The Bicycle Escape hosted our Single Speed Conversion Party last night. The pizza was great the drinks were cold and we all enjoyed the evening. The group watched a demonstration on how to convert a multi speed bicycle into a one geared wonder. We were delighted to have Single Speed Outlaw Joe Whitehair on hand to offer his expertise on the subject. The event was as much social as it was technical which provided a nice venue to talk to other riders and make new friends. Thanks to all who attended I look forward to seeing you at the next event…

Thanksgiving Anniversary

Danielle and I have a great deal to be thankful for this Thanksgiving. In addition to celebrating good health, supportive family and great friends we have reached the one year anniversary of The Bicycle Escape. As we reflect on one year of business we also reflect on the friends and family that have helped to make this endeavor possible. When Danielle and I took position of the big empty shell that you know as The Bicycle Escape it was friends and family that hung the drywall, laid the floor, assembled the fixtures, and helped to complete all of the tasks necessary to bring our vision to life. We have been so touched by your support. It seems impossible to express our gratitude. For everyone that enjoys having The Bicycle Escape as a resource we hope that you too will appreciate the hard work that these people have volunteered and continue to volunteer, without these efforts this store would not be in existence. We are equally grateful for those of you who patronize The Bicycle Escape, we will not remain in business without this support. Thank you all so very much and may you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving! Tom & Danielle

Greenridge, Mountain Bikes, and New-Blood

This past weekend a few of us at The Bicycle Escape accompanied by a good friend Kevin (Man of Steel) went to Greenridge for a mountain bike camping trip. The trip was a great way for me to get away for a while and enjoy riding and good friends. Upon our arrival we ate and quickly prepared for a night ride. This ride held significant importance for Rob the youngest member of our entourage. This was one of his first mountain bike rides on his new Jamis Dakar as well as his very first night ride. The ride was not without incident we experience three flat tires, one crash, and Rob’s battery died about a mile from the campsite. The thing is it was a great ride- to see the excitement on the face of a new cyclist and to be able to share something that I enjoy so much made it a great trip.

Most Likely to...Open a Bike Shop

Tom and I both graduated from Linganore High School in 1998, in fact, that is where we met and became good friends. It wasn't until college that Tom swept me off my feet and we began dating but that's another story...

In high school we were both average students who hated math, loved music and had nothing to do with football, pep rallies or the FFA. You won't find our pictures in the superlative or student government sections of the yearbook but rather the art club, track team and, for Tom, in the Women's Issues club (you could always find him wherever the ladies gathered). So, little did we ever imagine that one day we'd be featured in our school newspaper 8 years after receiving our diplomas.

But NOW, we are officially the coolest Linganore High School Alumni ever! In the October issue of the school paper, The Lance, you will find an article featuring 2 LHS grads who opened a business in Frederick. Those 2 grads are yours truly, Tom and Danielle Rinker (that's me). It is a nicely written article with an adequate photo of us (I look like I am chewing on straw or something). The article talks about our favorite (or least favorite) classes in school but more importantly about our beautiful bicycle shop itself and the advice we would give to anyone thinking about opening their own business. We really wanted today's youth to know that, with hard work and committment, even average students can achieve their dreams (I know, I know...I sound like an after school special.)

Read the Article

P.S. - You will still find Tom wherever the ladies gather...

Birth of an IF

The Man of Steel did some fancy photo work when he assembled his Independent Fabrication Steel Deluxe which I wanted to share with our readers. Note the cable installation taking place in stages…Nice touch Kevin!

Man Of Steel

This is Kev, my friend, TBE customer, racer and the proud owner of a new steel IF Deluxe. Kev's a self proclaimed weight-weenie, putting light weight before everything else. A condition that now seems to be in remission thanks to his new IF. Not that his IF is heavy coming in fully built at 24lbs.

I was going to write this long winded blog entry about aluminum vs steel and weight savings vs durability/performance and how Kev arrived at his purchase but then Kev posted his review of his new ride on a local message board. I decided to let his post speak for itself.

In Kev's own words

"Mike is going love this one.

First things first, this is the best bike I've ever ridden. The steel does make a difference. It has a very solid feel to it that inspires confidence. Those of you that ride with me know that I'm big chicken when it comes to catching air. When we were at Schaefer and Patapsco the other day and I found myself jumping off small water bars and humps in the trail. It also rides lighter than the 24.4 pounds that it weighs. It's really easy to climb, I was making stuff at Patapsco that has given me trouble in the past, even on my Klein. It might be due to the lower front end of this bike with its 80 mm travel fork. It also has a dampening charateristic that you can't quite put your finger on. It seems to take a slight edge off. I can't wait to take it out on an Endurance ride.

All in all I'm very happy. Thanks to Tom for the hook up. The only problem I have now is that the Klein might be gathering dust for awhile."

Shop Goofin

Things were a little slow one evening so Tom and I blew off some steam by setting up an impromptu obstacle course in the shop area and riding it on Tom's Titus. Pretty generic, but as you can tell from the video footage, we sure had fun doing it. Undoubtedly you will see that the skills of one of the riders shines through....and the other ehhh...not so much. ;)

Mountain Biking After 50

Some of The Bicycle Escape staff member’s hit the trail this past weekend. This is not an uncommon occurrence but on this ride Danielle, Mike, and myself were joined by Roger. Roger, as some of you may know, is my father. While we cycle on the road together often it has been about ten years since dad has been on an off road adventure. We went to Schaeffer Farms and enjoyed fair weather and good company. It was a great reintroduction to mountain biking for my father. By the end of the ride he was crossing logs and streams with a smile. Glad to have you back Dad.