Radar, do you now own my car?

Radar O'Reilly was supposedly from Ottumwa, IA. My hometown of Centerville, IA is about forty miles from Ottumwa. I watched MASH and Radar with special interest to see if Ottumwa would pop up in the dialogue.

Radar kept the 4077 moving. He would shove bunches of paper in front of Henry Blake for him to sign. There was one show after signing a pile of papers that Henry asked Radar --- "do you now own my car".

For bikes@vienna's first nine years we have not asked people to sign lots of forms. We get some surprised reactions during the process of renting a bike when we decline to take a credit card or drivers license as security and ask the important question, "Do you promise to return the bike?" People smiled and answered in the positive. We had very few issues arise from this method of trusting people.

Sadly, we have to change. Beginning in April we will be asking our rental customers to complete a "rental agreement". We will ask each renter over 18 years of age to complete the form which has check lists of our responsibilities and their responsibility for our equipment. It is a standardized form which you can view on our website in the area dealing with rentals. It would be wonderful if you could read through the rental agreement before you visit us for a rental.

I do not aspire to own your car. I'm not excited about the volume of paper that will be generated. I hope that this process can be smooth. I'll try to make it that way.

Six Days A Week

During the winter we close on Tuesday and Wednesday. Beginning next Tuesday, April 3rd we will be open on Tuesdays until November. Yes, we will continue to be closed on Wednesday.

Our hours of operation will be :

Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10 AM to 7 PM
Saturday and Sunday from 9 AM to 6 PM
Wednesday closed

Remember we are happy to set up an appointment to meet you earlier or stay later than our typical hours. We know sometimes our schedule and your schedule won't match up without some flexibility. We can be flexible.

We are beginning to see the start of the spring rush for service. Now is the time to act on your need for service.

Dahon Sale During March

speedd7 fold dci
Originally uploaded by bikes@vienna.

March weather isn't feeling very Spring like today, but Spring is coming. We're clearing out the 06 Dahon models during March with a sale that gives you nice savings plus opportunities to make your new Dahon easier to use and store. Buy a Dahon 20" Wheel model and we will give you a slip cover which is an $18 value. Buy a 26" Wheel model and we'll sell you a bag for half price ($42.50 instead of $85). Our supply of these covers and bags is limited so act now.

The details for what we have in stock and the sale price are on our home page. Come test ride a Dahon folding bike and be ready for Spring.

Vienna Rotary Contributes $3000 of ViVa! Vienna Proceeds to Bikes For The World

BFTWCheck
Originally uploaded by bikes@vienna.

Vienna Rotary is contributing almost $80,000 to local and international charities from the proceeds of ViVa! Vienna! Keith Oberg of Bikes For The World (left) is shown receiving a check for $3,000 at today's Rotary meeting. Keith told Rotarians that over 500 bikes were donated from the Vienna area in the past year. This check will be used to ship a container load of bikes probably to Central America.

Bikes For The World accepts bikes from the basements, garages, and storage sheds of the Mid Atlantic area and creates economic opportunities for people in needy areas. For years bikes@vienna has served as a collection point. You can bring your bicycle donation and a $10 per bike cash contribution to us anytime that we are open for business.

I'm pleased to help with the bike collection and I was proud to have the Vienna Rotary Club recognize Bikes For The World with such a nice check.

Wintertime at bikes@vienna

The long riding season is finally at an end. With the relatively mild temperatures that we experienced through much of January, people continued to ride. The recent snowfall has put a stop to that for most of us. Among the more adventuresome is our head mechanic Tim Fricker, who rode to work on Friday on his studded bike tires.

This is the perfect time to bring your bike in for it's Spring tuneup. All too often people wait until the weather is nice and they realize that their bike needs work. If you haven't had your bike in for a tuneup in a while, bring it in and we'll give it some tender loving care and get it back to you in just a day or two.

Bike To Work Day is May 18

BTW Poster C4
Originally uploaded by bikes@vienna.

The weather outside is chilling, but the prospects of Spring are thrilling. Nope.....my verse is pretty weak.

Here is the initial design for the 2007 Bike To Work Day. Friday, May 18th is the date. Yes, bikes@vienna and Whole Foods will operate the Vienna Pit Stop at Whole Foods. Yes, from 6 AM to 9 AM we'll be there to feed, repair, and cheer on the riders making their way to work that day.

With pride bikes@vienna is serving as an overall sponsor for the event for the third or fourth year. We got pretty good placement on the top line of the sponsors.

Now is the time to mark your calendar to participate in this event. Invite your friends and co-workers to join you. It is fun. It is good for you and the environment. It inspires others to act. Go to www.waba.org and register today.

W&OD Trail Report

As John wrote in the introduction:

We have invited frequent W&OD Trail users to report what they see during their use of the trail. Our hope is that it may benefit other users. It is the same information that gets passed on at intersections and water fountains as people meet and thoughtfully share what they've seen. Weather, activities, and life move quickly so accept this information as a cautionary rather than as factual.

Visit the W&OD Trail Report to read the latest news.

Bike Friday tikit

Bike Friday just announced the tikit.

The tikit™ is now the world's fastest-folding bike - and certainly the only one with the incomparable Bike Friday ride.

If you don't believe the quote, see for yourself:

being folded and unfolded. There are now also videos of being folded while waiting for the train, being folded to get on the bus, and being folded in the middle of the street. I know that last one seems impractical but it sure makes a statement about the fleet fold!

W&OD Trail Patrol Seeks New Members

The W&OD Trail runs through the communities of Arlington, Falls Church, Vienna, Reston, Herndon, Sterling, Ashburn, Leesburg, Hamilton, and Purcellville. The Trail Patrol is seeking new members to be on-scene ambassadors of safety, courtesy, information, and goodwill. All adult trail users--cyclists, walker, runners, skaters, carriage pushers, dog walkers, horse riders, or wheel chair users--are eligible to apply. Two orientation sessions are already scheduled for 2007: One will be held on Saturday, March 31^st at the Vienna Community Center at10 am and the other session will be held on Tuesday, April 3^rd at the Herndon Library at 7pm . Future sessions are planned for other trail communities.

For further information and signup please contact John Boone at 703-726-6993 or jmboone@adelphia.net”

The New Catrike 700 and Ken Atkins

DSC_0483
Originally uploaded by bikes@vienna.

Catrike's new 700 model has been stirring interest in Catrike lovers. Ken Atkins is shown on his new trike. He sold one of his families' two Catrikes and ordered this eye catching lime colored 700.

Yes, this is a staged photo. Ken wore a helmet when he test rode the trike.

We have been delivering Catrike Expeditions and 700s this month. I credit the balmy weather, Catrike's attractive additions to their product line and Catrike enthusiasts. I appreciate the business.

In Vienna.....Why Did the Chicken Cross the Road?

T-3existingwalkway
Originally uploaded by bikes@vienna.

I'm serving on the Town of Vienna Sidewalk Committee. We have been taking the information gathered from a questionairre in the Town newsletter and prioritizing projects to recommend to the Town Council.

Three of us have been working on the prioritization for the south side of town which has sixty projects. A stated philosophy has been to give priority to areas without sidewalks before areas with sidewalks on one side of the street. Which means that it will be necessary to cross the street in some places to continue to use the sidewalk.

After several hours of looking at maps and listings during last week I became blurry eyed on Friday. Comparing the listings to the map we'd find that a project already had an existing sidewalk on one side of the street.

Which led me to think......in Vienna, why did the chicken cross the road? The chicken wanted to continue to walk on the sidewalk. When that thought came to mind, I knew it was time to take a break.

bikes@vienna Used

EZSportAX
Originally uploaded by bikes@vienna.

I have just completed adding several bikes to our bikes@vienna Used blog. You will find the link to that information below the weather.com information on the left of our home page. If you look through our offerings you'll find a wide range of recumbents, tandems, recumbent tandems, folding bikes, mountain bikes, children's bikes, and even an occasional cruiser. It's difficult to know what will be traded in or brought to us to sell on consignment.

We don't make much money on trade-ins. Our method is to estimate what price the bike will bring and deduct any repairs, parts, and cleaning that we believe are necessary to make it safe and saleable. Providing the option of accepting trade-ins does bring us customers. There are times when the value of the bike and what is necessary to make it saleable pass each other. In those cases we have to decline the trade offer and suggest that Bikes For The World would be a wonderful place to donate the bike and received a tax deduction.

We also provide the service of selling bikes on consignment. We estimate the value of the bike and what needs to be done to make it saleable. We post the bike on bikes@vienna Used and find the bike a good home. We charge 17.5% for the service. Again this is not a big money maker, but it brings customers to us.

We are almost three weeks into the new year. What do you dream of doing this year on a bicycle? Can you park that car and ride your bike on errands and to work? Can you create an adventure riding to explore an area and share that adventure with someone else? A bicycle, new or used, can enable us. Keep your eye on bikes@vienna Used because a bike may appear which sparks your imagination and helps you to pursue your dreams.

Sleeping Santa

IMG_0619
Originally uploaded by bikes@vienna.

Did you have a good holiday? Yes, yes, we did have a wonderful holiday. My folks came from Iowa. The Seattle daughter and family, the Richmond son and family, and the recently moved out daughter were all here at our house. We enjoyed the two grandchildren of 15 and 18 months old. For extra excitement there were three good sized dogs and a paranoid cat. There was lots going on.

Obviously, there was more going on than I had the energy to handle. Ces snapped this photo on Christmas Eve. It was a quick nap before we went cycling to see the luminaries in northeast Vienna.

I hope you had a good holiday. I hope your 2007 is filled with enjoyable activities which include cycling.

Recumbent Cyclist News

The Jan/Feb Recumbent Cyclist News (RCN) just arrived. It contains the 2007 Season Preview, an overview of recent recumbent, trike and crank forward trends. It also contains reviews of the 2007 Rans Dynamik crank forward bike, the 2007 WizWheelz Zoomer, and the front wheel drive Rans Cruzbike Freerider. RCN sells for $5.

First Ride may be a bit wet

us_dca_closeradar_medium_usen
Originally uploaded by bikes@vienna.

We are just on the edge of this band of rain. I think there is a chance that it will move east by 9 AM. I'd like to ride my bike this morning so let's try to get a ride in. Join me at bikes@vienna at 9AM and be prepared for some rain drops.

Welcome 2007.

Closed December 25-27/Join us for First Ride on New Year Day

We are an hour from closing for Christmas (3 PM on Sunday). The store will be closed on Christmas Day and then Tuesday and Wednesday which is our winter tradition. We'll be back on Thursday at 10 AM. We wish you a Merry Christmas.

On New Years Day we invite you to ride from bikes@vienna to Herndon on what we call First Ride. We'll leave the store at 9 AM. The 8 plus miles to Herndon will take about 45 minutes. Many of us will stop at Anitas for breakfast and then ride back to Vienna. Some members of our group will simply turn around and go home. Check here for more information as the time for the ride nears.

If you are traveling this holiday season we hope you will travel safely. If you are making resolutions for 2007 we hope you will include cycling and lots of visits to bikes@vienna.

Happy Holidays

Wannabe
Originally uploaded by bikes@vienna.

Towards the end of our day yesterday I decided to get Java ready for a holiday photo. I ignored W.C.Fields caution about working with children and animals. Bill Perlman had brought in a set of antlers and I had a Santa hat so it should be a breeze......right?

Java was cooperative. The antlers were to be worn by young people so a bit large for her. She'd move her head and the antlers would fall forward or backwards. She'd turn towards me and give me a big lick.

Now in this photo she looks demonic with those eyes. I'm holding the antlers on....not choking her. We'll practice some more and see if we can do better.

Have a Happy Holiday.

The Recumbent Bicycle 3rd Edition

We recently received the latest edition of the excellent book The Recumbent Bicycle, 3rd edition, by Gunnar Fehlau and published by Out Your Backdoor Press. It makes a great stocking stuffer at $22. The 3rd edition contains "greatly improved text and hugely improved photos—many of them new. It also includes an updated info resources appendix. It has much nicer coated paper and thicker cover stock."

The book contains a good history of recumbents, explaining why recumbents did not become more mainstream after being banned from professional racing in the early 1900's. Check out the table of contents.

bikes@vienna receives Business Community Service Award

If you live in the Town of Vienna, there's a good chance that you receive the Town of Vienna Newsletter that is mailed out each month. This month bikes@vienna is featured:

When the Vienna Town/Business Liaison Committee requested nominations for the first Business Community Service Award last January, one of the first to respond was Jim Larson, chairman of CHO (Committee for Helping Others). The business he nominated was bikes@vienna on Church Street, owned by John Brunow.

John has been collecting bikes for CHO and for Bikes for the World for many years. It's one of the many community activities in which John participates. He doesn't say much about it, he just does it. It's nice to see that his good works haven't gone unnoticed. See the full article in the December 2006 newsletter.

Java Update

JavaNov
Originally uploaded by bikes@vienna.

The little puppy that appeared at bikes@vienna in March has grown. Java has become a "big, brown dog". She has two basic speeds which are on and off. It would be fine if "on" was not so frenetic. "Off" is sweet with her lying down on your feet so she knows when you're moving.

Absent from this photo is a colorful Vienna Dogs handkerchief which Java wears to work. We get questions about the Vienna Dogs attire. It can be found at www.viennadogs.org. Perhaps a holiday gift idea? Proceeds help support the Vienna Dog Park on Old Courthouse Road.