"The person who cares the most beats the person who's just doing their job." – Shane Parrish
Shane is pretty good at nailing it, and his random missive last week didn't miss the mark either:
"People search for competitive advantages while ignoring the most obvious one: Doing what you said you'd do. People are inconsistent. They don't consistently follow through. They don't follow up. ... This means just being reliable puts you ahead of almost everyone. It's not talent or genius or connections, it's the boring stuff. Reliability is rare."
Doing what we said we'd do when we said we'd do it is a tenet at our office under the tracks at Tussen de Bogen 6. This continues to set Twotone apart from competitors, and not necessarily that we know more media, take better pictures, craft better copy, or even handle a bike better than the next cycling-savvy agency. Although bets could be made. ; )
What keeps the wheels turning is a process-driven approach of weekly project calls, task tracking internally and client-facing, team stand-ups, and my 1:1s with every colleague weekly. We're standing on a decade of results for clients that typically last many years rather than mere months.
Feedback from media, marketers, athletes, and others in the industry comes down to: Twotone simply gives a damn. We live and die by a sword of well-earned & deadline-driven results on one side and an attitude of gratitude and genuinely useful follow-ups on the other.
One cool behind-the-scenes tool we've built is a custom RSS Slack channel with articles from every outlet we pitch to. We subscribe to every print publication we hope for coverage in and pay to support the online-based underdogs, helping to keep them independent.
We take pride in being an international multilingual team typically spanning 3-4 nationalities and more than 5 languages. And we don't just talk the talk. We're out there racing cross, on the track, bikepacking, and gravel events.
At our office, we host alleycat checkpoints, screen films, welcome the Women's 100, Pride Ride, BMX Jams, jazz concerts & more.
Maybe this is me just getting back into the groove, but also a reminder after dusting off the newsletter; at Twotone, we simply care better. : )
If you're curious about what Twotone can do for you, schedule a call with our newest colleague, Sjors, for early September here.
Thank you for reading & wishing you a great week ahead,
Jon
August
September
- 🇳🇱 4 Bike Gear Swap at Patagonia Amsterdam
- 🇨🇿 12-14 6th Annual Bohemian Border Bash Camp
- 🇪🇸 19-21 Sea Otter Europe w/ Gravaa & Old Man Mountain
October
- 🇳🇱 3 Dox Under The Tracks Nº13
- 🇩🇪 10-12 Bespoked Dresden
- 🇳🇱 13-14 Cargo Bike Festival Utrecht
Bikes
MORE BIKES ISN’T ALWAYS MORE LIKES: Why it makes sense to buy 2nd hand in bike land
Cycling may be the greenest way to get around — but what about the bikes themselves? Everywhere in the world, especially in the Netherlands, where bicycles outnumber people, thousands of perfectly good bikes are discarded, scrapped, or replaced yearly.
Choosing second-hand bikes not only extends their lifespan but also reduces waste and lowers the carbon footprint of new manufacturing. When struggling with how we can all make a difference, there are real options—especially when it comes to bikes!
A growing number of initiatives are making it easier — and safer — for riders to buy pre-owned with confidence:
- BikeFair.nl, which verifies bikes against the national theft register, provides secure transactions and even includes guarantees
- Roetz-Bikes builds unique, circular bikes from discarded bicycle frames
- EasyFiets.nl offers refurbished second-hand bikes. You can affordably lease bikes from local waste streams and give them a second life.
By choosing pre-loved, you’re not just getting a great bike — you’re helping to keep valuable resources in use and waste out of landfills. So next time you’re bike shopping, check for refurbished or second-hand options first — it’s a small choice that makes a big impact. More about Bikefair.
Single Speed at the Silk Road Mountain Race
Study: E-Bikes Lead to Decreased Car Use
James Knight
You know I love good news like this!
Ideas
When We Get Komooted
Josh Meissner
I met the founders of komoot in Austin, Texas, during SXSWi in 2012, and twice had the opportunity to support the brand with Twotone. Launching the Dutch version of the app in 2020 is a particular point of pride for me. Josh Meissner's words about the app's sale to Bending Spoons are already several weeks old, but the critique of private equity's effect on so-called community and ideas for a way forward are timeless. Read the article here.
Bike Gear Swap at Patagonia Amsterdam on 4 September
Fell in a hole, got out.
Tony Stubblebine
"I’m not sure if a company is allowed to be this blunt about how bad things were. But it’s very much of the Medium ethos that if something interesting happened to you, then you should write it up and share it." In 2022, Medium was losing $2.6M each month but they didn’t run out of money, sell the company off to private equity, or shut down in bankruptcy. Instead, Medium has been profitable since August ‘24. Quite the read!
Friends
Bounty Hunter's 3rd Annual Cash Up BMX Jam
Very proud to have had Twotone host the 1st stop no two years running, and for OMNIUM to support the jam, plus for Otto to land a burly 10-stair barspin after an initial slam!
Leanne Bentley's SRMR Pack List on the Sour Blog
Christoph Süße
Personally, I really dig Leanne's Pasta Party setup! When I raced a Quirk hard-tail in Greece, my bike was too loaded on the front. I'll likely take inspiration from Leanne for my setup for Turkey next year! Read more here.
Loek Luijbregts Is On The Lookout For His Next Challenge
Loek Luijbregts
Loek is on the hunt for new work. Read more about his purpose & previous endeavours here.
Radness
Dox Under The Tracks Nº12 | Ton Felices Trio | 29 August
Thank you very much for reading!
Here's to showing you care by showing up this week!