Friend of the Shop

Introducing Chocotenango

Leti_Kugler_Chocotenango

 

Have you ever thought about what it takes to be recognized as one of the best in the world in your particular specialty?  It’s not just talent and hard work - plenty of people have talent, and plenty work long hours.  It’s more than having access to vast financial resources as money alone does not ensure excellence either.  And it’s not just being well-studied and mastering the fundamentals – that may get you to an average level or above, but it will not put you on the world stage, recognized by your peers as one of the best at what you do.

What separates the best from the rest of the field is the ability to tap into extraordinary imaginative powers, and the dogged pursuit to bring the ideas to a reality worthy of the richness of the dream.  This means having a breadth of perspectives from life experience to tap, and an abundance of personal sacrifice to bring it to fruition.

It’s no secret that cyclists have an enhanced mental agility.  Master Chocolatier Ismael Neggaz is no exception.  He has been developing his recipes and techniques for over a decade, and his company Chocotenango has won multiple international and national awards.  He makes his chocolate right here in Washington DC by hand, which makes it even more incredible that he has achieved his level of excellence because hand tools do not afford the same level of precision as industrial machinery.  Look closely while you’re out and you may catch a glimpse of Ismael darting about town on his bicycle as he goes about putting Washington DC on the world chocolate map.

Break off a bit of a Chocotenango bar, put it on your tongue, and find something to hold on to.  Your mind will race off to the exotic places from which the exquisite combinations of tastes are derived, and after the silky flavors slowly dissipate you will be left wondering how it is possible that someone is able pack so much taste and texture into a small brown square.

BicycleSPACE is proud to announce that we have Chocotenango bars in stock at all three shops, just in time for the holidays and the winter season, available by the bar or by the case.  Stop by to try it out and tell us your story, and stay tuned to our media for Chocotenango tasting events at the shops.

 

An amazing and awesome double grand opening

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When we say you made our double grand opening amazing and awesome, we mean it definitively.

The words are used so often that it's easy to forget their root meanings. Amazing and awesome. Suffice it to say we're inspired by a sense of wonder, gratitude and heartfelt appreciation for your support.

You've gone home with lots and lots and lots of exciting new bikes. This makes us happy unto itself and even more happy to know we'll see you back for regular check-ups. And happier still to see you again to redeem your 10% back gift certificates.  

And we'll see dozens of you to pick up bikes you ordered. We know the wait is hard, but we're excited that you'll have to visit us again. ;)

One thing we learned from our time in the pop-up shop at 5th and G Streets is that home is where the heart is. You came to us and continued to consider us your community bike shop under the most crowded, disorderly and challenging circumstances. Voting with your feet, you proved you most value our BicycleSPACE community and we couldn't be happier.

You proved it yet again during our grand opening. If we couldn't locate something right away or there was a wait for a salesperson or mechanic, you were the consummate diplomat. We noticed and appreciate your resilience.

Thanks to all our loyal customers who brought their own friends to our shops to introduce them to the BicycleSPACE difference.

We made new friends and benefitted from existing relationships during this eventful weekend. We send sincere thanks to these individuals and businesses.

Adams Morgan

Tryst donated three platters of food on Saturday afternoon, plus five gift certificates to our raffle.

Mmmmm. Thanks, Tryst!

Mmmmm. Thanks, Tryst!

Acme Pie Co. donated untold numbers of delectable pies to sweeten our Saturday.

The CakeRoom Bakery was the icing on the cake Sunday morning. Earlybirds enjoyed delicious cupcakes the bakery donated.

Mellow Mushroom warmed us midday Sunday with generous pizza donations.

Songbyrd Music House & Record Cafe filled our vast SPACE with music for the coolest cats in Adams Morgan both Saturday and Sunday. Plus, they raffled seriously covetable prizes.

Toro Mata hand-delivered flowers to us. They bought the lovely bouquet at neighboring Little Shop of Flowers. 

Roofers Union and a number of Adams Morgan residents welcomed us via social media.

Bromptoneers, with BicycleSPACE co-owner Phil Koopman at left, paid a visit to our Mt. Vernon Triangle shop. From there, they rode to our Adams Morgan shop then lunched at Mellow Mushroom.

Bromptoneers, with BicycleSPACE co-owner Phil Koopman at left, paid a visit to our Mt. Vernon Triangle shop. From there, they rode to our Adams Morgan shop then lunched at Mellow Mushroom.

The Brompton Bicycle Club created a Sunday event around our grand openings, visiting both shops then lunching at Mellow Mushroom to recycle bicyclists' consumer dollars back to a friendly business.

The Adams Morgan Partnership Business Improvement District (AMPBID) hand-delivered the gift bags the Saturday earlybirds enjoyed. AMPBID has been a steadfast supporter all along.

We tip our cycling caps to our Advisory Neighborhood Commission 1C for their statesmanship in welcoming us to the neighborhood.

Mt. Vernon Triangle

A Baked Joint donated gift certificates to our raffle.

A Baked Joint and 5th Street Ace Hardware welcomed us to put flyers in their stores and sent good wishes via social media.

Our bicyclist Ward 6 councilman, Charles Allen, paid us a visit on Sunday afternoon.

Ward 6 Councilman Charles Allen, left, with BicycleSPACE co-owner Phil Koopman, gesturing so enthusiastically his hands are blurry. We love how a gorgeous Celeste Bianchi Milano Dama photobombs at right.

Ward 6 Councilman Charles Allen, left, with BicycleSPACE co-owner Phil Koopman, gesturing so enthusiastically his hands are blurry. We love how a gorgeous Celeste Bianchi Milano Dama photobombs at right.

The Mt. Vernon Triangle Community Improvement District and its marketing committee are supportive allies as we open shop.

We tip our cycling caps to our Advisory Neighborhood Commission 6E for their statesmanship in welcoming us to the neighborhood.

It takes a village to grow and sustain the largest bike shop in D.C. We sincerely thank our village people for investing in our amazing and awesome grand opening.

Double Grand Opening of BicycleSPACE Adams Morgan and Downtown July 10-12

Good things come to those who wait!

The wait is over, friends. Our Adams Morgan and downtown shops are having a Double Grand Opening July 10-12, 2015.

Some of the fun includes:

  • Win a bike ($1,000 value)
  • Buy any bike and we'll email you a gift certificate for 10% of its value ($1,000 bike = $100 gift certificate)
  • 15% off bikes $1,500+ (excluding cargo, electric and folding bikes)
  • Show your receipt from one shop and get 10% off at the other (excluding bikes and labor)
  • photo contest
  • free water bottles

The festivities take place during normal business hours:

Adams Morgan

Friday: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. | Saturday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. | Sunday: 11 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Downtown

Friday: 10 a.m. - 7 p.m. | Saturday: 10 a.m. - 6 p.m. | Sunday: 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Short and Sweet FAQ

What's new? All about our new bikes and products.

What about the weekend rides? Here's the schedule.

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Thank you for keeping the faith and believing that a better BicycleSPACE was on the horizon. What was once an abstraction of architectural renderings is now a brick-and-mortar reality.

The shops are filling up with beautiful, durable, functional things and an eye-popping assortment of more bikes than ever before, e-bikes, clothes, shoes and so much more.

The most important component is you, our dear friends. We can't wait to welcome you into our new homes.

We'd love to see you at both shops and will reward you with a special offer: Show your receipt from one shop and get 10% off at the other (excluding bikes and labor).

Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media for updates about our Double Grand Opening Extravaganza.