Recently Glenn came into possession of this beautifully restored 1937 Hetchins Brilliant frame and fork from the awesome folks at Via Bicycle.   After some time of seeking out the proper components we were ready to build it back into a bicycle.

This rig sports the components of its era.  This includes:

Charter Lea cranks, pedals, and bottom bracket

A rare Sturmey Archer AM-9 (medium ratio) 3 speed drive train.

A Charter Lea headclip style headset

Most likely a Lautwasser style Merlin handlebar.

And here is the final result!

I have always thought Hetchins were some of the most beautiful bike frames built.  They are set apart from other frames of the time by elaborate lug designs and the very unique curly chain stays as seen on this bike.  Come on by the shop to check it out in person.  For even more pictures  check us out on Flickr here. For more information on Hetchins check out this site

Glenn Approves!

I just built up the first complete Surly Pacer, which is Surly’s road bike.  The frames have been around for years but they’ve never been offered as a complete set up until now. We’ve got sizes ranging from 52-58 in stock, and others can be orered.  The retail price is $1175 without pedals.

Like all of they’re frames, the Pacer is made of 4130 crome-moly steel.  It’s a road bike, but not a race bike, meant for all day rides, and those looking for a responsive, but comfortable ride with room for fenders or fatter tires.  The components are middle of the line, so they’re reliable but not overpriced, with Shimano Tiagra derailleurs, hubs and STI levers, Alex R390 rims, an FSA Vero 50/34 crank set and Conti ultra sport 28mm tires, it’s ready to hit the road.

For more info on the Surly Pacer, come down and talk to us or visit they’re website at Surlybikes.com

-Derek

During the winter months, the shop slows down and we end up doing a lot of business over the internet. you can keep tabs on our ebay listings here. What this means for us is a lot of time shining up parts, taking pictures, making cardboard boxes as small as we can, and of course, trips to the post office, even if its in the middle of a record-breaking snowstorm.

This past saturday I cleaned up the shop Xtracycle and set it up with a pair of Nokian Extreme studded tires. With 294 studs, they kept both myself and the load of boxes, which filled two trash bags and the top of the Xtracycle, stuck to the road for the entire trip across town to the post office and Fedex.

I had a scary incident last week riding down south winooski on my own bike. I was holding off on the studded tires because i didn’t want to spend the cash, hoping my 45mm knobby panaracer fire cross tires would get me through the year, and i was making a bank run for the shop. I slipped out on some ice and fell in the middle of the road, and before i could fully stand back up, the minivan behind me, unable to stop, slid right into my back and knocked me back over. Luckily they weren’t going too fast and I was uninjured, and my bike was fine, but it was a lucky reminder that I needed to get the right equipment. I rode back to the shop and immediately purchased some studs.

So when I started out on my Xtracycle run I was a little nervous that the long wheel base and heavy load would be difficult to handle in the slippery weather, but it handled surprisingly well. There was never a second that I felt out of control.  Combined with the appropriate cold weather wear and equipment such as a helmet, gloves, goggles and lighting, using studded tires can definitely make riding a bike through Vermont winter’s not only possible, but quite safe and enjoyable.

If you’re looking for a do-everything cargo bike, you need to come down to the shop and check out the Surly Big Dummy.  They’ve designed the Big Dummy in conjunction with the Xtracycle, and with carrying big loads (up to 400lbs) in mind.  It comes with Xtracycle’s V-Rack bags and snapdeck, which make securing boxes and groceries and just about anything you’d want to carry with you a sinch.

The frame is 4130 cro-mo, as are all of their bikes, and they didn’t skimp on the parts either.  The complete comes spec’d with Surly’s own Mr. Whirly cranks, a mountain triple, outboard bearing crankset that has a removable spider and can easily be converted to a double, or single, whatever suits your needs.  Some other highlights of the build are the Shimano SLX/LX group set, the surly torsion bar made by nitto, deore XT rear disc hub, surly front disc hub, salsa gordo 26″ rims, and avid bb7 mechanical disk brakes.

-Derek

Today’s Vermont Edition featured a story on the growth of winter bicycle commuting, something we are huge proponents of. check it out

Vermont Edition

Hey you….check this out and keep your eyes peeled for post holiday winter riding clinics!

http://vermontdailynews.com/2009/12/winter-bike-riding-on-the-increase/

Thanks to Alden Pellett of the Vermont Daily News for coming by this morning to document and participate in the clinic.  Be sure to check out vermontdailynews.com – a new, independent online news source for all things Vermont!

stay warm out there!

We love the Surly Cross Check. We like it so much because it can do anything. Think of it as the Mr. Potato Head of bicycles. So when we got a used Cross Check frame and a set of SRAM I Motion 3 speed wheels from a good customer of ours we couldn’t resist.  Think of this bike as the ultimate urban year ’round commuter.  38mm wide tires guarantee a smooth cushy ride, the fenders makes sure you will stay dry, and the upright bars will keep maintain you’re perfect posture and keep you comfortable.

Internally geared drivetrains are ideal for commuting because it keeps the virtually maintence free and weatherproof advantages of a single speed while giving you the advantages of a couple of gears.  The best of both worlds!

If you are thinking about commuting this winter and then some, check this out.  Studded tires are no problem on this rig and the internally geared drivetrain will stand up well to the winter elements.

Plus check out what happens to this under the light of say…oncoming headlights

$695

Hot off the press!

Velo Orange designed this frame after the French city bikes that were used widely by the messenger subculture of the time: The newspaper delivery riders also known simply as porteurs. These bikes were light weight steal frames on 650b wheels and most famously recognized by the giant front rack that was capable of carrying an enormous amount of weight. Here is a sketch of what a typical porteur bike looked like:

And when I say they were the messenger subculture, I mean it. In urban centers they even had races that could be considered the first alleycats in which riders were required to carry 30+ pounds of newspapers and deliveries were crucial check points

We deviated a touch from the traditional Porteur style when we built this Velo Orange. For instance you might notice that it looks like a road bike with drop handlebars and a wide range of gears. We built it this way because of the diversity of riding that a bike like this can handle. The bike sits on top of 650b wheels with a 33mm wide tire, perfect for long days on Vermont dirt roads. We kept the Porteur rack, made by Velo Orange as well, because they are so darn nice! Use it around town to haul groceries or pack your things on it and go for a weekend tour. No matter what you throw at it, the ride will be stable, smooth, and predictable.

We like this set up because these bikes are not only great city bikes but also wonderful touring bikes.  Take this for example:  Eleanore Cambell of Waitsfield Vermont.  In the 50’s she bought this Ruche mixtie while living in Paris and toured on it.

With the Velo Orange Porteur bike we hope to resurrect this distinctively French cycling culture.  A bicycle that is efficient and practical for commuting as well as comfortable and rugged enough to endure long rides over the biggest gaps  and narrowest country carriage roads.

specs:

Frame: 54cm Velo Oragne Porteur

Wheels: 650b Weinmann rims, Shimano Deore hubs

Rear derailleur: Shimano XT

Front Derailleur: Shimano LX

Cranks: Sugino triple

Stem: Nitto DX road

Handlebars: Nitto Noodle bar

Brakes: Origin8 cantilever

Headset: Velo Orange 1″ threaded

Tires: Maxy Fasty 650bx33mm

Pedals: Velo Orange

Fenders: Tanaka

Rack: Velo Orange porteur

Saddle: Brooks b17

$1395

Just imagine this with a ramp on the end going off into the lake.

Looking to earn your beloved bike more style points?  Check this out.

3 leading 3 trailing custom wheel build:

This style of lacing a wheel is also known as “Pine cone” lacing because the sets of leading and trailing spokes form a pine cone shape as they cross.

Fancy handle bar wrapping

Come on in and let us trick out your ride!

cheers.

Yehuda Moon

If you live in the Northeast and have looked out you’re window anytime between 4am and now you are well aware that the lingering fall has abruptly ended and man am I glad I winterized my bike yesterday. Here is North Winooski Ave just hours into the snow storm:

I made the decision to outfit my Surly Cross Check with studded tires and full coverage fenders not because i knew there was a winter storm watch for that night and the next day, in fact I didn’t even know about it.  Instead the driving force was that we were slammed in the shop yesterday outfitting customer’s bikes with the winter necessities and like a good herd animal I followed suit.
This being my first winter in 5 years of bicycle commuting that I have used studded tires I was eager to get on the road this morning. Let me tell you, it does make a difference. I was pleased with how true my bike tracked through the uneven snow and ice, and was even more impressed with the traction around slippery intersection corners.

I wanted to remind everyone that we are fully stocked in a variety of studded tires and full coverage fenders.  And if you come on down now you will get $5 off all studded tires and Free Installation.

Also,  we are going to be hosting a series of winter riding clinics every Saturday morning from 9:00am to 10:30 at the shop (322 north Winooski Ave).  These will be casual conversation based workshops in which people are encouraged to come and share their tips for winter bike commuting and to learn what sort of gear is necessary, techniques for staying safe, how to keep your bike from becoming fossilized in salt and winter road grim, and other tips for diagnosing and dealing with the unique issues that winter in Vermont poses to bicycles.  If you are thinking about riding your bike year ’round for the first time, or if you are a seasoned veteran this will be an extremely useful skill share session.  Call us at 863-4475 with any questions.

Cheers!

Winter ready bikes parked at the shop!