At the start of the last descent of my trip in Spain last week, I had stopped just over the pass to hide from the wind and regroup with everyone before barrelling down to the coast for our last beers on the beach as the waves caught the last sunlight.
I have a strict no emails on bike rides rule – and maybe this should also apply to social media too... – as I saw a post that looked like an obituary as I scrolled. I did a double-take. It was. And it was for my friend Joachim Baan. With my heart sinking, I called Frank van der Sman, who might be my oldest friend in Holland. Frank had also only just heard the news. We both were in shock. I'm still in shock.
I first encountered Joachim Baan with his launch of Minute Bicycles. He created the brand identity for bikes built by Elian Veltman in 2014. Fast forward a few months, and I traveled with Joachim with our mutual friend Frank vd Sman to Dalsland, Sweden, for the very first Dalsland Runt.
That trip was pivotal for so many who attended, too many to list here, but I think every gravel weekend to this day aspires for the magic that Dalsland achieved back then. What a magical memory to have of Joachim. Dalsland also became a traditional destination that he brought his family to over the years.
I fondly remember racing from the camp back to the Göteborg airport over 100km against an unforgiving headwind with Frank, Joachim & our friend John Braynard. We scrambled to pack our bikes in the cases we had left at the airport, and I ended up going through security & boarding in my cycling kit. Wtf. Haha! I can still hear Joachim's laugh.
Reading through my emails & messages with him over the past 11 years, I'm inspired by the enthusiasm in each reply; sharing ideas of when to ride, collab on a project, and sharing introductions, opportunities & updates.
We organized a screening of the first Silk Road Mountain Race documentary at his agency's cafe, the New Werk Theater, in 2019, and 2 years later, during his time at Atelier Munro, he hooked me up with a custom-tailored suit for my wedding!
You know, Joachim inspired me to start this very newsletter. A decade later, he gave the Twotone Newsletter a nod in his fave newsletter roundup.
In April of 2024, Kike & I had him as our guest on The Mechanics of Joy:
This week's title was inspired by both his last post and his indefatigable bias toward action, creation, and inspiring others. Joachim always had his hands in many pots and cranked out timeless work, frankly, all the time.
A collection of other tributes that I saw are Tenue's & Redwing Amsterdam's, Jochem Leegstra's, Jeroen Oude Sogtoen's, Gerben Gerritsen's, and from Joachim's business partner, Christoph.
In honor of Joachim, do that thing you've been considering: a personal project, a trip to somewhere you've never been, a message to a friend, or simply taking the time to admire the beauty around you. It's there and as fleeting as that last light on the waves. ❤️
Today, even more than usual, thank you for reading,
Jon
p.s. some parting thoughts from Joachim's writing only a month ago:
Twotone is celebrating 11 Years and we've updated our annual offer: Every paid subscriber makes a big difference! Thank you! 😊
February
- 🇳🇱 8-9 Nieuwsfiets' B2B Festival
- 🇳🇱 11-12 Shift Cycling Culture Barcamp
- 🇳🇱 12 Gregario Movie Nite: Quicksilver!
- 🇳🇱 26 The Mechanics of Joy Live Radio Show
- 🇳🇱 27 Dox Under The Tracks Nº14 (Artists TBA)
March
- 🇳🇱 8 Pathfinder Giro
- 🇳🇱 14 12hr Alleycat (Twotone HQ is the karaoke checkpoint!)
- 🇩🇪 20-22 Cyclingworld Düsseldorf
Bikes
Veloe at Nieuwsfiets' B2B Festival 2026
DotWatcher's Atlas Mountain Race Coverage
Behind The Curtain: Ortlieb Sportartikel Factory Visit
Josh Weinberg
Enjoy this gift link to peek behind the curtain of how Ortlieb makes their famed waterproof bags & luggage. Definitely a factory visit I'd love to join someday! Also in Escape this week was another behind-the-scenes peek into the Euro-Asia Imports warehouse since its acquisition. EAI was one fo the first accounts my shop opened back in 2007. Pure nostalgia, cycling lore, and bona fide bike culture!
Ideas
How To Grow Herbs In Public Spaces
Printing Films Archive
Doug Wilson
"If you ever wondered how a typeface went from a designer’s drawing to a finished, cast piece of type from the Monotype; this is the film for you." And many more!
The Triumph of Europe's Social Democracy
"To win the cultural and intellectual battle, Europe must now assert its values and defend its model of development, fundamentally opposed to the nationalist-extractivist model championed by Donald Trump’s supporters in the United States and by Vladimir Putin’s allies in Russia. A crucial issue in this fight is the choice of indicators used to measure human progress." – Thomas Piketty, writing for Le Monde, 31.01.26
Friends
Witchcraft Bikes' Reti F.R.G.O.
Gunnar's Recent Fatbike Overnighter
Startseite
Last year we setup our friend Gunnar with some Old Man Mountain racks to get his Surly setup for some serious adventures! Very cool!
Max’s ZFS-5 Dropbar-MTB for Atlas Mountain Race 2026
Max is doing the 'Full Nelson' this year, which means all four mountain races! Here's a peek (and packing list) of the whip he took on his AMR trip! Follow Max on insta for more race updates!
Radness
Images From Last Week's Calabardina Cycling Camp
Thank you for reading!
Here's to deciding what you'll do, not what you might have done, this week!