Good Wrench?
NYC Velo continues to grow, and we're in need of an experienced mechanic. If you've got pro-level wrench skills and want to join a dynamic, independent bike shop, drop us your resume and a brief intro to info@nycvelo.com.

Happy Birthday To Us!
We're all growns up! NYC Velo turns 4 this month, and we'd like to invite you to a little shindig at our local bar, d.b.a. (1st Ave between 2nd and 3rd St) next Wednesday (May 20) at 8:30pm. We hope to see you there!

 

It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's BOTW!
While Mark, Andrew and Mike One were providing neutral support at last week's Five Boro Bike Ride, we saw numerous envy-inducing bikes (and quite a few that we would have liked to put out of their misery), but our fave of the day was this crazy old-school Clark Kent. Welcome to 1988:

 

B to the O to the T to the W
This week's Bike Of The Week is a classic: thirty one years ago, Hall of Fame mountain biker Steve Potts cooked up this number in a little place called Marin County. Riding the wave of the nascent MTB scene at the time, this fillet-brazed steel frame sports roller cam brakes and 1st gen XTR components. Our apologies for the blurry phone pics, but when you're looking this far back in time - especially in Northern California - things get a little, um, hazy (cough, cough.)

April 2009

5 Boro Bike Tour This Sunday
The TD Bank 5 Boro Bike Tour is this Sunday, May 3rd, and NYC Velo will be on hand to provide service and support for the expected 30,000(!!) riders. Look for Andrew, Mark, and Mike One at Central Park South and 6th Avenue from 7am - 11am. We'll have a flat repair station along with tubes, pumps, and various other sundry items for sale. Enjoy your ride, and swing by and say hello on your way uptown!

 

BOTW (Bike Of The Week)
Friend of the shop and all-around nice guy Chris McNally recently relocated from Brooklyn to San Francisco, via Colorado. Along the way, he picked up a true gem - an Ibis tandem! We'll let the pictures speak for themselves:

The Right Tool For The Job
It's no secret that people who love bikes often love WORKING on bikes, and we're no exception. Chasing the threads of a bottom bracket or bleeding a set of hydraulic brakes is what keeps us happy to come to work each day, and that is why are excited to bring EVT Tools into our service area. Simply put, their products are well-thought out, perfectly-designed tools for the job at hand. We're looking forward to their future projects.

IZZE
We're always on the lookout for good post-ride foods. While there are a plethora of "energy" product, gels, and recovery drinks on the market, one of our favorites is Izze Sparkling Juice. Lightly carbonated, made with real fruit juice, and without added sugar, a cold Izze (in an old school glass bottle) hits the spot after a long ride, or simply with a slice of Enzo's pizza. And they were recently added to Greenopia's List of Greenest Companies. We've got a bunch of flavors in stock now, with more on the way.

March 2009

Civis Via
NYC Velo is now a proud dealer of Civia Cycles. We're all about the commuting, and Civia bikes are commuters with style to spare. Stop by and check out the slick new Hyland and Loring.

CIVIA Hyland

Vlaanderens Mooiste
There are only 2 ways to watch The Tour of Flanders: 1) Standing alongside one of the cobbled climbs cheering your favorite hero with a pint of Chimay in your hand
OR
2) heading to BXL Cafe on 43rd Street April 5th and watching it alongside other like-minded NYC cycling fanatics...with a pint of Chimay in your hand. NYC Velo is a proud sponsor of this event, and we hope to see you there!

Spring Has Sprung
Beginning next Saturday, April 4th, our Saturday hours will change to accomodate the nicer weather. We will open at 10am and stay open until 7pm on Saturdays, for the season.

It's Nice, That
We've just received a rather large shipment of all things Brooks from across the pond. Seats, bartape, and other leather sundries... Tally-ho!

     

 

 

Bike Of The Week
This week's winner - hands down - goes to our friend Atom. Atom comes into the shop with some obscure requests, which we love because he really knows what he's talking about. (It keeps us on our toes.) His latest project is this Spooky Supertouch 'cross bike from the mid-90s.
Fully kitted out for the daily commute, it features some not-so-ordinary components:

Nexus 7 speed rear hub with brake
Kinesis cross fork
Moots Ti stem
1" Chris King headset.
Race Face cranks
Kore Reactor chain tensioner
Paul front brake w. NeoRetro cantilever

A true diamond in the rough!

 

NYC Velo Racing, On Foot
Team NYC Velo member Todd Crooks has represented the shop with flying colors in the Sedalia half marathon, with a time of 1:35:15 (with no preparation!) Congrats to Todd!

Todd, coming in 3rd in his class

NEW T-SHIRTS IN STOCK
NYC Velo has some new shop logo shirts in stock, designed by none other than our wrench Jason Kachadourian. When he's not fixing flats and truing wheels, Jason works with pen and paper. You can see his latest artwork here.

(can you spot "N-Y-C V-e-l-o" in the shirt?)

CAFFEINATE YOUR RIDE
We just received a restock of Kinetic Koffee's custom NYC Velo Espresso Blend. Kinetic is an organic, free-trade coffee roaster based in California. Stop by and refuel.

BIKE OF THE WEEK
This week's most favored bike status is bestowed on a new Civilian Townie that was purchased by our friend Mark. Civilian is the new custom brand from former NYC Velo wrench Tyson. Color us impressed!

WE'RE EXPANDING!
Not in that way - we still occupy the same 1800sq ft - but we've added a new head mechanic! Mark Purdy has joined our team from our friends over at Cadence. Mark brings with him 20 years of experience, working in shops as well as providing race support for regional, national and international events. To celebrate, we're going to raise a glass to Mark next Tuesday (the 24th) at d.b.a. (41 First Avenue)- please join us around 8:30p.

NAHBS '09 Roundup
The final tallies are in, and we're ready to award our prizes for various "Bests" at this year's NAHBS. In no particular order:

BEST "YOU'LL HAVE NOTHING AND LIKE IT" BIKES:
RICHARD SACHS - Sachs has stopped taking any new orders for his custom-built beauties, unless you are a previous customer (seems kind of unfair, doesn't it?- you can only have one if you already have one?!) Anyway, we drooled over Sachs's gallery of cross, track and road frames, all sufficiently old-school to just make us love Sachs even more.

BEST BIKE WITH WHEELS LARGER THAN 35" IN DIAMETER
BLACK SHEEP BIKES 36er
Wow, this was close, but the guys at BLACK SHEEP BIKES managed to squeak in with their "36er". We'll see if they can compete in the "Bike With Cranks Longer Than 400mm" category next year!

AWESOMEST WORST GRAPHICS ON A BIKE:
SEROTTA - "Battle of Saratoga" MeiVici
While we would have opted for the Battle of Lexington (we're Paul Revere fans, natch), Serotta managed to pull off some crazy Revolutionary War graphics on their Battle of Saratoga 100% carbon aero MeiVici AE. And by crazy, we mean ugly. (But like true grouches, we will probably LOVE this in 20 years...)

BEST LEPORIDAE TRANSPORTER (that's rabbits, for those of you who flunked Latin. And science.)
RICH ADAMS - We're not even sure what to say about this one. A blatant attempt to win over the judges' hearts? Probably. But it worked! This bike is ideal for your crazy girlfriend who loves rabbits (yet unfortunately looks nothing like Natalie Portman) - doesn't she deserve the best?

BEST WTF BIKE
CHERUBIM by KONNO CYCLEWORKS- There is no question this Japanese builder makes some beautiful bikes. In fact, their road bike legitimately won best in show from the real judges. But they also make this bike. If Graham Obree and an ironing board had a bike for a child, we imagine this is what it would look like:


(we couldn't find a link for Konno's website - but we have a feeling the internet is just too awesome in Japan and would probably destroy our feeble browsers.)

NAHBS is a great venue to see the very best in custom bikes. You can shake hands with all the builders, and even place an order if you are so inclined (just not from Richie!). It's a lot of fun to see the show grow year over year, and we had a blast. We are looking forward to next year already. And here's the Cherubim that really was our favorite bike.
Now that's more like it:

Some other bikes that caught our eye included:

Hunter Cargo

Groovy MTB

Hunter MTB

Nilla dropouts

Serotta 1984 Olympics Track Bike

Naked

Nobilette

 

Bike Of The Week
Our favorite bike this week belongs to our friend Dave. OK? O-K!!
It's an old-school Bontrager circa 19-ninety-awesome.

February 2009

Backpacks Save Your Back
Feeling a little lopsided on the bike lately? Try a backpack! When you need to carry a heavy load safely, nothing does the job better. Fortunately, serious messenger bag companies have been wising up to the virutes of the backpack, and we now carry the latest versions from Bailey Works and Chrome - in addition to the O.G. fave - Ortlieb.

NAHBS Update
Andrew, Chad and the Mikes are in Indianapolis checking out the North American Handmade Bicycle Show. Framebuilding luminaries such as Richard Sachs, Vanilla Workshop, Black Sheep Bikes, Independent Fabrications, and Bilenky are all in attendance! Check out some shots from Crumpton, Velo Orange, Igleheart and Paul White:

     
     

More photos on the way!

Bike Of The Week
Our favorite bike this week belongs to longtime customer Drew's Bob Jackson:

Drew has been working on getting this tourer up and running for a while, and trust us, it looks good under all that salt. Notice the wood fenders and Suntour XC Pro bits... and the frame is pretty dope too!

Great Scott
We're digging Georgie's Scott TT bike from the Tour of California. (Thanks to Velo News for the photo. Click the image for more tech from the Tour.)

Goin' Back To Cali, Cali, Cali...
The Amgen Tour of California has kicked off its 4th edition this week, and we'll be damned if this doesn't finally look like a legitimate ProTour stage race: top riders from all the Euro and American teams, routes covering some of the most scenic riding in the US, even Lance Armstrong gracing the competition! Get your fill of news here, or for the Twitter-addicted among us - here. (Or you can follow Lance directly. We're pretty certain that any day now he will be tweeting while racing.) Mike will be in San Diego for the finish on Palomar Mountain. Stay tuned for photos.

Posse Comitatus Rides Again
NYC can be a harsh mistress when it comes to keeping your bike safe on the streets. So learned one of our customers, framebuilder Matt Budd, who recently hooked his cousin up with one of his handbuilt frames - but only few short weeks later the bike was stolen near NYU. Fast forward to last week - Andrew was riding to work down Smith Street, when he spotted what appeared to be a genuine Budd Bike Works bike locked with a bunch of delivery bikes in front of the Pita Grill. He phoned Matt, described the bike, and sure enough it was the very one that had been stolen. Matt quickly got in touch with his cousin - who fortunately had filed a police report right after the theft - and she was able to get her bicycle back! A couple of lessons here: *always* report bike theft, even if the cops are being a pain in the neck, and keep your eyes open in your nabe - there's a reason why those delivery guys tape up their bikes!

The Tuesday Morning Coffee Rides Begin!
Each Tuesday at 8:00am, an NYC Velo contingent will meet up for some of laps in Prospect Park. If you decide to join us, look for the guys hanging out in NYC Velo gear near Grand Army Plaza, or hop in the group if you see us in the park.

And While We're At It...
We're considering adding a second feature, called Saddle Of The Week, after this gem crossed our workstands recently. Upon further review, we may just give in and crown this one Saddle Of The Decade!:

Umm.... meow?

A Little Something We Like To Call... Bike Of The Week
In the spirit of inaugurals, we're inaugurating a new feature here called Bike Of The Week. This will be a rotating profile of bikes we like - customer bikes, employee bikes, bikes on the street, or bikes from our burgeoning collection. To start things off, we proudly introduce (former employee and current friend of the shop) Greg Cross's Surly Big Dummy:

And if you were curious as to the massively practical nature of the Big Dummy, Greg recently moved a chunk of his apartment via bicycle!

Hello Brooklyn, How You Doin'?
NYC Velo would like to invite customers and friends for a drink to celebrate Andrew's return to Brooklyn. We'll be at The Brooklyn Inn in Boerum Hill on Sunday, 2/8 from 7pm on. Even if you're not a fan of Andrew, hate beards, and ride a tricycle, stop by to say "Hi" to the rest of the crew and have a drink - it's Sunday Night!

January 2009

Chuey Winter Hats In Stock
If you know about Chuey hats, then you also know you should get in here and pick one of these up. They will be gone in a hurry.

Freight Shipment
That may sound redundant, but what we mean to say is that we just received a motherlode of Freight Baggage gear, straight from SF, including messenger bags in all sizes and commuter backpacks! Get 'em while we got'em.

It's Bea-UTE-iful!
That's right - no pun is safe near our News page! We've managed to squeeze a few of the new Kona "UTE" Utility bikes into our storage space for 2009. If you've ever contemplated commuting/grocery shopping/kid hauling/moving in the mother in law/collecting cans for deposit/bringing back a desk from IKEA/picking up pedestrians on the Manhattan Bridge - all on a bike - then we have your two -wheeler. You gotta check this thing out in person. For $930, it's a great deal. You'll save that much in MetroPasses before 2010 hits!

 

NYC Velo Goes Global!
Kam'sa'hap'nida Korean TV

CX, KC 2008

Happy New Year everyone! Andrew rings in 2009 with a dispatch from NYC Velo Racing's latest 'cross race:

I went into the 2008 cyclocross season with hopes of filthy, muddy glory. I had a mental outline of my training/racing schedule all set - tons of intervals, lots of dismounts, and some pissed off park rangers. What started out as a carefully crafted plan where my training intensity steadily ramped up, ended with me making the well-worn "race-into-shape" arrangement with my legs. Luckily, there were plenty of races on the calendar (one of the great things about being a cross racer in the northeast) in which I would be able to hone my skills and improve my power. It took every bit of the 15 warm-up races (including the Staten Island slogfest) prior to CX Nats to prepare me for the National Championships in Kansas City in December.

Luckily for me, my little brother Todd lives in the KC area so I had a place to stay on race weekend. Neither of us were around for the 2007 version of Kansas City's CX Nats, but we did attend the 2000 edition (the last time KC hosted) and witnessed some of the harshest bike race conditions on record. It was starting to seem as though KC, along with BBQ and mediocre pro sports teams, was synonymous with crappy mid-December weather. I won't recount the details of the '07 race as I wasn't there (check out the KCCX website), but when the frozen, sketchy conditions put one of America's best pro cyclocross racers in the ER, one can conclude that a miserable day was had by all.
Fortunately, US CX Nats version 2008 enjoyed mostly dry conditions. The pro women and men were rewarded with 25 degree temps and 30 mph winds however. The first races on Thursday and Friday were somewhat wet and slippery, which made for long days for the pit crews. But the weekend's races were much drier, making the downhill slalom exhilarating. Todd and I represented the NYC Velo team throughout the weekend. Todd suffered through a bout of leg cramps in Thursday's race and met the handlebars of a rider who took down a quarter of the field in the opening moments of Saturday's race. Little Brother stayed in the hunt in both races and put on a gutsy show for his 3-year old daughter and biggest fan, Maire.

East coast racer highlights include:
Roger Aspholm (coach of FGX Racing Team) winning the Masters 40-44 race,
Todd Cassan (previously of NYC Velo fame) finishing 6th in the Masters 45-49 race, as well as podium finishes for a number of Delaware-based C3/Sollay racers and myself in the B race. Full results here at cyclingnews.com.

Roger's close win over reigning champion Richard Feldman of Idaho stood out as one of the most exciting contests of the weekend, besting the Elite contests on Sunday.

While there are a handful of smaller cyclocross races left on the calendar, most racers are staring at the inevitable 8 month wait for the 2009 'cross season to come around. If 2008 was any indication, the future of 'cross in the US is indeed bright.

December 2008

'Tis The Season
Come celebrate our Holiday 21% OFF Sale (yup, we said 21%) on all 2008 Road and Mountain Bikes!! Also, 20% off all winter outerwear. Now until the end of the year.

New Products for '09
In addition to our already full lineup of bags, we now have new designs and styles from Freight and reLoad. We've got the most complete selection of messenger bags, backpacks and panniers in NYC: Chrome, Ortlieb, BaileyWorks, Alchemy, GreenGuru and Vaya round out the list.

We also carry select items from Swiss brand Assos, including their top-quality winter caps and chamois cream.

We're all "atwitter"
You can now follow NYC Velo on Twitter. Stay in touch with all the latest happenings at the shop, as well as race info, sales, and news!

Layaway Now Available
Place your purchase on layaway with a minimum deposit and we'll hold your item(s) until you pick it up. You can make payments over time, or pay your entire balance upon pick up. No interest, no fees, no problem!

We Love Wool!
In our quest for everything wool, we have sourced these handsome Chrome Pacer Merino jackets. 180 bones gets you a warm, versatile zip-up that can be worn as a base or as an outer layer. The two hidden side/rear pockets are an added bonus.

Bikes Meet Art
Friend of the shop Chris McNally will be exhibiting some of his excellent bike-themed drawings and screen prints at NYC Velo, starting Saturday December 6. Stop by this week to see the latest works. Pieces are available for sale starting at $45.

November 2008

Cyclocross Gains Traction In NYC
This New York Times entry shines some light on the burgeoning cyclocross scene in and around the city. NYC Velo will field a team in the Sunday, Nov 30th Staten Island race. Come join us (we could use the moral support) and see what it's all about!

New T-Shirts and Sweatshirts
Mike has been working hard screening new NYC Velo logo T-shirts and sweatshirts. Come in and check out the latest designs.

Spring Cleaning in Autumn
Check out discounted 2008 bikes on this page - we are adding bikes weekly! Significant savings on Bianchi, Ridley, Turner, Kona and more!

October 2008

Full Metal Race Kit
Semper Fi! Our good friend Chris "Joker" McNally attempts to miracle his ass over an obstacle as he represents NYC Velo in the McLaren Park cross race in Colorado.

Power Brakes
If you are one of the lucky folks who run carbon rims on your bike, you've probably been long aware of the unique problem of finding brake pads that work well without damaging your wheels. Enter Swiss Stop brake pads. Economic recession or not, these are flat out the ONLY pads you can afford to be running on a carbon wheelset. Available now at the shop.

Interbike Goodies
Some of the cool stuff we saw at Interbike is starting to arrive in the shop. Come in and check out the new, innovative Nitto front racks; the beautiful, hammered steel Honjo Fenders - and perhaps the show's blinging-est item - the new Chris King bottom bracket (available in 10 colors, natch)!

The 25th Hour
In keeping with tradition, NYC Velo is sending a team to the 24 Hours of Moab this year. We'll be competing in the singlespeed rigid category, because we are old-school like that. The race takes place this weekend, and everything else you need to know is in the title: 24 hours of riding in the desert of Utah. The 25th hour will probably involve Gatorade I.V.s and a stretcher.

UPDATE: Postrace report

The hybrid NYC Velo team consisted of Andrew from the NYC Velo base camp and 3 fellas from Idaho: Jason (the marathon runner), Toby (the Idaho SS champ) and Jon (the reigning Trans-Rockies champ). The team met up in the wilds of Utah for 24 hrs of fun. They scored 6th in the singlespeed/rigid division, 39 of all 360 teams overall, and had 2 of the 3 fastest singlespeed laps (behind some Gary Fisher/Subaru pro). There were no Gu-fueled brawls in the middle of the night over the last piece of jerky, and nobody hid in the beer tent when it was time to turn their last lap. These Idaho guys are mtb racing professionals in every sense and made the cross-country trip to race in the high desert relatively painless.

Andrew on the trip, "I scored a plane ticket for the price of 'on the house' from the good folks at jetBlue, so I got to hang out in Salt Lake City for an xtra day. I highly suggest others caught in this situation to explore the Bonneville Shoreline Trail, which skirts the mountains above the city to the east and north. When in town, be sure to check out Contender Bicycles for your high-end lusty gear fix."

     

 

"CX" Marks the Spot
It's one of our most favoritest times of the year around the shop - cyclocross season! 'Cross races are in full swing in the tri-state area, and NYC Velo has stocked up on everything you need. We have a wide selection of CX bikes from Ridley, Kona, Scott, Felt, Litespeed, Soma, Surly, Salsa, and Bianchi - as well as tons of accessories, including clinchers and tubulars (and cross tubulars from Dugast!). So whether you are a grizzled veteran of the sport or a total newbie, we aim to be your one-stop shop for the season.

 

OLDER NEWS >>