Giant Bicycles

Now available at The Bicycle Escape!

Jeff Jones Visits Maryland

The Bicycle Escape invites fans of handmade bicycles to our shop on June 12 at 8:30 pm for a presentation by frame builder Jeff Jones. Jeff's unique designs challenge traditional thinking and push the limits of hardtail mountain bikes. We hope you can join us on the 12th for light refreshments and great bikes.

2009 Orbea Diem

Spanish frame builder Orbea enters the flat bar road bike market with their sexy and stylish carbon fiber Diem.

The following come straight from Orbea:

Orbea's Diem is made of equal parts: utility, technology, and style. Conceived as the ultimate in fast transportation for modern European cities, the Diem is finding its place as the premium alternative to conventional road bikes where a little more comfort and control is desired. Diem is perfectly suited for enjoying a century, challenging rough city streets, enjoying your daily commute, or pedaling to the coffee shop.

--Diem gets the same love as Orbea's top-level racing bikes-it's stylish shaping is the result of monocoque carbon fiber construction with Size Specific Nerve technology and a lifetime warranty.

--Using Size Specific Nerve technology from our flagship Orca, all five Diem frame sizes use different tube diameters and volumes. This ensures that every rider, from under 5 feet to well over 6 feet, get the same inspired ride quality.

--With an attitude for urban travel, Orbea is putting stopping power at a premium The Diem features disc brakes for consistent powerful braking-rain or shine.
--700x28 tires offer rack and fender options.
City, townie, street, metro, commuter - Whatever you call it, the Diem is in a class of its own with a style beyond description.

The bike should cost around $2200-$2400

2009 Specialized Bikes

Here are a few more 2009 bikes. The 2009 Rockhopper Comp 29 (shown in green and black) is a great budget 29er. In keeping with the 2008 bike, the frame comes stock with sliding drop outs to accommodate a single speed conversion if the rider ever desires.

The P.1 AM Disc is a stout aluminum hop-around bike. The bike will also be offered in stain grey/bronze or orange. If you are looking for a playful mountain bike in a lower price point the AM might be the right bike for you.

No word on any of the nicer road bikes just yet but check back often for more updates.

Even though I am hooking you fine folks up with this sneak peak don’t get all antsy just yet. We still have quite a while before these hit the show room floor.

2009 Specialized Langster

Here is a sneak peak at some of the 2009 Specialized Langsters. For the new year the big red ‘S’ added Las Vegas, Tokyo, and San Francisco to the fixed gear, city-themed line-up. These bikes always have fun touches. The Vegas ride has a gold stem and brake calipers which add a touch of gaudy class. Straight-up Vegas baby!

Puck's Passage Ride

This past Sunday was The Bicycle Escape/Single Speed Outlaw Puck’s Passage Ride. Despite the threat of thunder storms we had a great turn out. Fourteen cyclists, some riding fixies, some on mountain bikes and others with cross bikes, gathered at the Point of Rocks C&O parking lot ready to roll. We traveled down the C&O Canal trail to White’s Ferry where we boarded the people mover (cars and motorcycles first of course). We then headed to Route 15 towards Leesburg. Our destination was Vintage 50, a stylist restaurant/bar in Leesburg. While there we enjoyed yummy food, drink and relaxation. During our lunch break was the only time it really rained and when we hopped back on our bikes it had stopped. The overcast weather made the ride very pleasant. The sun didn’t scorch us and the few misty raindrops we received were quite refreshing. We went back home the way we came, across the ferry and down the C&O Canal trail. The ride ended up being a total of about 36 miles. I had a grand old time and I think everyone else did as well! Thank you Steve and Donna for leading the ride!

The Bike to Work Day 2008

The Frederick Bike to Work Pit stop was a great success in spite of the rain. Around 50 cyclists, young and old, gathered at the Frederick MARC station this morning for light fare and bike chit-chat. Several prizes were handed out including a folding Breezer which went to Commuter-Chris (pictured to the left.) Thanks to all who participated and helped to make this year's Bike to Work a memorable event.

What a Great Way to Travel

Welcome to Bike Month everybody!!!

This morning I was greeted with perfect temperatures and a cool breeze as I cycled to work. I want to encourage everyone to enjoy the same pleasure.

This month is packed with fun stuff!

Monday, May 12 Commuter Clinic - Join us at 6:30 p.m. at the shop where bike commuter John Gorham will discuss the tricks of transportation-based cycling. Learn how to integrate cycling into your daily routine.
May 12-16 The Bicycle Escape Commuter Sale
Stop by the shop for our annual commuter sale. Save 10% on all commuter accessories and 5%-10% on commuter bikes.
Friday, May 16 Bike to Work Day - From 6:30 to 8:30 a.m.
We will be at the Frederick MARC Station (Downtown-South East Street) greeting cyclists at the Frederick Bike to Work Day Pit Stop. There will be snacks, entertainment, dynamic speakers and we will be raffling off a chance to win a free bike and prizes!

Leesburg Bakers Dozen (2008)

The Leesburg Bakers Dozen was a blast. The rain held out until after the race and I hardly broke a sweat eating and drinking in the Single Speed Outlaw Shanty Town. Special thanks to JoJo for the delicous food and Clipper City Brewing for the brew and Keg Cooler. The SSO crew had high spirits inspite of exhaustion and Joe's cracked cog. We would also like to thank Plumb Grove for putting on such a great event!

6500 Miles for a Great Cause

This morning I meet Pat Blair, residant of Elkridge, MD. While he was here Pat told me about a 6500 mile cross country adventure he and some buddies took on their fixed gear bicycles. The riders were the Adventures for the Cure Cycling Team attempting to raise money for Diebetis. Pat's trip was captured in an award winning documentary narated by Greg LeMond. The movie trailer is above. Click here to learn more about Adventures for the Cure.

Carbon Fiber Frame Repair

A Couple of weeks ago we sent a Specialized Roubaix frame to Calfee Design for repair. The frame was damaged in a freak accident. The non-drive chainstay was gouged badly. As the pictures show the work preformed by the Calfee staff is exceptional! To the touch, the bike is flawlessly smooth and it takes a close inspection to even recognize the repaired area. The repair work costs less than 300 bucks! I (and the bike's owner) could not be happier with the service.

The Bicycle Escape Welcomes Herb Spicer to the Family

The TBE crew is super excited to announce that we will be sponsoring world-class Ironman Triathlete (and Frederick, MD resident) Herb Spicer in 2008. Please help us cheer Herb on as he begins another successful year of racing. To learn more about this local hero visit herbspicer.com.

Good Luck Herb!

Tomicogs

The other day we received a shipment of Tomicogs. For those of you who don’t know, Tomicogs are fixed gear cogs that install on a disc hub’s 6-bolt (ISO) mounts. If you have a disc brake single speed a Tomicog can provide you with hours of dirty fixed gear fun.

Cycling Awareness

http://www.dothetest.co.uk/

Click on this link to see how aware you are. Come on.... just click it! Trust me, I am not a link clicker myself but this is worth it so come and and give it a click.

YiPsan Display

To celebrate The Bicycle Escape's new dealership of YiPsan Bicycles we are honored to have a fleet of YiPsan custom bikes on display. Some of these beauties were shipped to us directly for the North American Handmade Bicycle Show. The collection includes a fixed gear with hand painted firecracker graphics, a single speed cyclocross bike, and two road bikes. For those of you who are unaware of YiPsan, you should check out their frames. Each one is a work of art crafted using traditional lug or brazing methods.

More YiPsan Photos are available here.
Don't wait too long to stop by the shop this display will not be here forever!!!

Stop, Swap & Save

It was nice to see so many friendly faces at the 2008 Stop, Swap, and Save event this past weekend in Westminster. This year we brought back the super popular “Wheel Game” and many of you left The Bicycle Escape booth with cool prizes. We were also honored with the opportunity to lead a bicycle fitting seminar. The seminar was well attended and it was our pleasure to participate. For those of you who we met at the event please stop by the shop sometime soon and say hi. We would also like to thank everyone that helped us make this year’s event a success.

Bicycles and Home Brew

The Bicycle Escape just can't seem to get enough of recycling old bike parts. Our latest installment is tap handles. Since there is a lot of riders that home brew it is only natural that bike parts be used as tap handles. This might just be the best combination since some dude accidentally dropped a chocolate bar into an open jar of peanut butter. This handle was made as a birthday gift for our very own (and aging) friend Mike but expect to see more soon. Until then cheers.

5000 Bikes

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d75t8Nam_ts

One of our suppliers proves that a bicycle can be so much more that fun and recreation. Visit http://www.5000bikes.kintera.org/faf/home/default.asp?ievent=247538 to learn more about this exciting program.

Lug Lust

I have always admired frames built in the lugged tradition. Their timeless beauty, durability, and ride quality are exceptional. In a few days The Bicycle Escape will have YiPsan frames at the shop. The custom frames crafted at YiPsan are truly works of art. I will keep you posted on the arrival of these handmade gems.

Weight Weenies Rejoice

Weight weenies of the world The Bicycle Escape has your back. We are in the process of building a bicycle weight index. The index will include weights that are recorded in our shop on our digital scale. This should prove to be a helpful resource for weight conscious shoppers. Check back often and watch the index grow.

Warning: Please do not obsess over weight, it should be only one factor considered when bike shopping. Fit, durability, and functionality must also be considered. If you find yourself becoming obsessed with the weight of your bicycle parts consult your local bicycle shop. Bike Weight Obsession (BWO) is a serious problem and needs to be addressed at the first sign of symptoms.

Holy Beautiful Day Batman!!!

With temps hovering around 70 degrees I felt compelled to go for a cycle. I rode by an old, and now deteriorating building that I have always wanted to photograph and today I did just that. Next on the agenda was a great veggie sandwich at Café Nola. Riding down Gashouse Pike I reminisced of riding the same road many years ago with my father, very fond memories. Back then it was not so heavily trafficked. Even with the cars it was a very pleasant ride. I hope I was not the only one who was able to enjoy this day. Anyone else play hooky?

http://cafe-nola.com/Home.html

Ryan's Ripper

Over the past few months Ryan, one of the guys here at the shop, has been painstakingly piecing together a Black Market MOB frame. No part was installed without consideration. The culmination of Ryan's efforts is a 28.76 pound beauty. With Chris King hubs, a Tree sprocket, Animal pedals, and a Paul brake lever the bike is super well equipped.

Titus RacerX 29er Demo

We just added a Titus RacerX 29er (size medium) to our quiver of demo bikes. I am anxious to demo this ride my self as I have yet to enjoy a full ride on one of these steeds.

Thanks and Happy Holidays

Thanks to everyone who helped make this a great year for the shop. Enjoy your holidays and ride your bikes while we have this great weather.

Press Release: North American Handmade Bicycle Show

Here is a press release I received regarding the 2008 NAHBS I kept all of the original typos to preserve the authenticity of the document, enjoy.


SPEEDWAY, Indiana – Following a promising buildup The North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS), the world’s largest trade/consumer show for custom-built bicycles, is on the verge of selling out all 185 exhibitor spaces as it heads to the cycling-friendly city of Portland, Oregon, for the first time in the show's three-year history.
The 2008 show will be held in the Oregon Convention Center, Portland, February 8-10.
Show director, Don Walker, the founder of NAHBS, and the show's presenting sponsor, says "I am truly delighted. The show has had three good growth years already, but heading into our fourth we are growing beyond my expectations. I am very confident we will sell all our booth spaces. With seven weeks until the show, we only have ten spaces left, and I am talking with companies that wish to fill those spaces."
The 2007 show, in San Jose, California, was the largest to date, featuring 103 exhibitors who collectively occupied 130 booth spaces. So far 134 exhibitors have signed up. That's almost exactly 30% growth over '07 in exhibitors, and 43% growth in booth spaces sold.
On a recent visit to Portland, show organizers noted considerable public, as well as industry, interest in the show in the Pacific Northwest region, extending as far north as Vancouver, BC.
About The North American Handmade Bicycle Show
The North American Handmade Bicycle Show is dedicated to showcasing the talents of individuals around the world whose art form is the bicycle. It aims to be a gathering point – online and in person – for frame builders and consumers looking for custom-made bikes, for the sharing of ideas and promotion of this industry and its traditions. After three years of growing by leaps and bounds, NAHBS 2008 will feature still more exhibitors, consumers and a wealth of seminars. For more information, see http://www.handmadebicycleshow.com/

Attendees:
333 Fab, Ahearne Cycles, Ahrens Bicycles, Anvil Bikeworks, Baylis Cycles, Bicycle Forest, Bilenky Cycle Works, Black Cat Bicycles, Black Sheep Fab., BME- Brano Meres Design, Bringheli Bicycles, Brooks, Bruce Gordon Cycles, Calfee Design, Cane Creek, Castellano Design, Challenge USA, Chris King, Cicli Polito, Cicli Zullo, Cloud Nine Design, Coconino Cycles, Columbus/Gruppo Spa, Co-Motion, Continental Tires (Highway Two), Courage Cycles, Crumpton Cycles, Cycle Monkey, da Vinci Designs, Davidson Cycles, Dedacciai, Delta 7 Sports, Desalvo Custom Cycles, Dirt Rag Magazine, Dominguez Cycles, Don Walker Cycles, El Camino Fab, Engin Cycles, Fairing Industrial, Fi`zi:k (Highay Two), Frances Cycles, Full Speed Ahead, Good Times Bicycles, Grognard Bicycle Co., Groovy Cycleworks, Ground Up Designs, Henry James, Hufnagel Cycles, Hunter Cycles, Igleheart Custom Bicycles, Independent Fabrication, Ira Ryan Cycles, Jeff Jones Custom Bicycles, Keith Anderson Cycles, King Cage, Kirk Frameworks ,Kish Fabrication, L.H. Thomson, Landshark Bicycles, Litton Cycles, Llewellyn Custom Bicycles, Luna Cycles, Maietta Cycles, Marcroft Cycles, Marschall, Framework, Momentum Magazine, Monsere Designs, Moots Cycles, Mountain Flyer, Naked Bicycles and Design, Nice Bicycles, Nobilette Cycles, Nova Cycle Supply, Oswald Cycle WorksPacenti Cycle Design, Palermo Cycles, Paragon Machine Works, Paul Component Eng., Peacock, Groove, Pegoretti, Pereira Cycles, Phil Wood & Co., Proletariat Bicycle Co., Rapha Racing, Rebolledo Cycles, Rene Herse Cycles, Renovo Hardwood Bicycles, Retrotec, Rex Cycles, Richard Sachs Cycles, Roark Titanium Bicycles, Rock Lobster, Rohloff USA, Rolf Prima Wheels, Rue Sports, Sadilah, Screen Specialties Shop Ink, Selle Italia/Pronet, Sheila Moon Cycling Apparel, Shimano America Corp., Signal Cycles, Soulcraft, Southwest Frameworks, Spectrum Powderworks, Sputnik Tool, SRAM, Steve Potts, Strong Frames, Sweetpea Bicycles, Sycip Design, Terra Nova Cycles, LLC, Thursday Bicycles, Townsend Cycles, True Fabrication, True Temper Sports, United Bicycle Institute, Vanilla Bicycles, Velocity USA, Vendetta Cycles, Ventana Mountain Bikes, USA, Vertigo Cycles, Vicious Cycles, Villin Cycle Works, Waterford Precision Cycles, Wheel Fanatyk, White Brothers, White Industries, Wolfhound Cycles, Wound Up Composites, Ybarrola Bicycles, Yipsan Bicycles, Zipp Speed Weaponry





Look for Yipsan frames at TBE soon...

The Bicycle Escape Family Grows

Yesterday, The Bicycle Escape welcomed a longtime friend and world class mechanic Adam Piece into the TBE clan. You might know him as “the guy who can bunny hop that log at Schaeffer Farms” or “the guy that tuned my suspension fork” or “the jerk that cut me off in his Nissan” but we know him as Adam. Stop by and say hi to our newest crewman and help us make him feel at home. If you want to do some extra kissing up for your next emergency repair, he likes his Sam Adams brew. :) Welcome aboard old friend!

The Final Installment

This bright and cheery 29er was built as a demo bike and to be enjoyed by Crazy-Danielle. The 16” built bike weighs 26.69 lbs and has custom blue pin striping on the Fox F-29 fork. Keep your eyes open for this bike. You are likely to see it at the Frederick Watershed or Gambrill State Park. Watch out for the rider though, she gets grumpy when she goes up hills.

Classy

Lucky rider George just got a custom powder coated 29er (decals applied after photo). The color is almost an almond tone that did not show too well in the photo. The frame is dressed with a Brooks saddle and a pair of their leather grips. This 18” 29er weighs in at 26.67lbs. The warm feeling you get when you look at this bike makes you want to reach for some dark chocolate and Grand Marnier. Cheers!

Build Fest

We have been working on a couple of bikes over the past week and now it is time to share them with the world. The next few blog entries will be pictures of the bikes along with a blerb… that’s right folks a BLERB.

The frame pictured was powder coated candy orange and the Thompson stem and Salsa seat clamp were coated in white. The E-13 bash guard and Straightline Components upgrade brake levers are both available in white as a stock option. The 18” bike (w/ pedals) tips the scale at 27.68 lbs. I can’t wait to test this bad boy on the trails.

Long Live the Hard Cores

The Bicycle Escape Gambrill Night ride was well attended in spite of Mother Nature. With 4 inches of snow on the rocks and leaves you might think that the ride would be canceled… not the case. 9 riders were up to the challenge. Unfortunately, I was not one of them. I spent my time wrestling with a snow thrower and shovel. I am glad some of us enjoyed the night.

Thanks to Ian for the picture.