Hydraulic Disc Brakes for 700c?!

This is a great article about converting cable-actuated road brake levers to work with hydraulic disc brakes for 'cross. And a shameless plug for Ahrens sliding disc dropouts being used by Rock Lobster!

CLICK HERE FOR CX MAGAZINE ARTICLE


Sweet 7005 aluminum sliding dropouts from Ahrens Bicycles!

WiseCracker Family Reunion

The WiseCracker, Because Beer Can't Open Itself

It's been five years since the first WiseCracker bottle opener was machined and introduced to the bike market. This unique product enjoys continued success and ships all over the world to beer drinking bike riders everywhere. Just in time for warm weather riding, I've decided to offer a more complete range of WiseCrackers for your alcohol consuming enjoyment. Each version of the WiseCracker is proudly manufactured in the USA using only domestic materials and processes.

As Henry Ford said, "It's offered in any color - so long as it's black." Why not other colors? The aluminum bottle openers are hard black anodized for durability; this plating process builds a thick oxidation layer that penetrates the part to protect it from damage during use. Hard anodizing produces a surface ~10X harder than conventional, colored anodizing. Hard anodizing colors range from light brown to black, so I use black since it matches nearly everything. Colored anodizing creates a very thin oxidation layer and although this finish looks attractive, it offers no long-term durability in terms of wear. And for a small company like mine, there are just too many anodizing color choices to inventory. Each version of the WiseCracker can be custom laser-marked for your shop, club, team, event, etc for a reasonable price.

Product Range
WiseCracker PRO, 1.5" clamp, Bike Repair Stand Version
WiseCracker ORIGINAL, 27.2mm clamp, Seat Post Version
WiseCracker LITE, 1-1/8" Headset Spacer
WiseCracker SOLO, 1" Headset Spacer

New for 2011

WiseCracker LITE Stainless, 1-1/8" Headset Spacer

This version is water-jet cut from a sheet of stainless steel. It is low profile and weighs the same as its aluminum cousin, 16 grams.

FACT: (1) 12 oz beer = 340 grams = (21) WiseCracker LITE openers

MuttCracker Dog Tag

The MuttCracker will turn your pet into a mobile beer-opening mammal. It's permanently laser marked with your pet's name, contact number, etc. The MuttCracker is the brainchild of my very smart dog-owner friends, Lee and Donna, and both are also proud owners of handmade frames from Ahrens Bicycles. This version is also water-jet cut from a sheet of stainless steel and weighs in at a svelte 18 grams.

Cadalyst Article

Last year I was interviewed by PTC, the parent company of Pro/Engineer CAD software, about designing bike frames. Yesterday I got a hard copy of their trade magazine...my name is on the front cover and the article is on the last page...sweet!