Calhoun Cycle Shopcast

This Thursday is the Tiny Bike Shop Concert at Calhoun Cycle. We’re excited to have Ann Reed and Dan Chouinard back to the shop for our first Tiny Bike Shop Concert of 2012. Last fall when they put on a show for us we had a great time yakking up bikes and hearing some fabulous music from a couple of local legends.
Ann was just on Prairie Home Companion where she wowed us all (and Garrison) with her amazing talent and Dan, being comfortable with any keyboard instrument will knock our socks off with his accordion at the show. Together they put on a phenomenal show that you will not want to miss.

Not only is the show FREE, but there’s rumor of a bit ‘o grilling going on out back and snacks and lemonade area sure bet.

Lastly: Prizes, Lots of Good Ones… When you show up be sure and go through registration to be placed in a drawing to win A Linus Dutchi Bicycle, a Jon Nielson custom art-ified Banjo Brothers Backpack. three Walz Caps and more.

SMILE: ) We’ll have a camera set up as well as a willingness to snap another with your camera.
>From 6:00-6:45 you can get an extra ticket in the drawing by having your picture taken trying on a Walz Cap
>From 6:30 to 6:45 you can get your picture taken with Dan and Ann on stage!

Here’s the full schedule:
6:00 – Drawing registration begins
6:00 – (until Gone, limited supply) Weinie/Brat Roast on Grill Out Back
6:00 – 6:45 Walz Cap picture
6:15 – 6:45 O2 Rainwear’s Adam Ziskin will be available for questions
6:30-6:45 pictures on the stage with Ann & Dan
7:00-8:00 Ann Reed and Dan Chouinard will performing on stage

Brompton Folding Bikes are truly fascinating bikes. The first time someone sees one being folded they are sure to gasp in amazement. Brommies are the fastest folding bicycles on the market and in a defiance of science the same bikes are the smallest folded bike. These hand-made wonders are catching on and forward thinking cycle shops like Calhoun Cycle are working hard to grow more awareness to the practicality of such a unique product.
Whether you are using it as a superb grocery chaser, a daily commuter that you don’t have to leave out on the street or traveling by bus and train, there are a whole host of reasons to consider a Brompton Folding Bicycle.

Bromptons are built in London and virtually every one is a custom bike in that the company does not have “stock” models. There a wide variety of options available and the possible combinations are in the tens of thousands. Color, gearing, tyres, handlebar and saddle are some of the choices! The one thing they all have in common are the compact folded dimensions.

We stock a wide variety of Bromptons in the shop, so you can always come in and test ride bikes and buy a model from us on the spot. A growing number of people are ordering custom bikes. To do this we would work with them using Brompton’s B-Spoke order form. This is available HERE. The form can be a little confusing so we created the following screencast to help walk you through the B-Spoke Form.

Helpful Links:
Brompton Bikes
Brompton Bags
Brompton Parts and Accessories
Brompton B-Spoke Order Form

Bromptons come in a wide array of colors and the color schemes are endless in that you can choose 2 colors. One for the Main (center of the frame) and one for the Extremeties (rear triangle on the back and fork and riser on the front). Think candy colored iMacs on steroids.

The Gallery below is a mix of Bromptons that are in the shop today. The captions for the pics tell you specifically what the model is and what options the bike has.

Urban Cycling is an online book written and designed by Katie King Rumford. The design is very pleasing and the content is inspiring.
Definitely worth checking out.

This from the webpage:
“Urban Cycling is a book dedicated to addressing the problems of biking in urban areas by suggesting alternatives and solutions to problems. Urban Cycling is a final student project for a graduate level graphic design program. Photography and copy have been cited.”
Read the book here:  Urban Cycling

Alan Barnard of EcoVelo fame is soon to write his last blog post for ecovelo.info.
For 3-1/2 years EcoVelo has inspired many people to do great things in a healthy, environmentally friendly way and Calhoun Cycle owes a big thanks to Alan and Michael for their great work.
The blog is a huge resource for all people of all levels to work out the details of using their bicycle as a true means of transportation.
At least once every couple of days we find ourselves at the shop speaking about the blog in one way or other.
We will greatly miss the beautiful photos, great reviews and fun picture contests, but I will appreciate the memories of EcoVelo forever.
Thank You Very Much!
It’s been a 6 year relationship that Calhoun Cycle has had with Alan, becuase before the EcoVelo Blog Alan did TheRecumbentBlog. In 2005 Alan started TheRecumbentBlog and it was a stand out for a very high level of professionalism and a very keen eye for design (to say nothing of the high quality images).
The same high standards were carried into the crafting of EcoVelo, but to a larger audience. Both TheRecumbentBlog and EcoVelo brought people together that had been considered to be outcasts by the cycling industry in general.
As the final post is nearing for EcoVelo I can say that both cycling communities are better understood by the larger cycling world. Thanks in no small part to Alan and Michael’s hard work.
Their impact is greater than it may seem. Nice Work : )

Nuts & Bolts: While this year will mark the end of EcoVelo’s new posts, it will continue to be a valuable resource for commuters and the broader world of utility-minded cyclists for 2 more years, but without new content. As I understand it, the site will remain active until January 1, 2014. Then it will have to rest in peace.