Bike Check: Monch’s Kiyo NJS (on expired film)
Last week, I was talking to another film photography enthusiast about how expired film can be a gamble for your pictures. And If you’ve been around this blog for long enough, you know that a few attempts with expired film ended up with barely usable images. This being said, I’m not going to pass on a free roll if it’s been offered to me. In this case, I wanted to do a bike check and my camera happened to be loaded with expired film.I’m not going to start some black magic to take my roll out, switch to something else, and shoot. I’ll use what’s already inside the camera…. you gotta do what you gotta do…
So when a friend offered me a roll of Fuji Pro 400h, which was 10 years out of date and probably never stored in a fridge, I knew this was a gamble. But here we are, and I have to say… I love the result. It’s warm, grainy, lively and desaturated just enough for my liking. I know, it will probably not be to everyone’s taste, but personally, I consider this roll as a big win.
But let’s get on with the bike shall we. Today we are looking at Monch’s Kiyo in this beautiful black and gold paint. Of course it is stamped NJS, but Monch changed quite a few bits to make it his daily messenger weapon and have something fast and nimble in the streets. It was hard to capture how absolutely beautiful the paint is using photos. All these gold flakes can almost make me forget that I’ve never been a fan of the Kiyo font. Looks familiar? Well, Miyazawa-san was actually an apprentice at Rossin before starting his own company. Now you know why the logos look so similar…
Weird details aside, this is actually a top-notch frame with aero fork AND seat-stays. It’s for sure beautifully crafted, and I know some people will get mad for the Chris King that has been forced in there. As for me, I do believe it fits quite well with the “From the track to the streets” vibes. A Dynamic stem because Pearl stems are overrated, a pair of random road drops, and some cotton tape for a flawless cockpit combo.
Detailed Parts List
Frameset
Golden Night Kiyo Miyazawa
Chainring and Cog
Sugino 75 48T, Nova Corona Ti 17T
Crank
Sugino 75
Seatpost and Saddle
Thomson masterpiece, San Marco Ponza TT
Stem and Handlebar
Nitto Dynamic, TNI Ultralight
Wheels HplusSon TB14 laced to Suntour Superb Pro
Tires Continental Ultrasports 28c
This bike is just the right balance between, “I use a Thomson masterpiece” and “I have no idea where that saddle comes from”. It’s a true street bike with well thought-out details like that pair of OG Toshi Straps (impossible to find nowadays) and a spicy drivetrain. A Sugino 75 crank AND chainring (they are so rare nowadays), paired with a Novacorona Titanium Cog. All of that to achieve the best ratio, (you know it) 49x17.
I know a lot of people are not into the radial lacing thing. To be perfectly honest, I think it looks brilliant on a bike like this,especially if you can show more of these Suntour Superb Pro hubs.
It’s a very simple bike, yet it feels like functionality in itself. No carbon, no risky parts, just gear that has been proven to be durable, reliable and ready to eat everything you have to throw at it. It’s not every day that you see an NJS purity mixed with a two-tone Chris King headset. But if you know Monch, you know that he’s here for business and fast delivery, but mostly to have fun on his bike. If you like what you see and would like to see more of his adventures, you can follow Monch here: @monch3021 and @sobusyclub
Using expired film is taking pictures with that extra bit of magic : Time
