Bulletin de Décembre 2022
*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|* L'hiver approche... J'espère que vous avez passé un bel automne! Les boutiques ont été particulièrement occupées ce dernier mois à préparer les vélo d'hiver pour ce qui s'en vient. Nous remercions votre patience si vous aviez un vélo dans notre file de réparation! Les choses sont un peu plus tranquilles ces temps-ci, donc c'est un bon moment pour passer chercher des essentiels du vélo d'hiver qui vous manquent peut-être.C'est un tout aussi bon moment pour magasiner des cadeaux potentiels! Nous venons de recevoir des nouveaux articles parfaits pour rembourrer des bas de Noël.Mais d'abord, deux annonces: Horaire des Fêtes Nous serons fermés entre le 24 décembre et le 2 janvier Livraison gratuite de cadres Bassi n'importe-où au Canada! Utilisez le code BASSICAN à la caisse de la boutique en-ligne Les nouveautés (haut) Luc-Antoine, mécano sénior chez nous, a récement écrit un article merveilleux à propos de son Rivendell Atlantis tant attendu. C'est une très belle lecture et, nous avons encore quelques-uns de ces cadres en stock. (bas) Les Sam Hillborne de Rivendell devraient nous arriver d'un jour à l'autre. Cette alternative plus légère à l'Atlantis serait parfait pour un vélo de style randonneuse / cyclotouriste de route / « commuter ». Ils nous arrivent en couleurs LimeOlive et Argent. Les porte-bidons Litercage de Widefoot sont de retour! Suivant une absence prolongée, les revoici en noir et argent. Les nouveaux tubes en acier inoxydable font que cette version soit plus légère que la précédente, sans compromettre la durabilité pour autant. Nous venons tout juste de recevoir des nouvelles casquettes Belldorado venues d'Alemagne! Adam les fabrique depuis des années avec des tissus super créatifs et nous les adorons! Nous avons des racks avants fait à Montréal par Memento. Nous sommes toujours tout aussi impressionnés par leur durabilité et la qualité de fabrication. C'est réellement un plaisir de voir des produits d'un tel calibre faits ici! À propos de ce Susie W. Longbolts en haut-de-page: l'équipe à notre boutique sur la rue Rachel vient de finir ce montage tout-terrain comme démo. Allez le voir si vous songez à un montage similaire! En parlant de montages démo, voici 3 vélos assemblés par l'équipe sur Villeneuve qui sont aussi à ne pas manquer: Ça parait-tu que Luc-Antoine a aussi monté ce Hog's Back à la Rivendell ? Nous avons décidé de donner un traitement spécial au dernier Rachel V1 jaune avec une selle en cuir Gran Compe et un guidon Sim Works Getaround Troy a voulu démontrer l'aptitude tout-terrain du Rachel gris V2 en le dottant de pneus à terrain variable, une transmission 1X, un porte-bagage avant et un sac de selle volumineux. Ils nous restent encore des Platypus et des Leo Roadini de Rivendell! Ces merveilleux cadres au détails adorables et uniques sont aussi plaisants à admirer qu'à rouler! Attendez-vous à un montage spécial du Leo Roadini d'ici les prochaines semaines. Montages fraîchement sortis de l'atelier Le Singular Peregrine de Pietro a prit du temps avant de pouvoir être complété, mais l'attente a absolument value la peine! Cliquez ici pour en lire plus. Allez voir le Gus à Dustin si vous ne l'avez pas encore fait! C'est tout pour l'instant
Newsletter May 2021
*|MC_PREVIEW_TEXT|* Local bicycle delivery news, and more Those reading this in Montréal might know Chasseurs Courriers pretty well. They started out delivering burritos in Saint-Henri and are now probably the best way to get your packages moved around town fast, not to mention most of the full-time riders own Hog's Backs, so you know they have great taste.Well, Chasseurs reached out to us about a service they thought would be useful for you. Once a week they'll pick up all our local deliveries and bring them straight to your door for super cheap, and the distribution area covers most of Montréal's population. You're probably in the zone, check it out on the handy map I made. So, we'll be offering flat-rate delivery in the most cool and carbon-neutral way possible, while working with some good friends of ours and maybe yours, too.TL;DR: Orders delivered by bike, six bucks, every Wednesday, most of the city. A really cool new product, and some restocks This is one we've been working on getting for absolute years, and it's finally here: Spray.Bike. It's rattle-can paint made to stick like hell to bikes, with a nozzle good for spraying a bike instead of a body-panel. The colours are super-cool and they make a bunch of weird finishes, as well as matches to classic bike paints. It's pretty easy to prep the frame, too. Most of the time you just need to sand smooth the paint that's already there, not strip the thing to bare metal. We're trying it out on a few of our personal bikes, we'll put up a blog about how it went, but in the mean-time, you can pick up a can or two and try it for yourself.Not related to paint, this is what we're restocking all the time, as fast as possible: Sim Works, we're watching their stock like hawks. Velo Orange, we're keeping everything available we can. Rene Herse, they have a lot of tires but we're doing our darnedest to bring 'em in. Recently back in stock: King Cage steel and titanium bottle cages. Their garage workshop was pretty overwhelmed for a while there Park Tool. Crazy that you couldn't get a cassette tool for months, but they're here now We got most Tubus and the rest is backordered for us. Our intentions for the rest of the year Honestly, we're just trying hard as hell to keep things in stock so we can fix bikes and kit you out for touring. That said, we've got our next run of frames coming this summer (still time to preorder BTW) and we're on track to be able to build bikes as soon as they come in. We'll be getting in touch with you if you preordered to see how you want it built.We'll also be getting more frames of current models over next winter, so we'll be reaching out to a dealer near you to see if they're into building up nice, fun, local steel frames. Write in if you know a shop you think would be a good fit!We're all going to be vaccinated soon, too, so we're hoping we can announce some group rides, but we'll see how things go. We really hope we can see your beautiful, keen and intelligent faces this summer!
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!
Bulletin de Juin 2022
Actualités de Plein Été Tout d'abord, les congés Nous serons fermé vendredi prochain, le 24 juin, ainsi que le vendredi suivant, le 1er juillet. Nous seront cependant ouvert les samedis et dimanches qui suivront ces dates. Les Nouveautés Nouveau Bidons C&L! On n'est pas fort sur les règlements chez nous de manière générale SAUF quand vient le temps de coordonner les couleurs. Nous avons donc, de toute évidence, commandé des bouteilles qui vont «matcher» les nouvelles couleurs du Hog's Back qui sera de retour au mois d'août. Fourche Barnacle de Stridsland: Cette petite marque (juste un bonhomme en fait) basée au Danemark continue à mettre au point, tranquillement, de très beaux produits et nous sommes heureux d'avoir pu mettre la main sur quelques fourches Barnacle. Il nous reste deux en 1-⅛", QR. Conçues pour des roues de 26x3" ou 27.5x2.6", elles sont parfaites pour le projet de VTT rétro dont vous rêvez. On a aussi commandé de ses plateaux. Date d'arrivée: mystère! Les plateaux ne sont même pas fabriqués encore. Shiny Rear Rack de Rivendell Ce porte-bagage arrière construit en acier inox est renforcé là où c'est nécessaire, est super simple à installer et durera probablement toute une vie. Tarugata grips Conçues par Rindow Bikes au Japon, ces merveilleuses poignées pourraient bien être la touche finale dont vous avez besoin pour votre vélo vintage (ou d'apparence vintage). Fairdale X Toy Machine De belles choses se produisent lorsque des compagnons improbables unissent leurs forces. Fairdale s'est associé à la marque de skate Toy Machine pour créer le Lookfar. Celui-ci vient avec le Adjust-A-Rack et le Skaterack de Fairdale. Pédales MKS Sylvan Gordito, des pédales à plateforme super-large Pédalier New Albion Sub-Compact 46/30 Cadenas Kryptonite Mini-7, plus compact et léger que des modèles semblabes. En couleurs aussi! Les choses à venir Rack faits à Montréal par Memento Cette compagnie montréalaise assez récente peaufine continuellement leur design de rack avant et nous sommes ravis d'en recevoir prochainement. Ils travaillent également sur la conception de fourches cargo et de cadres de vélo. Nous sommes très enthousiastes quant à ce que l'avenir réserve à Memento! Gravel Kings d'édition limitiée Ces incontournables du vélo de gravier et autres chemins tout croches sont disponibles en deux nouvelles couleurs: tout brun pour le look beurre de pinotes, et gris-bleu et brun. Ils seront disponibles en 700x32C et 700x38C dans les variétés Smooth, Semi-Smooth et Semi-Knobby. Vélos! Voici quelques nouvelles montures qui ont quitté nos stands récemment Danny nous a écrit une ode à son Hog's Back fait maison et super fun, et c'est superbe. Envoyez-nous votre Bassi (des photos, ou le vélo complet) si vous souhaitez qu'il soit présenté ici ! Delphine, mécanicienne chez nous, a récemment terminé la construction de son Bloomfield. Ayant acheté le cadre à l'automne et reçu la selle comme cadeau de Noël, elle a eu tout le temps de rêvasser à propos de la configuration. Attendez-vous à une galerie complète très bientôt ! Nous avons enfin reçu le dernier morceau pour compléter le casse-tête à Loïc en forme de Hog's Back et avons pu lui remettre l'autre jour. Nous allons le laisser le roder et le salir un peu avant de le mettre en vedette. Pour terminer, voici un aperçu de ce qui pourrait être notre série de photos préférée à ce jour. Nous publierons l'intégralité de la galerie et l'article dans les jours à venir. Bonne route !
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
Vente d'automne
Utilisez le code AUT22 pour 20% de rabais sur votre commande jusqu'au 23 octobre inclusivement! J'espère que tout le monde a eu un excellent été! Il commence à faire frisquet quand on va prendre un café sur la montagne, et on planifie tranquillement nos vélos d'hiver. Avant que tout soit foutu en l'air en 2020, nous faisions toujours une grande vente pour clore la haute saison au mois d'Octobre, et on se refait maintenant ça pour la première fois en trois ans, cette fin de semaine du 22 et 23 Octobre, autant sur notre site qu'en magasin. Comment ça marche? 20% de réduction sur tout. Seulement les cadres Riv et les frais d'expédition sont exclus, et ça marche seulement sur les trucs en stock, bien sûr. Il y aura un code sur toutes les pages de ce site quand la vente commencera dans quelques jours. Et les rabais sont encore meilleurs pour notre clientèle montréalaise! En magasin, 20% ce n'est que le début. Des catégories complètes de produits seront encore plus réduites, mais il faudra passer nous voir en magasin pour en profiter. Pour récapituler, vous n'aurez qu'à utiliser le code de réduction lorsque vous serez rendu au panier d'achats. Veuillez aussi comprendre, après avoir commandé, que lors des événements avec grand volume de ventes, ça nous prend un peu plus longtemps que nos deux jours ouvrables normaux pour tout envoyer les commandes. On emballe plus vite quand on n'est pas en train de répondre aux courriels, alors faites confiance à vos expéditeurs C&L!
Prototypes de Vélo Tout-Terrain Bassi
Voici ce sur quoi nous œuvrons depuis déjà un certain temps. Nous en avons fait produire un de chaque taille ( petit, moyen, large ) comme prototype dans le but de les « tester » bien comme il faut, et nous les avons testé pas à peu près! C'est un vélo dédié à l’exploration hors-route, fait en acier et conçu pour le plaisir pur. Pensé pour être une véritable alternative « tout-terrain » à notre modèle de cyclotourisme-polyvalent (le Hog’s Back), ce design est entièrement nouveau, mais suit la versatilité de ce dernier. Dessiné autour du standard de pneu 27.5" x 3" pour toutes les tailles, avec un espacement BOOST avant et arrière, un boîtier de pédalier 73mm fileté, du câblage de tige télescopique interne, et une option de fourche rigide ou jusqu’à 130mm de suspension, les configurations peuvent être très variées. Qu’il soit chargé à bloc avec assez de provisions pour survivre une semaine dans l’arrière-pays ou qu’il se mesure aux vélos à double suspension de pros lors de descentes, c’est un vélo qui saura impressionner. En gros, ce design représente ce que nous considérons être le bolide parfait pour pratiquer nos activités de plein-air préférées: explorer des sentiers, et des chemins perdus pendant des jours et des jours, et naviguer les sentiers de VTT rocailleux et racineux pas loin de chez nous et que nous connaissons par cœur. Nous ne pouvions manquer la chance de faire un clin-d’œil au pionnier de l’esthétique VTT de la côte-est, Chris Igleheart, avec ses fourches segmentées devenues cultes. R&D et ce qu'il reste à faire Nous avons fait exprès pour laisser un des cadres brut pour que nos amateurs maison de soudure puissent s’amuser un peu! La possibilité d’adapter la transmission pour avoir une seule vitesse est une caractéristique très importante pour nous. Vous remarquerez peut-être que les pattes à bascule manquent présentement de vis de bloquage ou autre mécanisme qui élimine le glissement. Même avec les six vis des pattes ajustables bien serrées, nous avons remarqué que la roue arrière glissait légèrement sous les gros efforts de pédalage. Assez pour perdre un peu de tension au niveau de la chaîne mais rien de dramatique. Nous pensons avoir trouvé une solution à force de découper, souder et buriner, et nous avons hâte de pouvoir le tester nous-mêmes. À suivre! Comment sera-t-il disponible? En plus d'offrir les montages sur mesure et les cadres, nous aimerions pouvoir proposer deux montages de base: « Bikepacking » : Fourche rigide, pneus de 3” de largeur pour maximiser le confort et la flottaison sur les trajets techniques et accidentés, ainsi qu’un guidon conçu pour le cyclotourisme hors-route (un autre de nos projets en cours!) « Trail » : Une fourche à suspension, une tige de selle télescopique, des pneus légèrement plus étroits mais avec un profil plus agressif qui favorise la traction sur les sentiers de vélo de montagne ainsi qu’un guidon droit et large Quand sera-t-il disponible? Si les deux dernières années peuvent nous servir d'exemple, c’est très difficile d'avoir des prévisions exactes. Considérant les délais de production qui continuent de s’allonger, il y a très peu de chance que la première monture nous arrive avant la fin de l’année 2023. Photos studio par Troy Photos à l'extérieur par Roberto et Fabien
Guide des coups de coeur 2021
Notre mannequin Sam M. est content de pouvoir porter la nouvelle casquette C&L/Bassi. Pas besoin d'excuse pour donner un petit quelque chose à vos amis ou à votre famille pour leur faire plaisir, mais c'est le bon temps de l'année d'en proposer. Nous avons donc demandé à notre petite famille ici chez C&L de vous suggérer quelque chose qu'ils ont particulièrement apprécié cette année, en gardant le prix raisonnable. Clochette Crane Il y a tellement de belles clochettes sur le marché que je suis un peu étourdi. Je ne voulais pas dépenser une fortune pour en trouver une « parfaite », mais je voulais m’assurer que ça soit la dernière que je doive acheter. J’ai donc choisi le modèle E-NE du fabriquant de cloches japonais Crane. Simple et économique, elle est plus petite que la clochette moyenne et a un design éternel. Elle sonne fort, se place sous mon pouce naturellement, et me fait toujours sourire (et souvent aussi les autres!). La mienne est celle au fini cuivre, la plus attrayante. Et vous?-Stan Kit de premiers soins vélo Soyons honnêtes, dans quand on roule dans une grande métropole, les risques de crevaison sont aussi élevés les risques de frapper un nid de poule à Montréal. Alors, même pour le cycliste qui a tout, une trousse de crevaison n’est jamais de trop. Il y a même de quoi pour plaire au cycliste de route à la quête du kit le plus léger, puisqu’il n’a sûrement pas encore des levier à pneus en titane!-JD Opinel Considéré comme l’un des produits les plus traditionnels de France, l’Opinel est un couteau chargé d’histoire. Conçu et confectionné par la famille Opinel à la fin du XIXème siècle, son histoire n’est pas sans rappeler celle de l’industrie de la bicyclette française puisqu’ils ont en commun à la fois l’époque de leur conception et leur place géographique de développement qu’est l’Est de la France, d’où sont issus beaucoup de manufacturiers de cycles. Et c’est dans cette partie du pays que se trouve la Savoie, une région riche de culture où est né l'Opinel, ce couteau emblématique qui traverse les siècles et les continents. Aussi simple qu’utile, l’Opinel est un cadeau qui sera très apprécié dans le bas de Noël.-Alex Phil Wood BioLube Si bien appliqué, le BioLube garde votre chaîne propre et lubrifiée pendant des mois. Il est le parfait compagnon pour un vélo qui est utilisé rigoureusement et quotidiennement. Comme le nom le dit, il est biodégradable et utilise des ingrédients naturels et non-toxiques. Voir son grand frère le Tenacious Oil pour une utilisation hivernale ❄️-Fab MKS Bear Trap Une pédale de VTT dans le style des années 80? Qui agrippe bien un soulier sans éviscérer les mollets? Bien oui ! Après quelques années d’exclusivité au Japon cette ré-édition de la pédale légendaire Suntour XC-II est disponible dans notre coin de pays. -Fab Tote bags Les tote bags (cabas ou fourre-tout pour les pointilleux) pullulent en 2021, mais ce modèle se distingue vraiment des autres. Dans son illustration, notre bonne amie du Vermont Julia Vallera, alias @lovedrawrings a réussi à capter l’essence de nos boutiques et de nos vélos. Y figurent des références à tous nos modèles Bassi actuels : des cochons un peu pompettes, un champ de fleurs, un griffon qui garde le C&L Rachel, et l’immense casse-croûte orange emblématique de Montréal. Nos deux boutiques s’y trouvent aussi, aux côtés de plusieurs clients réguliers typiques de chez C&L qui se baladent à travers le paysage. Les tote bags, disponibles en canevas beige « naturel » et en noir classique, ont été fabriqués par John Bigsby @johnbigsby de Trame, et sérigraphiés à The Letter Bet, un atelier local. Les sac sont résistants, assez gros pour faire vos courses et, surtout, ont un look incroyable.-Julian Dango Bros Plus de sourires sur nos vélos! Ces adorables chapes de frein donneront le sourire à n’importe quel de vos vélos à frein cantilever ou au tirage central, style Mafac. Pour tous les cyclistes qui aiment ce genre d’accessoires, allez voir ce que fait Crumb Works, les maîtres des pièces magiques Magic Components.-Julian Et ces classiques, qui sont toujours de mise: Cafetière Aeropress Fini le temps du café de « cowboy » où la consistence ressemble plus à du sirop qu’à une infusion directement descendue des cieux, où ta cuillère tient tout seul debout au milieu de ta tasse. Dès maintenant, avec l’Aeropress, ce supplice du café de mauvais goût peut finalement cesser. En camping, au milieu d’une « ride », n’importe où, tu peux te faire une tasse à faire rougir ta machine à la maison. Perso, c’est rendu la seule affaire que j’utilise pour le café 365 jours par année ! 45$ (Sam M.) Chaussettes Darn Tough Normalement, quand on ne sait pas quoi donner à quelqu’un, on lui donne des bas. Mais avec Darn Tough, c’est une toute autre histoire. Fait de laine Merino au Vermont et garantie à vie (!), cette paire de bas est le cadeau partait pour les gens qui jouent dehors. 26-35$ (J-D) Sangle Voilé C&L Un « bungie » sur l’EPO, la sangle Voilé agrémentée de notre iconique logo Cycle C&L saura résoudre plusieurs problèmes tout au long d’excursions au milieu de nul part. 11$ (Sam M.) Bidon C&L Beaucoup de « technologies » de bouteilles d’eau existent en 2020, mais nous préférons garder ça tout simple avec ce que nous pensons être le meilleur bidon sur le marché. Le débit parfait, un format léger et maniable en roulant, et des couleurs complémentaires à vos vélos préférés ! 15$ (Julian) Bouteille Nalgene 1L Quoi dire sur les bouteilles Nalgene? Éternelles et infiniment utiles, on ne part pas en grand voyage de vélo sans ça. 17$ Wolf Tooth 8-Bit L’outil par excellence pour tous pépins routiers, les multi-tools sauront dépanner le mécanicien en vous. En plus d’être faciles à trimbaler dans son sac, ils sont agréables et simples d’utilisation. Avec les bons outils on peut faire à peu près n’importe quoi; ajuster ses freins, sa selle, et resserrer les vis lousse sur les portes d’armoire, ça va être un jeu d’enfant! (Justine) Cabas Atwater Rambler 137 Ce sac de panier est l’un des accessoires les plus pratiques sur mon vélo et m’a servi à presque tous les jours cette année, que ce soit pour mes déplacements en ville ou mes longs voyages en cyclotourisme. Avec une poche frontale super accessible, un système d’ancrage fiable incluant une sangle supplémentaire pour les sentiers montagneux les plus rocailleux ou les boulevards les plus accidentés de nids-de-poule, et un look fabuleux, ça ferait un cadeau parfait pour n’importe quel cycliste. En plus, on peut être fier de soutenir une petite compagnie de sacs montréalaise, Atwater Atelier. Conçu pour les panier indestructibles et abordables Wald 137, faits au Kentucky depuis 1924. 168$ (Julian) Porte-Bidon John Cage de SimWorks Inspirée par la curiosité du compositeur célèbre envers l’étude des champignons, Sim Works présente un chef-d'œuvre en acier inoxydable. Le support de montage coupé au laser, en plus d’avoir un motif qui rappelle le foisonnement de spores, offre quatre fentes à œillets afin d’adapter sa hauteur selon vos besoins. 60 balles, ce n’est pas donné pour un porte-bidon, mais sa construction en acier inoxydable, les soudures robustes et son fini noir ou au jet de sable assurent que, comme les champignons, la John Cage perdurera bien après notre départ. 60$ (Roberto) Porte-Bidon Widefoot Litercage Le Litercage, comme le nom l’indique, a été conçu pour accommoder les bouteilles surdimensionnées d’un litre et plus, comme celles fabriquées par Nalgene. Le support de montage à 7 fentes permet d’ajuster la position de la cage au moment de l’installation selon vos besoins. Le Litercage est disponible en une variété de couleurs dont noir, menthe ou violet. 45$ (Roberto) Brûleurs Optimus Avec leur format ultra léger et compact, les brûleurs Optimus sont parfaits pour les voyages de touring, bike packing, camping, ou tout simplement pour se faire un p’tit café n’importe où. À partir de $50 (J-D) Widefoot/Anything Cage/King Many Thing C’est un cadeau pour les créatifs : on peut attacher presque ce qu’on veut sur ces porte-cargos. L’été dernier j’avais tout mon stock pour dormir dehors sur mon attache à gourde triple, c’est large entre les cuisses mais ça se rend comme un champion ! À partir de 46$ (Simon) Bicycle Quarterly C’est rare de trouver un magazine qui en vaut la chandelle, mais en voici bien un : je le lis d’un bord à l’autre quatre fois par année, en prenant bien mon temps de savourer les textes d’aventures, de tests de nouveaux et vieux vélos insolites, et profiter d’une alternative plus lente aux blogues et infinis posts sociaux sur le dernier cri de pièces en matériaux pas possibles. (Simon) Les pièces en alu poli de Velo Orange On va se le dire, règle générale, plus ton vélo est monté avec des pièces chromées, plus ton vélo est beau. Donc, pour assouvir tes besoins en pièces chromées ou celles de tes êtres chers, rien de mieux qu’un porte bouteille format régulier ou 1L (pour ta Nalgene C&L), ou un porte bagages, ou encore des gardes-boue de Velo Orange. À partir de 30$ (Karo)