I had Traka penciled in this year, but – unsurprisingly – after such a busy few weeks, I was very glad to be home in Amstercam this past weekend.
Kike did head down (up? as he was already in Alicante) to Girona rep Twotone on the ground, provide coverage for SILCA (see below), and catch up with industry colleagues at the European bike scene's pre-eminent gravel bonanza.
Regarding Girona, we had a bit of behind-the-scenes banter in the team about the ubiquitousness of brand store pop-ups taking over the city more and more each year, with often overlooked (overplayed) efficacy, or is that precisely the point?
...Does it matter if an activation works as long as we're all talking about the activation, right? 🙃
My take?
- So many pop-ups is a vanity-metric land grab and not the best use of cash for real traction. (In contrast, I just joined a coffee outside meetup on the Thames organized by Wizard Works, and most even brought their own beans! Crumpler's Beer for Bags promo eons ago comes to mind too! Hat tip to Dan John for sharing the first-hand stories. It even got Crumpler in the New York Times.)
- Gauche groadie retail displays risk being a gentrified eyesore only adding to the migraine pain locals suffer already. In other words, this isn't helping the community or the sport, only maybe the brand.
- Instead? Challenge yourself to do something show-grabbing; a guerrilla activation with an established local business; infiltrate the selfie zeitgeist with something memorable and more permanent, not transient, disposable, and passé.
Kike's?
- A more tempered take that the pop-ups are arguably the only way to really stand out, as regular group rides, meet-ups, and less flashy activations get lost in Girona's Traka takeover.
- Kike did share a few good examples, and Jimbo's SAFI collab space with Polymer & Ndlss titled BASECAMP in Temple Running did seem to smash it. Chapeau!
- Kike hasn't given a full debrief, but I love the discourse and Twotone's collective instinct to do things differently. I imagine we'll talk about it on the next Mechanics of Joy later this month.
What do you think? 👀
Obviously, there is a paradox to Eurobike coming up shrouded in as much doubt as ever (our annual dinner isn't looking likely...), and me critiquing everyone on a big-tire bandwagon with actual real momentum.
The irony isn't lost on me! ; ) And I'm not trying to be a hater, I just see a lot of unnecessary sameness.
As I wasn't in town for Traka this go 'round, I can't really weigh in, but the true test is whether we put our money where our mouth is next year. 👀
Time will tell! Next up with Fenderfest in Brandenburg, Camp Styrbjørn in Spain & Mini-Bike Fest in Berlin. Hardly the influencer Olympics, but certainly a very different way to roll!
As always, thank you for reading & hope to see you this Friday for Dox Under The Tracks nº15 with Sam Newbould and Guy Salamon!
Jon
p.s.
🎵 Tunes on deck this past week: I had De-Loused in the Comatorium by The Mars Volta on rotation during flights and still a lot of Poison Ruïn & a whole lot of Choir Boy!
Twotone turns 12 in '26 & we're offering 12% off to paid subscribers! If this newsletter is a valuable part of your week, give this offer a peek:
May
- 🇳🇱 5 MAAP Amsterdam PRIME Early Ride (6:45)
- 🇳🇱 5 False Flat Tuesday After Work Ride (5pm)
- 🇳🇱 6 Wheelrunner Wednesday AM Ride (6:30am)
- 🇳🇱 7 Gregario Gossip Club Thursday AM Ride (7:15am)
- 🇳🇱 8 Bike Gear Swap | JOOP Schoorl (vintage MTB special)
- 🇳🇱 8 Dox Under The Tracks Nº15 w/ Sam Newbound
- 🇩🇪 9 Mogast Film Premiere & Exhibition
- 🇳🇱 9 Bright.nl E-Bike Party with TMD Locks
- 🇳🇱 9 Bike Gear Swap | Vogelfrei Utrecht (The OG-party)
- 🇳🇱 15 Bonanno at Echelon Cycle Sport in Amsterdam
- 🇩🇪 15-17 Fenderfest
- 🇳🇱 21 The Mechanics of Joy
- 🇮🇹 27.5 - 1.6 Cycle Messenger World Championships
- 🇩🇪 30 Mini Bike Fest
June
- 🇮🇹 4-7 Bicycle Adventure Meetup
- 🇳🇱 18 The Mechanics of Joy
- 🇩🇪 24-26 Eurobike
- 🇮🇹 27-28 Mogast
- 🇳🇱 27-28 Damn 24
Bikes
The Radavist's Bespoked UK 2026 Coverage
Winning on Wax at the 2026 Traka 360 Gravel Race
Sustainable mobility without borders: JobRad® Loop expands with webshops in Austria and the Netherlands, with Twotone Amsterdam supporting the Dutch rollout
Ideas
How Lex Roman's Community Grows Their Newsletter Lists
Lex Roman
Lex made a great collection of tips to grow your subscriber base from readers, and I'm honored to have been included! Read the feature here.
Luis Mendo on Finding Your Value, Mundo Mendo & Why Social Media is Dry Disgusting Bread
I recently received Luis' book as a supporter of his website. Listen to this very interesting interview here.
Wearable Bike Bags: A Review of the Most Stylish, Most Durable, Easiest to Use, and Most Dreamy but Flawed Options Out There
claire
I'm team messenger bag or musette. (My PAC Designs bag turns 20 this year & red R.E.Load is already 15!) but I do love this gear breakdown that Claire did as massive Cordura capes aren't for everyone.
Friends
Erik Nohlin | Open For Work
Onward to 2026 | Wandrer Relocates to Girona
Merida Miller Joins OPEN
Congratulations to Merida for making her gravel dreams come true in Girona and being such a positive voice in the the scene there!
Radness
Bonanno at Echelon in Amsterdam on 15 May
Thank you for reading!
Here's to not shutting up & without a pop-up this week!