Carrying on another tradition

Once again we are dabbling in gardening here at bikes@vienna. Thanks to a certain special someone, we've got an assortment of lovely flowers and a number of tomato plants growing in front of the shop. There's even a pot of cat grass growing for Tim's cat, Tybalt.


There's also an element of suspense involved, as we don't really know exactly what sort of tomatoes these plants will yield!

Come on by in about a month and we might have some tomatoes to sample!

Bike to Work Day, cont'd

Well, we had a very good morning at the Vienna Pit Stop, right at the Town Green, where the W&OD Trail crosses Maple Avenue. Lots of riders turned out to ride, and lots came by to sign in and get their t-shirt (a deep purple this year!) and pick up other fun free stuff. We pitched in and provided some freebies, such as cycle computers, tire levers, locks, etc. A good time was had by all, and a fun variety of bikes and trikes rolled through.

More photos are here:  2011 Bike To Work Day, Vienna, VA

Bike to Work Day

At the Vienna Pit Stop we've got great weather and excellent turnout!

Brompton Colors

This Brompton just arrived from England today, and it sure turned out to be a pretty color combination! That's a Racing Green main frame with Sage Green "extremities" (fork, stem, rear frame). Racing Green has been in the Brompton lineup for a while now, but the Sage Green is new for 2011. The combination of the two is very sharp, and shows what can be done with tasteful mixing and matching.

But before you come rushing in to buy it, I have to tell you it's a special order for a customer... in fact it's his second Brompton in three years, so obviously he's a big fan. But if you want one for yourself, we'd be happy to order it for you. Or check out the bikes we have in stock, you might just find one perfect for you!

This one is a P6R, with SON dynamo hub and B&M Cyo headlight. A very nice lighting system indeed. The customer also requested the special "12% reduced" gear range on the six speed drive train, handy for steep hills and carrying loads.

Brompton World Championship - Time To Register!

That's right folks, as of this morning, registration is now open for the Brompton World Championship! This 13.1 mile race around the grounds of Blenheim Palace (birthplace of Sir Winston Churchill) is not to be missed. As you can see by my photo from 2009, all riders are required to wear "business attire" - dress shirt, tie, and jacket! The race is open to 750 riders, and rumor has it that it might fill up fast, so register now! It's a fun day at a beautiful location, and it's part of the larger Bike Blenheim Palace event, with various sorts of competitive rides, and all manner of cyclists and cycles around.


More of my photos from the 2009 event can be seen here:

BWC 2009

One of the stranger packages...

We've received here! We were all scratching our heads and speculating on just what Brompton had sent us, when I remembered they were sending us one of those rollup banners for display.

I liked Daniel's thought that it was a house for a squirrel, with a chimney!

The Bicycle Wins!

Yesterday was a big day... the Bike/Car/Bus Challenge out in Reston! An event where folks "raced" to get from A to B by each of three different modes of transportation. Our own Bruce Wright, longtime b@v employee and chairman of Fairfax Advocates for Better Bicycling, was triumphant! Check it out at the links below.


http://fabb-bikes.blogspot.com/2011/05/fabb-chairman-arrives-first-in.html


http://reston.patch.com/articles/wright-on-a-bike-wins-commute-challenge

Brompton Meetup Ride a Success!

I didn't get the chance to join them, but the Brompton Bicycle Club meetup group had a great time this past Saturday.  The ride started and finished at our shop, and it was fun to meet some new faces in the local Brompton crowd.

Here they all are, posed with their bikes, after their ride out to Reston and back. They're all smiling, so they must have had fun.  Watch this spot for news of future rides, or join up here:

http://www.meetup.com/Brompton-Bicycle-Club/

Brompton Ride This Saturday!

This Saturday - a Brompton Bicycle Club Meetup group ride, starting at 11am at bikes@vienna! Bring your Brompton (or buy one!) and join the fun!


http://www.meetup.com/Brompton-Bicycle-Club/events/16704420/


The photo to the left is from the first BBC ride in March.

Bike Maintenance Class on Sunday

There are still slots open for our Basic Bicycle Maintenance and Repair class this Sunday. Topics covered include flat repair, brake and gear adjustments, basic lubrication, and performing a safety check on your bicycle. The cost of the class is $45, which includes a simple tool kit worth $16. Held in the shop work area. Bikes are not needed as there is not time for hands-on in the 2 hour class. Bruce will be teaching this class. Contact Tim at tim@bikesatvienna.com or call 703-938-8900 or stop by the store and sign up.

The Smooth Hound has arrived!

Well, in response to some inquiries from customers, and the generally favorable reaction folks had to the Soma Mini Velo, we decided to order a Dahon Smooth Hound, a bike based on the whole "mini velo" concept, but with the added feature of folding!  Dahon uses their "Lockjaw" system on this bike, which requires the use of an allen wrench to fold the bike. This results in a fold that  isn't as quick or convenient as their more typical latch systems. On the other hand, it does give you a bike that feels like it has a normal, solid frame. It's not the most compact fold out there, but it's certainly more compact than other "mini velos."



It's a nice riding bike. We all took turns giving it a spin, and everyone was impressed. And it's a fine looking bike as well, with the rather classy paint scheme, Brooks saddle and brown bar wrap on the moustache handlebars.

Come on in and give it a whirl!

At the Vienna Green Expo

Lots of vendors, contractors, and advocacy groups gathered to extoll the virtues of going green. We are here showing folding bikes tonight.

Closed Easter Sunday

Please note, we will be closed Easter Sunday, April 24th.

The other interesting bike...

... that came in last Saturday was this old Dunelt three speed. Back in the day these were known as "English Racers", despite the fact that they were built purely for utility. As I understand it, they became known as "racers" when the first showed up in numbers here after WWII, when the predominant US bike was the balloon tired "paperboy specials" made by companies such as Schwinn and Columbia and others. Compared to those heavy cruisers, the Raleighs and similar three speeds seemed downright exotic and racy.

What sets this one apart is the condition, which is remarkable for a bike built in 1960 (you can date an old English three speed from a stamp on the rear hub). The paint is in excellent condition, and is a color I've not seen on a three speed before. Black was the most common color of these bikes, which were mostly used in the UK for getting to and from work. It's one of the interesting facts related to these bikes that the factory workers who built them generally rode them to the factory, since cars in post-war England were pretty dear. Of particular interest to me (Tim) is that it's made by Dunelt, a relatively unknown British company that was the maker of my very first bike, which looked much like this one, but had a single speed, coaster brake hub instead of the three speed. Lots of good memories of that bike, even if it looked rather stodgy alongside my friends' Sting-Rays and Choppers.

For lots of good and interesting info on old English three speeds check out these pages at the late Sheldon Brown's site:

http://sheldonbrown.com/english-3.html


http://sheldonbrown.com/raleigh.html


http://sheldonbrown.com/sturmey-archer.html

Fun bikes at the shop!

Last Saturday we had a couple of folks bring bikes by the shop that I thought were both fun, in different ways.  One was the Soma Mini Velo, a small wheel, non-folding, "compact" bike of a style I hear is very popular in Japan and elsewhere. If you do a Google search for "mini velo" you'll find a number of variations on the theme. It's similar in concept to the Dahon Smooth Hound, but the Smooth Hound folds in half. The general idea behind the "mini" craze is that it's smaller and more compact than a conventional bike, and are easier to store and easier to transport or bring on trains and such, yet it rides very much like a "normal" bike. For me, I'd want to go the extra step and have it fold, but I guess some folks aren't sold on folders yet.  It's caused me to think seriously about getting in a Smooth Hound though.  Any thoughts?

Latest Vienna Patch Column is up!

Hey folks! As some of you may know, I write a bi-weekly column for the Vienna Patch online newletter.  The latest installment is on getting your bike ready for spring. You can check it out here:

http://vienna.patch.com/articles/tips-for-spring-tuneups

DC Brompton Ride was fun!

On Sunday, March 20th, the first ever Brompton Bicycle Club Ride was lead by Charmaine R., who bought her Brompton here at bikes@vienna, and has now raced in both the World and US Championship. 
The "club" is a DC area Meetup Group, made up of Brompton owners and riders.  The inaugural ride was great fun, taking us around some of the prettier parts of the city, with a stop for lunch on the river.  Of course, we had to pose with our Bromptons at various points, such as here at the Lincoln Memorial.

We got lots of comments and questions about our bikes throughout the ride.  People are fascinated by the look of the bikes, and even more intrigued by the folding and compact size.


The next ride is slated for Saturday, April 30th, starting right here at bikes@vienna, at 11:00 am.


Find out more about the group or join here:http://www.meetup.com/Brompton-Bicycle-Club/


(photos courtesy of Charmaine R.)

Congrats to Tom!

Congratulations to our own Tom Fritz, for his top 10 finish in the Brompton US Championship!  And to his wife, Beryl, for being team support and showing the bikes@vienna "colors" on the promenade ride to the start point!

Don't forget, this weekend only, in celebration of the BUSC (and Tom's finish), all in-stock Bromptons are $75 off, and  test riding a Brompton gets you a $1 off coupon for a pasty at Pure Pasty, our nextdoor neighbor from across the pond!

Big Brompton race results are in

First place same as last year. Best dressed same three as last year but over the top wit a costume change in middle of the race without DQ!!! My time 22:22. Putting me at 10th place.

Tom
Tlfflt1983@gmail.com

Start 1237

The best technique I saw was to run with folded bike to edge of road. Unlike me I ended up trying to peddle through soft grass

Ready

Current estimate start time. 1220

Almost Ready

Nearly ready

Getting ready

Tims bike, Tim's number but that is not Tim

Arrival at the arrival tent.

The organizer organizing

"don't peak early" Red advises during streches

Arrived at Phily. Advice. Race jitters

International racer Red providing domestic Green the benefit of his experience on staying focused. "start to work on the competition at the photo shoot"

Bromptons leaving Va

The race bikes heard we were going to Philly. So lickity-split they were folded and nestled in place. Red called shotgun. But Beryl took the seat

Brompton US Championship This Weekend!

That's right folks... the second annual Brompton US Championship is this coming Saturday in Philadelphia, PA!  Our own Tom Fritz, shown here awaiting the start of last year's race, will be riding again on his snazzy Apple Green S6R.  Follow his adventures here and on Facebook on the day of the event.  In addition, at least one of our customers will be riding, so we may have more news to report after the race.

As you know if you've followed our blog for the last couple of years, the Brompton Championship events (the US in March, and the World Champs in August this year), have a different "dress code" from most bike races.  As you can see by Tom's outfit, "business attire" is the order of the day... all riders must wear a dress shirt, jacket and tie.  You might think this would lead to a stodgy looking field of riders, but creativity is the order of the day, with many wild and wacky ensembles.  The first place finishers in the male and female categories will get airfare to England for the World Championship! Best Dressed winners will get some other prize... last year it was a Brooks Barbican messenger bag, a very nice and very expensive piece of gear.

Online registration is closed, but there should still be slots open on the day of the event.  Even if you can't race, it's a fun event to watch, and it's part of a day's worth of racing in a lovely location, Fairmount Park.  If you don't yet own a Brompton, now is a great time to buy one!  This weekend only, we are offering $75 off any of our "in stock" Bromptons, in honor of the event.  And anyone who comes in to test ride a Brompton will receive a coupon for $1 off a Cornish style pasty at Pure Pasty, Virginia's first pasty bakery, and our next door neighbors.  So come on in and try a taste (or two) of Britain's finest!

Information about the race and a link to registration is here:

http://www.bromptonbicycle.com/busc/2011/

Photos from last year's event are here:

Brompton US Championship, March 20, 2010

New Xootr Swift Folder in the shop!

We just got in and assembled the first Xootr Swift folding bike to show up here.  It's a sharp looking and very nice riding bike. Available in five sizes, with further fine tuning of the fit made possible by the design, it's worth a look and a test ride.  It comes in blue and silver, and sells for $749.  The fold is quick and easy, but not the most compact by any means, and it doesn't stand by itself when folded.  On the plus side, it takes seconds to fold... release the two seat post releases, slide the post up, fold, slide the post back in to trap the back wheel.

Take the wheels off and take a few other steps, and it goes into a standard sized suitcase:

http://www.xootr.com/swift-suitcase-packing-instructions.html

So who should consider this bike?  Folks who want something smaller for their apartment, or to tuck into the trunk or back seat of your car, perhaps.  Or someone who is considering one of the 26" wheel Dahons... this bike rides as well, but folds a bit smaller.  It can work on Metro also, but it might not be my first choice for that, given how tiny a Brompton gets when folded.  However, it's half the price of a typical Brompton.  Price-wise, it competes with some of Dahon's models, and in some aspects compares very favorably.  Like all folding bikes... and all bikes, honestly, it's a set of compromises.  Xootr's slogan is "A great bike... which happens to fold" and I think that sums it up pretty well. 


 Come in and take a look and test ride, and see if it works for  you!

 Reviews can be seen here:

http://www.xootr.com/xootr-news.html

And thanks to Xootr, you can download the recent Bicycle Times magazine review, which also reviews bikes from Brompton and Dahon as well.

http://www.xootr.com/Merchant2/documents/bicycleTimes009Article.pdf

2011 Dahons

The new Dahons are starting to arrive. The first to get unpacked and ready to ride is this Speed D7, in a new "limited edition" color, Tangerine. The standard color is Baltic Blue, a nice dark blue. Price is $489. Come on by for a test ride!

More news on the 2011 Dahons - we also got in the Speed D7 in Baltic Blue, the Eco 6 in Brick Red, and a Curve D3 (16" wheel) in Fire Red.  Coming soon, a fresh batch of Speed P8s, in the standard Fire Red as well as the "limited edition" Obsidian.

2011 Brompton US Championship!

It's that time of year... time to register for the second annual Brompton US Championship!  For those of you who don't know, this is a race exclusively for Brompton Folding Bikes.  It's held in Philadelphia, PA, on Saturday, March 19th this year.  The course is about 6 miles long, with a couple of pretty good hills that will test your strength in the early season. 

The thing that sets this race (and the Brompton World Championship on which it is modeled) is the rules regarding attire. Due to the nature of the bike, and the somewhat quirky personality of the maker, all riders are required to wear "business attire", as if you were riding to work.  That means a shirt with a collar, jacket, and tie!  Don't worry, that doesn't mean boring and staid... last year's "best dressed male" award winners sported silver mylar pants and top hat, while the "best dressed female" was dressed in a 60s era stewardess uniform, complete with BOAC patch!

The prize for first place male and female is a free ticket to London for the Brompton World Championship, which is to be held in August this year.  Watch this space for news on that.

As those of you who know Tim have probably guessed, he's already registered to ride.  Look here on the day of the event for blog postings.  We've already heard from one customer who is signed up, so let's get others involved.  It's a lot of fun, and a good chance to meet other Brompton enthusiasts.

More information and a link to registration is here:

http://www.bromptonbicycle.com/busc/2011/

Some info on last year's race and photos can be found at:


http://www.brompton.co.uk/news/item.asp?n=8993

http://www.flickr.com/photos/43828356@N00/sets/72157623667655222/

And a series of blog entries here from last year:

http://bikesatvienna.blogspot.com/2010_03_01_archive.html

Clever Customer

Now and then a customer comes in with a way of doing something that I just find amazing. Well, today was one of those days.

Mike rides his high end handcycle competitively, and rides in events all over the place. He keeps us posted on the events in which he races, and we also keep an eye on him on Facebook.

Today he showed me how he manages to cram both his handcycle and his wheelchair into a medium sized sedan. Now, that may not seem like such a big deal if you've never seen a bike like this up close, but trust me, it's quite a feat. So much so I just had to take a few pictures.

First, here's Mike in his car:


And here's the cycle and wheelchair inside:
















And finally, here's the cycle ready to roll:


It's pretty amazing to see it all inside, honestly. Even more impressive is that he manages to pack the car by himself!

Pre-Season Sale!

You read that right! We're having a sale!

It's February, and things are slow, and we have some bikes that have been around a bit longer than we like, so it's time to cut some prices and find them a good home. Most are one of a kind, but there are a few models we just have too many of and need to thin the herd. Sale prices are limited to stock on hand.

Here are some of what we have:

Folding bikes on sale:

Mezzo Folding Bikes

The D-9 and I-4 share the same frame, shown here, while the D-10 has its own unique frame design, which you can see at the link below. The D-9 and D-10 have derailleur drive trains, 9 and 10 speed, respectively, while the I-4 uses a 4 speed Shimano Nexus internally geared hub.

Regular price for the D-9 is $1035, but during this limited time offer, you can have one for $899.
I-4s normally sell for $965, now $825, and D-10s are now $1150, down from $1350.

http://www.mezzobikes.com/US/index.php

Rans Crank Forward bikes on sale:

Zenetik - originally $1475, now $1200
Sequoia - originally $ 1300, now $1100
Citi - originally $1375, now $1150


Recumbents on sale:

Rans Stratus 700 - originally $1770, now $1500

Easy Racers Javelin - originally $1400, now $850

Sun X-2 AX - originally $1400, now $900

Trice Q recumbent trike - originally $3000, now $2500

Keep an eye here to see if more specials come up!

All sales are for stock on hand only!

Pre-Season Tuneup Special!

Well, it's that time of the year when the service area is slow, so now is the perfect time to bring your bike in for service! And to add an incentive, we're running a special!

Bring your bike in for a tuneup during February, and get the special rate of $60 for the labor AND free shift and brake cables (regular length only, and not including cable housing)! That's $10 off the 2010 labor prices, and $20 off our 2011 prices! That's right, as of March 1st, we're raising the labor cost of a standard tuneup to $80, so take advantage of this deal while it lasts!

Just print out and bring in the certificate below, or simply say you saw it on the blog or Facebook!

Bikes left when we were closed

Hey Gang!

Just checking to see if anyone knows anything about these three bikes that were left in front of the store when we were closed, either Monday or Tuesday. They are an older road bike and two older mountain bikes. I THINK they were meant for donation to Bikes For The World, but I'd like to find out for sure before I pass them on to BFTW. They were left in our racks out front, unlocked, with no note or phone call. If you know anything about them, please let us know.

For future reference, if anyone else drops a bike off in front of the store when we're closed, locked or otherwise, please stick a note in our mail box or call and leave a voice mail. Our number is on the door.

2011 Demo Brompton Is Here!

The Brompton folks require us to keep a demonstrator bike in the store at all times, so anyone who is interested can see and ride a Brompton. This year, when given the opportunity to order a new demo bike, I decided to bring in a bike that I consider pretty special... it's a S2LX, in Raw Lacquer.

What's that mean?




S = the straight, flat handlebars, which put the rider in a more aggressive, aerodynamic position than the other Brompton bars. As a bonus, they are the lightest of the three choices.

2 = two speed drivetrain. The rear hub has two sprockets on it, and there's a simple derailleur mechanism that moves the chain from one to the other. (The same mechanism is used on the six speed Bromptons, coupled with a 3 speed internally geared hub.)

L = Fenders only, no rack

X = "Superlight" upgrade. This means the front fork and rear frame are made from titanium instead of steel, along with the fender stays and folding pedal bolt, the seat post and headset are aluminum alloy, and the front wheel is lighter as well.

The resulting bike ends up around 21 pounds, a weight savings that is quite noticeable while carrying the bike, not as much while riding.

To cap it all off, I ordered the Raw Lacquer, a clear finish that shows off the construction details of the Brompton frame. You can see how each joint is brazed together, largely by hand. It's a really nice touch.






So what does a Brompton like this cost? Well, I'm not allowed to sell the demo bike until it's replaced by another one, but I can order one just like it for you for $2120. The same bike, in one or two of the "stock" colors (black, white, turkish green, hot pink), without the "Superlight" bits, would cost $1280, weigh a little over 2 pounds more, and not look as eye-catching. But it would still be a great bike!

Check out Vienna Patch

For those of you that don't know, I'm now writing a column every couple of weeks for Vienna Patch, an online publication with a local focus. My latest piece appears here:

http://vienna.patch.com/articles/getting-out-on-your-bike-in-the-winter

Let me know what you think, and please add your comments on the site.

Tim

Winter Studded Tires

We don't often post links to other people's blogs, but this one caught my eye, because I have been riding studded tires in winter for about 5 years now. The writer, a local recumbent rider (anyone we know?) shares his experiences with using studs on a recumbent bike here in the DC area. Check it out:

http://washingtonwheelman.blogspot.com/2011/01/schwalbe-winter-tires.html

First 2011 Bromptons Have Arrived!

Yesterday I unpacked and prepared four new Bromptons, the first of the 2011 bikes we've received. Two are waiting to be picked up by their future owners, but these two are here for you to come see and test ride! The bike on the left is an M6R, in the new Sage Green color, and the bike on the right is a P6R, in the new Claret color. Both are really great colors, I think. There's one more new color for 2011, Hot Pink, but I opted to order these two at this time.

Project Bikes, again...

Following up on my earlier post, I'd like to show an example or two of the kinds of "project bikes" I was referring to.

As a starting point, for those that want to dig back into the past, you can check some of the blog posts from my personal blog "Spokes of a Wheel" that deal with customizing your bike. You'll find information on how I've "personalized" many of my own bikes and other folks' bikes as well.

In addition, follow along as I work with my girlfriend to put together a hopefully wonderful new bike for her. She has a great older Bridgestone mixte-framed bike and a Brompton folding bike, each of which are just fine as they are. Now I want to create for her the closest thing to a custom bike I can, short of building her a frame from scratch (which will come in time).


The foundation, based on her fondness (and mine) for the mixte frame, is a Velo Orange Mixte frame, purchased from Velo Orange in Annapolis, MD. It's a classically styled, beautifully built lugged steel frame in a very pretty shade of blue. The first step has been taken... the bike has been christened "Bullseye"!

Next comes selecting the various components and accessories to build the bike up. The goal is a bike that is both fun and practical, as well as beautiful. Keep your eyes on this page and follow along as we begin.