Recent articles about Cycle 9 electric bicycles in the news

Cycle 9 was written up in the Durham/Chapel Hill/Raleigh Herald Sun today. It was a nice article about our reason for being.

We want to thank everyone who read the article and came out to visit us. We apologize for being so low on stock of the electric bicycles. Whenever we get them in, they keep flying out the door. But, we do expect more electric motor kits in the next few weeks, so we can get some people up and running.

Also, there was a recent press release about Cycle 9 on PRLog. We thank them for helping get the word out.

If any reader notices another article about us that we haven't mentioned on this blog, the first person to email us about it will receive a $25 gift certificate.

New blog pages focused on sustainable transportation in High Point

We love to hear about local folks who promote alternative transportation, particularly if it involves bicycles. We recently had a visitor in our Chapel Hill shop from High Point, NC, who is one of the most enthusiastic bicycle proponents we've met in a while. He has been working to organize a group of riders in High Point who use bikes as every day alternatives to cars. He's started a blog,

Revolution Cycling

, that is doing a great job of raising awareness of bicycles as alternatives to cars. We hope that he and people like him can really help promote bicycles as one alternative to the US oil addiction.

This same fellow was really enthusiastic about RANS bicycles, which use the "Crank Forward" design. The idea behind crank forward is to have a more relaxed riding position that is closer to the ground, so that when you stop, both feet can be placed firmly on the ground. While bikes like the Electra Townie have advertised this feature heavily, there have been a number of companies who were doing this long before, including RANS, and more recently Day6.

We think this is an interesting concept. While we don't personally own any crankforward bikes ourselves, we certainly see the potential benefits for those riders looking for a more relaxed and comfortable arrangement.

So, we've decided to test the waters by bringing in some of the Day 6 bicycles first, to see how that goes. These are designed for the utmost in comfort at a very reasonable price, and are particularly focused on the female riders and over 50 crowd. If designs like this encourage more people to ride a bike in their daily lives, we're all for it. So, as of next week, we'll have two of the Day 6 bikes in the shop for test rides, the 7 speed internally geared Journey, and the 21 speed Dream. There are also a few different seat options, one with a backrest and one that looks like a normal bicycle seat, but has some very thick padding. If you've been looking for a more comfortable and safe way to ride a bicycle, stop by sometime and check one out.

If this market goes well for us, we may explore additional options like the RANS bikes.

Surly Big Dummy

In other news: The

Big Dummy

is a new frame from Surly that is designed from the ground up as a

sports utility bike.

While the Xtracycle is a conversion for an existing bike, the Big Dummy is fine tuned and purpose built. It accepts all the cool Xtracycle gear, like the V-racks, freeloaders, leg-powered blender, and more. Everyone I know who owns one thinks it is the best bike they have ever owned, and some of these folks own a bunch of bikes. Sadly, the Big Dummy rapidly sold out everywhere after the first container arrived in the US. That was before Cycle 9 was off the ground, so we missed out on it that time. But, Surly is working to get more of them here. We hear rumors of August. If the last time was any indicator, they could sell out rapidly.

This time, Cycle 9

will

be working hard to get some of the Surly Big Dummy frames into the store when the next shipment arrives. Our goal is to have at least one demo model for people to test ride before they buy.

So, if you want one, drop us a line, we can put you on the waiting list, and the top names on that list will be the first ones called when the frames arrive. We are also happy to spec out a custom package of components to go with the frame (Shimano or Sram), and as a fellow enthusiast, we'll treat you well.

The Big Dummy is not inexpensive, it retails for about $900 for frame only. So a built out Big Dummy will retail for anywhere from ~$1450-$1900 depending on the quality of components used. The Yuba is a great lower cost alternative (at <$900 for the complete bike), but will not be nearly as custom tailored to the individual rider.

The Xtracycle is my inspiration

The title sounds like it's out of a Disney movie, and my apologies for that.

But today I was reminded again of why the Xtracycle was so inspiring and revolutionary when I first got it.

My daily load hauling machine: An Xtracycle carrying 8'X10' carpet, office chair, and other miscellaneous items, for a 7 mile ride. It handled fine.

I went by a friend's house to drop off something I borrowed from her. She is (sadly) moving out of town. When I got there, she had put together a big bag of food that they don't want to move across the country. No problem, it fit right into the expandable Freeloader bags on my Xtracyle. Then, I called home before heading there, and found out that we needed a few groceries, and that we had a pickup of our food share from the

Carrboro Farmer's Market

. Two stops later, I had a well loaded bike with the equivalent of four large grocery bags stuffed full of food and other items like laundry detergent, books, and clothes. I rode merrily on my way home.

In the past before my Xtracycle (now a distant memory) it would have gone something like this:

Go by friend's house. She offers me food and items. I accept a few items and stuff them in the remaining space in backpack or pannier, but I can't take the big jug of laundry soap and big box of detergent, nor the books, nor several of the other large items. Then I call home, find out that I need to pick up groceries and stuff at Farmer's Market. So, I ride home (7 miles), drop that stuff off, and then because it is late already, I get in the car and drive back to pick it up (there is no way that a big bag of groceries and the whole farm share would fit in my backpack or pannier, or even a big basket). Then, all that money and CO2 saved goes right out the tailpipe. That is how my bike life used to be before the Xtracycle. It was frustrating at times, to say the least.

And the thing is, the Xtracycle, though it looks a bit odd, has little impact on the feel of the bike. It still rides like a normal bike, and in fact, it is more stable than a normal bike. Sure, it is 7 pounds heavier - but it is a 7 pounds that has saved me from extra trips many times. It has freed me of paying for an expensive University parking permit (the cost of which could buy a new bike every year). This thing is incredible.

Sometimes, when I show it to people here in the Southeast, they kind of say "cool" and then quickly move on. They don't know what to make of it. There are no "celebrities" they've seen on TV riding one. Their friends don't (yet) ride one. So they just see it as an oddity from the "Left Coast" and dismiss it. Sometimes it makes me sad, I want to tell them in a loud voice: "this thing could change your life, it changed mine!" But pushy proselytizing never works.

But, if it weren't for the Xtracycle, Cycle 9 would likely not exist. It was this one single product that made me realize how much more a bike could be a part of everyday life. I really long for the day when more people are riding bikes like this, realizing they don't have to be financially chained to their car. Do I hate cars? No. They are great in certain circumstances. But I love not being dependent on one every day. Not being dependent on foreign oil, on gas stations, on insurance people, on auto mechanics (I do all of my own bike maintenance, it is not very hard). It is freeing. So, my personal goal is to share that sense of freedom with more people. And that is one of the important reasons why we created this little venture.

Bikes by Breezer and Marin

We just wanted to mention another exciting development we've had lately. We had the great fortune of signing on to be a dealership for two great lines of bicycles. Some people don't need an electric assist or cargo bike, they just need a reliable, great ride designed from the ground up for riding every day. Things like integral

fenders and racks

, integral

lighting systems

, swept back handlebars for reduced wrist strain, a more upright riding position to see and be seen, wide slick tires that roll fast on the pavement but can handle the gravel or grass too. These are the kind of bikes that we used to morph our old mountain bikes into with a lot of effort and not always satisfactory results. But now, these companies are doing it for us, designing the bikes from the ground up, purpose built as transportation bicycles.

The first line we'll mention (because we signed up with them first) is

Breezer

. This California-based company was founded by Joe Breeze, who is one of the legends involved in getting the sport of mountain biking off the ground. They now focus exclusively on bicycles as beautiful but practical commuting vehicles. Bikes like the

Breezer Uptown

pictured here:

We're excited about these bikes, they are well built and top rated for commuting. We have a bunch of these on the way, and they should be here before our grand opening.The second line of bikes we will be carrying are from

Marin

. Marin is another California-based company that was involved in the mountain bike business from the early days, building high quality cycles. One of our parents had their first Marin in 1987, and it was a great bike. Marin still makes mountain bikes, but they also produce a really nice line of commuter and comfort oriented bikes, and we've got a shipment of these on the way, starting at very reasonable prices. But the bike we're most excited about is the humble

Muir Woods

. This is a steel bike, that reminds us of the good old days when bikes were simple, reliable, and very durable. For those who've only ridden an aluminum bike, steel has a special quality to it - it is more forgiving. But, this is also a great platform for adding an electric assist due to steel's resilience. We have a range of bikes from Marin on their way, and if we don't have the bike in stock that you are looking for, we are happy to order one for you (same is true for Breezers).

Grand Opening Celebration

We're going to have a modest little grand opening celebration at the store on Saturday, May 31, 2008, from 11AM-5PM (or whenever people are sick of us).

We'll have some music playing on the stereo, some free refreshments and snacks, and most importantly,

a sale (one day, in store purchases only).

Xtracycle Freeradical kits complete .... $370 (only 2 in stock, and they're in limited supply countrywide!)

Tubes...$2 (limit 5/customer)

Planet Bike Superflash Blinky tail lights ... $17 (regularly $22)

KARMA PRO BLACK-LI ON LITHIUM ION PLUS CHARGER...$109 (regularly $149)

Nite Ize Spoke lights (they sound a bit dorky, but cars will definitely see you!)... $7 (Regularly $10)

Come visit us, and experience how fun it is to ride a bike with an electric kit. See how

easy it is to load and ride a cargo bike or take a passenger for a ride. Watch a folding bike demonstration

that reveals how you can combine a folding bike with public transportation or even travel by plane with no

additional charge for bringing a bike.

Why do we exist?

Ok, so the title makes it sound like we're going to get all existential here about the meaning of life and all. But we'll save that for the book Morgan is working on. In the meantime, we've got a much simpler blog post in store for you....

We've got the store open at Cycle 9. Given all the long hours we've put in, its a good time to reflect on why we're doing this. Basically, we were frustrated with the focus of the bicycle industry on racing and recreational products. It's not that we don't like recreational riding (we do, especially mountain biking!), its just that the products ideal for everyday commuting are not the same as the ones promoted by the industry for recreational riding. Recreational bikes are often purpose built - road bikes to be very light weight, and mountain bikes to have suspension, knobby tires, etc - none of which is good for commuting every day of the year, rain or shine. Most recreational road cyclists wouldn't be caught dead with a chain guard or fenders on their bikes - those would just add ounces and slow the bike down by a fraction of a mile per hour. And racks? Forget it. That's pounds. Why would someone add 1/2 pound to their bike, when they just paid $5k or more to shave a few ounces off their bike (and while they are at it, the hair off their legs, too!)?

Our focus is different. We promote racks to haul gear, fenders to keep the rider dry, and chain guards to keep clothes clean. Sure, they add pounds to the bike. But they also add practicality, so that you can ride to the grocery store - or ride when it is raining, or ride with your fancy work duds.

And we also promote electric assist bicycles for people who think it would encourage them to ride more often. The electric assist is not for everyone. Some people are happy waking up every day with the energy to pedal their bike up the hills, rain or shine, healthy or sick, whatever. But most of us real mortals have days we don't feel like pedaling. Or we are carrying a big load of groceries on our

Xtracycle

, and don't feel like dragging it up a long hill in the 95 degree weather. Or we don't want to get to work drenched in sweat. Electric bikes are great for those reasons and more. Our electric bikes encourage us to ride more often, instead of taking the car. And, since riding an electric bike is very energy efficient (they get the equivalent of over 500 miles per gallon), it is inexpensive and environmentally friendly.

As we look forward, we're considering what other products we might want to introduce here that fit with our core mission. We

welcome feedback

on this topic. We're definitely interested in the recumbent bicycle scene, and also think trikes would be great for load hauling. Then there are the Bakfiets, which is the Dutch way to carry tons of stuff. We're also enamored of simple, long lasting steel frames made by the likes of Soma and Surly, so we might be setting up a test ride or two in those. And, we love alternative handlebars - go into most bike shops, and you'd think the only types of bars made are either flat (mountain bikes) or drop bars (road bikes). But there is a world of other handlebar configurations out there, many of which are better suited for commuting. My (Morgan's) personal favorite are the Nitto Albatross bars. But there are many other great ones.

Last but not least, we need to give a huge thanks to the two Gregs, our first official employees. Greg T is a young cycling enthusiast who has poured his energy into getting the shop open. And Greg F has brought a treasure trove of cycling industry knowledge to bear, which has been highly valuable. Most importantly, both clicked with our core mission from the start - both of them love cycling in all forms, but like us, want to see more of the practical everyday cycling gear promoted and sold to the general public. We don't need to promote cycling for more Lance wannabes - we need to promote more people to get out of their cars and ride their bikes, walk, ride public transit, or whatever it takes to make our cities more peaceful, quiet, and clean, while reducing our dependency on foreign oil.

So, please come visit our shop - or

send us email

with your wishes for the type of cycling shop you'd like to see. We want to hear from you!

Yuba Mundo is here!

The Yuba Mundo Cargo/Sports Utility Bicycle Has Arrived!

This is a serious load carrying bike. Originally designed as part of the WorldBike project, this has now hit the USA, and we at Cycle 9 have been fortunate enough to get our hands on a few for testing and for customers.

We'll have more hints, comments, and observations as we further experiment with the bike.

Available now in our

online store

, or in our Chapel Hill store.