Lefty... 'nuff said.
NINER bikes is the real 29" wheel company. They're not dabbling or trying to cash in on a fad. They believe in the big wheel and want nothing to do with anything else. While other companies are trying to find a way to put a larger wheel on the 26" bikes they're accustomed to making, Niner started from the ground up, designing their bikes around a larger wheel, so the geometry is dialed in perfectly. If you haven't tried a 29er, you have no idea what you're missing. Even critics of the 29" Revolution can't touch Niner. The premier 29" company out there, Niner is literally unstoppable. Just ask Fuzzy and DJ Birch as they destroy the competition at every endurance race they show up to. And you think 29" wheels only make sense for big guys? Tell that to Chris Sugai, cofounder of Niner bikes, who stands right at 5 feet 7 inches. Yeah.
Falliero Masi, "The Master" is sadly no longer with us. Far and wide, people would wait years while Falliero took every measurement into account to produce racing frames tailor made to suit the needs of each rider. But MASI bikes are still around. Tim Johnson aka MASIGUY, whose blog is possibly the most widely read cycling blog out there, is the product manager for Masi Bikes now and is trying his best to continue the name in honor of Faliero. A self proclaimed "dyed in the wool Masi fanatic" Tim is working hard to keep the name Masi in the forefront of cyclist's minds. From the insanely nice carbon racing frames that Team Inferno continues to rack up victories on, to some of the coolest , most stylish, and functional fixed gears, commuters, and café bikes out there, Masi is one cool company.
RALEIGH BICYCLES began in Nottingham, England in 1887 and is one of the oldest, most prestigious names in the industry. Once the highest esteemed racing frame out there, Raleigh bikes were heavily coveted. They haven't lost their edge and still produce beautiful and extremely well built racing frames. But they are also the original company to produce the "comfort bike" that has become a staple of the bicycle industry. Functional, comfortable and affordable, bang for buck, there's no comparison to the value that Raleigh offers with each of their bikes. Great offerings in kids bikes, comfort, hybrids, 29" mountain bikes, fixies and road, you can't go wrong. The fully loaded Sojourn is getting tons of buzz this year. A fully loaded touring/commuter, this bike is simple, aesthetic and functional to the umpteenth degree.
Mention the name HARO to any old-school BMXer and a huge smile will appear on their face as they wax nostalgic about the Haro they owned when they first got into BMX riding. In 1980, Bob Haro, the "Father of Freestyle" started Haro designs and was an integral part of the BMX boom of the early 80's. Still in the business, Haro Bikes continues to produce exceptional BMX bikes of all kinds, from freestyle to flatland to dirt. Haro also began producing mountain bikes in the 90's and you can see the BMX influence in all of these frames. These bikes are made for people who like to ride rough, with reinforcing gussets and welds to increase the bike's strength. If you're a weight weenie, this isn't your bike. But if you want a bike that's going to hold up under the roughest riding conditions, look no further.
With an award winning pedigree earned making ski and motorcycle equipment, SCOTT puts tremendous energy into creating excessively nice racing equipment. The thought and engineering that goes into every one of their frames is nothing short of mindblowing. The CR-1 debuted 5 years ago as the lightest bike in the world. And while it's still around and one of the finest and most popular frames out there, Scott has outdone themselves with the Addict. Look for Hincapie and the rest of Team High Road/Columbia out on the Addict this year. All we can say is Wow! If Haro's focus is on the tough, Scott's focus is on the speed! Even on the excellent commuter/hybrid series that Scott is producing, the racing pedigree is evident.
Marcus Storck has one mission: To produce the finest carbon fiber frame out there. It is a full blown obsession. Last year, STORCK debuted the FASCENARIO, which dropped jaws and tipped the scales at a whopping 9 pounds! That's 9 pounds of completely ridable bike, mind you, not just a frame and fork. Marcus takes every single facet of the frame building process to a whole new level, using proportional tubing so that each size bike is truly a different animal entirely from it's brothers and sisters, to vacuuming out any and all excess material to make sure there's no extra weight. But don't think for a second that this weakens the frame. Unlike some other carbon fiber frames out there, the majority of Marcus's frames have weight limits far and above the norm. Quite simply put, these are the lightest, and stiffest and finest carbon frames out there.
For the past 20 years, Craig CALFEE has been at the fore front of carbon fiber frame construction and has influenced literally every frame builder out there. That said, he hasn't changed his methods much. Larger companies are just now starting to utilize technology and design that Craig has used from the get go. Recently, he's been producing amazing frames out of BAMBOO, which he claims has near superior vibration damping and stiffness to that of carbon. And best of all it's from a renewable resource. Craig has been doing tons of work in Ghana recently, helping locals to build their own workhorse bikes out of the bamboo in their backyards! Beautiful, esoteric works of art, Calfee frames are highly sought and always admired.
Litespeed is THE premier titanium bike line out there. It's what they do and ALL they do. Begun as a family affair, they are responsible for building countless titanium frames for other bike lines. Chances are the ti-frame being sold by that major bike line is one of theirs with another decal on it. Well now they've blossomed into one of the most prestigious bike manufacturers out there with a world wide reputation for excellence. And their technology continues to push the envelope. Just look at their Archon and Icon frames, stiffer and more responsive than anything being done by anyone else with titanium today. From their award winning road frames to their award winning mountain frames, Litespeed does nothing half-assed. With a full compliment of frames, road, cross, 29" mountain...if you're looking for a frame you'll ride for the rest of your life, Litespeed is GO!. Check out the OBED 29er hardtail, and try not to drool. We dare you.
Marin bikes began in 1986 in Marin County, the birthplace of mountain biking as we know it. With more than 20 years in the mountain biking business, they know their stuff. Their frames are exceptionally well built, hydro forming the aluminum tubes to produce extremely light weight, stiff, responsive rides that hold up under the harshest riders. They have great price points on their bikes, from entry level moutain bikes to insane racing bikes. Our current favorites are their 29" offerings, especially the Pine Mountain 29er. Starting with a remarkably well built and surprisingly light 4130 steel frame, they've built a stocked singlespeed with all the mounts to run it geared if you wanted. Not that you would. Their commuter offerings are hard to beat too, with simple, stylish, and functional frames topped of with just the right component groups.
