Mighty. Majestic. Magnificent. The Hills of Anacostia, Rock Creek, and Bladensburg don't take the winter off; they're still waiting for you to come and ride them every weekend at 9 AM. Be Prepared for the challenge - the right gear can make all the difference. 5. Mavic's stiff, strong, and light Ksyrium Elite wheelset will help you fly up Tilden NW, bomb Mass Ave SE, survive the potholes of Bladensburg NE...and that red-on-black color scheme looks durn stylish parked in front of Zeke's afterwards. 1. Lazer's Z1 helmet, used by pro road and cyclocross racers the world over, comes with options like rear lights, helmet mounted heart rate sensors, and a snap-on aeroshell that keeps out the cold wind and rain. 3,4 Shave precious grams (and look Totally Pro) with fizik's saddles and bar tape. Speaking of which, being able to feel your face as the wind whips past you on fast descents is also Pro...which is what the 6. balaclava's for. Of course, you can always chase hills on Zwift Island or Richmond from your basement on weekdays; a 2. Kinetic smart trainer will get you ready for the weekends.
Gift Guide 2015: The Bromptoneer
It's clever, it's elegant, it's surprisingly capable, you can take it anywhere, and it folds into a handy and compact package. Yes, it's the 3. Brompton tool kit! Fold it up, tuck it in your bike's frame, and keep your bike going while on the go. 1. Color matching (or contrasting!) hinge clamp knobs and 2. bar grips make your made-for-you Brompton even more unique, and the stylish 5. game bag (available in yellow, navy, and natural canvas) compliments the useful elegance of your bike. Protect your investment when traveling with a 4. hard-sided case, and while away the flight with 6. The History of Brompton.
Gift Guide 2015: The Commuter
Day in, day out, through snow, through rain, through gloom of night, it's time to ride. Let's face it, nobody likes being stuck in traffic; your bike's a tool in the War on Gridlock, a way to slice through the city any day, any hour. 6. Lights on fenders and 2. lights on your bike keep you from earning a story about "that time I hit a deer on the trails" that you really don't want. Carry all your important (and fragile, and can't get wet) gear in 1. German Ortlieb bags on a 3. German Tubus rack, while 7. Portland's Finest breathable jacket, 5. shoe covers, and helmet cover from Shower's Pass keeps you cozy, even in the midst of the storm.
Gift Guide 2015: The Family
Riding for two (or more?) We've got you covered. 1. Xtracycle's EdgeRunner 9e, with its powerful Bosch electronic motor assistance, makes mince pie out of any hill - yes, even that one, and with a trio riding on the back to boot. 5. Yepp's Easyfit seats give your passengers a place to sit, 2. Lazer's Multi-Impact Protection System (MIPS) helmets keep them safe, and a nice, 3. colorful bell on the bike keeps them entertained. Of course, sometimes it's not enough to sit back and enjoy the ride; a bright and shiny 4. Lil' Roadster, styled after Linus's full-sized bike, lets them have a pair of wheels all their own.
Gift Guide 2015: Cupcake Rambler
Like Baked Joint's blueberry pie or Parkway Deli's radial bars, you can't have style without substance. Try the Full English treatment for your bike with 2,3,4 genuine leather bags, grips, and saddles from Brooks and a properly professorial houndstooth 1. Shower's Pass jacket to keep the wind at bay when Sticky Fingers calls. 5. Hand-painted (and seasonally appropriate) Crane bells mix bling with ding. Keep an eye on your boxes and bags as you bring them home with a 7. harvest basket and 6. VeloOrange Porteur front rack.
Gift Guide 2015: Fatbike
It's the best thing to come out of Minnesota since Bob Dylan and Malt-O-Meal - for when the roads disappear, winter's weather takes a turn for the Memorable, or you just want to be the first passenger on the H Street NE streetcar tracks. Grab the 1. Ice Cream Truck Ops - tuned for gettin' rad during the summer off-season - and get to shreddin'. 3. Wool scarves and 4. socks from Surly to match your Surly along with 2. Giro 100 Proff lobster mitts keep you nice and toasty when the wild wind blows, while 5. Anything Cages and 6. frame bags schlep your tent and fluffy down sleeping bag through the Seneca Greenway.
Bikes are People: Jeff Frane All-City Cycles
Meet the humans behind the machines. In this episode of Bikes are People we talk with Jeff Frane, cofounder of All-City Cycles. Learn how All-City began and where it's headed.
Your Red Sleigh
Meet the Pass Hunter. All that glittering chrome, those hammered fenders, fluted crankarms, that lustrous red paint - a real retro beauty, ain't it? If you're looking for a great bike for the next Seersucker Social, I think you just found it.
Of course, if you're looking for the right bike for your next long ride - like 750 miles long - you just found that as well. Supple steel for a smooth ride, reliable and field serviceable downtube shifters and cantilever brakes, and a Brooks Swift saddle for "just for you" all-day comfort.
Based in Annapolis, Maryland - it makes a great day trip - Velo Orange has long had a devoted following with long distance and adventurous riders (like my buddy Eric), along with folks looking for classic solutions to perennial problems, like "how do I carry an extra sixer on my bike?" I like to think of what they do as "all of the retro, none of the grouch;" sure, their designs are based on the absolute best of 1940s and '50s French engineering, and if you're looking for that last obscure part to restore that vintage frame, they probably have it, but they're rarely retro for retro's sake. Sometimes, somebody else had that problem, came up with a perfectly ingenious solution decades ago, and now VO's the only one making it.
So what's the problem the Pass Hunter solves? Easy: that your ride has to end. Hop on one of these, and no matter how far your horizons might be, what weather may come and luck find you, or what unknown roads you find yourself exploring, you'll make it through ready for more.
Plaid Ride 2015
Thanks everyone for joining us for our 3rd Annual Plaid Ride! You helped raise $450 for Capital Area Food Bank. Our ride took us through downtown and on a tour of the National Arboretum before arriving for festivities at Bardo, where you tested your strength on the carnival games, enjoyed Bardo Beer, s'mores and Acme Pie.
Happy Thanksgiving
Note Holiday hours are in effect. Stay active during your break and join us for a special edition Hills ride and our 3rd Annual Plaid Ride.
Holiday Hours
November 25th 10AM - 5PM
November 26th CLOSED
November 27th 10AM - 7PM
Holiday Hills Rides
November 26th 9AM Downtown - Hills of Anacostia
November 27th Noon Adams Morgan - Hills of Rock Creek