Road Cycling Blog

It’s been a while since my last update and I apologize for being out of touch – I’ve been pretty busy.

Since my last post, I’ve wrapped up my career with Allanti Bicycle Company in Brentwood, Tennessee; driven 2500 miles cross-country to Portland, Oregon while stopping to watch the Tour of Missouri and to ride in Boulder, CO and Boise, ID (more on the trip later once I have the pictures ready…); spent time with my wife and son whom I hadn’t seen in 7 weeks and travelled to Las Vegas for the Interbike trade show. One busy month!

Well, this coming Tuesday hopefully marks the beginning of a new page in m life with new opportunities to forge relationships and help people to love this sport that is so important and meaningful to me. Tuesday morning I’ll start working for the venerable Bike Gallery in their awesome Beaverton, Oregon store (pictured above). Bike Gallery is Oregon’s largest bicycle retailer and may be the largest Trek dealer in the United States. They have a long reputation for emphasizing the relationship and integrity over the “sale” and I can’t wait to begin working with another company that shares my values. Bike Gallery also sells Lemond, Gary Fisher, Orbea, Co-Motion and a wide array of other fantastic products. I’ll say again; I’m really excited for this opportunity.

You can learn more about BG by visiting their website: http://bikegallery.com. For those of you who are friends and former clients (or both…), I’ll invite you to stop by and visit. The address, phone number, and a map to the location can be found here on the website.

Finally, if there is anything that I can do to help you better enjoy your cycling experience – I now have a new medium to help you – so don’t hesitate to ask. Stop by the store and I’ll see what I can do. I’ll look forward to seeing you!

Thanks for reading.

This morning I spent 24 minutes watching the President of Trek Bicycle Corporation, John Burke’s presentation at the recently completed Taipei Bicycle Trade Show in Taiwan. ( To see it yourself, go to youtube.com and search for John Burke – then select the video that is titled John Burke – the Al Gore of the Bicycle Industry). Now, those of you who have heard John speak before know that it wasn’t easy – but as usual, while John isn’t the greatest public speaker, he had a lot of good things to say. Most of which inspired what I have to say here.

Think what you will about Global Warming; I won’t go into all of my thoughts here. But if Al Gore were correct, the bicycle is a great solution to our problems. I don’t think it stops there though. Obesity is possibly the greatest sociological and physiological problem of our time. There are many great epidemics – but obesity is by far the most transcendent and is the root cause of many other health problems facing many of our friends and neighbors. While thyroid disorders can account for a small percentage of obesity in our time, a far greater number of the cases are due simply to the lifestyle of “westernized” society in which we live in a manner that is fully dependent upon the automobile and almost necessitates a poor diet based on processed, “fast” foods
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The average American makes fewer than 1-half of one percent of all their trips by bicycle. Over half of all trips made by car in America are 2 miles or less. The average American burns 5-20 calories an hour while driving. The average human will burn 700-900 calories an hour while cycling. In London, the average car trip of 4 miles takes over 40 minutes. By bicycle, that 4 mile trip would take 20 minutes. You can fit 9-12 bicycles in a single automobile parking spot and as many as six bicycles in the space of one car driving down the road. The 1 mile trip to the video store takes me 2 minutes in my car. On my bike it takes me 3.5 minutes – if I’m not in a hurry.

If we will take the time, spend the money, and make the effort to make our cities more cycling friendly, more people will ride their bikes, more families will spend time together and I would venture to say that we could almost watch our world-wide obesity epidemic vanish along with our shrinking waistlines. With reduced weight and improved health we’ll also watch such problems as diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis recede from the general population.

Rising energy costs is also a great concern in modern times. Many people have become more energy conscious. In fact, NBC’s Today Show ran a story this morning which went so far as to blame rising energy costs for the increasing wealth-gap in America – the rich getting richer while the middle-class fight to stay on top of the increasing cost of living. While bicycles require a little more time to use as transportation (My 9.5 mile drive to work takes me 20-25 minutes while my 12 mile ride takes 38-43 minutes – I take different routes, obviously), the reduced dependence upon energy sources such as gasoline, diesel, and electricity are huge. The last time I checked, I didn’t consume any gas or diesel the last time I rode my bike; and I’ve had the same AA batteries in the headlight and taillight on my commuter bike for months now – using an incredibly small amount of electricity. The benefits of reduced energy use are almost more plentiful (but arguably less beneficial) than a decline in obesity. Lower energy use would result in lower energy costs, fewer emissions from the use and creation of energy, better air quality due to less pollution, and less CO2 in the air – whatever that means.

I can’t think of any downsides to increased use of bicycles – because even though they’re not as fast as cars…you’ll generally arrive at your destination in a better mood!

May is National Bike Month in the United States. There will be all kinds of great cycling oriented events held across the country, including the Tour de Nash and Edgar Soto Memorial Stage Race here in Middle Tennessee. The third week of May (14th-18th) is National Bike to Work Week with Thursday the 17th being Bike to Work Day. There’s no better time to begin to make a difference – whether you do it for yourself, your family, the environment, or Al. I plan to increase my bicycle usage for the month (from 1-2 trips to work a week) and as many days as possible on Bike to Work Week. I challenge you to change your transportation or bicycle-use habits at least for May 14-18 if not the entire month. With some of the great products that the bicycle companies are creating now, few of us actually have good excuses not to use bicycles for some of our transportation needs. If you have any questions or would like advice as to how to make this possible, feel free to contact me and I’ll give you some tips.

Thanks for reading.

I’m sitting at home, sick, watching UEFA soccer and reading cyclingnews.com’s report on the North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS). Not too bad except for the sick part…

When it comes to outdoor activity, it is hard to beat the moderate climate of Middle Tennessee. But even the few snows that we received this winter can’t take the place of a trip to the Great White North for a reminder of what the “4th-Season” really feels like. Nothing like falling snow and a wind-chill of -9 degrees F to give you a dose of a real winter! Al Gore himself couldn’t build a case for global warming in these conditions.

But, while I try to be environmentally conscious, that’s not the only reason I was in Minnesota. I was invited by Quality Bicycle Products (QBP), the largest bicycle parts and accessories supplier in the U.S., to be a part of their annual Open House, called Frostbike. Now, it takes a very special place to draw a bunch of people to Minnesota on their own money in the middle of February – and QBP is that special. Not only are they a leader in the industry for service, technology, prodict availability, and the breadth of products they offer; but their facility in the Minneapolis suburb of Bloomington is LEED certified for it’s minimal environmental impact. They even recycle rain water for the restroom functions – how “green” is that?!

So, we’re spending three days clad in wool socks
and our warmest Craft baselayers (and still feeling cold); cruising around the Twin Cities and attending different seminars, product introductions, and strolling the familiar aisles of a trade show. (If you’re used to the Trade Show world, you know what I mean: only the locations change. It could even be in a different country – like the EICMA show in Italy which I attended in September of 2005 – and it feels like you’ve been there before.) But, this time was a little different. Somehow, it was more laid-back and enjoyable. I don’t really know what exactly lent to the relaxed atmosphere, but my feet, back, and brain were thankful. Fewer vendors was definitely a key to the feel; and conducive to being able to spend more time with people you really wanted to talk to – vendors and colleages alike. Spending time with Dan Thornton from FreeFlite Cycles in Atlanta, Jay Graves of Bike Gallery in Portland (which I talk about visiting in my Christmas/New Years update), and Mike Hammanwright of Revolution Cycles in the DC area were highlights of the trip. While I’ve known Dan and Jay for a number of years now, it was a pleasure to finally get to meet the man who is blessed with the task of outfitting Peleton One (the President and his bicycle-mounted Secret Service squad) in Mike. What a genuine and entertaining guy!

Minneapolis is a very bicycle-friendly city – even in the dead of winter! However, one side of me has to wonder how many of the riders we saw commuting and cycling in general were QBP “plants” just trying to make it look that way! Just kidding. It was definitely too cold to ride though – which didn’t stop everyone. The city has a lot of bike paths – all of which get plowed in the winter to keep them clear and useable. Some of QBP’s employees ride to work year-round; regardless of the weather. Having the infrastructure certainly makes it easier. But, all the bike paths in the world wouldn’t be more attractive than a nice warm car for the commute to work when it’s infinity-below-zero outside. I guess we all have our passions – riding bikes below 30 degrees farenheit just isn’t one of mine.

So, a bike-friendly city must have some great

bike shops, right! No doubt! The Minneapolis area is home to some of the best in the country – and we visited three of them. First was One on One Bicycle Studio at 117 N. Washington in Minneapolis’ downtown Warehouse District. This was truely the most unique of the three. A minimalist, artsy, “vibey” place in the heart of downtown, the bike shop triples as an art gallery and coffee shop. Just a cool place to hang out – like some of my favorite places all rolled into one. A slowly catching-on trend, this shop differs from what we’re used to seeing; rows-upon-rows of bicycles, mall store-like clothing departments, and laboratory-clean service departments. Instead, One on One chooses a boutique style with very few bikes actually on the show floor – merely representing what they have available. This provides an un-cluttered and more personal touch to the selling process. Since One on One doesn’t really sell any entry-level or family-style bikes, this environment is one that I would find it very easy in which to really attend to a client’s needs and help them find the perfect solution for their cycling experience if your target market is solely high-end.

The entire trip, everyone kept saying that the “do-not-miss” part of One on One is the Basement! I have to admit that I wasn’t sure what to expect or how to feel – and at first, fear prevailed over excitement. However, after ducking down into the stairway adjacent to the coffee bar, all became clear. Well, as clear as things can be in a cluttered basement that puts my parents’ catch-all to shame! No where have I seen a larger, more extensive, more varied and interesting collection of cycling…well…stuff! Hubs, derailleurs, stems, handlebars, chains, cogs, cranks, forks, frames, saddles, seatposts, nuts, bolts and even a few complete bikes are strewn in a pseudo-organized way along the length of the 100+ foot long cellar below the sales floor. If you’re in to oddities, it’s quite interesting. If you’re just a serious bike-buff like me – it’s a real stroll down memory lane. You’re likely to find several bike models you’ve owned down there. Not just the brand, but the very model. Cruisers, road bikes, tandems, BMX, hard-tail, full-suspension, new, old, successful and bicycle-blunders – they’re all there. I’ll have to take some cash with me next time and see if I can score some of the frames I’ve been looking for: A Bridgestone MB-1 and a Barracuda Dos-Equis Team. We’ll see. Anyway, if you go, don’t skip the basement.

Next was Bokoo Bikes in Chanhassen. This store’s claim to fame is as an inspriation for Trek’s Concept Store design (a “template” for store design which includes colors, fixtures, signs and floor layout which is designed by a brand, in this case Trek). It’s quite evident from the moment you step through the automatic double-doors that this building was built for it’s purpose (unlike that of One on One’s…) – to be a world-class bike shop. Like a “Gap for bikes”, Bokoo is clean (read: immaculate), well-stocked, and easy to navigate. It’s well divided into categories to help you find what you’re looking for: Hybrids, kids, mountain, and road bikes all have their own little world. Completed just before Trek rolled out their own concept for how a bike store ought to look and operate, Bokoo Bikes seems to have received a sneak peek at the playbook and even written a few pages. Coordinated color schemes, signage, and displays make this look less like an independently run bike shop (which it is) and more like something you’d find at a factory outlet which is owned, operated, designed and maintained by the brand. Even the service center was clean and organized – something which the best bike shops in the world still strive to do. Repair parts were well stocked and easy to find with their own “out-of-stock” cards, so the inventory manager always knows what needs to be re-ordered. I’m so jealous.

Finally, on our way to the airport to fly home, we went to Penn Cycles’ newest store in Woodbury. Penn Cycle’s claim to fame is that they were the first Trek Dealer. From that point, over 30 years ago to six stores today, with the Woodbury store being converted to a Trek Concept Store just two days after our visit, they’re also an industry benchmark. We spent a great deal of time with Jimmy Joe, the store manager, as he guided us through their store an talked about the intricacies of making the conversion of an existing store to a Concept Store. Penn Cycle had some great ideas for programs and promotions – which Nashville cyclists will be getting familiar with soon as we roll out our own versions. Their years in business have shown them some great ways to provide immense value to their clients without any additional expense to be absorbed by the client or the store – a win-win situation. We can’t wait.

Although I love the North, there’s still nothing like coming home, seeing your family, and sleeping in your own bed – even if you do have to be at work early the next day… Life in the bike business never stops. Even in February.

Thanks for reading…

Several big news items came out of the team of reigning U.S. National Champion, George Hincapie, this week. The team released photos and interviews from it’s annual training camp in Solvang, California with an understandably heavy emphasis on new team member Ivan Basso and returning rider Levi Leipheimer. After finding success on Team CSC and Team Gerolsteiner respectively, the two add an explosive element to a team which sat relatively sterile during last season with a few gleaming moments in the Spring Classics (although those moments seemed over shadowed by Hincapie’s shocking and amazing “crash-out” of Paris-Roubaix) and a lack-luster victory by Hincapie at the end of the season in the U.S. National Road Racing Championships. Perhaps the addition of these two riders will be just what the doctor ordered after the departure of Lance Armstrong, now a partial team owner.

During the training camp, much time was spent fitting the two star riders to their new bikes, Madone 6.9 SSL’s (of which a custom-painted version for one of my clients can be found on the Custom Bike Gallery at BikePedlar.com) and TTX 9.9 time trial bikes. The most surprising comment from Trek/Discovery Team Liason, Scott Daubert, regards Basso: “He told me he was happy to be off a sloping top tube and also likes the stability of the Madone geometry.”
Hmmm, Ivan didn’t like the Cervelo that much…huh? Well, I’ll have to concur; there is just something about that classic geometry. Ivan must be used to that feel from years of riding Italian bikes. I’m not at all surprised that he likes the Trek.

Levi was also excited to get back on a Trek, which feels like home to him after years of riding for the U.S. Postal Service team.

In other news, the Discovery Channel announced today, through USA Today, that they would be ending their sponsorship of the cycling team at the end of this racing season. This comes on the heels of the firing of Discovery Channel’s CEO on Monday, Feb. 5 and a good ol’ housecleaning of the upper-level managers of the other Discovery networks. The new CEO, former NBC executive David Zaslav is creating a lean and mean structure at Discovery and apparently that will involve cutting out sponsorship of the highest-profile professional cycling team, probably ending a relationship with multiple Sports Illustrated Athlete of the Year, cancer survivor, and 7-time Tour de France winner Lance Armstrong. Smart move, genius. [sarcasm off] That’s like Nike firing Michael Jordan! This is sure to put more pressure on Basso, Leipheimer, Tom Danielson, and the other riders – many of whom could be leaders on other teams but have chosen to contribute to the greater success of the Discovery organization.

Looks like 2007 is shaping up to be another interesting race season. Bring it on!

Thanks for reading.