Affinity Cycles “Terry B”
Hey! Tommy from Blue Lug Yoyogi Park here.
It’s finally here!
The AFFINITY CYCLES x Terry Barentsen collaboration frame, “Terry B” has landed in Tokyo!
🔥Release Dates🔥
In store: November 14th (Sat) 12PM
Online: November 16th (Mon) 7PM
Some of you may have seen the prototype at the CMWC 2023 Yokohama.
Terry himself was also riding the prototype and I remember him telling me about it secretly when we were deep in the mountains of Izu.
Still had the pic from that time.
For those who are not familiar with Terry, allow me to introduce him.
We met Terry around 2017.
He was born in the SF bay area, but now lives in New York, working as a cinematographer. He also runs a YouTube channel, creating a ton of bike content that gets you hyped or riding.
He’s friends with a lot of OGs from the SF track bike community. He’s definitely a key figure within the fixed gear culture.
Check out this pic from 8 and a half years ago!
Terry’s channel is full of adrenaline pumping vids. My personal favorite videos are the Alleycat Race videos.
Come to think of it, Terry, the man behind the camera, is pretty damn impressive himself. You need some serious riding skills and guts to capture footage like that.
So naturally, when I heard he was getting his very own signature product, I couldn’t help but get excited!
I had a little chat with Terry and asked him a few questions, so check out our mini interview below!
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What’s the story behind its creation?
“I wanted to create a perfect single speed/track frame set. A similar bike to what I rode and used to film on for years in NYC. Set it up as a single speed with internal brake routing, or fixed! It’s fast, twitchy, fits 35c tires and features double water bottle mounts for all day rides.”
The production version of the frame features a phosphate-treated RAW finish, with graphics on the seat tube and non-drive-side chainstay.
What aspect did you focus on the most?
“I wanted to keep the rear end tight but allowing room for a slightly larger tire. As a larger person I felt it was important to have a full size run from XS to XL, a first for Affinity.”
Could you tell me about the ride quality and the details of the frame?
“It rides like an absolute weapon. Fast, snappy, and agile. Steel is real.”
Comes standard with a full-carbon fork featuring a tapered steerer tube, along with a headset bearing the original logo.
“The short chainstays make for an incredibly responsive ride, while the dropout design is reminiscent of classic track racing frames from back in the day.”
What kind of riders do you envision riding this?
“The type of rider I envision riding this is someone who rides fixed that is curious about single speeds. I personally think they’re just as fun, and simple to work on and travel with.”
“The internal brake cable routing takes inspiration from the Japanese-spec Lopro. The attention to aesthetics is just as impressive.”
Lastly, could you share a message for your fans?
“Much love to my supporters over the years I’m grateful to have such a loyal fan base that allows me to do what I love, ride bikes ❤️”
Terry Barentsen
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I think it’s a pretty interesting suggestion from Terry, especially since he’s encouraging people to ride single-speed.
Of all the different types of bicycles out there, track bikes are particularly good at going fast and moving forward efficiently. Riding one with a freewheel gives you a unique kind of riding experience, and it’s a whole lot of fun.
I actually rode my Lopro with a freewheel for quite a while and absolutely loved it. Even my Mash Steel is set up with a freewheel most of the time, unless I’m riding tracklocross.
Sometimes people seem a little disappointed when they find out I’m not riding fixed, but hey, keeping an open mind and not getting too caught up in how things are “supposed” to be is what makes riding bikes even more fun!
And I’m pretty sure Terry feels the same way!
– Tommy’s Ride Review –
The integrated tapered head tube and oversized down tube give the front end a solid, stiff feel. The rear end is stiffer than the Lopro or Metro, but still retains that distinct ride quality you’d expect from a chromoly frame.
Toe clearance isn’t overly tight, making the bike easy and predictable to handle. Even with a freewheel setup, you probably won’t have to worry too much about those sketchy moments when your toes catch the front wheel.
It’s also designed with excellent straight-line stability, so I can definitely see this being a great bike for longer rides.
Having ridden everything from a VOLUME BIKES Cutter V2, built with stiff and sturdy BMX-style chromoly tubing and paired with a Wound Up carbon fork, to the lightweight and snappy AFFINITY CYCLES Lopro, you can really see Terry’s personal preferences reflected in this frame.
The Volume Bikes Cutter V2 Terry rode until 2019
The Japan-spec Lopro, featuring internal brake cable routing, which he transferred all components onto and rode for a while.
And this is Terry’s Terry B.
This is the first-ever signature frame from AFFINITY CYCLES!
And chances are, it’ll be a rare one, with only a single production run planned…
From what Terry told me, there were quite a few twists and turns before it finally made it to the official release.
I’m genuinely SO stoked to be able to bring his signature frame to Japan!
Terry also has close ties with WEIS MFG, a handmade bicycle brand out of New York that we’ll soon be carrying at BLUE LUG.
He’s always got something interesting going on, so definitely keep an eye out for what he’s up to next!!!
And who knows, he might even be coming to Japan next spring with the WEIS crew(?)
I built up a demo bike with my own Weis parts. I think it looks pretty dang nice.
One more time for those in the back!
“Terry B” drops this Saturday, November 14th and goes online on Monday, November 18th .
See you next time!
