I’ve been busy with the opening of our Tokyo store, but I’ve finally settled back in Nagoya (for now). I will continue to visit the Tokyo store regularly, so please keep treating me well.
We have been carrying the German brand TUNE since last year.
We started with their hubs, and now, finally, their cockpit parts have arrived! (Click here to find out what TUNE is all about.)
Stems, seatposts, seat clamps, and quick releases are now in stock.
Of course, everything is Hand Made In Germany.
Starting with the aluminum stem (bolts are titanium).
A rock-solid sense of rigidity, sharp-edged finish, minimalist form, and precision in every single detail.
Every aspect screams "Made in Germany."
The weight reduction work is incredible. It’s light. The 85mm model in the photo weighs 115.0g (for reference, a THOMSON ELITE X4 80mm is 149.0g, and an ENVE Road Stem 80mm is 118g…!).
When you actually hold it, you’re surprised by how weightless it feels. Since I was born in the "guts and determination" Showa generation, I’m the type who thinks weight equals value, and I usually use nothing but steel stems, so this is a shock.
TUNE is often discussed for its lightweight nature, but the beauty of its form is also a point I highly recommend.
It’s the beauty of form born from pursuing lightness, and the ingenuity of a structure that functions while being as simple as possible.
I even get the feeling that they aimed for a beautiful, no-waste form and ended up with something functional and light as a result. That’s how sharp and clean the design is.
Germany is a powerhouse of manufacturing, and I hear they have strict laws in place to ensure German-made products maintain high quality. The existence of excellent "Made in Germany" products is likely the fruit of such national efforts.
In fact, Porsche for cars, Montblanc for fountain pens, Leica for cameras... the list of human masterpieces made in Germany is endless...!
TUNE is a brand that truly lives up to the "Made in Germany" label without any compromise.
Even on RON’S BIKES CRUST Aluminus Maximus!
Some of you may have noticed that TUNE components were quietly assembled on the Aluminus Maximus from RON’S BIKES—the brand of ULTRA ROMANCE, a.k.a. Ron—which was unveiled at last year's MADE Show.
From the stems I introduced earlier to the seat clamps and even the hubs, TUNE parts are assembled quite frequently. (His stem seems to be a 26mm clamp, so maybe it's custom...? It's a product not found in the catalog.)
A sharp silver × red styling.
These seat clamps are also in stock in a wide variety of colors.
Considering the historical context between America and Germany, this is a "handle with caution" mix, for better or for worse.
I highly recommend the hubs as well, so please check them out in-store. Personally, I want to build a road wheelset with TUNE hubs and ASTRAL rims (a request for Santa Claus).
The seatposts are great too
These are also ultra-lightweight, high-rigidity aluminum seatposts.
340mm at 175.0g... (for reference, a THOMSON Masterpiece Seatpost 330mm is 193.0g, and an ENVE Seatpost 300mm is 178g... all at Φ27.2)
Stoically butted from both the inside and outside, this is manufacturing pushing the limits to the point where any more subtraction would cause the structure to collapse.
For those of us with a non-racing ride style, assembling TUNE might feel like wearing ARC’TERYX in the city, but stoic designs are cool. And once you learn the UL (Ultralight) philosophy—that "if it’s lighter, you can get further, faster"—you realize that investing in a brand like this is very effective.
(Though there might be some who ask, "Then why are you riding a steel bike?", I believe that for long-distance riding at your own pace, considering the troubles you might encounter on the road, the choice of a steel frame isn't wrong at all.)
I’m thinking of assembling these on the Doppo Wanderer, set for release by SimWorks this year, for some long touring (with full fenders, of course).
I think it’s going to be an incredibly fun bike.
QRs are also in stock
Oh, oops. That sounded like the ending, but QRs (quick releases) are also in stock.
These also feature titanium axles and carbon levers, weighing 34g for the pair.
This QR has been improved and even has a history of being used inside the MIR space station.
Both in form and function, the design is something any product lover will find appealing.
TUNE New Arrivals
Geiles Teil 4.0 Stem
【SPEC】
Size : 50, 85, 95mm
Material : Aluminium (shaft + front plate)
Screws : M5 Titanium (2x 13mm length, 4x 14,5mm length
Manufacturing : CNC-turned and -milled
Angle : ±8°
Post Stack Height : 40mm
Bar Clamp : 31.8mm
Post diam. : 28.6mm
Weight : 50mm / 95.5g, 85mm / 115.0g, 95mm / 121.0g
Max. rider weight :100kg
＊Other colors will be in stock periodically.
Starkes Stuck Seatpost
【SPEC】
Material tube : Aluminium
Material rocker, claw, beam : Aluminium
Screws : Titanium
Manufacturing : CNC-turned and -milled
Length : 340mm
Post Diam : 27.2mm, 31.6mm
Min. insertion depth : 90mm
Offset : 0mm
Weight : 175.0g
Max. rider weight :100kg
＊Other colors will be in stock periodically.
Schraubwurger Seatpost Clamp
【SPEC】
Color : Orange
Size : 30.0,mm 31.8mm, 34.9mm
Material : Aluminum 7075 T6
Screw : M5x13mm Titanium / T25
Max torque : 5 N/m
Height : 15.75mm
Clamping height : 14.75mm
Wight : 9.8 g
Manufacturing : CNC-turned and -milled
＊Other colors will be in stock periodically.
DC Quick Release
【SPEC】
Color : Orange
Size : Front 100mm, Rear 130mm
Material excenter & nut : Aluminum 7057 T6
Material alxe : Titanium AL6V4
Material lever : Carbon
Manufacturing : CNC-turned and -milled
Functional principle : Excentric
Weight : 34g (pair)
＊Other colors will be in stock periodically.
Bottles, small parts, and accessories have also arrived. If you would like to learn more about TUNE, please take a look at these as well.