Ride with us in the Vienna Halloween Parade October 25th!

It's that time of year again! Come and join us as we ride in the Town of Vienna Halloween Parade! We meet at the shop at 6:30, so we can make our way to our starting position by 7:00. If you've ridden with us before, you know it's a lot of fun. If you haven't tried it, you should.

After the ride come on back to the shop for some food and beverages... Mini Pasties from Pure Pasty, various snacks, and a variety of things to drink.

DIRCK HARRIS 1951 - 2017

On August 31^st Dirck Harris, a customer and good friend of ours passed away. He was an avid cyclist, a member and president of the W&OD Trail Patrol. A frequent visitor at the shop, we always enjoyed his sense of humor and genuine kindness. A talented photographer with a true love of the natural world, he often answered our “what the heck is that?” questions about flora and fauna. Dirck will be sorely missed by all of us here at the shop. A good man, gone far too soon. His passing was due to mesothelioma, the result of serving in boiler rooms in the Navy many years ago. Donations may be made in his name at the Mesothelioma Applied Research Foundation, and we welcome all of you to contribute. To that end, on Saturday, September 23^rd, 10% of all proceeds at the shop will be donated to this fund. To donate directly, go to: http://www.curemeso.org/tributewall

To read more about Dirck, please see:

http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/washingtonpost/obituary.aspx?n=dirck-harris&pid=186674276

Changing hours for Autumn!

It's that time of year again.  Kids are back in school, or will be soon, summer is winding down, Labor Day is upon us.  So it's time to change our store hours.  As of September 3rd, our hours will be:

Sunday:  10am - 6pm
Monday: CLOSED
Tuesday: CLOSED
Wednesday: 10am - 7pm
Thursday: 10am - 7pm
Friday: 10am - 7pm
Saturday:  10am - 6pm

Brompton Demo Tour is coming to Vienna July 9th!

Back by popular demand!  Brompton is bringing a batch of Brompton Folding Bike demonstrators that you can take OVERNIGHT!  That's right... take a Brompton home with you, and see how it fits into your life for a day.  You can pick up a bike between 1pm and 4pm on Sunday July 9th, and return it between 5pm and 7pm on Monday July 10th  Take it to work, or shopping, or on errands... or just ride it for fun! This was a hugely popular event last year, so act now to make sure you have the chance to try one... you MUST sign up in advance here:

https://www.brompton.com/Events/Posts/2017/Demo-US-Vienna

Fourth of July Parade Ride for Recumbents

The Fairfax Recumbent Riders group has been accepted to ride in this year's parade. 

All recumbent cyclists are encouraged to join us on Tuesday July 4th 2017 at 8:45am for our sixth participation in the Fairfax City Independence Day Parade, the largest in Northern VA.  Or you can meet us at the shop at 7:30am to ride down to Fairfax for the parade.

Do you know a veteran with a trike? Ask him to join us! 

Do you know a vet without a trike who would like to join us? Let us know - we might be able to find a loaner for him.

Don't own a recumbent yourself? Contact us - there's a good chance we'll be able to provide a loaner for you.

Costumes are not necessary but welcomed; 4th-of-July-themed bike decorations are expected. We usually have extra flags and red-white-blue crepe paper to share.

Hopefully we are ahead of the elephants (if you've ridden with us in the past, you'll know why this is a good thing; otherwise, use your imagination). 

Official info from the City of Fairfax here:

http://www.fairfaxva.gov/about-us/special-events/independence-day-celebration/schedule-of-events

Brompton Maintenance Class - Monday, June 5th - 7:00pm!

That's right, the long-awaited, much-anticipated class focused on the care and maintenance of the Brompton returns to bikes@vienna! Learn how to fix a flat tire and perform basic adjustments on this terrific little bike. This will also be a great opportunity to meet other Brompton owners and share tips and information with each other.  Cost for the class is $45, and you will also have your choice of a Portland Design Works 3Wrencho combo tire lever/axle wrench or a coupon for $20 off the Brompton Toolkit, or a free copy of David Henshaw's The Brompton Bicycle.

We will start promptly at 7:00pm and should be finished around 9:00pm.

A new demo trike to try from HP Velotechnik!

We've got an exciting new demo trike from HP Velotechnik now.  Part of their Scorpion family, this is a Scorpion Plus 20, with 20" wheels all around.  Designed with a high seating position for ease of getting on and off the seat, and a full suspension to smooth the ride.

To top it all off, this one has the new STEPS electric assist system from Shimano.  A crank based system, it has a sophisticated control system, that in this case is married to Shimano's Alfine 8 speed internally geared hub, offering the option of automatic shifting for a truly care free ride.  Come on in and check it out.

More info on the trike -  HP Velotechnik Scorpion Plus

And STEPS - Shimano STEPS System

Make Black Friday a GREEN Friday this year!

Once again, we're going to be CLOSED on Black Friday (11/25/16).  Since none of us here are really fond of braving the crowds on Black Friday at other stores, we're doing to try something different... we're going for a bike ride!

Many of you probably recall our famous Guilt Reduction Rides, which used to be held on Thanksgiving Day.  We took a hiatus from those the last few years, and now we're hoping you can join us on Friday instead.  Think about it... a bike ride in the fresh air, or sitting in traffic, fighting your way to some big box store sale?

We'll leave from the shop at 10:00am, so please try to get here a bit ahead of that.  Our destination is the train station in downtown Herndon.  We'll have coffee and tea and perhaps some treats back at the shop.

Since we're a drop off point for donated food for the folks at the Committee Helping Others, we encourage everyone to bring some canned goods to help out those less fortunate!

Halloween Parade Tomorrow!!!! October 26, 2016

Don't forget... Wednesday, October 26th is the big night... the 70th Annual Vienna Halloween Parade!  Meet us at the shop between 6 and 6:30 so we can all ride to our start point at 7pm!  Then afterwards, come on back to the shop for food and drink.  Among other things we will have pasties from Pure Pasty. If you don't know what a pasty is, imagine a hand held pie full of delicious meat and/or veggies! We'll have Traditional Beef, Chicken Masala, Pork & Apple, and Southwest Veggie pasties, as well as Pumpkin Pie pasties and Eccles Cakes for dessert!

Vienna Halloween Parade - WednesdayOctober 26th!

It's that time of year again! Come and join us as we ride in the Town of Vienna Halloween Parade! We meet at the shop at 6:30, so we can make our way to our starting position by 7:00. If you've ridden with us before, you know it's a lot of fun. If you haven't tried it, you should. After the ride come on back to the shop for some food and beverages... Mini Pasties from Pure Pasty, various snacks, and a variety of things to drink.

Changing hours!

Autumn is coming, and with its approach, we are changing our hours. We will now be CLOSED on both Mondays AND Tuesdays. The rest of our hours remain unchanged and can be found here and on our website.

Sunday: 10 - 6

Monday: CLOSED

Tuesday: CLOSED

Wednesday: 10 - 7

Thursday: 10 - 7

Friday: 10 - 7

Saturday: 10 - 6

CLOSED Monday and Tuesday, July 11th and 12th!

PLEASE NOTE! Due to the final stages of the work on the parking lot, we will be CLOSED on Tuesday, July 12th. That means we will be closed both Monday and Tuesday of next week. We will re-open for our regular hours on Wednesday. The good news is that the project is nearing completion!

Ride a recumbent in the Fairfax Independence Day Parade!

Massey Building Complex
10680 Main Street, Fairfax, VA

Just look for all the trikes! Or follow the directions below.

Or meet at Bikes@Vienna at 7:30 am to ride as a group to the start.

All recumbent cyclists are encouraged to join us on Monday July 4th 2016 at 8:45 am for our fifth participation in the Fairfax City Independence Day Parade, the largest in Northern VA.

Do you know a vet with a trike? Ask him or her to join us!

Do you know a vet without a trike who would like to join us? Let us know - we might be able to find a loaner for them.

Costumes are not necessary but welcomed; 4th-of-July-themed bike decorations are expected. We usually have extra flags and red-white-blue crepe paper to share.

We are in Division 6, Position 606. Hopefully we are ahead of the elephants (if you've ridden with us in the past, you'll know why this is a good thing; otherwise, use your imagination). The links below the parade information and where the Division 6 Position 6 meeting place is.



Link to Directions to Fairfax City.

Link to Parade Meeting Location Division 6.

Link to Staging Areas.

Link to Rules and Regs.

Link to official parade website.

Basic Maintenance & Repair Class, Sunday, April 3rd!

Learn the basics of keeping your bike running smoothly and safely. Topics covered in this basic maintenance class include pre-ride safety check, flat repair and avoidance, cleaning and lubing, and minor gear and brake adjustments. No need to bring your bike; we demonstrate on one of ours. The class costs $45, which includes a $25 tool kit. RSVP on our Meetups page, call us at 703-938-8900, or visit our shop to sign up.

Get your bike ready for Spring!

Metrorail CLOSED Wednesday, March 16th!

 

http://wmata.com/#

In an unprecedented move, the Metrorail system is going to be completely shut down, from midnight on March 15th until the morning of Thursday the 17th!  Apparently this is due to an urgent need for safety inspections of parts of the electrical system.

A good day to ride your bike to work... the weather forecast looks good, although there is a chance of rain.  If your own bike isn't an option, Capital Bikeshare is offering FREE 24 hour memberships tomorrow:

https://www.capitalbikeshare.com/news/2016/03/15/capital-bikeshare-to-offer-corral-service-march-16-for-metrorail-closure

Word didn't go out until 4:35pm on Tuesday, which doesn't give a lot of warning for folks.  If there's anything we can do to help you with your commute, let us know.  We'll be open from 10am until 7pm, ready to fix your bike, and we'll have hot coffee for you too!

Chocolate Chat - Bicycle Touring! - March 13, 2016

Have you ever thought about trying bicycle touring? Packing up your bike and heading out on the open road or the trail for a couple of days, a week, or a whole summer? Why not come and listen to folks who have done it? That's our next Chocolate Chat, on Sunday, March 13th at 10:00am. We'll cover supported and independent touring, and discuss how to prepare, pack, and enjoy your bicycle adventure, from an overnight trip on the C&O to a coast-to-coast epic!  You'll get to hear from four or more people with many years and miles of touring experience between them. We'll provide coffee, hot tea, and cocoa for a cold day.  Come and learn and share your own experiences too!

“Wishing For Spring” Service Specials!

We all know Spring is coming... sooner or later.  Why not take advantage of these special offers on service packages and avoid the inevitable Spring rush? As an added bonus, we can offer faster turnaround time at this point, due to the fact we just have fewer bikes coming in!

These specials only apply when you bring your bike in before March 15th... after March 15th we move to our regular 2016 service prices.

2 - Wheel Standard Tune Up (brake & gear adjust, wheel true, bearing adjustments as needed, wipe down and inspect frame, safety check and test ride:  NOW $65 ($95 after March 15th)

2 - Wheel Standard Plus Tune Up  (remove drivetrain for cleaning, brake & gear adjust, wheel true, bearing adjustments as needed, wipe down and inspect frame, safety check and test ride:  NOW $95 ($125 after March 15th)

3 - Wheel Standard Tune Up (brake & gear adjust, wheel true, bearing adjustments as needed, wipe down and inspect frame, safety check and test ride:  NOW $75 ($105 after March 15th)

3 - Wheel Standard Plus Tune Up  (remove drivetrain for cleaning, brake & gear adjust, wheel true, bearing adjustments as needed, wipe down and inspect frame, safety check and test ride:  NOW $105 ($135 after March 15th)

Sunday, January 24th, 2016

Well, the lot hasn't been plowed yet today, and from what we hear the road crews are out in force today and folks are asked to stay off the roads if possible to let them do their job. Tim will be at the shop today, so if you need something, give a call before coming. Be safe out there!

CLOSED for Inventory 1/11 - 1/14

PLEASE NOTE: We will be CLOSED for inventory from Monday, January 11th through Thursday, January 14th. We will return to our regular hours on Friday the 15th.

Make Black Friday a GREEN Friday this year!

Following the lead of REI and others, we've decided we're going to be CLOSED on Black Friday (11/27/15).  Since none of us here are really fond of braving the crowds on Black Friday at other stores, we're doing to try something different... we're going for a bike ride!

Many of you probably recall our famous Guilt Reduction Rides, which used to be held on Thanksgiving Day.  We took a hiatus from those the last few years, and now we're hoping you can join us on Friday instead.  Think about it... a bike ride in the fresh air, or sitting in traffic, fighting your way to some big box store sale?

We'll leave from the shop at 10:00am, so please try to get here a bit ahead of that.  Our destination is the train station in downtown Herndon.  We'll have coffee and tea and perhaps some treats back at the shop.

Since we're a drop off point for donated food for the folks at the Committee Helping Others, we encourage everyone to bring some canned goods to help out those less fortunate!

Here's a blast from the past... Guilt Reduction Ride 2008.  That's John and Ces Brunow in blue jackets next to the yellow tandem. Tim is next to them in the yellow vest with less grey hair than he has now.