Some of you have seen this bar tape on the Fizik Europe website. Since three of the colors are “black,” “honey,” and “antique brown” we have assumed they were produced with Brooks saddles in mind. (Fizik and Brooks are siblings in the Selle Royal family)

Turns out they are made for Brooks if you are somewhere besides the U.S.  The tape doesn’t meet the California lead standards!

Lead in bar tape? Who knew?

So, I guess if you want the dangerous, but nicely color-coordinated, bar tape you will need to do your shopping on the other side of the Atlantic.

Tags: bartape banned

Our friend Smiley had his stainless steel Berthoud fenders painted black for his new Kelly Bedford touring bike. This is the first time I’ve seen this. It’s a nice detail on a classy bike. (Plus, kudos on the frame pump!)

Home Decorator Collection, a Home Depot brand, is selling these marvelous sculptures to help you achieve “the rustic, creative look you want” in your living space.

Tags: art

Dutch rider W.H. Scholten has posted a pretty comprehensive set of in-depth reviews for leather saddles, mostly Brooks.

Blogger Woollypig has posted text, photo and video from his recent tour of the Brooks factory. The short videos are quite nice in the way they illustrate the old industrial process and the way the craftsperson is involved.

UPDATE 3/2/10: Wired Magazine has picked up on Woollypig’s blog and featured it in their Gadget Lab blog.

Tags: factory