Winter bikes

Winter can be a wet and ugly affair in many places around the country, but why should that keep you from riding year round? Most of us are not made of sugar and will not melt in the rain or sloppy snow. With that in mind, why give up riding simply because things get cold and/ or wet?

Many people have differing thoughts on what makes a great winter bike, but there are several things worth considering when looking at a new winter bike.

• It's certainly nice to keep your rump a little dryer by using fenders. Looking for a bike either with fenders or with mounts that allow attaching fenders is highly recommended. At minimum, it's recommended to at least find something with enough clearance to use some of the slimmer snap/ strap on fenders.
  
• With winter roads often strewn with debris or slippery from snow, ice or rain, a very stable footed bike is beneficial. Bikes with longer wheelbases tend to provide that extra bit of handling security when things are less than favorable.
  
• Similar to fender mounts, rack mounts are a nice plus if you're commuting in the winter- being able to attach racks and panniers to the bike is a big plus for carrying dry clothes or extra bad weather gear. Let's face it, sometimes no matter how well prepared you are when you leave the house, the weather can turn ugly and potentially ruin your ride. Having that extra back up and dry storage for extra clothes or precious cargo can be a lifesaver.
• Another key feature is either the existence of, or ability to add, wider tires- in bad weather, any tire narrower than 25mm is going to be at greater risk of puncturing or slipping in bad conditions. It's best to ride tires at least 25mm wide, but 28's and above are even better if the frame has enough clearance for the wider tire.
  

Those are just a few basics and some people will place greater importance on on some over others, but they serve as a good baseline as you begin your hunting.

And while you're hunting, why not consider one of the following bikes while you're at it;


Speciale Randonneur- fenders included and rack mounts for bringing along all the fixins'. The retro touring styling provides a nice long wheelbase for stability and balance when carrying the heavy loads.


Speciale Commuter- fixed or free, with a long wheelbase for a stable ride and all the braze-ons for racks and fenders. There are those who say that in the worst of conditions, a fixed gear is the ultimate choice since you are not as dependent on a brake pad for stopping. In extreme cold, especially, some folks feel that traditional rubber brake pads become virtually useless and leg braking with a fixed gear provides substantial "back up".


Speciale CX- with a longer wheelbase than a traditional road bike and tons of room for wide tires, the CX is a great all-weather bike. With the rack and fender mounts, it's a great do-anything bike too.


SoulVille 10- the 10spd drivetrain and elegant, simple fenders create an excellent look and feel for a bad weather bike. The more upright and relaxed riding position creates a very stable feel as well.


SoulVille 7- the internal gearing adds another level of convenience and efficiency for bad weather riding. With the same frame as the 10spd, you maintain the same fenders and rack mounts for all your inclement riding needs.


SoulVille 3- need fewer gears than the 7spd or 10spd? Live in a mostly flat area where you need fewer gears? Then the 3spd is your answer. With all the bells and whistles seen on its big brothers and sisters, the 3spd is also an able icky condition rider.


Caffe Racer Doppio (10spd)- the Caffe Racer series is designed as a quick handling flat bar road/ fitness bike. The longer wheelbase is built into an agile geometry for quick handling. Even with the rack and fender mounts in full use, the bikes remain lively and nimble.

Caffe Racer Solo (9spd)

CXR- designed as a competitive cross race bike, the CXR can easily pull double duty as a rainy/ snowy all-purpose bike. Without rack and fender mounts, there is still plenty of room for streamlined fenders and lots of room for wide tires. The racing geometry makes the CXR super quick and an excellent winter road training bike, as well as a great bike for getting into the mud.

***

We may be based in rainless southern California, but we know a little bit about how to design bikes for less than perfect weather. So don't let the winter months put an end to your riding bliss- when done right, even riding in less than perfect weather can be a lot of fun.

SoulVille- the two-wheeled SUV of your dreams!

Gas prices have been coming down in most places across the US, but with many of us still watching our expenses or simply trying to "think green", driving a few blocks (or even a few miles) to the local market is becoming less desirable.

Our SoulVille series of bikes are simply perfect for all those countless short-run errands many of us face daily or weekly. With the rack mounts, the SoulVille bikes are prefect for those trips to the market or the local farmer's market for fresh produce.




Why crank up the car and burn fuel when you can hit the road in style, save a few bucks and maybe even keep the planet around a little longer? With four fantastic models to choose from, the SoulVille series has something for everybody!

SoulVille/SS- single (or fixed) bliss!

SoulVille 3spd (mixte or "standard" frames available)- internally geared, simple, elegant and SO much fun to ride!

SoulVille 7spd- available in both Golden Green and Gloss Black in standard and mixte frame designs. Internal gears and coaster brake- low maintenance simplicity for urban living!


SoulVille 10spd- when you need more gear options and/ or want to ride a bit farther, the SoulVille 10 is a 10!

Tim

Good press is always nice.

We're lucky to get some pretty good press from time to time. Each and every mention of the brand is always pretty exciting too- we're still very much trying to grow Masi into a powerhouse brand, so every little bit of good press helps! However, 90%+ of the press we get is in the form of traditional cycling media, so it is always nice to see the Masi name popping up elsewhere from time to time.

Meet the Elephant Journal. In their own words;

elephantjournaldotcom is your guide to what we like to call ‘the mindful life’: yoga, organics, sustainability, genuine spirituality, conscious consumerism, fair fashion, the contemplative arts…anything that helps us to live a good life that also happens to be good for others, and our planet.

Elephant put together a nice Commuter/ City bike shootout recently and Masi got some good love!

Update: just met the lovely Masi Urban commuter bike, it’s the coolest yet–light enough like the Bianchi Milano to jump off a curb and not feel like half the bike’s gonna fall apart—stylish enough to give the Simple City a run for its money, affordable, cool Brooks-like seat, metal fenders (super-stylish), rack-compatible, cork (yes, cork) handlebars…barely a chain guard, which ain’t ideal, but it’s enough to keep your pans or skirt from turning black—an internal crappy hub (hopefully they’ll go Nexus next time ’round) and quick, but grippy tires fit for summertime and the biking is easy or winter and black ice is lurking ’round every bike path corner. I’m in—going to save up and buy prontomissimo, if I go another month on my lovely but heavy and fragile Electra Amsterdam I’m gonna hafta buy a little violin and play it constantly.

It isn't all love and sunshine, but it's a pretty good review just the same- considering the company the bike has in the "smackdown". I'll take it!

Frankly, the review itself is great, but mostly I'm very happy to see such a comparison even taking place- especially in a non-cycling publication. City/ commuter bikes are no longer solely the domain of the weird or those with revoked driver's licenses. Real people are riding bikes as part of their everyday lives. To me, THAT is the part to be shouting about.

Thank you Elephant!

Tim