La Dolce Vita

In our never-ending quest to offer as many variations on a theme as possible, we bring now to your attention our "La Dolce Vita" model. It is constructed of steel, it mates with the Enve 1.0 fork, and it sits squarely in our Gran Paradiso family. For LDV, as we call it here, we feature Columbus' Life tubing throughout with main tubes oversized at 31.8mm for the top and seat tubes, choice of 35 or 38mm down tubes, 16 or 17mm seat stays. Chain stays are Spirit and, when combined with the Enve fork, this frame will take 28mm tires just fine.

"What, Hampsten," I hear you say "is the difference between Spirit frames and those built with Life or MAX tubing?" And a good question it is, too. To me, Life sits right in between Spirit and MAX. Spirit for the light riders, MAX for us heavier guys and really, almost anyone could ride Life. So if you're thinking that MAX may be overbuilt for you but the Spirit seems a trifle thin, this is your baby. At 185# I could ride this, at 150# (dripping wet...) my brother could as well.

Furthermore, unlike MAX or Spirit, the Life tubes are completely cylidrical - meaning a round cross-section. No shaping, no squishing, nothing but pure tube-like sweet smoothness for greater torsional rigidity (and increased vertical compliance, natch).

$2400, at finer on-line boutiques everywhere. Tutto va bene - cigarette?

Yard Sale: Blue MAX

Sold! Thanks to all who expressed an interest.

If you come to a spork in the road... Bike Snob NYC

He still loves us but it's slightly unnerving to be included. Relentlessly self-serving content here, of course.

Andy on the Galibier

"And most memorably for me, scaling it from the Telegraphe side in 1993: I was hanging tough with Indurain, Rominger, Jaskula and Meija until a few kilometers from the top. For unfathomable reasons I was driving myself nuts fretting over a sticky bit of tarmac that had hitchhiked its way on to my right calf."

More here on the Rapha site

art

Art was a window washer

Cycling Inquisition

more here

The Bike That Jack Built

More here...

Great motorcycling post...

                                                                    Right here...

Website updates

Blue MAX 

Strada Bianca in Pistachio

Bill's Strada Bianca

Eriksen-built frame with Campy, Moots, Ambrosio. The fork is a slight departure for us, being from Seven, but it provides ample room for the 32mm tires.

Brakes by Velo-Orange - everything just fits, doesn't it?

Kent sweats the small stuff...

Don't that look like the perfect combo?

Andy and boar head logo...

Ready to ride!

Steve Jobs, R.I.P.