Help finding interesting bikes, parts and accessories.

[mickle]

I'm on the hunt for cycling related products which are unusual, interesting, unique or otherwise particularly brilliant. Have you stumbled across any really great bikes, related products, tools or widgets (old or new, so long as they are still commercially available), or something mundane but which does it's job particularly well or which is particularly good VFM, either in the shops, on someone elses bike or on the www?

Brompton would be a good example, common as anything these days but still as brilliant as the day they were conceived. Easton's new EC90 crank, Syncros's 10 degree sweep flat handlebar for 29"ers, LED lights which replace drop bar end plugs...

...this 29"er BMX (why? who cares!)...

http://firemansbikes.com/CIMG2132 (2).jpg

...mounts for converting down tube or bar end shifters to thumbies...

http://www.paulcomp.com/thumbshifters.html

...and these good old fashioned (CNCd billet!) pedals...

http://www.whiteind.com/pedal.html

Any suggestions gratefully received.

 

[kyuss]

That 29'er BMX is lovely!

Pretty much everything built by Olli Erkkila is interesting IMO. I'm a big fan of his vintage Peugeot track bike and his forkless cruiser.

 

[Mr Pig]

I've always thought that Power Grips are a very underated idea. They offer the chance to gain most of the benefits if clippless at very little cost and without the comitment of buying new dedicated shoes and pedals.

 

[Kirstie]

I don't know that there's anything I know about how to find things like this to buy, but I had the pleasure of riding a really well maintained, but ancient ladies trek antelope 800 for a couple of weeks in canada recently. It had suntour thumb shifters which were still in excellent working order, and really precise. The rear brake was one of those ancient cantilevers with a pulley. Again, in great working order and really effective.

I took some pics for posterity, but they're way too big to upload and I have no idea how to make them smaller. Oh well.

 

[Hilldodger]

Oh, I see. Mickle gets a great new job then sits back and asks us to do the work while he swanks around the world

 

[mickle]

Oh, I see. Mickle gets a great new job then sits back and asks us to do the work while he swanks around the world

Indeed!! Is the Lester bike company producing anything interesting yet?

 

[Hover Fly]

http://www.cerchiinlegnoghisallo.com/pagine/prodottieng.php

 

[mickle]

http://www.cerchiinlegnoghisallo.com/pagine/prodottieng.php

That's just the sort of thing, I spoke to them on their stand at the HMBE (and bought a fantastically well made cheesy good luck charm from them featuring the blessed virgin and brat which now lives on my Colnago).