After seeing what they did during the Handbuilt Show and the London Cycle Club, we had feelings Rapha way also moving into NYC. This delivery truck invite, which arrived at our doorstep, confirms this. July 1st looks to be the launch of the Bowery edition Rapha Cycle Club. 352 Bowery to be exact. With Cadence closing it’s doors, it will be nice to see what Rapha can bring to the NYC cycling scene.

More looks at the invite for the Rapha Cycle Club NYC opening on July 1st after the click.

GS Cicleria takes the ordinary and turns it into a piece of floor art for the cyclists amongst us. “We have always wanted a simple yet beautiful stand to compliment our classic bicycles, so we decided to make our own. All of our stands are carefully created by hand by a master craftsmen. We did a small run of our stands using salvaged gymnasium flooring. Some of the wood was salvaged from the old Balboa Park gym in San Diego where some of the greats like Wilt Chamberlain played.” (tr)

Another look at the GSC Velo/Bike Stands after the click.

This recycled bicycle wheel clock may be of interest to some of our rider readers. “This clock was made from a recycled aluminum bike wheel. The wheel mounts directly to the wall through the hub using a hollow wall anchor and gives the illusion that it is floating off the wall. The clock movement is a high torque German quartz movement and is attached to a set of rear cassette gears to conceal the movement. The movement is attached to the wheel by hanging it off of a screw coming out of the hub, and runs on 1 AA battery, included.” Find it now 119$US.

More looks Recycled Bicycle Wheel Clock after the click.

The sheer amount of interesting product coming down the pipe from the Rapha brand is unacceptable. There is simply too much to cover. While it may seem like a single editor’s selection with Rapha, the push for their goods to get shine on these pages comes from various ends of the Titel family – we have writers falling in love with something new almost daily.

Here’s a quick one in the form of a cycling cap as made for the BESPOKE exhibition in NYC recently. “Celebrating the exhibition BESPOKE: The Handbuilt Bicycle opening in New York City on May 13, this limited edition Rapha Cap features a Brushed Camel textile from Maharam, the New York-based innovators of textiles.” 75 total caps produced. Get on it.

More looks at the Rapha Maharam Cycling Cap after the click.

Simply a solid book end to end. Rapha comes through (again) with a quality story book which captures their view from the grand world of cycling. “The second volume in the series of Rapha Guides, the Great Road Climbs of the Southern Alps continues our journey along the roads and cols of Europe. Written by Graeme Fife with the photography of Pete Drinkell, the book captures the beauty and intrigue of the southern regions of the Alps, exploring climbs and roads steeped in the history of road racing and beyond.”

More looks inside “Great Road Climbs of the Southern Alps” after the click.

The Museum of Arts and Design gets in on the bicycle craze today with the opening of Bespoke: The Handbuilt Bicycle. Six renowned frame builders (including Jeff Jones, Dario Pegoretti, and Sacha White) are on display. In all, there are 21 bicycles, selected by curator Michael Maharam (owner of the eponymous textile firm), each chosen to reflect the intersection of art, craft, and design inherent to the beauty of custom bicycle manufacture.

From the museum -

Despite the seeming simplicity of their form and mechanics, bicycles offer a unique challenge to their makers. Rider and machine meet at three contact points-saddle, handlebar, and pedal. The custom builder’s chief preoccupation is with fit; simply taking a rider’s measurements may require more than two hours for a single commission. Every bicycle is a highly refined piece of engineering.

Custom bicycle building involves master metalwork: bending, welding, carving and wrapping steel, titanium, aluminum and carbon. A graphic artist’s eye is required in the application of paint and decorative flourishes. The custom models exhibited in Bespoke are the virtuosic productions of individual makers who lavish great attention on detail. The resulting product reflects the builder’s sensibility paired with the rider’s unique needs, turning the custom bicycle into a work of art.

If interested the exhibition is up at MAD until August 15, 2010.

Totally pains me that there are no installation views of Bicycles, a newly opened off-site exhibition from the Oakland Museum of California at the Oakland International Airport. The focus is on Northern California bicycle culture, with emphasis placed on Oakland and the East Bay. It draws from the Oakland Museum of California’s collection and incorporates the work of local frame builders and highlights bicycle clothing, accessories, and ephemera as well.

All in all, Bicycle has the potential to rise above the normal tedium of the typical airport exhibition. The installation opened on April 30 and will close on September 10, 2010.

Despite lack of images, and as we have a jetset readership, it seemed worth noting the installation. Should you happen upon it, please send us some pictures.

Though fashion tides seem to be changing (and shorts in city life are seemingly more acceptable), I still like my cropped pants rugged and functional.

Outlier’s Workwear Shorts hit the mark. Made of the same doubleweave canvas as their long legged brother, the shorts hit right at the top of the knee and repel dirt, rain, grime, and hopefully the residue of a lobster roll. Three colors are available – black, indigo, and slate.

More info at Outlier. More images after the jump.

I’m not yet ready to call Spring 2010 the season of bicycle books, but a fair few have just landed or are on the horizon. Gestalten’s offering, Velo: Bicycle Culture and Design, covers an impressive swath of people – frame builders, professional cyclists, urban planners – and explores current trends in cycling from an aesthetic angle. As such the book is very much about cycling in the now – perhaps with a bit too much emphasis on trend.

Learn more at Gestalten. Pre-order now from Amazon.

Have a butcher’s at some page views after the jump.

Yes, I could post one of a million commuter bicycles out there today, but this one caught my eye due to the camo bag details. “Almost 30 years ago, the first historic Trussardi bicycle was built.  Today, we have the pleasure of reintroducing a new citybike, the Trussardi 1911.  The chassis is made of steel and coated in a special paint that reproduces the tones of the leather collection.  It is accompanied with a camouflage bag, a true symbol of the ‘Maison.’  The Trussardi 1911 includes golden detailing on the mudguards.”

More looks at the Trussardi City Bicycle after the click.