February 22nd is known as Cat Day in Japan because the numbers sound like "nyan nyan nyan" (meow meow meow), but last Tuesday was February 22, 2022, so it was a day with a lot of 2s. Since I certainly won't be alive 200 years from now, I spent the day feeling those 2s more than usual on what was the most "2-heavy" day of my lifetime.
Across the ocean, Rick from Hunter Cycles seemed to be feeling the 2s as well, out on a vehicle with two wheels: a bicycle. He headed out for an overnight camp ride on nearby trails with a friend, packing all their gear securely. Solo rides are fun, but riding with one or two friends is guaranteed to be even more enjoyable. Rick suffered a serious illness last year, but seeing him back in full health and enjoying rides like this is something that made me personally very happy.
Bad Dad Season 1. His beloved daughter Flannery seems to have grown up quite a bit. This ATB Camping Bike has been seeing a lot of action lately; it's great how he can do everything with just this one bike, from leisurely rides with Flannery to camping trips.
Because he is already a tall guy, his frames are naturally large, which sometimes makes it look like an optical illusion trying to guess the wheel size of his bikes. But this one is designed with 26-inch plus wheels; you can clearly see the intention of Rick the dad: to create a bike with a low center of gravity that remains stable even when fully loaded, and is fun to ride even at a slow pace. Oh, and that handlebar he designed, which is used on this bike, is finally back in stock!
Promising a smooth ride, the appropriately named Smooth Move Bar. At Rick's request, we updated the width to a wider 780mm last year, and this is its first restock since then! The lineup consists of two models: Hi-rize and Lo-rize. With a unique sweep bend derived from Rick's many years of experience, once you grab hold of these, they will surely win your heart and guarantee a smooth ride. Of course, they are manufactured by NITTO, a company Japan is proud to share with the world.
【HUNTER CYCLES】Smooth Move Bar / High-rize
Material : Heat Treated Aluminum
Width : 780mm
Rise : 75mm
Up Sweep : 5deg.
Back Sweep : 15deg.
Weight : 405g
Center Diam : 31.8mm
Tube Diam : 22.2mm
Color : Silver & Black
Price : 14,080 JPY (tax incl.)
The High-rize version is recommended not only for the aforementioned ATB-style bikes but also for trail machines. Rick has it installed on his WOODRAT, a full-suspension bike he designed as an all-rounder trail bike. Personally, I would also love to use these on an urban cruiser build for a more relaxed ride.
【HUNTER CYCLES】Smooth Move Bar / Low-rize
Material : Heat Treated Aluminum
Width : 780mm
Rise : 37mm
Up Sweep : 5deg.
Back Sweep : 15deg.
Weight : 397g
Center Diam : 31.8mm
Tube Diam : 22.2mm
Color : Silver & Black
Price : 14,080 JPY (tax incl.)
The Low-rize is a versatile bar covering everything from trail bikes to flat-bar CX and dirt touring. Truth be told, I'm one of the people who has been captivated by this exquisite up-sweep and back-sweep. In case you were wondering about the 26-inch full-suspension bike, that belongs to our boss. I took it for a quick spin, and I can say for sure that hitting the trails with this would be an absolute blast.
So, that was an introduction to the Smooth Move Bar. What kind of bike will you install them on? These handlebars guarantee a smooth ride!
