Velo City: Bicycle Culture and City Life

Cherubim by Fairwheel Bikes

Cherubim by Fairwheel Bikes

As the dust from Eurobike settles, the sands of the Mojave Desert are stirred up by Interbike, the largest annual gathering of the bicycle industry in North America.

“Tucson’s oldest and most reputable pro shop”, Fairwheel Bikes, can be visited at Booth #3128 and will exhibit some of the exotic custom builds they specialize in, like this Cherubim by Japan’s Shin-ichi Konno.

Cherubim by Fairwheel Bikes
Shin-ichi Konno belongs to a strong and innovative family of frame builders: Cherubim was founded by his father, Hitoshi Konno, whose two brothers formed 3Rensho and Miyuki after the 1968 Olympic Games in Mexico City. The bikes for the Olympic cycling team were supplied by Cherubim, only three years after the workshop’s foundation.

Cherubim is contracted by Fairwheel as a custom option, along with Rob English, Holland Cycles, Crumpton, Moots, Kelly Bedford and others.

Cherubim by Fairwheel Bikes
Shin-ichi was given carte blanche to create what he willed, and it was supposedly going to be based on his 2012 NAHBS Best In Show award-winning Hummingbird bike, but with no indication of the result, the delivery guy brought a big surprise.

A Cherubim frame is highly sought-after, due to its sculptural nature and the skill of Shin-ichi’s torch. His Sticky road model more resembles your ‘traditional’ diamond frames, but his creation for Fairwheel is the opposite: a twin-strut ‘down tube’ and no seat stays to speak of.

One can only imagine how it will ride, but it’s sure to hurricane of excitement around Booth #3128.

Cherubim by Fairwheel Bikes
Cherubim by Fairwheel Bikes
Cherubim by Fairwheel Bikes
Cherubim by Fairwheel Bikes
Cherubim by Fairwheel Bikes
Cherubim by Fairwheel Bikes
Cherubim by Fairwheel Bikes
Cherubim by Fairwheel Bikes
cherubim-fairwheel-15
Cherubim by Fairwheel Bikes
Cherubim by Fairwheel Bikes