Live at BicycleSPACE, Minneapolis singer-songwriter Brianna Lane headlines cycling bag-maker Banjo Brothers Tiny Bikeshop Concert. Inspired by All Songs Considered Tiny Desk Concerts, the Tiny Bikeshop concert series brings intimate concerts to local bike shops around the country. We chat with Brianna about life as a musician and a cyclist.
Park(ing) Day 2014
One of our favorite days of the year, Park(ing) Day! This is an international movement to reclaim parking spaces in the name of public space, art, and community. Temporary parklets were set up all over the city.
Here on 7th street we once again installed a lounge outside our shop, complete with Phil's church pew, paintings by our mechanic Bernie, and of course cookies and lemonade. It's amazing what you can fit in a single space.
Did you make it to any other parklets in the city? Share your #parkingday photos with us on our instagram.
Story and Photos by Francis Tatem, Marketing Manager
2nd Annual DC Donut Crawl
What could be better than donuts and bikes? The 2nd Annual DC Donut Crawl took us to GBD in Dupont Circle, Astro Doughnuts and Fried Chicken downtown, and District Donuts pop-up near the 930 club.
Brewing History Tour
With author Garret Peck as our guide, we dove into the the brewing history of our wet city. After leaving from the shop, our bike tour began just down the road on 7th Street at a monument to the fruitless pursuit of the temperance movement...
The Temperance Fountain, once voted "the ugliest fountain in the city", was built strategically between one of the seediest parts of town and in close proximity to the Capitol building, notes Peck.
It’s builder hoped that by providing clean drinking water, the residents would happily give up their spirits and brews. Prohibition had the opposite effect, the 270 saloons operating in the District that were forced to close were soon replaced by nearly 3000 speakeasies.
Parking lot H and I by Nationals Stadium used to be waterfront property, and at the foot of the canal stood Washington’s first brewery, aptly named the Washington Brewery. The first wave of brewers were of English and Irish descent and thus produced ales, Peck explains. This Brewery stood from 1805 to 1836 and was one of the first industrial sites in D.C. The surrounding Navy Yard provided many happy customers for the brewers.
Ride participants included friend of Peck, the legendary local reporter, Tom Sherwood.
Eventually, in the 1850’s, a wave of German immigrants brought the perfect cure to humid D.C. summers, the lager. This style of brewing quickly gained popularity. Due to demands of the lager brewing process this industry ushered in technologies such as air conditioning and mechanical ice production.
Numerous people involved early on in the local brewing industry were buried at Congressional cemetery. This victorian era park was designed to encourage leisure and picnics alongside relatives who may have passed. One of the most prolific brewing families, the Beckert's, are buried here.
At one point, breweries were the second largest employer in the city behind the Federal government. In recent years craft brewing has seen a renaissance, and there are now more breweries in the city than at any point since prohibition. One such brewery, is Shaw’s own Right Proper Brewing Company.
Riders, Brad and his daughter Claire, survey the offerings.
Thor and the crew at Right Proper were happy to serve up a wide array of their beers. Peck happily signed copies of his latest book Capital Beer: A Heady History of Brewing in Washington, D.C.
You ride through history every time you get on your bike in this city. With the help of local experts like Mr. Peck, we can uncover some of these hidden gems and get a true taste for where we live.
By Francis Tatem, Media Specialist
Ladies Lead the Way
Pick one category for your team: Hardcore (messengers only), Softcore (experienced urban rider), or Applecore (first time at an alleycat).
Race organizer, Stef, takes a quick straw poll to gauge the experience of the hundreds of riders that filled into the bike polo courts of Brentwood Park NE for the first annual Sadie Hawkins Alleycat. For the vast majority of riders this was their first alleycat. And, unlike most alleycats, every team competing had women members or was an all-female team, which was precisely the goal.
Dance through for some more glimpses from this bike soiree...
The Sadie Hawkins AlleyCat was created to bring women together in what has often been a male-dominated world of alleycat racing. The race had varying levels of competitiveness and encouraged you to be as serious or as silly as you wished. All proceeds went to benefit WABA's Women & Bicycle Program. A few mini-messengers in training were onhand to witness their first alleycats from the view of their childseats.
The Virginia Ave Park checkpoint in SE tested your balance and teamwork in a "double time" challenge. You and your teammate had to navigate the windy paths on one bike.
The race required you to make stops at various local bike shops to pick up items and then deliver them to the next check point. We put out some balloons outside the shop,snapped some fun photos, and handed out coupons that asked participants to check off their answer to our plea: "Would you go to the races with us?"
Checkpoint "Change Up" at the Duck Pond in SW. You and your partner did some wardrobe swaps and a few laps around the park.
The race took riders through every quadrant of the city.
Sunny Meridian Hill Park provided the perfect dancefloor for the "Cut a Rug" challenge.
Finish Line at Red Rocks on H Street NE. The beautiful sight of overflowing bike racks.
Stef welcomes teams to the finish line. Our own Kate Schrock and her teammate Bruce took first place! This lively event was the perfect way to introduce newcomers to the exciting world of alleycat racing. It's always a party when the DC bike community comes together, thanks to everyone for participating and to Stef for putting together an awesome event!
Story and Photos by Francis Tatem, Marketing Manager