MARIN HEADLANDS: RIDING THROUGH CLOUDS

After a summer of pure all-road bliss, I had the rare opportunity to take my Horse on a 6 week work trip to San Francisco this October. The Bay Area is a rare place that puts every kind of road, trail, and path right in your back yard. Add in all kinds of stunning scenery, and its almost overwhelming. I tried to cover as many of the favorite local routes as I could, but I know I only scratched the surface:

Despite the endless options, I found myself spending a lot of time exploring the Marin Headlands. It was hard to believe that such amazing riding was only 20 minutes from my front door just over the Golden gate.

Packed inside its 15 square miles was everything I could ask for; challenging climbs, swooping descents, rugged dirt trails, unbelievable landscapes, ocean views, and some pretty awesome wildlife to boot.

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As a Brooklyn based cyclist, I’ll be missing those magical foggy Headlands’ loops for a while. In NYC it’s back to working for the weekends and driving, training, or riding long distances to find scenic roads. The struggle is real, but it makes you appreciate these incredible places and the machines we use to explore them even more. 

All Road Elite

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Thanks to Nik Karbelnikoff who wrote these words and took these great photos and continues to inspire with his dedication to two wheel adventure.

SOME OF MY FAVORITE ROUTS:

San Francisco to Santa Cruz

Twin Peaks

Planet of the Apes

Mt. Tam – Paved and fire roads

Seven Sisters

Faifax Bolinas Rd

Bolinas Ridge Fire Rd.

Muir Woods

Mt. Diablo

Marin Headlands

AUTUMN ALL ROAD ELITE 650B

This a custom-sized All Road Elite special with paint by Ben Falcon. This lady is set up with HED Belgian 650B wheels, and WTB Horizon rubber for maximum contact and speed, room for 700c x 45mm, T47 BB / 44mm down tube / Enve cross up front and through axle all around.  Force Hydro 1X for good measure and Chris King BB and Headset.

Bridget Paulick, who we built this bike for, is an impressive athlete and plans to shred road and gravel alike. Bridget just got back from Hawaii where she completed an Iron Man. We're excited forward to be building for such an accomplished rider. More action shots to come!  Thanks to Nik Karbelnikoff for helping make this bike happen and all logistics. Also thanks to Deluxe cycles for building her up.  

CUSTOM DUCATI IN THE PAINT SHOP

We couldn't be happier to work with local moto shops like , run by Kerry Sano. Kerry, a long time moto mechani, who after 15 years of wrenching and 4 years of running the Ducati / Triumph service department in NYC, just celebrated her shop's one year anniversary. Not only does she do impeccable service work but also jams out amazing custom bikes, both modern and vintage, with great style and grace.  If you have a motorbike and are looking for a custom touch, MOTOVELOCITA should be your next stop.

CUSTOME DUCATI SCRAMBLER 

Ben Falcon of Horse Cycles Paint recently completed tank and fender. Gloss navy / matte red logo and some Italian flag action on the fender.

Understated and classy. We love painting motorcycles, so let us know if you have something you would like us to paint! Come by the shop or head over to MOTOVELOCITA and give your ride the good treatment

Custom saddle and tool bag.

Kerry in her Bushwick Brooklyn shop zone!

Kerry in the moto zone!

All Road in Bovina: An outside Perspective

Written by: Nik Karbelnikoff

Last summer I became one of the many cyclists who found themselves sucked in by “all road” craze. Before the Winter took full effect, I was pushing my Giant TCR on 25mm tires well past its recommended use and I knew I would need a different bike for the 2017 season. Around the same time, a colleague of mine introduced me to the world of custom made steel bikes. As a former carbon obsessed race bike guy, this was completely new to me. I was instantly obsessed with the craftsmanship, paint schemes, and of course the endless build possibilities. I wanted in!

While searching for steel all road frames I came across a number of great options that were all conceptually pretty similar. As a Brooklyn native, I decided I wanted to work with someone local, and the minute I saw the Horse Cycles All Road Elite I knew I had to have it.

If I was going to go custom I wanted an intimate experience, so to me the big upside of working with a local builder was actually getting to meet them and see their work space.

In mid-February I sent Thomas an email inquiring about the bike. He immediately wrote back and invited me to his shop. The next week I stopped by to discuss the project. We chatted while he gave me a tour and introduced me to Charles, his infamous shop cat. He was so psyched on the bike and the high end build I wanted to do that I knew I had made the right choice. The next day I emailed him again to confirm the frame size and he wrote back – “So pumped. I love this bike and everything about it. Amped to build you one.”

This was my first custom steel bike and the build process did not disappoint. I got to stop by a few more times to check out the progress and consult on components and paint before taking it to Magliarosa NYC to be built up. During my visits Thomas and I casually talked about getting some rides in and maybe taking some photos. I figured that after the bike was done we might set up some time to take high res stills in his shop, high five, and go our separate ways besides a few Instagram tags and some friendly email exchanges.  

After picking the bike up and sending Thomas some nice shots of the completed build he mentioned wanting to get some more outdoor shots, casually texting me – “I’m going upstate this weekend. Anyway you will be up there? Would love to get some nature shots! Let’s chat tomorrow. I’ll know more.” – Two days later he sent me an address and a photo of a beautiful property with a pond and a newly built one room cabin in Bovina New York and said – “Not sure if you have a car. Headed up tomorrow. Will be there until Sunday. You could stay on the property. I have a little shed and a tent and sleeping pad.” - The invite sort of caught be by surprise but after a few more picturesque photos and a thumbs up to bring my dog, I had say to yes.

What ensued was an epic weekend of camping, cooking, swimming, and of course riding while Thomas and his friend Steve finished the newly constructed outhouse, duly named – the poop castle. Thomas’ property is a little slice of heaven in the Norwest corner of the Catskills where the valley views, local farms, and dirt roads to explore seem endless. It quickly became clear to me that his brand is synonymous with what he loves and the property is a perfect way to make his work come to life – chopping fire wood with his hatchets, preparing food with his knives, and exploring the area on his bikes.

On Sunday I went out for a ride just short of 40 miles that was about 60/40 paved to dirt ratio. The terrain is challenging to say the least. I cracked 4,000ft of climbing in under three hours of riding, making me earn every last bit of the fast fun descents that followed each long climb. The hard-packed red clay dirt roads were in amazing shape and outside of Route 28 I saw very few cars at all. It was exactly the kind of ride my new bike was made for and left me wanting to get back as soon as possible to explore all of the roads I couldn’t get to.

That evening I got in my car to drive back to the city, dirty, sunburnt, dead tired, and completely content. What had started as a bike frame inquiry had become more than I ever expected. A month or two prior to this trip I heard Thomas and Ben Falcon speak about their crafts at a Magliarosa: Meet the Maker event. Ben talked about how objects carry meaning and rhetorically asked – “Why not make them special?” I couldn't agree more. As far as my bike is concerned, it's absolutely awesome - but I think the memory of this process and hanging out with two rad dudes in Bovina will outlast it, and that might be the coolest part.

For the love of bikes and everything outdoors.

Thomas - a man of many talents. His love for bikes (of all kinds) and the outdoors is contagious. I've only been in NYC for 2 years and just starting to scratch the surface or exploring the surrounding areas. Making this video was an awesome way to not only document Thomas in the shop, but more importantly getting outside and experiencing what's out there. It's easy to get wrapped up in the hustle of the city and I didn't realize how much we can access in just an hour or two away. What started off as a few Instagram clips evolved into this video as I captured the lifestyle that surrounds Horse Cycles. Looking forward to the warm weather and continuing the search! http://www.horsebrand.co/ -Brian

A video by Brian Chu, a good friend and super talented film maker here in the city and one of the masterminds behind Wearhause.

"Thomas - a man of many talents. His love for bikes (of all kinds) and the outdoors is contagious. I've only been in NYC for 2 years and just starting to scratch the surface or exploring the surrounding areas. Making this video was an awesome way to not only document Thomas in the shop, but more importantly getting outside and experiencing what's out there. It's easy to get wrapped up in the hustle of the city and I didn't realize how much we can access in just an hour or two away. What started off as a few Instagram clips evolved into this video as I captured the lifestyle that surrounds Horse Cycles. Looking forward to the warm weather and continuing the search!"

horsebrand.co/

-Brian

ALL ROAD ELITE dressed up in '82 landrover green

This green machine boasts a 44mm down tube for ultimate stiffness and power transfer making it stable in all conditons, on road and off.  Double internal cable routing for 1X and Hydro disc cable gives it the that clean minimal look that natures creatures love.  Reinforced head tube with gold accents and thru axle front and rear make this frame stout and capable.

1 X 10 TRIGGER SHIFT TOWNIE

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A TOWNIE WITH A MODERN TOUCH.  SIMPLE LIGHT WEIGHT AND CLEAN.  THE 1 X 10 SINGLE SHIFTER AND SINGLE DERAILURE KEEPS EVERYTHING MINIMAL WHILE SAVING WEIGHT AND ELIMINATING MECHANICAL MOVING PARTS.  THE SRAM QUICK TRIGGER SHIFT IS A NICE PERFORMANCE FEATURE BRINGING FUNCTIONALITY  AND PERFORMANCE TO AN ELEGANT PACKAGE.  TOP HER OFF WITH SOME LEATHER BROOKS BAR RAP AND A C-17 SADDLE AND YOUR GOOD TO GO.  

CANTILEVER CABLE HANGER DETAIL

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CLASSIC LINES:  THIS BIKE IS MODLED AFTER OUR URBAN TOUR BIKE WITH CUSTOM GEOMETRY.  FULL TRUE TEMPER OX PLAT STEEL TUBING TIG WELDED AND FINISHED WITH A SLEEK BURGUNDY PAINT JOB FROM OUR IN HOUSE PAINTER BEN FALCON

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DARK HORSE

This rad custom road racer is made for the big boys. We Incorporated the larger, stiffer T47 bottom bracket shell,  Columbus life tube set,  tapered carbon Enve fork and massively stiff 44mm head tube.  This dark horse was finished up with a sleek matt black paint scheme and gloss logos.  It was a pleasure working with Christopher DenHerder on this build.  A machine at the beginning of its life with miles and miles of road ripping to look forward to.   

WHY STEEL?

For the love of steel...

Steel is amazing! That’s the number one reason the best builders from around the country choose to use it. Once thought to be a heavy material, with the new alloys used on high-end bike frames, today weight can be drastically reduced with steel. Our own Horse All Road comes in at 18 lbs. Sure I’ve upgraded a few parts, but remember, the frame comes in at about 3.75 lbs., so it's just a fraction of the overall weight. Steel is the most durable building material on the market, more so than carbon, titanium and let’s not even mention aluminum. Steel maintains its mechanical properties over time, unlike the materials listed above, which start to degrade as soon as they are put to use due to fatigue. This means that a steel frame will ride as well in 10, 20 or 30 years as it did the first day you rode it.

MAGIC METAL

The great thing about steel is that it’s a magic metal. It has three magical qualities that make it the perfect material for building bicycles. First, steel is stiff. This means better power transfer and less flex. And bikes can be made with varying sized and type tubing to put that stiffness in the right areas. The stiffer the drive train the better the power transfer. More watts go from your peddle stroke to the rear wheel and to the road.

Secondly, steel absorbs road vibration. This means a smoother ride, you can stay on the bike longer, riding further. Which equals a happy rider.

These two factors working together give you the best possible outcome: great power transfer and great road vibration dampening. The power is there when you need it but the steel is comfortable to ride from two miles to 200 miles.

The last quality of steel—and a melding of the two characteristics above—is responsiveness. New steel alloys are stiff and will maintain that stiffness over its life span (i.e. forever). But they also flex just enough so that it’s a joy to ride. This flex is like a power spring. When you put force downward on a spring that energy is stored in the coil of the spring and then released as it rebounds. Steel bicycles react in the same way but at a much smaller scale. The geometry of a steel spring and a bike are different but both are engineered to get the most out of the material. I would say this is most evident in the handling of the bike as well as rider input.  When you corner on a steel bike the frame absorbs the increased force placed on the frame from the g-force of the corner and rebounds as you come out of the corner. In the same way when you're climbing on the bike and out of the saddle, each stroke blasts power to the rear wheel but also has a slight spring back making the bike feel alive.

It’s the life of the bike that shines with steel and is the reason riders keep coming back for more.

WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER MATERIALS.

The other three materials used in mainstream bicycle manufacturing are carbon, titanium and aluminum. 

Carbon is great stuff, it can be utilized to deliver different characteristics in different areas of the bike. It's much like steel in that you can cater to rider weight, ride quality and stiffness using different sizes of tubes and tube wall thickness. It also offers slightly better road vibration dampening.

What does carbon have on steel?  I would say weight. You can drop about a pound or two off the total weight of the bike by going with a carbon a bicycle. For many of the bikes we build at Horse Cycles we use carbon forks. This allows us to utilize the positive qualities of carbon in a key area giving us a bit more weight savings and a bit more road dampening. The great thing about a carbon fork is that it's replaceable. After its life span (about 10 years) it can be replaced. But for most riders the cost outweighs the benefits when considering a full carbon frame. Carbon is fragile, expensive and hard to repair. Carbon also loses its mechanical properties over time. Eeek! For most of us an $8,000 bike is out of the question. I still think carbon is a great material but it's best utilized for racing and for riders who get a new bike every other year and for fork material paired up with steel. A bike for life? I think maybe not.

The same goes for aluminum. It's great for racing but aluminum starts losing its mechanical properties right away. It’s a super stiff material which is great for short races but it's so stiff it doesn’t absorb the road or give you the springy responsive qualities of steel.  The stiffness of this material makes it very difficult to ride on for long journeys. The material is way more fragile than steel and I would say is bone-jarring uncomfortable. Best for Crits and Short Race duration bicycles.

Titanium is a material I know least about but h I do have some experience with it. My comments could be off but I guess I can just put in my two cents as a representation of one builder's experience and by no means an expert opinion. 

Unlike aluminum, titanium has a lot of more flex than steel. In my experience low-end titanium bikes are so flexy they feel like a wet noodle. The power transfer isn’t great so for overall responsiveness it’s a little lacking. This is what makes it great for mountain biking where you have a super light bike but all the flex is originating from the suspension (shocks). I would say it's even too flexy for touring. When your bike is loaded with gear that extra weight will increase how much the bike flexes and with long miles ahead of you, getting the balance of power transfer, stiffness and a comfortable ride is a must. I would say titanium is best utilized for MTB where the weight savings will help increase its nimbleness and climbing. 

High-end Ti is something different. High end means tubes are catered to the rider and wall thickness is manipulated to get stiffer qualities at the key joints where power transfer is key. Most importantly the chain stays, BB and down tube head tube. The line from the head tube down through the BB and into the chain stays is the power band.  More high-end Ti bike makers can achieve this with a positive outcome. One, it's very specialized and only the top companies using Ti can achieve these characteristics and two, it adds to the over all cost of the bike.

I love steel. I love riding steel and I love making bikes out of steel. Steel allows me to make bicycles by hand paying attention to riders' needs. It allows me to be thoughtful and it allows me the ultimate freedom to build a bike that will last forever. 

Why are we on the bike: everyone has their own reasons but for me it is because I love to ride. I’m not a racer but I’m sure competitive riders feel the same way. I love to ride for a few reasons. One, I have a high quality bike that fits me. It does what I want when I want.  It’s freedom, it gets me outdoors. It’s a great source of exercise.

CAMPING: There and Back in 24 Hours.

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photo by Bekka Palmer

Friends Bekka Palmer, Brian Chu and I headed down to Southern NJ to get in some summer camping in.  Swimming, snacks and a little boogie.  Finally have the Camp Hatchet back in stock and a the Naval Knife showing a nice patina.   Check out the amazing video Brian put together. I hope it inspires YOU to adventure!  

We went, we filmed, we conquered.

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photos by Bekka Palmer

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CUSTOM PAINTED PREMIER TROPHY HELMET

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Custom painted in the Horse Cycles Paint Shop by in house painter Ben Falcon.  This was a really special job painted for a good friend Michael Higgins as an ode to his 1967 honda CB450 appropriately named the "Black Bomber".  Michael has meticulously restored the '67 with full chrome and black detailing and can be sean riding around the streets of brooklyn.  

Touring Disc for local craftsman: Steven Bukowski

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This is the ultimate touring / bike camping / adventure bike.  Made for local hooligan and very talented craftsman Steven Bukowski . The TIG welded main triangle was built up with USA True temper Ox Plat tubing, Paragon Machine works "low mount" disc dropouts mounted up with Paul Klamper disc brakes, Pacenti lugged fork crown, and finished off with some sweet paint from our in house spray booth guru Ben Falcon.  This lady is ready to take it to the limit and beyond!  Check out some of the details below!

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Stevie B looking fresh!

XCr Stainless Road

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Columbus XCr tubing is possibly the greatest material available today for building a bike. The tubing is stainless steel so it's resilient and will be around for ever! Literally. Its elemental make-up is such that it is the strongest steel available on the market. Strong means light.  Because of its strength you can use less material and achieve the same results, making it as light as most aluminium bikes.  Its maintains all the ride characteristics that keep people coming back to steel - road absorption and responsiveness being the two big ones.  Steel also maintains its mechanical properties over time, unlike carbon and aluminium which begin to degrade from day one. This bad boy will ride the same today as it will ten to twenty years from now.  Like a beast, light as a feather and ready to eat up the miles.

Built with oversized tubing including a 44mm headtube to accept a tapered carbon (Enve) fork. This custom build bike also includes S-bend seat stays, internal cable routing and machined dropouts from Paragon, CA. Painted in-house by our talented spray booth guru, Ben Falcon. Enjoy!

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Process: XCr Stainless Road Bike

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Stainless steel Can be an amazing material.  Stainless was invented less than 100 years ago around 1924.  Columbus, an italian bicycle tubing manufacturer makes the best Stainless steel bicycle tubing in the biz.  Stronger than anything else out there it can be drawn very thin while remaining super strong making for a light weight responsive ride.  Here are a few process shots of the bike in progress.  When welding stainless steel you must "back purge" the welding area.  This creates a shield that protects the weld from Oxidation, (the presence of oxygen that creates a build up of contamination).  Here you can see how the frame is plumbed as gas is fed into the frame creating the shield.  At the welding area the torch creates the shield on the outside at the welding area.  Once the steel has cooled (about a second or two), the steel is not susceptible to the same oxidation.  The shielding gas used is argon.  A non flammable gas that is just a bit heavier than air.

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FAST BOY

Ezra Caldwell was a friend and fellow bike builder in NYC. I didn't know him for very long, but his work still inspires me. I have been wanting to build a bicycle that spoke to his past work, his character and our brief friendship before he passed. A way to keep him in the forefront of my mind. A way to keep his spirt and love for living rolling.

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Dar Patel, an architect and a friend, came to the Horse workshop with an idea for a custom bicycle. His aesthetic was spot on, with reference imagery for the bicycle design spanning furniture, textures, colors, and components. He had also shown me an image of a FAST BOY, one of the many bikes Ezra had built. The following images are of the final product, encompassing both Dar's vision, sprinkled with some hints of a very talented Ezra Caldwell. Enjoy.

Brass headset topper turned on the lathe here at the workshop / angle swept bars.

Rolloph speed hub / disc / 14 speed / paragon stainless rocker dropouts 

Hand stamped brass head badge.

Ezra

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29er + Compleat

29er + with clearance for 3" tires.  Paragon machine works adjustable sliding dropouts, True Temper OX platinum tube set with a custom turned 44mm head tube.  Basically a whole lotta fun!

ATLAS DRILL PRESS RESTORATION

I picked up an old Atlas Drill press from a good friend in the neighborhood. I believe it was manufactured between 1945-53, and Atlas still continue to be some of the nicest presses out there. But this one wasn't working, and my buddy just wanted it out of the way as it was taking up space. Over the next 3 months I gave her some love, stripped it down to bare bones and brought her back from the grips of death.

I started by stripping all the layers of paint and years off the drill press with many coats of paint remover. I disassembled all the parts, including the motor then scuffed the whole body. Ben Falcon, Horse's paint maestro, primed and painted her with a single stage black gloss paint. I brought the Atlas logos back to life by highlighting them with gold sign paint.

Next I completely re-wired the machine so the original on-off switch was back in business, as it was not working when I first got the machine. I put new brass lever-ends on the quill feed handles, as well as a new return spring, adjustable v-belt, lubrication fittings, bearings, etc.

The Drill press runs, feels and looks great. I love these old machines and I love the idea of keeping one in operation in hopes it will continue to serve for years to come.

PARLEE PAINT WORK 57hrs later

Here are some shots of a recent paint job that came through the shop.  Ben Falcon has been working with us full time for about a year now and his work  just keeps getting more crispy.  All the work is done by hand by taping off different layers of paint.  After two coats of clear and a good sanding we then blew on the Matte Clear coat which I think really finished it off nicely.

If your interested in custom paint for your steed get in touch.  Enjoy the work below.

Corey's Custom Track Single Speed

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Made of OX Plat True Temper tubing and a columbus Life stays this bike is light as it is nimble.

The Paint is Root Beer on Root beer candy flake extravaganza and really pops in the light.  Paired up with a ENVE carbon fork and some custom built H+ son rims, its a road eating machine.  Challenge 32 tires are maxed out on the front and rear of the bike but give great stability, grip, and road feel.  the 300tpi casing and max pump 160 psi will carry you at speed.

Dressed up with the new Carbon Brooks C13 saddle and matching Brooks bar tape, this girl is ready to party.

Check out more detail shots in the gallery below.

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ANTHEM

MADE IN BROOKLYN MADE FOR SPEED :  THE ANTHEM

Brooklyn’s finest have come together to create the Anthem track bike. The proprietary design is from Affinity’s Jason Gallacher and handmade in Brooklyn at Thomas Callahan’s custom fabrication shop ‘Horse Cycles’.

The Anthem features lightweight, aerospace grade air hardened steel with a True Temper OX Platinum and a oversized down tube. In addition, a thin sleek integrated seat mast and classic campy style dropouts were integrated. What set’s the Anthem apart is a proprietary seat post wedge co designed with famed bicycle industry design engineer Aaron Panone of 44rn as well as the tapered head tube with an Enve fork and color matched headset.

What makes this project special and the Anthem so unique are the people who came together to make it all happen.

THE PEOPLE

Thomas Callahan. Designer / builder (Horse Cycles)

Jason Gallacher. Owner (Affinity Cycles)

Ben Falcon. Master painter (Horse Cycles)

Aaron Panone. Industrial Designer

Tom Le Marche.  Stunt man / ladies man (Horse Cycles)

The Anthem is made right here in our shop and only 20 will be available to the US market.  Head over to Affinity Cycles for more info and secure yours before they vanish!

AFFINITY CYCLES INTRODUCES NEW TRACK BIKE MADE IN BROOKLYN Made by New York's Finest Builders with American Sourced Materials Brooklyn’s finest have come together to create the Anthem track bike in NYC. The proprietary design is from Affinity’s Jason Gallacher and it’s hand made in New York City at Thomas Callahan’s custom fabrication shop ‘Horse Cycles’. The Anthem is welded using lightweight, aerospace grade air hardened True Temper OX Platinum steel. A distinct detail of the Anthem is a thin sleek integrated seat mast, and a proprietary seat post wedge co designed with famed bicycle industry design engineer Aaron Panone of 44rn. Additional features include classic campy style dropouts, oversized down tube and a tapered head tube paired with an Enve fork. For more info and to buy the new Anthem head over to affinitycycles.com/anthem Video by Derrick Allan Perry www.derrickallanperry.com