Pipedream Cycles are bringing out a limited edition Reynolds 931 stainless steel frame to "celebrate all that's great with UK bike design in a celebratory year for the UK". Bike companies are understandably wary about mentioning the 'O' word due to draconian marketing restrictions, so we have to assume it's a tribute to the Queen's diamond jubilee.
The UK hardtail masters say 931's high tensile strength means it can be made into extremely thin walled, super-light yet durable tubes. Frame angles are described as "classic Pipedream trail geometry" – 69° head angle, 72-72.5° seat angle (depending on frame size – 16.5, 18 or 19.5in) and 317.5mm bottom bracket height – and it's designed to be used with a 100-120mm fork. Only 100 of the X R931 frames will be made, and they'll cost £1,195 each.
Pipedream told us about their new steel Skookum 29er at Cycle Show 2011 and it's now nearing production, with the frame priced at £395. We haven't seen any pictures yet but this big-wheeled version of the Sirius will offer some unusual features including an adjustable wheelbase via sliding dropouts and a driveside coupling for a belt drive system.
The front triangle will be made from Reynolds DZB tubing, with a tapered head tube and a dropper-post-compatible 30.9mm internal seat tube diameter. The frame's designed to be run with a 80-120mm fork. The vital statistics include a 71° head angle, 73° seat angle and 60mm bottom bracket drop.
Strength in Numbers UK premiere and tour
Strength in Numbers is one of the most hotly anticipated films of the year. It had its world premiere at the Sea Otter Classic last month and is due to be released on 24 May, on DVD, BluRay and iTunes. There are also plans to stream a basic version of the entire film online for free in the autumn.
If you can't wait that long, the UK premiere will be held next Tuesday (15 May) at the Prince Charles Cinema in Leicester Square, London. For details, check out the flyer below. This will be followed by a UK cinema tour that will visit the following locations:
- 31 May: Glasgow Film Theatre
- 31 May: Eastgate, Peebles (part of TweedLove film night)
- 11 June: Cameo Cinema, Edinburgh
- 15 June: Hyde Park Picturehouse, Leeds
- 19 June: Showroom Workstation, Sheffield
- TBC: Rheged Centre, Penrith
Strength in Numbers features some of the world's best riders, including Brandon Semenuk, Cam McCaul, Gee Atherton, Graham Agassiz, Matt Hunter, Rene Wildhaber and Thomas Vanderham, riding in locations as varied as Canada, Nepal, Scotland, Austria, Switzerland and the USA. The people behind it, Anthill Films, say: "Ultimately, the film’s mission is to inspire and show how we're all part of a global community who love to ride."
Ashton Court visitor centre
The new trails at Ashton Court in Bristol have been finished for a while now, attracting a steady influx of riders of all abilities. The visitor centre is now nearing completion too, and should open later this month. Quench Cycles, who have three sites in the South East, have won the tender to operate the bike shop, workshop and cafe.
Quench's Theo Church says they'll be stocking Mondraker bikes for hire, to demo and to buy, as well as offering bike skills and fitness courses. "We feel the mountain biking community will be as thrilled as we are about the new facilities available at an already popular trail centre," he says.
New colours from Bookman
Bookman's minimalist commuter lights are available in two new colours inspired, the Swedish company say, by "books, the act of reading and England’s heritage". The Sixpence Orange and Oxbridge Red editions are available now, for £18.99/US$25. Visit www.bookman.se for details.
Yeti Tribe to gather in Shropshire
Yeti bike owners are invited to the ninth annual Yetifan UK Tribemeet at Long Mynd in Shropshire, on the weekend of 23-24 June. Organised by Yetifan.com, the event will see riders come together to "enjoy some of the country’s best natural trails, sink a few cold beverages and talk Yeti".
Sponsored racer Scott Beaumont will be on hand to give riding tips, Plush Hill Cycles will provide mechanical back-up and Yeti distributors Silverfish will have 2012 bikes and frames on show. To find out more, visit www.yetifan.com.
OnYerBikeSeat – but is it art?
OnYerBikeSeat's customisable saddle covers are usually used as a marketing tool but a Spanish art collective have put them to another use – as part of an installation about safety, pollution and cycling advocacy.
Luzinterruptus spent four hours attaching saddle covers and LED lights to strings of bollards in the centre of Madrid. They hoped to encourage more people onto bikes; we don't know whether they were successful but the installation was certainly pretty. You can see the video here.
Magura MT8 wins award
Magura's super-light MT8 disc brake has impressed our testers, with its £300 pricetag the major stumbling block. Now it's received a Red Dot product design award, too. The international judging panel took into account factors ranging from innovation to functionality and ecological soundness.
