Attention All Brompton Fans!

Are you an avid lover of all things Brompton? Do you ever wonder how this marvelous little machine came to be? Wonder about the people behind it?

Well, here's your chance to learn all about one of the finest folding bikes made to date - The Brompton Bicycle, by David Henshaw, is now in its second edition, and we have it here at bikes@vienna! Priced at $24, the book is a fascinating look into the story of the Brompton, as well as a good overview of folding bikes through the years.

David Henshaw is the editor of A to B Magazine, an excellent little publication devoted to folding bikes and electric bikes. It's available in an electronic edition via Exact Editions, and is quite informative and fun to read.

A good review of the first edition is here:


http://hadland.wordpress.com/2010/02/09/brompton-bicycle-new-book-by-david-henshaw/

And a brief followup on the second:


http://hadland.wordpress.com/2011/11/17/new-edition-of-brompton-book/

Holiday Hours this coming weekend!

Our hours this weekend -

Saturday, Christmas Eve: 10am - 3pm

Sunday, Christmas Day: CLOSED - Have a wonderful holiday!

Monday and Tuesday, we will be closed as usual.

Opening again at 10am Wednesday the 28th.

Please join us for the Christmas Eve Luminaria Ride, at 7pm at the shop.

Gift Certificates!

The holiday season is here, so now is the perfect time to come in and get a gift for the cyclist on your "nice" list! And if you don't know what to get them, it's the perfect time for a gift certificate!

We offer general-purpose certificates, made out to any denomination, personalized for the recipient, and valid for any purchase at the store.

Now we are also offering "Tuneup Certificates", good for the LABOR charges only, for a "standard tuneup" here at bikes@vienna. A standard tuneup covers a wipe-down and inspection of the frame and wheels, adjustment of the brake and gear systems, wheel truing, and adjustment of any bearing assemblies that require adjustment. Any parts needed would be at additional cost. These certificates sell for $60, which is $20 off the normal cost of a standard tuneup. The only catch is that the bearer of the certificate must use it by April 1st, 2012. This will hopefully reduce the mad rush we typically get in April, and make it more likely the gift recipient will get their bike back quickly!

So come on in and take care of your holiday shopping today!

A heartwarming project

Now and then we get a bike in for service that has a story to it, and those are always a fun experience for both the owner and us.

Well, recently we were asked to fix up the little bike you see to the left here. It's an unusual bike in its own right, being a child's bike built with lugs, in the mixte frame style (two thin sloping top tubes). I've never laid eyes on such a bike before. It was clearly very well made, a quality bicycle, and very stylish with an elaborate, yet classy paint scheme. And look at the fenders and chain guard! The bike was made in Switzerland in the 70s, and while it arrived a bit grungy with dried out tires, you can see it cleaned up really well, and looks great.

What takes it beyond being merely "another pretty bike" is the story behind it. The fellow who brought it in to us told us his parents had bought it for him from the Jean Brun shop in Geneva, Switzerland, when he was a little boy in the 70s. He was bringing it to us to fix up so his own son could now ride it! Needless to say, we were happy and honored to be a part of the project, resurrecting a fine old bike for the next generation.

One challenge right off was the tires... a size never marketed in the US, as near as I can tell, and difficult to find even in Europe, where they were primarily used on Dutch bikes, I think. Some sleuthing on the part of the father ensued, and one day he arrived with brand new Michelins, shipped from Ireland! Then it was in Daniel's hands, and he did a marvelous job of cleaning and lubing everything, making the bike ready to ride and looking great. He even managed to revive the original bell, much to everyone's surprise.

The best part of the whole project though was when the whole family came to pick up the bike when it was finished. Mom, Dad, older sister Madeleine, and of course Avi, the young boy eagerly waiting for the bike. Even the family dog, Wolfie the toy poodle came along! Everyone was really excited and happy to take part in the "unveiling"... all of my staff as well as the family were all smiles and laughter. It was a really wonderful day. We all wish Avi many, many happy adventures with his "new" bike!

You can see more photos of the bike at:  Jean Brun Bike

2011 Luminaria Ride!

Mark your calendars! On Christmas Eve, at 7pm, we'll have our annual Holiday Luminaria Ride. For those of you who might not know, homeowners on the eastern end of town put out luminaria (lighted candles in bags) on Christmas Eve, and it's a lovely sight. We'll have snacks and beverages afterwards, so come join in the fun!

Tern Folding Bikes have arrived!!!!

Well, our first Tern folding bicycles are in! We've gotten the first few unboxed and assembled, and given them test rides. The consensus around the shop is that they are winners! Very nice bikes... sharp looking, well built, and fun to ride. First to arrive are the Link D8 ($600) and the Link D7i ($800). Come check them out!

Tern Link D7i ready to ride

Link D7i folded

Vienna Holiday Stroll Next Monday!

Hey gang! It's that time of year again, for the Vienna Holiday Stroll, on Monday, November 28th. Come on down to Church Street to see Santa and watch the Mayor light the town tree. While you're enjoying the holiday spirit, stop by your favorite stores and do some gift shopping for your loved ones and friends. We'll be here from 6:00 to 9:00 pm, with hot drinks and snacks. We've also decided to extend our specials on lights, cycle computers and car racks through Monday evening, so come on by!

More info can be found here:

Church Street Holiday Stroll – Monday NOVEMBER 28, 2011 – 6-9 pm

Great Guilt Reduction Ride

Well, this year we were very fortunate weather-wise, and had a beautiful morning to ride. Bright sun, no appreciable wind, and while it was a bit chilly, it was nice once we got going. A small group of about a half dozen riders, which made keeping folks together simple. We'd been warned that a 5K run might cause traffic problems for us on the trail here in town, but the timing worked out such that we didn't really have any issues.

Here's a photo of us at the Herndon train station... Left to right - Tim, Alan, Bruce, Kerie, Noreen and Roy. And special thanks to the runner who took this picture for us!

Thanksgiving Weekend at bikes@vienna

We will be closed on Thanksgiving Day, but for Black Friday, Small Business Saturday and whatever-you-want-to-call-this-Sunday, we're taking 20% off all lights, cyclecomputers, and car racks! We also have hot coffee from Caffe Amouri (just down the street from us) and tea and cocoa to warm you up.

 Hours this weekend:

Thursday: CLOSED

Friday: 10:00 - 7:00

Saturday: 10:00 - 6:00

Sunday: 12:00 - 5:00

Thanksgiving Day Ride Reminder

It's that time of year again! Time for our annual Guilt Reduction Ride on Thanksgiving Day. Come and join us for a casual ride out to Herndon and back. We'll leave the shop about 9:00 am, so we can be back by 11:00, for those of you that have to prepare for dinner.

We'll have hot beverages ready before the ride, starting about 8:30. Please bring some canned goods or other non-perishable food for the CHO Food Drive. Reduce those feelings of guilt by burning off some calories and contributing to a good cause.

Below is a photo from a past Guilt Reduction Ride, with all of us posing at the Herndon Depot.

Send an email to tim@bikesatvienna.com if you think you'll be joining us, just so we have some idea of how many folks to expect.

Happy new Yuba Mundo owner!

A couple of weeks ago, we got a phone call from a fellow named Dale, looking for a Yuba Mundo "longtail" cargo bike. We've sold a few in the past, but we didn't have any of the current version in stock, so after some communication with the folks at Yuba, a bright new orange Mundo arrived for Dale.

One of the features of the Mundo is its cargo hauling capability... up to 440 pounds! And the long back end and carrier lends itself to carrying large objects... we've even heard of folks carrying kayaks, surfboards and other ungainly items on the Mundo. And there are options designed for carrying family members on the back as well. While it's more typically used as a kid-carrier, here Dale and his sister enjoy a trial run just after buying the bike.

Based on other inquiries, we decided to order a second Mundo to have available for test rides and purchase. And we've also got the Sun Atlas Cargo bike, a similar design from the same company that builds many of our recumbent bikes.  So come on in and check out your cargo options!

There are other "longtails" out there, and we've had a few through the store, most notably a Surly Big Dummy, that we ordered for a customer a couple of years ago. By all reports, he's very happy with it.

Longtails are used for everything from local errands to long distance touring. Check out more on longtails here:  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longtail_(bicycle)

Great Halloween Parade!

For a while today it looked like we might have rain for this evening's parade, but it passed through and cleared up in plenty of time to give us clear skies and stars. Add to that comfortable temperatures, a great group of riders, and enthusiastic crowds, and this year's Vienna Halloween Parade was a wonderful time.



Here's a shot of a few of the riders getting ready to start the ride. Basically we make our way to a staging area on a side street, where we wait our turn to head out on the main route down Maple Avenue in front of many, many people. The most fun are the kids, waving and shouting out things like "nice helmet" and wanting to "high five" all the riders.

Watch for more photos as other people send me theirs.




And here's our mechanic Daniel in costume.  He unfortunately didn't ride...  he ended up having to drive his car as our support vehicle, as the shop van suffered a mysterious breakdown right before the start of the parade. The only real glitch in the whole evening.



Oh, and the ride coincided with a customer's birthday, and she chose to ride with us! Happy Birthday Barbara, and thanks for coming on the parade ride and sharing your cake with us!

Halloween Parade Tomorrow!

That's right folks! The 65th Annual Vienna Halloween Parade is tomorrow, Wednesday, October 26th! The parade starts at 7:00 pm, but we are gathering at the shop from 6:00 to 7:00 to get organized and ready to ride. Come join us to ride in the parade! Food and drinks will be provided afterwards at the shop.

The town is getting ready... from the banner across Maple Avenue to the blankets, chairs and other "placeholders" folks had already laid out along the route as of noon Tuesday! It's a big event here in Vienna, so come and be a part of it!

Halloween Parade!

We're one week away from the Vienna Halloween Parade! Make your plans now. We're gathering at the shop at 6pm on the 26th. We're hoping to have a bunch of folks riding and folding folding bikes along the route, a trike train, and any other interesting wheeled things we can put out there! Food and beverages will be served back at the shop after!

Tour du Port 2011 Is Over

And it was a great success! Lots of happy people had a great ride in spectacular weather, and we had a lot of interest in our folding bikes. I think I probably folded and unfolded bikes more times today than I ever have before in a single day.

We also provided a Dahon Speed P8 that was raffled off as a fundraiser, and the woman who won it was very pleased.

Part of our sponsorship "package" was the opportunity to offer four people free entry to the ride. Tom (who works for us) and his wife Beryl, and Roy and Noreen (customers, and the parents of Daniel, our head mechanic) took us up on the offer and had a great time. I suspect Roy got a lot of attention on his new ICE Sprint RS trike!

More photos can be seen here:

Tour du Port, Oct 9, 2011

A Variety of Bikes

All manner of bikes and riders here today. From carbon fiber roadies to bakfietsen!

Folks starting out

The "start" of the ride is very informal - sign in, start whenever you're ready. Not a massed start like the 5 Boro Ride...much more casual.

Ride officials?

They seem younger every year!

These two little girls are shouting out to everyone to ride safe and have a good ride. They look very official with the vest and flag.

Good turnout so far and a gorgeous morning!

Tour du Port

7:00 am and registration begins! We brought a Dahon Speed P8 to be raffled off for Bike Maryland. Should be a good fundraiser.

A full and fulfilling day of events!

Well, today was a full and fun day for bikes@vienna, although it was a bit hectic. The morning started early with our attendance at the National Alliance for Mental Illness walk at Meadowlark Botanical Gardens. Despite steady rain and the abrupt drop in temperature, many people came out to walk in support of this good cause, and we were there with a table to show our support. NAMI is dedicated to providing support, education and advocacy for people with mental illness as well as their families. I urge you to check out their web site to learn more. It's a very good cause and worthy of support.

Later in the day, Tim went down to Prince William Forest Park to teach a session of our Basic Maintenance and Repair class for the Annual Gathering of the Virginia Chapter of the Sierra Club. Longtime customer Susan S. suggested the event, and we're glad we were a part of it. Tim met some great folks, and reconnected with a few customers, and people seemed really engaged with the class. It's always a pleasure to see "ah ha" moments when teaching a class like this,  as people discover how brakes and derailleurs do what they do, and learn how to fix the dreaded flat tire. And unlike Vienna today, the park was having a glorious, sunny fall day, which made the outdoor class a delight.

A few more photos here