Surely you’ve ever wondered who is behind an e-commerce like Santafixie. If we are simply bicycle dealers, or urban cyclists by conviction, or cyclists 7 days a week. The truth is, it’s a bit of everything. But over 70% of the workforce travels sustainably. And most do it by bike. And how are the bicycles of Santafixie workers? In this new section in our blog, the Santafixie bike rack, we are going to show you.
We begin the review with Angel’s bike, responsible for Marketing, Social Networks and Traffic. Indeed, the one who normally writes here. A few months ago, Ángel parked the Giant Defy on the road that he used to go to the dark side, to the fixie side. His choice was a Santafixie Raval Matte Black Premium, the top of the range.
«Once you try the fixed gear there is no going back. Control over the bike is better than in freewheel since you also control how you brake. You can slow down progressively if you, for example, see that the traffic light is red in the distance. The getaway is also more reactive. As an extra safety element, in case you have to brake very sharply, without skidding, I have mounted the front brake, « he says.
With an aggressive but elegant look, the Raval Premium includes better components compared to the standard version. Mounted with Archetype wheels from H Plus Son, very light and a benchmark in the fixie community, components such as connecting rods, plate, bushings, seatposts and Miche Primato brakes, as well as saddle and handlebar tape San Marco. In total the weight stays at less than 10 kg. Ideal for an urban bike.
Further analyzing Ángel’s bike, it has some modifications. For starters, the seatpost is a Cinelli Pillar, a few grams heavier than the Miche Supertype that is mounted in the series, but with a more sober look. The straps are also from Cinelli, they are the gray Kinks. They offer a great support to go to fixed and thus stop by pulling pedals. A trick: if your pedals are very thin and the velcro is too thick to pass the tape through the pedal hole (as with the Kinks), put the two strips together and apply a little heat with a lighter. Thus they will be thinner and will enter without problem. You will have more grip by being more attached to the pedal.
The tires are a rigid Continental Gatorskin of 28c. Thanks to its low profile it is possible to mount them in 28c without touching the frame. It is a measure that we do not recommend riding on the Raval, but with the Gatorskin there is no problem. In addition to an exceptional grip, both in the dry and wet, these tires are very comfortable when passing through areas of asphalt in poor condition or even gravel. At the moment the back tire does not show wear.
As essential accessories for his Raval, Ángel has the Knog Plus rear light, very easy to put on and take off, thanks to its magnetized base and with a great light output, even in daylight.
The front light is also Knog, specifically the Blinder 1 model with 20 lumens of power and a range of 11.5 hours to keep youe visible.
And for rainy days, a basic that never hurts to carry in your backpack, is a Regular White Ass Saver.
We will continue reviewing the rest of the bicycles of the Santafixie bike rack in next installments.
