Greetings from Minneapolis, MN a.k.a. BIKE CITY USA! My name is Pete C. and I am the new Midwest Correspondent for KCDC. よろしく おねがいします. I’ve just returned from Nara, Japan and am enjoying the bike life back in Minnesota. With Bubba left behind in the capable hands of Kinki Cycle, I had to build myself a new ride here in the States. I put together a beautiful bike built around a Soma Analog frame. It is a work of art, so I thought it fitting to snap a few shots of it next to another work of art, the Weisman Art Museum at the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities...
Soaring through space and time...
Tange/IRD sliding dropouts will make for an easy conversion to single speed should I go that way down the road. Also pictured are a couple of Bubba components: 8-speed cassette and Very Good space-aged derailleur. (Please note—I sorted out that fishing line caught up in the derailleur shortly after this shoot.)
Tange/IRD sliding dropouts will make for an easy conversion to single speed should I go that way down the road. Also pictured are a couple of Bubba components: 8-speed cassette and Very Good space-aged derailleur. (Please note—I sorted out that fishing line caught up in the derailleur shortly after this shoot.)
Like a 100-watt tube amplifier, I like the gearing “overhead” the triple-crankset provides. I don’t remember the model, but this is the cheapest one Shimano makes with which you can replace chainrings...
This bike is my entry into the disc brake world, but so far installation and adjustment has been a breeze. These are BB5s with 160mm rotors. The rubber pictured is a 2.5” Kenda K-Rad tire. Note the front rack, KC/DC decal, and Delta Hublox front skewer...
I built the bike with a Nashbar Rigid 26” Mountain Fork. Advertised as a 26” size with room for up to 3” tires, I want to explore the limits of this fork (and the overall bike geometry)—there’s certainly room for 27.5, 29ers and beefier tires as well...
The opposite of Slam That Stem? Raise the roof! With spacers galore. Beautiful Soma headbadge, mad spacers, and Bubba-sourced handlebars, shifters and brake levers...
The opposite of Slam That Stem? Raise the roof! With spacers galore. Beautiful Soma headbadge, mad spacers, and Bubba-sourced handlebars, shifters and brake levers...
It’s not as hot here in MN as it is back in Kansai, but we still have to stay hydrated. I made a stop at The Hub Bicycle Co-Op for my hydration needs...
Here’s another shot of the Soma looking tough...
Parting shot of the Weisman, sun setting behind us across the Mississippi...
Stay cool in Kansai, and stay tuned for more news from the Twin Cities!
#26aintdead
#26isrisen