Thank you to everyone who came out to the TOMII CYCLES POP UP at Circles Tokyo last weekend!
I’m so grateful to Nao-san for taking the time to set this up during his trip back to Japan. I was able to spend the final day at the shop with him and even joined the morning ride.
Nao-san mentioned that while the main purpose of his trip was to visit his hometown of Niigata, he really enjoyed spending time riding with everyone here. I imagine he’s made it back safely to Austin by now. Thanks again to everyone who joined us for the ride.
Magic Beans, revived?!
Now then, I’d like to introduce an item that we unveiled as a pre-release during the POP UP.
Truth be told, this was the very first item I ever sourced from Nao-san at TOMII CYCLES for Circles. They are called Magic Beans.
They are parts known as cable hangers, used to pull the straddle wire on cantilever brakes.
With disc brakes now the standard, bikes equipped with cantilever brakes might be rare in the market at large, but among our community—with bikes like the SURLY Cross-Check and Long Haul Trucker, the BASSI Le Montreal, or the recently miraculously revived CIELO Cross Classic—I think there are still plenty of people riding bikes with rim brakes, especially cantilevers.
When I spoke with Nao-san at MADE last year, we talked about how there are definitely still people who need these. So, Nao-san and Circles teamed up to produce and revive them right here in Japan.
Back when these were first created, the disc brake boom in the cyclocross race scene hadn't yet begun, and I myself was racing on a bike with cantilever brakes.
Nao-san created the Magic Beans out of a desire for a cable hanger that was as simple and lightweight as possible. Because of their tiny profile, they don't clog easily with mud, and for someone like me who rides smaller frame sizes, they were a lifesaver because of the limited space for pulling the rear brake cable—they were highly valued among cyclocross riders back then.
While cantilever-equipped bikes are rare in cyclocross races now, just as I do, many people still use their old race bikes as daily commuters or for leisurely rides. It’s not just that "Rim brake isn't dead," but there are still plenty of people using bikes like those mentioned earlier around town.
They also make the cable routing on bikes like the old MTBs we often suggest at Culture Club look simple and beautiful.
Back then, they were only available in black, but this revival version comes in a wide variety of colors. If you’re a cantilever brake user, definitely check these out.
TOMII CYCLES Magic Beans Cable Hanger
Material: A2017 Aluminum
Weight: 2.0g per piece (including bolt)
Colors: Silver, Black, Red, Blue, Purple, Gold
Price: 3,960 yen (tax included) / Set of 2
New stock of soft goods also arrived🌵
In addition, we’ve received some more soft goods.
When you think of TOMII CYCLES, you think of their classic brass stem caps—this one is a special piece with an opal inlay. We’ve also received a very limited number of their new, compact-body bells.
TOMII CYCLES Handmade Stem Cap (Opal Dream)
Price: 63,800 yen (tax included)
TOMII CYCLES Handmade Brass Bell Mini
Price: 33,000 yen (tax included)
The baseball caps, which were a hit last time, are also back in new colorways.
TOMII CYCLES Desert Shade Hat
Color: Blue Moon, Cactus
Price: 7,480 yen (tax included)
Also, the Faraway tire—a product born from a collaboration with SimWorks—is back in stock, so don't miss out if you missed the first drop. (*While writing this, the Sand Beige has already sold out again. Sorry!)
TOMII x SIMWORKS Faraway Tire
Price: 8,580 yen (tax included)
