-range, 1x, friction drivetrain proved more challenging than I expected. To begin with, there aren’t many good-quality friction shifters on the market anymore, and the one I wanted (Rivendell’s XO thumbie) had been out of stock for ever. So I settled for a NOS Suntour LD-2800, mostly because I read somewhere that this was the shifter Rivendell based their XO shifter on (and also old Suntour are still some of the best shifters around). I paired it with the Microshift Advent 9-speed clutch derailer, as I wanted to try something different. Although it is only specified for a 42t max cog, it has no problem managing the 46t cog on the Sunrace 10-speed cassette. The only downside is that this derailer has its own proprietary pull-ratio, which means it doesn’t work with a standard-pull friction shifter. Now the Suntour LD-2800 is most likely a 6-speed shifter, so in order to make that derailer work with that shifter, I had to cut the tab that stopped the shift lever’s travel. But even then, I could only reach the 9th cog. I finally added the Wolftooth Tanpan widget, which increases the amount of cable pulled by the shifter, to make the derailer go all the way up to the 10th cog. Yay victory! Then there was the crank situation. I majorly favor square-taper bottom brackets over external cups because of their durability (I chose the IRD Tenacity open ball-bearings). But good quality and good-looking square-taper cranks are getting scarce, or plain non-existent for 1x specific drivetrains. All in all, getting an old road square-taper crank with a common 110 BCD seemed like the most logical option. They’re reliable, easily replaceable, and look great with a 36t narrow-wide chainring from Blackspire. This Sakae crank I found in an old parts bin in the shop’s basement. In the end, it makes for a pretty wacky, completely mis-matched drivetrain that isn’t supposed to work, but it does. I just love “cheating” with drivetrains like that, it’s fun and it makes me feel like I won over planned obsolescence. The rest of the bike came along randomly: DMR pedals I have used on many of my bikes, the grips have a cool name (shoutout to Death Grips fans), the flowery housing (definitely of lesser quality) comes from a weird French website Julian stumbled upon, saddle is just a good ol’ C17 (I’m too lazy to take care of a real-leather one), and Sim Works seatpost to match the cockpit. If you haven’t noticed, this bike is 100% Shimano-, SRAM- and Campy-free (except for the Campy skewers I got for the lolz, if you know me you know). Although it wasn’t a goal from the get go, I’m kind of proud things turned out that way. All of these companies make really good products, but sometimes I feel like it’s too easy to rely on them and not look at what else is out there. I am seriously in love with this bike. It’s as good a trail bike as it is a commuter. I’m perfectly satisfied with this build, but I can definitely see it undergoing many changes in the future, if I want. Julian did an amazing job designing this frame, making it a very playful, do-it-all and fits-with-everything bike that can take you wherever you want. I haven’t had the chance to take it on a bikepacking trip yet, but I’m planning on riding in Newfoundland next summer! Pics by our K0DaK kId @jochhoo

Justine's Bassi Double-Double

Justine got to know C&L through her first Bassi, a classic white Roma-Tokyo. After a few months wrenching for the shop, she added a fun Hog's Back build to her stable. Seeing them side by side in all their glory is a rare occurence, with their fun mirror image bar tape jobs and tasteful component choices. Thanks for sharing, Justine! For hi-res pics, open in a new tab Your name and the bikes' names: Justine, and my bikes don't have names but I often affectionately call them bécane one and bécane two Your favourite Montréal resto: Tough one, either Banh Mi Banh Yiu for the sandwiches or Robin des Bois for the place's concept Your favourite shop tool: Frickin' love them 4-5-6 affectionately nicknamed shuriken by Marcel, otherwise a crank puller, real satisfyin'! Your favourite meal: Depends, but I adore a good grilled salmon with an olive fougasse Your favourite part on these bikes: Cotton Brooks C17 #heaven & my Dia-Compe blue casing clips #goodstuffisinthedetails Pics by #lightbro bike pic guru @jochhoo

Bobby's Bianchi Grizzly

We're thrilled to announce that our dear longtime mechanic Roberto is joining C&L and Bassi as a partner, and felt that a staff bikes featuring Roberto and his do-it-all townie-MTB-tourer Bianchi Grizzly would be the perfect introduction to those of you who haven't met him! His bike is full of personality, nicely built to commute but can also take single track shortcuts on his way home. For hi-res pics, open in a new tab. Your name and the bike's name: Roberto and Papa Bear Your favourite Montréal resto: Larry's Your favourite shop tool: Park Tool BT3 Your favourite meal: Arepas Your favourite part on this bike: Well worn Brooks C17 saddle Fun pics by MTB Papa @jochhoo

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Staff Bikes

Lili's Bassi 03

Bobby's Le Montréal Rando

A Straggler from Mars

J-D's Rachel!

Alex's flat-bar Bianchi

Delphine's Specialized Rockhopper

Julian's custom JJJJound x Bassi B/01

Jean-Michel's Hog's Back "The Green Thing"

Julian's All-City Log Lady

Jean-Michel's Marinoni

Sam B's Rockhopper and Hardrock

Marcel's GT/Crust Timberline Clydesdale

Jonathan's Winter Hardrock

Vincent's Hog's Back

Justine's Bassi Double-Double

Bobby's Bianchi Grizzly

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