fixed magazine issue 5

PLUS: JAPAN // GERMANY //

BIKE CHECK // DUALITY // FLIP FLOP // HOT AIR // INSTANTS // LOOKOUT

The Vans Combi Bowl, re-creation of the original and home to the infamous Pro-tec Pool Party.

The OG Vans office, production house and store, Anaheim, California, 1966.

Created by Alva and Peralta in Dogtown, still skated to shreds today.

P: Ane Jens

P: Daniel Sturt

Geoff Rowley, leader of those devoted, a Vans skateboarder since 1999.

TED JAMES THROWING DOWN OLD SCHOOL BMX TRICKS AT A FAVOURITE BMX HAUNT – VICTORIA PARK, EAST LONDON PHOTO: MASSEY

8

Fixed

MICHAEL FROELICH

MICHAEL FROELICH

PHOTO: JESSE JOHNSTON

PHOTO: JESSE JOHNSTON

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KEO SPIN FROM DICE X DICE AND 14 BIKE CO’S RESIDENT BLOGGER MIKE MERKENSCHLAGER PHOTO:IAN SANSOM

PALAIS DE TOKYO IS ONE OF PARIS’ BEST-KNOWN RIDING SPOTS AND IT’S ALSO ONE OF THE MOST BEAUTIFUL. LAURA COMPLETES THE PICTURE.

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PHOTO: BARNABUS TOTH (WWW.IAMBARNIE.COM)

WARREN ANDERTON ENJOYING THE FINEST OF BRITISH WEATHER IN LEEDS, ENGLAND PHOTO: DAN MEDHURST

MICHAEL VOREL TAKES IT DOWN TO THE SHORE AT CHICAGO’S 12TH STREET BEACH SEA WALL.

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PHOTO: MICHAL TUSZYNSKI (WWW.ARSENDESIGN.COM)

CONTENTS

TONY FAST GETS PISSED WHEN HE FALLS. HE LIMPS OFF, CALLS EVERYTHING IN SIGHT A MOTHERFUCKER AND EVENTUALLY COMES BACK TO GET RIDING AGAIN. IT’S RAD AND FUNNY AS HELL. PHOTO: IAN SANSOM

Fixed Magazine issue 5 Spring 2010

“I didn’t think anybody would really care but it was definitely cool” Bootleggers, P.54 “You cannot even begin to imagine how much knowledge this community possesses about travelling on a bicycle” Japan and the CMWC P.48

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“I hobbled out, super pumped that I’d achieve some sweet carving action around the bowl” Bright Tradeshow, Germany P.76

“From day one, it’s all just been about looking for opportunities to support ourselves through things we’re interested in” Kinfolk P.60

“Thanks to the rising popularity of Youtube, every Tom, Dick and Harry had a video online filmed with crappy cell phone cameras and shaky hands” Death Pedal 2 P.68

“I was getting sick of carrying those shirts all over Europe, but at least we ended up with less after each premiere” The Revival P.40

PLUS: Bike Check // Duality // Flip Flop // Hot Air // Instants // Lookout

ON THE COVER: TOM LAMARCHE DOES HIS BEST SPIDERMAN IMPRESSION AT CITY HALL PHOTO: JESSE JOHNSTON

EDITORIAL

I FIND MYSELF ITCHING TO GO RIDE AT THE WORST POSSIBLE TIMES – LIKE WHEN IT’S -10°C OUTSIDE AND SNOW IS COMING DOWN IN BLANKETS.

I

’d be looking out the window, willing it to dry up and get lighter. On one of these nights I started to draw this pie chart / spider diagram... It’s based on my observations of our culture over the last five years: traveling with my bike to different countries, reading every magazine I could get my hands on and looking at every related website / blog out there. Mostly though, it’s related to the people I’ve met. Sorry if it offends in any way. It’s not meant to, but I can imagine some might take it a little too literally.

It doesn’t matter which camp you see yourself in, because the whole thing about movement is about being diverse. Fixed gear culture is evolving to the

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point that if you are involved intensely in one part of fixed gear you can lose track of what’s happening in all the others! To me, that is more than mind-blowing.

Polo has grown so vast that teams are traveling all over the world than anyone else in this culture.

What’s ‘hot right now’ though are tricks and trick bikes. Last week I saw a tail whip on the flat!

Come back to this in a year’s time for reference and see if you can fill in the gaps.

This is FIXED issue #5...

Andy

HOT AIR

BLB FREESTYLE (bricklanebikes.co.uk) The boys and girls at Europe’s biggest fixed brand have been even busier lately. Not happy to just distribute parts for others, their BLB brand is coming on in leaps and bounds, with all manner of quality parts coming out of East London. The new BLT trick frameset features heat-treated Cro-mo steel tubing, with a reinforced downtube gusset for extra strength and also included in the frameset price is their new barspinnable cro-mo trick fork. What’s notable is the pricing – just £295 for the frameset, or £86.95 for the fork on it’s own. Available in small, medium and large sizing with Tangerine Orange, Electric Pink, Electric Purple, Lime Green, Fluoro Yellow & Brilliant White colours on the frames, with the same for the fork, with the addition of black. They’ve also launched their BLB High Flange freestyle hubs, with new design hub shell, which feature a long rear axle to make road frame conversions easier GUSSET PARTS (www.ison-distribution.com) Long established in the MTB world, Gusset’s parts have been used by Fixed Gear Freestylers for the last couple of years and now the company are turning their attention to producing specific parts for the Fixed Gear Community. First up is the updated versions of their popular Open Prison steel bar (RRP from £34.99), a multi-butted 4130 bar which offers the strength of steel with the light weight of aluminium. Available in 1”, 2” and 3” rises and a host of colours, including the all new chrome finish (RRP £44.99), the Open Prisons look set to

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grow in popularity. Next up is the Colt (RRP from £39.99) stem, a CNC-machined stem with a hidden wedge steerer clamp for sleek looks and vice-like grip wrapped up in a lightweight and low profile package. Lastly is the new Identiti FFX fork (RRP from £89.99) built specifically for fixed gear freestyle.

Rather than going for the easy route of an oversized MTB fork, the FFX is BMX inspired with lightweight, butted and tapered cro-mo tubing that is available in 30mm offsets (designed to work with the forthcoming Persona fixed gear freestyle frame) and a 45mm offset for other fixed frames that require more toe clearance. Pretty exciting stuff

H PLUS SON (hplusson.com) After popularising the ultra deep rim style, H Plus Son are back with a beefier version of their best selling rim the H42. Despite never being designed for trick riding, a few people had issues dropping stairs on them, so H + Son went back to the drawing board and came up with an all new, wider section and stronger rim called the Formation Face, designed for the trick crowd and anyone else who wants a beefy rim that won’t break. Using a stiffer, stronger aluminium with a welded joint, the new Formation Face could well be what you’re looking for CHROME (shinerbicycles. co.uk) Chrome are one of the longest running messenger bag companies out there and have gone from humble beginnings to offering a full range of both pro and consumer messenger bags, accessories, clothing and even shoes. Long-time skate distributor Shiner from Bristol, England have recently been appointed

HOT AIR as European distributors for the brand which should help bring their products to a shop near you. On top of their well-known bags, that feature a seatbelt buckle style clip on the main strap, we’re pretty stoked on the Backbone messenger backpack, for increased load capacity, and the hip pouch, designed to hold messengers XDA’s and other stuff, but equally useful for your tools and stuff on a day of dossing around on your bike

co.uk) ny twists and turns, BOXFRESH (boxfresh. to 1989 and has taken ma nd stretches right back bra ear etw h have teamed stre fres UK Box this The history of it’s streetwear roots. Now to true n bee ays alw have brand has tion pieces, two of which ups and downs, but the us to offer three collabora gha Ber a nd bra and ear zip erw gth is slim cut with a full len up with legendary UK out The Habitue fleece (£65) for d. zips min in pit rs also ride e re’s bik and comfortable. The been designed with ther and keep you warm (£199) et wea the jack ll out l she l sea p Baa hel the to n, itio high, soft collar valuables. So rad. In add es with pocket on your chest for rain and cold out and com the p ventilation and a small zip kee to ric fab h tec e abl ath bre ing from and f com roo gs erp a ton of interesting thin is built from a 3-layer wat heat management. There’s and down tion ing sitt tec be pro ll ed we’ add rge’s Juliet Elliot and waterproof zips for luding a collabo with Cha inc s, nth mo few t nex the Boxfresh over e of their designers next issu for an interview with one

WIN A LIMITED EDITION SAN MARCO CONCOR LONDON SADDLE (sellesanmarco.com) Built to celebrate the Bicycle Film Festival, San Marco released five limited edition Concor saddles, one each for the cities of New York, Milano, Paris, Tokyo and London and we’ve got one of the London versions to give away free. For your chance to win, just tell us what colours the five saddles are available in (for a hint, check out sellesanmarco. com/vintage). Email your answers to ian@fixed-mag. com, competition closes March 31st 2010 22 Fixed

HOT AIR

FRESH PRODUCT 2010’s newest kit

E

urobike is the biggest bike trade show in the world, which is weird because it’s held in the small German town of Friedrichshafen, on the banks of Lake Contstanz.

The town is so small that there are hardly any hotels, so most visitors have to stay a distance away, even over the lake in neighbouring Switzerland. Our budget stretched to camping (Ted only slept in his tent one night of the four that we were there, and was hit by lightning on another, but that’s a different story...).

Enough of the geography lesson – we were there to check out all the new product that will be hitting the stores soon.

Continuing their dedication to classic bicycles and the fixed gear scene, Brooks England produced a range of saddles to support the bike polo championships that happened around the world at the end of last year. Quality and heritage in a rad package.

EDITORIAL Andy Ellis andy@fixed-mag.com Ian Sansom ian@fixed-mag.com DESIGN Nick Butterfield nick@fixed-mag.com CONTRIBUTING WRITERS Monique Kawecki, Kati Jenson , Corey MacGregor, Wayne Morehart, Jonathan Winstone, Kareem Shehab, Burd Phillips

Not ones to fuck about, Charge showed their new toys on a stand that looked just like a pub (that’s right, we felt at home). The Shaker hub features an ISO bolt-on cog arrangement to eliminate the chances of stripped lockrings. Also new is the Chopstick seatpost, available in 27.2 or 31.6mm versions, featuring one of the most secure locking heads in the business and a boatload of new colours.

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS Jonathan Winstone, Matt Lingo, Wai, Jose J Martinez, Jesse Johnston, Kyle Kelley, Sean McCormack, Andrew McGaha, Ben Broomfield, John Watson, Kati Jenson, Corey MacGregor Fixed is published four times a year

by Death Trap Publishing and is available free from selected bike shops around the world ADVERTISING Please address all advertising enquires to ian@fixed-mag.com DISTRIBUTION Want to stock Fixed Mag? Please contact monifgldn@googlemail.com

Blackburn’s Flea lights – rad, tiny and rechargeable – were featured in issue four. At the time we moaned about the fact that you had to charge them off regular batteries, but now they have released the USB charging kit, which means that you can just plug the lights into your computer to juice up.

Awesome. They have also released a solar charging kit and a new range of tiny micro pumps.

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Thanks to everyone who made this possible, you know who you are.

Fixed magazine is printed on unbleached 100% recycled paper using vegetable oil inks.

Printed by Calverts 9/10 The Oval, London E2 9DT Tel: +44 (0) 20 7739 1474

4 P E T E R S T R E E T, L O N D O N , W 1 F 0 A D C U R R E N T LY S T O C K I N G MARTIN ALDIES THOMSON GORILLA OUTLIER LEADER BROOKLYN MACHINE WORKS WHITE INDUSTRIES CADENCE PEDAL ID TONIC FABRICATION WILD THINGS VELOCITY RELOAD ROULEUR H + SON DODICI MAVIC HUF NITTO 3 BANCHO 3 RENSHO ARAYA BOOTLEG SESSIONS CAMPAGNOLO RULEZ PEEPS CANTGOSLO CCP

CINELLI COG SELLE ITAIA PANARACER CYCLODELIC DEMOLITION DIA COMPE ZLOG DIXNA DOLAN DURA ACE OHTAKI FAST FRIDAY FIXED MAG FIXION FLY RACING GIRO GRUNGE GUSSET HALO HATTA SWAN HOSHI IDENTITI IZUMI KASHIMAX KMC MAGIC ONE MACAFRAMA

MASH MICHE MIZUA MKS MONSTER TRACK NARI FURI PALMY PB TOOLS PEDAL.E.D PROFILE RACING RINO ROYCE SAN MARCO SOMA SOYO PAKÉ EAI NAGASAWA SUGINO SWRVE TOSHI VELOCITY VERY MASA VOLUME WHEN WE WERE KIDS YAMOMOTO AND MANY MORE…

EMAIL— INFO@TOKYOFIXEDGEAR.COM WEB— TOKYOFIXEDGEAR.COM TEL— +44 (0) 207 734 1885

HOT AIR

Mongoose Maurice Chris Akrigg

Yes, that’s fucking Contador’s signature. The Giro Atmos, which was debuted in the mountain stages of last years TdF, is super light, super snug and still conforms to all the standards that it needs to – and what’s more, it’s a pretty reasonable price for a helmet that doesn’t make you look like a spazz and helps to keep you safe.

There’s something about Italian steel bikes that get us all quivering – and the new range of Cinelli track frames should help that out no end. Classic logos with up to date colourways and legendary Italian tubing.

Continental reinforced their dedication to fixed as they commissioned London’s 14 Bike Co to produced a range of bikes in Conti Yellow for the show. The bikes got more attention than anything else we saw there and helped open the eyes of new potential riders. Conti also debuted their Gatorskin Hardshell tyre as well – the same ride quality of the Gatorskin, but with reinforced puncture protection and thicker rubber for more durability – and they’re amazing.

I rode one a test one September through January, averaging 250 miles a week and they didn’t let me down once. Seriously impressive.

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Got a problem with bike security? Kryptonite have the answer. The Mini D is the lock of choice for virtually every fixed rider we know.

Inexpensive, tough as nails and easy to carry in your back pocket. If you need to step things up a notch (and let’s face it, thieves are getting GOOD these days), the chain lock has your back. Don’t waste your money on anything else!

No doubt, the highlight of the show was meeting Innes Brun, one of the most talented bike riders you’ll ever see. Think you know how to do tricks?

Innes will literally make you look stupid – amazing skills and a super cool person as well.

HOT AIR

More famous for their outstanding MTB ranges, Poland’s NS Bikes have turned their attention to fixed gear bikes and will offer their Analog model in both complete and frame only versions. It looks to be more of a fixed gear freestyle or every day thrash bike than a track bike, so don’t get your hopes up if you only like to turn left. NS Bikes are well known to many freestyle riders thanks to their bombproof forks and the Analog should continue the trend Raleigh, the oncemighty British brand has been reduced to labelling shitty, no-name Far Eastern bikes. You can’t see from the photo, but it’s a conversion. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing wrong with conversions – we’ve all owned and loved one – but when one of the most famous names in cycling releases a single speed bike with horizontal road bike dropouts, something fucking stinks, and it’s not our tents after bratwurst and beer. Raleigh, hang your heads in shame

New colourways for the San Marco Concor, one of the most-loved seat shapes of all time, complete with colour matching bar tape. The new Concor comes in black, red, blue, yellow and green. Same comfort, same styles, new colourways.

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We’d heard a little about this before the show, and true to rumour, Sturmey Archer debuted their new hub gear – a three speed fixed gear! We had a little trouble understanding the staff on the show as their English was as bad as our Dutch, but it seems like it works. If it’s anything like regular Sturmey gears there’ll be a little lag when switching betwen them, so they’re probably not what you want for a brakeless bike, but we’re stoked on the idea!

Surface is a new clothing company from the same stable as Charge Bikes, which means the same atention to detail, quality and value for money as Charge themselves. The design remit seems to have been clothes for people who want to be able to wear Surface off their bikes as well.

Traffic Distribution have just launched their own parts company, called Fürst. With some of the highest production values we’ve seen, they’re sure to make a huge impression. The colours on the anodising are deep and rich and the quality is better than most. At top is sneak peek of the sample of their new, as yet unnamed, trick stem.

INSTANTS

TOOL TIME

N

eeding to fix your bike and not having the tools is a shitty situation and having the tools but not knowing how is just as bad… learning by your mistakes can be expensive in this game.

Tool kits grow as your knowledge does. Getting a good set of allen keys and a 15mm spanner is a great start. My tool kit is not complete, and never will be. But I can strip your bike in under 30 minutes and tell you what’s wrong with the tools I have! – Andy

THREES

TOP THREE...

Asking some of fixed gear’s most influential people their top three choices from a list sounds easy enough, but getting answers was like herding cats – finally, here it is.

HENRIK KUERSCHNER – Berlin, Germany (hypebeast.com/blog/ artoo/) SANDWICHES Club sandwich // Egg and mayo // Peanut butter&jam JUNK FOOD Currywurst & pommes Berlin // Cheeseburger at Great Burger in Tokyo // Ciu bao bao in Hong Kong PEOPLE Kelle // Phillip // Lukas

EXCUSES TO RIDE I need to clear my head // The weather is too good to pass the chance to ride in the sun // I ate too much BIKES GOrilla // Cinelli // Pinarello PLACES TO VISIT Australia // My parents’ // My “new” bathroom THINGS I WONT MISS FROM 2009 Rain // Letters from the tax man // Invoices in general FUNNY THINGS Everybody knows about it // Loving it when you

KYLE KELLEY

– Los Angeles, USA (trackosaurusrex.com) SANDWICHES The prosciutto sandwich from Larchmont Village // #6 Vegetarian from Jimmy Johns // Any Vietnamese Hoagie JUNK FOOD Plantain Chips // Cheese Balls // It’s It Ice Cream Treat EXCUSES TO RIDE The Sun is going down // I bet you can see the ocean from the top of Griffith // I need a drink!

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stop and somebody explains your bike to his mate, with two fists rotating in the air // The whole “I’m a messenger and you are scum” discussion SONGS Jackson Five – I want you back // The Smiths – Cemetery Gates // Jimi Hendrix – Crosstown Traffic THINGS PEOPLE DON’T KNOW I was way fatter before cycling (unbelievable, but true) //I have a thing for girls with a Swiss accent // I love the movie ‘Four Weddings and a Funeral

MOVIES Any Film Noir // Le Genou De Claire // F is for Fake SPEND $5 BUCKS Roll of Film // Priority Flat Rate Envelope // Periodical BIKES FBM Sword // Calfee Luna Road Bike // Kelly Single Speed Cyclocross Bike PLACES TO VISIT Vancouver // Bangkok // Kobe WON’T MISS There isn’t much about 2009 I want to remember.

SONGS I am very anti headphones on the bike, but for songs I like to listen to off the bike: Scott Walker – Jackie // Ramblin’ Jack Elliot – Me and Bobby McGee // T. Rex – Jewel THINGS PEOPLE DON’T KNOW I fall in love very easily // I actually don’t know how to use a computer // I hate digital cameras WAYS TO SAY GOODBYE Bye Bye // Ciao // Good Night

THREES MIKEY MERKENSCHLAGER -(London, UK) 14bikeco.wordpress.com,

SANDWICHES Chocolate spread and bananas // Salt beef bagel from Brick Lane // Toasted cheese with tomato, spicy ham and pickles JUNK FOOD Chicken & chips // Domino’s with garlic dip // Chicken & chips PEOPLE HAL from Japan // John Cardiel // Barry the caretaker EXCUSES TO RIDE Weather is good // Weather is okay // Weather is bad MOVIES The Point // Ikigami // My Neighbor Totoro

PROLLY

– New York, USA (prollyisnotprobably .com) SANDWICHES North Cak Lexingtonstyle pulled pork with coleslaw // Tiny’s Sandwich Shop’s Spicy

SPEND £3 As many Reese’s cups as possible // Salt beef bagel from Brick Lane // Film develop & scan at Eye Culture BIKES The lone wolf’s // Jacob’s 953 14bikeco // My own. is that bad? i like my bike PLACES TO VISIT THIS YEAR JAPAN! // Berlin (Bright Tradeshow, yo!) // Uhmerica // SF/NYC fo’ sho’ WON’T MISS FROM 2009 Breaking my finger // Cutting my head open, twice // Hospitals FUNNY THINGS How trick bikes are super

Rizzak // Bojangle’s Cajun Fillet biscuit

sucks’ Lamarche // Tony ‘fat chicks’ Fast

JUNK FOODS Sour Patch Kids // Pepperidge Farm Mint Milanos // Beer (beer is technically a food)

EXCUSES TO RIDE My foot’s not fucked up // Avoiding responsibilities // I’m not sore enough

PEOPLE My girl // Tom ‘Delco

MOVIES Evil Dead 1 & 2 (same movie right? Heh) // Aliens // Blue Velvet THINGS TO SPEND $5 ON Two Budweiser tallboys // Burrito from the truck on Bedford // Coffee and a scone BIKES (Holy grails for me) Eddy Merckx MX-Leader Pista – Team Telekom // Coast touring bike // 1949 Hetchins 6-day racer

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cool now // How good some people are getting // How ugly those mini bikes are, like those ones with tiny wheels SONGS I don’t really listen to music when I ride, london traffic normally keeps me occupied THINGS PEOPLE DON’T KNOW I have a scar somewhere in my right eyebrow // DYR opd TIMC // I compose death metal lyrics in my spare time WAYS TO SAY GOODBYE Big up to all my guys // If you don’t know, now you know // A solid handshake

PLACES TO VISIT London town // SF // Texas THINGS YOU WONT MISS FROM 2009?

‘Get a BMX’ // Bootleg/ rip-off products // Rick Rolling SONGS Burzum “Jesus’ Tod // Nocturnal – Death is the answer // Sleep – Dopesmoker THINGS PEOPLE DON’T KNOW I’m an Architect // I used to obsess over surfing // I’ve eaten pig brains WAYS TO SAY GOODBYE? Photo // Bag/tag // Blog about it

THREES WAYS TO SPEND $5 Nifty Fifties Milk Shake // Philadelphia Brewing Company Joe // Lickity Split 2 Slices and a soda BIKES Specialized Tarmac SL2 // Personalized Shop 14 ESB // Fit Series 3.5

TONY FAST

PEOPLE Mike Rowe // David Byrne // Spike Jonze

SANDWICHES Egg Sesame Sandwich at the Dumpling Joint // Veggie Fat Cat in New Brunswick // Bagel with Lox and Cream Cheese

EXCUSES TO RIDE Because it’s fun to escape reality with friends.

JUNK FOODS Ruffles Sour Cream and Cheddar Chips // Nifty Fifties Spicy Cheese Fries // Boardwalk Fries

MOVIES Oh Brother Where Art Thou? // Rambo IV // No Casettes stuck in a broken DVD player

TOREY THORNTON

- (Atlanta, USA) – (itswrahw.blogspot.com) SANDWICHES BBQ // Turkey and bacon // Grilled cheese JUNK FOODS Swedish fish // Jalapeno chips // Slim Jims PEOPLE Mom // Sis // Odessa

PLACES TO VISIT THIS YEAR Barcelona // London // Prolly’s blog THINGS YOU WONT MISS FROM 2009 Graduate School // Inopportune injuries // Death FUNNY THINGS Tall BMX bars // Inbreeding of video projects // Their presence in pop culture EXCUSES TO RIDE? Adrenaline // Friends // Self-gratification MOVIES Full Metal Jacket // The Sand Lot // A Christmas Story WAYS TO SPEND $5 Blue 9 Burger // Black Sox // Condoms BIKES Tom’s Charge // Any GOrilla // Any 14 BikeCo joint by Ted PLACES YOU TO VISIT THIS YEAR Cali // U.K. // Barcelona THINGS YOU WONT MISS FROM 2009 Almost failing my European History class // broken bike shit // Auto Tune

SONGS Bouncing Souls – BMX Song // Gaslight Anthem – Patient Ferris Wheel // Lawrence Arms –The Slowest Drink At The Saddest Bar On The Snowiest Day In The Greatest City THINGS PEOPLE DON’T KNOW Within the next year I will be Dr Fast // I’m really a 130 pound nerd in a fat suit // I had a really hard time doing this survey WAYS TO SAY GOODBYE Be EEEAAAZZZZYYYY // Don’t worry I’ll call YOU // See you in hell

FUNNY THINGS People getting mad when truths are stated // Congo from Death Pedal 2 // Fashion SONGS Garbageman – The Cramps // Any Spits song // Romeo’s Distress – Christian Death THINGS PEOPLE DON’T KNOW I care about making paintings more than riding // I can recite tons of fashion designers off the top of my head // I had dreads for five years WAYS TO SAY GOODBYE? Later man // Holler // See ya

DUALITY

LAURA MANGANARO & CHIHIRO Paris, France is the adopted home of two fun-loving riders Laura Manganaro from Italy and Chihiro from Japan...

LAURA ON CHIHIRO

CHIHIRO ON LAURA

I met Chihiro a year ago during a Christmas ride in Paris but never would have imagined she would become one of my best friends! Riding with her is so much fun, as she’s super fast and I always try to follow her in the traffic! She’s an amazing girl, always positive and kind. She’s super stylish, and her coloured and beautiful bikes reflect that! Chihiro is also an amazing cook – ask her to cook her famous katsu curry rice! I feel that we really understand each other well, even though we have only known each other a little while. I cannot wait to explore more roads with her in the future! Ciao Chihiro!

The first time me and Laura talked properly was at a Cyclope exhibition (although we knew each other for some time prior to that). The bicycle and the conversation had stimulated our relationship. Laura never makes me bored, because she is not only natural, tender, sensitive, curious, and well balanced, but also funky, wild and courageous. We are really 'single soul dwelling in two bodies'.

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Photos by WAI

THE REVIVAL’S EUROPEAN VA C AT I O N T H R E E

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C O U N T R I E S ,

F I V E

C I T I E S ,

T E N

D A Y S .

AFTER ALMOST A YEAR IN PRODUCTION, WAYNE MOREHART’S FIXED MOVIE ‘THE REVIVAL’ IS READY FOR RELEASE. TO CELEBRATE, HE BROUGHT A CREW – KATI JENSON, COREY MACGREGOR AND TYLER JOHNSON – TO EUROPE FOR THE PREMIERE TOUR. LEEDS, MANCHESTER AND LONDON, ENGLAND

BY WAYNE MOREHART For some reason, meeting people for the first time always puts me on edge. Prior to filming, I had never even met around 80% of the riders, so when I got the call from Ian at Fixed mag about coming to Europe it made me nervous.

I don’t know why – the Seattle and New York cats had opened their arms with nothing but love even though I’d never met them, either.

Maybe I’ll never learn.

We arrived at London Heathrow airport at 6 am and managed to transport all our shit – bike bags, cases and around a hundred t-shirts – 20 miles through the underground train system to Whitechapel, thinking 14 Bike Co was just a few blocks away. All three of us slowly – and I mean slowly – hauled our shit about six blocks before we couldn’t do it anymore and set up on the side of the street to put our bikes together. We finally found 14 Bike Co and Odge was waiting for us. We were all very tired and anxious, but he showed us there was nothing to be nervous about – 100% hospitality right from the start. He went out and got us tea and we proceeded to hang out to wait for the usual suspects.

Riding in London is insane. I had ridden with the Farfast and BKK crew in Bangkok two years ago and thought that was crazy. London streets are narrow as hell and traffic is fast and dense. The first night riding in London had to be one of the best I had ever been on.

We dropped the hammer as soon as we left the pub and never looked back.

The first two premieres in England were Leeds and Manchester, two cities in the

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north of the country.

Duncan and John from 14 Bike Co were kind enough to pay for our van rental to get there and back.

These two days were amazing! No windows in the back of the van led to instant good times. This is how I like to travel: seven bikes crammed in with beanbags and sleeping bags for comfort. The drive was so much fun, in the pitch black we drank beers and smoked smokes and got to know one another. The premiere in Leeds was amazing, tons of people came out and after we rode all over the city before settling on a sweet bank to drink beers until the sun came up. Manchester was just as rad! We showed the film at an indoor skatepark, before the whole crew had to drive back to London the same night. Happy and a little drunk, Juliet and I made our own toilets in the back of the van at 70 mph. Dirtbags!

It was raining like crazy at the London premiere, but that didn’t stop us. We rode all day taking photos and of course after riding we hit a pub. Within an hour there was about 40 of us drinking and just having an all around good time. I was very nervous for the premiere but everything went perfectly. It was my 30th birthday so we all let loose and found a house party afterwards. On our way there Oscar ran into some trouble and Juliet ended up taking care of business – U-lock to some dude’s head! Corey, Kati and I partied until 6 am, although rumor has it that most of them kept going until 7 pm the next day. I already miss everybody I met in London and would consider them all bro’s. I can’t wait until we meet again.

PARIS, FRANCE

BY KATI JENSON

We took the Eurostar, a train that goes though a tunnel under the sea from the UK to France and arrived in Paris in the afternoon.

We grabbed our bikes and took off into the streets. Tyler successfully led us over cobblestones and through narrow, winding, one-way streets, passing canals, monuments

FF IGHT O AN N , STRA NSON ARSPINS O H O J TYLERLANE TO B DON BANK THE P Y-ASS LON M GRIM ANSO : IAN S PHOTO

ER E TH AL’S VIV OPEAN E U R AT I O N VAC

and traffic circles to Cyclope, Paris’ number one fixed gear bike store. Cyclope was to hold the Revival’s official French premiere later that evening. Corey and I decided to first stop

by McDonald’s to confirm if the ‘Royale with Cheese’ really does exist. Tarantino was right!

When we returned to Cyclope, the sun had set and people started to piling their bikes in the street outside. One dude looked like he just stepped out of the office, wearing a suit and tie, but Tyler let him borrow his bike to try out some tricks during an impromptu trick session on rue de la Folie Mericourt (Folie is French for madness).

THE VIV RE EUR AL’ VAC OPE S AT I A N O

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We all squeezed in to watch the Revival and drink free mini bottles of beer, then sold a few t-shirts and dropped our gear off at Laura Manganaro’s, who hosted us for the rest of the week. She took us to a bar for post-premiere hangs. Tyler had a piece of cheesecake and I tried the ‘Parisian messenger’s drink of choice’ a beer with a shot of cherry flavored liquor, to sweeten the beer and remove the cheap flavor. I thanked Romain Abeille

for introducing to me a whole new way of drinking! Laura introduced us to Agata who lives in Paris and we tried to avoid a late night but ended up giggling and stick-and-poke tattooing in the bunkbed at Laura’s flat ‘til the early morning.

We got our bearings by riding at so many famous spots including the Eiffel Tower, Champs-Elysees, and along the Seine. A few nights later, Tyler blew up a weekly trick night and we hung out with some sick Parisian riders.

There was a 10-plusperson bunny-hop session over a pylon, but luckily no broken bikes! On our last day we rode to the Sacre Coeur Church in Montmartre where the view was stunning.

Hanging out and riding with Laura was definitely a highlight of the Revival tour. I was blown away with every turn of a corner.

The next day, we left Tyler to hang with his kindred spirit Rudolph and they checked out the city. We barely made it on to the train to Rotterdam then we were off on another adventure with more of the coolest, most stoked riders in the world ready to throw down. Fuck YEA! JULIET ELLIOT WHEELIES THROUGH THE HANGOVER PHOTO: KATI JENSON

ROTTERDAM

BY COREY MACGREGOR

We packed light: just a change of clothes, a sleeping bag and as many Revival t-shirts as we could fit into our bags. I was getting sick of carrying those shirts all over Europe, but at least we ended up with less after each premiere.

At the train station we broke down our bikes, a routine we got quite efficient at as we seemed to have to do it every couple days and as usual, we cut it to the last minute and had to run to get on the train with only seconds to spare! When we got to Rotterdam I could only think of one thing – getting really fucking stoned! I hadn’t smoked pot in over a week, which is a real stretch for me. We built up our bikes and walked out of the station where the Rotterdam crew was waiting for us. Juliet and Emily had taken the bus from London because it was way cheaper, but after hearing about how long and brutal their trip was, I was glad we paid the extra cash to take the train. After some introductions and small talk we went

YEP, THERE’S MORE THAN ONE OF THEM. SUPERTED’S BROTHER, TALIBAN TOM, BRINGING BMX STYLES TO FIXED GEAR RIDING PHOTO: IAN SANSOM

BIKE PILEON! PHOTO: COREY MACGREGOR

PHOTO: KATI JENSON

THE REVIVAL’S EUROPEAN VA C AT I O N

to a sweet bar called The Tiki Lounge. It had been about three hours since we arrived and I was still not stoned, so I decided to take matters into my own hands and demanded that someone show me to one of the infamous coffee shops I’ve been hearing about for years.

Once business was taken care of I quickly twisted up a nice fatty!

It was finally time to head to the premiere at a hotel and by the time we got there, bikes were already starting to pile up. I love seeing bikes piled on top of each other, the more the better! I like how there’s always at least one bike locked to the top of a pole or fence in some obscure position. It makes me smile every time! I took a seat over by the girls

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(Juliet, Emily, Kati and Laura) who seemed to be taking swigs from two big bottles of booze. I thought it would be a bad idea (I had smoked a couple more joints) but I took a chug anyway. I wouldn’t want to be rude now, would I? The venue was filling up nicely. Wayne introduced the movie and it was showtime!

The crowd in Rotterdam was amazing! I would say that they were the most vocal of all the crowds in Europe. They were totally loving it, we sold a bunch of t-shirts and I was stoked because I didn’t want to have to bring any back. I heard there was conflict with the hotel people and I say ‘heard’ because I was shitfaced! The combination of no food, weed,

liquor and beer got me seriously fucked up!

I puked in the hotel, in front of the hotel and probably more places that I don’t even know about. I was having such a good time that I couldn’t ride my bike back to where we were staying. Kati had to call me a cab and take me home and we left our bikes locked up to a pole in front of the hotel.

We spent the first part of the next day looking for our bikes then went for breakfast with Roy and Zelda. Roy took us to the space where his new bike shop will be, it’s super sweet! We smoked a couple joints, got some pizza and headed back to watch some movies. Wayne passed out pretty much right away, so of course I took pictures of him and posted them on the internet.

We were supposed to go on a pancake boat cruise, but since everyone seemed to be a stoner, reservations weren’t made and most of us didn’t even wake up until noon anyway. I don’t think we ever got used to the time change from North America. Apparently it was the Dutch version of Christmas that day and they had this kinda Santa Claus guy with his crazy ‘helpers’. They threw candy and cookies at us and kept trying to scare the kids in the restaurant. It was one of the most bizarre things I had ever seen. After breakfast, Roy took us on a harbor boat cruise, the most touristy thing we did the entire trip. Again, beers and weed came out, but at a much milder pace and we talked about bikes and took in the scenery. After the boat cruise we had a quick little trick session and rode back to the train station to head back to Paris, then London and home. Europe was fun.

The Revival will be available on DVD in March. Follow The Revival’s on Twitter – twitter.com/therev1val

TALIBAN, KEEPING THE ENGLISH DREAM ALIVE PHOTO:COREY MACGREGOR

KATI, SUPERTED AND CO SELF-PORTRAIT PHOTO:COREY MACGREGOR

EURO-CUISINE AT IT’S BEST – FULL ENGLISH BREAKFAST PHOTO: COREY MACGREGOR

WITH NO MONEY FOR HOTELS, SUPERTED BECAME VERY EXPERIENCED AT CAMPING IN TOKYO AND FOR ONE NIGHT ONLY, I JOINED HIM. THIS PARTICULAR SPOT WAS ACROSS FROM KINFOLK’S BAR – SUPER CONVENIENT, SEEING WE HAD NOWHERE TO GO AT 4AM. WE FOUND SOME NETTING AND PLASTIC SHEETS AND MADE HAMMOCKS. I MADE MINE HIGH BUT TED GOT WET FROM THE GROUND BECAUSE IT RAINED LIKE CRAZY.

TWO GAIJIN IN THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN

LAST SEPTEMBER, ANDY AND TED FROM FIXED GEAR LONDON MADE THE JOURNEY TO JAPAN TO VISIT THE CYCLE MESSENGER WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (CMWC), KYOTO LOCO AND A BIG STREETWEAR TRADESHOW WITH THEIR JAPANESE DISTRIBUTOR DICE AND DICE. THERE WERE THERE FOR ALMOST A MONTH AND HAD THE TIME OF THEIR LIVES. ANDY SHOT ABOUT A BAZILLION PHOTOS AND WE MANAGED TO GET HIM TO PICK HIS FAVOURITES AND WRITE SOME WORDS ABOUT EACH OF THEM. 46

LEFT: THIS WAS MY FIRST CMWC… I NEVER EXPECTED SUCH AN IMMENSE EVENT. EVERY RIDER WAS FRIENDLY AND FROM ALL CORNERS OF THE WORLD, YOU CANNOT EVEN BEGIN TO IMAGINE HOW MUCH KNOWLEDGE THIS COMMUNITY POSSESSES ABOUT TRAVELLING ON A BICYCLE. JAPANESE POLICE CONTROLLED AND LIMITED THIS CMWC AND THE ORGANISERS HAD TO PULL SO MANY STRINGS TO MAKE IT HAPPEN IT WAS CRAZY.

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ABOVE: THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS TO YOU IF YOU FALL UNCONSCIOUS WHILST OFF YOUR FACE AT KYOTO LOCO. IT STARTED OFF ALL GOOD AND FUN… DRAWING, TAPING AND POSITIONING, THEN HE WOKE UP. THE GIRLS CAME TO THE RESCUE AND COVERED HIM UP. I WOULD HAVE BEEN PISSED OFF, BUT HE JUST WANTED TO DANCE SOME MORE AND GET ANOTHER DRINK.

BELOW: WE HAD THE RARE OPPORTUNITY TO GO FOR A TRADITIONAL MEAL IN KYOTO. IT WAS LIKE BEING AT A WEDDING WHEN YOU WERE REALLY YOUNG. THESE OLDER WOMEN COME IN AND COOK BEEF IN EGG YOLKS WHILST WE TRIED TO EAT STARTERS THAT LOOK LIKE WORKS OF ART. SUCH AN AMAZING MEAL AND ONE THAT I NEVER THOUGHT I WOULD GET TO EAT…

HOMELESS PEOPLE DON’T HAVE IT TOO BAD IN JAPAN. I SAW HOBOS SLEEPING OUTSIDE BANKS AND IMPORTANT BUILDINGS, NOT GHETTO LIKE THIS GUY, BUT SET UP WITH CAMPING GAS FOR THE TEA AND CARDBOARD HOUSES AND SHIT. WHEN MOST PEOPLE PAY TO LIVE IN A HOUSE THE SIZE OF A ROOM, SLEEPING OUTSIDE HAS A GREATER APPEAL TO MANY. THE WEATHER IS GREAT AND YOU DON’T GET MOVED ON!

WE HAD TIME TO VISIT SOME TEMPLES IN KYOTO, IT WAS THE FIRST TIME SINCE WE ARRIVED TO RIDE DISTANCE AS WE HAD TAKEN THE SHINKANSEN (BULLET TRAIN) THE DAY BEFORE. THE TEMPLES WERE BEAUTIFUL AND WE WENT TO THREE DIFFERENT ONES IN A DAY. JUST RIDING AROUND JAPAN FOR THE FIRST TIME WAS UNBELIEVABLE AND KNOWING THAT WE WOULD BE RIDING FROM KYOTO TO TOKYO MADE IT EVEN MORE SO.

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TOM LAMARCHE UNDERCOVER NOSE MANUAL PHOTO: JOHN WATSON

REFLECTIONS ON THE START OF THE BOOTLEG SESSIONS PROJECT – BY BURD PHILLIPS TOM LAMARCHE AND I HAVE KNOWN EACH OTHER FOR JUST OVER THREE YEARS, WHICH IN THE GRAND SCHEME OF THINGS IS NOT A LONG TIME. WHEN I REFLECT ON HOW MUCH HAS HAPPENED DURING THAT PERIOD, HOWEVER, IT FEELS LIKE I’VE KNOWN HIM FOREVER. WHEN WE FIRST STARTING PLOTTING THE BOOTLEG SESSIONS VIDEO BACK IN THE SUMMER OF 2007, NEITHER OF US COULD HAVE IMAGINED WE WOULD DO THE THINGS OR MEET THE AMAZING PEOPLE THAT WE HAVE AS A RESULT. NOW WE’RE IN THE PROCESS OF PUTTING TOGETHER WHAT WILL BE THE FOURTH, AND MOST LIKELY, FINAL VOLUME IN THE BOOTLEG SERIES, I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE A GOOD TIME TO GIVE TOM A CALL AND REMINISCE A BIT ABOUT HOW THE WHOLE THING GOT STARTED. I CAUGHT HIM ON HIS WAY TO LUNCH WITH HIS PARTNER IN CRIME, TONY FAST… 54 Fixed

B

urd: Let’s go right to the beginning, the first time I saw anything from you, which was a short video you posted online of some stuff on a bank behind a school in Delco (Delaware County, Pennsylvania). You then put out several clips from different spots around Philly. You were 17 years old, you rode BMX and got a fixed gear bike… why did you start doing that stuff on your fixed gear instead of sticking to BMX? TOM: I didn’t start off doing it right away.

At first I just used my fixed for transportation.

Then I started jumping around, trying to get out of the way of cars in traffic, getting up on curbs and stuff. Once I learned how to bunny hop, we just started fucking around in parking lots when we’d ride somewhere. Just kind of, ‘Hey, do you think you can do a 180?’ or, ‘do you think you can do a tire tap?’ or something like that.

BURD: That’s kind of the way I was, too. I got a fixed gear solely for riding purposes, but I soon found that I always had an urge to mess around on it. You got a pretty big response to those first clips that you posted. What were you thinking when you were getting thousands of

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hits on those videos?

TOM: It was pretty weird, I didn’t think anybody would really care but it was definitely cool. From that video, Dustin from Cadence asked if I’d be interested in riding for him and making more videos. I was pretty stoked. I knew a little bit about Cadence, I’d seen his clothes and stuff the summer before at the NACCCs actually. Dustin kind of remembered me from that because I had been trying 180s on my Rush Hour or whatever.

BURD: The Cadence East Coast video is the one I really remember. That was the one that I think really first hit the consciousness of the fixed gear world. You put all that together, right?

TOM: Right. It was filmed with a shitty digicam filmed by Bean and myself who I rode with before I met Tony Fast.

BURD: After the Cadence East Coast vid came out and got the response that it got, did other potential sponsors start hitting you up?

TOM: I contacted Charge asking if they had U.S. distributors and I ended up riding for them, then Brooklyn, then Charge again. Nick from Charge posted the Cadence video on the Charge site before I contacted him to find out if their bikes were available in the U.S. BURD: So he hooked you up with a bike, and then he sent out a photographer to do a photo shoot with?

TOM: Paul Bliss was doing stuff in DC or Baltimore or something like that, shooting motocross stuff, so he was coming through the area and he stopped in Philly.

BURD: How long did you ride the Plug?

TOM: I don’t even know. Probably two or three months. I kept bending the forks, and I think I finally told Nick that I didn’t want to ride it anymore if it kept breaking.

BURD: That was around the same time I went out to Seattle for the Cadence July Fast Friday event. Everybody was amazing and so much stuff went down. That’s pretty much when I decided that if I wanted to be part of something, I was going to have to do it myself. I think I emailed you the next day about starting a DVD project. I don’t think a lot of people know how integral you were to the origination of the Bootleg Sessions project.

You were the one who got all of the East Coast stuff going and that included Tony, who in a weird way I see as the spirit of Bootleg Sessions because of his completely unrestrained and occasionally obnoxious attitude about riding and having fun. How did you meet him? How did he get involved in all of this?

BURD IS THE KING OF CRAZY TRACKSTAND SHIT PHOTO: ANDREW MCGAHA

OG BOOTLEG CREW PHOTO: JOSE J MARTINEZ

TOM: I think Bean and I were at FDR (a skatepark in Philly) one day and Tony rolled up and asked us for an egg roll. He was basically doing backward circles and pogos and shit and we got each other’s numbers and met up there again.

BURD: You guys had a pretty good sized crew that was going around filming at that time… you, Tony, Wilis… who else?

TOM: Bean and Josh, and occasionally a

few others. We were filming all over Philly every Sunday for a couple of months.

BURD: There was a lot of good jacking around in that first Bootleg Sessions. We have to get into the drunk guy that you guys were messing with who threw down on Tony. How did that happen?

TOM: We were in North Philly at this skate park in the hood, and this dude was just wasted off his ass already at like twelve o’clock

on a Sunday. We just started fucking with him, Tony was riding circles around him, and the guy just got pissed off and pushed him.

BURD: It was just so unexpected. He didn’t yell at you guys, he didn’t say a word. Instead he just froze for a moment, picked out a target, and attacked. It was so amazing. He had balls of steel. There were like six of you guys and he was by himself, hammered, and he just immediately decided that he was going to throw down. That’s Philadelphia right there.

TOM: Only in Philadelphia. We’re the city of assholes.

BURD: A lot of your footage in the first Bootlegs came from New York, at the Brooklyn Banks and stuff. Now I don’t think a lot of people know this, but Prolly made his first cameo appearance in Bootleg Sessions v.1, right?

TOM: Yeah. The first time we met Prolly was at the Banks with Luke Stiles (the man behind the upcoming “Empire” project). Prolly was filming some stuff with his hand held camera, and Luke filmed us for the first time with his nice HD camera. Prolly was riding a Pista concept with a 650 tri-spoke, kind of on the West Coast tip with the 650 doing bar-spins.

There were a lot of people doing the West Coast stuff at that time, and we came up from Philly with more of a BMX-oriented style.

BURD: OK, let’s jump ahead to when the first Bootleg Sessions finally came out. What did you think of everything that went down? What started to happen?

TOM: I thought it was pretty wild that everything came together and the video

actually came out. It definitely made everything seem a little bit more legitimate.

BURD: When you started doing this stuff, did you ever think it would turn into what it has become? Not that it’s some huge deal or anything, but there are kids all over the world who know who Tom LaMarche is now.

TOM: I think everyone was stoked on it, seeing the videos going all over the world and everything. It was especially crazy to me since I was only seventeen.

BURD: You have a good head on your shoulders though. I never would’ve thought you were a seventeen year old the first time I met you. (There’s a commotion in the background, followed by laughing.)

TOM: One of the waiters just ran into the door and dropped his dishes all over the floor.

BURD: Did Tony push him into the door?

TOM: (Laughs) Nah. BURD: Tony had nothing to do with it?

TOM: Nah. BURD: See, that just exemplifies you and Tony right there. Wherever you go, crazy shit starts happening.

TOM: Exactly.

BURD: I think that’s a good way to end this interview, with you guys laughing at someone else’s misfortune... Take care, guys!

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A COUPLE OF YEARS MAKES –GAPS USED TO BE A BANGER TRICK, NOW ALMOST EVERYONE CAN DO THEM PHOTO: JOSE J MARTINEZ

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MONIQUE KAWECKI SPEAKS TO THE GUYS AT KINFOLK ABOUT TRAVELLING, GINGER MINT MOJITOS AND WHY THEY DON’T CALL THIS A JOB, BUT A LIFESTYLE. PHOTOS BY KYLE KELLEY

KINFOLK B ICYCLE CO

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H

ome to frame-builders such as Nagasawa, Kalavinka and many others, Japan has always produced track frames of the highest quality. This is exactly the case for Kinfolk, who build custom, handmade track frames, with the help of respected framebuilder Kusaka-san, who has spent a large amount of his life building for Keirin racers. Starting through a love of cycling, continuing through a love of track frames and finishing with their need for quality, Kinfolk frames are something to be admired. They are not only built to last, but beautiful to look at.

SIMPLICITY AND BEAUTY DEFINED...

M// How and why did Kinfolk start? How long has it been going?

K // Maceo was going back and forth between Japan and NY and would search out nice Keirin frames in his-off time, sort of as a hobby. He would go to the shops and meet the builders, have some tea, and talk bikes. Every now and then he would come across a nice frame, and bring it home to NY. The frame would get ridden for awhile, then traded or sold. Pretty soon, we had a good idea of what we wanted in a steel frame. This is about the time that Akira and Maceo first met Kusaka (our frame-builder). We asked him to build us the first batch of frames; just metal, no paint.

We then started learning about the different ways of painting and powder-coating – who was good at it, what kind of decals worked, and all of the fun parts of making something.

It all sort of happened very organically. From day one, it’s all just been about looking for opportunities to support ourselves through things we’re interested in.

What was your vision when Kinfolk first started? And how much has it progressed since then?

As the Japanese kids started to realise the value of Keirin frames, the prices went up.

People that didn’t ever ride bikes started collecting them, trying to turn a profit. The cost of a used Keirin frame got to be as high as a new one, so we thought we’d put all the things we liked in a bike together, and give it a shot. Our vision started as simply trying to make the bikes that we had in our heads: simple, handmade products whose aesthetic is classic, yet modern and most importantly, timeless. It’s never been an aim

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to be the biggest bike company, or to get rich, or anything like that. And we figured if we wanted these bikes, then other people probably would too.

Each of you are from different cities. Ryan’s from LA, John’s from Sydney, Maceo and Salah are from NYC and Akira is from Tokyo.

How did you all meet? And can you tell me a little about everyone...

It’s kinda like the intro to the A-Team. Unfairly accused of crimes we didn’t commit, we hit the road, solving mysteries, and sleeping in a van… John had been living in Japan for ten years, skating curbs with Maceo whenever

“From day one, it’s all just been about looking for opportunities to support ourselves through things we’re interested in”

he came to Tokyo. Once an amateur Sydney runabout kid – since turned pro Tokyo-mingler with a taste for the night. Akira is from Kobe, but we met him in Tokyo. Maceo is originally from Port Townsend, a boat town outside of Seattle. He came out to Tokyo dealing with vintage sneakers and vintage jeans. Ryan and Maceo also knew each other through skateboarding and graffiti. Salah And Maceo met doing art and stuff in Seattle back in the day. Maceo and Salah both ended up in NY, and Ryan and John would come do some Brooklyn couch surfing every now and then.

It all kinda funnels through Maceo, he’s the biggest hobo of all.

How did you all get into fixed gear riding?

We are all really just into riding. We all have multiple bikes – track, road, cruisers, bmx – it really just depends on the day. I would say we ride our track bikes most often because we live in urban areas where having a fixed gear bike is the most efficient and natural form of bicycle transportation.

Why the name ‘Kinfolk?’

We wanted something that included everyone, and that wasn’t aggressive or extreme. Kinfolk means family, which is how we feel about each other. Kinfolk is really bigger than the four of us, we have this big extended family of guys and girls that we all consider to be family. The bar is always full of Kinfolk. There are Kinfolk in every city that we live in, and a few in places we don’t.

“Kinfolk is really bigger than the four of us, we have this big extended family of guys and girls that we all consider family” 64 Fixed

How is riding in Tokyo?

Tokyo is like an Atari game – bonus level with 24hr ramen restaurants as refilling stations.

The streets are super well lit. Sometimes the roads are reflecting all the neon. Nearly everyone in Tokyo has a bike. It’s been the preferred local transportation for a long time.

The ‘bicycle community’ in Tokyo has grown tremendously over the last five years due to the expansion of the bicycle community around the globe and the desire for Japanese track bikes. Nowhere else in the world could it be so orderly and so hectic at the same time. A bike is the best and fastest way to get from A to B in Tokyo.

Tell me about Kusaka. He used to build Vivalo frames, right? How did your relationship start with him? And why did you choose him to build your frames?

We talked to a few builders, but Kusaka really

“As long as people are riding bikes, we’re happy...”

seemed to be the guy that had both the creative drive and the pedigree. We always try to make sure he gets his proper respect.

The care and knowledge he puts into a frame is really awe-inspiring. It’s an honour that someone of his calibre chooses to work with us. The Kinfolk frames have a variety of tubing and lug options. For our track frame, our favourite combination is Tange tubing and Kalivinka lugs. For our road bike coming out this winter, KAISEI 8630R tubing and Nagasawa lugs.

The paint-jobs on the frames look great. Can you tell me about the process you use from start to finish...

We have a variety of paint process each depending on what the rider needs. All our frames start out by being chromed to protect the frame and to allow for a large set of options when painting the frame. Then the frame is either painted by Kusaka in Japan or sent to COAT in Portland.

You offer your Classic Custom and Kinfolk SE frames. Will you be advancing to more customization in the future?

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We are happy with what we have made: each bike is a bit different from the other, but we don’t think that we need to offer many more types of frames. We just did a road bike and we are also always willing to hear what a customer wants and try to oblige.

However, we also respect the judgement of Kusaka, and his years of experience in terms of metal and therefore he has the final word on whether something is appropriate. As for colours and finish, we just try to have fun, but do try our best to restrain ourselves to keep them timeless. Bicycle frames are inherently pleasing to the eye. We try not to get in the way of what already works.

How many bikes have you made to date?

Close to 50. The first ten were for friends and family and since then have sent bikes to nine different countries around the world.

There are talks of Akira building the Kinfolk frames in the future....

Akira has moved down to Akashi and is working with Kusaka now. Kusaka-San will be building as long as possible, but he is also closing in on retirement, so having Akira as

an apprentice is definitely in our best interest.

He has more passion about bicycles than any one else that we have ever met. It would be an honour to have Akira building Kinfolk frames in the future. If you have seen the movie, then you know Akira IS the future.

The headbadge for the frames is great. Can you tell me who designed it for you and what it represents?

We asked Marco Hernandez to do the design.

Tattoo art and headbadge art seem to need about the same amount of space in the linework and Marco is part of our crew, so he seemed to be the the appropriate candidate.

We didn’t tell him what to do at all, we just said we need a headbadge design, and he was super excited as he used to collect old Schwinns. He said that he had drawn the first half of the rabbit and sort of got stuck, then he flipped it over and realized that since a fixed gear goes both ways it is appropriate that a rabbit does too. The Rabbit represents speed, and the Anvil represents strength. Plus there is probably some Bugs Bunny/anvil correlation if you really look hard.

You also have the Kinfolk bar in the Nakameguro district of Tokyo, Japan. Why did you decide to set up a bar?

Batman had the batcave, Dr. No had his volcano lair, we have The Kinfolk Lounge.

Like everything we do, it kind of evolved organically. It made more sense then spending all our yen at other bars. Plus we’ll do anything to avoid having real jobs.

And what’s up with the Ginger Mint Mojito I’ve heard so much about!

John used to work in an expensive flashy jazz bar in Tokyo that had all these Japanese pop stars, celebrities, wealthy bankers, and the occasional Yakuza boss as regular customers.

One particular Yakuza boss always ordered a Mojito with freshly sliced ginger. When John stopped working there he took the recipe with him.

Is it hard being foreigners in the city and setting up a business?

Its not easy, but that’s what makes it even more challenging. John and Maceo both speak Japanese so that helps a lot. Setting up a business anywhere is a challenge but we have five fully developed brains, and ten collective hands.

How do you keep everything going as you all travel between Tokyo and your hometowns.

We use all that airplane time to catch up on silly romantic comedies, so that when we land we can get straight to work. Plus half of the job entails sitting in a bar talking to pretty girls. It’s really baffling to think about how anybody did anything before the internet existed. Jetlag is no joke, however. Flying from NYC to Tokyo really is like travelling through time.

Apart from directly from you, where can we find and purchase a Kinfolk frame?

Frames are currently available in shops in Los Angeles (Orange 20) and New York (Chari & Co) and will be available in other cities in the coming year.

Fixed gear riding is progressing quite quickly (bike polo has recently hit Tokyo), where do you see the future of fixed gear riding going?

Sorry, I didn’t bring the ole’ crystal ball. But if we had it our way every child would be handed a bike without brakes and sent directly into traffic as an initiation into adulthood. Other than that, bikes are bikes. As long as people are riding, we’re happy.

WONKA GETTING LOOSE ON A 5 STAIR WALLRIDE IN A SECRET COVERED SPOT IN NYC PHOTO: ANDREW TEMKIN

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I

released Death Pedal 1 in April 2009 after filming for the project for a little over a year. At the time, I felt like the footage was pretty solid. Unfortunately, once the summer rolled around everyone seemed to be progressing at an incredible rate and thanks to the rising popularity of Youtube, every Tom, Dick and Harry had a video online filmed with crappy cell phone cameras and shaky hands. Before the summer was over, most of the tricks in Death Pedal had become dated. With that in mind I set out to find the best of the best in the fixed gear world in order to make sure it wouldn’t happen again.

It was the middle of the Summer and I was in Atlanta looking for a place to live for the fall when I would begin school. Torey Thornton is from Macon, Georgia (just an hour south of Atlanta) and was home visiting family for the Summer holidays. Through e-mail correspondence we met up at his family’s house and had a full day of filming in the Georgia heat. At the end of that first session together Torey, without hesitation, jumped the thirteen stair that you see in the middle of his section. At the time this was probably twice as many stairs as anyone had ever jumped on a fixed gear. I knew this kid was the real deal and we made plans to get together and film again later in the summer when I got settled in Atlanta.

Back on the west coast I had become acquainted with a giant straightedge kid who went only by the name Congo. During the time I was filming for the original Death Pedal I was picked up as a rider by Franco Shade clothing. My main contact at FRSH, Thomas Le, told me he was flowing clothes to some local kid and that I should check him out. On one of my trips from San Diego to the Franco warehouse in LA I decided to meet this character. Congo had just started his year off work on disability leave from a dodgeball accident that tore one of the ligaments in his arm. I get the feeling that the injury had probably healed in a couple of weeks because within no time he was back riding hard and progressing super fast. The times filming with Congo were full of laughs and I feel like this really comes through in his video

“I SET OUT TO FIND THE BEST OF THE BEST IN THE FIXED GEAR WORLD”

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BELOW: ERIC PUCKETT IS A REAL TEXAS MAN, HE LIKES BEER, CIGARETTES AND 180 BARSPINS OVER WEIRD HOUSTON OBSTACLES. PHOTO: ERIC HESTER

THIS 18 STAIR WAS THE LAST TRICK OF THE DAY. WITH THE SUN ALMOST DOWN AND SNOW FLAKES BEGINNING TO FALL TORY THORNTON LACED THE TRICK FIRST TRY PHOTO: SEAN MCCORMACK

part.

A couple days before one of my film missions to LA, Corey Vulture contacted me through my Vimeo account about possibly filming.

Since I was heading up there anyway, I figured why not check this kid out. Obviously, I had never filmed with him before, so I asked him what tricks he’d like to do. His response was both awesome and shocking “What would you like me to do? I can do any trick.” And it was true… We filmed his entire part in about 3 hours with time to spare for an In N Out feast where Corey inhaled two Double Cheeseburgers and two orders of fries, a seemingly lethal amount of food for a 15 year old. A few days later I tried to call Corey’s cell phone and was greeted by a voicemail message recorded by his dad that stated: “Corey has been sent to military school in Texas and cannot be reached at this time.” I haven’t heard from him since.

The end of summer was quickly upon me and I made the decision to drive my ’82 Mercedes 300 Turbodiesel cross-country to Atlanta with my brother, Shereef. The plan was to stop along the way in Austin, Texas to stay with local bicycle sandwich courier, Dancakes for the Austin Death Pedal premiere and Bicycle Film Festival. Somewhere on our way through Arizona I got a Twitter message from Eric Puckett asking when I’d be in Austin.

Turns out Eric, who lives in Houston, was also coming out for BFF Austin and wanted to know if I wanted to get together and film.

I spent a few days with Eric and AJ Austin

“THE BRUTALLY FRIGID WEATHER REALLY TOOK ITS TOLL ON MY CAMERA GEAR AND IT WAS DEFINITELY A MISSION TO GET ANY WORK DONE”

72 Fixed

WONKZILLA CAN THROW BARSPINS LIKE A BOSS. HERE HE IS ROLLING A SKINNY LEDGE A HALF CRANK BEFORE HE DIALS ONE DOWN. PHOTO: ANDREW TEMKIN

THIS IS THE LAST THING A TEXAS RATTLER SEES BEFORE ERIC KILLS IT WITH HIS AERIAL BICYCLE MANEUVERS.

PUCKETT RHYMES WITH FUCK IT. HERE WE SEE ERIC FUCKIT 180ING SOME STEPS. PHOTO: ERIC HESTER

PHOTO: ERIC HESTER

filming their drunken antics and gnarly tricks.

I knew I had the right guys for the video.

We rounded out Puckett’s part during my thanksgiving excursion to Houston where I rode 18 hours each way on a Greyhound bus with some ghetto hood rat sitting next to me trying and failing to steal my stuff every chance he could get.

Once I was settled in Atlanta, Torey and I got together a few more times to film some more for his section. At the end of the summer I gave Torey one of my spare cameras to bring back to New York with him so that he could film with his best friend, Ed “Wonka” LaForte. Sometime during the Fall, Ed made the move to Switzerland to

“THANKS TO THE RISING POPULARITY OF YOUTUBE, EVERY TOM, DICK AND HARRY HAD A VIDEO ONLINE FILMED WITH CRAPPY CELL PHONE CAMERAS AND SHAKY HANDS”

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work for GoRilla doing god knows what since he was always online chatting with me on Instant Messenger or Skype. Through these conversations I got to know Ed a lot better and as time went by we decided that I should come to New York to finish filming his section when he moved back. The ticket was paid for thanks to my friend and sponsor, Sal at Leader Bikes. My stay in New York was cold but productive. The brutally frigid weather really took its toll on my camera gear and it was definitely a mission to get any work done but we somehow managed and Ed was able to pull off a pretty impressive part.

As I sit here making the final touches to

film I can’t help but think about the role coincidence has played in making this movie come together. If I had decided not to move to Atlanta would I have met Torey and then Wonka? Or If I had decided to fly instead of drive cross-country would I have met Puckett or have been introduced to his friend Shelby whose animations you see throughout the film? Probably not, so I suggest that you buy a few copies of this cosmic miracle of fate.

Salame, Kareem Shehab www.death-pedal.com

Frankfurter

A short break at the Bright Trade show Words and photos by Jonathan Winstone

I

write this article with a slightly swollen and still very achy ankle: battle wounds from yet another fun-packed trip away with FGL & 14 Bike Co. But more on the sore bones later. So here we are, eight of us sitting in a van.

Andy, Monique, Chris Delia, Odge, and two guys named Andy and Obi, who are filming a bike documentary. With only seconds to ‘go’ time, Ted arrives from his workshop with new ESB frame hooked over his shoulder and a handful of bike parts. After losing his previous ESB due to booze-induced memory loss, he basically had two days to build a complete new frame, from a pile of tubes. Before Ted has even closed the door, I’ve smashed the van into gear, and we’re off. Within a couple of hours, we’re watching cartoons in the lounge upon the P&O ferry to France. No gay sailors here.

With Ted’s 24 cans of beer in tow, we’re soon hurtling along the French motorway with Notorious BIG playing out from the radio. A few stops were made for over-priced ‘Quick Burgers’, others for faulty headlights and even a break to catch some German/French dogging action. Wrong turns were also the order of the day, thanks to my ‘navigators’;

54 Fixed

Andy & Mon. In Tom-Tom we should trust. We arrive in Frankfurt in the small hours and collapse into our very well situated hotel. Next day starts early with setting up the event. As the doors open for the public, the bubbly pops and before long, exhibitors and the visitors are getting their Champagne on. No expense spared here, Sir. The day whizzes past. Odge, Chris, Juliet, Ted and I take a ride but it’s proper icy. Snow has fallen across the city and the weather has left its mark on the ramps.

After an hour or so of hitting a skate park, we come to a mutual agreement that it’s fucking cold and we’re starving, and after buying Chris some new trousers (soon to be shorts) from ripping out the crotch, we hit a meat shop. Multiple bratwursts are the order of the day, and Ted rips the shit out of a pork knuckle.

All this with only two hours until our official Bright evening meal. Bottomless stomach!

We’re barely back at the tradeshow before it’s time to make our way for dinner. The dining room was like an ice block, so it wasn’t long before we got our beer hoodies on.

The food and entertainment was awesome – karaoke with a real band, and they kickedass! Juliet and I took to the stage and we hardly have time to finish our food before

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Frankfurter

Thomas (Mr Bright) leads us across town to a strip joint for some not-so-private dancing. He had hired the club and kicked out the talent, although I think there was some action still going on in the back rooms. It was a super evening and although I got caught up with some guy who accused me of being a Nazi, we got back to the hotel and slumped into our beds full of evening cheer. Little has to be said about the following morning as the extent of our cheer clanged inside our heads. After a short visit to the tradeshow, accompanied by Manuel from Traffic distribution, we start an almost epic walk around Frankfurt, sniffing out any restaurant that would serve us food. We eventually found a nice little Thai place that cooked us up a massive meal, which most of us left for Ted. Man! That guy ate, like, ten meals?

Since this would be the last time the Bright tradeshow would be held in Frankfurt (Berlin next summer) we decided to spend it until the early hours riding the indoor skate bowl.

Chris, Odge and Ted got some truly insane height riding the bowl. Gravity was not welcomed that evening. Well, it was for me, I had a massive Feetbelt fail after a misplaced wheelie caused Juliet’s bike, along with me, to smash down on my ankle. Fuck! As I lay there, I could have sworn I had snapped something.

I hobbled out, super pumped that I’d achieve some sweet carving action around the bowl, but bummed it was the end of my fun.

Tired and whacked, we hit the road towards Dover. We drove through the night so we could meet our ferry at 7am and in between bouts of madness from Ted and his litre of 10 percent beer. We made it back safe to London to fill our stomachs with bacon, sausage and egg from Andy’s local welcoming greasy spoon.

A big shout out to all the yatties!

Bright Trade show

FLIP FLOP

SAG YOSHI

The main man talks

about a year to develop, but the end is in sight and it’s going to be something very special! Also I’m not so sure if I am supposed to mention this, but we are working on a bike box with Fixed Gear London.

I KNOW YOU GO INTO GREAT DETAIL ON YOUR BAGS. DO YOU PREFER TO WORK TO A DEADLINE OR DO YOU LIKE TO WORK ON THINGS UNTIL ITS PERFECT? There are some projects that we have to finish in a short amount of time, but I prefer things that we have to build from the ground up and that take us like a year to develop and complete.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ROUTE TO RIDE IN TOKYO? AND WHAT SAG BAG DO YOU PREFER TO RIDE WITH?!

I don’t really have a specific favorite route to ride, but recently, I very much enjoy riding long distances with my friends and my pick of bags would be the MASH pack.

HOW DO YOUR COLLABORATIONS COME ABOUT? DO YOU CHOOSE THEM OR DO THEY COME TO FIND YOU! I think those collaborations all came naturally through riding or skating... having fun together. They are all professionals at finding what’s fun.

HOW DID YOU GET INTO RIDING BIKES? I started riding road bikes about eight years ago, and my friend Tame told me about fixed gear bikes and how you have to control them just by pedalling. I was fascinated and started to sell my unnecessary stuff WHAT DO YOU HOPE FOR THE FUTURE OF SAG? to buy fixed gear bike parts. I finally built one about Since the beginning of the brand, it is our goal to four years ago and was super excited! be able to support our friends (artists and such). We hope to build a scene to do so.

WHAT’S IN YOUR CURRENT COLLECTION? I’m riding a Colnago Olympic Master which was a birthday present from my friends in Korea. I’m also building a 90’s Cannondale Track that was a surprise gift from Hal and Makky. Both bikes are very special for me.

SAG HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR SEVEN YEARS – WHY DID YOU DECIDE TO MAKE BAGS FOR FIXED RIDERS? SAG is not specifically focused on fixed gear riders, but since I ride bikes myself, and there are a lot of fixed gear riders among our crews and friends, it was natural for SAG to start making something that meets our needs.

WHAT’S THE LATEST FROM SAG? We are currently working on a professional use messenger bag with one of our crew, Hal. It has taken us

80 Fixed

BIKE CHECK

ANDY ELLIS 14R Concept NAME: ANDY ELLIS AGE: 30 – YOUNG AT HEART! WHERE ARE YOU FROM: ENGLAND CURRENT LOCATION: LONDON WHAT DO YOU DO FOR A JOB? A bit of everything, really. Graphics, writing, designing stuff, photography. Mainly for Fixedgearlondon and 14 Bike Co... Oh and for this magazine too of course!

DESCRIBE YOUR BIKE IN 10 WORDS OR LESS: This bike turns you into a super hero...

WHAT PART DO YOU WEAR THROUGH OR BREAK THE QUICKEST? Tubes, then tyres, then chains. The tube on the back I have owned/fixed at least 12 times. Maybe the next time I’ll need to replace it.

WHY DID YOU CHOOSE THE COLOR FOR YOUR BIKE? As the bike is a concept I wanted it to be inconspicuous, but actually most of my bikes are matte black. I just don’t think you can go wrong with matte black.

HOW OFTEN DO YOU GET FLAT TYRES AND DO YOU PATCH TUBES OR THROW A NEW ONE IN? I always patch up the old tube. I ain't had a puncture for at least three months. You get more if you ride carelessly, in my opinion.

WHAT DO YOU HAVE IN YOUR TOOLKIT? Allen keys, tyre levers, puncture repair kit, my trusty Continental CO2 kit, a pump, Swiss army mini knife and valve extenders...

HOW OFTEN DO YOU DO BIKE MAINTENANCE? It feels like every second I’m on the bike I listen to see if it needs attention! So maybe the answer is always and nothing big very often? I’m a geek really...

WHAT DO YOU NEVER LEAVE HOME WITHOUT? My iPhone, my SAG bag and a copy of the latest Fixed mag ;) HOW MANY MILES DO YOU DO EVERY WEEK? To be honest, not as many as I would like. I’ve been trying to go on solitary morning rides but it’s very sporadic. Maybe 70 on a bad week and 100 on a good one? I save myself for the long epic rides that pop up every now and then.

FAVOURITE TRICK AND WHY? Any gnarly trick that Superted does! I try but I’m just not as gnarly as what is happening right now. Probably a bigspin cos it’s got something quite graceful about it.

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR A DAY JOB? I’m in charge of special projects at 14 Bike Co, I’m co-editor of this mag! and I try to bring the stuff I love about riding fixed, to a wider audience through Fixedgearlondon. Somtimes it gets very busy. Damn, I want to ride more. www.fixedgearlondon.com www.14bikeco.com www.fixed-mag.com Bike photos by: Greg Falski

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lack dized b ar.

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CRAN nd a Dura-Ac IN s h H T a it weig . ANY 0 track 165mm nything else e clips Oh and ce 771 to !

A ? d in n ra a a a u D ch ps not ride BRACKET: KS stra M X1’s M ff ti s BOTTO Mikashima R ow ly S: xtreme rs n PEDAL em four yea nt and rear. E th o fr d a le h I've 32 ho CHUB HUBS:

: P U T E THE S

MOST WANTED

Waaaannnttttt...

7.

1.

5

3.

2.

1. BICYCLE UNION CUFFLESS GLOVE

(bicycleunion.com) Fucking rad. Slim cut, fit well and have a little padding in the heel of the hand to prevent bruising.

Long fingers for a little extra warmth but not so much that you won’t want to wear them in the summer.

Built tough for BMX, but work well for us fixed gear dorks as well – Ian

2. PAC ULTIMATE

(bricklanebikes.co.uk) In the eyes of most messengers, Pac are top of the pile – hand made in Canada, their bags are simple, functional and utterly bombproof. The Ultimate is their top of the line bag, available in regular and OS (oversized) versions. With a basic size of 15” wide, 13” tall and 12” deep, which yields 2600 cubic inches (or 42 litres) of capacity, this bag can carry more than you can. I’ve been couriering with this monster and there has never been a package that won’t fit in. The Pac Ultimate is exactly what it says it is – the ultimate messenger bag for people who need the durability, protection and quality that Pac offer – Ian

84 Fixed

6.

4.

3. SWRVE WWR

(swrve.co.uk) There’s no secret that we love Swrve clothing at Fixed. Their stuff is made strong, right and with pride in the USA and the cuts and fits are perfect for riding a bike. The WWR is their first pair of full length pants, waterproof cut in a slim-cut chino style with clever seams around the seat area which all but eliminates the chance of ripping the crotch out of your pants – Ian

4. 14 BIKE CO TOOL

(14bikeco.com) 14 Bike Co just released a new multi tool, featuring a chain whip and lockring tool as well as pedal spanner/track nut combo. Made from hardened steel and measuring 20cm in length it’s great to use, durable and fits in the toolkit you carry around with you everyday. Best of all, we hear the price is going to be about £15.

5. VANGARD BASE LAYER

I’ll ‘fess up to not knowing anything about Vangard, until they sent through some kit and it’s pretty amazing. I’ve been running the Turtle Neck baselayer, which is made from super warm and comfortable fabric with a turtle neck to help seal out the cold.

A killer detail is the windblocking Windflex material which is applied to the chest and top of the arm areas, which has proved all but impervious to the icy blasts of winter air – Ian

6. KNOG TOOL

(knog.com.au) Ever notice how most micro tools are ‘almost’ right for the job? Amazingly made, but then you have to buy something else to take care of business? Knog’s newest piece packs more than 15 tools (OK, we gave up counting) into it’s sub-palm sized construction, with everything you’ll need for day to day repairs on your bike. Allen keys? Check. 12-15mm spanners?

Check. Cross, flathead and torx drivers? Check, check, check... There’s even a tiny chain tool and a bottle opener. Trust those Aussies to remember the bottle opener – Ian

7.

7. HOWIES MERINO

(howies.co.uk) Merino is our choice for riding, whether at work or play, as it’s functional, comfortable and doesn’t make you smell like the inside of a wet cycling shoe even after multiple days of wearing. Most cycle clothing makes you look like a Power Ranger – but Howies manage to combine technicality with wearability thanks to their streetwear background and the fact that they have put in some effort thinking about what people actually want rather than what they think they should have – Ian

MOST WANTED

8 11.

13.

10.

12.

11. CADENCE

9.

8. APPLE IPOD NANO

(apple.com) I love music but can’t ride my bike to it – there’s so much going on on London’s streets, I don’t need any distractions. But Apple’s latest and greatest, the iPod Nano has a trick up it’s sleeve that sealed the deal – a video camera that shoots at 30 fps and can hold around an hour’s worth of footage, on top of the more ‘normal’ ipod features. The footage is amazingly detailed for something so small, the colours are rich and it’s easy to edit thanks to the format. Top marks again, Apple – Ian

9. PDW MAGIC FLUTE

(ridepdw.com) Damn, Portland knows how to do shit right. The Magic Flute is a beautifully crafted micro-pump made from steel, aluminium and bamboo and is the perfect size to put in the bottom of your bag for occasional punctures. Too lazy/tired to pump?

Just screw a threaded Co2 cartridge into the top for super fast tube inflation, with the regular pump to top off or back it up. Hell yeah, Portland! – Ian

86 Fixed

10.

10. SON OF SON

(sonofson.com) Son of Son have been a part of the UK fixed scene for years and hand make accessories from recycled materials amongst other things. Lately, they’ve moved onto a narrow boat on the canals of London town and are building their products from their floating studio. Awesome. Latest products include the Huntr hat, fleece lined and perfect for this weather we’ve been having, the From The Darkness cap made from wool and satin lined, complete with a reflective brim for quality and safety – Ian

(www.cadencecollection.com) From the moment you pull it on, The Agenda 2 feels like your favourite hoodie. The soft poly-cotton blend gives it that worn-in feel, comfortable and cosy. It’s not super thick, but keeps you amazingly warm just the same. It has a built in neck gaiter and extended cuffs that come in handy without even realising.

The Apollo day pack is a light functional backpack with a front pocket and large main compartment.

The small details make this something to treasure.

Little holes on the front right have reflective material behind – now I see how this bag got the name Apollo... The thought that Dustin puts in to his items is remarkable, yet very subtle and they’re all handmade. We’re all for that...

12. YANCOSAURUSREX CHALK BAG

(www.trackosaurusrex.com) Perfect for beer, a camera, toolkit, tubes or anything else you can fit in there! Made in the U.S.A by Yanco Pads, extremely limited and sought after. We got ours from Tracko’s Kyle Kelley when we were in Japan and use it all the time. Get ‘em fast cos he hasn’t got a lot left!

14.

13. CONTINENTAL CO2

(www.continental.com) Another first for me – and I need to set myself a reminder to make sure to use the little foam jacket over the cannister because when you let rip with the Co2, it freezes quickly. This is really handy if you don’t want to carry much around with you. A single cannister puts around 100psi in a 23c tyre, and around 80psi in a 28. You get the release valve mechanism (with fittings for both Schraeder and Presta valves) and three cannisters in the pack – sick! – Ian

14. CINELLI LOLA BULL HORNS (www.cinelli.it) New from Cinelli, the Lola bar is part of a new range for fixed gear riders. Made for oversize 31.8 clamp size, they feel really stiff and comfortable. They come in 38 cm width, which is about as narrow as you would want and the best bit is the flat section,where your hands are 80% of the time. My sources say MASH had input on how these turned out. I like these bars a lot and I’m planning some 200 mile rides right now – Andy

MOST WANTED

15.

16.

17.

16.

15. CINELLI SPINACI BARS

(www.cinelli.it) Banned for racing by the UCI in 1994, Cinelli have re-released the Spinaci and they now come in many colours. When I saw them I thought they were going to be horrible to ride but if you geek out and set them up right, they offer tons of useful riding positions and they’re great on the road. They may not look aesthetically pleasing to those who don’t know, but give them a chance and they might change your mind! – Andy

16. FGL WATERPROOF JACKET

(www.fixedgearlondon.com) Just in time for the rainy season, Fixedgearlondon are putting out a three layer, breathable, all weather ultimate riding jacket. The construction of the jacket is what you would expect from a high end product like this, all seams are taped and all zips are waterproof. it also features a fully adjustable hood, under arm zips for ventilation, a magazine/long inside pocket and a soft camera/phone inside pocket. The jacket is limited to 200 pieces and comes in 4 different colours. (Black / Grey / Yellow / Light Blue) Coming in at £375 it’s not cheap, but you won’t need another jacket in your life.

88 Fixed

18.

17. DURA-ACE HOLLOW-TECH CRANKS

(www.madison.co.uk) This is the ultimate crank set-up. Hollow, coldforged crank arms with a light weight reinforced spider or FC-7710 in a 165mm length. This is one of the lightest, stiffest crank sets out there and when coupled with the sealed cartridge bottom bracket, it feels like you have found the holy grail. Super light and not for tricks the 144 pcd comes with the chainring bolts and self extracting crank bolts. Not cheap, not heavy, precise in every single detail and a marvel of engineering. Live the dream and make these your next and ultimate upgrade for your well deserved bike – Andy

18. FTC JACKET

(www.ftcsf.com) Started in 1986, FTC have produced quality skateboard goods since. This jacket came in handy whilst we were in Japan. The fit is superb with lots of room to move about in. Nice and subtle branding, waterproof zips and a good size hood. It is affordable, waterproof and perfect for riding in the city with – Andy

MOST WANTED

20.

19.

19. CINELLI LASER RETURNS!

(www.cinelli.it) One of the most iconic track bikes of all time will soon be making a return.

The Cinelli Laser, which 19. now commands insane prices on ebay, is going to be re-released. WE received this press release from Antonio at Cinelli and it’s really put the cat amongst the pigeons...

‘Today thanks to the rebirth of steel and people like yourselves, a dream is about to be realised: the Cinelli Laser will return. Not just as a museum display, but a track machine; rigid and lively, more so even than its predecessor 20 years ago. All the original protagonists are ready and motivated: Andrea Pesenti who built 300 through out the 80s, myself Antonio Colombo who thought them up, Paolo Erzegovesi who engineered them and Emilvano Montorio who pulled out the tubes. New in the band will be Alessandra Cusatelli, my partner, and Cinelli design co-ordinator of the last 10 years. As always it will only be available in limited editions. The kids are alright!”

20. N.D.Z CYCLE JEWELLRY

Hand-crafted in Japan, combining a love of cycling with a unique design, their jewellry range is cycleinspired and all made out of the finest materials.

This ‘2 Pedal Necklace’ is super detailed, and has a hidden meaning – it’s meant to be split between you and that special someone, as a bike cannot run without two pedals. Ten points for the sentimental factor. And another ten for their eye for detail! – Andy

21.

21. SAG AIR FORCE ONE

(www.gaudi-sag.com) This backpack is probably gonna end up as one of the most iconic bags ever made within our little track bike culture. The SAG AF1 features a roll top that can be secured in 3 different ways, each way gives you a different degree of space from small to large. At its maximum capacity I think you could get all your stuff in there for a week away, easily (SuperTed managed four weeks) Of course the main recognisable feature of this bag is the large clear window (not pictured) on the back for you to put all those visible bits you wanna show into, I find it’s good for lights and maps!

I could go on, but this is a super amazing backpack and thats why so many people have them – Andy

You’re just one bitchin’ mutha short of a bike gang...

www.knog.com.au

90 Fixed

LOOKOUT

AGATA Paris. London. Poland.

Name: Agata Age: Errrr.... 18?

Gear ratio: 67 for street, 40 for Polo.

Current setup: Leopard-print IRO for the street, ridiculously spinny Fixie Inc for polo Years riding? Four Favourite place to ride? Paris at night, smelling of autumn leaves and bonfires. And, strangely enough, Oxford Street in London at rush hour.

Taking out pedestrians is a painful hobby.

What inspires you to ride? The speed! And the sound of my spd’s clipping in.

92 Fixed

Person to ride with? My shadow.

Something you don’t leave home without? Music. Always.

What do you do when you’re not riding? Hold on, there’s life outside of bikes? Cooking, travelling and diving whenever and wherever I can.

What do you get out of all this? Friends around the world. Always a couch to crash on, polo to be played and whisky to be drunk. Bring it on.

Photos by Ben Broomfield

LOOKOUT

YUKI Tokyo, Japan Name: Yuki Age: 33 Gear ratio: 2.875 Current Setup: Custom built VOGUE frame, Phil Wood hubs, DT Swiss rims, NITTO handlebars, NITTO stem...

Years riding: Five Favourite place to ride: In Tokyo city!

What inspires you to ride?: It’s my way to selfexpress, and I think it is a very primal thing to do. It makes me feel alive!

Favourite person to ride with: My favourite people to ride with are Messengers :) Something you don’t leave home without?: Oil absorbent paper with powder...

What do you do when you are not riding?: Something happy that makes my life better.

What do you get out of all of this?: A definite sense of who I am, my identity.

PHOTOS: MONMON

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