PARLEE PAINT WORK 57hrs later

Here are some shots of a recent paint job that came through the shop.  Ben Falcon has been working with us full time for about a year now and his work  just keeps getting more crispy.  All the work is done by hand by taping off different layers of paint.  After two coats of clear and a good sanding we then blew on the Matte Clear coat which I think really finished it off nicely.

If your interested in custom paint for your steed get in touch.  Enjoy the work below.

Corey's Custom Track Single Speed

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Made of OX Plat True Temper tubing and a columbus Life stays this bike is light as it is nimble.

The Paint is Root Beer on Root beer candy flake extravaganza and really pops in the light.  Paired up with a ENVE carbon fork and some custom built H+ son rims, its a road eating machine.  Challenge 32 tires are maxed out on the front and rear of the bike but give great stability, grip, and road feel.  the 300tpi casing and max pump 160 psi will carry you at speed.

Dressed up with the new Carbon Brooks C13 saddle and matching Brooks bar tape, this girl is ready to party.

Check out more detail shots in the gallery below.

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ANTHEM

MADE IN BROOKLYN MADE FOR SPEED :  THE ANTHEM

Brooklyn’s finest have come together to create the Anthem track bike. The proprietary design is from Affinity’s Jason Gallacher and handmade in Brooklyn at Thomas Callahan’s custom fabrication shop ‘Horse Cycles’.

The Anthem features lightweight, aerospace grade air hardened steel with a True Temper OX Platinum and a oversized down tube. In addition, a thin sleek integrated seat mast and classic campy style dropouts were integrated. What set’s the Anthem apart is a proprietary seat post wedge co designed with famed bicycle industry design engineer Aaron Panone of 44rn as well as the tapered head tube with an Enve fork and color matched headset.

What makes this project special and the Anthem so unique are the people who came together to make it all happen.

THE PEOPLE

Thomas Callahan. Designer / builder (Horse Cycles)

Jason Gallacher. Owner (Affinity Cycles)

Ben Falcon. Master painter (Horse Cycles)

Aaron Panone. Industrial Designer

Tom Le Marche.  Stunt man / ladies man (Horse Cycles)

The Anthem is made right here in our shop and only 20 will be available to the US market.  Head over to Affinity Cycles for more info and secure yours before they vanish!

AFFINITY CYCLES INTRODUCES NEW TRACK BIKE MADE IN BROOKLYN Made by New York's Finest Builders with American Sourced Materials Brooklyn’s finest have come together to create the Anthem track bike in NYC. The proprietary design is from Affinity’s Jason Gallacher and it’s hand made in New York City at Thomas Callahan’s custom fabrication shop ‘Horse Cycles’. The Anthem is welded using lightweight, aerospace grade air hardened True Temper OX Platinum steel. A distinct detail of the Anthem is a thin sleek integrated seat mast, and a proprietary seat post wedge co designed with famed bicycle industry design engineer Aaron Panone of 44rn. Additional features include classic campy style dropouts, oversized down tube and a tapered head tube paired with an Enve fork. For more info and to buy the new Anthem head over to affinitycycles.com/anthem Video by Derrick Allan Perry www.derrickallanperry.com

Making of a Winter Fire

There is nothing better than a winter fire. The confidence that you can keep warm on the coldest of days is a good feeling when you're far from the hearth of the home. Better yet, is the ability to enjoy the outdoors all year round. The quiet that comes with the winter wind brings it's own kind of unique beauty. Pair that with a warm cup of joe or just some fire light to warm your toes and you're golden.

Last weekend we headed out to Montauk with a few friends, it was a bit chilly for a surf, so instead we decided to pack up some wood and walk to the beach for a snowy fire.

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Having a few tools like a hatchet and a knife are invaluable when getting a fire started. Collecting enough small dry pieces of wood with as much surface area as possible is key for starting and maintaining a flame.

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The strong wind and the snow on ground set us up for a challenge. We started by setting up the larger logs as a wind breaker, stacking them, one on top of the other, making an arrow pointed into the wind. We used all the small pieces, shaved with the hatchet and knife, bundling them in the little wind shelter made by the larger logs. That, with the help of some dune grass, was enough to get a spark that would slowly give us our fire.

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One of the best days this winter. Just the act of heading outside with friends and the simple goal of making a small fire to warm your bones is enough to make even the coldest days worth getting out for.

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29er +

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The 29er + is a boss mountain bike with the ability to rock 3" + wide tires.  This tire clearance does two important things.  One, Provides Suspension in the front and rear.  Riding on a larger volume of air allows for a smother ride and lets you topple over anything in your path.  The other and more important allowance is the traction that is gained by the larger surface area of the tire.  The more contact with the ground the better traction, climbing and stability you have.

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This + size 29er is built with true temper ox platinum, USA made high quality alloy and sports a 84mm bb for grater tire clearance.  Tee head tube is 44mm and supports a tapered fork steerer.  Set up for disc,  1 x 10 or single speed gearing  and a 12mm through axel on Paragon sliding dropouts this little pup will shred the trails!

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The Honda CB350 Super Sport

By: Nicholas Altman

The Honda CB350 Super Sport sits as a cornerstone in the history of motorcycle engineering and design. Over 250,000 were sold from 1968-1973, making it one of Honda’s best selling models. During that time it became one of the most popular street bikes in America. It’s air cooled, parallel twin cylinder, four stroke engine delivers 36 horsepower and weighs in at 375 lbs wet. It’s simple engineering and abundance of parts makes it accessible to novice and advanced wrenchers alike, and it’s sleek and tight design has lent itself to the modern cafe racer revival.

I purchased my stock 1972 CB350 Super Sport this past summer, and have had a blast riding and maintaining it with the help of a few more seasoned riders and mechanics. The bike zips through crowded city streets with agility and opens up on back roads with ease, making it ideal for day trips to nearby beaches and mountains. Other than some basic tuning and an upgrade to the charging system, the bike has required little work and runs great.

I’ve considered making some modifications to the bike but there is something satisfying about riding a completely stock vintage bike, especially one that looks so sharp. The rear luggage rack is also clutch, as I have plenty of space to carry a passenger, a bag, and a blanket, allowing for total self sufficiency.

Dillon's Parlor Porteur

Simple and understated, this bike sings a quiet beautiful song when you take her for a spin. Dillon Edwards from Parlor Coffee wanted exactly that.  Something he could make rounds on visiting local Brooklyn customers while enjoying a bike made just for him that sings.  Stout, simple, built for a front load, this single speed is made out of 100% US made True Temper double butted steel. Fenders and a simple reflector keep it safe and dry.  A Hand stamped copper down tube badged is the only branding on the bike. The final touches were the hand carved seat tube cluster and the custom quill stem with brass topper.  

Dillon is a super rad dude and is really passionate about what he does.  Meticulous in his approach to quality.  It is a pleasure working with someone who displays these traits in there own life, the same traits we at Horse strive for.  Such an honer to build this bicycle for him, knowing he loves it, and knowing he rides it hard.

Parlor Coffee is a local Brooklyn Coffee Roaster in the Navy Yard just off of Vanderbilt.  Like Horse its a manufacturing facility and not a shop store front, however they do have cupping's open to the public every Sunday so stop by and say hi, have some coffee and look out for Dillion's lovely bicycle.

Next Thursday, Sept 10th, Horse Brand Co. will be putting on a backdoor display of their latest project, "Nothing good in Rockaway,"a photographical narrative of gritty and beautiful Brooklyn bicycles into full-blown motorcycle gear. Thomas Callahan has designed a series of motorcycle and surf accessories at his studio, Horse Cycles, and all will be on display through a visual collaboration with Joel Henderson - it's an homage to summer, the east coast, beaches, bikes and babes.

FLIM AND PHOTOGRAPHY BY JOEL HENDERSON

POP UP SHOP SAT / SUN 3-8

Shop Zone! BBQ Snacks! Frozen Cocktails!

325 Rutledge St.  Brooklyn, NY

We are are teaming with some solid brands and good friends, D'emploi andKika NY, to celebrate the end of summer.

Hope to see y'all out there!

HORSE MOTO PROJECT

For the past few years we have been working on developing motorcycles that look good and go fast with classic styling and a vintage vibe.  We have been utilizing the spray booth to work on Moto tanks and helmets taking our custom paint to the next level.   

Coming in September we will be having a show to highlight all the work we have been doing with MOTO's including our signature motorcycle and signature helmets.  We will be showing a short video projection and some super rad photography by Joel Henderson.  We are totally excited about the project as a whole and all the amazing relationships we have made along the way.  Check out a little teaser to get you going.

We had a fun few days in the Rockaways, riding the bikes around (bicycle and moto), surfing, skating and an all around rad time in the chill zone!  

The gallery show will celebrate the freedom of movement that allows us to enjoy the city we love and those things that make us the happiest. We hope to round up some beers, have a BBQ and invite everyone by for a rock'n good time. Until then keep up to date on instagram @horsecycles and sign up for our mailing list.   Our goal is to bring old and new folks from different communities together to share the things we love.  Ride hard, ride on...

Check out a few of the images from our shoot out at the Beach and some of the new custom MOTO gear coming out of the workshop.

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SKYS THE LIMIT

Meryl is good friend and a local Brooklyn cyclist.  One of the coolest things she does is work on the North Brooklyn Urban Farm on Kent Volunteering her time and getting her hands dirty day to day working on bringing the rest of us the beauty that grows from the ground.

She's a hard worker.  She rides for Pies and Thighs and bar tends at Egg (two amazing local restaurants her in N. Brooklyn.)  

Meryl is participating in a multi day stage race later this summer and we worked together to get her on a bike that would take her down the line.  A bike that was fast, light and agile.  The Urban Assault!  We spruced her up with a some fancy paint from the Ben Falcon in the Horse Custom Paint shop and sent her on her way.  Thanks for the support and good riding.

27.5er with some custom FIRERFLY Ti

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The 27.5 MTB has hit its stride in the off road circuit as the perfect tire size for medium size riders.  Smaller than 29ers, and larger than 26", makes it nimble and stout enough to roll over anything it its path.  The coolest thing about this bike was how John Munz (the owner of this beaut) brought NYC and Boston builders together.  He is a long time friend and supporter of FireFly up in Boston and wanted to spice it up with some custom anodized titanium components. After shipping the bike up to B-Town and slapping some sauce on a custom seat post, stem and bars, the boys had myself and Mr. Munz up for a shop visit and took us out on some trails to test the new ride before filling us up with some vegan tacos! Yum!!!!

I have to say the FireFly shop is one of the most impressive shops I have seen and those boys make a mean Ti bike!  On top of that they are super rad dudes.  Thanks for the shred, thanks for the ano, thanks for the tacos.

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Super spicy Anodized Fade Titanium seat post from the boys up at FireFly.

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The bike is specced out with a full TrueTemper OX plat tube set, Custom turned 44mm head tube, Paragon Machine works Low Mounted Disc dropouts, 15mm Reba Air Rock Shocks Fork with hydro handlebar lockout and full XTR.  Special thanks to Mr. John Munz for his vision, Ben Falcon working for us here at Horse Custom Paint and Firefly for the Spicy snacks! Check out the slide show for more pics, or our fliker to see some other builds.  Keep your eye out for Team Tomez + size 29er coming in a few weeks!

Carbon steel Camping knife: A Part of History

Reclaimed wood is frequently touted as a resourceful way to reduce waste by reusing existing materials. What’s often missing from that conversation is how the reuse of these materials can also reclaim a piece of history, salvaging remnants of what came before and offering them a new meaning. That was the intention of Brooklyn’s Horse Brand Co. with its new Coney Island Boardwalk Knife, which uses shards of the famous  boardwalk blasted apart by Hurricane Sandy in 2012. (CORE 77) 

Thanks to our friends at Surname Goods, each handle comes to us milled into 1/4" blocks inlaid with bright maple.

The combination of quality high-carbon blade steel and the opportunity to incorporate a piece of Coney Island history makes each of these one of a kind knives a special piece very close to our hearts.  Check out the shop for more info.

“The idea for making knives came from an obsession I had with wanting to create a tool that I could use out when I’m in the wilderness,” Callahan says. “I wanted it to also act as special object that added value to that extended task, something that I could have and I could know someone’s hands were on it, know how it was made.” The idea for using wood from the Coney Island Boardwalk came from his friend Steven Bukowski, one of the founders of Surname Goods, who had stumbled upon wood salvaged in the aftermath of Sandy (he was using it to create a set of Boardwalk Coasters)."

Had made right here at our shop in Brooklyn, NY

HORSE POP UP MARCH 20th-22nd NYC

Come Party with us this weekend!  Horse Cycles will be setting up shop in a 3000sq ft store front in SoHo. (47 Howard st)  Furnishings by Friends & Family. Coffee by Parlor Coffee. Amazing photography by JDN Photography and an art installation by Sophie Kitching.   

Horse will be launching new bicycles, custom motorcycles and a new Horse surfboard.  In addition, a series of custom painted motorcycle helmets and knives will be on display.  Some amazing work by Surname will also be scattered through out. 

Party!!!! Both Friday and Saturday night serving free beer, coffee from Parlor Coffee, music and much much more.  

Stop by and say hello!  we would love to see ya!

Photography by Nantucket's Jonathan Nimerfroh. 

Parlor Coffee Roasted in Brooklyn, NY.  Stop by and Have a cup of chemex drip Ethiopian goodness.  Yum yum!

Custom furnishings by Friends and Family.

Art installation by Sophie Kitching

Special thanks to Tungsten Partners!

Horse Carbon Steel Camping knife!

Another handmade, quality good off the Horse production line, ready to shred. Based on the pure simplicity of the Scandinavian bushcrafter's companion, we've constructed a knife with high-carbon steel at its core, for unrivaled edge retention and ease of sharpening in the field. We've traded in the stick tang and traditional wooden handle for a full tang and G-10 scales with a universally ergonomic finger grip, providing maximum purchase and resilience.  Offered in both Brick Red and Sea Glass.

We prefer leaving the splitting and batoning to our workhorse blade, and to always have this handsome utility piece on our hip, ready to make quick work of a fire stick or tent stake. And not only does the mirror polish make this knife the envy of the trail, it improves maintainability. To make upkeep even easier, we are now shipping all knives with a 1-oz bottle of Boeshield T-9 lubricant, which allows for extended use in the adventure zone (even salt-water conditions!).

The optional leather sheath is made next door by master leather smith Will Lisak of ETWAS Bags. Each blade is hand ground and honed at the Horse Cycles workshop in Brooklyn, NY.   For more images and info check out the Product page HERE!

Laura's Nimble Townie

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We wanted to post some pics of this great bike.  Laura knew just what she wanted and is super happy with the outcome. Hand carved lugs, scalloped seat stays, stainless fork crown, rear rack mounts and some sweet fenders from Surname Cycling Goods to top it off.  We are in love with these fenders!  Made in NY from reclaimed heart pine.

Nimble and light weight.  Perfect for zipping through the city streets.  Thanks to Laura for being such a rad  customer! Ride it forever, love it for a lifetime.

Horse Cycles x KM City Cruiser

When my friends at Kaufmann Mercantile asked me to design a bike for them, I didn’t hesitate for a moment. Even if you know nothing about the New York based online store, just the name in itself inspires respect and intrigue, both of which the company deserves and fulfills. Not only do they curate some of the best-designed and most durable goods from around the world, they also are sustaining a conscientious culture where the history of materials, the ethics of production, and the resilience of design are paramount.

Basically, they’re pretty rad.

All my bikes and my growing family of Brooklyn-made outdoor goods follow my own philosophy of producing long-lasting, simple, beautiful equipment that makes the best and most adventurous life possible. Everything I use, from manufacturing equipment to bike components, is made here when possible, but I’ll make exceptions for exceptional quality that can’t be replicated domestically. That is the case for the Brooks leather handle grips and matching leather seat I chose for the Kaufmann Mercantile City Cruiser.

They say that it takes a cowboy to know the best saddle, and I am apt to agree.

I searched high and low for a bike saddle to perfectly compliment my nimble, sturdy, and classic bicycles, and it is harder than you would think. Ever the patriot, I exhausted a stream of American-made saddle options, but up to this point, I have yet to encounter craftsmanship, durability, and aesthetics that compare to those of the Brooks line. And Kaufmann Mercantile agrees wholeheartedly.

As you can probably tell by these photos, my inspiration in the frame design comes from the classic and lightweight design of the cycles popular in England in the late 1800s and early 1900s- bikes that John Boultbee Brooks would have ridden. Of course, I’m not a complete nostalgist; I use 4130 steel True Temper tubing (this is the stuff they use for bikes racing the Tour de France and Giro d’Italia – no joke) to produce a frame that is extremely strong yet doesn’t weigh you down. I’m sure Brooks himself would’ve loved to see it in action.

It’s an honor to get to collaborate with thoughtful curators like the people at Kaufmann Mercantile, and put into use the ideal accessories and components that bring a bike frame to life and seamlessly integrate it into your lifestyle. I hope that with the City Cruiser you’ll be inspired to ride through your city with a new sense of adventure, lightness, and agility, and you can rest assured you’ll be doing so for many years to come. I’ll be doing the same, here in New York City, on my own velocipede steed, with a Brooks leather saddle too.

Urban Assaults ready to SHRED! NYCX

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We finished off our pre-order Frames for the summer and we have a few Urban Assault bikes in stock and ready for Cyclocross season.  If you want to pick one up without the 4 week wait, the time is NOW!  Each comes with a color-matched ENVE cross fork.

Check out a few of the available color options, Cream, Black, and Sky.  We also snuck in a Custom Matt Black paint job for a local rider.

Each bike is handcrafted right here at the HorseCycles workshop in Brooklyn, NY.

Made with Love, Made for Speed, Made in the USA.

Win A Horse Cycles Porter Bike!!!

Horse Cycles Paint

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Introducing Horse Cycles Paint: Premium wet paint and powder coat for the ride of your life.  For 7 years, we've painted our work at Horse Cycles alongside frames and components for the wider New York City cycling community from our spray booth in Brooklyn.

Joining the team is esteemed frame painter Ben Falcon. Ben came to us from renown builder Chris King, where he established the paint department for Cielo bicycles after honing his craft for the exquisite purveyors of custom rides at Seven Cycles.

Your imagination is the limit, from a minimal Matte black to a lattice work of intricate multi- color graphics, logos or branding

Horse Cycles paint uses only the highest quality coating products to give your bike the most durable and vibrent finish. PPG automotive coatings and high end impact resistant polyester powder.

Spread the word, and look out for our flyers in your local bike shop!

For a detailed price list, visit the new paint page on the main website at   www.horsecycles.com/paint

Or feel free to Contact us at info@horsecycles.com

3 way Cross Machine

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The Three Way Cross Machine was made with the minimalist in mind.  Internal routing means there are no cables to get caught up, caked in mud or snagged. True Temper OX Plat, Columbus Max, and life paired with an ENVE cross fork make it super light, ridiculously responsive and just plain handsome.  Thanks to Justin, a long time friend of the shop, for his vision.