~rene-herse-cycles | Bookmarks (35)

Rene Herse TPU tubes are back in stock. The first production run sold out in less than 24 hours. We have mixed feelings about that. On the one hand, we are happy that so many customers share our excitement about the new TPU tubes. On the other hand, we consider our products staples that should […]

We’re excited to announce a few new products in the Rene Herse program. For a while now, we’ve been working with Schmidt in Germany, the makers of SON generator hubs and Edelux headlights, to make a taillight that mounts in various places on a bike. The result is this taillight that mounts on a GoPro […]

More than half a century after the first Earth Day was celebrated in 1970, there has been much progress, and yet the world we live and ride in faces more challenges than ever before. At Rene Herse Cycles, we shy away from meaningless promises of becoming carbon-neutral at some point in the distant future. We […]

…and achieves P2 in the road race! A huge congratulations to our friend Brennan Wertz for two amazing races at the Sea Otter Classic. The big festival of bikes in Monterey, California, started with the 68-mile road race. Brennan raced his custom Mosaic RT-1 titanium bike, shod with tubeless Rene Herse 700×31 Orondo Grade Extralight […]

This year’s Paris-Roubaix was a gripping race. With 60 km to go, Mathieu van der Poel launched a crushing solo attack and won the race at the fastest-ever speed, averaging 47.8 km/h. (That’s almost 30 mph!) It was bike racing at its best. Van der Poel was one of the favorites, and he delivered for […]

To celebrate 85 years of Rene Herse Cycles, we’re introducing a new line of Rene Herse bags. The first model is the Ultralight Handlebar Bag, a minimalist bag that’s designed for long and challenging adventures. In recent months, eagle-eyed readers have spotted a new bag on my bikes—those were actually multiple iterations of prototypes for […]

The new Rene Herse TPU tubes are here. It’s still surprising to me how tiny and light these inner tubes are. There is much to like about them: Quantities are still limited—these are made in Germany in small batches, which takes time. More tubes are in production as we try to catch up with demand. […]

The same boat that brought the first of our 85th Anniversary Limited Edition tires also carried long-awaited shipments from Nitto, Honjo and Ostrich. Many customers have been patiently waiting for our handlebars, which had been out of stock due to high demand. As more riders embark on long-distance adventures, many turn to Rene Herse handlebars. […]

This year, we are celebrating 85 years of Rene Herse Cycles. In late 1938, René Herse built the world’s lightest bikepacking bike and entered it in the prestigious Concours de Machines, the competition for the best bicycle, to showcase the innovative components he had developed. Drawing on his experience of making parts for record-setting prototype […]

Now that the Nivex derailleurs have been in production for a while, Rene Herse is taking analog shifting to the next level with the Floating Chain. This system is lighter, has less resistance and costs far less than all derailleur systems available today. Jan Heine, head of R&D at Rene Herse Cycles, explained: “One-by drivetrains […]

We’re beyond excited to introduce the new Rene Herse TPU tubes. They take the performance of our tires to the next level. Why tubes? Tubeless is great for many applications—anytime you ride on debris-strewn highways, where the sealant will seal small punctures from glass and steel wires. Or during gravel races, where you’re riding in […]

Global Cycling Network (GCN) has been following Bicycle Quarterly and Rene Herse for a long time. Recently, they covered our Nivex derailleur in their Hot Tech review. Back in 2018, they talked about a “brand-new idea”: suspension losses due to vibrations of rider and bike. And they credited Bicycle Quarterly with discovering this. Fast-forward to 2024, and wide […]

Mid South has been called the opening weekend of gravel: It marks the real start of the season’s big races. And for good reason: The team in Stillwater puts on a festival like no other, and the red dirt of Oklahoma makes for great racing. Rene Herse has a long history at Mid South, ever […]

The reception of our new road tubeless Orondo Grade tires has been overwhelming. Riders love the speed, grip and road feel that Rene Herse tires are famous for, in a tubeless-ready tire for road bikes. In fact, demand has been so overwhelming that our first production run sold out quickly. We’ve now got more tires […]

One-by cranks are great when the going gets rough: There’s always another gear just a click away, and modern cassettes have a range that gets you up (and down) the steepest hills. They work great with 11- or 12-speed drivetrains: Few riders need 22 or even 24 gears. Many of those gears are overlapping anyhow. […]

Valley of Tears is a new gravel race, and the stars of gravel racing lined up last weekend in Turkey, Texas, as a prelude to next weekend’s Mid South. Ted King described the 115-mile (185 km) course: “The Texas panhandle is true Wild West, and the sand presented quite the challenge.” The event saw fast […]

Francesca (Fra) Selva has been racing on Rene Herse tires for years, on road and track. Her feedback is part of our R&D. Her spirit and the joy she gets from cycling inspire us all. We recently caught up with Fra as she prepares the 2024 season. RH: Our readers mostly know you from racing […]

If you are following bike racing and/or tech, you will have heard of Thomas De Gendt’s mysterious crash during Stage 5 of the UAE Tour in Abu Dhabi. Video footage shows the front wheel of the Belgian breakaway specialist jerking to the right before he falls. After the crash, De Gendt’s bike is leaning against the […]

An acquaintance once remarked: “Isn’t it funny that Rene Herse tires always score best in your tests?” There was a twinkle in their eye, and their voice made clear that this was a gentle ribbing and not an accusation, but it got me thinking… It’s easy to suspect foul play when we test our own […]

Congratulations, Brennan, for winning the 2024 Huffmaster Hopper. As part of the Grasshopper Adventure Series, the 88.8-mile (142.9 km) race is a traditional season opener in Northern California. There is a fierce, but friendly rivalry between local favorites Pete Stetina and Brennan Wertz. After winning the race in 2022 and coming third last year, Brennan […]

Some cyclists find it hard to believe that a small company from Seattle can make some of the best tires in the world. Surely the big names must have much greater resources. How can a couple of scientists compete with an army of technicians in white lab coats who have multi-million dollar test rigs at […]

The days of shortages in the bike industry are largely over—thankfully—but for small companies like Rene Herse Cycles there is still some catching up to do. Many of our products take a long time to make, with multiple steps, each done by a different supplier. That takes time. And sometimes, demand just is much greater […]

Rene Herse tires have won many awards over the years, starting with the bikepacking.com’s ‘Gear of the Year’ award and the Design and Innovation Award when the 29″ x 2.2″ Fleecer Ridge was first introduced. More recently, our 650B x 55 Umtanum Ridge won road.cc’s coveted ‘Recommended Tire 2022/2023’ award, and now the 700C x 55 […]

Every edition of Bicycle Quarterly brings you carefully curated stories that will surprise, delight and inspire. We cover many areas of cycling and refuse to be pigeonholed into one category, because the world of cycling is simply too great and exciting for that. As one reader recently put it: “It’s nice to see a publication that […]