Burley: Undergoing Change

If you've visited bikes@vienna then you've seen the many Burley products we have in the store. We have enjoyed selling their tandems, recumbents, and trailers. As of last Friday Burley changed ownership and closed down their bicycle lines. They will not be manufacturing tandems, recumbents, commuter bikes, and road bikes any more this year. There is no indication if they will manufacture bicycles in the future (after the 2007 model year). Burley indicates that the focus will be on trailers.

We'll continue to carry Burley trailers. Their trailers are well made. I wish them well in their efforts to keep their business operating. They have initiated change to save the business and now we will have to initiate change to adjust to Burley's shift.

It is rarely dull here at bikes@vienna.

Super Heroes

GeoffSteele
Originally uploaded by bikes@vienna.

Geoff Steele (right) is shown with a super hero wannabee on a street corner on RAGBRAI. Geoff comes to the store on Sundays after church to help people test ride bikes. He rode on RAGBRAI with us this year and shot hundreds of delightful photos that he has generously shared. Geoff is a writer, photographer, bike connoisseur, and much more. He has not found a recumbent built by Dick Ryan that he didn't long to purchase.

Geoff and his wife, Sandy, ride a Ryan Duplex, a Bike Friday Twosday, and individual Bike Fridays. Geoff commutes by bike from their home in Arlington to work in Washington.

You have to like a guy that will mug for a photo with an unknown super hero in front of a line of porta potties. We like him. Come to the store on a Sunday afternoon and we can arrange for you to have your photo taken with Geoff. You'll have to bring your own super hero outfit and line of porta potties.

A New Standard for Riding Apparel

tuxedoman1
Originally uploaded by bikes@vienna.

I was moving a bike when out of the corner of my eye I saw Dave Taylor pedaling up the alley across from our parking lot. I looked up just as he went behind a parked car. I stood up to get a better look and I saw the yellow helmet coming up Church Street to our alley.

Then he was coming down the alley and yes he was wearing a tuxedo. He looped the parking lot in front of the store and I noticed a rose placed in the water bottle nestled in the Vision seatpack. Some people can make an entrance......Dave Taylor is one of them.

Dave brought his Vision in for some service. He test rode a Tour Easy and talked about riding across the country ( I did not ask if he planned to wear the tuxedo). He ran some errands in town and I took him to the Metro after we closed the store.

Ces came in the door from work and told me she had just seen a man at the Metro Station wearing a tuxedo and carrying a bike helmet. I said......."Sure, that's Dave Taylor and he gets your attention doesn't he?"

Riding RAGBRAI with family and friends

Day1RAGBRAI, originally uploaded by bikes@vienna.

This photo is from the first morning of RAGBRAI (Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa). Daughter Sara and I were ready to start riding as the sun came up. We rode on a Barcroft Columbia. The bike performed wonderfully. I appreciated the disc brakes because we were on numerous downhill glides and in crowds you need to be prepared to ride defensively.

This year's route was 444 miles. We had one flat and no other issues in the six and one half day ride. Sara and Ces (my wife) alternated the days that they rode with me. Ces joined me for what was the toughest day with twenty-two substantial hills between Manning and Ida Grove, a head wind, and temperatures in the mid nineties. Sara was with me when Lance Armstrong whizzed past just before we pulled into Ladora.

It was a wonderful week. RAGBRAI is extra fun because Ces and I grew up in Iowa. We get to visit family and friends as we ride across the state. It was especially fun to share the experience with members of the Hopwood extended family, Geoff Steele, and our son-in-law, Drew Holloway.

Geoff Steele took this photo and hundreds more. I'll try to share several more that may give you a flavor of this American classic which will celebrate thirty-five years in 2007.

Full Moon Ride

We had a great turnout for the Full Moon Ride on Tuesday, August 8, 2006. About 20 people showed up, including two visitors from out of town who rented bikes for the ride to the Reston Town Center. There was a long line at the Ben & Jerry's ice cream shop, but it was worth the wait. We made for quite a sight, our long line of lighted bikes and trikes riding along the trail.

Suggestions for future moonlight ride destinations are welcome. We will try to do the ride again on Tuesday, September 7, 2006 at 8 p.m. See our Events page for more info.

Web site back up

After a brief meltdown, the server hosting our Web site is now back up. Sorry for the disruption.

Our Web site is down

The computer hosting our Web site seems to be having a problem today (Thursday, July 27, 2006). Our site has been down for most of the day and we haven't been able to get through to the service provider to determine the cause. We are sorry for the inconvenience. If you have a question about our hours, rental rates, or anything else, please call us at 703-938-8900.

Java dogging the counter

JavaInControl, originally uploaded by bikes@vienna.

The contrast on this photo is not the best, but this photo is worth more than a thousand words. The little puppy that joined us in March is growing. She enjoys coming to work and she is more mellow. She has not been trained to do customer service at the front counter although this photo makes it look like she's ready.

Java's going on vacation for ten days. Some of us a're going to Iowa to ride RAGBRAI and she's going to Richmond to visit.

bikes@vienna will be open just without Java.

Washington Post article on recumbents

The Post recently published a good article on recumbents. Two local recumbent designers, Bill Cook, who is currently riding cross country and produces the excellent Barcroft recumbents, and Mark Colliton of Bacchetta Bicycles are both mentioned in the article as is our shop.

"The real advantage of a recumbent is comfort," Colliton says. "If your goal is to get exercise, maybe lose some weight, you're able to stay on your bike for a lot longer, comfortably. Recumbents are also more aerodynamic than conventional bikes, because they present a smaller surface area to push through the wind."

A Happy Triker

HappyTriker, originally uploaded by bikes@vienna.

Cyclists are amazing people. As Ces and I rode on Bike Virginia in the rain during the final days of June that fact was reaffirmed for me.

This photo and email message tell the story of a cyclist who would not be detered. Here is the message,

John,

I wanted to thank you again for making it possible for my  wife,  
Yvonne, to do Bike Virginia this year even though she had a broken  
left wrist.  She could steer, change the rear gears, and apply the  
rear disc brakes all with her right hand.  It made her one happy  
biker, or rather triker.  She triked about 300 miles over the 5 day  
event.  Thanks again.

Henry

The EZ-3 USX trike is not a light weight trike. It did fit the bill for Yvonne's needs. She is a strong and dedicated rider to have covered 300 miles. She is also an inspiration.

Recumbent Cyclists News - July/August

We just received the July/August edition of the Recumbent Cyclists News (RCN). This is an excellent publication for learning about recumbents and trikes. This edition contains reviews of the Catrike Road aluminum trike, the RANS Formula 26, a new long wheelbase recumbent from RANS with dual 26" wheels. RCN sells for $5.

Another wet day

We're wondering when the rain will finally stop. It rained almost continuously today, much like yesterday and the day before. We had what must be a record 6 inches yesterday. It's no fun dragging tarps on and off the bikes throughout the day, or worse, having all of the bikes inside the shop and not being able to move. As you can tell, we don't like rainy days at the shop.

John is riding in Bike Virginia and is having a wet ride, as the rain that we are experiencing is mostly coming from his direction in the south of Virigina. Today they rode from Emporia, VA to Roanoke Rapids, NC, towns that sound familiar to those of us who have ridden the Great Peanut Bicycle Tour.

We did have a few customers in the shop. Ralph and Kris LeMeur and Jim and Kathy Bremner just completed their cross country tour, Ralph and Kris riding a Seven Cycles tandem and Jim and Kathy accompanying them in their RV. Ralph needed a place to pack the tandem for the trip back to California. We provided space, tools, and two boxes that he combined into one large tandem box. We enjoyed hearing about their adventure and look forward to reading their blog, Biking from West to East.

My bike commute home was aborted due to news that a bridge on the W&OD Trail between Vienna and Reston is damaged. I hope it doesn't take long for the repairs, as there are few options for riding between the two places.

Tim's bikes

We've started to post a few articles about some of the bikes that we ride at bikes@vienna. A while back we posted an article that our head mechanic Tim wrote. We just updated that article with some photos of a few of the many bikes that he owns. Check out these fine bikes in the article Tim's Bikes.

Kids’ Bike Safety Check Set for June 21

The Bike Rodeo scheduled for Saturday, May 20 was canceled and has been
rescheduled for Saturday, October 14. The Bike Rodeo was an event where
bikes@ vienna, LLC provided a public service of inspecting and doing
quick repairs on children’s bikes. to make the bikes safer. Rather
than waiting until October 14, bikes@vienna, LLC will provide a free
bike safety check from 4 PM to 8 PM on Wednesday, June 21 at the
bikes@vienna, LLC store located at 128A Church Street, NW.

The safety checks will be provided for children twelve years of age and
younger when accompanied by an adult. In addition to the safety check,
small repairs and adjustments will be done. The value of the services
provided at no charge will not exceed $10 in labor per young person..

This is an opportunity to get bikes ready for summer vacation. The
rain date for the event will be 4PM to 6 PM on Thursday, June 22. This
event is being staged on a Wednesday because bikes@vienna, LLC is
traditionally closed on Wednesday. This will allow bikes@vienna
employees to work specifically on the safety check. This free safety
check service at bikes@vienna, LLC will not be available at any other
time.

A Review of the Bacchetta Strada

bikes@vienna note: Long time customer Bill Perlman took the Bacchetta Strada with the Euromesh seat for a test ride and then wrote this review. Bill rides an underseat steering recumbent and has placed an order for a new Challenger which will be underseat steering so I was interested in how he would react to the aboveseat steering Strada. Bill also does a considerable amount of touring so the ability to pack and ship a recumbent is important to him. Here's what Bill thought of the Strada:

"The bottom line:  I like the Strada.  A lot.

The Strada felt good right from the start.  Some bents you never get a good feeling for.  Their steering or balance or riding position just isn't right and doesn't feel natural even after a few hours on the bike.  By the time I rode out of the parking lot, it felt like a bike I've been on for quite a while.  The Strada was stable at both low and high speeds.  It's a high racer configuration with 571 wheels and a shell-like seat.  It's seat height is low enough so that there was no problem getting a foot firmly on the ground.

I rode the Strada because I wanted to try the new Bacchetta Euromesh seat.  The seat is comfortable and I felt that the mesh back did indeed reduce the heat/sweat buildup that you get from fiberglass shell seats.  Fiberglass shell seats also seem to amplify the drivetrain sounds that come up the seat stays.  The Euromesh seat eliminated that sound.

The Strada is clearly built for fast riding on decent roads.  It's a light bike with very narrow tires on lightweight wheels.  It climbed well and it handled well on fast downhills.  It's SRAM X.9 components are good.  The chain management is via a double sided idler wheel and is quiet.  The cockpit is a bit tight but one can get used to it; and it does provide a pretty comfortable hand position.  The bike is an excellent value for the price.

Why won't I buy this bike?  With it's typical OSS design, there is no telescoping boom and it is thus too long to fit into a standard bicycle box.  Too long to easily take with me on a flight and be used for touring."

Exploring the C&O Canal with Author Mike High

SATURDAY, JUNE 10
C/D * 26 * MD * 10:30 AM * Point of Rocks (POR)
Towpath and Lunch at Harpers Ferry. Park at the picturesque Victorian train station on Rt 28 in the town of Point of Rocks. The bike ride itself is on the towpath to Harpers Ferry and back--an historic stretch where the Potomac cuts through the first line of the Appalachians: Catoctin Ridge and South Mountain. On the way to Harpers Ferry, there are great views of the islands and rapids of the river, as well as the old canal works and the abandoned mill town of Weverton. Hybrid or ATB tires are best, but it can be navigated on a touring bike. Bring a bike lock and money for lunch. Leader is planning to go rain or shine--it can be sunny up the river while it’s raining in Washington. If it’s raining cats and dogs at ride start, we’ll explore other options. C/D (10:30 AM) * Mike High * 703/597-7912.

bikes@vienna note: This should be a terrific experience. Mike High is the author of the C&O Canal Companion. Here is how the book is described:

" The first comprehensive guide to one of America's unique national parks, The C&0 Canal Companion takes reader on a mile-by-mile tour of the C&O Canal, the 184-mile Potomac River Waterway that stretches from Washington, D.C., to the Appalachian Mountains.

Outdoorsman and writer Mike High has spent many hours exploring the C&O Canal, asking questions, making notes, taking photographs, and conducting research to assemble this informative, user-friendly book. Beautifully illustrated with photographs and drawings, the guide blends history, nature writing, and tour-guide tips to create the only book of its kind. High offers practical advice on cycling, canoeing, birdwatching, and other pastimes along the canal and river. Exploring the canal's history, he relates the early struggles to build a trade route to the Ohio Valley and gives in-depth coverage to the Civil War years, when the canal became a dividing line between North and South. He also explains the nineteeth-century technology of the canal--how it worked and how its operations were related to water-driven mills and ironworks along the river.

For the convenience of visitors to the canal, High provides a helpful appendix that includes names and telephone numbers for such resources as hotel, bed-and-breakfasts, bicycle shops, river outfitters, nearby parks, campsites, and regional associations. The C&O Canal Companion is both a pleasure for the armchair tourist to read and an indispensable guide for anyone planning a hiking, camping, or cycling adventure along this remarkable landmark.

Mike High grew up in the Philippines, California, and Vietnam. He has cycled in many places around the world, but the trail along the C&O Canal remains his favorite ride. His interest in the canal began when he discovered he could ride the towpath all they way to Antietam Battlefield, 72 miles from Washington. "

Blue Eyes

Mira1, originally uploaded by bikes@vienna.

Granddaughter Mira is growing rapidly (she was born the end of September). As you can see she has blue, blue eyes and is called upon to model interesting hats.

We'll get to see her in July during RAGBRAI. Her father will ride with us several days while she and our daughter Jessica visit my folks in Iowa.

New Opportunity to Explore: Dahlgren Railroad Heritage Trail

You're invited to join the Friends of the Dahlgren Railroad Heritage Trail for the OPENING CELEBRATION!!

WHO: Friends of DRHT members, guests, and those interested in helping to celebrate this treasure in the heart of King George.

WHAT: RIBBON CUTTING CELEBRATION for the DRHT, a 15.7 mile "rails-to-trails" project being developed in King George, preserving the former CSX rail bed as a NATURE, HIKING, and BIKING TRAIL.

WHEN: SATURDAY, 3 JUNE 2006, 10:00 A.M.

Please JOIN US!! Bring your family and friends. Experience the beauty of this unique trail. Meet, greet, and visit with DRHT Friends and other trail enthusiasts.

REFRESHMENTS WILL BE SERVED!

DIRECTIONS: Parking is currently very limited at the trail's junction with Indiantown Rd. (Rt. 610), the Ribbon-Cutting opening ceremony site. Participants driving cars will please park at Caledon Natural Area Picnic Shelter on Caledon Road, (Rt. 218) by 9:30 A.M.  A shuttle will provide transportation to the event. Bicyclists will meet at the King George County School Board Office and depart en mass at 9:00 A.M. (sharp!), for the ribbon-cutting--an easy five mile ride away on quiet rural roads.  Immediately after the ribbon cutting and refreshments, interested bicyclists are invited on a celebratory ride to Colonial Beach for coffee and muffins!  For additional information contact Dave Jones at (540)663-2137(w) or (540)775-9364(h) or via email at .

It will be our pleasure to see you there!

Bikes and cars

This is not the usual story about the constant battle between bikes and cars. This is a story about a partnership between an auto dealer and a bike dealer. During May, which is Bike Month, Don Beyer Volvo will be giving away a Dahon folding bike with every car that is purchased. We are providing the bikes. We know it would be better if people just bought the bike without the car, but we are realists. Knowing that the cars will be sold anyway, we thought this was a good way to give people an alternative.

Maybe some day those same people will make the decision to use their new bike instead of their car for those many short, local trips that we make each day. Those trips generate a great deal of pollution because cars don't have a chance to properly warm up. It's bad for the car and bad for the environment.

I do wonder what the folks at Don Beyer think when they receive messages from John with his signature line that reads: "We're fighting 'oil addiction' with human powered transportation. Join the fight—park your car and ride your bike."

Fairfax County to get bicycle coordinator

On May 1, 2006 the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors voted to include $465,000 in the 2007 budget to fund a bicycle coordinator position, a bicycle plan and bicycle map of the county. Thanks to the hard work of Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling, Eric Gilliland of WABA, and WABA members for making this happen. More information will be forthcoming on the FABB Web site, including how you can get involved to help produce the bike plan and map.

This is a great step forward for the county. Most other local jurisdictions currently have bicycle coordinators and bike maps. The maps will help county cyclists find bike-friendly routes throughout the county. As the W&OD Trail gets more and more crowded each year, it will be necessary for cyclists to explore other bike routes. Many of us know our local routes, but there is not good, detailed map of county bike routes. The bike coordinator will ensure that the needs of bicyclists are addressed in major development and road projects in the future.

There will also be public meetings during the production of the bike plan where cyclists can help document existing routes and identify gaps in the potential bike network. Check the FABB Web site for updates.