Mountain

OM Duro

SE Racing OM Duro

Don’t judge this bike too quickly. It looks a little weird, like maybe a snow bike mated with a BMX bike from 1982. You probably think that it wouldn’t be right for anything except riding wheelies down the block. This bike would surprise you.

The OM Duro comes with 27.5″ plus-sized tires that can handle any terrain from asphalt to powdery sand. The Sram 1 x 11 drivetrain makes most off-road riding fun and easy and the tubular steel BMX cranks are made to handle jumps and general abuse.  Unlike an actual BMX bike from 40 years ago this one actually stops thanks to the disc brakes and is actually pretty fast thanks to the big wheels.

To us, the OM seems like the perfect bike to ride over to the I-5 colonnade park in Seattle and goof around.  Maybe cruise the Hilltop trail to Battle Point park and ride the new pump track.

Kona Fire Mountain

Fire Mountain in orange

Not too small.  Not too big.  Kona’s Fire Mountain hardtails are just right.

Built around 27.5″ wheels, these bikes are just the right combination of fast and capable.  The in-between wheel size is incredibly versatile in the varied conditions that you’ll find on local trails.  These Konas will roll over mossy roots with ease (just like bigger 29″ wheeled bikes), but you’ll have more fun on tight and twisty trails as these bikes accelerate and change direction much more quickly than bigger wheeled bikes.

Speaking of things that happen to be just right, the equipment level and price also seem to hit sweet spots for a lot of riders. These Konas are not beginner-only bikes intended for the street or an occasional run on the Burke-Gilman trail. At the same time, they’re inexpensive and versatile enough to be employed by new mountain bikers who aren’t sure where, how, or how often they’ll hit the dirt.

Kona Fire Mountain in black

Take the suspension fork for example: the Suntour XCR version on this bike is still a coil-spring activated fork like on most “entry level” bikes, but it has 32mm aluminum sliders instead of smaller-diameter chromed steel ones, saving a full pound of weight and avoiding some of the corrosion issues common to chromed forks. The fork also has a tapered steerer tube, a light and rigid design common to more expensive bikes. These are good upgrades, ones that usually get skipped over on the way to bikes in the $1000 price range.

What else? You get a 9-cog cassette on the rear wheel instead of eight, a Sram crankset with replaceable chainrings, aluminum pedals instead of plastic ones and Shimano hydraulic disc brakes. All on a bike priced around $700.

Kona Honzo series

Kona Honzo AL

Kona’s Honzo models were made for the Pacific Northwest.

The idea behind these bikes was to use specific frame geometry, long-travel front forks and really big volume tires to create a nimble hardtail mountain bike that has the same capabilities as a 5″ travel full-suspension trail bike.

Kona started by kicking out the front end, slackening the head angle to add stability and make room for the 120mm travel fork. The chain stays were made pretty short on these bikes, tucking the rear wheel under your center of gravity and bringing the overall wheelbase length back into line. This design probably wouldn’t work somewhere with sticky clay soil (there’s not a lot of clearance between the fat rear tire and the frame tubes) but we don’t have that problem around here, and the Honzo’s design works perfectly on Pacific Northwest singletrack.

Honzo CR Race

There are high performing carbon-framed Honzos to choose as well as aluminum versions that are plenty light and easy on your budget.

The component picks are designed for maximum fun. Fat Schwalbe Knobby Nic or Maxxis Ardent tires will give you enough traction to ride up glass walls. You get Sram or Shimano 1 x 11 drivetrains, Dropper seat posts (on most of the versions) and burly wheels with boost spacing for maximum stiffness. These bikes will give you very little fuss over the years and they expect nothing in return but mud and abuse.

Kona Hei Hei Trail

Kona Hei Hei Trail Supreme

Although these bikes look like motorcycles with the engines removed (acoustic motorcycle?) they’re actually pretty light and efficient.

Really a perfect choice for The Pacific Northwest. Stable and capable enough for the trickier trails at Whistler, Stevens Pass and Duthie Hill. Tough enough to handle mud and months of rainy trails. Agile and fun on twisty singletrack while still riding efficiently on smooth logging roads.

While there are a couple of different levels of Hei Hei mountain bikes, the Trail Supreme is a fantastic choice.  You get a carbon frame, a dropper post, premium Fox suspension and Shimano XTR components.

Marin Hawk Hill

Marin Hawk Hill

If you’re looking for a fun and capable trail bike that won’t break your budget, look at this Marin.

This is Marin’s Hawk Hill full suspension trail bike. It’s a gas to ride, comes with some pretty great parts and is all yours for only $1499.

So what do you get for your money? You get a playful and tough design that you’ll love to take on twisty and technical singletrack trails. You get a trail bike with 120mm of suspension travel (front and back). You get the RockShox Recon air-sprung fork with adjustable spring rate, rebound and a lock-out switch. A bike that rolls on 27.5″ wheels shod with Schwalbe Hans Dampf tires and a Shimano Deore 1 x 10 drivetrain. There’s Shimano hydraulic disc brakes and cartridge sealed bearings in the headset, bottom bracket, frame pivots and wheels.

If you’ve been looking for a full suspension bike under $1600 you’ve probably found a lot of heavy bikes out there with at least one component or design element that looks a little suspect. Maybe you’ve found used full suspension bikes that were a whole bunch of worn-out parts rolling around on ten-year old suspension designs. Worse than those, you probably found new bikes that were basically down-spec’d race bikes that were no fun to play around on and too heavy to actually race.

This Marin will beat all of those “options” with great handling, fresh design, outstanding components and light weight (the medium size bike weighs 29lbs).

Stop looking for your next trail bike. You’ve just found the one you’ll like best.

Marin Bolinas Ridge 26″

Bolinas Ridge 26″

Here’s a nice option for tall kids and short adults.

This is Marin’s Bolinas Ridge model. It’s a nice mid-level hardtail mountain bike equipped with V brakes (for their light weight), Shimano’s Acera drivetrain (which shifts precisely and happens to be extremely durable), and a Suntour suspension fork with 100mm of travel.

The Bolinas Ridge 26 happens to roll on top of 26-inch wheels. The 26″ wheel size was the mountain bike standard for over 30 years but since most off-road rigs are now using 27.5″ or 29″ wheels we’ve been missing one important attribute of the 26′ers: That they’re smaller.
So with this bike you get a small 13″ frame size rolling around on top of 26″ wheels. This means that you get nimble handling, good comfort and better standover clearance for folks in the 4’9″ to 5’1″ height range.

Kona Mahuna

Kona Mahuna

Here is a great option for getting into mountain biking without spending a lot of money.
The Kona Mahuna gives you all of the features that you’ll expect to find on more expensive 29″ wheeled hardtails. The frame is made from light-weight aluminum tubing, the fork has a lockout, stout tapered headtube and light aluminum sliders, it comes with mid-level Shimano drivetrain components and reliable Shimano hydraulic disc brakes.
Coming in around $750 dollars, this is a great option for new off-road riders and cyclists who are quickly growing (in size or skill level). The Mahuna comes in sizes that will fit riders under 5’6″ who still want the big 29″ wheels as well as sizes for taller riders.

Marin Wildcat Trail Series

Marin Wildcat Trail 3

Tough and capable 27.5″ trail bikes with dimensions that fit just right. With similar components and prices to the Bobcat trail models, the main difference will be shorter reach to the handlebars, lower standover heights and different colors

The Wildcat Trail 3 and 5 are great mid-level mountain bikes that will work well for the off-road beginner and occasional rider. They are built around 27.5″ wheels that have tremendous traction and roll over larger obstacles without a second thought.

The Wildcat Trail 3 is a fast and durable bike that will stand up to the rain and mud for many seasons. You get awesome Schwalbe tires, Tektro hydraulic disc brakes, A Shimano Alivio drivetrain (with cables that have housing that runs uninterrupted from the lever to the derailleur, a nice touch), and 100mm-travel Suntour suspension forks with hydraulic lock-outs.

The Wildcat 5 version boosts the component level. Marin tweaks the off-road performance with a 1 x 10 Shimano shifting system, lighter weight component materials and better seals for resistance to mud and water.

Marin Bobcat Trail 3

Marin Bobcat Trail 3

Marin makes a bunch of premium-level bikes that seem to be missing the premium price.

Take the Bobcat Trail 3 for example: It’s a great looking hardtail with awesome parts.
The bikes come with short stems and wide bars for maximum handling and obstacle jumping fun, with 100mm travel forks and slackened front end geometry. They are created to be more versatile and playful than your average mountain bike.
There’s a Suntour XCM fork with the hydraulic lockout switch on the top. There’s a Shimano Altus drivetrain. Regardless of the size bike that you get (with 27.5″ or 29″ size wheels) you’ll roll around on premium Schwalbe tires. The disc brakes are Tektro hydraulics which you’ll find on bikes in the $1600 range. The cables are fully shielded, with housing running from the levers all the way to the derailleurs (a nice touch that keeps your shifters running smoothly). The cockpit components are all robust, feather light and colored to match the bike.
The Bobcat Trail 3 looks and rides like an excellent $800 mountain bike. The surprising thing is that it’s about $600.
By the way, the folks at Marin named these bikes after the Bobcat trail system near Sausalito, California. If you feel like riding your Bobcat Trail on the Bobcat Trail (in Marin County, essentially the birthplace of mountain biking), let us know and we’ll give you directions to get there.

Scott Spark mountain bikes

Scott Spark 740

There is a lot of specialization in mountain bikes these days. There are bikes for riding on snow. There are bikes that are meant to be ridden downhill (not up), super-light bikes meant to be raced and fairly heavy bikes meant to loaded up with gear and ridden across mountain ranges.

Don’t want a bike that’s too “special”? How about a mountain bike that works for nearly every trail, nearly every rider and every use. Check out one of the bikes from Scott’s Spark series.

These are trail bikes. Most of them have about 5 inches of suspension travel so they’re plenty capable when the trails get rough or when hills get extra steep. The Twin-Lock switch on the handlebar will simultaneously control the front and rear suspension, giving you suspension that’s totally active when you need it or shut down a bit (or locked out) when you don’t. The Spark series bikes are light and nimble enough to race while being stable (and strong enough) to handle bike-packing or downhill runs.

Available with quick-handling 27.5″ wheels or fast-rolling 29′ers. There’s even a couple of versions with 3″ wide “plus” tires for extra trail capabilities.

Ritchey P-29 and P-650b Mountain Bikes

Ritchey P-29 in black

I don’t know about you, but if I like the idea of a owning a mountain bike with Tom Ritchey’s name on it.  Tom built the first production run of dedicated mountain bikes ever (in like 1978), and the bikes that he designs today are just as original.  For good reason we don’t call them “Clunkers” anymore.

Tom Ritchey is walking around with over 30 years of racing, manufacturing and design know-how.  While Tom isn’t wielding the torch that welded your personal P-29 (or its smaller-wheeled sibling, the P-650b) you better believe that he welded up and rode a bunch of prototypes before sending the designs to his factory.
Like all Ritcheys, these bikes were born to go fast without sacrificing comfort or durability. Heat-treated triple-butted Ritchey Logic II tubing results in framesets that balance rough trail compliance with sprint-winning stiffness.

Ritchey P-650B

Countless hours of saddle time under Tom Ritchey, World Cup legend Thomas Frischknect and other racers resulted in nimble handling bikes that capture the benefits of the new bigger wheels with stable but not sluggish steering.  The P-29 or P-650b would be equally at home on all-day epics or tight, technical singletrack race courses.  Plus, they come as framesets, so it’s up to you how you would like them built!

Lastly, when you own a bike shop one of the perks is that you can ride any bicycle that you want.  For off-road riding on area trails, Jaime and Paul have picked the two Ritchey models that you see pictured here.

Scott Scale Collection

Scott Scale 740

The Scott Scale series gives you a bunch of hardtail mountain bike options that are light, fast, and great handling.

Do you want a high-performance mountain bike but would rather put your money into your components and frame material rather than spend it on rear suspension? Scott’s Scale hard tails give you trail performance in both 29″ and 27.5″ wheel platforms, and in a variety of component and frame levels that will leave you wondering why you were considering rear suspension in the first place.
Sharp front-end frame geometry and custom Rockshox or Fox forks give you fantastic steering.  The full-suspension weight issue is replaced with super light carbon and aluminum frames, and the full suspension expense is replaced with premium equipment.

Scott offers a handful of variants in this collection.  We stock a few different versions: a couple Scale 29′ers with carbon frames and one or two Scales with 27.5″ wheels in aluminum.

Scott Scale 910

Scott Scale 750

The lock-out switch changes suspension modes or locks out the front suspension

The Scale 930, 940, 730, 750 and 740 give you all kinds of options in Scott’s middle price levels.  You get to pick your favorite aluminum hardtail, and decide whether you want it spec’d with Shimano Deore XT dynasys equipment (10 or 11 cogs in the back), Shimano SLX, or Sram equipment.  There are versions with a RockShox 29′er fork with a thru-axle and lockout, or Fox forks up front.  All of these versions have terrific Shimano hydraulic brakes, and fantastic Syncros wheels.

Carbon versions come with choices as well. With the Scale 910, 920, 710 and 720 you get to choose your favorite components, whether you want a single front chainring, two rings or even a triple crankset, and a variety of component levels.

All of these bikes feature suspension lock-out switches on the handlebars, so you can cruise on what is essentially a rigid bike to the trail start and then open up the fork travel when the going gets rough.

Scott Aspect Series

Scott Aspect 940

Here are some great mountain bike options from Scott.

Recently redesigned and coming in both 27.5″ and 29″ wheel size options, the Scott Aspect series is all about having fun on the trail.
Aspects are built around frame geometry that’s less serious and more playful than the Scale off-road racing series. With wide handlebars, upright riding position and tough components, an Aspect is built for riders who want to cruise the forest singletrack, take in the scenery (or the obstacles and jumps) and just have a good time. An Aspect is all about the ride.

We just received a bunch of these Aspect 940s, 740s and 770s, and they are awesome bikes. Hydroformed aluminum frame tubing, 100mm or 120mm travel SR Suntour forks with spring-rate adjustment and lockouts, Syncros wheels and great Shimano components. These bikes accelerate on top of responsive 27.5″ or fast-rolling 29″ wheels and come to a halt with Shimano hydraulic disc brakes. These Scotts are well-equipped and ready for years of off-road fun.

Aspect 770

Aspect 740

Scott Aspect 750

Did we mention the prices? No? Guess. Hydraulic disc brakes, WTB Nano Raptor tires, Synchros bars, seatposts, saddles and wheels… Would you believe that you can get the Aspect 770 for about $500 and a 940 or 740 for less than $800? For real.

If you want a great trail bike that’s a ton of fun, check out a Scott Scale Aspect.

Fuji Tahoe 1.5

Fuji Tahoe 1.5 (29″ wheels)

For great off-road capability at a reasonable price, look no further than this Tahoe 1.5 mountain bike from Fuji.

Occupying the sweet spot for affordability, component selection and off-road capabilities, this Tahoe will probably do everything you want.

This bike works well for the off-road beginner and occasional rider, with large wheels that have tremendous traction and roll over larger obstacles without a second thought.  Fast and durable, it will stand up to the rain and mud for many seasons.

The Rockshox fork contributes to the great ride quality of this bike by giving you adjustable air spring pressure, adjustable rebound damping, and a lock-out switch on the handlebars.  By the way, Fuji’s front-end geometry is quite a bit different from other similar twenty-niners so this bike rides sportier and quicker on tight single-track than other designs.

A simple tire swap would make this an excellent “Dual Sport” bike, fast rolling on the pavement but sturdy and stable when venturing off the asphalt.  Remember, the Rockshox fork can be locked out with a flick of your thumb for efficient cruising on the roads.  Racks and fenders work just fine too.

Scott Genius Series

Scott Genius 930

Bikes like these aren’t just for going downhill.

Scott Genius mountain bikes have lots of suspension travel and lots of cool technology. You wouldn’t guess it by looking at them, but these bikes go really fast uphill and roll smoothly on easy terrain. They’re not just for riding downhill.

Genius models come with great features like dropper seat posts and twin-lock suspension control switches. Their Syncros wheels (in either 27.5″ or 29″ sizes) happen to be sturdy yet really light and feature hubs with boost spacing and thru-axles, as well as tubeless tires.  Genius bike frames feature magnesium rocker links, custom Fox suspension (with that lock-out switch on the handlebars), a smooth suspension design that virtually eliminates pedal-induced bobbing and brake-jack. They have wide bars, short stems, low gears and great tires.

Genius 700 Plus

Genius 730

The Twin-lock switch changes suspension modes or locks out the front and back

What they don’t have is the extra weight and sluggish handling that you usually find on gravity-oriented bikes.  With the entire line-up of Genius 27.5″ and 29″-wheeled bikes coming in under 30 pounds, these bikes are really fun going uphill too.

Raleigh Skarn

Raleigh Skarn Sport

Looking for a full suspension mountain bike that’s fast and efficient?  Raleigh’s Skarn might be ideal.

The trend in off-road rigs seems to be towards fatter tires, longer travel and fewer gears.  While these ideas work well for kicking around gnarly single track and rough back country trails, they make logging roads and smoother trails a bit of a chore.  With a lot of these Enduro-style bikes you can also forget about being first across the finish line at the Wednesday-night mountain bike race or while racing your buddies on a Saturday morning.  So where does all of these plus-size ideas leave the mountain biker who values speed and efficiency?  Lacking a lot of fun and affordable choices, typically.

So check out a Raleigh Skarn or Skarn sport.  They sport 29″ normal-width tires, an efficient 100mm suspension design (that looks very similar to Fisher’s Superfly 100 from a couple of years back), carbon fiber rocker links and seat stays, and sensible 2 chainring by 10 cog drivetrains.  Efficient, light weight, plus shifting with plenty of gear options.

Fuji Tahoe 1.3 (with 27.5″ wheels)

Fuji Tahoe 1.3 (27.5″ Wheels)

This bike is impressive. It’s light, it’s tough. The equipment list is full of highlights, with really nothing that you would want to gloss over.

Give you some examples?  Well, the Tahoe 1.3 comes equipped with Deore XT derailleurs, and the rear derailleur is the low-profile “shadow” version that is tucked toward the center of the bike (and away from potentially damaging trail debris).  The derailleur system is  also the 2 chainring (by 10 rear cogs) drivetrain variation, so the shifting is quick and precise.

The Rockshox suspension fork is highly adjustable and comes with a remote lockout switch up on the handlebars (so you might actually get some use out of the lockout feature).

The wheels?  They come with genuine Shimano hubs for real durability.  The tires, Schwalbe Rocket Rons, are one of the best $150 upgrades that you can make on a mountain bike, and they happen to be included on the Tahoe 1.3.

This Fuji delivers a fun spirited ride, lots of great parts, and it fits into a high-performance but budget-friendly sweet spot around $1500.

Fuji Nevada Series

Fuji Nevada 1.3

We’re always looking to expand the variety and value that we can offer to mountain bike shoppers.
The Fuji Nevada series offers a few great options and some hidden surprises.
The Nevada 1.5, for example, comes in under $600 equipped with a mix of Shimano Alivio and Acera components. The fork has a lockout switch, the crankset has replaceable chainrings, you get powerful disc brakes, and the platform pedals are good ones, not junk.
Some brands limit their models to the big 29″ wheel size. Some brands make the wheel size decision based on how tall the bike rider happens to be.

Fuji offers both 27.5″ and 29″ wheel sizes, and their XS bike is small enough for kids that have grown out of kids’ bikes, but are still under 5’1″ tall.

Nevada 1.9

Nevada 1.1

Nevada 1.5

Now take a look at the $800 Nevada 1.3. You would expect hydraulic disc brakes at that price level, and you get them. The supension fork has 32mm stanchions, which stiffen up the front end and are a nice upgrade. The real surprise is to find a remote fork lockout switch on the handlebars, WTB Nanoraptor tires and a Deore XT rear derailleur!

What about the 1.1?  It boasts Shimano Deore XT derailleurs that manage a 30-speed shifting system.  The suspension fork is light, tunable, and it comes with a remote lockout switch on the handlebars. Schwalbe Smart Sam tires ride really well, and Shimano Deore hydraulic brakes bring everything to a halt.

Surly Troll

Surly Troll

I bet you’re a little confused by this bike.  That’s all right.  We’ll explain.

So let’s say you had an old mountain bike from 1993 that you used for commuting.  Your old bike had been converted to road use with slick tires and one of those Scott wrap-around handlebars.  That old bike had fenders, a rack and a bunch of random accessories duct taped to it.

You loved that old bike.  But then it got stolen.

Surly to the rescue!  The Troll is just like your versatile old mountain bike, only better.

There’s all kinds of attachment points for racks, fenders, trailers and other accessories.  You can run disc brakes or rim brakes.  It has horizontal dropouts, so you can ride it as a single-speed if you want.  The Troll is available as a complete bike (If the thieves got every bit of your old bike) or as a frameset (so you can use some of the random bike parts left in your garage). The frame geometry is suspension-corrected so we can install a Rockshox for smoother off-road adventure.  Either 26″ or 27.5″ wheels will work on the Troll.

Jones Loop handlebar

Troll warts? Just mounts for all kinds of stuff

Trailer, rack and fender eyelets

Why not buy a Surly Ogre?  Well, like we said, all of those old bike parts in your garage including the mountain of 26″ tires will fit on the Troll.  The smaller wheels also means that the bike handles a bit quicker, fits smaller riders better, and is slightly sturdier under heavy loads.

The Minnesota 2.0 & 3.0 Fat Bikes

Framed Minnesota 2.0

Fat bikes are fun.
Practical, for a lot of our local trails, they’re not.
What the heck, practical isn’t everything. Nobody said that you needed four-wheel drive, 30″ of ground clearance and internet service in your car either. You still have fun driving to the grocery store in your Hummer H2.

Yeah but the thing is, you want to play around on the trails or try to cruise the beaches at low tide, but otherwise aren’t really sure how much you’d ride a fat bike. It is the Pacific Northwest after all. We’re not really known for snowy or sandy trails.
We get it. You don’t really want to spend $2000 on a bike that might not get much use.

Framed Minnesota 3.0

That’s why we have the Minnesota 2.0 and 3.0 from the good folks at Framed bicycles. The frames are made out of aluminum, so they’re light and rust resistant. The Minnesota 3.0 is really fat with 5″ wide tires that roll over the mushiest surfaces easily. The bike is outfitted with nice lightweight gear and comes in at a reasonable price. The Minnesota 2.0 has 4″ wide tires for good floatation across soft trails, and the bike is less than $1000, so you can try out those weird cycling adventures that you had in mind without dropping a lot of cash.

4 inch wide fat tire on the 2.0

4.7″ tires on the 3.0

Raleigh Kodiak 2

Raleigh Kodiak 2

You want a full suspension mountain bike.
You want 5″ of suspension travel.
You want a time-tested frame design, something with the bugs already worked out.
You want something with 27.5″ tires.
You want reliable air-sprung suspension made by RockShox.
You want hydraulic disc brakes.
You want a 2 chainring x 10 speed drivetrain like Sram X7.
You want to pay less than $1600.
You want a Raleigh Kodiak 2.

Surly Ogre

Surly Ogre

Surly calls the Ogre a touring bike.
One look (and a little imagination) will tell you that a Surly ogre can be anything that you want it to be.
The Ogre’s frame and fork is sprinkled with what looks like warts but in fact are attachment points for a multitude of accessories. All sorts of racks, cargo and bottle cages and trailers will attach to the Ogre frame.
If you feel like messing with different types of drivetrains, the Ogre will adapt. A Rohloff hub or Shimano Nexus shifting system? No problem. Single-speed or derailleur, the Ogre won’t care which you choose.

Jones Loop handlebar

Trailer, rack and fender eyelets

Ogre warts? Just mounts for all kinds of stuff

Off-road riding with 29 x 2.3″ tires will be fun on the Ogre. The frame is suspension-corrected so you can switch out the rigid fork for one with more bounce. On the pavement, the Ogre’s Jones Loop handlebar will give you a handfull of comfortable positions and plenty of control.
So check out the Ogre if you want to haul a bunch of random stuff. Grab an Ogre and plan a dirt-road tour of western Canada. Get an Ogre for your daily commute and weekends off road. Whatever you can imagine.
They should have named this bike the chameleon it’s so adaptable…

Surly Krampus

Surly Krampus in “Moonlit Swamp Green”

Don’t call the Krampus fat.  It’s just big-boned.

While we don’t keep a bunch of fat bikes (or “snow bikes”) in stock, we have a couple of fun options and can get you many of the best bikes available from Felt, Scott, Framed, Ritchey, SE Racing and Surly.

Surly, a Minnesota bike brand, has a number of fun bikes that are available as complete bikes or as framesets.  Besides the new Krampus (which is built around 29″ x 3″ tires), they have the original Pugsley (with 26″ x 4″ wheels) and the Moonlander (with absolutely obese 5″ wide tires).

The trick with the fat tires is that they can be ridden with extremely low air pressure (5-20 psi).  This low pressure provides amazing traction and gives you a snowshoe effect on soft surfaces.  It’s possible to ride across soft sand, mud or snow on one of these bikes and not even leave a tire track!  Places (and seasons) that once excluded bicycle fun now embrace fat bikes (even if their arms don’t quite reach all the way around).

Buy one of these bikes and you’ll spend all of your time testing the definitions of the words “adventure”, “ridable”, and “absurd”.

Lynskey Mountain

Lynskey Pro 29 Industrial mill finish, etched graphics

Titanium is really the perfect material for mountain bikes.  Most Ti bikes will look brand new for decades, the finish is so durable.  There is no problem with rust, it won’t fatigue and crack like aluminum, and it is extremely difficult to dent a Ti bike.  Once every ten years or so, just refresh your component group or fork, and you will still have the latest and greatest mountain bike.

Lynskey has a variety of hardtail mountain bike designs to choose from.

Lynskey Titanium Pro29 VF painted

Lynskey Titanium Ridgeline 29vf

Lynskey Ridgeline SL 26" or 29" wheels

The Pro VF has the oversized headtube and downtube with the helix shaping in the downtube.  The rear dropouts are in a fixed position (not sliders) to save a little weight.

The Pro SL is similar to the VF, but it has sliding plate rear dropouts for running a Nexus rear hub or building the bike up as a single speed.

The Ridgeline has all of the great handling and ride characteristics of its Lynskey siblings, but with round tubing (instead of Helix shaped) to save you some cash.

All of the Lynskey mountain bike models are available in 26″ or 29″ wheel styles, and with a variety of frame finish options.

S&S couplers can be added to Lynskey mountain frames for travel versatility.

Retrotec and Inglis custom steel

“Classic” Bike, built by Curtis Inglis of Retrotec

Curtis Inglis builds wonderful steel bikes in his Napa, California workshop.  If you want a hand-crafted bike with custom touches, an Inglis should be at the top of your list.  For curvy-tubed bicycle goodness, Curtis and his Retrotec label should be your only consideration.

To clarify, Retrotec and Inglis are one in the same.  The Retrotec label means curves.  Straight-tube construction is named Inglis.

Off-road frames can be built with a a rigid custom fork (Curtis makes a few different types, or with suspension-corrected geometry around the fork of your choice. 

Retrotec Double

Inglis' fillet brazed construction is perfection

Inglis Mountain (No curved tubing)

Retrotec Classic

Retrotec Half Mountain

By the way, we picked 26″ wheels for our “Classic” bike, but Curtis is no retro-grouch, and understands how to build a bike properly with the larger 29″ wheels…

If you can imagine it, chances are that Curtis can build it.  He utilizes many different techniques (lugs, tig welds, fillet brazing) and many different tubing styles to make your dream bike.  Single-speed options are available with an eccentric bottom bracket shell, and rack (and fender mounts) are not a problem.  Feel like traveling?  S & S couplings can be added to your bike frame that will make it come apart to fit into a suitcase.

2012 “Classic” Retrotec

“Classic” Bike, built by Curtis Inglis of Retrotec

This bike is not old…. It’s Classic.

Curtis Inglis builds wonderful steel bikes in his Napa, California workshop.  If you want a hand-crafted bike with custom touches, an Inglis should be at the top of your list.  For curvy-tubed bicycle goodness, Curtis and his Retrotec label should be your only consideration.

Retrotec was founded by Robert Seals, the godfather of the modern multi-function bike tool (he invented the Cool Tool, patented in 1990).  For his Retrotecs, Bob resurected the old Schwinn cantilever frame style.  Curtis, who worked for Bob back in the 1990s, took over the Retrotec name in 2001 and expanded the number of available styles, and they’re all cool.

Note the Ritchey "Classic" stem

When going custom, why not put your name on it?

Inglis' fillet brazed construction is perfection

Wanting a modern “Classic” that would be at home within our museum collection, we asked Curtis to show us his best work.  Fine fillet brazed joints, expertly curved tubing, and sparkly green custom paint make this a bike as impressive as anything on our walls.

XTR brakes with cooling fins on the brake pads, Ti bolts

Retrotec Triple model

The XTR group is museum worthy itself.

The parts show off  classic design cues and modern materials.  Shimano’s XTR group is the best available today, and looks great with the gold chain and cables.  A green Brooks saddle was a natural choice, as were the Portland-made Chris King headset and bottom bracket.  We had to use the Ritchey “Classic” seatpost and stem, as they inspired us to build this bike in the first place.

Paul with Curtis Inglis and the bike

Inglis' shop, with bikes in various stages of production

Bikes look very different without all of the paint...

A trip down to California for a friend’s wedding coincidently put Jaime and Paul in Curtis’s workshop during construction of the Classic Bike.

This bike isn’t just for show. It’s for sale. Modern mountain bike performance and Classic style for $5499.

About our website…

Buy it now

You may have noticed that many of the bikes on our website are lacking prices.
We also seem to be missing an “add to shopping cart” button.
These omissions are purposeful.
We like bikes. We like you. We want you to ride a bicycle that works well, fits you correctly, and is appropriate for the kinds of riding that you like to do.
We can’t make all of this happen through a website.
If you want a new bike, come in to Classic Cycle. Talk to us. Touch the bicycles. You can ride around Winslow, and see what the different models have to offer.
Come in to the shop, and Gavin will make some adjustments to the bike to make it fit just right (and tell you about the time he won that race in Sicily while he’s at it).
Sit at our bar and watch bike racing on the television or experience a bit of our little museum.
Spend some time here so that Jaime can show you clothing and accessories that will resolve the little issues that nag at you while you ride.
Paul will assemble your bike with the same attention to detail that went into building bikes for two Olympic Games and countless professional racers.
Leave the UPS guy alone. He can’t help you put that mail-order bike together…