Our American correspondents returned home safely the day before yesterday, and we have been back to full staff since yesterday.
We have plenty of stories to share—from things we saw, people we spoke with, and personal experiences we had, to behind-the-scenes tales of our wild journey—so we look forward to chatting with you when you visit the shop.
Straight away, we’d like to introduce some items that we correspondents hand-carried back with us, along with our stories. These are now available in-store and on our webshop.
First up is PAUL COMPONENT, whose booth was buzzing the whole time, fitting for being held in their home state of California.
【PAUL Component】Klamper T-Shirt ¥3,800 (+tax)
【PAUL Component】Klamper Water Bottle ¥2,300 (+tax)
These T-shirts and bottles feature PAUL’s Klamper disc brakes, illustrated by Bicycle Crumbs, whose unique and cute touch is unforgettable once you’ve seen it. We picked these up at the NAHBS venue and are bringing them to you while they're still fresh.
Next up is Pass And Stow Racks, who make cool front racks in Oakland. We saw them installed on all sorts of bikes at the venue, including Rick Hunter’s show bikes. Perhaps it’s a reflection of Matt Feeney’s personality, but this rack maker has many fans among both builders and cyclists alike.
【Pass And Stow Racks】P&S T-Shirt with Parking Brake Code ¥3,800 (+tax)
The draw cord used to bundle these simple print T-shirts is called a Parking Brake; it helps prevent the common issue where the handlebars flop over when a bike is parked with a front rack. We will also be carrying Pass And Stow Racks, so stay tuned for that.
And now for some souvenirs. Or, rather, a bit of bragging.
After finishing our NAHBS tour in Sacramento, we headed to Portland. On our last night there, we were invited by Jeremy Dunn of The Athletic to play some basketball. Not to brag, but I played basketball from elementary through high school. I quickly picked up some basketball shoes locally and headed to the court, relying on the address he’d scribbled down.
It seems they play with friends every Tuesday night, and that day, besides Jeremy, there was Kevin from North St. Bags and staff from Chris King, so I really enjoyed playing with everyone. Actually, there are quite a few former basketball players around Circles and SimWorks, so I’m already thinking we should rent a court! If you used to play or even if you didn't, let's hang out and play when we get something organized. Also, if you know of any good courts, let us know! By the way, I’ve always been an Asics guy for sneakers.
I never imagined I’d have the chance to play in America, so I pushed myself a little too hard—I’m currently covered in muscle aches, but that’s just between us.