As I alluded to in my last entry the colder months cause forward-thinking athletes to schedule a professional bicycle fitting in preparation for next season. If one is considering the purchase of a custom bicycle this works out great because they are sure to have their new bike well before the trees are green again. I enjoy this period of the season. During the bicycle fitting session (which typically takes 2-3 hours) I have time to meet each client on a more personal level and make sure they get exactly what the want. One of my clients was ahead of the curve and just received his custom Independent Fabrication Crown Jewel. I found his finish selection to be extremely beautiful and I wanted to share it with blog readers everywhere. The steel fork and panel paint job give this Crown Jewel a classic elegance. With each custom bike I sell I have to suppress my urge to order myself another one… that is until next season! Check out more pictures on our photo site.
Many of you have seen the single-speed project bike that had the honor of being our first blog entry, but few of you have seen our original shop bike. This is the skinny-tired single speed that is used to navigate the shopping center to retrieve food, make change, and run other errands. The history of this frame is special to me. It was traded to me from a former co-worker/bike mechanic and friend. Before that the bike was traded to him in the same manner. The bike has seen many reincarnations as a multi-speed, single-speed, and fixed gear bike. It has belonged to at least three different shop employees in at least three different bike shops. The funny thing about bikes like this is that they get as much if not more attention then the super “Gucci” new bikes displayed around the shop. I have to agree these old project bikes are neat- especially when they have passed through the hands of good friends.
The Guys and Gals at The Bicycle Escape are quite fond of running a bash guard in place of the big ring on our mountain bikes. Recently we documented one of the installations (on Danielle’s bike). The benefits of a bash guard are: increased clearance, a tighter chain, and protection for your chain and rings.
After the installation Danielle increased her clearance by 34mm (about 1 3/8” for the metrically challenged). Since the big ring was removed we were able to take 3 links from the chain and still accommodate the two largest rings. Because she used a light weight Spot Brand bash guard, the weight of the bike was almost unaffected by this modification (she saved .04 lbs).
Riding at Gambrill and the Frederick Watershed (our usual stomping ground) we do not find the big ring necessary. If you are considering installing a bash guard on your bike first determine if you ever use your big ring. This modification is not for everyone. However, if your big ring causes you to sin (or stumble) cut it off!
The other day Industry Nine wheels landed in Frederick, MD. We were very excited about this arrival. Industry Nine makes premium mountain (and soon road bike) wheels with some unique characteristics and lots of options. Their proprietary spoke/nipple combination threads into their beautifully machined hub. I chose black spokes with a red hub but lots of options are available. You can also select your favorite rim to further customize the wheel. Our set tipped the scale at a light-weight 1670 grams. The hub is butter smooth and the six pawl freehub engages almost instantly. Industry Nine has options for the single speed and 29er crowed too. Now I have to find a way to justify a pair for myself, even though I just laced up a set of Chris King hubs.
Well folks we’ve made it! A beer manufacture has labeled us one of America’s Best Bike Shops. We were listed in this month’s edition of Bicycling Magazine along with 20 other shops. The criteria the manufacture used to establish this list is unknown. Just in case this is a ploy to get me to Blog about their beer I will not mention the company by name. However, if you are curious flip to page 59 of the November edition of Bicycling.
Frederick Pedalers 6:15 p.m. Wednesday Ride. I had heard this is a great group ride with friendly riders and a pace that an exercise-deprived bike shop owner like me could handle. This all turned out to be true. The moment I stepped out of the car I was greeted by several fellow cyclists.| A handful of us TBE guys woke up at the crack of dawn this past Saturday and headed for the foggy mist lurking at the base of the Catoctins. So did appoximately 1,700 other riders who attended the Civil War Century. The Baltimore Bicycle Club does a great job putting this event together. Very organized start, well marked route and aid stations with all the right fixins. If you didn't get a chance to attend this year, put it on your list for next year. Get ready for some climbing, just under 8,000 feet according to the Garmin Edge 305 bike computer/gps. The video above: Kevin, and Mehdi giving a little color commentary at the first aid station/rest stop. | |
| Schaeffer Farm, located about 25 minutes south of Frederick in Gaithersburg Maryland is a great place to ride for beginners and experts alike. The Frederick area has countless miles of trails but most are rocky and have a great deal of climbing. These features, while attractive to more experienced riders can be discouraging to those just beginning. We often recommend a visit to Schaeffer Farm to those just getting into mountain biking or to anyone who is looking for a good time. Riding Schaeffer Farm is as easy, or as hard as you want it to be and because of this you'll see everyone from mountain bike racers to kids on the trails. The rolling terrain and great trail layout are reminiscent of riding a roller coaster. Expect to find a little bit of everything, roots, small rocks, smooth single track, log stacks, log stunts and a couple of small climbs that will get your blood pumping. Another great thing about Schaeffer is that almost all of the log stacks are optional, you can try to go over them if you like, or, you can just ride around them. It's a great place to develop and practice bike handling skills. Schaeffer Farm is a heavily used trail system and it is very sensitive to rain and freeze/thaw cycles in the winter. After periods of heavy rain the trail system may be closed and during the winter it is often closed due to soft soil conditions. Before riding Schaeffer please call the trail closure information line 301-924-1998. Additional information including directions can be found here. http://thebicycleescape.com/wheretoride.html The video above is from a number of weeks back when a few of us got together for a ride. Not the best footage but it'll give you an idea of the terrain. | |
| Jason, Rick, Mehdi and myself hitting some of the Shed's technical XC offerings. Not really anything special, just a couple of choice clips. | |
