Ride of Silence... honoring those who have been injured or killed while cycling on public roadways

Ever since cyclist and vehicles have been sharing the road there have been accidents. There is time to advocate to safer roads and there is time just to remember those who have been hurt or killed. Yesterday was the seventh time Harrisonburg has participated in the international Ride of Silence. If you have never done this ride I would encourage you to do it next year.  It is friendly for every level of cyclist and any type of bike (there were trailers, single speeds, mountain bikes, trail-a-bikes, road bikes).  This ride of no talking is one of the loudest rides I have participated in!

Photo: Daily News Record...

"One ka-kaw means keep going. Two ka-kaws means turn around."

"You can die in the darkness, or you can live in the light. Also, where's the trail?"

This week's installment of the Friday Fatty ended in rainy jubilation. After climbing Tillman West under dark clouds, thunder clapped and things got wet. We played hide and seek with the Secret South trail descent. And decided to cut out early after mistaking a thickly accented "hell of a storm" for "hail storm" outside of Stokesville Market. Fun was had. Mud was slung. And we'll all dry out and clean our bikes sooner or later. 

Bike to School Day! ....2013

Bikes starting to line up this morning at Thomas Harrison Middle School

Early morning fog and chilly temperatures did not discourage the kids (or parents) from riding to school this morning during the National 2013 Bike to School Day. SBC was out this morning at Thomas Harrison Middle School (THMS) helping air tires, lube chains, adjust brakes and encouraging the kids to ride bikes. More and more folks in Harrisonburg are becoming interested in cycling, this was never more evident than today at THMS. As Harrisonburg plans for a new school we hope (and will push) for them to build a school that will encourage cycling and walking...this will keep the smiles coming!



Bike2School from Adventure Seen on Vimeo.

Trek Advocacy "We Believe in Action"

At Shenandoah Bicycle Company we are very proud to sell bikes from a company (Trek) that believes deeply in the power of Bicycles. Trek does phenomenal work advocating to get more people on Bicycles. Below is an interview with the owner of a bike shop located in Northern Virginia (The Bike Lane) who sets a great example for how bike shops can be active and involved with advocacy. At SBC we strive to live up to the same ideals and try to improve our community everyday and get more people on bikes.
 

Trek Retailer advocacy spotlight: Anne Mader of Bike Lane

05/01/2013

Trek Retailer advocacy spotlight

Anne Mader, owner of the Bike Lane (locations in Reston and Springfield, VA), recently met with newly-appointed department of Interior secretary, Sally Jewell, to discuss the future of America’s great outdoors. She convened with other stakeholders to explore public-private partnerships to better connect youth and families to the great outdoors.

Below is an interview with Trek’s Advocacy Manager, Brandon Buth:

Q: You just participated in a high-profile meeting with Interior Secretary Sally Jewell. What was the premise of the meeting?

A: The premise of the meeting was to celebrate national park week, discuss ways how we can get more kids and families outdoors, and help them create a long lasting connection with nature.

Q: Who all was in attendance?

A: The majority of attendees were from non-profits organizations. Tom Boyle from Gore-Tex and I were the only ones there from the bike industry.

Q: What were your main takeaways from the meeting with Secretary Jewell?

A: Creating meaningful partnerships between the parks, public, and private groups is of the utmost importance. If we want our beautiful parks to be around for our grandchildren, we all need to start working together to preserve and sustain them.

This point especially resonated with Sally Jewell, being the former CEO of REI who has always put a premium on stewardship. She really understands the business part of it as well which is refreshing.

Q: From your experience, what can other bike retailers do to get involved with these types of events, or advocacy in general?

A: The businesses who are interested in getting involved will benefit. Advocacy takes time, money, and the results don’t happen overnight which can be frustrating for some.
Find a way to say yes to your local groups, they really are the ones getting more people out riding in your community.

If you look at advocacy in the big picture as opposed to ‘what’s this going to get me today?’, great things will happen.

Jasper in New Mexico!

One of our favorite mustache-wearing #lifestylerider, Jasper, went on a big long mountain bike tour in New Mexico this month.  He took Mike Hughes' Trek Excalibur and towed his camping gear on a BOB trailer.  We can't tell you his route or his exact location, but from what we understand spare tubes are always a smart thing to carry on a ride. It appears that he is wearing a SBC embroidered wool Ibex jersey along with his stylish bell helmet.  We like to follow our customers and encourage YOU to share your adventures with us on our facebook page!

Building more than a Shelter!

Harrison Naftel has been busy the past two years doing the behind the scenes work on a new pavilion for the Western Slope of Massanutten.  Harrison's planning and fund raising has paid off as he begins the construction phase of his Eagle Scout Project.  This Eagle Scout Project is much more then just a new pavilion for the Western Slope, it will be a place were memories are made; a place were friends hang out  and folks seek shelter from the rain and sun. SBC is proud to support Harrison and his Eagle Scout project. Thank you Harrison and the Naftel Family!

3 Naftels and SVBC member Andy Danis work on setting a post for the new Pavilion!

Product Review: Women's Xena Mountain Bike Glove

I've tried an awful lot of good bike gloves over the years. They do their job, but I've never had glove-stoke. Then I tried the Xena.

The main reason that these gloves rock my world is the fit. Women's specific design often times seems to be an overused industry buzz word. The Xena is the exception to this rule, fitting my hand like, well it fits like a glove! The cut of the glove addresses the smaller, thinner female hand.  No fat fingers or wide palms with these guys. That means no palm chaffing on all-day rides.

I'm also generally not a fan of gel padding on gloves because they make gloves bulky and squishy. Giro's Xena has the right amount of padding in just the right spot, utilizing two small pads under the meat of the pinky side of your palm.  Because I like wider bars but have narrow feminine shoulders, this pad placement puts my wrists in a neutral bend when gripping the bars.

The one issue that I have run into with these gloves lies with the velcro cuffs. They don't rub my wrists raw, but the velcro leaves something to be desired.  Don't get me wrong, it still fastens the glove closed and makes a cool ripping sound like your elementary school shoes during story time, but it has a tendency to work itself open, requiring readjustment.

The Xena is double-stitched for durability. It's padded on the third knuckle to protect my hands during crashes. Rubber bumpers on the outter side absorb the impact of tree clipping and protect the fabric from briars. The articulated second knuckle keeps the glove form-fitting both on and off the handlebars.

Giro Xena gloves are on sale now at SBC. I like them so much that I bought 2 pairs.