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.

Trail Work at the Frederick Watershed

Yesterday some of us at The Bicycle Escape (Mike, Danielle, and I) worked with the fine folks at MORE to do some trail maintenance at the Frederick Watershed. The day was great. We installed some water bars to redirect the flow of water and preserve the trails for the years to come. If you missed this go-around but would like to help out meet next Sunday at Greenbrier 9:30am. Thanks to all who participated and the organizers.

Bicycle Fittings

P1010007

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.

Victory at 52.7

Well the leaves are now colorful and there is a nip in the air. Personally the changing of the seasons is also marked by an increase in sales of bike trainers, lights, cold weather apparel, and an increase in bicycle fittings. There is a special sub-season for me (and by default Danielle) of which you may not be aware. This is the period between the blistering heat and the freezing cold I call the period of bliss. This is the phase when we run neither the A/C nor the heat. Each season I have a personal goal of holding out longer than the previous year. The colder it gets the greater my personal sense of achievement. Last night the temperature dropped to 52.7 degrees… inside my house. I am reminded each year that Danielle does not get as big a kick out of this game as I. However, she is a trooper and is still hanging tough. As I flip through my catalogs to pick out a new wool jersey I can’t help but wonder how much longer I can last. Or more accurately how much longer I can play the game and still keep the peace at home.

A Date at Black Hills

BlackHills_OCT152006_T&D_2
Originally uploaded by thebicycleescape.

This past Sunday, Tom and I went on a little "date ride" to Black Hill Regional Park in Boyds, MD (near Germantown). Neither of us had ever biked these trails before so we thought it would be fun to explore the area and take some snazzy photos for the website.

Its was truely a beautiful October day. The park was filled with families and the trails were dry and quiet. The Black Hill Regional Park trails are a mixture of surfaces ranging from paved and hard natural to rocky and rolling.

The posted picture was taken at the boat dock area right after I lost our trail map. No problem though, we followed the road until we came to a trail entrance and continued on.

Afterwards we stopped by a place in Germantown called Jaspers where we loaded up on fried shrimp and mashed potatoes - yum...

It was a good day with the old man :)

The Original Shop Bike

Shop Bike 4

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.

Road Trip

Just wanted to make a quick entry before I head out for a weekend of mountain biking at Douthat State Park in Virginia. The trails in the park are supposed to be incredible! I setup a mobile blog as a little experiment. Pictures will be sent directly from my camera-phone to My Mobile Blog. Essentially, it will be a live photo feed of the happenings. No text will be added to the photos until I return from the trip. Have a good weekend everyone........

Update: 10/15/2006

OK, so the mobile blogging thing didn't work out exactly as I had hoped. Turns out Douthat State Park is located in a valley and has absolutely no cell phone service. Maybe I'll have better luck next time. ;)

Spot Bash Guard

Spot Bash Gaurd

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!

Industry Nine

Industry Nine Rear

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.

Follow Your Dream

Independent Fabrication... Living the Dream!!

I just found this video and wanted to share it with our readers. It shows our friends at IF crafting beautiful and functional machines. This crew has made a lot of sacrifices to bring you and I the finest bicycle frames in existence. They truly are living the dream.

The Ultra Salute?

Bicycling Mag.

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.

Born Again

You may remember this post from a couple months back. Well, the beast is done. Originally we thought it would make a good fixie but in the end, the parts we had on hand dictated the final result......a single speed. The goods? Shimano LX hubs, Sun Big Fat Mamoth rims, Race Face Cranks, Salsa Chainring, Gusset SS Spacer and Oury grips round out the build kit. Due to the attention this bike has attracted in the shop over the past couple of months we have some fun plans for it. Stay tuned... Here is a pic to hold you over.

Today I Rode like a Girl

Ride Like a Girl 9/30/06
Originally uploaded by thebicycleescape.

Today I went on a Ride Like a Girl group ride at Seneca Greenway with a bunch of really cool ladies! Honestly, this was my first time mountain bike riding with the female gender and it was pretty nice. I found myself chatting with the others about the different breeds of dogs and sharing silly husband stories which is a far cry from my usually mountain ride conversation. Actually, I don't do much conversing when I am out the guys on account of my inability to breath.

While on our ride it began to rain and kept raining until we were running through mud puddles and sliding on slippery roots and wet leaves. It reminded me of favorite high school cross country and track races when we got to run in the rain. There's nothing like clawing your way up a muddy hill as you pass other drenched runners who couldn't handle a few rain drops.

Anyway, we eventually turned around and headed back as not to ruin the beautiful trails or risk any rain-related crashes.

Afterwards, we hung out in the parking lot and I got to meet a lot more interesting people. Finally, we went to a Caribbean & Latin Cuisine Cafe - a new one for me.

As one of the riders said on the last leg of the ride..."What a great way to start a day." I agree :)