Leather Washers

While in Vilas I found myself in the midst of a mean eye humping of Luther's (ex. Mark$) Capital and discovered a detail of the build that I had previously overlooked.

Little leather washers used on the fender and rack mounts where metal meets metal.


As readers of the blog may know, I fucking hate fenders. Now I realize that they are plenty practical and have their place for certain activities and climates, but they make your bike ride and feel like complete shit. It's no longer fun to play and fuck around and get rad on. They're heavy and rattly, and even if you don't believe me that they make your bike handle like shit they totally do so get over it already. Bunny hopping a bike with fenders sucks.

When I have owned bikes with fenders such as my old Crosscheck winter bike...

I have also come to a point in my life where I'd rather ride a fun but impractical bicycle than a practical one that's a drudge. Riding isn't supposed to be work.

Anyway, when I do mount fenders I will cut out pieces of old inner tubes to place between the fender and my frameset to keep down the noise. It is certainly better than nothing but the rubber eventually always stretches out and gets weird. So when I saw these little leather dealies on Luther's bike I kind of lost my shit a little bit.

At first since this used to be Mark's bike and Mark has always been so proud of the fact that his bikes don't make any noise, I thought it must be some slick homemade shit that Mark cooked up (I was transported back to a time when I myself purchased leather making tools to make Bike Jerks toe strap doublers).


So my mind was doubly blown when I found out that not only do these things exist. But that they exist commercially and were easily obtained. Fucking Velo Orange bro.



you learn something new everyday