Not for the faint of heart

This video has been around for a while.

***PLEASE DO NOT WATCH IT IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE WATCHING SOMEONE GET HURT.***

But, I have to say, this is karma. Instant karma.
Don't mess with the cyclists.

Public Transit

It is coming upon the time of year when we prove how (wo)manly we are. Snow and rain and cold and dampness.

With this, Google has announced a new search feature that should let a few of us avoid the car for a few more months, if not for the whole winter. It is called Google Transit: http://www.google.com/transit.

Basically, you can put in your starting and ending location and it will tell you how to take the bus or walk. The key here is that it will be even faster if you ride your bike instead of walking, then load your bike up on the front or underneath the bus.

We tried a search for Denver to Nederland (which is an amazing place to ride bicycles). (When you get up there, check out the caboose by the bus station. Cool Bike Shop/ Coffee Shop. )

Try it out. Take the bus. Take your bike.

Corn Maze

This has nothing to do with bikes. It has to do with fun though, so there!

Several of us went to Anderson Farm's "Terror in the Corn" last night. Between feeding the goats, hot apple cider and riding in the barrel train we lost track of time. It was $10 to get in and a quarter to feed the goats. It was $1.50 for the cider and $3.50 for the pie. It was terribly fun.

So, I am giving them a plug because everyone needs to go do this. Bring friends who you wouldn't mind meeting in a dark field of old corn. Because when you go out into the tremendously monotonous, yet creepy maze, you will prefer to know that someone will find you when you are lost. And chances are you will not be scared of them.

Here is the link: http://www.terrorinthecorn.com

It is open until November 1st. Don't be bummed that you missed it. Just find a group of friends and go. You will have a blast.

Stepping Stones

There was a recent article in Velonews about whether people jumping on the bicycle bandwagon with a ss road bike is a bad thing or not... This got me thinking.

One of our favorite customers, who we will call Tobi, because that is her name, got into cycling this last year or so. Her trainer felt that cycling would be a great way to cross train and that she would just like it. We sold her a bike that she liked aesthetically and would function for her needs. She was absolutely not comfortable with a bike that was going to have a lot of things to adjust and play with. She just wanted a bike to figure things out with. We obliged. And she reacted with such incredible vigor and excitement that we got worried about her. She rode that bike a lot. So much so that she became very comfortable with paths and sidewalks and roads. She became comfortable with other cyclists and us. In essence, she graduated to the next level. As a reward, she bought a different bike; it is a bike that appealed to her new aesthetic wants and her new level of needs. It was really fun to watch.

My question is this: How is that different than the accused fixie rider that is still figuring out that they aren't as big as a car? We have seen a great deal of riders come in and discover their life's passion is cycling. Personally, I don't care how this happens. But, people are in a stink about it. The pattern is there. The aesthetic wants and the simplicity needs. Function (sometimes but not always) before form?

A cyclist is born when they see a bicycle as a part of who they want to *be*. Then, they can *become* a cyclist. Try before do.

Pancake Breakfast Ride

At this time last year, we attended an event for the Sunday Morning Breakfast Ride that was truly worthy of noting:

Pablo's 2nd Annual Pancake Breakfast.

Well, that time is here again.

We just received the email announcement that it is happening again on the 14th of this month. It is all-you-care-to-eat pancakes with all the sides you would expect. The food last year was prepared with love and care (and tasted amazing). It happens to be for a great cause. And, on top of that, it is REALLY FUN!

We will meet at the back of the shop at 8am and leave by around 8:15am. The ride will be pretty direct. You will eat until you are about to burst, but you will be energized from the music, the company and the caffeine. From there, we will ride back to the shop, unless you already made other plans. You will probably need a light lunch and should plan to go to bed early that night. You will then have an AMAZING MONDAY. We promise.

A Small Word of Warning to Cyclists

Prices are going up for 2009. We recently received our new Jamis and Giant catalogs. We have seen prices go up over the last few years, but never like this. It is partially from the cost of transport and partially from the increased cost of materials. Regardless, if you are thinking of buying a bike in the next few months, consider buying a 20008 sooner than a 2009 later. Some examples:

Jamis Aurora 2008 - $865 vs 2009 $1000
Giant OCR 1 2008 - $1100 vs Giant Defy 2009 $1300 (Same Bike)

Certain companies are keeping the prices the same (to fool consumers) while the quality is going down per dollar. Do your research and you will find that getting an older bike is more bike for the money.

The list of items going up in price goes on and on... the price of anything tires and tubes is going to be most noticeable. We haven't increased our prices yet because we got a warning of the future price increases. However, it is coming. If you know you need tubes, stock up now, even if it is for friends who aren't in the know.

Spread the truth, help out your friends. And the rest will become the norm, like $4 gas.

EJ

(by scott t)

My friend EJ was hit by a car last night on a group ride in Colorado Springs, CO. He died.

A 64 year old woman was driving away from a grocery store at high speeds after allegedly stealing some stuff. She turned directly into EJ and one of his co-workers. She hit them head on and killed them instantly. They were on a group ride with several other people who all witnessed the entire event.

EJ was one of the most-fun-to-ride-with cyclists I have ever known and he will be missed severely.