Why would an adult want to spend their leisure time riding round and round a muddy, grassy field on something that looks like a road bike?  It defies explanation.  And yet, as we’ve said before – Cyclocross is cool.

CX in Melbourne continues to grow and here we have a grab-bag of tid-bits of news about it, photos of bikes we’ve built for it, and info about where to go and do it.  Read on if you like the idea of slipping over in the mud and hurting yourself.

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We’ve gotten a few Gilles Berthoud products in.  Among them is a saddle that I’m very excited about.   The saddle is a Gilles Berthoud.  It looks at first a little like a Brooks, and it’s this similarity that excites me.   The Berthoud is made from very thick high quality leather, which is screwed down to the saddle body.  Where the Brooks saddle body is all metal, the Berthoud has metal rails and a plastic back (called a cantle).  The plastic cantle is reputed to be amazingly strong and is designed to have a tiny bit of flex for extra comfort.  The looks of the plastic might put some people off though.

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We’ve just finished an exciting build. We used a 650B randonneur/porteur frame made by Velo Orange, called the Polyvalent. Ours might be the first in Australia. We’ve built it up as a showcase for some of the VO gear we stock (and as a great bike in its own right). It has a big VO Porteur front rack, VO cantilever brakes, headset, saddle, rims, etc. It has a dynamo hub, is shod with Grand Bois Hetres and stays upright while stationary thanks to a Pletscher bipod kickstand. It will soon have a VO chain guard.  We installed a B+M Lumotec IQ Cyo just under the floor of the rack, and a B+M tail light on the rear mud guard.

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We’ve been quietly stocking Bicycle Quarterly for a while. Bicycle Quarterly (BQ) is our favourite bicycle magazine. It started out life at Vintage Bicycle Quarterly and dealt mostly with old French Randonneur bikes, as well as the people who rode and still ride them. As the magazine has progressed there has been a growth in interest in this world, and new more builders have started making bikes inspired by the classics (Herse and Singer, most famously), so the focus broadened to include these. I believe that Jan Heine started the magazine on his own, and over the years has gotten help from Alex Wetmore, Frank Berto and others.

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We now stock Grand Bois tyres. These are some of the nicest tyres we know of. Grand Bois is a small Japanese company catering to Cyclotourists with a fetish for nice old French bikes. They offer a very wide range of 650b road tyres as well as some nice 700c tyres, all with a nice old-school look and tan sidewalls.

Sealed Grand Bois tyres

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We might be closed for the Melbourne Cup long weekend, but there’s plenty of bicycle activities that we’re getting our hoofs into.

Starting on Friday, 30^th October 2009 there’s

Death Becomes Her

A ‘Girls-only’ alley cat race. Registration and ride starts at 6pm from Melbourne Museum. To  get on board bring $10 for entry for teams of two. You’ll also need your bike lock, bag and spare gold coins. As it’s Halloween, dress the part for this ‘Ghouls-only’ event. Prizes for best/worst dressed (you could even score a free service from us!).

And if you’ve still got legs, Borrow Grampa’s bike from the shed and join us on Saturday 31st November for the

2009 Woodend Annual Vintage Bike Rally

The ride starts at 2:30 at the Woodend Clocktower, and meanders 23kms to the historic gardens of the Cosmopolitan Hotel, Trentham. Refreshments are available at the halfway pit-stop - The Pig and Whistle Hotel, Trentham. For those who over hydrate at Cosmopolitan Hotel, there’s a courtesy bus to take you (and your bike) back to Woodend.

If you want to join the Commuter Cycles team, we’re getting up there a little early to make a day of it.

Meet us at the Commuter Cycles workshop for a 10:00 (sharp) departure. We’re taking the 10:35 Vline
service from Southern Cross to Woodend.

More details, Give Rus a call on 0423 388 167.

And if you’re not completely funned out, Otesha are having a

Spring Garden Party

on Sunday 1^st November, from 12 to 5pm at 79 Gladstone avenue, Northcote.

The event is a Otesha fundraiser. For $10, you get a lazy day’s entertainment and the warm fuzzy feeling that your helping Otesha and it’s youth education programs about sustainable consumption.

Performing on the day is Monique Brumby, the Unconventional Cellist, TheTaylor Project and Pete Coles.

Just bring you picnic rug, there’ll be food, drinks and plenty of other activities. Otesha guarantee there’ll be something for everyone.

More info at Otesha.org.au

See you when we open again on Wednesday!