Peacock Groove - Erik Noren: the most misunderstood bike builder in the whole fucking world

I first met Erik Noren at the 2007 North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) in San Jose.  The show floor was loaded with hundreds of booths, all adorned with the best that the world's greatest frame builders could muster.  Most of the wares were fragile looking sparkly things that urged you not to touch them for fear that they'd break, or worse, get smudged.

Then there's Erik.  His bikes were strewn about his booth haphazardly.  Some crept out into the aisles, and these had a different story to urge you.  The Peacock Groove bikes clearly said, "go ahead and touch me, but I may bite." The first bike I saw was his "Nuge."  A big 'ol tip of a snakeskin cowboy hat to Ted Nugent.  This beefy mountain bike was loaded with hefty racks, a camo paint scheme, and looked fully capable of going into the woods with Ted and hauling back big game.

I interviewed Erik for the Fixed Gear Gallery then, and you can hear those original audio tracks by clicking the link to the right in the sidebar for my Utterli account.



So now it's a couple years later, and I'm planning a trip to Minneapolis. I give Erik a shout and suggest that we meet. He's all for it. I've been wanting to see his new studio/workshop. I show up in Minneapolis with my Coppi S and S coupled bike, and ride on over to the Peacock Groove jungle on Saturday.

Erik meets me at the door of this very cool old factory, now a collection of artist/artisan spaces. I spend a few hours and get the whole tour. Midway through the day, two friends from Quality Bike Parts show up to get assistance on reaming threads and facing the BB and head shell of a couple brand new bikes.

Erik is a friggin' philosopher on just about any subject. He's neither shy, nor lacking the ability to reach for jaw-dropping metaphors. One such metaphor got him in trouble last year when he showed up to NAHBS with a new concept bike. This one was a tribute to Guns n Roses' album Appetite for Destruction. You Metal rockers out there might remember that there were two album covers that hit the market. The original, a cartoon depiction of a rape scene by master illustrator Robert Williams, was taken off the shelves after MTV threatened not to play the music video because of the cover's violent subject matter. It was replaced by a toned down version of the band's tattoo-esque logo.  The original cover, however, is something of legend in metal circles.

Noren decided he wanted to use the original album cover as a statement about rape, (the artist's depiction also includes an avenging angel poised to bring his wrath upon the perpetrator.) According to the original artist, Williams, that was the intention.  When the bike hit the show floor, it set off a firestorm of controversy at NAHBS. People demanded the bike be removed from the show. Erik, while outwardly defensive, was nonetheless perplexed and embarrassed by the incident. And it continued long after the show was over on bike forums around the Internet. The main dialogue was contained on the Serotta bikes web forum. You can dig it up there if you so wish.  But that's not what this story is about.

Nevertheless, that story is enigmatic of Erik. He tends to fall into these type of situations.  It happens because of his philosophy, which as much as I could tell, is all about not fitting in. Conformity in life, and in bike building, are things you should not expect of Erik.

What you should expect are new ideas, done in an assertive manner.  Erik isn't much for constraints and falseness of circumstance.  He's direct, some would say aggressive, when he says anything.  It's just his way though.

Peacock Groove makes some stylish, badass, no excuses machines, that fit between your legs.  Sure, Erik can come off as an opinionated jerk.  But I challenge anyone with that opinion to shut their own traps and listen to him for a while.  Moreover, look at what he does. He's a bike builder!  Don't judge him on his ability to speak in public, or make politically correct decisions.  Judge him for his bikes, how they look, how they ride, and how the make you smile and giggle out loud like a little kid again.

If you watch the video below, you'll see Erik in all his glory.  We were joined that day by two of Erik's friends, Chris and Peter.  He took this number as being a real audience and gave us a command performance.  From dissertations on his being wronged at the 2008 NAHBS event for his Guns n Roses bike, to railing on Rush Limbaugh, comparing himself to Liberace, or preaching the Gospel of Patrick Swayze.  It's all Erik.  Take him as you will.  Maybe wear your work gloves, so as not to scratch your supple hands when shaking his, or bring along that extra thick set of skins you've got in reserve.  He'll surely wear through the first few layers in a matter of minutes.  But, dear people, take him.  He's one of the most unique and original people I've met in this ever more jaded world of bicycling.

Peacock Groove - Erik Noren, the world's most misunderstood bike builder from Bill Palladino on Vimeo.

Big thanks to Erik for his time.

Thanks also, to his friends Peter and Chris who stopped by with beer to feed the crazed journalist in their midst.

Babes in BikeLand III - Minneapolis

A Grown Man's Very Good Day!

So I’m in Minneapolis on business and decide to drop in on my friend Erik Noren of Peacock Groove Cycles. I figured I’d do an interview with him for the Fixed Gear Gallery website.

During the interview, (soon to come - see the bottom of this page for a sneak peek at this controversial frame-builder,) he mentions Babes in Bikeland III. This is a women’s only alley cat race around Minneapolis on Saturday evening. Did I say women only?! Who am I to turn down such an invitation.

Over 160 women lined up for the start of the race in between the old Pillsbury grain elevator and the old soap factory in the St. Anthony Falls section of north Minneapolis. What an incredible variety of bike enthusiasts! And truly, "enthusiasm" is the best word to describe what I saw.  This is Carrie, last year's winner of the Babes in Bikeland II.  She's standing with one of Erik's show bikes...this one a tribute to the Kill Bill movies.

Chelsea and Kayla were the race organizers, and did a great job. They even sold the beer cups at the after party.













Unlike most alley cats with men racing, it seemed that most of the 160+ women were sharing their ideas and plotting out their plans for the race together.  Sometime in pairs, sometimes in groups of three or four.  Here are a few shots of the gals planning their routes with the provided checkpoint maps.

I love this picture of one woman's route notes...on her arm.

And some helpful men standing around the start too!

Here's a short video of the start of the race.

The winner of the race, Jana, took about one hour and twenty minutes to complete the course and return with a correct manifest.  She smoked all the others.  She won a custom tig-welded frame from Erik Noren at Peacock Groove Cycles.  (Thanks to I Bike Mpls for the image link.)

The after-party in the alley behind One On One Bike Shop was incredible.  Hundreds of people celebrating, kegs of beer, silly bike antics, and Swag!

This was a great celebration of cycling in Minneapolis.  Next fall, when you're starting to feel sorry for yourself because of dwindling beach hours and that sudden drop in temps....saddle up and show up for the Babes in BikeLand Alley Cat.  Guaranteed a good time.  Thanks gals!

And for those of you who don't know Erik Noren of Peacock Groove Cycles, here's a sneak peak at some raw footage from my interview with him.  WARNING: EXPLICIT LANGUAGE AND PORTLAND BASHING!

Steelwool Bicycles "Tweed" Review

Steelwool Bicycles Tweed (Ottawa, Canada)

Expedition Touring Frame & Fork $680 Canadian ($625 USD)

Complete Bike as Reviewed Approx $1100 Canadian ($1009 USD)

Since the very first day last year when the Steelwool ad showed up on the FG website, I wanted to get my paws on one of their bikes. I liked the lugged steel, and simple paint scheme. But, alas, they had no American dealers as yet.

Fast forward a year or so, and I get the advance copy of Where Are You Go, a documentary about the Tour d’Afrique (the race/tour from Cairo to Capetown in Africa.)

We were planning to show it as the feature presentation at this year’s FGG Symposium Film Night. As it turns out Steelwool is one of the film’s sponsors and their bikes are featured in it. This gave me the idea to get one of the bikes to ride and showcase during the week of Fixed Gear Symposium events. Will, from Steelwool, was all about that idea.

The Steelwool website features three main production bikes; two street bikes, generally known as the Sweet City Limited, designed for the fixed gear crowd, (the 200 series limited, and the 300 series limited,) and the Tweed; the subject of this review. When Will asked which of their bikes I wanted, I told him it should be the Tweed, a tweaked out multi-purpose rig, and not either of their street offerings. Most of the bikes we review here are street-fare. I saw an opportunity to review something more flexible and substantial.

As delivered, the bike came ready to ride, minus a set of pedals. In fact, within ten minutes of slicing open the box, and stealing a set of used platforms off the shelf in Dennis’s store, I had pumped up the tires and was riding down the road. They sent the bike in its fixed gear configuration, loaded with Steelwool branded goodies. The review bike is an XL, according to their website, featuring a seat tube measuring 59 cm effective c-c, and a matching 59 cm, slightly sloping top tube.

As far as XL bikes go, this is a tad on the small side. This sloping top tube configuration gives the bike a tight feeling in the cockpit. On a standard frame, I need a 61 or 62cm seat tube to make it work. The Tweed’s slack geometry makes it easy to stretch it out to a comfortable size for me, and also makes it possible for a wider range of riders to hop on. And it’s a great feeling to be in the woods on road bike with a hefty standover clearance. I will say the XL is likely at its limit with a rider of about 6’2” in height.

The bike shines with old-school sheen. The muted green basecoat along with the contrasting brown patches on the down-tube and top-tube give it a vintage feeling. This is reinforced by the classic brazed lug construction. The frame is made of Tange Prestige double butted tubing and is no lightweight. The feeling, however, is one of a sturdy, stiff, bike that will go anywhere you point it, and carry any reasonable load. It also has the accoutrement to prove that out. The frame carries most every braze-on imaginable, from dual water bottle bosses and rack mounts, to an assortment of brake options rivaling the entirety of the mountain bike world: cantilever bosses, drilled fork and bridge for calipers, AND disc mounts. Our review bike features Tektro Oryx cantis, front and rear.

And it doesn’t stop there. One of the key defining features of the Tweed is its eccentric bottom bracket with two adjusting bolts on the top. (All Steelwool bikes have this feature rather than track forks.) There’s a seat tube mounted front derailleur hanger, seat-stay mounted cable runs, a rear derailleur hanger, tight vertical dropouts, and a set of triple cable-bosses on top of the top tube,(just in case you want to shoulder the bike on your next Cyclocross event, or hump it up three flights of stairs like me.) They’ve also included a few special taps for attaching fenders. Steelwool says they designed the bike to fit single-speed, derailleur, and internally geared systems.

The Tweed’s design is the equivalent of a Leatherman multi-tool. You carry it in your pocket because it serves the main purpose of being a knife, but should you need it to do something a bit unusual, you’ll probably find the right tool in there somewhere. This bike seems to epitomize as much a designer’s philosophy as it does a builder’s craft. Here’s a bike that can do it all, without stretching its original intent too far.

Let’s look at the pics:

The Bits:

As delivered, the Tweed was set up in an unusual configuration, and that was by our request. As a heavy expedition or Cyclocross rig, it’s probably not best-suited to the fixed gear world. But, since we were reviewing it for this site, asked them to do their best to comply. The Tweed came to us with a collection of Steelwool branded bits. The wheels look to be a generic aero wheel with a very nice smoky grey anodized, large flange, hub. The hoops themselves are heavy, but the hubs look gorgeous and got a lot of attention while I rode the bike during the symposium. The crankset (144 BCD) is another Taiwanese confection that wears Steelwool’s brand. Nothing special here, but it does the job. The drive train was set at 46x18, a decent gear for tugging all that weight around the streets and the woods.

The bars are a sweet set of “Raundoneur” curvies with a shallow drop. These are designed for the long-haul. They’re fitted with Tektro black levers and dressed up with brown faux leather tape. The stem is another generic thing with a Cane Creek headset. The seat is another generic add-on, but rather comfy, attached to a serviceable seat-post, neither of which will get you running out to buy them on eBay.

The Tweed is sporty. Everyone compliments its aesthetic appeal. It almost begs you to take it off the trail and test it out. Mr. Wizard, at the FGG, thought that would be a good idea, and without much fanfare, got on his new Ridley cyclocross bike and took me to tour the Traverse City Xcross course behind the state hospital. I immediately told him I’d have to go put a freewheel on the back, and he scoffed at that. “Let’s go….right now.” And off we went.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Mc79kBxqzw

While the gearing wasn’t perfect for the course, the bike easily handled the rolling hills and tight trails. I pounded hard on the pedals and the Tweed responded fluidly. I was surprised at how supple it was in the bottom bracket; not sloppy, just right. To look at that huge concentric BB, you’d think it would be quite stiff, but they’ve figured some magic out with the Tange tubing here. It was very comfortable on even the most dynamic areas of the course, but never seemed to lack power when I had to hammer on it.

During the Symposium, I rode the bike everywhere, putting well over 200 miles on it that week. Moreover, I was anything but gentle with it, (as witness the numerous clear-coat smudges I caused.) I rode hills in Leelanau County, the rollers on the Old Mission Peninsula, and even competed in the hill climb competition on the Tweed. Living its life as a fixed gear ride is likely not the best end for this frame. If it were mine, I’d toss on a good set of wheels with a single speed freewheel, or maybe spring for one of the new internally geared hubs.

Conclusions:

Buy the frame and fork and just try to beat them up. The bike is gorgeous, with classic lines, even with its sloping top tube. It has every brazed-on bit you could ever imagine using, and the eccentric bottom bracket will make for easy and fast chain tensioning. As ridden, it’s definitely not a bike I’d take out with the big road dogs here. They’d drop me in a minute. The bike’s weight is its main drawback. Most of that weight, however, comes from the solid frame designed to carry just about anything. Unfortunately, the parts that came with this build were simply distractions. I wouldn’t recommend them, excepting for the hubs and the bars. But I must add here, this was not Steelwool’s call. They would’ve preferred sending one of their lighter street-ready rigs.

The slack geometry on this bike makes it feel more like driving a big old sedan than the sports cars we’re used to reviewing here. But, as SNL’s Linda Richman would say…”It’s like butter!” It’s low center of gravity, combined with high bottom bracket, long wheelbase, and masculine tubing present a formidable counter assault to any obstacle in your way. Throw down the fact that it can handle innumerable configurations, take huge loads, and feels comfortable on long rides, makes this bike beg to have S&S couplers installed so you can take it anywhere you go at the drop of chain-ring bolt.

The Up Side:

• Super tough lugged Tange Prestige Frame and Fork $680 Canadian
• Incredibly versatile
• Braze-on heaven
• Aesthetically gorgeous with classic lines
• Eccentric bottom bracket with top-mounted Allen set screws
• Beefy, beefy, beefy
• Smooth ride with great degree of adjustability
• Fits up to 38mm tires with fenders
• Disc brake mounts
• Frame and fork good value for level of workmanship

And the Down Low:

• Heavy
• Eccentric Bottom Bracket scares some people
• I’d like to see a higher end build available with better bits
• Track nuts on front axle slightly larger than flange on dropouts.(When I first tightened the nuts down, they had the wheel shift a bit from its fully seated position in the dropouts.)
• Pricey at first glance (Remember to convert currency from Canadian)
• XL should be at least a centimeter longer on the top tube to accommodate taller riders.

The Short of It:

This bike may in fact be the only mathematical defense to the N+1 rule. It feels like I’m getting five bikes for the price of one with this Canadian beauty, ((N+1)-4) anyone? Buy the gorgeous frame and fork, leave the bits behind.

See the full video version of this review here:

Hyperlink References:

Steelwool Bicycles: www.steelwoolbicycles.ca

Tour d’Afrique Race/Tour: http://www.tourdafrique.com/epictours/tourdafrique

Where Are You Go – Movie: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7NpubbAzKSY

Lostgears’ Flickr Set: http://www.flickr.com/photos/billpalladino/sets/72157622245366722/

Tweed On The Trail Video File:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Mc79kBxqzw

Lostgears’ Video Review File:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFEFmwIdmPA

Brick Heads Ride in Leelanau County

On Sunday I joined the Brick Heads crew for a great, long, ride into Leelanau County. We gather at Tim Brick's house on Lincoln Road. Tim is the owner of Brick Wheels and has hosted this ride for 20 years or more.

We never know who will show up. Today, we were celebrating Wally-Dawg's 56th birthday. It was a hot, muggy, day. And keeping the wheels rolling was all that kept us cooled off on this day.

It was a beautiful trip. Here's the Trimble GPS map of the journey.



And here's a little video I threw together.

2009 Fixed Gear Symposium

Here are some fixed gear symposium shots and videos from last week. Too much to consider and write about right now, but check back soon. Enjoy.

Our Friday Morning trip to the Old Mission Lighthouse with Big Matt, Ken and Sarah Heike, and Jimmy Raggett.

And here's the wrap-up from Friday evening's Aerospoke sponsored events.

Driving On the Wrong Side of the Road - Part Three

I get up about 8:30 AM, shower, shave, and put on some comfortable shorts for the day’s events. Yant has promised that we’ll first make a pilgrimage to a couple of famous London bike shops. Finally, a traveling companion who knows how to make a boy happy!

We wander through various neighborhoods and then find a small coffee shop to tank up on Brick Lane. Again, no different than any small café’ in the states. Tiny joint, one staff person perpetually running behind, a dozen or so people scattered around the place with laptops, and a couple bikes just leaning against the wall inside. My kind of place.



It’s here I spot a truly unique London artifact. It’s a World War II era poster in deep red with block white letters that reads only, “Keep Calm and Carry On.” Each word is on a separate line, succinct and absolute. This is one of a series of similar posters displayed during the Nazi Blitz, designed to keep up the nation’s morale under dyer circumstances. I like it.

Our next stop is the home of Brick Lane Bikes. It’s just around the corner from the coffee shop. We arrive at 9:45, but it doesn’t open until 10:00. Already there are people lining up outside; some riding bikes, some carrying wheels to be fixed. All seem anxious to get inside.


When the doors open the rush of people disappears deep inside the building while I stop short just inside the door.

There, hanging in the window, is a beauriful Bob Jackson custom built track bike. It’s got those simple traditional English lines. Nothing fancy except for maybe the brazing work on the impeccable lugs. It looks flawless.

As I move my gaze away from this beaut, I realize that the room is filled with Bob Jackson frames. Most are branded as his, but many are branded as BLB or Brick Lane Bikes frames.

They apparently have a close relationship with this famous Leeds frame builder. The frames are not cheap, but considering the workmanship not out of reach either. All seem to fall in the 400 to 600 pound category. That’s about $700 to $1000 US. I see Bob Jackson frames everywhere in this city. They are somewhat ubiquitous while still maintaining an artful, hand-built, old-school image.

Brick Lane Bikes specializes in fixed gear parts, frames, and service. All throughout the store there are gems to uncover. The ceiling is loaded with vintage Italian racing bikes from the 70’s, and 80’s. Colnago, Piniarello, Benotto. They’ve got a huge selection for such a small shop, of Phil anodized hubs, Paul Components cranks, and others. Yant and I spend about a half hour before our eyes begin to glaze over and we look for an escape route.



Next stop we head towards the Tube station some 10 or so blocks away. En route we stumble onto another shop that looks like an upscale fixed gear haven, 14 Bike Co. Unfortunately they’re closed and we have to settle for snapshot or two through the glass windows.

The tube is quite a funny adventure for a 6’3” tall traveler. The sides of the train cars drop down quickly from the peak. I can only stand up straight directly in the middle of the car.





Leaning either way causes my head to rattle against the sloping ceiling.

After a short ride on the Tube, we get off at St.Paul’s Station and head upstairs.

Within a few moments, we’re circling the outside of the historic cathedral.

The architecture is awe inspiring and I take what seems like a thousand photos before we’ve gotten around to the formal entrance looking down towards fleet street.



From there we walk toward the Thames river and the Millenium Bridge, built in 2000 as a pedestrian connector from this side of the river, to the Tate Modern Museum on the other side.

The bridge is a spectacular span of stainless steel trusses and cables. Its design gives one the feeling of floating across the Thames on a silver ribbons and threads.



Yant and I take over an hour to peruse the Tate Modern. It’s built in an old power plant for London. And the space inside is gargantuan. It’s wider and at least five times taller than any aircraft hanger I’ve ever seen. And that’s just the atrium space.



From there we stroll for miles along the walkways adjacent to the Thames.

There are more people here than I’ve ever seen in such a place. Even the hustle of New York or Chicago cannot compare to London. The city spreads out for miles in every direction and the crowds of people are spread out around it. I feel like I’m in a constant river of life, moving from one venue to the next.



Along the way there are more museums, galleries, theaters, and shops. Where one of the bridges crosses, there’s a huge open air book market and sidewalk artists recreating masterpieces in chalk.



Just a few steps from this place there’s a covered section of promenade that set aside as a skate/bike park. It features all the ramps and rails you’d imagine, but also the place is covered head to toe with graffiti. The crazy patchwork of tags demarks the perimeter of the park, and there’s even two kids tagging the wall as I watch. And the most interesting thing is the crowds of onlookers standing two and three deep watching the kids play. It’s like entertainment for the masses.



We stroll on now past “The London Eye,” a massive 443 foot tall Ferris wheel. It’s now a landmark in London, built as part of the millennium celebrations in 2000. The wheel never stops moving. It moves slowly enough that people are able to walk on and off the cars without having to stop them.



From the Eye it’s only a short walk to the Westminster Bridge.

This, of course, leads to Parliament, the Abbey, and Big Ben. By the time we cross the bridge and pose for a few touristy photos, I’m tired and parched.

We head down some backstreets to get away from the hoards and look for a pub. I’m grateful again to have Yant along as my guide. The curling byways of old London can be confusing for first time visitors. A few blocks later we find a place called the Sanctuary Pub – Ales and Pies. (And we’re not talking cherry pies here… these are meat pies!)



We walk through the doors at a great moment. It’s the start of another football championship match. This one is the FA Cup Final between Chelsea and Everton. The pub is beginning to fill up with patrons, and there’s an interesting mix of wedding-goers, tourists, and locals standing around waiting for the game to start. All the best tables next to the tele have been reserved by groups. We stand at a small round and watch the first half before heading back out.



Yant takes me on the big tour.

We walk from Westminister thru St. James Park, Buckingham Palace,

Trafalagar Square and the National Gallery, Haymarket, Picadilly Circus, St. Martin in the Fields, Charing Cross Road,

then Leicester’s Square’s theatre district where there’s a quaint statue of Charlie Chaplin.



What a pleasure to finally put a face to all these very famous sites that have become part of my travel lexicon. We finally settle in for something to eat at an outdoor middle-eastern restaurant within ear-shot of the goings-on in the square.



After some nourishment we saddle up again and start the long walk back to The City district where my hotel is located.

Yant’s route takes us by another shop worth the pilgrimage, the Condor bike shop. Unfortunately, it’s getting late and they’ve closed for the day. But I take some pictures anyway.







A few blocks later we run into the poignant Ghost Bike scene. A white bike, festooned with flowers for a fallen rider, set in front of a stark blue storefront.

By the time we get to the Old Street tube station, we’re both fairly exhausted. It’s been a long day. I thank my host for his heroic hospitality, see him off at the station, and make my way back to the Hoxton Hotel for my last night in London. It was a great trip.