Redline Mono 9…

Part of the chore of opening a bike shop is deciding on lines to carry. This is doubly important as a small shop when some bike lines require you to carry the whole darn shootin’ match. Luckily, I got hooked up with Seattle Bike Supply and their lines of Redline and Batavus. They make it super easy to buy only what I need and don’t force the whole line on me. A very important aspect of vendor relationship for a small bike shop.

With the few Batavus bikes I also received some Redline Monocog 9 bikes. For $1050, this is one sweet bike! It was my life for more than a decade to create bikes by designing the frame and choosing the components. I think I was pretty good at it. Whoever did the Mono 9 also was pretty darn good at it as well. As I was building the Mono 9, I kept thinking that it felt like something I would have created. It’s a super sweet bike. The steel frame is nicely made. The whole package is spot on, down to the sparkles in the dark charcoal paint. Nice selection of Ritchey Pro level components, Maxxis Ignitor tires, Avid disc brakes, SRAM X9 shifter and rear derailleur, and a nice mid-level WTB seat. Yep, just about spec’d out like I’d ride my own bike.