This Retro, Rideable Collab Honors One of Cycling's Greatest Heroes
Price: $2,800
Weight: 22.1 lb. (large)
Style: Track racing and city riding
Drivetrain: Fixed gear or single speed
Material: Steel
Right bike for: Fans of cycling history looking for a collector's item.
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In partnership with Affinity Cycles, Hennessy commissioned a limited run of the “Major” to honor the late cycling legend, 1898 World Champion, and the first African-American world cycling champion, Marshal “Major” Taylor. This steel track bike, painted black as Taylor preferred his bikes to be, is a throwback to an era where track was king and cyclists were the celebrity athletes.
CNC-machined cranks, silver Phil Wood hubs laced to polished silver rims, and a silver Thompson stem and seat post are high-quality parts that look similar to what you’d see on a turn-of-the-20th century bikes. They stand in stark contrast to the jet-black frame, creating a timelessly cool look with some modern flourishes. The leather saddle, a replica of what was commonly available in that era, matches the leather toe straps and handlebar tape. And since this bike was done in collaboration with Hennessy, Affinity used corks for bar-end plugs.
It’s hard not to get a little nostalgic when taking in this bike’s beautiful simplicity. In this hyper-charged era of carbon bike design where aero shapes rule, the clean lines of a classic, steel, round-tubes bike remain timelessly appealing. That bike’s serious throwback design carries through in the ride. You get the extremely quick steering you’d expected from a track bike, and the stability and ease with which it holds a straight line makes it an absolute pleasure to ride. Affinity says it’s a track ready bike, and with some changes, you could race it there. But the real appeal is using it in the way a lot of modern fixes are—fast, simple, sometimes elegant machines for flying around town. This one just happens to look better than most. And the legacy of Major Taylor comes through. It’s easy to let your mind drift to images of carving up the track and diving into the steep turns of a velodrome in full flight, even as you're hustling against crosstown traffic. A ride on this bike is like a trip back in time, and an homage to Major Taylor. It’s a trip back in time that reminds you that going fast on a bike never goes out of style.
5 things we love about the Major by Affinity bike
Honoring a Champion
Designed as a functional showpiece, this track bike has a few touches that also make it an appealing urban commuter. The dual-sided rear hub has a fixed cog and a single-speed freewheel, both 17t. Paired to the 49t chainring it’s a somewhat impractical gear—too small for track racing and too large for regular commuting. From a purely aesthetic point of view, the choice makes sense. The 49t ring looks proportional and appropriate for a racing bike, and the 17t cog is as large as you can go before it’s visibly out of the realm of what you might expect to find on a bike hanging around a velodrome. But if you want to ride this bike regularly, you’ll likely want to change the gears. Lucking, it’s simple—the custom CNC’ed Affinity cranks have a standard 144 BCD, so any track ring will fit, and the rear hub can take any english-threaded cog.
Front and rear rim brakes, with top-mount brake levers, are an interesting choice for a bike honoring a track cycling legend, but they do make it easy to hop on this bike and ride anywhere you like. In another nod to the modern rider, Affinity left off traditional track bars with their dramatic deep drop, the kind Major Taylor used, in favor of a handlebar with a more road-oriented drop. “The goal was to create a race-ready track bike, but could also be used as a premium urban commuter,” said Jason Gallacher of Affinity Cycles.
Tight Angles and Tighter Steering
Affinity is a small, but respected brand based in Brooklyn that makes premium fixies and track bikes. The Major is a custom frame, with completely unique geometry. Affinity doesn’t publish all the numbers, but Gallacher said that the head and seat angles are both 74 degrees and the fork has a 30mm offset. Those are not surprising numbers, but the bike frame is compact; the size large bike I tested had a top tube length of just 57.5cm. At 6’2” with long arms, I found myself wishing for a larger size with more reach, even when using a 130mm stem. I did, however, appreciate what felt like a relatively high bottom bracket. That’s to be expected on a track bike, and anyone who wants to ride this on the road will also appreciate the extra pedal clearance.
A Bike for Riding, or Just Admiring
This bike promises a lot. It’s a bike you can race on the track, or ride as a stylish retro fixie, or purchase simply to honor one of cycling’s great legends. But none of the options come without some consideration.
For track riding, you get a capable but heavy frame that, unless you've discovered some L’Eroica version of track racing, requires some immediate part swaps, especially to the wheels and drivetrain. Even for the spirit of Major Taylor, that might be hard to overcome.
The bike works much better has a urban fixie or singlespeed, where the style, ride quality and snappy handling make it uniquely appealing. It’s beautiful and fun to ride, but comes with a steep price that’s more than a lot of other high-style city bikes.
What’s undeniable is the bike’s timeless style and coolness. That it honors Major Taylor imbues it with meaning and coolness you get in few others. It’s an incredible showpiece that you can also ride and race. If that connects with you, then this could be the bike for you.
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