Thank you to everyone who came to the talk show held at Circles Tokyo the other day!
I hope we were able to convey even a little of the atmosphere of the scene as seen through the perspectives of Tanaka and myself, and since you all listened so enthusiastically, I really hope we can set up an opportunity like this again.
With the preparations for the talk show, the MADE bike checks have been a bit delayed, but following up on our previous feature on TOMII-san, today we are taking a closer look at this bike.
Curtis' Specialty Trail Fun Bike – FunDuro™️
RETROTEC is well known for its distinctive round-top style frames. I’ve actually been working on a special bike project with the builder, Curtis, for this year's show, but this is another bike that caught my eye at the booth.
Built as a trail fun bike, which Curtis excels at, this full-custom FunDuro™️ stands out with its Triple-style frame, which adds a third middle tube to the classic twin top tube design.
What’s the story behind these perfectly matched custom racks?
A beautiful yellow frame with racks featuring red paint accents. In front of the handlebars is the Cow Catcher Stem Rack, designed specifically for the PAUL COMPONENT Boxcar Stem by Rick Hunter of HUNTER CYCLES.
Wait, the other racks have such a unique shape too, could it be...? I asked Curtis, and sure enough, all the racks were made by Rick Hunter of HUNTER CYCLES.
Since Rick has been making fewer appearances at bike shows like this since the pandemic—due to the birth of his child and health issues—it was one of the most heartwarming moments of this year's show to see a bike featuring a collaboration between these two builders, both of whom we have carried since the early days of Circles.
The front rack, which securely holds dry bags or large bottles like a Nalgene, is cleverly mounted to the suspension fork using the thru-axle with eyelets from ROBERT AXLE PROJECT, which we also recently introduced with the CHRIS KING axles.
The stays connecting the rear rack to the frame showcase Curtis' attention to detail, a feature also seen in last year's show bike; Curtis himself bent the stays to perfectly match the tire arch.
While it uses parts from fellow California brands like PAUL COMPONENTS and WHITE INDUSTRIES, the solid choice of Shimano for the main components and wheels gives it a sensible build that isn't over-the-top just because it’s a show bike—a point I personally found very appealing.
By the way, the owner of this bike is Jeff Hantman, a long-time friend of Curtis and Rick, who is not only a fan of RETROTEC but has also done various artwork for CHRIS KING in the past.
Actually, the first Triple-style bike Curtis ever made for RETROTEC was one he built for Jeff back in 2003. It's such a wonderful story that, over 20 years later, he has ordered a new bike again.
You can enjoy trail riding, and at other times, strap on some gear and head out for touring. This style of smart packing using racks, rather than the rackless bikepacking style, has the potential to be well-integrated into touring here in Japan as well.
As I mentioned earlier, please look forward to our introduction of the special bike I've been working on with Curtis at another time!