Pony Express

From All City Cycles: "Meet the Pony Express. An $1150 flatbar Space Horse. Coming this June."

We've long been a fan of flat bar bikes for the city. Here's one of our favorite Space Horse builds, complete with Velocity Dyad rim laced to a Shimano Alfine 8 speed hub and the front is a Dyad laced to a Surly New Hub, both handbuilt by our wheelmaster, Jerry.  Brooks England B17 Special in Antique Brown atop a silver Thomson setback seatpost. As for some of the smaller details, we got a beautiful Sugino single-speed crank in silver, Continental Gatorskin 28s, Dimension Arc Bar with nifty GripRings in a corresponding colorway, Tektro cantis, and some sweet matching fyxation Pedals. 

How have you customized your Space Horse? Let us know in the comments. 

Bicycling and Social Justice

Elly Blue is a big part of why I'm a bike activist.

I mean, there are other big parts as well. Falling in with a crowd of friendly cyclists near my home in College Park at a weeknight potluck, for instance, or towing a cantankerous trailer with pro-cycling messages around every part of DC have to be on the list too.

But, if I had to explain the economic, political, and above all ethical importance of my bike work, I could only do it with reference to her.

Riding a bike is powerful. It liberates people from so many of the stupid, useless limitations that have been imposed on them by their gender, location, class, status, or other stupid and useless reason. The humble bicycle is a tool for social change, for building communities, for creating and using the power that justly belongs to all human beings but has been crushed by systematic and unjust structures in our society.

Her Everyday Bicycling may be the best introduction to riding a bike for transportation, along with a patient and cheerful friend—a short and joyful contrast to previous ponderous, technical, and intimidating guides, which came with a healthy helping of patriarchal elitism. Less focused on how to overhaul your hubs than awesome ways to improve your life, Everyday Bicycling captures the power and joy of living life on two wheels.

In Bikenomics, she makes this case for communities. For anyone interested in transportation advocacy or activism, Bikenomics is the essential handbook. Yes, as its subtitle claims, it's about "how bicycling can save the economy," but it's about more than just our narrow late capitalist conception of "the economy;" it's about creating community, fighting back against every inhuman force that would separate us from our world, our neighbors, and ourselves, and creating a more equitable, inclusive, and just society in the process. It's a DIY guide to improvising with the two wheels you have at hand engines of opportunity, entrepreneurship, and engagement.

And, of course, there's the many articles and blog posts, the Taking the Lane 'zine series and Journal of Bicycle Feminism that evolved from it, theBikes in Space anthologies of feminist bicycling science fiction, the Our Bodies, Our Bikes anthology, the records of personal lived experience with speculative fiction, practical advice with flights of fancy, the heartache, love, pain, and joy of riding a bike captured as best language can—yes, all of that.

This is why we're excited—I'm excited—to host Elly Blue at our downtown shop (440 K NW) on 9 March to talk about the bicycle as a tool for social change.

By Phill Melton

Wednesday March 9th 7:30pm | 440 K Street NW 

Elly Blue and Joe Biel present Groundswell, an interactive program of short documentaries and discussion about people who are use bicycles as innovative tools to make their lives and communities better. We'll show how Reading, PA came to be 13th on the East Coast for bike commuting without any advocacy or government spending, a film about former gang members riding bikes to raise awareness about gang violence, Mexico City’s superhero of the streets, Peatonito, the story of the League of American Bicyclists’ equity council, how the City of Portland’s Sunday Parkways worked as a response to gentrification, and more ways that cyclists are representing themselves and creating their own voices all over the world.

Fredward: Drunken Master

Cutting to the chase: the Fredward is kinda like Jackie Chan's Drunken Master. You know, the funky hero, overlooked, underestimated, indestructible, never too serious...and busting out the moves when nobody expects it. Yeah, the Fredward's a great coffeeshop cruiser, or a barhopping beat 'em up bruiser bike, but it cuts corners, pops outta stops, and kills hills with the best.

So, Backstory Part the First: I loaned out my fun-as-phosphorus 'cross bike to Ana for MonsterCross. Cool, that bike lives for the races, ya know? Of course, he had to pick it up somehow—so his Fredward got to stay with me while Ellie the Private Jake went home with him. Eh, no big deal, might take it for a spin around the block or something if I get the chance...

That's when the snowstorm hit.

Cruuuuuuuud. Gotta get to Adams Morgan in a couple inches of slushy, snowy schmutz, and I don't have my go-to Snowmonster with me anymore. Guess I'll have to sit this one...wait, this bike Ana ditched with me has 'cross tires. This might just work.

Okay, so I didn't go straight in to work—you know, when it's completely crazy outside, the completely crazy College Park cyclists meet for coffee—but, as I was heading in, plowing through snow-covered trails, I had a bit of a realization.

Which brings us to Backstory Part the Second: Phaedrus.

Phaed was my first DC bike. Like, I grew up riding bikes, but spent college mostly walking everywhere. Wore out a lot of Keen hiking boots that way. A year and a half into living in DC, I'd had enough—I wanted a bike. So I played craigslist roulette, found a Bridgestone XO-4 hybrid (wait, like the tire company?) for pretty cheap, and bought it. No, it didn't really fit me, but whatever; that bike cut corners like nothin' else. I felt like I was flying. Well, okay, for the two days before Snowmageddon hit. I wasn't crazy enough to ride in that.

Now, a few things: Bridgestone (yes, the tire company) XO bikes are kinda cult bikes. Their designer was this crazed genius named Grant Peterson, who'd go on to found Rivendell, his own bike company where he could built his own bikes and write his own rants, in '94, about the same time Phaed was built.* If you talk to bike geeks about Bridgestones, you see eyes light up. The folks at All-City—about the biggest bunch of bike geeks out there—make no secret of their love of Bridgestone. Handsome even made a bike called the XOXO, a direct homage to/clone of the XO-1. So yeah. Nice bike.

Of course, there was that whole "too small" thing. I looked like I was riding a clown bike, and sometimes felt like I was about to pitch forward over the bars. Once I got my Schwinn (which is completely too big for me, but that's another story), I stopped riding Phaed, but couldn't quite bring myself to sell such a beloved bike. I mean, he was the first bike I ever paid for, the one that got me into riding in DC, the one that...so many memories with that bike.

So when a shorter friend of mine needed a bike, I gave him to her. The ol' Bridgestone's currently sporting red tires, brand new fenders, and leading a happy life running around College Park and beyond.

All this is a long way of saying that, when I hopped on Ana's Fredward and headed off into the snow, I felt just like I was back on my old bike. My first bike. The one I loved so dearly, but still gave away.

 

This time, though, the snow that came two days later didn't stop me (and the bike fit!). I'd done this. I got this. Do crazy, or go crazy. It's my new normal.

 

The folks I was meeting for coffee? One of them was Phaed's current owner. We dropped by her house on my way to work—and there was my old Bridgestone, in from the snow.

 

It was a long trek in after I left, through fresh snow, fellow crazies, grey slush, and General Gross;  the change to freezing rain (yes, I took the Metro back between Petworth and CP—I draw the line at ice!) didn't make things better. Of course, I don't live at the Metro station; I rode through the night, face covered in layers of wool, glasses fogging, the ice-covered snow not crunching under tires but unzipping, ripping, tearing, following ruts and holding tight in turns, finding the odd, smooth margin at the edge of the pavement...

 

Yes, but what about the bike? Isn't this supposed to be a review? Where are the component specs? What's with the geometry? Why does it climb so well? What about the gearing? Was the only point of that Jackie Chan reference at the beginning an excuse to watch kung fu fight scenes and call it "work related research?" Give us details! Tell us! Tell us!

 

Okay, here are your component specs: it's a bike. It has two wheels, two pedals, a saddle and a handlebar. There's a chain that connects the crank to the back. It's a great invention. It goes when you pedal, stops when you work the brakes. There's a version with three speeds, another with just one; keep things simple, you can't break what you don't have. Oh, and you get your choice of three colors.

There you go. That about covers it.

 

 

Look, things can be complicated. If you want complicated, I can do complicated. Heck, I'm a recovering philosopher—I can make things complicated!

This here, it ain't complicated. Ain't fancy. It's an antidote to buzzworditus and techgeekery. I mean, it's well thought out, but you're not supposed to notice that, but rather, ride it, live it. There's lots of cool stuff you can do, lots of ways you could trick it out, things you could swap, approaches you could take—but, you know what, it's just fine the way it comes. You do you. Ride your ride.

What you are supposed to notice is how crisply you can snap through a tight turn, take the secret shortcut, hop a curb, climb a hill, feel the flow, stop overthinking, start riding, start flying, start grooving. That's cool. That's what matters. That's what's awesome.

It's a connection to old memories and new stories, to places and people, to making the everyday into just a little bit of an adventure.

*Some of the things on Riv's website are the bikeworld's answer to Dr. Bronner's Magic Soap labels. I mean, there are a few good nuggets in there, don't get me wrong, but there's a reason the part of me that loves a good left-field whacko idea is still cackling with glee over my hard copy Riv catalog.

(Okay, photos. The one by the bridge also features Rod Smith on his Kona ["make sure you get me in the picture" I hear him yell as he rolls up]; the one of me with my face covered was taken by Millie T., who's on the right—and, cool thing about it, the gal in the middle is the person I gave Phaedrus. That's a borrowed Felt she's riding in the photo, though. The bike among the snowpiles, though? That's Phaed)

Cannondale Closeouts

In-stock models only. Call for availability. 

Cannondale 2015 Trail 5 29'' Blue and Black S,M,L,XL $525 was $820

Cannondale 2015 CAADX Disc Rival Grey 51 $1400 was $2170

Cannondale 2015 Quick CX1 Matte Small $1,050 was $1,620

 

Cannondale 2015 Bad Boy 4 Matte Small $490 was $760

Cannondale 2015 Bad Boy 3 Matte Small and XL $660 was $1,030

Cannondale 2015 Bad Boy 1 Matte Large $1,050 was $1,840

 

Cannondale 2015 CAAD8 Sora Red 54, 56 $630 was $980

Cannondale 2015 CAAD8 Sora Matte 58, 61 $630 was $980

 

Cannondale 2015 CAAD10 Women 105 White 48, 51 $1,075 was $1,680

Cannondale 2015 CAAD10 105 Matte 50, 54, 56 $1,075 was $1,680

Cannondale 2015 CAAD10 105 Berzerk 58, 60 $1,075 was $1,680

Cannondale 2015 CAAD10 Ultegra Black 54 $1,350 was $2,270

Cannondale 2015 CAAD10 Rival Disc Blue 58 $1,350 was $2,170

 

Cannondale 2015 Super6 EVO Carbon Ultegra Green 56 $2,100 was $3,250

Cannondale 2015 Super6 EVO Carbon Rival Blue 56 $1,750 was $2,710

Cannondale 2015 Super6 EVO Carbon 105 Black 56, 58 $1,475 was $2,270

 

Cannondale 2015 Scalpel 29 Carbon 3 Gray Medium and Large $2,800 was $4,330

Cannondale 2015 F-Si Carbon 2 Blue Large $3,000 was $4,870


2015 Synapse Sale

This bike likes long days in the saddle and dancing effortlessly up climbs. The Synapse is the perfect blend of comfort and speed. Unlike pure racing bikes, the Synapse puts you in a more upright posture, perfect for racking up the miles. Cannondales unique frame design produces a compliant ride that soaks up the harshness from the road, while still remaining stiff and responsive.  

Sale while supplies last. Call Adams Morgan 202-232-4196 or Downtown 202-962-0123 for the latest stock. 

2015 Synapse Women Sora Black 48, 51, 54 $660 was $1,030

2015 Synapse Carbon Women Ultegra White 48 $2,025 was $3,140

2015 Synapse Carbon Ultegra Di2 Disc Matte 54 and 56 $3,150 was $4,870

2015 Synapse Carbon Ultegra Blue 56 $2,025 was $3,140

2015 Synapse Carbon 105 White 51, 54, 58 $1,540 was $2,380

2015 Synapse Carbon 105 Black 51, 58 $1,540 was $2,380

2015 Synapse 6 Carbon Women 105 Gray 48, 51, 56 $1,330 was $2,060

2015 Synapse 5 Carbon 105 White 56 $1,540 was $2,380

2015 Synapse 5 Carbon 105 Black 56 $1,540 was $2,380

20% to 50% OFF Select Winter Gear

20% to 50% off remaining winter items!

All Cannondale gloves, balaclavas, caps, jackets

All Castelli gloves, apparel, other gear

Showers Pass:  Amsterdam jacket, Crosspoint gloves & liners, Portland cap
Giro 100 Proof gloves, Ambient gloves, Merino Gloves, any other winter items (excludes Hoxton LF or Rulla gloves)

Surly scarves, hats, caps

Any brand of toe covers, arm warmers, leg warmers, knee warmers, balaclava

Ivy City 1512 Okie St., N.E. Washington, DC 20002 202-853-9390

Please come visit us at our expansive Ivy City location- there’s a bike lane connected to downtown just around the block (and lots of on-street & longer term garage parking next door if you really must drive…)- our great people, bikes, and service are waiting for you!

contact@bicyclespacedc.com