A Pilgrimage to the Holy Land a.k.a. Mash SF
You’ve heard about Mash SF. You’ve seen their videos, you’ve drooled over their frames, and you’ve probably wondered how they became such an important entity in the fixed-gear scene.
Located in San Francisco, the folks from the Bay Area really created a new step that was different, yet, as existing as the New York messenger culture. Riding on brakeless track bikes in the city that is everything but tailored for that kind of practice, and pushing street fixed-gear riding to some extreme measures. SF’s riders shaped how we see and practice our sport for the last 15 years.
Let me first tell you this: I’ve seen the movies, I’ve heard the stories, and I knew that the SF hills were truly something special. But nothing could have prepared me for the real experience of bombing slopes I’ll remember for the rest of my day. Going downhill between two giant pickup truck while looking five steps ahead to apprehend the next crossing that is probably going to turn red. While desperately keeping the tiniest amount of control possible… I felt like I was in a movie more than once, and if you’d ask me to do it again, I’d probably think twice about it.
People over there do that almost every day! No hesitation, no fear, and some serious skills to back them up in what looks like a suicide mission from anyone else that isn’t on a bike.
But let’s talk about what we’re here for today: The Mash SF office. And yes, I’m saying office, because it isn’t really a shop anymore. Mike the owner was kind enough to invite Mattie (a.k.a. @Deytos) and I to this holly place of fixed gear culture.
What used to be a shop became more of an office/museum for anyone being lucky enough to be invited or take the opportunity of the few “curb shop open” days. Why would a business so successful like that wouldn’t be open almost everyday? Well, it’s easy to forget that Mash is basically a one-person operation. Mike does almost everything there is to do, from answering emails, preparing orders, developing new products from scratch, getting feedback on prototypes, taking pictures… You get it, it’s a lot for one single man.
Prototypes… an exciting word that would make anyone’s pupils dilate like a cat. Well the Mash SF HQ is filled with them along with other nice pieces of history from many years of riding and creating rad things. And that’s when it kinda hit me. Mash SF is a group of riders, yes, but it’s also a bunch of really creative people wanting to craft thrilling parts, wears, experiences, projects to fill the gap between sport and art.
Skate culture, street art, photography, film making, but also competitive cycling and vintage bike branding, every source of inspiration is there to be used, mix, reshaped and formed to generate something new.
Even with everything you see here, there are a few angles that needed to stay secret for the sake of future projects. And to be honest, when I saw Mash, branching a few years back into gravel and even MTB, I was confused and almost worried that “THE MASH” was gonna give up on fixed gear to focus on more “relaxed” activities. One fact that I lost sight of was: People do what they want!
If riding gravel and camping with your friends brings you joy and happiness, why would you stop yourself to create art/content/products around that.
Fixed gear, by its simplicity, is a great canvas for art and creativity. Over the years, this canvas is obviously going to evolve, but the passion and enthusiasm hasn’t changed a single bit.
Thank you mike for opening the shop to us, we’ll never forget it.
Amen 🙏
🎞: FilmNeverDies Iro 400
📷: Nikon F100
📍: Mash SF
