We feature our customers bicycling experience, friends of the shop, new bicycles and quality gear, local events and news, what is new in the bicycle industry and in our shops.
Scottish brand, Endura, has been design making apparell since 1993. At home on the backs of commuters, pro mountain bikers and world tour riders. We're particularly excited with their new urban line, which looks great on and off the bike.
Longsleeve shirt: moisture wicking with reflective threads
Merino Polo with rear concealed zip pocket
We are excited to bring Mission Workshop bags to BicycleSPACE. Designed in San Francisco, Mission Workshop produces some of the highest quality bags in the industry, with a clean no-nonsense style. Come by and check them out.
Rucksack Sanction
Rummy Messenger Bag
Arkiv Field Pack
Vandal Cargo 29L
Our own, Big Ron, arrived in Georgetown after 20 hours in the saddle riding straight from Cumberland, MD, in the final weekend of his 3 Epic Singlespeed Rides in support of NAMI. Check out his inspiring journey: Ridingwithron.com
Bikes help connect you to what you love. Much of the Washington Women's Rugby Football Club, DC Furies, ride to weekly practices at Gallaudet University.
Founded in 1978, DC Furies is one of the oldest women's clubs in the country. Beginning with 5 women, the club now has 60 members, many of which compete at the elite level in the Women's Premiere League.
The Furies host the largest Spring Rugby Tournament, Ruggerfest, in the country next weekend, April 16th and 17th. Check it out!
How does your bike connect you to your passion? Let us know in the comments.
A huge thanks for all your support! We are proud to be voted Best Bike Shop and Best Place To Get Your Bike Fixed in Washington City Paper's Best of DC 2016
Ride meets at 3:30pm, rolls at 4:00pm. @ BicycleSPACE Adams Morgan 2424 18th St. NW
Join us for a casually paced social ride from Adams Morgan through Georgetown, Downtown, and Yards Park as we make our way to Cherry Blast at Mt. Vernon Square! Costumes are encouraged, but not required. Bring a lock if you plan to attend Cherry Blast festivities. There will be extra bike storage at Mt. Vernon Square.
Cherry Blast:
On Saturday, April 16, at 6:00 pm, Events DC presents Cherry Blast! Every spring this vibrant gathering proves a popular combination of Japanese sights, sounds and tastes, and this year, the event creatively spotlights all things related to anime, cosplay and gaming. This April, the fun launches in a new location –in the heart of downtown DC —at the Carnegie Library at Mt. Vernon Square.
The Japanese-inspired event brings the energy and excitement surrounding its pop cultural experiences to the Festival. At Carnegie Library, revelers can enjoy a range of activities from manga and gaming to electric drifting competitions. Attendees can also partake in creative cosplay contests and learn about the latest Japanese fashion trends – straight from the runway. And the opportunity to relish in mouth-watering Tokyo street food, sake tastings and sushi workshops are just a few of the experiences available. Just when guests think it can’t get any better, they discover DC’s largest Japanese-inspired dance party, which showcases Asia’s alluring club and techno scenes.
2016 KIBF Bike Giveaway Enter below for your chance to win a new bike from BicycleSPACE.
Share your KIBF photos on social @bicyclespace .
Winner announced between 6:30 and 6:50pm before Spirit Family Reunion
What started as small grassroots show has blossomed into one of the city's best festivals! This will be our 6th year leading a ride to Kingman Island, a hidden gem on the Anacostia river. Every Spring we look forward to bringing people to this great space and enjoying awesome local music. Join us for a ride to the festival (purchase festival tickets separately). The ride meets at 10am at 440 K Street and ends at 11:30am at Kingman Island, where you get early access to festival and a bike valet. The ride is a casual social ride that will wind along the river on streets and multi-use paths to Kingman Island.
Get know the local watershed. Check out some of the great roads and trails the feed into the Anacostia River.
Sligo Creek Parkway
Sligo Creek Parkway - Not dissimilar to Rock Creek Park, treelined roads and paved trails wind along the creek from Hyattsville to Forest Glen, MD. Closed to commercial vehicles and closed to all cars Sundays
Anacostia Riverwalk Trails - ride along either side of the river from Nats Stadium to Benning Road on this paved multi-use trails. The best way to get to Kingman Island!
Anacostia Tributary Trails - paved multi-use trail extends from Bladensburg to Greenbelt to Wheaton
Check out more Anacostia Trails: www.anacostiatrails.org/bike-trails
Be Prepared
Here are some our favorite accessories for riding to the festival...
Get your bluegrass fix early, check out these upcoming shows at Mr. Henry's Rastaurant
The words lightweight and Brooks England aren't often synonymous, until now. Check out the new Cambium with carbon rails! A smart looking saddle that will be at home on any bike.
As the weather gets warmer and the days longer, minds start to wander. Wander to the outdoors, the sunshine and blooming trees beckoning us to come outside and play. After a winter filled with dreary, snow filled days, there is nothing quite like those first few days of spring, where you just know that spring is finally here to stay. There is no better time to grab your bike and head out for ride, or even an adventure. And there is no place better than your own backyard.
The C&O Canal is a gateway to adventure. Starting in Georgetown and running up to Cumberland and beyond, it is a great place to try out touring or go for an 3-5 day tour. You can even get onto some decent singletrack for those looking for something a little more challenging. And you can easily ride to the start from home. I decided to do just that, taking my Krampus, loaded up with gear, and connected to my newly handbuilt dynamo wheel out for a sub 24 hour adventure that ended up being a little more adventurous than I'd planned.
I didn't leave my house until 5 pm, prime time for warmth and sunshine. An easy roll out onto the canal, turned into an impromptu photo shoot, and before I knew it, the sun was down. A few more miles of riding, lit up easily by my dynamo saw me get to Pennylock, and the start of the Muddy Branch Trail, which winds it's way up through Potomac and forms a portion of the MoCo Epic mountain bike route.
I continued riding, on and on through the night. What is normally a fairly mundane trail took on a new aura in the dark. It basically travels through people's backyards, and I could see as more and more people turned off the lights for the night, as I was just getting started. I was tired, but excited. Although I'd done this trail and ride before, the fact that it was at night, on a school night, made it seem different. It felt epic. I ended up riding until 2 in the morning and sleeping directly on the ground at mile 26 of the C&O. I had to work the next day, so got up only 3 hours later to ride back into town, drafting and passing commuters on my 80 pound steel bike with 3" tires. I covered almost 100 miles in about 17 hours and was exhausted for 2 days. But it was worth it. I'd made a decision to get outside and experience something close to home in a whole new light (or lack thereof), and it was worth it. It was so worth it.
Thanks everyone for joining us for Bike Trekking night at the shop. We hope you are inspired to start planning some adventures of your own (or to plan less and do more). For those wondering about Big Ron's next adventure, check out his post on his latest challenge, 3 epic single speed rides over 3 weekends. First up this weekend, is the entirety of the Massanutten Trail, a 72 mile feast of rocks and mountains, in one day. Inspired by a friend who left too soon, BR's rides will benefit the National Alliance on Mental Illness. If you would like to donate, you can do so here.
5 REASONS YOU SHOULD CONSIDER A CUSTOM WHEEL BUILD
We’re sure you’ve heard before that hand built wheels are “better” than machine built wheels. But what does this even mean, and why should you care? Wheels may be the most important component on your bicycle, making a huge impact on ride quality. Wheels with better hubs are going to roll smoother, creating less friction and drag, stronger wheels will hold their true longer, and lighter wheels will spin up to speed faster, making your ride more enjoyable over all. Thus, it is worth considering your options. Here are 5 reasons that might make you consider a hand built wheelset.
1). PROPER, EVENLY TENSIONED SPOKES
In theory, a rim is perfectly round, and hubs are perfectly machined, matching their measurements exactly. In practice, this is not the case. Most, if not all rims, are going to be less than perfectly round, and hubs will be less than perfectly machined. A machine cannot necessarily recognize these inconsistencies. An experienced wheel builder knows how to properly balance spoke tension across the wheel to provide not only a perfectly true wheel, but one with consistent tension, leading to a longer lasting, more durable wheel.
2). SPOKES STRESSED DURING THE BUILDING PROCESS
If you’ve ever ridden on a wheel right out of the box, you’ve surely heard a frightening array of pops and pings. Those noises are the spokes “settling” or de-tensioning. There is naturally a small amount of “wind up” in the spokes during the building process, meaning that the spokes actually twist, rather than turn in the nipple. When the spokes unwind, the tension in the wheel changes, bringing the wheel out of true. If the first time you ride a bike is the first time the wheel has been de-tensioned, it will be out of true from the get go. A reputable wheel builder will stress the spokes as he/she builds the wheel, meaning that the there will be no unwinding when you start riding, keeping your wheel true from the get go! (Note: We at BicycleSPACE check the true, tension, and stress the spokes of all machine built wheels, as well as grease and adjust the hubs.)
3). SPOKE PREP ON THREADS
Many machine built wheels come with nothing on the spoke threads. This presents a few problems. For one, there is nothing to prevent rust or corrosion on the threads, which can cause the nipples to become seized to the spokes, making it very difficult or even impossible to true the wheel. The second issue is that there is nothing to keep the spoke from unwinding while riding, causing your wheel to lose tension and become more prone to failure. All hand built wheels at BicycleSPACE use either high quality, waterproof grease or specifically designed spoke thread to prevent both of these issues from occurring.
4). HUB/RIM COMBINATIONS NOT AVAILABLE
With a handbuilt wheel, you can get any combination of rim/hub your heart desires. Say you want a certain dynamo hub, laced to your favorite rim for your commuter. It is highly likely that this combination is not available pre-built, so your only option is a handbuilt wheel. (Check out our post of why you should consider using a dynamo on your commuter.) There are a lot of rims that are available only as a rim, and vice versa for hubs. If you consider the option of a handbuilt wheel, there are no limits to the wheels you can create. And then it is one of a kind!
5). STRONGER, LONGER LASTING WHEEL
The sum total of all these advantages is going to result in a custom wheel that will be both stronger and last longer than machine built wheels. You will end up with exactly the wheel you want, with properly balanced spoke tension, and threads that are prepped to prevent unwinding and binding. While many machine built wheels are excellent, in terms of convenience, price, and quality, a wheel hand built by a reputable builder is going to far surpass a machine built wheel in nearly every aspect.
Here are a few of our favorite, tried and true wheels for various disciplines.
Commuting- It’s hard to beat the affordable, yet extremely durable combination of an LX or XT hub laced to Velocity Dyads. The mountain biking hubs are burly, and are more than up to the task of commuting in all weather. The Dyads are a wide, double walled rim, meaning you can toss on some large rubber for comfort, and not worry about your wheels going out of true.
Mountain Biking- For rims, it is hard to beat the value and technology contained in Stan’s rims, either the Arch or Crest. Their tubeless technology is some of the best out there, and the rims are tough and stand up to the abuse and rigors of mountain biking. For hubs, Hope’s are incredible, light and smooth, as are I9 hubs.
Ivy City 1512 Okie St., N.E. Washington, DC 20002 202-853-9390
Please come visit us at our expansive Ivy City location (with lots of on-street & longer term garage parking next door)- our great people, bikes, and service are waiting for you!
contact@bicyclespacedc.com
