The Bootleg Hobo adventure bike is now at your LBS, and Cinelli has just released a new special edition line of artist and rider designed Bootleg Hobo apparel. Cinelli proved the bike’s mettle at last year’s Tour d’Afrique under the legs of alleycat and helmet cam legend Lucas Brunelle. He chronicled the adventure, and the lifestyle behind the new clothing link, in “Lucas Goes to Africa.”
How did a Boston courier handle riding off road from Namibia to South Africa? Find out after the break.
Shortly after I started riding bikes in Boston 15 years ago, I became aware of a local legend named Lucas Brunelle. He was a courier, racer, and fist-in-your-eye cycling advocate who rode LOUD. Despite only having the briefest of encounters at a 24 hour MTB race, he had a tremendous influence on my riding and my mentality about bikes. A voice of dissent on the MASSBIKE board, he rode in the “Lucas Lane,” as described in a 2004 Boston Globe interview, where his aggressive riding kept him safe from pathological Beantown drivers whom he terrified. More importantly, he pioneered the idea of strapping a camera to your head, doing something insane, and sticking it on the internet years before YouTube and GoPro. In the ensuing decade-and-a-half, his low-res videos of alleycat races and car chases have become legendary, and his filmmaking has progressed all the way to making a full length feature film.
Along with fellow Cinelli Bootleg Ambassadors Dario Toso and Chas Christiansen, Brunelle raced and chronicled the Tour d’Afrique. Brunelle opens the film saying, “I’ve never really did strictly rural and nature, I’ve always done urban and city and cars and angst and aggression. Filming this was a complete paradigm change for me.” The video follows the crew as they slopestyle down a monstrous sand dunes and charge through Cape Town to the race finish, before Lucas takes off on his Bootleg Hobo for his own adventure. The bikes look well suited to the tour and Brunelle’s demanding style; for complete specs, check out our coverage at Interbike.
Wanna look the part? Cinelli’s made available Hobo editions of some of their more popular cycling apparel and accessories. Learn the Hobo code while you ride in case you missed that episode of Mad Men.
Unrelated, Cinelli is also launching a new line from Jersey City based illustrator Ana Benaroya, the MASH Intergralter handlebar shirt, and the Lucas Brunelle cityscape cap. Check out the Winged Store for all their branded soft goods.
Ana Benaroya X Cinelli Snake Sock is just one of the designs available. Cycling cap, too.
What? The Lucas Brunelle cap does not include a camera mount?!?
Cinelli x MASH Intergralter t-shirt collaboration.
