Velo City: Bicycle Culture and City Life
A-train Cycles City Cruiser

A-train Cycles City Cruiser

Most of the bikes that come out of Alex Cook’s Minneapolis workshop, A-train Cycles, are robust ‘cross and road machines built from stainless steel, but just before he embarked on a recent backpacking adventure, he finished off something that’s a departure from his usual repertoire: an elegant townie that still looks ready to shred trails.

A-train Cycles Stainless Racer

A-train Cycles Stainless Racer

It would be interesting to hear from riders who have experienced the difference between carbon fiber and steel, especially stainless steel, over long distances. Which is more comfortable for long days in the saddle? Alex Cook of Minneapolis’ A-train Cycles is a proponent of the latter as a competitive material for the serious daily rider,…

Velo City: Bicycle Culture and City Life

A-train Cycles Monster Cross

The 2013 North American Handmade Bicycle Show saw Minneapolis native Alex Cook, of A-train Cycles, exhibit on the New Builder’s Table, showing off a stainless…

A-train Cycles Gravel Grinder

Alex Cook of A-train Cycles likes tools as much as he likes bikes. The Minneapolis builder recently invested in a Swiss made Interapid test indicator,…

A-Train Cycles NAHBS 29er

For NAHBS newbies — that is, first-time builders — there’s a special table. It’s called the New Builder’s Table and entrants can only display one…

A-train Custom Bicycles

Stainless steel is a nice blend of titanium’s ‘crispness’ and the forgiving reliability of steel. It will always result in a very tidy frame, something…