M AG A Z INE
NO.18
/
2014
www.stokedonfixedbikes.com
It’s up to you! FREE or DONATE
STOKED ON FIXED BIKES ISSUE 18
W E L C O M E 4
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Chris Cooper, Northampton Szymon Nieborak http://delayedpleasure.com/
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SEPTEMBER 2014
www.stokedonfixedbikes.com Location : Berlin Fixed Days Photographer : Arturs Pavlovs
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THE TEAM
T
he last few months have been really busy for me as I devided my time between the SOFB mag and racing bikes for my sponsor. Mate Horvath started to work with us and we are really happy to have the team in full swing ! This issue 18 is packed with competitions that happened all over the summer and the latest gear from Eurobike, nice stuff. I am also happy about the interview with Matt Reyes, one of our favourite fixed riders.
Ride on! Greg Falski
EDITOR - PHOTOGRAPHER - WRITER DESIGNER - RIDER
Greg Falski REDACTION TEAM
Mate Horvath Marina Fenz Saskia Haex Anto But WEB SITE
Alvaro R. Fernandez CONTRIBUTORS
Szymon Nieborak
http://delayedpleasure.com/
Jason Sellers
http://www.fwdbound.com
Marshall Kappel
www.marshallkappel.com
Paolo Martelli Agi Kolyvas Staffan Lowstedt Vangelis Paravas Matt Reyes Mike Schmitt Zane Meyer Dew Sippawit Lisa Grau 8 BAR 48x17 ROTJE ROND KONFOUR FIXEDBROZ WHEEL TALK G&F SM-PARTS Online - ISSUU.com For contributions, advertising and other enquiries, please contact gregfalski@gmail.com
THANKS TO Family and friends, all crews and riders, organisers and advertisers.. would not be possible without all of you!
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CONTENTS SOFB ONLINE MAG 18
4 GALLERY 6 IN STRAPS 8 CONTENTS 10 HOT DATES Get ready 12 THE SKID 18 INTERVIEW Matt Reyes 22 Rotterdam CRIT 30 48x17 Revival II 38 BIKE SHOP SM-PARTS 42 GIJON CRIT 50 OTHER SIDE OF THE LENS 56 FIXEDBROZ 62 KEIRIN London 72 REVIEW _ TEST 78 RED HOOK Barca 88 FISH Column 92 EUROBIKE 102 EASY RIDER 104 First contact 105 G&F
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Francesco Martucci THE 1896 CLASSIC MARATHON RACE REVIVAL II
COVER
Matt Reyes, Fixed Gear Open 6 Photo by Legend17 Cheese Wedge 360
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HOT
Updates on comps, jams, race venues and all crazy fixed bike events happening near you. If you are running these kind of events then let SOFB know as soon as possible and we will put it here.
DATES
Rad Race Offenbach, Germany 20.09.2014 red-race.com Red Bull Fix&Foxi Vienna, Austria 20.09.2014 Wolfpack Hustle: The HP Gran Prix Drag Race Huntington Park, California 27.09.2014 wolfpackhustle.com Rad Race M端nster, Germany 03.10.2014 rad-race.com Red Hook Crit Milano no. 5 Milan, Italy 11.10.2014
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Konfour in Vienna City by Greg Falski ONLINE MAGAZINE ISSUE 18 / 2014
The photo I took of Ted in Epping Forest a few years ago got chosen for the 3th International photography competition “24 Snapshots of Bikes -The Bicycle and Mankind “, organized by the Association with the Apulia Region and the Accademy of Arts of the city of Lecce (Italy). by Greg Falski 11
Text: Mate Horvath Photos: Greg Falski, Lisa Grau 12
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Living in an urban environment you get used to fixed gear events taking place in closed urban spaces. Whilst these places definitely provide a great background to action cam footage of fast paced alleycats, a chilled back skid competition can work extremely well next to a cool lake.
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With this in mind we set out from Vienna with a group of six people. After about an hour of trainride we arrived in St. Poelten. Thankfully some of the guys have been to a previous event at this venue so after loading up on supplies we managed to get to the competition site. Rolling into a place with approximately 50 locals all cheering and saying hello made us feel really welcome. Although the organizers wanted to finish the signing up, we had our own agenda: cooling down in the lake after an hour and a half spent on the train.
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In our oppinion events like this are definitely worth supporting, we for one will definitely be back next year at the STP Skid contest.
As the race started it really came out that all participants had different styles. Some went all out and some took it easy: doing one handed wheelies in the finals. Even in the first three skid tries there were some serious distances by the riders. After the qualifier only five riders advanced to the final where they had two attempts at taking the win. This is where insanity hit, going full out to win a brand new bike was a perfect motivation for the riders. Besides the skid contest the race organizers also invited participants and onlookers to present their bikes in the „bike beauty contest�. Some serious courier work bikes and even Austria’s first fat bikes were presented. Before heading back to Vienna we spontaneously organized an offroad fixedgear race around the lake, which was one of the best parts of the day and truly showed what fixed gear riding is all about.
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SICK RIDER INTERVIEW
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“Cellar Door� is the most beautiful word in the English Language and my favorite thing to ride NewYork 2013 Photo by Dew Sippawit
Matt Reyes 19
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Matt Reye
Matt Reyes 180 RailHop Photo by Mike Schmitt
Photo - Zane Meyer Back of the Tour Van In Japan es- Left, Jaoa Danaikrit - Center, Ed Wonka - Right
INTERVIEW
with Matt Reyes
WHO ARE YOU, WHERE ARE YOU AT THE MOMENT AND WHAT ARE YOU UP TO? I’m sitting in front of my computer at work right now, sipping on that morning coffee. I work as a graphic designer at a skateboard manufacturer here in San Francisco, and spend a lot of my time editing video and skating in the warehouse. When I’m not stuck at work I’m shredding around SF / Oakland catching clips with the homies. WHAT MAKES YOU SO GOOD AT RIDING FIXED? haha, that’s a new one. Maybe it’s because I ride everywhere I go, or the fact that I haven’t owned a car in years and have grown incredibly anxious being in one. There’s nothing like the freedom of dodging traffic and avoiding the congestion of cars during rush hour.
Considering the fact that I rarely get to ride skateparks and do most of my riding while in commute, I prefer to ride street. On the curb, off the curb type stuff where you hit everything along the way without stopping to session the spot. WE REALLY ENJOY YOUR EDITS, WHO IS MAKING THESE? CAN WE EXPECT SOME MORE FROM YOU.. Although I film & edit most of our videos, none of it would be possible with out the help of my friends. Whether they’re filming clips of me in return, being a hype man on the sidelines, or holding down traffic, it’s a team sport even though most people wouldn’t consider it one. YOU'RE DEFINITELY ONE OF THE RIDERS TO LOOK TO.. BIG INSPIRATION FOR SURE.. ANY WORDS OF ADVICE FOR THOSE WHO ARE JUST STARTING?
COULD YOU TELL US ABOUT THE LAST TWO COMPETITIONS/JAMS OR ROAD TRIPS YOU WENT TO?
Start with the basics, learn the footwork, then ride fast, take chances and you’ll be surprised at what you’re capable of.
Every year Red Bull puts on Ride & Style in the city and all the homies come to town to shred and surf whatever open couches we have available at our house. I’ve won the event a few times but get the most stoked to see my friends from over seas. The event is merely a formality and a good excuse to get the community together. Aside from the weight of competition, last year Devon Lawson, Seitaro Iki and I flew out to Japan where we went on a cross country tour with the dudes from Fish & Chips Crew. This year, I met up with Dew Sippawit & Jaoa Danaikrit in China for the Fixed Gear Open 6 in Beijing. It was by far the largest event I’ve ever been to and can’t wait to go back again next year. Keep your eyes peeled for photos and video from our trip coming soon.
WHO IS ONE OF YOUR FAVOURITE FIXED GEAR RIDERS RIGHT NOW?
DO YOU LIKE TO RIDE STREET OR PARK MORE? ARE YOU BETTER AT ONE MORE THAN THE OTHER?
I don’t know if I can narrow it down to just one, so here’s five of my favorite riders at the moment. Dew Sippawit - He’s a small dude with an incredible amount of power behind the bars. His endless style and shear determination make him an explosive rider to watch. Jaoa Danaikrit - Jaoa knows what it’s like to be a rider / videographer and has a knack for composition when it comes to operating a camera. it’s for this reason that he’s one of the most valuable members on the team and a close friend of mine. Steven Jensen - Steven is the kind of guy that will do something first try, with out warning, and catch you completely off guard. He’s constantly leaving me dumbfounded and amazed at what can be done on a FGFS bike.
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Mike Schmitt - MTS is one of the most courageous riders I know and will go to war with a spot until he lands what he came for. Elliott Milner - He’s constantly pushing the envelope and trying things that have never been done on Fixed Freestyle. I’m pretty sure his bag of tricks is bigger than the house we live in. I could go on for forever, but these are just a few of the people I hold in high regards and ride for all the right reasons. HOW IMPORTANT IS YOUR CREW? The crew, the team, the gang, the whatever you want to call it, is what keeps me stoked and motivated to ride. Damn near all of the friends I have now stem from biking in one way or another. They push me to push myself and hold me accountable when we film. WHAT IS THE NEXT OF YOUR PROJECTS? My todo list is a bottom less notebook that has no end in sight. I’m constantly stacking new projects on my plate and drinking coffee late into the night in an effort to check things off that list. I’ve done a few full length videos over the last couple years and think that it’s about time we make a Wheel Talk Full Length. I just got back from a trip to China with Dew & Jaoa and plan to continue our travels overseas spreading the good word. LAST QUESTION; OUTS!?
ANY
SHOUT
Shout out to Jackie Chan, my Parents, the Mighty Ducks, Turf Mob, my cat Stella, Fish&Chips Crew, Space Jam, my Grandma Judy, Mess Beijing, Breezy Excursion and all the homies in the Bay Area. We out here.
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MattReyes, Fog City Barspin Photo by Mike Schmitt Keeping the construction workers entertained
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ROTTER DAM
FIXED CRIT WEEKENDER Photos: Rotje Rond Text: Saskia Haex
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As we see new fixed criteriums popping up everywhere around Europe and beyond it is remarkable to see this type of hyped race coming back to a place where it was once held. For once not a new location, not a new race. But bringing back an historic race: De “Ronde van Katendrecht�.
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At Katendrecht many criterium races were held, the first one all the way back in 1948. Since 2012 it has been is annual race location again, with a fixed crit, derny races, sprints and the main event: the World Ports Classic. All these races together combine different generations of riders and cycling disciplines. It also sees globalnational-local organizations all working together for the future of the cycling sport. Rotje Rond, being the local organization bringing fixed gear events to Rotterdam on an irregular basis, got the opportunity to organize the fixed crit at Katendrecht for the second time this year. Opening the gates for an even more skilled and more international rider line up. It was a step up in many ways: better competitors, better organization, better weather, more races, more beer, more smiles and a better weekend overall!
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There was even a livestream of which you can see some very funny interview snippets online http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CJtma5iBm9Q 28
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More info on Rotje Rond: www.rotjerond.nl Ronde van Katendrecht: www.rondevankatendrecht.nl ONLINE MAGAZINE ISSUE 18 / 2014
Men 1 Stefan Reimer, Fixedpott, (DE) 2 Paolo Bravini, CinelliChrome, (IT) 3 Sam Barron, Good times roll, (DE) Ladies 1 Stefania Baldi, WIT Industries, (IT) 2 Claudia Weiss, Gorilla/Urbancycling, (FR) 3 Inge Hoonte, Moho bicycles, (NL)
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At the first Modern Olympic Games of 1896 the sport of cycling was introduced. There were several track cycling events and one road cycling event. At that time the “bicycle� was quite a novice idea people were not familiar with. Gears, brakes and deralleurs were not yet invented and all bicycles were fixed gear and brakeless. Just over a century later this epic race is being revived for the 2nd time by 48x17 Cycles in Athens, as a hard fixed gear race on the original route. This year the organisers upped the level with registered riders coming from all aspects of cycling from pro racing to commuters. Traveling from Italy, Russia, and many cities of Greece (Thessaloniki, Patras, Nafpaktos, Kalamata and Larisa) the atmosphere was electrifying.
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THE 1896 CLASSIC MARATHON RACE REVIVAL II Photos by Staffan Lowstedt, Vangelis Paravas
ATHENS, GREECE
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As far as the race is concerned, there was no answer to Back2Back’s strategy for eliminating each contestant. With no other strong team work from other team, Rafaelle Maccari (B2B) stepped on the pedal to spread out the peloton masterfully leaving room while his teamate Francesco Martucci rode silently few places behind. After the half way turn, 20klm before finish line Martucci attacks on an incredible solo break that took him to the finish line. Alexandr Privalnev (Ingria Team) fought bravely for positioning but was left behind by 1 very important minute and settled for 5th place. Yiannis Ioakeimopoulos from Thessaloniki on his second try at the 1896 CRMM showed his excellent condition fighting the Italians as hard as he could. Themis Antoniadis (48×17 Team) wrestled with his gearing on the fast parts of the course and was left out of the podium while Nikiforos Kouris (Atlas Cervelo) rounded up the 6 first places.
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Best Track Bicycle - Winter Bicycles
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Hailing from St. Petersburg, Russia Alexandr Privalnev, owner of the infamous Ingria Bicycles was for sure the talk of the town at this race. Riding his own creation the Airpusher track frame, an absolute magnet for the crowd, Alexandr showed its worth with a blasting performance. A track and cyclocross athlete Alexandr breathes for the fixed gear underground scene and we will sure like to see him again in Athens and other major FG races. At 4th place Themis Antoniadis (48x17 team) almost touched the podium if it wasnt for a slightly wrong choice of gearing. Themis is a young talented rider coming from “street” background, but riding alleycats, track championships, Red Hook Crit, bombing hills and doing goofy stunts on track bikes. One of the new riders coming from the Athens fixed gear scene worth keeping your eyes out for. Yiannis Ioakeimopoulos (Thessaloniki – 1000 Dentra) fought against the Italians and stood up at the increasingly crazy pace claiming the astonishing 2nd place at the podium and the respect of the rest of the peloton.
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Not much more to say about Francesco Martucci of Team Rapid Inside/ Back2Back (IT). He is an incredible athlete and a giant of the fixed gear scene. Together with his new teammate Raffaele Maccari did an exellent job at holding every other contestant out of their way and we hope to see them doing more great teamwork in other fixed gear races.
The 1896 CMRR is a different and unique fixed gear event. The global scene is goinf through its “pure� years with races testing riders skill and level projecting the urban environment as the ultimate space where fixed gear culture is being created. Using a historic Olympic fixed gear race of the past the 1896 CMRR is trying to highlight Athens as a city with a spot on the present global map of this exciting scene. Fuck knees race bikes!
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SM-PARTS 38
Photos by SM-Parts Interview by Mate Horvath
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Why did you choose to focus on fixed gear bikes/ parts? I have always been into bikes. Started as a hobby it quickly became my passion to build up bikes and search for new trends. About three years ago I went on a vacation to San Francisco and had the chance to test ride a fixie in the hills of that beautiful city. The same exact day I went online and found the Mash-store, bought parts and imported them to Germany. Ever since I’m hooked. Three years later I have my store and the online shop with more than 1500 different parts.
Do you get involved in organizing local fixed gear events? SM-Parts is organizing AlleyCats in Nuremberg and we try to set up more events in southern Germany in the near future. The fixie community is growing as we go along and therefore we want to give this sport a bigger stage. We are currently planning further events and races but I can’t give any details yet. We will start promoting them as soon as we can though.
You seem to have a lot of own-branded affordable, yet high quality products, please tell us behind creating your own branded frames, parts, etc. Our customers should have the possibility to customize their bikes as individual as they wish. That’s why we offer unique and high quality parts and are always trying to extent our offer. In addition to that we started being creative ourselves and designed parts like frames or stemcaps. The customer wishes change and develop and we try to meet these requirements every day. Hence, the customer feedback in our store is very important for us.
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Does your/your crew's personal preference/style influence what you sell in the shop? We are open for new trends but at the same time we try to promote our own SM-Parts style in our store. The buildups we have in the store are mostly self-designed. That’s exactly what our customers love about the store. Some of them come to get inspired and then build their own bikes based on our designs. Shops like Pristine Fixed Gear and Kinoko Cycles are closing down their retail shops to focus on selling products online. What do you think will be the way forward; bike shops specializing on custom builds or switching to online retail only? We are the living proof that it can also be the other way round. SM-Parts started as an online shop and in the next step we opened the store. For me personally this is a matter of customer service. In my opinion the fixie scene wouldn’t be as big as it is without a local shop. We hear that from our clients nearly every day. We give assistance when a customer wants to build a new bike, needs parts or has a flat tire. The positive feedback is overwhelming.
Do you have any secret special projects for the near future? Like I said, there are events in the pipeline. Other than that we are working on new products like hubs and rims. We are also extending our partnership with other local businesses that need bikes for commercial use.
Any shoutouts The SM-Parts SuperMonday is starting soon. That means we take a random product from the store and give 10 % off on that one day. Every Monday we take a new product.
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CRITERIUM GIJON Photos by Paolo Martelli
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Womens race: 1- Stefania Baldi - Desgena 2- Fleur Faure - P&B 3- Carla Nafría - Fixedland 4- Mariela Farabello - Pista Bcn x Deathlane 5- Charlotte Sieradzka- Warsawcycling Mens race: 1- Carlos Barredo 2- Pablo Rodríguez - P&B 3- Pablo Aitor - RLBK 4- Emilio Lopez - COMM Fixed team 5- Tim Ceresa - 8Bar
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OTHER SIDE OF THE LENS Issue 18 with
Marshall Kappel Online photography portfolio www. marshallkappel.com
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INTERVIEW
with Marshall Kappel
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SOFB - YOU LIVE IN PARIS.. HOW DOES THIS INFLUENCE YOU AND YOUR WORK? I live in Paris now and love it. It provides great access to European road and track racing and lets me be a part of the relatively new, but growing urban cycling scene. Riding through the streets of Paris at sunrise is an experience that never gets old too… SOFB - FIXED GEAR IS GROWING ALL OVER THE WORLD, WHEN WAS YOUR FIRST CONTACT WITH THIS SPORT? I started riding seriously and road racing in Tucson, Arizona when I was about 11 years old and an awesome mechanic at Fairwheel Bikes coached us on riding fixed gear bikes to develop a fluid pedaling style… and it was a fun challenge. Actually, my first big crash was on a fixed gear… just flew head first over the bars out of nowhere and still have the scar on my right knee 32 years later… great memories! SOFB -WHO IS YOUR FAVOURITE RIDER TO SHOOT WITH? DO YOU HAVE ONE- OR WHO MADE YOU "STOKED ON FIXED BIKES" Although it was a long time ago I still think about the same mechanic at Fairwheel Bikes in Tucson who often simply said, “Ride the bike.” The message is simple, but for whatever reason was as inspiring then as it is now… maybe it was how he said it so calmly and simply. Just keep riding and good things will happen… mentally, emotionally, physically… I even designed a sticker with that message for my top tube… LATEST SHOOT? PLEASE TELL US A BIT ABOUT IT I just shot a week of the Vuelta a Espana in Southern Spain and the Red Hook Criterium in Barcelona. Totally different races, but both equally full of color and passionate characters… riders and fans. Shooting in Spain adds tremendously to the already intimate and open atmosphere of these races.
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SOFB - YOU RIDE BIKES YOURSELF, HOW MUCH DOSE THIS AFFECT THE WAY YOU LOOK AT THE SPORT THROUGH YOUR LENS? II’ve been riding my entire life from training wheels to BMX to mountain and road bikes… I still miss the yellow bike my parents sold to a neighbor when we moved to Tucson when I was about 7 years old. Fastest bike I’ve ever had, literally. As a rider I think I create images that offer a subjective and personal view of the sport and culture of cycling versus what you see in traditional newspapers or sports magazine. Most of my work focuses not on “winning”, although I love competition, but on the people who make cycling, in all its diversity, such a wonderful and liberating activity. SOFB - FILM OR DIGITAL? The eternal question! I used to say film and still adore my Leicas, Rolleis and old 1930s Deardorff, but the relatively lower cost, practicality and speed of digital just outweighs what I would be able to do with film. I don’t retouch per se, but I absolutely take advantage of Lightroom and Photoshop post-processing capabilities. I’ve recently started experimenting with VSCO’s film presets which are wonderful and bring my digital work fairly close to the depth I felt I had achieved with film. SOFB - WHATS YOUR FAVOURITE TIME OF DAYLIGHT TO SHOOT IN? As the sun is setting. I like sharp, harsh, contrasting light and love it when I find that moment as the sun is still hot, but casting deep shadows across the pavement and on walls.
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SOFB - WHATS IN YOUR BAG, ALL THE GEAR YOU USE FOR PHOTOSHOOTS, HOW HEAVY IS IT? I think it’s quite heavy unfortunately… for the Vuelta and the Red Hook Criterium I used a Canon 5D Mark III with an L-Series 70mm-200mm zoom and an L-Series 50mm. I’m not a fan of flash photography at all and prefer to work within the constraints of available light, but the RHC was at night and very minimally lit so I was forced to use the Canon flash (600EX-RT) for some shots. SOFB - MINIMAL SETUP? 5D Mark III and my L-Series 85mm. I’ve always liked tighter, isolating shots versus wide angle/all encompassing shots. It’s my way of finding the simplicity in people, objects and action. SOFB - DREAM LOCATION TO SHOOT THIS YEAR? Italy in the Dolomites or anywhere in Greece. I had wanted to go to the Giro d’Italia this year, but wasn’t able to … so am already planning next year’s adventures. SOFB - IF YOU COULD GIVE A YOUNGER YOU AN ADVICE ON HIS WAY TO THE FIRST FREELANCE ASSIGNMENT WHAT WOULD YOU TELL HIM? Patience… take some time to develop your own style and allow yourself the freedom to let it change. Agencies/ editors may not like this as they look for photographers who do one thing and do it well, which I understand economically, but it can be contrary to the idea of art as being part of our evolving personalities and lives. I used to be a die-hard black & white film photographer… shooting low-light 3200 speed film and trashing color photography… now things have changed as my life has changed and it feels good.
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FIXEDBROZ Photos: Vojtěch Marek Text : Fixedbroz and Mate Horvath
Fixedbroz is a group of four young riders from Hungary. Their pictures have been coming strong in the recent months on various social networks. The distinctive style of capturing speed in the urban environment immediately caught our attention. Coming a bit late to the fixed gear boom of recent years, there has been a lot of great stuff coming from Budapest recently.
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SOFB will be covering upcoming events, rides and competitions in and around Budapest in the coming issues. Meanwhile be sure to check out the fixedbroz.tumblr.com site and fixedbroz instagram page to see these dudes killin' it in Budapest.
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KEIRIN LONDON Photos: Greg Falski Text: Greg Falski and rollapaluza.com
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Rollapaluza’s Keirin festival, which originated at the Herne Hill track managed to dodge the rain clouds for it’s third incarnation this Saturday. Despite the weather forecast a huge crowd descended on the South London loop to experience the unique atmosphere generated by this event. As at Keirin Manchester riders in the elite male category wore brightly coloured keirin jerseys from Milltag inspired by the traditional attire of Japanese Keirin racers.
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The women's event though having a broader spectrum of talent was equally exciting and competitive with some of the closest finishes of the day during the first and second round. As in the men's however three riders emerged as favourites, local racer Lesley Pinder, Kiera McVitty and 4th placed rider from Manchester Keirin Henrietta Colborne. It was indeed these riders who battled for the podium a few lengths clear at the finish line, with Colborne timing her effort perfectly passing Pinder on the line with McVitty taking 3rd.
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The Novice event was no less keenly fought than the other categories with riders using all the tactics and skills displayed in the elite event. The novice event has been present in every edition of Keirin so far and many "novices" from 2013 stepped up to the main event for 2014. Karoly Markos who finished in last place in 2013 stepped on the podium this time finishing in third place with Jack Miller taking 2nd and visiting Dutch Junior taking the win.
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In another innovation, specially modified ebikes developed and supplied by Team Hybrid, paced the riders instead of petrol dernies usually used in Keirin races outside Japan. Throughout the meeting seeded riders MIchael Veen and Callum Skinner looked to be the favourites with tactically astute riding from the Dutchman and pure power and speed from Skinner, fresh from the Commonwealth Games. These two plus Danish champion  William Rimkratt-Milkowski indeed made the final.
Riders from all over the UK, Holland, Denmark, the Czech Republic and Uganda fought their way through three scoring rounds to garner enough points to make it to the eight man final. In the format devised by Rollapaluza no rider in any category is knocked out and those who don’t make the final for places 1-8 race in minor finals to produce a full classification for all riders. 68
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With one lap to go the favourites looked to be in control but SES racing's Miles Stovold edged out Veen for second as Skinner took the win. A storming performance from Local rider Richard St Pierre saw him pass the Dane to take an impressive fourth. 69
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Bartosz from gb-leather was kind enough to send over some of his new products for testing. The bartape and pedal strap combo is a perfect alternative for anyone looking to set up a stylish classic commuter or an oldschool trackbike. The build quality of these products is just superb! With minimal branding and a bartape/strap combo that will only look better with age, you have yourself a winner! Be sure to check out Bartosz's work and online shop at www.gb-leather.com
New products Photo: Mate Horvath Text: Mate Horvath
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Witindustries from the Netherlands have been coming out with artist collaborations on their FendorBendor 3 for the last few seasons. These fenders not only provide a great option for those looking for a removable fender, they also give your bike a unique touch. Check out the new collabs by artists Marlous Tode and Martine Johanna at witindustries.nl
The German distributor for wt b's Thickslick was kind enough to provide me with a set of the new Race edition tyres. After putting it on I immediately noticed the two charactefistics that single these tyres out for me: low weight and incredible grip. Having never used these tyres before I was hesitant to believe the hype about their performance. The folding race tyres come in at 225g and have excellent puncture resistance. The Sport version with the white patch is 475g and gives you a hard-wearing tyre that is perfect for urban riding on a fixed ear bike. Swoop at www.sm-parts.net
Factory5's Lattice chainring has been on my list of products to try since it first popped up on instagram last year. These beauties are slowly coming to European distributors, which clearly shows as many European riders are choosing to upgrade their cranks with these hard-wearing works of art. Fully cnc-d in China, the chainring fits any crank with 144 bcd. By choosing anodized colors that fit your bike you can go for a fully customized look. Stunning looks are paired with a featherweight of 78 gramms. Go check out the chainrings at www.wearefactoryfive.com
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The Hiplok GOLD is Hiplok's highest security wearable bike lock to date, Designed for highest risk area, the Hiplok GOLD features a 10mm thick premium hardened steel chain, 12mm hardened steel shackle and with Hiplok's new speed buckle fastening, adjusts to fit the rider's waist without being locked to them. www.hiplok.com
Bookman's new products creatively fill the gap for the urban commuter's needs. The thing I like most about their new sticky reflectors is that they give you a possibility to be creative with your bike. Putting on different colored reflectors makes your bike visible for those nightrides. For those with a steel frame, Bookman also has magnetic reflectors in their range. These magnetic reflectors give you an even bigger possibility to variate the design of your bike anytime you want. The simplicity of fixed gear bikes mean many won’t be willing to put a bell on their bikes. This means you will be riding frustrated behind other cyclists who won’t notice you. To solve this problem Bookman along with Acme came out with a bike whistle that can substitute the bell. Go order yours at www.bookman.se 75
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REDHOOK BARCELONA Photos: Marshall Kappel Text: Saskia Haex
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In August Red Hook Crit found it's way to Barcelona for the second time. The buzz was already going through Europe some months before the actual event date. Every crit before RHC seemed to be a training for the real deal. And sure with 250+ registrations it is one of the biggest fixed crits in Europe. Riders from all over the continent found their way to BCN to find some sun, sea and an to experience an overall well organized RHC event. Starting on thursday with a session at the local velodrome for the lucky few, for most the weekend started at the pre-party at Dosnoventa store. Essentially it could have been any bar or store as everyone was hanging out in the street, and connected or re-connected with friends. The vibe was good and new friends were made. Most went to bed at a reasonable time though, preparing for the madness of the day to come.... To separate the fast from the fastest and to settle the startspots, the first 'to do' for saturday was the qualification race (race 1). For the men this meant racing for a fastest lap time, within a time limit of 20 minutes. The wind played a big role in this first race, and the more experienced riders soon found a tactic to deal with it: find a buddy to stick with, to save some energy and keeping up a good average speed. This first round also saw some teamskills and team efford: As crit racing is becoming more popular, more teams are taking shape. However not all teams train together...and it showed. 78
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Many riders tried, but 'only' 75 riders got a ticket straight to the finals. Riders with a fastest lap result between 76-150 got a second chance in what was called 'the losers race'(race 2). A quick look at the pit stop area learnt that as most 'losers' were boosting themselves up to get that finals spot, the atmosphere changed and tension grew. Taking that last chance very seriously, 75 riders showed up at the starting line, to give their best. It was a messy race, but at the end the top 20 riders made it through to the crit finals (yes indeed, a 3rd race on one day!). The final race (starting 95 riders!) itself appeared to be some sort cycling derby instead of a race. Making racers and audience wonder what the hell just happened after the 30 laps of racing had passed. Indeed some spectacular riding went down. Tactical riding, technical riding, but also riders bunny hopping over other crashed riders in full speed, and small faults leading to major crashes for the unfortunate ones that were cut off. Sure, crit riding is a risk, but some risks can be prevented. Organizers have a big responsibility these days as the sport is evolving rapidly. A lot of riders want to race, but many are not that skilled. Racing crits is really not a game... Shoutout to all the riders that kissed the pavement and especially the two guys that broke their collarbone, and Jonas Klock who broke his hip. Get well soon!
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Transalps FISH Stefan “Fish” Vis
7 days, 4 countries, more than 600km, around 19.000 vertical meters, 1199 MTB riders - and one guy from flat Netherlands on a bike with carbon fork, drop bars, 34c tires and cyclocross brakes and gearing - quiet an extraordinary action, quiet an odd sight in the daily starter field. You possibly know Stefan “Fish” Vis as only European winner of one of the RED HOOK stages (Barcelona) – but he has been there already for years, as he has always been part and knodding point of the Dutch cycling scene - as soon as it has gotten serious he was there, be it messenger’s alley cats, fixed long distance rides, velodrome and criterium races or anything else. When he was 16 he even beat Sir Chris Hoy before he was thrown out of the dutch trackbike junior national team due to insuperable differencies. It seems everybody in the Netherlands interested in cycling knows that guy from somewhere. Fish provides the certain insanity for being able to conquer the alps.
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Although he hided the bike at the first registration procedures he felt vey soon the support on the part of the organizer. Same with the starter’s field - the first 2-3 days everybody eyeballed him and his bike skeptic, until they realized on the 2nd day he is still alive and showed respect to Fish from then. It was obvious very soon: on asphalt ic sections and due to Fish’s fitness he was able to overtake a real big bunch of riders. “Each uphill I overtook some felt 80-100 riders, but at least the half amount overtook me on its next downhill again haha. Not seldom I even had to make way to stay fair - somehow it became a running gag during the race days.” “The downhill sections were quiet horrible, sometimes I really suffered. Imagine the combination of my seat overheight like a road racer with the brakelevers in the drop of the bar as i had no additional levers on top - my nose felt touching the ground... and some downhill trails took even far more than 1 hour. My first set braking pads were gone already in the beginning of day 2.”
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Two days out of seven it rained without cease and made it double hard, as well for the material. Even if man and the machine were on their limits they managed everything, 5 flats (the last stage he finally switched to tubeless), 2 tires and a pair of brakepads was everything that needed to be replaced to finish the race. But in the end it was not only about “finishing only” anymore: in the overall team-ranking he made #147 with his partner (he had to team up to get a starting permission) in “men’s category” and including women and mixed teams they ended up at #300 out of 600 teams.
If you want to find out more about the race hit www.bike-transalp.de photos by Jason Sellers www.forwardbound.com and sportograph.com
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EUROBIKE by Greg Falski
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Easy Rider Ladislas is a French Designer / Illustrator / Artist based in the south of France ( Marseille ). As a designer he's very passionate about illustration and design and BIKE ! He love riding across the city with his "Peugeot fixie bike". It's a one of the best way to feel the city surrounding you and catch all the spirit of it and then transcript it into design and illustrations and this subject has endless possibilities , cause you can come at the same place everyday and still meet some new people and stories. As a constent "visual seeker" Ladislas loves traveling and discover countries, cultures... He recently started a new personal project that he had in mind for a while, mixing passion for travels, bike culture and design. His project that he named : "Easy Rider Project" is composed at this time of 8 illustrations of places and countries around the world. " I wanted to talk about bike addicts all around the world, and different ways of riding a bike according to a country or an area. I've been lucky enough to be able to travel often since these past few years i've been stuned to see how people use bike as a way of locomotion , It's always the same object but it's funny to see how people transformed it to fit their need. For example when i was in New York the past year i've discovered those classy workaholics that are making business in manhattan and ride some funny folding bikes between those big skyscrapers , it was very interesting to look at this folding bike army. In China they transform their bike and put a sort of car seat in front of them to carry people, it's crazy to see how it is made ! ". All these illustrations have their own color mood depending of the place and country. This is a tribute to bike addicts who will ride intil they die and even after-death ! "Easy Rider" project is a part of an exhibition in France. All the visual of this serie are printed in limited edition of 100 signed and numbered "Fine Art print" ( printed on Art paper with archival inks that guaranty vivid color for at least 80 years. They are also shipped with a certificate of authenticity signed by me and the art lab that printed these pieces) If you 're to far to see the exhibition you still can discover and order prints of this "Easy Rider Project"
www.ladislasdesign.com
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First contact I moved to London in September 2011, but started commuting on a bike in November of 2012. The city where I come from, the simple thought of cycling the to work is as crazy as jump without parachute from 10 thousand meters altitude, so I get really, really surprised how polite drivers are in London, and how easy is to move by bike around. My first bike in London was an hybrid “cannondale bad boy fatty R9 2012” , a very robust bike, with a non hydraulic disc brakes and few gears. Thats an awesome bike I must say, and I enjoyed so much every ride, but I get bored quickly and needed a challenge. On july of 2013, I started to get really intrigued about this fixed gear bikes So I build my own ! And we put together this setup, with the crew of the Cloud9Cycles London Shop And then I did jump to the roads on this red beautiful "Apollo crusader”. Never ride fixed before. I really straight felt in love with the feeling of "such a technical bike to ride”. I mean , at least to me, it reminds that feeling of skateboarding very first time and you have to learn balance, basic ollie , or a kick-flip, I came from such a background, years ago, I used to skateboard a lot, and Im still an active snowboarder, at least one or two weeks a year,:P but for the first time in my life, with 35, I get stoked so much with a bike “thing”. After couple of weeks of going really slow ( I was commuting 6 miles a day) I manage to start skidding in a more relaxed way, and I started also to enjoy so much every ride, cycling in the rush hours or commuting to see friends or shopping, I was looking for an excuse to ride more, at any time. Totally stocked.
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Photos: Greg Fa;lski Text : ARF
Of course I broke few times the cranks , and started to be more really aggressive in my daily ride, so I figure it out , and it took me 2 months , but I finally found was I was looking for, a fgfs bike, "NSBikes Analog 2011", a bike designed by SOFB CTO-Editor Greg Falski. I get rid of the Apollo crusader, also because a friend gave me as a present this another bike, " Polo&Bike commander”, a nice fixed gear bike, with a very comfortable geometry for the city. I love it. So, at this point, I didn’t know what type bike I really wanted to ride, because, in one side I have the Analog, that is a slow ride with 45c tyres, but real fun,(streets of London are an awesome skatepark) and on the other side the Polo&bike, that is a fast bike perfect for the city, comfortable, easy to ride. My head was a perfect mess, so I decided, ok, lets try for a while and lets see how is going. During 6 months I was riding this 2 bikes almost daily, but I ended up always taking the fast one 3 to 1. Although I was commuting fast, I was missing jumping, going “4x4” in the city, ’skatermode’ on, or simply just not care about the road, so I first change from 23c to 25c, and then again to 28c tyres, but this wasn’t enough, still my ride was demanding more, so I finally started to only ride the fgfs to commute.
and in some case (like mine) a mental (or verbal) “yeeeeahhhh” , or similar onomatopoeia. Second, the risk, in any of those, the speed became something hard to handle, and I guess the shots of adrenaline are kind of the same order of intensity. Obviously can’t compare Nature and the City, but heartbeats, here or there are the same.Fear also. Third, another good similarity, is how the ride skills change, in terms of the road conditions, thats it, dry, wet, semi dry, etc… the ride and performance change so much, and the feedback as well. I really like ride fixed gear bikes in London, weather conditions here make my journeys, and i really love to wake up, and have blue sky and wet road, commuting to work then is awesome . I like even when is raining. Four : reading the features to ride, as in any discipline, find the spots , and force yourself to perform TODO’s (tricks) in your daily commuting journey allows to improve your ride, learn new stuff. etc .. Some adrenaline yunkies like me, we need this daily, its hard for me now, get into work and stay 10 hours there , without my few moments of riding, skidding, few bunny hops , fear . Ride breakless in London is really funny and I really love it SO yeah that was my first contact with commuting by bike and fixed gear bikes. Many thanks for reading!
Takes me about 10 or 12 minutes more to commute to work, but i just enjoy so much cycling in skater mode. Its very amazing for me how similar snowboarding and ride fixed gear in London is. First, the feedback of the hardware, skid in any of those, returns some positive karma-loop represented by enjoy with a smile and the satisfaction of shredding ’stuff’ STOKED ON FIXED BIKES
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How did the idea of the label come about? Were you first into creating apparel/ custom accessories or did it only come in connection with cycling?
G&F Interview by Mate Horvath
The idea of the label spawned from a cycling injury I endured two years ago. I suffered a fractured hip that required surgery resulting in 3 pins drilled into my femur. They’re still there today. I was stuck in a bed for a month. Unable to cycle or work I did the next best thing I knew I could do; design. So I just started making shit. Designing things that had ideas that spoke to my currently cycling situation. The brand was born from a very dark place - hence all the black. There are more hints of the brand origins in earlier pieces we dropped; bone graphics with three arrows through it, etc. The name is borrowed from a monument located in NYC. The name has always stuck with me. And considering that I used to ride past daily for 6 years it only made sense to build a cycling brand off of it.
How do you get involved in organizing local fixed gear events? How many riders do you currently support? Along with running G&F, I’m also a team rider for Never Not Riding (NNR) located in New York. My relationship with NNR started after my injury just as G&F was beginning. Our approach to cycling and vision fully aligned and both brands have been inseparable since and will continue to be. This shit is family. G&F currently supports a few riders around the world. Each unique in their style and trajectory, one thing consistent is that they’re all passionate and have
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respect for the sport. We support Josh Meinrath (@joshemei) and Sanso Agate (@sansomountain) in Australia, Kris Fay (@lockedcog) in Sacramento, Chris Green (@agreenerfilm) in St. Louis and Moe (@moeliving4jesus) in New York not to mention various elite members of the NNR/G&F race team.
Does your/your crew's personal preference/style influence what you sell in the webshop? I'm thinking along the lines of "if you wouldn't rock it, you wouldn't make it"? One of my favorite aspects of G&F is that it’s a nimble and responsive brand that is able to evolve and change. What God & Famous puts out speaks to the state of cycling happening in NY right now and more specifically what we as a team are experiencing together. Its about ideas. Its about riding. We’re out here putting in miles along with others that are like-minded doing the same around the world. I think that’s why we speak to so many riders out there. Speaking on the style aspect and what we sell. God & Famous is not about making money. Its about love. I don’t design things with the idea of selling shit to people. I design things that speaks to what I love; cycling and design. I don’t really give a fuck if no one buys anything because its not about that. Although it doesn’t hurt getting support from people all around the world.
Looking at your webshop I see more sold out products than those in stock. Why do you do small quantities when your designs seem to reach a cult status due to the high demand? Is exclusivity part of the brand? I prefer the store to be stocked. Being sold out is the result of growing pains.
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We are a small brand with demand. We’re working through exactly what those demands are in terms of numbers. I’ve heard some crazy stories from fellow riders and customers as a result of the exclusivity. Things like water bottles being straight stolen off bikes all the way down to G&F stickers being stolen off forks. I’m all for it.
Your blog is one of the freshest sites in the fixed gear scene. What was the inspiration behind starting it? The inspiration behind the blog was simply to showcase all the dope ass talent that resides here in New York. We have such a strong cycling community and I felt that no one was capturing it properly. So I took matters into my own hands. There are so many strong riders with killer builds pushing themselves to their limits. They deserve to be recognized.
It’ll continue to grow and legitimize through larger sanctioned and sponsored events. But at the end of the day, its about bikes. Track, road, cx, touring, fgfs, whatever. Just get out there and ride.
Any shoutouts? In no particular order: NNR, Lockedcog, TOLA, Sommerville Sports, City Grounds, Track or Die, Low Bicycles, Pedal Consumption, Leader Bikes, Boda Boda, Forward Set, Mobbin Monday, Barra Forte, WTR/ TVC, Road Runner Bags, Nabiis, MORE, Itchy, Woof Jakarta, Fixie Haus, Kendo and Champion System.
I have managed to expand the locale outside New York and recently featured a few riders in Los Angeles. I’d love to do more traveling and shoot riders around the world. God knows there’s plenty.
Do you have any secret special projects for the near future? I can’t speak on specifics but I’d like to focus on more collaborations in the near future. You know who you are..
Where do you think fixed gear cycling is heading/will be in 5 years? I think fixed gear for so many is a gateway into the larger world of cycling. Its that initial drug that gets you hooked on bikes. And naturally, you get deeper and deeper as time goes on. I think more cyclists that come in through track will graduate to road / cx but fixed gear is here to stay.
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