The Art of the Brilliant Product Extension


Vanilla Pit Boot

Vanilla Pit Boot in Action

Vanilla Bicycles, a custom hand-built bicycle framebuilder, is known for doing everything right. They have raised the bar with Vanilla-branded pit boots for the cyclocross aficionado. Well played.

Tweed Run, London January 24th 2009

The first Tweed Run took place in London recently with about 150 cyclists wearing tweeds and the like. A veritable Gentleman’s Whiskey and Chat on two wheels. We need to bring this stateside. Any takers?


Tweed Run



Tweed Run, Saville Row

More images can be found at Yorgo Tloupas’ blog and through this Flickr member.

Bianchi & Acne Jeans

Another cultural/counter-cultural zeitgeist collaboration: the Italian bicycle manufacturer Bianchi and the Swedish high-end fashion house Acne teamed up to produce some track bikes in great colorways with some typography from deep in the archives.


Acne x Bianchi Bicycles


The bicycle itself looks to be identical to a Bianchi Pista with respect to geometry and components. As a bicycle, the Pista doesn’t do much for me. The geometry doesn’t make any sense, particularly because Pista riders typically ride in the streets and typically don’t ever see a velodrome. Why, then, cling to the 28mm fork rake? Your feet most certainly get in the way of turning the front wheel. The Pista fork is actually hideous in all respects. Acne just put lipstick on the pig, but it works well visually. I could see myself ordering one of these frames.