Gathering for the Frolic

Off to the Folder Frolic!

It's a fun, early morning (7am) ride around Vegas on folding bikes, lead by Mike McGettigan of Trophy Bikes in Philly. I'll write more about it tonight!

Still more from Interbike

One more post before I call it a night...

First, there are more photos of various vendors bikes here:
2010-09-22 Interbike

Also, I wanted to mention that a number of makers showed bikes with "mixte" style frames. That's a design that dates back at least to the 70s, probably earlier, that was intended as a "unisex" frame. It never really took off in the US market back then, but seems to be making a comeback now. Pretty much all of the higher end "urban" makers have at least one mixte, and even the more mass-produced bike brands are starting to show them, such as the Torker line from Seattle Bike Supply:


The folks from Pashley of England were yet again showing their gorgeous bikes, from their classic "roadster" designs to their newer "clubman" bikes, inspired by the British club racing bikes of the 40s and 50s:


I was surprised to learn that there are no Pashley dealers in the DC area. I imagine the market for them throughout the US is pretty small, but I would think this region would have some demand for a high quality, high fashion, "classic" design. But maybe I'm wrong. They're still awfully nice to look at.

Finally, there was a wacky "urban cycling" fashion show, sponsored by the folks at Momentum magazine:



It was good fun, although I can't imagine people really riding around dressed as they were in the show. More pics from the fashion show are here:

2010-09-22 Interbike Fashion Show

More From Interbike

Today was a full day at the show. I spent some time in seminars, and walked around the show floor, checking out what vendors had to offer this year.
Brompton showed their three new colors... Claret, Sage Green, and Bright Pink:



There were also quite a few "urban" bikes on the show floor. In addition to the "Dutch style" bikes, there were also a number that seem to draw their inspiration from French city bikes. A good example of that was the Linus line of bikes:


... as well as the Globe brand, which made a point of displaying their bikes in sort of "lifestyle poses":


Some really pretty bikes, in very evocative settings. Good marketing from these folks. It will be interesting to see how these urban designs do in various markets.

And Dahon Is Here Too

Showing some new models, including the Vector series, that look like replacements for the SpeedPro models. More after I get a chance to talk to them.

Brompton at Interbike

A much bigger and nicer display from our friends from across the pond. On display were the three new colors and the long awaited B-Pod hard carrying case. The colors look great and the case is a winner.

More from Interbike

It's no surprise that electric bikes are big again this year. I've lost count already of the number of vendors and I've only barely seen a fraction of the show.

On the Interbike Show Floor

Lots of fun stuff to see. This is an "urban lounge"... Actually a very large and clever display by Globe Bicycles, who make stylish "urban bikes", a category that has been growing the last few years.

Interbike 9/21/10

More photos of the Outdoor Demo can be seen at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/43828356@N00/sets/72157625008626394/

Interbike Outdoor Demo

Well, it's windy, dusty and hot, but lots of folks are out here checking out the new stuff. This is a chance to get out and test ride some bikes. I've opted just to look due to the conditions, but the more hardcore MTB types are out in force.

I'd hate to be a mechanic here today. Whole lotta dust on everything.

More later!

Vegas and Interbike

I (Tim) am now in Las Vegas for the big annual trade show, Interbike. I only just arrived in the wee hours of Tuesday morning, after a flight delay that had me stuck at Chicago's Midway airport for a while. Not a total loss, as I found the Battle of Midway Memorial, complete with SBD dive bomber, fascinating.

Today I'll be heading out to the Outdoor Demo to check out products, then tomorrow is the start of the actual trade show in the convention center. Keep your eyes on this spot and on our Facebook page for updates and photos!

For now, just a shot of the Douglas SBD Dauntless at Midway Airport. This is the type of plane that was critical to what was probably THE decisive battle in the Pacific in WWII.

I actually never knew the airport was named for the battle, until John told me yesterday on the way to Dulles.

September 25th Blackwater Canyon Leaf Peepers Trail Ride

JMHS "Back To School" Event

We did bike safety checks at the JMHS back to school event. Charlie Strunk, Fairfax County Bicycle Coordinator, and Bruce Wright of Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling help students find the best routes for biking to school.

Can You Say Pink?

This striking pink Catrike Villager arrived today and Al is ready to begin assembly. This custom paint job will certainly increase visibility.

We're working the Reston Century

It's early and Tim and John are at Reston Town Center for the Reston Century.

Something different from Brompton

The bike shown may look just like all the other Bromptons you've seen here or elsewhere, but this new M6R has a feature we haven't had in the store before - the new-for-2010 Brompton-specific Shimano Dynohub! This little beauty, show here to the left, generates power for the front and rear lights as you roll along.


Some of you may remember the old "bottle" style dynamos that had a little roller that rubbed on your tire, making an annoying noise and adding a fair amount of rolling resistance. Until this year, that was the most affordable dynamo option for a Brompton, and it left a lot to be desired.


Well, this new system is a vast improvement. The hub is silent, and the resistance caused by the dynamo action is remarkably low. The headlight is a halogen lamp in a large, bright reflector, and the tail light is a very bright LED unit. In addition, the tail light is equipped with a "standlight" feature, a capacitor that charges up as you ride, so when you stop, the tail light still glows. The stock Busch & Mueller Lumotec Oval headlight doesn't have this feature, but there are after market options that both have a standlight and are even brighter.

So how much does this setup add to the cost of a new Brompton? That's the really good news... it's only a $113 upgrade from a bike with no lights at all, and only $52 more than the battery powered lighting package offered by Brompton.



Now the real dynohub aficionados are no doubt thinking "but it can't possibly compare to the excellent German SON dynohub!" Well, you're in luck, because Brompton also offers that option, which also comes with a higher quality headlight to boot. The price? Well, that option adds $503 to the base cost of a Brompton!

So for now, I think this is probably the best "bang for the buck" lighting system available from Brompton. You get a good, solid, reliable system.. all the components have a proven track record (I've had several different bikes with Shimano dynohubs and B&M lights for a number of years, and have never had any problems with any of them), and the price is right.

Come on in and take a look... and take it for a test ride, to see if you can feel any significant drag with the light switched on. I think you'll be surprised.

Greenspeed GT Models on SALE

We announce a sale of Greenspeed GT models. For the next two weeks we'll be sweetening the already sweet prices that Greenspeed has been providing this year. You'll get a GT-1, 3, or 5 at $1890, $2390, or $2790 with no freight charge and ......... wait for it........$100 in accessories. This is the time to act.

We have all three models in stock and ready for test rides.  Our offer is for in-stock trikes.

We'd like to thank...

... all of our customers who have given us such positive ratings on the Washington Consumer's Checkbook! We received high ratings for both sales and service, and we owe that all to you. So thank you those of you that took the time to voice your opinions! It's a pleasure having loyal customers.

Special Offer on Cyclecomputers!

We're offering a special deal right now on Sigma BC506 computers. This is their basic model with the following functions:

Current Speed
Trip Distance
Total Distance
Time
Riding Time
Automatic Scan Mode

Normally these have sold for $25, but now we've marked them down to $20. And as a further incentive, for a limited time, we will waive the usual $15 installation charge! So that's basically half price! Come on in now and get one!

Walter Reed Cycling Expo

John, Al, and Tim brought a variety of bikes and trikes to Walter Reed Army Medical Center for folks there to try out. Here's a pair of Sun trikes hooked up in tandem, which was a big hit with people.

Making a grocery run and buying a watermelon

What is summer without cold watermelon? When you make a grocery run you need to be prepared to transport the joy of summer.

August 1st Repair Class Cancelled!

Due to low enrollment, we are canceling the Basic Maintenance and Repair class scheduled for Sunday, August 1st. Our next class is scheduled to take place on Sunday, September 12th. Please watch this space for updates.

1941-42 German Army Bike

Tim is test riding a German Army bike that one of our customers had us
reassemble after it had been shipped from Germany. This not something
we see every day. The bike is heavy, but it carried substantial
equipment. One accessory was a grenade box.

Our customer is gathering an interesting collection. Earlier this
year he had us assemble a bike ridden by Hitler Youth which was
estimated to have been ridden in 1937. We believe it was 1937 when a
large group of Hitler Youth toured England. We were intrigued if the
bike might have made that tour. History can be so interesting.

First Tent Sale Item

The Sale Tent is UP!

The last week of July is normally when John disappears to Iowa to ride
a tandem with Ces across the state. He isn't going. He gets grumpy
and walks around muttering that he could be eating rhubarb pie with
Blue Bunny ice cream somewhere.

We trying to distract him so we got the faded red tent out. Our
intention is to have a sale which will keep him busy. That means you
need to stop by and examine the goods.

Tomorrow through July 31 we'll be showing sale items on this blog.
Check on what's for sale. Come visit the store.

Recumbent Ragtop

One of our customers rolled up today on his Greenspeed trike with a top from Recumbent Ragtops. It's the first one I (Tim) have seen, and it's pretty cool. And according to the owner, it does a great job of keeping the sun off him.

More Bromptons arriving soon!

Just an update... we received notice that the following Brompton Folding Bikes are on their way to us from England, winging their way across the Atlantic as I type this:

• M6R, Flamingo Pink main frame w/black extremities, EazyWheels.
• P6R, Arctic Blue main frame w/black extremities, EazyWheels.
• P6R, Racing Green main frame w/black extremities, Eazywheels.

Already here and ready to roll are:

• M6R, Apple Green main frame w/black extremities, EazyWheels.
• M3R, Orange main frame w/black extremities, EazyWheels.
• P3R, Orange main frame w/black extremities, EazyWheels.
• P6R, Red main frame w/red extremities, EazyWheels.
• P3R, Red main frame w/red extremities, EazyWheels.
• M6R, Yellow main frame w/black extremities, Eazywheels.
• P6R, White main frame w/black extremities, Eazywheels.
• S2L, Turkish Green main frame w/black extremities, Eazywheels.

Come on in for a test ride!

Recess Monkey at Jammin Java this Saturday at 11 AM

Our house is shaking from all the cleaning and preparing for a visit from the Holloways.  Ten years ago this month daughter Jessica and Drew Holloway were married at Hunter House in Nottoway Park just two blocks from our home.  A week later they loaded up a U Haul truck and drove across the country to Seattle.  A major reason for their move to Seattle was so Drew could pursue his interest in music.

This week Jess and Drew with daughters, Mira and Sadie come to visit.  It is satisfying that Drew and his Recess Monkey bandmates will be appearing at Jammin Java on Saturday and several other venues in the Washington area in the following week.  They also have performances in Philadelphia, Atlanta, and the Carolinas.  The three elementary school teachers have stayed in the classrooms as they have built success in the music business, note the kind words on the poster which appeared in Time Magazine in May.

I like success stories and even more in this case.

Macgyver on a bike?

I've seen some inventive repairs in my life, both in my bicycle work and theatre work, but yesterday a fella came in off the trail with an improvisation that really surprised all of us. Alas, I was unable to get a photo, but I'll try to describe in words what he did.

Apparently, somewhere along his ride, or perhaps over the course of several rides, 4 of his 5 chain ring bolts (chain rings are the big sprockets attached to the cranks that you turn with the pedals) had worked loose and fallen off the bike. When the rider realized this, he figured he needed a temporary fix to get him to the nearest shop, so he turned to something near at hand... grass stems! Seriously... he used a number of strong, fibrous grass stems to TIE the chainrings in place! The amazing thing is, it worked. I'm not sure how far he rode that way, but any distance is pretty remarkable.

So, next time you have a mechanical problem on your bike... maybe you don't have to reach for your cell phone first!

Progress: Riding Bikes to School

    This Spring we have tried to support parent and school administrator efforts to promote children biking to school.  This photo is of two of our Event Bike Racks being used at Cunningham Park Elementary School.  We have had three racks at Wolftrap Elementary since their Bike & Walk to School effort in May.  What we see at these schools and at the Vienna Farmers Market is strong interest in being able to use a bike for transportation.  The presence of a bike rack makes this more convenient and increases the participation.

Budgets are tight everywhere.  A demonstration project like the one depicted in the photo can show the use and need for placement of a bike rack.  Think about where a bike rack could improve the use of bicycles as transportation.  Perhaps we can work together on a test to prove the need for a permanent rack.                                                                                                   

Appreciation for Charlie Strunk

This article is directly from the Sun Gazette Newspaper:

Bicycle Coordinator Receives Transportation Achievement Award

(Created: Thursday, June 24, 2010 6:59 AM EDT)

Charlie Strunk has been honored with Fairfax County's annual Transportation Achievement Award.

The Fairfax Transportation Advisory Commission presented its 2009 Transportation Achievement Award to Charlie Strunk during the June 22 Board of Supervisors meeting.

Strunk is the bicycle coordinator for the Fairfax County Department of Transportation. He was selected based on his efforts planning facilities to allow non-motorized or bicycle transportation options.

In 2009, Strunk managed the following projects:

* Creating 10 new miles of bike lanes on Gallows Road, Westmoreland Street, Lawyers Road and other streets.

* Completing the bicycle and pedestrian bridge on Wolftrap Road near ilmer Middle School, providing non-motorized access between Tysons Corner and the town of Vienna.

* Supervising the purchase of 150 new bike racks for locations across the county.

* Securing a $104,000 federal grant to create the Sully District Historic Sites Bike Map, a guide to family-friendly bike routes that highlight Civil War and historic sites in western Fairfax County.

* Leading the effort in winning a Virginia Department of Health grant to buy and give away 200 bike helmets to children.

Since 2006, Strunk has served as the county’s first bicycle coordinator, where he oversees efforts to incorporate bicycle facilities as part of the county’s transportation infrastructure.

Bromptons in, Bromptons out!

Well, it's quite a couple of days here, Brompton-wise! Thursday we got in another shipment of four bikes:

M6R in Flamingo Pink/Black
M6R in Yellow/Black
M3R in Orange/Black
P6R in Artic Blue/Black

And today (Friday) we've sold the M6R Flamingo bike that just came in, as well as a M6R in British Racing Green, a P6R in Turkish Green and a P6R in Black.

Four out, four in, in 24 hours!

Don't worry, we still have about a dozen of them in the shop, in various flavors, such as the Orange P3R you see here!

Basic Maintenance Class

Hey folks!

Mark your calendars! Our next Basic Maintenance and Repair class is being offered Sunday, July 11th, at 7 pm. Learn how to fix a flat tire, and how to do a basic gear and brake tuneup, all for less than you would pay in labor charges for a gear and brake tuneup from us! AND you get a free tool kit that retails normally for $22.

We ask that folks sign up and pay in advance, so we have an accurate idea of how many people are coming. Sign up now, we still have spots available for July 11th!

Bromptons in Stock!

Well, I figured it was time to post a list of what we have in the way of Bromptons currently. A quick primer on model nomenclature:

S - straight bar, which you see on the far left of the photo, the raciest position.
M - the traditional Brompton bar, giving a comfortable, upright position.
P - a "butterfly" shaped bar, giving multiple hand positions, sort of the best of both worlds.

You can see the bars, in the order listed, pretty well in the photo below:


The number in the model indicates how many gears the bike has... 1, 2, 3, or 6.

R indicates a bike with rack and fenders, L indicates a bike with just fenders.

The "extremities" are the front fork, rear frame, and handlebar stem.

So what we currently have is:

M6Rs in the following colors:

Arctic Blue/Black Extremities
British Racing Green/Black Extremities
Apple Green/Black Extremities (3rd from left in photo)

M3Rs in:

Red/Black Extremities (2nd from left in photo)

P6Rs in:

Apple Green/Black Extremities
Red/Red Extremities
Black/Black Extremities
White/Black Extremities (4th from left in photo)
Turkish Green/Black Extremities

P3Rs in:

Red/Red Extremities
Orange/Black Extremities
Black/Black Extremities

S2L in:

Turkish Green/Black Extremities (1st on left in photo)

Supporting Mike Hamlin in Fighting Muscular Dystrophy

Our customer Mike Hamlin sent us a letter this week asking that we help publicize the formation of a team to ride on the Seagull Century and raise money to fight Muscular Dystrophy. 

"Miles for Muscles" is partnering with "Stone Circle of Friends" to raise awareness and provide research funding for Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy (MMD) through our cycling team. Mike Hamlin, a one time avid cyclist with Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy, is inspiring folks to join him on this 100 mile ride. Mike is no longer able to ride a bike, so he is riding a recumbent trike instead. Join Mike on this adventure.  Together we can cross the finish line for a cure.

 http://milesformuscles.com/seagullcentury.html

Come Meet Ian Sims of Greenspeed on Monday, June 14

The cycling industry is filled with interesting people and Ian Sims of Greenspeed is a person of creativity and vision.  We are pleased that Ian will be visiting bikes@vienna on Monday, June 14.  We like to invite you to meet him and hear about his work in developing Greenspeed trikes and growing an international business from his home in Austrailia.

We'll have a social gathering at the store from 7 PM to 8:30 PM.  It will be a meet and greet with Ian taking questions about his work, his products, and his vision for the future of cycling and tricycles.

We anticipate that this could become a good sized event so we'd ask that you email us if you plan to attend.   Please send your email to john@bikesatvienna.com.

TerraTrike Rover Delivery Is Delayed

The dealer newsletter for TerraTrike says that the delivery of the first container of Rover trikes is delayed until mid June.  TerraTrike says they are repainting the frames,  The initial samples did not meet TerraTrikes standards so it is back to the paint booth.

I have been telling callers for two months that the trikes would be arriving the last week of May.  I'm sorry, but we're waiting together for this trike which sets a new price point for the recumbent trike segment of our business.

I'll report the news as I get it.

First Ever Brommie Yummie Ride!

You may remember back in March when I (Tim) rode in the first Brompton US Championship, a wacky race in Philadelphia modeled on the Brompton World Championship, where folks in "business attire" (jacket and tie) race Brompton folding bikes. Well, at the BUSC, Steven Huang, graphic artist (he did the graphic for the 2009 BWC and 2010 BUSC shirts... that's him standing behind all our bikes before the ride) and employee of Bfold Bikes in NYC, was passing out fliers for a "Brommie Yummie Ride". What he had in mind was a ride around NY with a group of people on Bromptons, stopping and eating at a variety of dining establishments... a sort of "progressive meal by bike". I was intrigued, but not sure if I could make it.


Well, John was kind enough to give me the day off, so off I went on a bus to the Big Apple, with my trusty Brompton P6R safely (I hoped!) stowed in the cargo bay. Based on a suggestion from Steven, I covered the bike with the standard Brompton "slipcover", and then tucked that package inside a cheap tote bag, the Dimpa bag from Ikea. I would ordinarily have used the wonderful B Bag from Brompton, but it really is too bulky to carry around on the bike all day, so the cover and Dimpa seemed a good choice. All in all, it worked out just fine, but I was glad I could "supervise" the loading and unloading closely!


About eighteen riders (including four of us from the DC area, including Ollie Brock, bikes@vienna customer and top ten finisher at the BUSC) gathered near Penn Station at noon. After some getting acquainted and the obligatory taking of photos by everyone with a camera (myself included), we set off for our first destination... Babycakes, a vegan bakery which had some truly amazing treats for us. My choice was a cinnamon bun sweetened with agave... amazing! Here's a shot of riders and bikes outside, enjoying the treats.




Despite being issued cue sheets, I don't think any of us realized that our next stop was a matter of a few blocks away, at the Doughnut Plant. I never knew there was such a thing as "artisanal doughnuts, nor that there was a "trend" of such things, but apparently this place was/is at the forefront of that movement. And they did have some truly delicious offerings, although I preferred the cinnamon roll at Babycakes.


While feasting on doughnuts, we were joined by an "interloper" of sorts... a fellow on a Dahon who had dropped in at the start of the ride, and mysteriously appeared later along our route at Doughnut Plant. Coincidence? I don't know. But here's his bike peeking out behind the multicolored Brompton ridden by David Lam, owner of Bfold Bikes.




Lest you think this whole day was about nothing but eating, we actually did do a fair amount of riding, about 10 - 12 miles through parts of Manhattan and Brooklyn. We had a fun ride across the Manhattan Bridge, stopping to admire the view, while I also took some time to look at the structure of the bridge. I've always been fascinated by bridges, and the design and engineering behind them, and New York has plenty to look at.




Once in Brooklyn, we stopped and picked up our lunches at The Chip Shop, which features food with a British theme. My lunch consisted of a delicious Wild Mushroom Shepherd's Pie, Mushy Peas (an odd British twist on peas), and of course, a heaping pile of chips, known to us Yanks as fries. The restaurant was small and crowded, so we remounted our bikes and headed to a park on the Brooklyn waterfront, adjacent to the Red Hook Ikea, located in what used to be the Todd Shipyard, apparently.

After that, it was a free water taxi ride back to Manhattan, with some great views of the Statue of Liberty and the Brooklyn Bridge. It was pretty funny seeing all of our bikes clustered on the foredeck of the boat. We drew a lot of attention everywhere we went, but I think the "show" of us all carrying our bikes off the boat and unfolding and riding off was the best.



All in all it was a great day. While the DC area got a pretty heavy downpour, we didn't feel a drop of rain all day, and enjoyed good food, fine company, and Steve's wonderful commentary as we rode along. He told us lots of fun information about the sights we saw, and really set a positive, fun tone for the day. It was a great way to explore a part of the city and meet new people with a common interest. More rides are planned later this year, and Steve even talked about working with the DC contingent to organize a similar event in the future. We'll keep you posted!

Meanwhile, more of my photos can be seen here:

Brommie Yummie Ride, May 23, 2010

And Steve's site about the rides is here:

http://www.brommieyummie.com/This final photo is Steve, doing the crane stance from "Karate Kid" surrounded by all of our bikes on a compass in the old shipyard. One of many delightful moments in a great day.

Now Appearing at bikesvienna: Daniel Nanovic

We are pleased that Daniel Nanovic has come in to help us in the store. Daniel is a college student. His father, Roy Nanovic, has been a long time recumbent rider and customer of bikes@vienna. Roy rides a Barcroft Dakota. We're working on Daniel.