ARUOTALIBERA2, a photo by Rebolledo Cycles on Flickr.

Poster for the event on the 12th of August, join us if you can.

The Sonoma County Bicycle Expo is your destination for all things bike! Produced by Sonoma County Bicycle Coalition and presented by Rabobank, this celebration of bicycling returns to Santa Rosa, California on August 19^th, 2012 for the third year in a row. 

What: Sonoma County Bicycle Expo
Features: Vendors, food, exhibits, bike ride, racing, bike building, raffles, free valet bike parking
When: Sunday, August 19^th, 2012, 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (Ride About Town at 8:00 a.m.)
Where: Santa Rosa, California, E Street between D & E, and the parking lot at E and 2^nd Street
Admission: Free
Info: www.BikeSonoma.org/expo; 707-545-0153; events@bikesonoma.org; Facebook

Vendors: www.bikesonoma.org/vendors
Volunteers: events@bikesonoma.org; 707-545-0153

Once again, the Sonoma County Bicycle Expo features an array of vendors offering new and used bicycles, parts, gear, clothing, and accessories. Those looking to participate in a great ride this fall might just find what they’re looking for, too. 

Speaking of rides, the day begins at 8:00 a.m. with the annual Ride About Town. This free, inclusive, family-friendly ride highlights Santa Rosa trails and roadways. It starts and ends at the Expo site. My Friend Joe and Whole Foods Market will provide complimentary coffee and breakfast treats to those who join the Ride About Town. 

Looking for entertainment? The Sonoma County Bicycle Expo is the place for you! The line-up:

• Fun Bike Unicorn Club and Whiskeydrunk Cycles will show off their latest amazing art bikes
• OneLove BMX returns to perform astounding BMX tricks and stunts all day
• Street musicians and performers will share their talents throughout the Expo space
• New Belgium Brewing, the Expo beer sponsor, will host a “chill space” featuring do-it-yourself silk-screening, comfy chairs, and a giant Connect Four game. One lucky person will take home a limited edition New Belgium Brewing cruiser!

And, that’s not all! Custom bike geeks and those with a competitive spirit will marvel at these new features at the Sonoma County Bicycle Expo:

• Velogenesis is an exhibition of Northern California custom bicycle frame builders who will work together to build bikes on-site. Viewers will witness bike building from start to finish (including a bamboo bicycle) and a couple of lucky winners will take home custom bikes (raffle tickets will be for sale at the Annadel Mountain Bike Race on August 18^th, and before at the Expo site from 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 a.m.). Participating builders are: Bruce Gordon Cycles (Petaluma), Calfee Design (La Selva Beach), Inglis & Retrotec (Napa), Paragon Machine Works (Richmond), Raphael Cycles (San Francisco), Rebolledo Cycles (Glen Ellen), Soulcraft (Petaluma), and Sycip (Santa Rosa).
• Small World Fat Tire by Bike Monkey features racing all day on 2nd Street. Choose your race level. The Expo is the day after Bike Monkey’s Annadel Mountain Bike Race, so fat tires are where it’s at. In the words of Bike Monkey: “as far as racing culture goes here, we’ll be favoring tutus over skinsuits. If your socks have to match your sidewalls, that’s cool, but just expect to catch some heckling for it. Nothing is sacred, which is pretty much the only thing that’s sacred.”

Second annual “free-wheel” event to be held at Una Pizza Napoletana, Sunday August 12th 2012

1pm-7pm

Una Pizza Napoletana and Soulcraft Bicycles invite you to spend an afternoon with a collection

of passionate craftsmen as they showcase the fruits of their labor in the second annual “A Ruota

Libera” — Italian for “free-wheel” – a celebration of handmade bicycles, handmade Neapolitan

pizza and live music.

The annual event developed by Anthony Mangieri, founder of Una Pizza Napoletana, and Sean

Walling, founder of Soulcraft Bicycles brings together a cross-section of the preeminent names

in the cycling industry with a focus on bicycles, parts and components created in Northern

California.

Anthony Mangieri will be working his pizza oven surrounded by exhibitors, including: Steve

Potts, Bruce Gordon, Soulcraft, Black Mountain, Rock Lobster, Steelman, Hunter, Inglis/

Retrotec, Falconer, Caletti, Frances Cycles, Black Cat, Paul Components, Ahrens, Pass and Stow,

Rebolledo, Blue Collar, and White Industries. Handmade bicycles, parts and components will be

on display around the restaurant for people to enjoy up-close and personally.

The event features an exhibit by photographer Brian Vernor and will be soundtracked by a live

performance from San Francisco native and legendary Bones Brigade skater Tommy Guerrero.

The Reveille Coffee truck will be on the scene to give a little extra boost.

“A Ruota Libera” is sponsored in part by Beer Moretti and Lambrusco Pronto wine.

Doors open at 1pm and the show will close promptly at 7pm.

Admission of $10 includes pizza, music performance and secure bicycle parking

“A Ruota Libera”

August 12, 2012 1pm

Una Pizza Napoletana

210 11th St (at Howard St)

San Francisco, CA

For more information: 415-861-3444

Nice write up in the July issue of Road Bike Action.  Pick it up at your local bike shop.  A preview of the July issue can be seen here…Raw Beauty in Aisle B.  Just scroll down a little and you’ll see my track bike.

NAHBS in Sacramento was unbelievable, 8,100 people came through the doors over three days.  We won an award for the Best Track Bike, which I must admit, was both a pleasant surprise and flattering after seeing all of the other bikes that were on display.

This picture was by Troy McLaughlin.  There are more pictures of the bike on Mark Dawson’s site.  Pictures 3124-3191.

http://www.fattirefotos.com/events2012/NAHBS_2012/content/Rebolledo_Cycles_3124_large.html

Mark also took some stunning pictures of the porteur that was on display.   Pictures 1719-1762.  Check them out here:

http://www.fattirefotos.com/events2012/NAHBS_2012/content/Rebolledo_Cycles_1719_large.html

I was invited to lend a bike to the Sonoma County Museum for their new exhibit, Customized: The Art and History of the Bicycle, which runs through February 5, 2012.  I loaned them my personal track bike and they hung it alongside a Sycip track bike and right above bikes made by Ross Shafer and Bruce Gordon.  I am in good company.  If you are in the area and get a chance to go visit the exhibit, you will be pleased to find a nice array of bicycles and a good deal of local northern California cycling history.  It is well worth the trip.  Here a couple of things that I saw which caught my eye…

Wooden fork with intricate metal reinforcements.

Detail from one of the old posters on display.

In 2010 I took an unplanned sabbatical from bike building.  My father, Rudy, lost a nine year long battle with prostate cancer.  I spent several months on the East Coast with my family before and after my father passed away.  It has only been recently that I have been able to re-enter the shop and be motivated to work.  Seeing all of the old tools with “Rudy” engraved in them now brings a smile to my face and a flood of memories.  Using the old Bridgeport vertical mill that he helped me rebuild to cut my tubing and make fixtures, triggers a replay of the days and nights we spent carefully taking apart the head of that machine and laying out all of the parts as we cleaned, inspected and re-assembled them.  It is sometimes hard to describe and completely understand the effect that those close to us have on our lives.  We don’t always immediately grasp and appreciate what someone is sharing or trying to impart.  Today, as I use his old tools and that Bridgeport, I can see and feel the immense pleasure and satisfaction that we shared as I flipped the switch and the mill came back to life…

A couple of weeks ago, I went on the road with Sean from Soulcraft and Steve from AHTBM.  We were headed south for the San Diego Custom Bicycle Show in a 1971 Chevy Suburban.

There was a small leak that occasionally allowed some exhaust fumes to enter the cabin…we kept the windows rolled down and our jokes got funnier with each passing mile.  On the way down, we stayed in San Luis Obispo with Tim, an old friend of Sean’s, for a couple of days worth of riding.  The weather and the views were as amazing as the trails.

Our tour guide, Tim, leading the way down after an interminable climb.

View from the top of a ridge above San Luis Obispo.

Sean, ably piloting the Suburban down highway 101.

Steve shown actual size with the Suburban….

I didn’t take any pictures of bikes while I was at the show, forgive me, but there is a nice gallery here at the show website.  Look under the show information tab and click on 2010 Pictures.

I traveled down to Pasadena, California for the Velo Rendezvous and spent three days riding bikes and viewing an amazing collection of vintage lightweights. Ted Ernst brought in his collection of original fixed gear and track bikes from the 1920’s through the 1960’s. There was also an exhibition of Colnagos ranging from 1954 to 1985. The most memorable bicycle that I saw was a beautifully restored Mario Confente.

The Handbuilt Show in Portland last week was really inspiring. This is the third time that I’ve participated in the show and every time I walk away with a deep sense of gratitude for being associated with this group of artisan frame builders that all share a passion for the bicycle. From builders that have been making frames for over 30 years to relative newcomers, every builder brings a point of view that is manifest in the choices they make when building a frame. The myriad interpretations at the show are just a small sampling of what is being done, but having them displayed in that one hall for a few days was overwhelming. Here are a few pictures from our trip to Portland and the booth.