On 11/18 we hosted a fun party sponsored by Raleigh Bicycles and Chrome Industries to celebrate the SSCXWC 2011. Our very own Tyson Mitchell raced on Sunday, finishing strong and making us proud!
Gary Fisher somehow found the only unicorn and viking at the party!
A crew from the San Francisco Bike Polo League
Thanks to Chrome for the Beer!
Jeremiah and Brooks
Bradley and Mystery Guest
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Many people come to American Cyclery looking for a good all around bicycle for touring, commuting or city riding. What makes a good all-around non racing bike? It should have the following:
1. Good Tire Clearance. If the bike won’t fit a tire bigger than 28mm, it’s not going to be versatile enough for rough roads or comfortable enough to ride with extra weight.
2. Wide Range of Gears. This generally means LOWER gears than a typical racing bike. If you will be regularly carrying extra weight on the bike and riding on the hills around here, the lower-than-normal gears will allow you to get up just about anything without walking the bike(not that there’s anything wrong with that!).
3. Comfortable Riding Position. You should be able to ride the bike for long periods of time without significant discomfort. This means being able to get the handlebars high enough that your weight is distributed evenly between your contact points.
In addition, the bike should be able to mount full coverage fenders for year-round riding, and have the ability to mount luggage carrier racks. It’s not fun to always carry things on your back.
There are many good bikes in this style, but one of my favorites is the Surly Troll.
Everybody should own at least one orange bike.
That tire looks small in the fork, but it’s actually 2.3″ wide! This bike has massive clearance for the biggest tires you would possibly need for a touring bike. It’s also suspension corrected, so you can fit your favorite springy fork if you want to use the Troll for mountain biking. 
The Troll comes stock with the fabulous Avid BB7 mechanical disc brakes, easily adjustable and plenty strong. They are mounted on the inside of the rear triangle, so as not to interfere with installation of a standard rear rack or fenders. The dropout opens horizontally, allowing one to run various drivetrain options, from a standard derailleur system to a singlespeed or an internally geared hub system like the Shimano Alfine or Rohloff Speedhub.
The Surly Open Bar is a nice sweptback handlebar that puts the rider in a natural upright riding position. Also, notice the tall stack of spacers on the steer tube of the fork. The stem can be adjusted up or down by re-arranging these spacers and cutting the excess length of tube.
The top tube has a downward slope and a gusset has been welded to the seat cluster, providing generous stand over clearance with large tires. Notice that the frame can also accommodate rim brakes via the removable cantilever studs.
We do sell other great non-racing bikes here at American Cyclery, but this one is especially good. Come by sometime and take it for a spin! If you’d like to read another review from somebody who took his Troll touring in the Himalayas, check here!
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American Cyclery has just received a huge shipment of Brooks saddles, bags, bar tape and grips! We now have almost every color and style available. If you’ve never owned or ridden a Brooks saddle, you owe it to yourself to give one a try. Many of the designs are over 100 years old and are made to last for years of comfortable riding.
Wall o’ saddles!
The new Devon panniers are tough, and highly water resistant. We also have the Brick Lane roll up panniers.
Leather bar tape comes in a spectrum of colors to match the saddles.
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We have just gotten hands on the production Soma Tradesman Cycletruck frameset. This bike is designed around a 2o” front wheel and 26″ rear, with a large integrated front rack built into the frame.
The front rack is integrated into the frame, not the fork, so that the wheel and handlebars do not flop with a heavy front load.
Chainstay mounted disc brake in the back allows for any conventional rear rack to be used without interference from the caliper.
We are excited about this project, stay tuned for more pictures as it comes together!
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