Is it about a bike? November 28, 2009 1:57 PM Subscribe
Matt Haughey's spectacular new custom 'cross bike.
Built with local parts, as much as possible. Great stuff. Hope you get well soon and ride it in good health.
Built with local parts, as much as possible. Great stuff. Hope you get well soon and ride it in good health.
Ahhhh, so cool.
posted by defenestration at 2:15 PM on November 28, 2009
posted by defenestration at 2:15 PM on November 28, 2009
Can this be the reward for winning the 100K raffle? Please?
posted by invitapriore at 2:39 PM on November 28, 2009 [3 favorites]
posted by invitapriore at 2:39 PM on November 28, 2009 [3 favorites]
Notice the mefi blue/grey/green color scheme.
posted by synaesthetichaze at 2:39 PM on November 28, 2009 [3 favorites]
posted by synaesthetichaze at 2:39 PM on November 28, 2009 [3 favorites]
Can this be the reward for winning the 100K raffle? Please?
It's actually already taken place, and you didn't win.
posted by gman at 2:44 PM on November 28, 2009 [5 favorites]
It's actually already taken place, and you didn't win.
posted by gman at 2:44 PM on November 28, 2009 [5 favorites]
Clearly. I'm behind the times, I guess.
posted by invitapriore at 2:51 PM on November 28, 2009
posted by invitapriore at 2:51 PM on November 28, 2009
A friend of mine has that exact saddle. It's awesome.
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 3:22 PM on November 28, 2009
posted by You Should See the Other Guy at 3:22 PM on November 28, 2009
The pieces at the bottom of the forks, the chrome pieces with the multiple curves -- so pretty! It's a neat project; makes me want to build a localish bike. Hmmm...
posted by Forktine at 4:24 PM on November 28, 2009
posted by Forktine at 4:24 PM on November 28, 2009
needs the veloporn tag
posted by geekyguy at 4:25 PM on November 28, 2009 [1 favorite]
posted by geekyguy at 4:25 PM on November 28, 2009 [1 favorite]
Not a fixie. Meh.
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 5:19 PM on November 28, 2009
posted by mr_crash_davis mark II: Jazz Odyssey at 5:19 PM on November 28, 2009
WANT
posted by EatTheWeek at 5:44 PM on November 28, 2009
posted by EatTheWeek at 5:44 PM on November 28, 2009
Who took the photos? They're nice.
posted by Monday, stony Monday at 6:31 PM on November 28, 2009
posted by Monday, stony Monday at 6:31 PM on November 28, 2009
Hey, thanks all, I really love my new bike. A lot of planning went into it and I'm really happy with how it turned out. I've been collecting bikes like crazy the last few years, but I got rid of two bikes after getting this and I may end up ditching my road bike completely and just using this with slicks year round.
The (amazing) photos were shot by Jared Souney in a room with some big rolls of black and white construction paper and a shit ton of flashes. The guy does amazing work.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 6:38 PM on November 28, 2009
The (amazing) photos were shot by Jared Souney in a room with some big rolls of black and white construction paper and a shit ton of flashes. The guy does amazing work.
posted by mathowie (staff) at 6:38 PM on November 28, 2009
While Chris King does all of their machining locally, the cartridge bearings are generic east-asian imports (same deal with Phil Wood). The hubs are great, but the threadless headsets are some of the worst you can buy for the price, all because they refused to license the Aheadset patent like everyone else does. Instead of using a split compression ring at the top of the stack they use an o-ring instead, which will wear out while eroding a groove in your steerer.
Salsa is just one of many themed fronts for QBP, selling the same Taiwanese parts with a different backstory. FSA at least doesn't pretend to be anything more than an empty 'brand' in between you and small shops in Taiwan. I'd be quite surprised if the Stan's rims were extruded in America, much less in-house.
The means of production are more important than where the majority of the profit goes. It's a lot more honest to buy parts that have as few middlemen in the chain of distribution > design > production — it's nice if they are local to you, but it's much more important that they have a locale at all!
In the US there's at least White Industries and Speedplay making parts you could have used; in France there's Berthoud, Stronglight, TA, and Mavic; in Italy there's Miche, Cinelli, and most Campy; in Japan there's Nitto, Sugino, and MKS; most of Velocity's production is still in Australia; Rohloff is all German…
posted by blasdelf at 8:44 PM on November 28, 2009 [5 favorites]
Salsa is just one of many themed fronts for QBP, selling the same Taiwanese parts with a different backstory. FSA at least doesn't pretend to be anything more than an empty 'brand' in between you and small shops in Taiwan. I'd be quite surprised if the Stan's rims were extruded in America, much less in-house.
The means of production are more important than where the majority of the profit goes. It's a lot more honest to buy parts that have as few middlemen in the chain of distribution > design > production — it's nice if they are local to you, but it's much more important that they have a locale at all!
In the US there's at least White Industries and Speedplay making parts you could have used; in France there's Berthoud, Stronglight, TA, and Mavic; in Italy there's Miche, Cinelli, and most Campy; in Japan there's Nitto, Sugino, and MKS; most of Velocity's production is still in Australia; Rohloff is all German…
posted by blasdelf at 8:44 PM on November 28, 2009 [5 favorites]
nice bike. good to see that it has gears.
coincidentally, my project for this week is to modify one of those stickers:
ONE LESSCAR FIXIE.
posted by UbuRoivas at 12:42 AM on November 29, 2009 [2 favorites]
coincidentally, my project for this week is to modify one of those stickers:
ONE LESS
posted by UbuRoivas at 12:42 AM on November 29, 2009 [2 favorites]
No brazed lugs, no sprung leather saddle, no North Road bars, no bell, no fenders, no saddlebag that can fit a picnic for four... this isn't a bicycle, this is one of those toys that you affix training wheels to and give to children who don't know what a bicycle is.
(I keed! Now get better so you can win some races.)
posted by Slap*Happy at 4:01 AM on November 29, 2009
(I keed! Now get better so you can win some races.)
posted by Slap*Happy at 4:01 AM on November 29, 2009
Yep blasdelf, I figured out quickly that going crazy on this project and quizzing every company on their sourcing of materials was the path to madness, so I don't lose sleep over the few asian parts or the french tires made in Thailand.
On the plus side, the Thomson seatpost and stem is mined from ore just north of New York, it's formed into tubes in Pennsylvania and assembled in Georgia. The seat is also local leather from the midwest stretched in Wisconsin. I don't know where the titanium is sourced, but the frame is definitely produced by one person locally.
Oh, and we're sponsored by White Industries (I have their fork on my 29er), but they don't produce cyclocross forks on a 130mm axle, but we used Woundup forks which are the only american made carbon forks (hand laid up in Utah) that aren't simply rebadged asian carbon products (like Edge). As for pedal systems, it's a personal preference, and I've never tried speedplay but I've always loved Shimano's SPD for quick dismounts and remounts in the muck (which is important for this silly bike sport).
posted by mathowie (staff) at 8:03 AM on November 29, 2009 [2 favorites]
On the plus side, the Thomson seatpost and stem is mined from ore just north of New York, it's formed into tubes in Pennsylvania and assembled in Georgia. The seat is also local leather from the midwest stretched in Wisconsin. I don't know where the titanium is sourced, but the frame is definitely produced by one person locally.
Oh, and we're sponsored by White Industries (I have their fork on my 29er), but they don't produce cyclocross forks on a 130mm axle, but we used Woundup forks which are the only american made carbon forks (hand laid up in Utah) that aren't simply rebadged asian carbon products (like Edge). As for pedal systems, it's a personal preference, and I've never tried speedplay but I've always loved Shimano's SPD for quick dismounts and remounts in the muck (which is important for this silly bike sport).
posted by mathowie (staff) at 8:03 AM on November 29, 2009 [2 favorites]
Bike porn.
posted by blue_beetle at 8:26 AM on November 29, 2009
posted by blue_beetle at 8:26 AM on November 29, 2009
Nice photography, Matt — did you take the photos?
I resolved the other day to buy a good used bike in the spring, but it will not look like this one. That's okay — I'll love it anyway, and tell it that we can't all be sleek beauties.
posted by orange swan at 9:16 AM on November 29, 2009
I resolved the other day to buy a good used bike in the spring, but it will not look like this one. That's okay — I'll love it anyway, and tell it that we can't all be sleek beauties.
posted by orange swan at 9:16 AM on November 29, 2009
oh man that is sexy. WANT CK GREEN HUBS!!!!!
posted by lonefrontranger at 10:25 AM on November 29, 2009
posted by lonefrontranger at 10:25 AM on November 29, 2009
It's gorgeous, really, but it's going to end up in the mud soon and everything will be brown, not blue, green and grey. I suspect some keen washing, right down to toothbrush level, may be filling Matt's weekends soon.
This picture from another post in the blog just kills me.
posted by maudlin at 12:08 PM on November 29, 2009
This picture from another post in the blog just kills me.
posted by maudlin at 12:08 PM on November 29, 2009
Is it not working for anyone else? I see a list of sponsors on the side - mefi, bikehugger, etc. but then just a blank page. same with maudlin's link.
posted by vronsky at 3:47 PM on November 29, 2009
posted by vronsky at 3:47 PM on November 29, 2009
That's really hot shit. I'm jealous, even if it's way too goddamn big for me.
posted by rocketman at 4:03 PM on November 29, 2009
posted by rocketman at 4:03 PM on November 29, 2009
My husband does cyclocross racing and he is staring at the photos and saying "WANT" now. Even though he already has 6 bikes. Thanks.
But seriously, that is a gorgeous bike.
posted by bedhead at 4:13 PM on November 29, 2009
But seriously, that is a gorgeous bike.
posted by bedhead at 4:13 PM on November 29, 2009
all because they refused to license the Aheadset patent like everyone else does.
Why bother? That patent will expire in less than a year, at which point anyone can use it royalty-free.
posted by Pastabagel at 10:19 PM on November 29, 2009
Why bother? That patent will expire in less than a year, at which point anyone can use it royalty-free.
posted by Pastabagel at 10:19 PM on November 29, 2009
It's got nothing to do with the trivial licensing fees, it's all pride. I doubt they'll release a new split-ring model after it expires.
The o-ring gives the user a reason to have a relationship with their $120 headset (tweaking the preload and replacing it as it wears). Their freehubs have a similar design philosophy: you get the angriest hive of bees, and they're very easy to service, but you have to service them on the regular.
posted by blasdelf at 11:19 PM on November 29, 2009
The o-ring gives the user a reason to have a relationship with their $120 headset (tweaking the preload and replacing it as it wears). Their freehubs have a similar design philosophy: you get the angriest hive of bees, and they're very easy to service, but you have to service them on the regular.
posted by blasdelf at 11:19 PM on November 29, 2009
Good to see my $5 went to a worthy cause. Meanwhile this is what I ride to work.
I kid, I kid.
posted by Pollomacho at 5:04 AM on November 30, 2009
I kid, I kid.
posted by Pollomacho at 5:04 AM on November 30, 2009
Ooh, bike porn, lovely shots.
Couldn't you get a Ti fork to go with the frame, because that Woundup effort is butt-ugly. (And everybody knows carbon fibre and cyclocross doesen't mix).
posted by SyntacticSugar at 5:57 AM on November 30, 2009
Couldn't you get a Ti fork to go with the frame, because that Woundup effort is butt-ugly. (And everybody knows carbon fibre and cyclocross doesen't mix).
posted by SyntacticSugar at 5:57 AM on November 30, 2009
In my elementary school days someone decided "bike" was slang for male genitalia. Humor ensued: "what color is your bike?" "Is your bike muddy?" Somehow that was buried until now. It makes the post better reading and occasionally ideoeponysterical.
posted by Ogre Lawless at 12:01 PM on November 30, 2009
posted by Ogre Lawless at 12:01 PM on November 30, 2009
Instead of using a split compression ring at the top of the stack they use an o-ring instead, which will wear out while eroding a groove in your steerer.
The bike - will it vibrate?
posted by hardcode at 12:01 PM on December 1, 2009
The bike - will it vibrate?
posted by hardcode at 12:01 PM on December 1, 2009
You are not logged in, either login or create an account to post comments
posted by snsranch at 2:15 PM on November 28, 2009