Greenbrier Challenge UCI Mountain Bike Race

This past Sunday was pretty exciting. Greenbrier State Park hosted the Greenbrier Challenge UCI mountain bike race. Much has been written about the racers and the final results have been posted. I will focus on the experience of attending a mountain bike race that attracted some of the best athletes in the sport.

Bike racing is great because the novice and Pro can compete on the same course in the same day. It is great because the superstars of the sport are so easily accessible. I was however, a little disappointed in the lack of spectators at the race. Mountain bike racing is not the greatest spectator sport but one would expect that there would be a decent sized crowd for such a high stakes race. On the flip side if there were tons of spectators the pros mentioned earlier would be sheltered behind barricades and bodyguards. My hope is that cycling popularity will end up somewhere in the middle.
Race Results: http://www.prologsoftware.com/proracingtiming/results/r04_29_07Final.htm

MTBR Single Speed Press Release

Being the hams that we are we can't seem to stay out of the news! A couple of days ago we were featured on MTBR. They posted a press release about our sponsorship of the world famous one speed wonders aka The Single Speed Outlaw Factory Team. If you did not catch it on the site here is a link: http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=291217

Frederick News Post Article

Well kiddies I made it into the Frederick News Post today- complete with goofy grin. The article was well done and tons of fun to read so check it out! For those of you who had your paper stolen by your neighbor here is a link.

Titus El Guapo

Like a doting father I just had to share with the world the birth of a new bike, we call him Titus El Guapo. After a 4 month gestation period the bike was finally delivered yesterday. Tipping the scale at 32.14 lbs he is one of the lighter bikes in his class. Our readers with keen eyes may have noticed our El Guapo was born with an upgraded shock. That’s right a Fox DHX Air 5.0. For a big boy he pedals great (due to good FSR stock and selective breeding I assume). Thanks for sharing in our moment of joy- now come on in and test ride!

IRD 11-34 10 Speed Cassette

Finally wide range 10 speed cassettes are on the market. IRD (Interlock Racing Design) is the forward thinking company that is making randonneur, tandem, and touring cyclists everywhere smile. The new rear cluster will require a long cage (mountain bike style) rear derailleur and will shift smoothly with Shimano 10 speed STI shifters. The downside of this modification is that the pricey cassette ($155+/-) does not shift very smooth. This is a worthy aftermarket purchase if having a wide range of gears in more important than a butter smooth shift.

Single Speed Outlaw Factory Team

The Bicycle Escape is proud to announce that we are sponsoring the Single Speed Outlaw Factory Team. The club initiation meeting took place at the shop on Sunday April 15th. We are excited to further our support of single speed bikes as a legitimate option/alternative to the shifty bikes (which we love too!). The team members are comprised of riders, racers, bike advocates, and more. All of the members are passionate supporters of bike culture and advocacy which made SSO and TBE a perfect match! Welcome to the family Outlaws!

Bottle Cap Bar Plugs

Call us crazy…call us mad…but we can’t seem to stop finding cool and exciting ways to recycle those colorful bottle caps that typically get tossed in the trash bin. This idea was inspired by a request made on our online photo album hosted by Flickr. It took a little experimentation to get the technique down but with the help of brew-master RiderX we finally figured it out!

Baker Park Garrett’s 5K Run

This past week winter has made a reappearance here in Frederick. Saturday Danielle and some TBE groupies (Aaron and Sarah) helped to support the Garrett’s 5k Run in Baker Park. Two were on wheels and one on foot. They helped to ensure all of the runners safety and acted as communication with the run officials. They also helped to cheer the shivering runners down the road. In spite of a few little snow flakes the event was a great success and helped to raise money for the Garrett Petronchak Memorial Scholarship.

Thanks to Bill Smith for snapping this photo.

Bottle Cap Head Tube Badges

Several months ago we started a special project at The Bicycle Escape. We reshaped bottle caps to turn them into bicycle head tube badges. At first the result was rather primitive but as weeks turned into months we honed our technique. Now we are able to turn discarded caps into beautiful cold-forged works of art. They are suitable for any round tube (bicycle tubes, walking sticks, etc.) and are compatible with both foreign and domestic bike frames. At this point we have amassed quite a collection so stop by and see if we have one to compliment your bike. At just a buck and a half you can’t go wrong!

"The New Guy"

My name is David and I am a recent hire at The Bicycle Escape. I am new here, but I am the “old guy” in the shop… I have been around bikes riding seriously since 1986. I have worked at two other bike shops in Frederick over the past 15 or so years.
Being older, I have had my time riding and racing and then “falling off the horse” so to speak… Life gets in the way. Marriage, having children, career choices, injuries, and the list of excuses can be long. I haven’t quit riding or being active, I am just not the zealot I once was. I ride with my wife and kids, coach soccer and play other sports with my family. We go camping and take the bikes on every outing.
Being back in the shop has given me the itch to get back on the saddle and get back to riding more miles! Even though my mountain bike is somewhat out dated, (can’t be upgraded to disc brakes!) I still want to get back up in the woods as well. Working with the younger staff at The Bicycle Escape is very inspirational to an old dog like me. I am having a lot of fun getting to know everyone and working there.
Riding is an activity that everyone can enjoy at any level, or at any age. Whether it is tooling around the neighborhood with the kids, riding towpath to Harper’s Ferry for ice cream, enjoying the scenery of the watershed, pounding the pedals on the roads, biking around here is greatly rewarding. I don’t think you need to get a job in a bike shop to remember the joys of riding so get back out there and ride! Maybe I will see you out on the road or in the woods!

Deller Cycling Hats

A few weeks ago we received a shipment of Deller hats. The initial order was instigated by Mike who wanted one for himself. After seeing the hats (and grabbing one for myself) I was glad we placed the order. Shaun Deller hand makes cycling caps out of recycled fabrics (mostly wool). His hats offer high style without the billboard look usually associated with cycling caps. Hats-off to Shaun for making recycling look so good.

Meals on Bicycle Wheels…?

This past Saturday was the Meals on Wheels Charity 5K Run in Baker Park. If you participated in the run or happened to be in the area, you probably saw a few cyclists cruising throughout the course. Well, if you did, it was me and some other TBE employees assisting with the run. I led the lead woman runner along the 3.1 mile course. My cohorts rode back and forth between the athletes to make sure everyone was headed in the right direction and not passed out in the street. We carried water for thirsty runners and walkie-talkies to communicate from our different locations.

We helped with this event for a number of reasons. For one; we think this organization provides a necessary service to the housebound and elderly in our community. Number two; the event allowed us to support the community which so graciously supports us and our bike shop. And three; any day we get out on a bike is a good day!

I enjoyed reliving my former days as a cross country and track runner. I can remember running in similar races, in a pack, behind a bicycle leading our way. I was able to cheer for the runners and encourage them to push it to the finish line (something that is easy to do when you are peddling a bike at 3 miles an hour). It was very nostalgic for me to be out in the frigid cold weather watching the runners try to keep themselves warm and relaxed before the race started.

The Bicycle Escape will be assisting with the Garrett 5K run next month. This run is also located at Baker Park and is the same course as the Meals on Wheels run. If you want to participate in the Garrett 5K run swing by our shop and pick up a registration form.

Titus Envy

A gauge of how cool a bicycle is might be the level of jealously experienced by the mechanic who assembles the machine. I recently built a Titus Eleven all dressed up with Shimano XTR bits for a local rider named Adam. Now, I work in a bike shop and have done so for well over a decade now. I don’t get jealous about that many bicycles. I mean come on... I light my cigars by burning custom bicycle frames. After building up Adam’s new ride I found myself wishing it was my own. The Titanium hardtail had flawless welds and the new XTR equipment shifted fast and precise. The bike, as pictured with XTR pedals and Ti cage, tipped the scale at 23.03lbs. Oh well, this bike my not be mine but at least it was fun to assemble and share with the world!

Fixed Gear Gallery

I recently found out about a neat fixed gear site called www.fixedgeargallery.com. Mike posted his Montarino on their photo gallery. His bike is proudly listed as #4651. If you are into fixed gear bikes you should check out the site. They have lots of photos, a forum, and direct-drive friendly links too.

Rebirth

A few months back a customer brought an old road bike into the shop looking for someone to take it off their hands. Although very old and beat up, Tom took the bike thinking it might make a good project bike for someone. After looking at the ugly beater hanging from the ceiling for months, I decided to pull it down and measure it. It came in around 58cm which wouldn't you know...would work just fine for me. The bike is a Montarino, which sounds Italian but it's not, the sticker on the seat tube proudly proclaims that it was made in West Germany. From the little bit of information I could find regarding the Montarino brand on the Internet and using the components as a gauge, I estimate that this bike was manufactured during the early to mid 70's. I decided to strip the old busted components off of the bike and make it a fixed gear city cruiser. I tried to keep it as original as possible yet still make it safe and comfortable. New wheels and tires were a must since I was unable to locate tires that would fit the original wheels. Besides that, I flipped and chopped the handlebar, gave it a fresh wrap of Cateye cloth tape and added a new seat and chrome toe clips. I've taken it out a few times so far and it's a great ride. It feels good breath life into and ride something you saved from the landfill.

North American Hand Built Bicycle Show Preview

Since I live vicariously through Danielle’s stories about her trip to the Independent Fabrication factory, I want to fill you in on a bike that she left out of her post. The bike pictured is a very special XS. It will be on display at the North American Hand Built Bicycle Show on March 2-4 in California. The frame’s titanium lugs were first polished to a mirror sheen and then coated with Titanium Nitride (that’s the same stuff they coat high end drill bits with). This process leaves an extremely tough finish on the bike and a strikingly unique and beautiful golden tone. This bike represents IF’s first frame to receive this finish option. The carbon fiber tubes were finished with a harlequin clear coat which rounds out the bike. Oh yeah… and that head badge is made of real gold!

Snow Mountain Bike Excursions

The Gambrill Night Ride was a bust. With the temps hovering around freezing, conditions were up in the air. The five brave souls found trails covered by virtually un-rideable slush. After about 1.5 miles we called it a day and headed home to our warm and cozy houses.

This ride comes in great contrast to the one I took on Sunday with my new Jamis Exile 29er single speed. The snow was frozen solid and I was able to skate across the top- always on the verge on loosing control. It was great. I pedaled around some local school soccer fields, and down a few prime sledding hills. I then raced over to an abandoned rock quarry near my house. The snow made it possible to ride places you can not in the warmer months so there is no need to be restricted to the trail. I snaked in and out around trees with a child-like grin. It was lots of fun but I must admit I am a little anxious to hit the dirt again.

Danielle Goes to Independent Fabrication...

At the end of January, in fact, the last hour of January, my sister-in-law give birth to a little baby girl (see 1st photo on the right). This joyous occasion made me purchase a plane ticket and fly to Jamaica Plain, Massachusetts where my new niece and her parents reside. The awesome thing about this neighborhood in Boston is that it is about 6 miles from Somerville, MA a.k.a. home of Independent Fabrication. So, during my stay in lovely Boston I traveled by subway to 86 Joy Street to see what exactly goes on in that place where the finest handcrafted frames are created.

Lucky me was picked up at one of Boston's many Dunkins Donuts by Mr. Matt Bracken, President of IF, and whisked away to the IF compound. Matt and his dog, Charleston, gave me a very thorough tour of the workshop. He started at the wall of tubes (see picture under the "Live the Dream" sign) where each tube is hand picked to fit a customer's individual needs. I then followed Matt around the shop as he explained each step of the bike-making process. I, of course, noticed the interesting contents in the trash can and had to take a photo. The can was filled with Dunkin Donuts coffee cup after coffee cup proving that "IF runs on Dunkins."

I met most of the fine men and women on the back of the IF catalog and had the opportunity to stand and stare at them while they worked (I am sure they loved that). Under the picture of the array of Dunkin Donut cups you see Finn holding the one and only custom comfort bike designed for a show that IF will be attending. I think I may put that bike on my Christmas list.

Below the custom step-through frame you see Cliff working on an XS frame. Below him is a white arrow pointing at another XS. This frame is a special work in progress that, when completed, will be featured in Wired Magazine.

I took about a million pictures while I was at IF, some of which are on our Flickr page.

I am completely amazed with Independent Fabrication. Not only do they make absolutely stunning bicycles always paying attention to detail and handling each bike with loving care but they totally rock in the customer service department. They most certainly score bonus points with The Bicycle Escape for inviting me into their "home", teaching me about what they do and making me feel welcomed.

Stop Swap and Save

Yesterday was the Stop Swap and Save bicycle swap meet in Westminster. For the second year in a row we spent the day inviting attendees to play the “Wheel Game” for a chance at one of many great prizes. The fixed gear bikes that we brought sold almost immediately.
My favorite part of this event is being surrounded by so many different riders and getting a chance to speak with lots of them about there cycling experiences. It also provides a opportunity to see people from other shops that I seldom have a chance to hang out with. All-in-all it was a great event that we plan on attending next year.

Fixed Gears, Frederick, and Indie Rockers

With the Westminster Bicycle Swap Meet fast approaching I finally got around to converting two old road bikes into fixed gears to sell at the event. I always enjoy doing these conversions. I love the simplicity of a fixed gear bicycle. I also love the nostalgic throw back to the early years of cycling, both historically and personally (after all my Big Wheel was technically a fixed gear). Gradually, riding fixed gear bikes has become a cool thing to do. More recently it has morphed into the "ultra-hip-indie-rocker-high-school-kid- in-tight-jeans" way to separate from the crowd. Aspects of this are great. Few elements of cycling find their way into pop-culture. Other factors however, are less appealing. A select number of these youths recently latched onto the term "Critical Mass Ride" and altered the meaning to fit their musings. They somehow believe the intent is to ride 4,5,6… abreast through downtown Frederick on epoxy-made fixed gear bicycles as a prank on the community. Now I enjoy pranks and have done my fair share of joking around especially in my teen years. My two concerns are that the actions of a few will paint cyclists in a negative light and these few young people will never fully respect the bicycle in all of its glory.

Here is a video about the fixed gear craze.

Deuter Race X Air I Review

About 7 months ago I purchased a Deuter Race X Air I hydration pack. The German company had always been of interest to me but I had never experienced their products firsthand. I selected the Race X Air I mainly because it has a unique mesh back. This is referred to as the “Advanced Aircomfort” system which allows near uninterrupted air flow. Poor airflow had been my primary complaint with other packs. It should also be noted that this model was awarded Mountain Biking Magazine’s Editor’s Choice award. The pack holds a 3 liter reservoir and has 850 cubic inches of storage. The empty pack and reservoir tipped our scale at 2.24lbs.

My first impression of the pack was quite positive. I immediately noticed the additional air flow across my back which was a very welcome improvement. I found the amount of storage space in the pack to be ample enough for all my gear, a thin jacket, and room to spare. The pack distributes the load comfortably even on long rides. This is helpful because the overall weight of the pack is a bit heavier than one of their non “Advanced Aircomfort” systems. The reservoir is great. It has a very smooth texture which is supposedly so bacteria can not cling to the bladder. This seems to work effectively even through my abuse. I enjoy the fact that I can get my entire hand inside the reservoir when I want to give it a though cleaning. I tend to drink water and I can not comment on how the reservoir holds up to sports drinks. I do not typically remove the bladder to fill it but when I do it takes a bit longer to remove than I would like. My primary complaint is that the bite valve sometimes drips a little when it slides forward off the hose.

Over all I really like this hydration pack. You can tell it was designed by a backpacking company the way it fits on your body and the German engineers loaded the pack with lots of great little features

Sidi Winter Shoes

Got a set of Sidi Diablo GTX Winter Shoes for Christmas and figured I'd post up my impressions thus far.

As with most Sidi products, the shoes are very comfortable. My first ride with these shoes was a 23 miler in the mountains around Frederick and the shoes caused me no discomfort. I have noticed that the traction on rocks is lacking but this is a common characteristic for Sidi mountain shoes since the tread compund is made hard for added durability. The top of the shoe, around the ankle is very comfortable but I've found that no matter how tight I make the ankle strap, there is still a gap between the back of my ankle and the shoe while riding. This gap, acts as a catch-all for the little bits my rear tire throws up while riding. On most days I find myself either stopping to dig a rock out of one of my shoes or emptying out bits of leaves and dirt at the end of the day.

The shoes are 100% waterproof as you would expect with any Gore-Tex product. I've forded several streams and not a drop of water enters the shoes. There is however a limit to the protection and it's not when water crests the top of the shoe. The upper most, ankle area of the shoe is not protected by Gore-Tex, it's made of a neoprene like material. If you step in water, up to the top of the ankle, you have about 5 seconds before water starts finding it's way into the shoe through the neoprene like material.

Today, was the first day I was able to spend any prolonged time in the cold wearing these shoes. Temps were hovering around freezing for most of the day and about an hour into the ride, my toes started to go numb. I hoped this wouldn't happen but I sort of expected it since my initial impression upon opening the box and inspecting the shoes was that they were lacking any real insulation.. That being said, the winter shoes seem to be cut a little big in order to allow for thicker socks. The socks I had on were Wool, and were winter socks but I still had plenty of wiggle room inside the shoes. Next time out I am going to wear much thicker socks and see how things go. 2 1/2 hours into the ride we reached the car. Peeling the ice covered shoes from my feet was a painful process. Tomorrow, I'll be shopping for warmer socks and seeing how winter seems to have finally arrived, I'll post a cold weather update soon. Below are links to the shoes and socks I was wearing.

http://www.defeet.com/products/product.php?sport=bike&c=36&PHPSESSID=19ba7c6f679b468a711b3daed04d5ecb

http://www.sidiusa.com/winter.html#a

Winter finally came to Frederick. With a nip in the air and a dusting of snow on the ground I made the decision to ride indoors this weekend. For me this is a tough pill to swallow. With all the great roads and mountain bike trails surround Frederick I always feel that I am doing myself a disservice to spinning indoors like a hamster on a wheel. But this was my fate this weekend. As boring as it is I still felt better after moving my legs a little. Still… my next ride will be outside no matter what Mother Nature has is store.

The Bicycle Escape Gambrill Night Ride Jan. 18th

The latest edition of the Gambrill Graveyard Shift (Gambrill State Park night mountain bike ride) took place last night. The temperatures were low but attendance was high (23 at ride start). A few participants backed out not long into the ride leaving us 20 riders strong. In spite of the cold temps I think most of us were comfortable after a few minutes of pedaling. The major technical issue of the ride was a ripped off derailleur. Since Sir-Pack-A-Lot did not have the appropriate derailleur hanger (he did however have about 5 hangers from various manufactures) I converted the bike into a makeshift single speed. Like a trooper the newly converted single speed outlaw completed the ride shift-free. It was an enjoyable night and many thanks to all who attended. Sorry for the lack of a picture documenting the ride, I forgot my camera. I will try to bring it next time and shoot a picture of the shimmering lights of Frederick from the overlook- it is a beautiful sight.

Bike Commuting and Grumpiness

This Sunday while trying to relax and enjoy a rainy day watching movies, Danielle called my name from the basement. Her bellow was in an all too familiar ominous tone. The kind of tone that can only mean there is trouble. I prepared myself as I made my way down the stairs. Was it a spider, a leaky pipe, the air conditioner…? What I found when I reached my decline to the basement was water leaking from the ceiling tiles. After some investigation we determined that the previous homeowner sliced the flexible conduit that directs our drier exhaust outside. This was creating tropical conditions above our drop ceiling which was causing our pipes to sweat like a can of ice cold Coke sitting in the sun. After cursing the previous home-owner who apparently did all of his home “repairs” drunk and blindfolded I made my way to the hardware store to get the necessary supplies to correct the problem. I briefly considered grabbing my fixed gear and messenger bag and riding to the store but I was far too grumpy to do anything fun like ride a bike (Danielle will attest to this last point I’m sure). When I got to the hardware store I noticed a regular guy on a very ordinary bike. He was doing what I should have done- bicycle commuting! This sight brought a smile to my face and I made a personal vale to ride my bike next time I am in this circumstance- in spite of grumpiness.

Equal Opportunity Slander

The other day a fellow cyclist commented on a bad experience she had with a motorist. While any road cyclist can recount a similar experience, I find that this is the exception rather than the rule. I have been riding the roads in the Frederick area for over 14 years and have only experienced a few truly rude drivers. One such incident is simply unforgettable. While on a ride my father and I waited at a stoplight in rural Carroll County. A pickup truck full of teenagers pealed out and screamed the N-word at my father and me. We found this comment both confusing and offensive. You see I am a lily white boy from Mount Airy (just note the zip-up sweater) and my father is arguably lilyer and whiter than me. Unsure of just how offended a white person should be in this situation we simply pedaled on. Well, there you have it folks. That is my most bizarre encounter with a motorist and I assure you it is true.

The Bike Site

Some of you may have noticed the link on the left hand side of this blog directing you to The Bike Site. If not I would encourage all of you to check it out. The site was developed by some local riders to unite like minded cyclists. Much of the rides organized on this site take place in the Frederick area. The goal is to have a simple and fun atmosphere for cyclists to organize rides and socialize. I have met several people and enjoyed lots of rides with other’s active on the site. I am not a computer friendly kind of guy so when I was first introduced to the site I was unsure if it would be something that I would enjoy. However, I quickly came around and now look forward to chatting with other riders on the site. Since I like to share things that I enjoy with others I am sharing this you right now… so come on sign up. It’s fun and free.

Gambrill Graveyard Shift Jan. 3, 2007

Another great night ride was enjoyed at the Graveyard Shift! We were 17 strong at the ride start but due to a mechanical and one hard dose of lactic acid the group was whittled down to 15 within the first 10 minutes. The pace was a little slower last night. This was in part due to two flat tires and a few other mechanical/light issues. I was happy to ride slower because I was navigating like a drunken chicken, a technique I display frequently when my lungs are on fire. The weather was great and the moon was burning bright which add to the already beautiful atmosphere of Gambrill after dark. After the ride we ended up at Brewers Ally and enjoyed a little conversation before calling it a night.

For anyone interested hooded sweatshirts will be available with the Gambrill Graveyard Shift logo. Email tom@thebicycleescape.com to reserve one.

R&R In 2007

I hope you all had a safe and pleasant New Year. Danielle and I enjoyed some time with some good friends and some much needed R&R. When we are not riding on our time off it is a safe bet that we are enjoying movies. We recently signed up for a service called DVD Avenue, a Maryland based online DVD rental company. This is a service that Danielle and I love. So on our days off this holiday we vegged and watched episodes of Sopranos, The Office (BBC Version) etc. It was a relaxing way to spend our time but my lazy rear-end will certainly suffer on the Wednesday night Ride!

Wii Need Bicycles

Well here we are on Christmas Eve. Just about all of our Christmas layaways have been picked up and a few last minute shoppers are purchasing their final presents. An interesting thing happened this year. Both Nintendo and Sony sold out of their hit new gaming systems. This is worth mentioning because frantic parents are coming into Ye Old Bike Shop in search of a “second choice” gift. Many of them were a little uncomfortable with spending more than $70 on a bicycle for their child. The value of a quality bicycle is something that I have explained on a daily basis for over a decade. It seems to me however in a nation of obesity, the bicycle may be exactly what “junior” needs. I will make it a goal for 2007 to make children want and ask for a shiny new bicycle in lieu of the latest game console this time next year. Until then, may you all have a very Merry Christmas!

Gambrill Graveyard Shift 12/20/06

This past episode of the Gambrill Graveyard Shift yielded lots of rocky fun. 17 riders joined in the off-road trek and 7 of us went to the brew pub following the ride for pizza and drinks. Ride leader Joe was home sick so his presence was missed. The group stayed together and we were fortunate enough to have no flat tires and only a few minor spills. The weather cooperated once again making a great ride even better. Thanks to all who joined in the fun. See you next time!

Bike Fun Run

P1010033

There is something about riding a cheap bicycle in jeans and tennis shoes that I find extremely nostalgic. Last night Mike and I meet up with four other friends and pedaled a short distance to a local pub for a beer and chili tasting. We had a great little ride and pleasant conversation. Mike and I rode the "Shop Bike" and the "Shop Single Speed" (name not yet determined). In the future The Bicycle Escape will be hosting Fun Rides to local destinations. The rides will be Lycra-free and a lot of fun. Stay tuned for details!

2007 XTR Crank Bash Guard

2007 XTR Crank Bash Guard

We received the much anticipated 2007 XTR crank set today. Many of my riding partners have been asking if it will accommodate a bash guard. From the pictures I have seen I said “yes” but I gave Shimano a call to be sure. All I could get out of Shimano was “well it’s not a freeride crank why don’t you spec a Saint…” So I decided to find out for myself. Well I am happy to report you can run the 2007 Shimano XTR crank with a bash guard. I should note that the first bash guard I attempted to install was by Dangerboy and that guard did not fit. However, with a few passes with a file (on the guard not the crank) the Dangerboy product could be encouraged to fit just fine. Now all you have to do is find a good home for the $180 chainring you just took off ;)

Planning Commission Meetings...Everyone Should Attend at Least 1 in Their Life!

Last night (December 11, 2006) I (taking the picture) along with Tom (arrived after I took the picture), Mike (guy on the left in the picture) and his wife, Hayley (too hungry to be in the picture) joined a group of Frederick Pedalers in support of a proposed bicycle route connecting MD144 to the east with MD40 to the west. We all attended the planning commission meeting at City Hall at 6 p.m. to express our desire to see this route come to life..............................................

........................................3.5 hours later, after losing half of our cycling mob, the hardcorest of hardcore supporters got the chance to speak out in favor of this bike route proposed by SHA a few years ago.

Fortunately our hours of sitting patiently through discussions on how high people's hedges should be and how it is possible for residents to have 1.5 parking spaces each, the committee agreed to vote again (a few years ago they voted no) in January to possibly move forward with the bike route.

This is a great opportunity for experienced cyclists who ride through the city for commuting, enjoyment or both.

In January The Bicycle Escape will be back at City Hall to show our support again...No matter how long the meeting runs!

Super Sexy Spanish Splendor

In my 10+ years in the bicycle biz I have been privileged enough to assemble and work on some incredibly high-end bicycles. Many of these bikes are as beautiful as they are functional. Recently we received the newly revised Spanish-brand Orbea Orca and never in my life have a seen a sexier bike frame. I mean it! Not cool, pretty, beautiful or neat but downright sexy! My heart raced as I removed the bubble wrap. Each piece of wrapping came off easier than the next to revile a curvaceous carbon fiber chassis of which I have seen no equal. She had the curves of Penelope Cruz and the class of Ines Sastre. Anyway, I had to share this beauty with you all. Note the headbadge/cable stops- very slick!

Gambrill Night Ride

After several months of coordination and planning, everything finally came together on December 6th for The Bicycle Escape and MORE to hold the first of many night time mountain bike rides at Gambrill State Park in Frederick Maryland.

Considering we are getting well into December the temps were surprisingly mild, hovering around the lower 40's for our 7pm departure. Waivers were signed, parking passes were handed out and Joe, who was kind enough to lead the first ride gave everyone a quick brief on the intended route and what to expect along the way. From the lower parking lot we headed up the yellow trail towards the overlook. Anyone who has ridden this trail before knows that this climb can be a pain due to the lack of any time to warm up the legs and lungs. My job on this ride was to bring up the rear and make sure no one got separated from the group. About halfway up the climb, I ran into a small log-jam of riders. As everyone sorted out I noticed Joe was left behind fiddling around with a jumped chain. That was the first of a few mechanicals.

After regrouping at the top of the climb, we headed for some of the nice singletrack that parallels Gambrill Park Road. Although I didn't witness it with my own eyes I heard reports of Joe doing a superman on one of the gnarlier rock downhills, followed up by Kevin going down as well. No casualties were suffered except for a fresh scratch on Kevin's new IF. Shortly after that, Mehdi grinds to a halt with his light pointing straight down towards the ground. He lost the rubber shim that keeps the light clamp tight on the bar so we jammed a few sticks in the mount, tightened it up and continued on. Meanwhile, the rest of the group got a pretty good flow going.

After a good bit of uninterrupted riding the group came to a halt once again when one of the riders flatted. The flat was fixed and no more than 500 yards down the trail, someones light went black.(sorry I don't remember every ones name) Fortunately, Tom just happened to bring along an extra Light & Motion Arc HID so he hooked it up and we were on our way once again. A way down the trail I came upon Joe, fiddling with his chain once again. After a quick inspection it was discovered that he had a bent chainring. With a small adjustable wrench Joe tweaked the chainring enough to finish up the ride.

After ride festivities were held at Brewers Alley in downtown Frederick. I myself gave the Oatmeal Stout and Cask IPA a try. For my taste the Oatmeal Stout was a little bland but the Cask IPA was excellent packing a nice aroma and flavor. I'm really glad we were able to get these rides going and I can't wait until the 20th to do it again.

Pedal Prohibition

Recently some of our new bicycles came with pedals flaunting an important message that reads: Warning: This pedal is prohibition to be used on the spinning and exerciser bike. Judging by their use of all capital letters as well as the ominous presence of the triangle-enclosed exclamation point it is obvious that the manufactures mean business! We felt obligated to bring this caution to the attention of our readers. I know some of you may be tempted to remove your stock flat pedals and install them on the spinning and/or exerciser bike but please do not. While I don't know exactly what will happen if you throw caution to the wind and try it but you can bet the results will be tragic!

Sunday's Bicycle Commute

Well begrudgingly we are now open on Sunday’s through the month of December. Since I have sacrificed my only day off I decided to commute to work by bicycle. The ride dulled the pain of working all day for the "tyrant." As I pedaled I was reminded of two things: One- I am out of shape and Two- I love bicycle commuting. I find that riding clears my head and I am able to come up with great ideas... nothing of immense value but I did come up with a few good novelty T-shirt slogans.

Bikes and Cars in Harmony

Thanks to a friendly person on the MORE forum I learned of a cool invention in Europe. General Motors is incorporating an integrated bicycle rack into some of their vehicles. This idea is way over due and hopefully it will hop the pond sometime soon! Speaking of MORE if your are not yet a member sign up today! It only costs $20 to help support our beautiful trails!