Expaned Saturday store hours

With the warmer weather and longer daylight, we are expanding our Saturday hours at our retail store. We will now be open from 9AM to 6PM every Saturday. 

Other hours will  remain the same. We do stay open on Thursdays until 7pm and are open Sundays from 12-5 for those who work and live in surrounding areas. See you soon.

Tues 11-6

Wed 11-6

Thurs 11-7

Fri 11-6

Sat 9-6

Sun 12-5

Mon closed

601 W. Main St, Carrboro

GRAND OPENING March 7th

Well, we've been in our new store for over 2 months, but now that spring is just around the corner, we're having a Grand Opening Party on Saturday March 7, 10am-5pm! As part of the party, we'll be doing a benefit for The ReCYCLEry, a very cool local non-profit that teaches people how to work on their bikes and runs a bicycle sharing program around town. You can check out their work at http://recyclery.info/ . A portion of all sales and proceeds from a bike raffle will go to the ReCYCLEry.

So, why should you come? First off - FOOD! We'll have Free coffee and bagels in the morning to get you going. The coffee will be supplied by Johnny's, a Carrboro favorite. In the afternoon, we'll whip out the Xtracycle Blender for some Bike-Blended Smoothies! Pedal your way from frozen berries and ice to a smooth and delicious treat - it's amazingly easy. Come an' get 'em while their HOT (or COLD as the case may be).

We'll be raffling off a Full Suspension Mountain Bike. Complete with disc brakes, this will take the trails or the streets in style. Tickets are only $2 or 3 for $5 and all proceeds will go to the ReCYCLEry. You don't need to be present to win, but you DO need to buy a ticket! (anytime between now and Saturday the 7th at 5PM)

All our accessories will be on SALE - 7% goes back in your pocket and 7% does good in the community through the ReCYCLEry. All tubes will be ONLY $2 - we have 12" through 700c sizes, all shapes and configurations. Stock up for the summer at this awesome price!

We'll also have some new bikes to check out in the electric and cargo realms. Come see and ride our new offerings! We'll be getting electric bikes by EcoBike, tried and tested in the hills of San Francisco. http://www.ecobike-usa.com/index.asp . We'll also have a few step-through models of our Cycle 9 electric bikes available. If carrying stuff is on your mind this spring, come check out the new Radish from Xtracycle. This longtail bike is compatible with all Xtracycle accessories but not as pricey as the Big Dummy. http://store.xtracycle.com/_e/Xtracycle_Complete_Bikes/product/BK-RAD-01/_Xtracycle_Radish.htm . And brand new is the Madsen cargo bike. This longtail can carry up to 4 small kids on the rear bench seats, or load it up with anything you can throw at it. The small rear wheel (20") and extra wide kickstand make it easy to load and handle. Come in for a test ride! http://www.madsencycles.com/

See you Saturday!
Saturday MARCH 7th
10am - 5pm
601 W. Main Street, Carrboro
919-636-5909

2008 wrap up

We want to thank all our customers and friends for support over the last year of our venture here to spread bicycle love, and in the process, rethink transportation.  We wouldn't be here without everyone's support, we truly appreciate it.

It has been an amazing, and challenging year. On the broader scale, 2008 will go down in the history books as a year of substantial change, most of it for the negative.  The financial world has been in turmoil, dragging the economy with it.  But some changes have not been bad.  The crazy ups and downs of gas prices have a lot of people thinking more deeply about America's dependence on foreign oil.   While various sides of the political spectrum are not necessarily in agreement about how to solve the problem, the important thing is that there is increasing consensus that something needs to be done.  

Cycle 9 was founded in 2007 after we decided that we didn't just want to complain about oil dependency, but to do something about it.  It always feels better trying to fix a problem than just to complain about it (even if that involves mortgaging ones house to the hilt to get a business going).  Bikes won't solve every problem.  Cars are useful conveyances for many purposes.  But the more we use bikes and watch our energy usage in getting around, the more it becomes clear that moving a 3,000 pound hunk of steel around to transport a single human is a huge waste of energy.  Many kilowatt hours of energy, for even a short trip.  And bikes can be one piece of the puzzle, along with more walking, more public transit, high speed trains, and etc.  At some point in our future, when oil is more scarce, I bet most of us will prefer to have that oil go towards producing our food and other necessities.

So, if we can have one wish for 2009, it is that the incoming administration realizes the importance of developing better infrastructure for pedestrians and cyclists in our towns and cities.  By far, the biggest complaint we hear about cycling is about its "danger."  While statistics show that it is probably not nearly as dangerous as many people think, statistics don't change most people's minds.  Regardless of the highly controversial subject of whether bike lanes are good or bad safety-wise, it is a simple fact that bike lanes/paths promote more people biking.  I was recently in Madison, Wisconsin, which has developed a network of rail-trails around the city.  In warmer months, those are very well used, I saw other riders out at all times of the day.  

But, here in the Southeastern USA, we have the double whammy of fast drivers and narrow roads.  For many people, even if they want to bike, they just don't feel comfortable doing it on these kinds of roads.  And so they get in the car.  Sadly, our state's department of transportation has often been actively anti-cyclist in their road planning.  Talk about lack of foresight.

When Obama announced plans for new infrastructure, he mentioned roads and bridges.  I really hope he does some more thinking about this before implementing it.  Certainly, some roads and some bridges do need work - those that represent the central transportation corridors should be brought to modernity.  But beyond that, it is a matter of priorities.  I hope we place more priority on making our cities easier to navigate by non-car means, rather than just spending willy-nilly on automobile infrastructure.  

Two thousand and nine will be a challenging year.  But often it is the challenges that cause people to become engaged, rise up, and work towards solutions.  We sincerely hope that in trying to meet the challenges, the solutions that get implemented aren't just "more of the same."  We've tried that for the past 30 years.  Let's try something new - livable, walkable, bikeable cities and towns.  Places where children can play in their neighborhoods again, walk to school safely, breath clean air, and not become obese by being driven everywhere.  If we as a country put our minds to something, we can usually do it.  I hope we will put our minds to this as our new year's resolution.

Store is now open!

Our new store is open, at 601D W Main st. in Carrboro, NC.

Carrboro is the sister city to Chapel Hill, North Carolina. The two have "grown up" and melded together. But they still retain somewhat distinct personalities. One thing we really like about Carrboro is its bicycle infrastructure. There are lots of bike paths here, that encourage people to get out an ride more.

Here's a map to the store:


View Larger Map

Store update

The new store at 601 W Main St, Carrboro, is coming along well. A lot of the rough work is finished, but there are many details left to complete. We may have been a bit too ambitious for a Dec 1st opening, since that is less than a week away. But we're aiming hard to be open the following weekend, by Dec 6th. In the meantime, keep an eye on our blog or contact page for updates. Sometime in December we'll have a grand (re)opening sale.

Used Big Dummy - save gas, haul kids, groceries, more

We have a couple of nice used sports utility/cargo/family bikes to clear out, to make way for some new stuff when our new store opens in a few weeks.

If you don't like the price, please make us an offer... we will consider it. For folks outside central NC, we can ship the bikes, but we will have to partially disassemble them for shipping. So we want to make sure that they'll be put back together properly at the receiving end. Our preference is to ship to your favorite bike shop to have them do the assembly, but that is negotiable.

First up is a very lightly used

Surly Big Dummy

. It is an 18" frame, good for medium-tall folks. This is the nicest longtail bike available on the market. This bike was lovingly built by one of our employees, then he ended up deciding to move out of the state. We bought the bike back from him and are now offering it for sale.

Combining Surly’s impressive frame-building with Xtracycle’s unique cargo-carrying system, this bike will do everything your car used to do -

without the gasoline

. You can safely tote up to 200 lbs. of cargo and passengers on the Xtracycle’s top deck and in the specially-designed panniers. Here’s an excerpt from the Surly website:

"What does a Big Dummy do? Using Xtracycle plug-in components, it hauls your groceries, tools, human and animal friends, surfboard, work duds, briefcase, vacuum cleaner, firewood, moonshine, camping gear, banjo, mulch, and anything else you can imagine, while providing the functionality, durability, and sweet ride characteristics that Surly bikes are known for. Use the Big Dummy for commuting to work, running errands, taking the kids to school, farm/yard work, touring, or just riding around cuz it’s fun.
"What are some advantages of the Big Dummy vs. other cargo carrying systems? 1) It’s shorter than a bike + trailer system, so it can be easier to maneuver through traffic. 2) Compared to messenger bag or backpack, it won’t put strain on your back and shoulders. 3) Two wheels, vs. three or four on a bike + trailer system, keep rolling resistance, rotating mass, and overall weight to a minimum. 4) A longer-than-average wheelbase makes it predictable and comfortable for the long haul. 5) It offers more cargo capacity than a bike + rack system, while keeping most of the weight low and centered between the wheels for increased stability. 6) It’s modular and versatile. You only have to carry the accessories that are needed for your task. 7) It rides like a bike, on- and off-road. No trailer-induced death sway, no weird front-end shimmy."

We’re selling this bike gently used. The frame and fork are in great condition, with no scratches or dents, and the bike’s been given a complete tune-up. Aside from a couple scratches on the Xtracycle deck and dirt on the fenders, the bike looks nearly new.
Here’s what we’ve got built up:
Surly Big Dummy frame and fork, TIG-welded Surly 4130 CroMoly steel, military green

Frame measures 18” center of BB to top of top tube

Suspension-corrected rigid fork has both disc and canti brake mounts

Four bottle cage mounts; braze-on guides with continuous cable housing

Medium-width steel cruiser handlebar with red Oury grips

SRAM X.7 grip-twist shifters, Avid Juicy 3 hydraulic brake levers

TruVativ Team stem

Cane Creek Solos 1 1/8” threadless headset, blue

WTB Dual Duty XC 26” front wheel, black w/ black spokes

Schwalbe Marathon tires, 26 x 1.75

Avid Juicy 3 disc brakes w/ 160 mm rotors

Planet Bike hardcore wide ATB fenders, yellow

TruVativ Blaze ISIS Drive triple crankset and sealed-cartridge BB

GT platform pedals

SRAM X.5 top-pull front derailleur

Guizzo suspension seatpost

Brooks B-17 saddle, black

SRAM X.7 rear derailleur

SRAM PC991 chains

9-speed rear cassette

Hebie spring-loaded kickstand

Xtracycle longtail accessory kit, including side rails (V-Racks), panniers (FreeLoaders), and custom-painted red removable top platform (Snapdeck).
The Big Dummy is compatible with all Xtracycle accessories and add-on components, including Footsies (foot platforms for your passengers!) and the Adventure Rack (put in place of the V-Rack on one or both sides, it allows you to use two regular bicycle panniers per side). If you need any other accessories (lights, bags, bottle cages, etc.), just ask.
The frame alone retails at over $1000; our complete build was around $2200. This one-of-a-kind vehicle is yours for $1940.
If you’re ready to come see it in person, we’ll be set up at Johnny’s Sporting Goods, 901 W. Main Street in Carrboro, on Saturdays in November from 9:00 am to 2:00 pm. You can also call or email to set up a weekday appointment at our Carrboro office.

New retail showroom coming!

Cycle 9 is coming to Carrboro! We've signed on the dotted line, paid lots of money, and gambled that Carrboro is the right place to be for a store like ours.

Starting about December 1st, our new location will be on 601 West Main Street, where the hardware store used to be. We'll be taking half of that building for Cycle 9. This is right next to the tall red brick condominium, up the street from the Gym and print shop. Not too far from our friends at Johnny's, either.

We'll post a picture here soon.

We have lots of other news and writing to post here, which is coming soon.

Please stay tuned for a Grand Opening announcement.

Cycle9 is Moving!

Business at the Cycle9 retail store has been good this summer, and as a result, we've decided to move into the Town of Carrboro. This move will allow local folks easier access to our store and entice new people to come check out what electric-assist and cargo bikes can do to change their lives. We are still finalizing the details of our new in-town location, soon to be announced. In the meantime, we had to vacate our current location, so as of October 1, we will be in temporary digs. The good news is we will be out and about with the bikes, available for test rides as always. The first weekend of October (4-5) come see us at the

Jordan Lake Arts and Music Festival

. We will be in attendance both Saturday and Sunday. Starting the following Saturday (October 11) we will be at the Farmer's (and other fun stuff) Market at Johnny's Sporting Goods in Carrboro (

901 W. Main St

). This event goes on from 9-2 every Saturday. Come on down for crepes, coffee, local food, and of course test rides and purchases. We'll attend this event until our new space becomes available (watch the website for updates).

In addition to our weekend events, we will be available for bike pick up/drop off or other business by appointment at our office location,

204 W. Main Street

in Carrboro. Please call (919-636-5909) or email (cycle9sports at gmail.com) and we'd be happy to meet you. Our phone number and email addresses will remain the same. Our online store will remain open, and in fact, we hope to use this time to update the ease and use of our online store. With any luck, we'll soon be moving into a great new space and ready to serve you all again.
Thanks! - The Cycle9 Team

Yubas back in stock

As we near the end of the summer season and enter the fall, we're getting some more things back in stock. We recently got a new shipment of Yuba Mundo cargo bikes, ready to ride! Also, for local customers, the Xtracycles are here!. And we have a few Big Dummy frames in stock and ready for us or you to build into the cargo bike of your dreams. Those are on sale right now. So now's the time to think about making the switch to grocery-getting on your bike.
For people looking for hub motors, we're getting more eZee and some Crystalyte kits in so keep an eye on our website or call our store for current supply information.
Happy Riding!
-Elise

Hub Motor kit supply

The eZee hub motor kits continue to be in high demand, so we're sold out again while we wait for resupply. We've got a few more coming by the end of August and then more on the next shipment, expected about a month later. Thanks everyone for your great patronage, and for those of you looking for eZee kits, we hope to supply you soon!
We now have one Bionx P250 in stock and expect a few more kits in the next 3 weeks. The manufacturer just opened a new facility which has higher capacity, so we hope to see less of a delay in getting Bionx kits in the future.
We also expect some more Crystalyte motors by the end of August, so if you are looking for those, stay tuned as well. The good news is that more people are electrifying their bikes, and we hope that means more people usnig their bikes more often!
If you would like, you can reserve any of our kits with a $100 deposit by

contacting

us.

Why we are so far out

The title may have made it sound like we were going to talk about our groovy 70’s inspired psychedelic lava lamps... but no.

Actually, the title refers to the more concrete issue of our location. We are kind of “far out,” in terms of being out of town.

Why did we do that? Well, when we opened the shop, we weren’t sure how ready this area was for a bicycle shop like ours. We figured that it might be a while before walk-in traffic really pays for itself, and that in the meantime we’d continue doing the web business. So we looked for a location that had a relatively low rent, but was still close enough to Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and the NC Triangle that people who want to visit can visit us. We didn’t want to start out in the high-rent district, if we were going to have to pay the rent out of our own pockets. Fortunately, that hasn’t happened.

The good thing about being a small business is that we are flexible and can adapt quickly. We have had the store open for a few months now, and it is clear there is interest from the local community. It is also pretty clear that this kind of store is needed and wanted in this area. So we are looking strongly at a move that would bring the shop into town (probably Carrboro).

Besides, there are some other reasons we’d like to be in town:
- It is kind of ironic to have a transportation-focused bike shop, to which most people end up driving to get there!

- We like the idea of being part of a community, and community events. Being in town would make that a lot easier

- It can get a bit lonely out in the “middle of nowhere” as one customer put it

So, anyway, we’ll post more here as soon as we know more. We are looking for a suitable space with reasonable rent. If anyone has any great ideas on that,

please drop us a line

!

We have lots of bikes, and electric kits too

We just returned from our train trip, and found that Greg had the store in good order. Most of all, we have a lot of new products on the floor. We’ll be expanding the website a bit to go into more detail, but here is a brief rundown:

• Bicycle cargo trailers from Bob and Burley, to carry groceries, camping gear, hardware, whatever... we have both kinds of trailers in stock as of today, and if there is demand, we will be getting more.

• Lots and lots of bicycles from

Marin Bikes

in california. We are especially focusing on their commuting and city bikes. The

Muir Woods

is a great, inexpensive steel framed urban assuault vehicle (pictured below, $455 MSRP, with our in store price lower). The Novato is a slightly more expensive aluminum version of the same ($570 MSRP). And the Belvidere and Corte Madera are very nice 700C wheel commuter bikes, purpose built with fenders, racks, and all the fittings, at very affordable prices, $635 MSRP for the Corte Madera, and $530 MSRP for the Belvidere (our in store prices are often a bit lower for items in stock). Last but not least are the more style and comfort oriented bikes, including the Euro-stye step through frames on the San Rafael (pictured below) and the Stintson.

• We have the comfort/semi-recumbent bikes from

Day 6

in stock. We carry both the Dream and the Journey models. We’ll post a picture soon!

• We have started carrying frames from

Soma Fabrications

. We can build a complete bike for you, or just sell you the frame. These are high quality, very nice steel frames using Tange Prestige chromoly, the best in the business. They make a

nice 29er (Juice)

, a hardtail mountain bike, a cyclocross frame, a track bike, and a road bike model. Morgan is building up a Juicy 29er that will be available for demo rides (when she doesn’t have it out on the trail). We are also happy to build a custom electric ride that combines the frame, parts, and electric kit of your choosing.

• We now, finally, have some of the eZee kits in stock again. Hurray for that. Get your order in early, these premium electric bike kits are going fast. The price is still $1250, and you can buy one in the shop, or order online through our web store.

• We have an order of Crystalyte gear and NiCad batteries arriving very soon.

• We have a bunch of accessories in stock, and we are way overstocked on tubes and lights, so that stuff is on sale. Drop by, make us an offer we can’t refuse, and we won’t!

• Sadly, the cargo bikes and accessories are out of stock for now. The Xtracycles are all sold out through at least mid August. We have one Yuba Mundo left in stock, but we have a customer who says he’s going to buy that one. Those won’t be back in stock until August at soonest, either. The Big Dummy is very backordered, and though we’ll do our best, the soonest we can hope for is August.

• In better news, our Cycle 9 Dolores bicycles are on their way, and should be arriving in a few weeks. Hurray for that, it has been a long wait! The waiting list is growing, and there are only a few of these that aren’t already spoken for. So get your order in early.

• The BionX electric wheel kits will start arriving in the second week of July. However, most of those are spoken for, we already have a waiting list. Please

drop us a line or give us a call

if you want one, we’ll do what we can to get you one as soon as possible.

• Last, but not least, we have some other great things brewing. Keep your eyes open here, and we’ll announce them as soon as we can.

Hub motors, ebikes, and Xtracycles

We are very low on stock of the electric bike products - apparently there was some pent up demand around this area.

However, we have a number of things on the way within the next few weeks, and most should be arriving by mid to late June, with some stragglers showing up in July. This includes Crystalyte kits, eZee kits, NiCad batteries, more LiFEPO4 batteries, and some custom Cycle 9 kits for electrifying your bike.

Unfortunately, the stock situation isn’t looking so good on the Xtracycle front. In the past week, we’ve sold all the stock we had of Xtracycle kits, including our demo! Not to fear, if you want to try an Xtracycle-equipped bike, we will have one of our personal bikes available in the store for test rides. However, the kits themselves aren’t expected to arrive until August at the earliest. The same is true for the Yuba Mundo (we have only 2 left, and they are sold out from the distributor until August), and the Big Dummy. Longtail bikes must be the rage. We do have waiting lists for all these items (except Yuba, since it is not sold out yet), so just drop us a line if you want to get on the list.

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!

Store opening!

We heard all the customer feedback, and realized that we could have the most positive impact in the local community (Chapel Hill, Carrboro, Burlington, Greensboro, Durham, Raleigh, etc) by having a physical storefront where customers can drop by to meet us and see the bikes. We have leased a building, located on Highway 54 just west of Carrboro, and are in the process of setting it up. It's where Furniture Follies used to be (he was so successful, he moved to a bigger space - we only hope that we will be so successful!). We aren't open quite yet, but we expect an opening by mid-May. We'll announce a grand-opening sale and the exact location here, so keep your eyes on this space.

Items we'll have in stock in the store include:
- Hub motor kits from Crystalyte, Forsen, eZee, etc. We are in discussions to also get the Stokemonkey once that is back in production.
- Folding bikes from Downtube and Anyrider
- Cargo/sports utility bikes from Yuba and Xtracycle. We are also considering getting a Big Dummy or two if there is customer demand
- Cycle 9 electric bicycles, custom manufactured to our specifications to be light weight, high power, integrated electric bikes
- Accessories, including: Cycle Analyst, Down Low Glow, Bicycle Cup Holders, Bicycle Stereo, Safety Gear, Batteries, controllers, spare motors, riding gear, bike bags, etc.

Other products we are exploring include various trike configurations, Bakfiets style bikes, recumbents, etc. If there is a particular bicycle-related product that you think we should carry, just

drop us a line

, we'll gladly take your feedback into consideration.