A few days ago, a kindly lady walked into our bike shop, deposited a large stack of non-athletic related political newspapers, turned on her heel and walked right back out the door. These early days of spring are strange times for professional bike mechanics and salespeople. The days creep by at a snails pace as we await “the season,” so not much goes unnoticed. These papers were a fresh opportunity. Something to read! Huzzah!

After a few careful readings, we came to 3 conclusions.
1. The writers of the paper are not happy about things
2. The Constitution is a big deal
3. There are no bikes, bike businesses, or anything related to bikes in the paper.

We’re not a political place, so we can’t come up with any genius solutions to numbers 1 or 2, but we’re all over number 3. Here’s our bicycle contribution:

The Ironman season is upon us. This doesn’t mean born-again weapons developers are flying low and fast over the shop every day in HyperTainium suits. It means the fit-looking guy at the office is returning from this week off knowing that he’s practically a real-life superhero. Ironman length triathlons are a superhuman feat, no one can argue that. 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and a full 26.2 mile marathon, all in one sitting.

What drives people to do this? Odds are good it has something to do with the massive sense of accomplishment at crossing the finish line after all that. This immense feat is proof that the body is capable of much more than the average person tasks it with from day to day. It’s proof that our limitations are based mostly on our own motivation and willpower. For some it’s simply a reason to get up early, tie on some old running shoes and step out the front door despite rain or cold, when most are still asleep.

The Silverman in Henderson, Nevada is a unique example of the event. Instead of the 2,500 participants that most Ironmans can attract, the Silverman brings in about 200 of the most determined that are willing to take on the challenging course. 10,502 ft of elevation gain give this course the distinction of the most difficult in the country.

One competitor in this race you might already know. Nic, our co-owner not only completed this craziness, but after 11 hours, 44 minutes and 20 seconds he finished second in his age group and 17th overall. Not only that, he competed the 112 mile bike ride in 5 hours and 50 minutes, good for the 3rd best bike leg overall and by far the best bike leg in his age group.

Nic with Baden, after nearly 12 hours of exertion.

So if you need some help improving the bike leg of your tri, or if you just need some advice about any portion of the event, we have an in-house expert who knows more than any catalog or website or forum in the world.

If we’re talking about racing, we should probably mention our sales guy, Dean. He’s a velodrome sprinter who recently won his second consecutive Elite National Championship and is currently traveling back and forth from the shop to Europe, representing the USA at the Pro Six Days in Holland. You might be used to seeing him in a T-shirt, helping people with bikes, but when he lands in Europe, this relatively mild-mannered guy turns into this:

So if you’re thinking about racing or even riding on the velodrome or on the road, come talk with either him or Aaron, our resident big guy. Aaron’s a former junior national champion on the track and a national team member, so he’s been around the block a few times as well.

Add these guys to our well known pro and semi-pro downhill racers (Eric and Jose), and cross country and ultra-endurance racers (Tim and Nic), and even downhill pixie racers (Lee and Aaron) and we’ve got all the bases covered.

MONDAY: THROWDOWN

TUESDAY: THROWDOWN

THURSDAY: THROWDOWN

That’s right. Computrainer racing is back in town, ready to roll. 4 up races on indoor trainers, all hooked up to a computer which simulates real road conditions. Flat roads, climbs, descents, drafting, the works.

Two different classes: Recreational and UNLIMITED RIPPER CLASS. Recreational class is free to race, no heavy competition, just good times and good workouts on rainy, snowy days. Unlimited Ripper Class is 5 bucks to start, winner takes all. Both classes feature different distances every night and the chance to compete with your friends, family or favorite shop’s employees.

Just bring your bike and your sense of adventure, because this is what dreams are made of.

The weather these days is confusing and unpredictable at best. Not that I’m complaining. 74 degrees in early November is not tough to deal with. Wasn’t there two feet of snow in Monument a little while ago?
For all we (and the confused weathermen) know, we could get pounded by another few feet of snow by the time the sun comes up tomorrow, but we’re not worried. We are prepared. Snow is no deterrent to commuting or riding for any reason, especially when we have these sweet babies in stock. Carbide studs, non-toxic rubber, the works.

Add to that a fresh, heaping pile of winter hats, jackets, pants and gloves, and you have yourself a winter of riding, no excuses allowed.

I challenge you to recycle our stuff:

This fixture is known as a ‘Yakima Car,’ which was used to store and display Yakima car-top bicycle carriers for several years. It was able to support hundreds of pounds of merchandise. The fixture includes grid, shelves, and heavy-duty casters. (the hose in the photo is not included)

Criterium thinks that this fixture could be repurposed. So, instead of dismantling and recycling the parts, we are holding a design contest. The most successful entry will use the strengths of the existing fixture to fulfill a totally new purpose.

The winner of the challenge will receive the car, as well as $200 to implement the design.

Contest entries can be any form. They should be submitted to Criterium before October 31st. We will not ship the car out of town, so please do not enter unless you are serious about doing the work.

Ours do.
If you wish your wheels looked like that, maybe you should stop by. These hoops are the ultimate upgrade. Light enough to take to that hilly XC race you’ve been thinking about conquering, tough enough to withstand freerider huckery, and stylish enough to maybe get you a date. Or at least glances of jealous longing from your riding buddies. These wheels are like a Ferrari that goes 200 miles per hour, gets 70 miles to the gallon, hauls 6 kids and doesnt require a 6 figure salary or a second mortgage. To top it all off, the maintenance is a breeze. 1 spoke size! Easy thru-axle/QR conversion! Already tubeless! It’s almost too much to bear.

People always ask if we have sales. The answer is no. And yes. We have a ton of stuff on sale, but we just don’t do the whole “drag a tent into the street so you can stand outside in the rain” sale. Example:

This is a row of full suspension mountain bikes. See all the red tags? You guessed it: Sale.
And that blue beauty in front with the white bar, the new Reba 29er fork and the sale tag? That’s the 2009 Specialized Stumjumper 29er, and it’s more than 500 bucks off.
Double awesome.