HubBub Custom Bicycles

In Memory of Sheldon Brown

To say that Sheldon Brown was a giant in our industry is an incredible understatement.  Today we learned that Sheldon passed on due to a heart attack.  He was 63.  Sheldon was one of those rare intellects - embracing and celebrating life with his talents, wit, and humor.  From our industry perspective, he was one of those "natural mechanics" - able to craft fantastic cycling things from his often whimsical ideas.  From the perspective of the cycling community at large Sheldon was an encyclopaedic resource on every and any aspect of bicycles.

We will miss him and offer our deepest felt sympathy to his family and to the Harris Cyclery staff as well. As far as we know, his voluminous web site will remain up and intact for the foreseeable future.  Spend a few minutes browsing and you will see just what we mean.

Rest in peace Sheldon!

HiHoHoliday Ramblings

Ah, the cold and gray have settled in outside while the malls are buzzing inside (with 20 year old shooters, no less!).  I however, have yet to set foot in one and I'm damned proud of it!  Of course, a huge part of the reason that I don't like the malls this time of year is that it's mostly insanity!  But, c'est la guerre...

Hey, our buddy Don Frey, came in last week and asked Brian to scrounge up some stuff for his "2007 Riding With The Devil Cyclocross Awards".  Now, if you know Don, you know he's loopy about cycling AND he's an artist.  Well, the results are astonishingly cool!  Here, see for yourself!  Funny thing is, those parts didn't look anything like that when we gave them to him!

So, then one of our reps came in this week and asked if we'd seen the You Tube video of Judge Judy and the couple who's dog slipped out of her collar, ran into the path of a cyclist, and knocked the cyclist down. If you want to smile, laugh, and applaud, watch this!  (YAY JUDGE JUDY!)

But wait, there's MORE.  I've told you about Bikesnobnyc and I've commented upon how carbon bicycles all seem to be sort of alike ... well, Bikesnob offers some pretty incontrovertible PROOF! Take a look. 

So just thought I'd post a short blog before I forgot any of this stuff.  You know that ad that says "life comes at you fast"? - well, they ain't kidding!  It's more like, "gone in 60 seconds!"

Oh, I lied - one last comment.  If you're a "boomer" (I don't really think I like that term) - how about, if you're an old hippie - nah, not that.  If you like Beatles music, go see Across the Universe.  Our barista Caitlin INSISTED that we see it (even gave us money so we couldn't say no!) and I'm actually glad she did.  While it's a little "chick flicky", I think the musical interpretations are excellent and the portrayal of the times brought back a lot of memories - not all of them good!  All-in-all a pretty good movie though.

Have a great day!

Can Cleveland Do This ... Even A Little?

We have baseball's Manager of the year, Executive of the year, and the Cy Young award winner.  We have the #1 Orchestra in the World.  We have the #1 "Iron Chef" in the country.   We have one of the finest basketball players in the world - King James!    Even the New York Times said:  <Cleveland> It's like... cutting edge!"

We have the Rock Hall, one of the most amazing Metroparks Systems, and a fabulous Zoological Park (if you are in to have animals in lock-up.)  Our Museum of Art is outstanding.  Playhouse Square offers first-class musicals, plays, and concerts.  And if you are going to be sick and believe in the medical system, Cleveland is the place to do it with The Cleveland Clinic Foundation and University Hospitals.  Lake Hospital System is up and coming too.

Our cost of living is reasonable, we have one of the largest sources of fresh water in the world.  Our spring, summer, and fall are incomparable ... anywhere.  So winter sucks!  3 out of 4 ain't bad. 

So, why can't we get the cycling culture started here??? 

Take a look at this video.  I don't think Cleveland will EVER be a Portland, but it can emulate a lot of what Portland offers in the form of cycling as alternative transportation.  Of course, people need to want to get off their collective fat asses and ride; however, we know many, many cyclists who would be much more likely to use their bicycles instead of their automobiles if given a few ammenities: showers, safe bicycle lock-up, and some consideration by lazy, cell-phone blabbing motorists who are in too much of a hurry to stop and smell anything but their drive-through lattes.

http://video.on.nytimes.com/?fr_story=278032d5df02f06be646116987472a48d5d707e0

I don't know what this rant will bring (other than some outlet for my frustrations) but, think about it.  How much effort are you willing to put into riding instead of driving?  One day a week?  Two?  Maybe even more...

Hump Day Ramblings

If you haven't seen it, one of the best and most irreverant blogs about cycling out there is bikesnobnyc.  It doesn't get much funnier OR dead-on!  This dude is an equal opportunity offender, sparing no one and nothing when it comes to cycling!  Bookmark this site for daily fun!  And, if you are easily offended, don't read it!

Then there's this weird icanhascheezburger thing.  It's mostly about cats.  Sometimes it cracks me up and other times ... uh, never mind. 

Hey, we just got a call wondering if we have a pair of eMotion (inside Ride) rollers in stock to demo!  WE DO!  They are still just $795.00 + $38 shipping via FedEx.  Ohio residents add 6.5% sales tax.  Right now, they are back-ordered - we have two sets that are NOT sold on back-order.  Great gift (to yourself :-))  Come and try them if you want.  We can have you riding rollers in a few minutes - REALLY!

We have offered custom coffee shop gift baskets for the past two years and they are a HUGE hit.  Starting at just $40 we make each and every one to order including freshly roasted coffees, organic teas, locally made trail mixes and candy, and more.  We can include a High Peaks mug, a small Bodum French Press (the "gourmet" way to drinking freh coffee) and more.  We will ship them to anywhere in the U.S. and include a cute Skeese Greeting Card, HIgh Peaks Gift Card, a certificate for Yoga Classes, or a HubBub Gift Certificate.  Order by Friday and we can get them out for Thanksgiving.  Order by December 17th and we'll get them to your recipient by Christmas.

We'll be publishing a list of cool holiday ideas in addition to the gift baskets shortly.  Watch for it!

On another note, I monitor and occasionally post to a variety of on line cycling lists, including The Tandem List and The Touring List.  Sometimes, the topics are repetitive ad nauseum but other times, there are some excellent ideas. I decided to list a few of the most interesting (and helpful)... add to the list via email, any time!

1. Put your garage door opener in an old cycling glove to remind you that your bike is on top of your car. (Oh SH&%#)

2. Put an old sock in your seat pack (handlebar bag, pannier, etc.) and use it when you need to deal with a greasy chain, etc.

3. Take an OLD pair of cycling shoes and throw them in the trunk (hatch) of your car for that time you FORGET YOUR SHOES FOR A RIDE. (dammit!)

4. Keep a $20 bill in your seat pack (handlebar bag, etc.) to use as a "boot" if you slice one of your tires. When it's a $20, you won't forget to change the tire/tube.

5. Take your health card with you.  The hopsital doesn't care about your driver's license or other ID.

6. Keep your spare house key with your bike.

7. TAKE MONEY - including quarters for a phone call

8. Put your cell phone in a zip lock bag (on high AND vibrate) then put it in your pocket. (Unless you don't want people to know where you are.)

If you can add to this list, I will post your additions right away.  Meanwhile, have a great day - Go Bucks! (no hitting - stop that!)

Update from HubBub

Whew - been a hectic day!  Trying to get ready for Interbike next week and then PVG the following weekend.  Meanwhile, the weather is still gorgeous and everyone is still out riding.  (YAY!)

It doesn't get more exciting to us than to have our name mentioned in respected publications such as Adventure Cycling, but this month we got a whopping amount of positive recognition from one of the most highly regarded people in our industry, John Schubert.  You can read about us in his column "Cyclesense" in the September/October issue.  We actually had the conversation that led to this column quite some time ago, so I was pleasantly surprised when we were suddenly inundated with congrats on the mention! (He's also one of my favorite people of all time anyway!) 

By the way, if you are not familiar with Adventure Cycling, I would highly recommend that you look into joining and participating.  They are a non-profit organization that offers an incredible amount of information and resources to the touring cyclist.  Worth the price of admission!

After much consternation on the part of a lot of people. MyFoxCleveland.com decided that Geauga County is a real place (along with Chesterland) and that Chardon, the county seat is really NOT in Lake County and so changed their "rules" to accept nominations for Geauga County businesses in their "Hot List - Best of Cleveland" Contests.  While we would love to be voted best, it was really more about being fair and having representation in the categories (bike shop, yoga studio, and coffee shop).  It just didn't seem right NOT to list any businesses in the entire county!  We appreciate the correction and especially the nominations and kind comments we have thus far received.

I'll be reporting back from Interbike with as much info as I can and will try to upload a blog entry or two while we're gone.  I hope to have some great new product introductions (although I'm always one-upped by someone who gets into the show and uploads a ton of photos and data about what's there!) - still, it's possible that my sometimes discerning eye and taste finds a gem or two that others overlook! 

So, we're out of here on Tuesday - Thom will be here during regular shop hours.  We'll be back on the red-eye arriving early Saturday morning.  We should be here by regular opening time at 10am on Saturday.

Have a great week - talk at ya' soon!  Check our web site for new content! (Especially our new gallery ... it's growing all the time)

Best,

DL

New Calfee Tandem - Wow!

Many of you know that Brian and I have ridden a tandem together for the past nine+ years.  We started with a Burley Duet, which was nice - sort of like a big, comfy Oldsmobile.  Then, we moved up to our beautiful Co-Motion Speedster with S&S couplings - it was a dream bike!  We both love(d) the bike and eventually sold it to some good customers/friends - for a variety of reasons, none of which are really important.  THEY love the bike too!

So, we have been riding our Co-Motion Al Capp demo and I LOVE the Softride beam.  However, that bike is now obsolete and the beam will no longer be offered.  (sigh!)

Then, this past winter, a couple from Bloomington, Indiana came out to see us and ordered a Calfee tandem.  When it was completed, it was one of the most beautiful bicycles we had ever seen.

Fast forward to our trip to California last March for the NAHBS Show in San Jose.  We decided to visit Craig Calfee's factory and of course took him up on the offer to test ride both his bamboo and carbon tandems.  Truthfully, neither of us was comfortable on or with the bamboo bike - it wasn't stiff enough for us and somewhat difficult to steer.  But the carbon bike was HEAVENLY!  And so ... we ordered one. 

With much anticipation, we took our maiden voyage last Sunday.  Here is my "first ride" critique on our NUDE (stop that ... it means NO PAINT), 32.7# Calfee Tetra Tandem (Brian already wants to lighten it up!)

In a word (okay - two words) IT ROCKS!  For some reason (and in a moment of complete loss of intelligent thinking) we decided that our first ride would be hilly.  For those of you who know the area, we finished our 34 mile loop CLIMBING OUT OF THE VALLEY UP OLD MILL ROAD. Ugh! The bike feels light (it IS light), fast, comfortable, and responsive.  It wasn't scary down hill - it was fun and fast.  I hardly had to lean at all to go into a turn - so, I have some things to learn about it still.  Our average speed was up a notch or two (we are definitely NOT a fast team, but we have a lot of fun) - still, it was nice to see that even with the hills, our overall average was higher than normal.

We are planning to take it on a 50 mile ride in New York this coming week ... so, I'll report back as we build more miles.  All-in-all it was an excellent choice for us.  We don't get to ride as much as we used to and it's nice to have a fast, lightweight, and very modern bike.

Classic Cycling Joke!

My friend Bill, who lives in the "Republic of Boulder" (Colorado ... of course) sent this to me today.  YEP - You gotta love this kind of humor.  It's SO bike shop-ish.

And, for those of you who needed to water your lawns just a mere week ago - it's DONE!  The drought is officially cancelled!  Get the row boats out of storage immediately and start rowin!

August? AUGUST???? No Way!

I guess it really is only a minute away from August (SIGH!).  It seems as if it was only June a week ago.  We might as well make the most of it and see what's on tap in the upcoming weeks and months for cycling.

The TDF (Tour de Farce) is soon to be either history or a brand new race in '08.  This year was pathetic to say the least.  So many good riders are going to be viewed with very cloudy lenses regardless of their innocence in all matters doping and so many dope-y riders are of course leaving the sport with their tails between their legs.

Given all of that, I'd like to shift your attentions to the upcoming PBP Ride beginning August 20th in Paris, France.  Here is a brief description of the event as taken from the Randonneur USA web site:

First run in 1891, the 1200-kilometer Paris-Brest-Paris, or "PBP" as it is commonly called, is a grueling test of human endurance and cycling ability. Organized every four years by the host Audax Club Parisien, the Paris-Brest-Paris Randonneurs is the oldest bicycling event still run on a regular basis on the open road. Beginning on the southern side of the French capital, it travels west 600 kilometers to the port city of Brest on the Atlantic Ocean and returns along the same route. Today's randonneur cyclists, while no longer riding the primitive machines used a hundred years ago over dirt roads or cobblestones, still have to face up to rough weather, endless hills, and pedaling around the clock. A 90-hour time limit ensures that only the hardiest randonneurs earn the prestigious PBP finisher's medal and have their name entered into the event's "Great Book" along with every other finisher going back to the very first PBP. To become a PBP ancien (or ancienne for the ladies) is to join a very elite group of cyclists who have successfully endured this mighty challenge. No longer a contest for professional racing cyclists (whose entry is now forbidden), PBP evolved into a timed randonnée or brevet for hard-riding amateurs during the middle part of the 20th century.

Two of our customers/friends will be "competing" in this 1200km - 90 hour event.  Both have successfully ridden it in the past - one is going for his 6th time!  What is so interesting to me is that you MUST be an amateur and that anyyone who is willing to do the training, enter the qualifying events, and meet the rigid standards can become one of the "ancien" in the history book of PBP.

So, I will be keeping you a-brest (pun absolutely intended!) of the progress when the event begins in two weeks and am suggesting that YOU might be one of the participants when it is run again in 2011! - Just think about it!

Remember that is it not too late to order a bicycle for the '07 season!  Seven will turn your frame around in less than 3 weeks!  There is still plenty of time for the fall riding season.  Which of course is a perfect segue to remind you to sign up for the PVG Ride in October.  There are still rooms at the Geneva State Lodge and lots of wonderful perks for the riders!  Each of you will receive a bottle of wine, a long-sleeve T-shirt, a canvas tote bag filled with goodies and more.  The ride includes two lunches, one dinner, and wine & cheese reception, and more.  Go to signmeup.com or our web site.  (PS - our hotel code for the PVG rate is 4G20XT.)

Lastly, we would like to thank all the XOBA riders and especially the ride directors Walt & Maureen Williams, for giving us the opportunity to provide tech support for the ride.  Hope to see everyone in '08!

Later, Diane

Habitat for Humanity, GOBA, and more...

On Tuesday, Brian and I spent most of the afternoon and into the early evening tuning up and fitting the 27 riders who left New Haven, CT. on June 2nd en route to Portland, OR. with the Habitat Bicycle Challenge.  (They are the "central" group)  What a great bunch of people!  Gracious, fun, and incredibly dedicated to the HFH cause, they will stop several times on their way west to help build houses.  Last year, one of the riders was from Cleveland and she hosted this year's group with a great dinner.  We really enjoyed having them here and will follow their trip across country with interest. 

GOBA begins this weekend as is always evidenced by people scurrying to get last minute stuff - not the least of which is service!  :-)  We wish them great weather and lots of fun!  This year's shirt is really cute.

Once again, we want to mention Richard Waugh's "Riding For Charles" ultra-marathon adventure.  Richard is one of the violists from the Cleveland Orchestra riding The Elite Transcontinental Tour, a PAC Tour.  Follow Richard's journey in his daily blog!  His efforts are to add to the endowment of a special orchestra chair for Charles Barr who was killed while riding his bicycle last year.

Habitat for Humanity Bicycle Challenge and more

Next Tuesday, June 12th, The Habitat Bicycle Challenge central group (29 riders) will be coming through NE Ohio, stopping at HubBub and staying overnight at a previous year rider's house in University Heights.

The group is made up of students, each of whom raises at least $4,000.00 for HFH.  This year, the 3 routes (North, Central, and South) will have a total of 90 riders.  The goal, $360,000.00, is currently at 75%!  Last year, the group raised over $430,000.00.

We expect the riders to start showing up at HubBub early afternoon (or before!)  We will be attending to bike issues, getting them some goodies, and then sending them on to the overnight location in U.H.

If you are interested in joining them as they ride either Tuesday as they come into NE Ohio or Wednesday as they head west toward their next overnight destination (Sandusky), we know they are leaving Ashtabula around 7am.  The route is below.

If you want to support the cause, there are opportunities to donate on line!

Here is the route from Ashtabula to HubBub:

From Jonnycake Ridge Rd <84>:

Bear L to Chillicothe Rd <615>
Turn R on Broadmoor/Chillicothe <306>
Turn L (immediate) on Markell Rd.
Bear L on Hobart Rd.
Turn L on Chardon Rd. <6>
Turn R on Tibbetts Rd (1500ft)
Tibbetts becomes Caves Rd.
Turn L on Mayfield Rd. <322>
Turn R into HubBub (0.3 miles)

From HubBub they will head west on Old Mill, onto Gates Mills Blvd. and into the Heights. 

We're proud to help Habitat for Humanity!