Tag Archives: embrocation

5ive Points: Pete Rubi

Intro by Jeremy Dunn of Rapha/Embrocation Cycling Journal fame:

To know Pete Rubi is to love him. But, to know him is sometimes a difficult thing, as it is with any of the truly artistic people that you may encounter in your lifetime. For these people reside in places that we can never imagine. Places in the physical world (I’ve seen this guy turn himself literally inside out on the bicycles) and the metaphysical as well (the late night ramblings between us still venture into the wee hours). I am lucky, so lucky, to have crossed paths and continue to do so with this man, for whatever he does, he will always be one of the Hero’s in my life. We started traveling to races together on the East Coast many moons ago and I was exposed to the drawings, sketches, photographs and comedic asides that make up the man we call Rubi. Or Hans Poot. But, if you insist on being all formal about it… I am proud to introduce to you my friend, Peter Rubijono.

*NYC Velo Note: Pete also happens to be one of our guest artist/tee shirt designers, having designed the awesome “Deer Tee.”

NYC VELO: What bike do you ride?
Peter Rubijono: I am going to ride my Igleheart, custom steel cyclocross. It is made of Columbus Life tubing, and has been configured for the last two years with White Industries Eccentric Eno wheelset. Not only does Christopher create sturdy and reliable cyclcraft, he is also a master of domestic personnel extraction operations. Bottom line friends, Steel triggers.

NYCV: What’s your favorite ride?
PR: My favorite ride is American cyclocross at large. This is because a day of racing is like an atom smasher of excitement. For the entire year, we are all training and riding long miles out there on our lands. Our parade is homing back to the closed courses of schools, estates, campgrounds, and farms as September takes on. I love that feeling of sizing up a grassy knoll for a bank of barriers or a blur of spectators. I love returning to a racecourse, and going back to one for the first time.

NYCV: What’s your favorite post-ride food?
PR: My favorite food meals for after a ride or race is Portuguese sweet rolls with Chocolate hazelnut spread, bananas and crunchy peanut butter and a dollop of blueberry preserves. Then a vanilla milkshake, apple fritter, and sparkling water. Then a bowl of brown rice with smoked herring, roma tomatoes, cilantro, Braggs, crushed corn tortilla chips, spicy hummus and spinach. Beer and ice cream follow.

NYCV: What’s the one thing you always carry on a ride?
PR: Something that I always take with me on a ride is a sense of who I am. I carry all the important bits such as how to let go to the wonderful strain of a long bike ride. The ability to assess a mechanical, or understand your limits and needs whilst riding your bicycle, is neatly tucked in a cut section of inner tube. I also keep a safety pin on my person at all times for field surgery.

NYCV: What’s next?
PR: What comes next is another moment. Breathe in the air, and be in it.

The Official NYC Velo Holiday Gift List

‘Tis the season… To spend money on other people!

Chances are that if you’re reading this blog, you have friends who like to ride human-powered 2-wheeled machines.  It just so happens that we specialized in “peddling” cycling-related wares to the general public (see what we did there?)

If you’re a bit stumped on what to get the cyclist who has everything, then check out our holiday shopping list, which features gifts at myriad price ranges.

1 – NYC Tour Brass Bell $15 Commonly referred to as the “Crane”bell, this sucker lets you warn others of your arrival, in style.

2 – Brooks B17 Saddle $105 The B17 saddle is an icon, a classic, and now comes in 6 colors, a great way to improve any ride!

3 – Oakley Frogskins $110-130 West coast style, limited edition colors, made in the USA.  Kids love ‘em, adults who remember them when they were kids love ‘em, and bike nerds love ‘em.

4 – Campy Record Track Hubs- 32H $475 Another modern classic, the perfect basis for your next fixie wheel build.

5 – Deluxe Tune $125 Winter weather is bound to get crappier and our bikes will no doubt take the brunt, why not surprise someone with the gift of clean?

6 – Gore Race Overshoes Thermal $100 For the aforementioned crappy weather commute, keep your lower extremities dry, cozy, and warm.

7 – Indy Fab Corvid $8500 Eighty-five hundred bills doesn’t seem like such a deal, but this barely used demo frameset is sporting all new components for a savings of over $2k.

8 – Mission Workshop Rondel Shoes $130 It’s about time someone came out with some bust-around-town sneakers that clip into your ATAC/SPD/Crank Bros pedals… clips and straps seem so 2009.

9 – NYC Velo cycling cap $20 The new edition has landed in the shop, great for keeping your head warm(er) and the low afternoon sun out of your eyes.

10 – Embrocation Volume 6 $20 Bike culture in Journal form, so your partner doesn’t think your reading just another bike racing rag.

11 – Holdfast Straps $59 If you want security at the pedal, but aren’t into ”positive cleat engagement”, check out these Made in Brooklyn Velcro toe straps.

12 – Chrome Dually Reflective backpack $140 Chrome bags last a lifetime (their warranty says so), and the generous reflective panels on this bag ensure that it’s a long one.

13 – EWR NYC Velo Wool trainer $125 When it gets cold, wool is the only way to go, and this jacket stands about the crowd.

14 – NYC Velo Geekhouse Rockcity Frameset $1150 Custom steel frames, handmade and powdercoated in Boston, except they’re available in stock sizes, and without the 6 month wait, so not really custom… but damn nice to behold and ride.

15 – Princeton Tec PUSH Headlight $50 Finally, an amazingly bright 100 lumen headlight that doesn’t elicit comparisons to a 3 d-cell duct-taped to your handlebar.

We’d like to wish everyone a happy holiday season!

Time to Go Muddin': CX Sale

In order for us to properly express our excitement for the upcoming CX season,  it’s only fitting that we get the ball rolling with a Cyclocross bike and Gear sale.   We’re offering 10-25% off cyclocross bikes, and 15% off CX gear.   The sale will be going on up until our epic CX kickoff party on 9/23.

We want to make it easy for you to try out one out our favorite type of racing.  If you’re a roadie and you’re entertaining the idea of racing CX,  all you need is a bike, MTB shoes, and MTB pedals (embrocation is also strongly reccomended).   Lucky for you, we have all that and more.  Stop by the shop, check out our CX selection, and we’ll take care of you.

Its time to go Muddin’.

Ring in the CX year

It’s that time of the year again.  The road season is coming to a burnt-out end,  the weather (hopefully soon) gets cooler, and we start to long for mud and cowbells.  the 2010 cyclocross season is set to kick off with Nittany Lion ‘Cross on September 11th.  The season will be chock full of barriers, caution tape, and screaming fans.

In celebration of our favorite racing season,  We’re throwing another season kickoff party.  The event will take place at the shop on Thursday, September 23rd, from 7-9PM.  We will be showing some epic CX movies, drinking delicious Kelso Beer, and its rumored that Wafels & Dinges‘ new waffle cart might unexpectedly show up.

We will have our CX bikes and equipment out and ready to go.  We’ll have some excellent embrocation from Mad Alchemy and Sportique for you to try out.  We’ve also got some fun schwag to give out courtesy of our friends at Embrocation Cycling Journal.  If you’re interested in trying out this awesome sport,  then stop by.  We’ve got all the equipment an awkward roadie needs to transform into a barrier hopping, beer-guzzling machine.

While you’re at it,  don’t forget to pre-register for Staten CX,  which is going down on 11/13.  It’s the only (and therefore the best) Cyclocross race in NYC.

Hup Hup Hup!

Embrocate Daily

While we always encourage the use of embrocation (the liniment you put on your legs), we equally endorse the use of Embrocation (the Cycling Journal you put on your brain). Created by our PDX friend Jeremy Dunn, Embrocation is chock full of great stories, interviews, design and photography. (And an added bonus – Mary, Mike and Ethan are contributors!)

Embrocation is, in short, a celebration of cycling. At a time when new content is being created at breakneck speed on the internet, it’s nice to get something to actually hold in your hand, sit down with, and savor.

Embrocation Volume 5 – $21
In stock now.