Ride for Hope 2013 

          By: Tim Sybrant

           
          I have learned a lot about life from biking. The most important though, is the drive to overcome any obstacle and make it to my destination. Every bike ride becomes a challenge both physical and mental. The goal remains synonymous with the goal of anyone with cancer, to make it. Most of us bikers who participated in the 2013 Ride For Hope have never had cancer and have no idea how it feels. However it’s nice to think through a lifestyle of biking we will have well practiced the capacity to overcome any obstacle and know that there is great support out there. 

          The Ride For Hope started in 2006 by the Farrah family. Lou Farrah was a cancer survivor who dreamed of having not only a charity event and ride, but a more inclusive experience promoting all aspects of healthy living. In 2013 this two day event included: a health expo to help people learn about healthy living through pro active health practices, a healthy dinner the night before the race, a presentation in support of the fight against cancer, a family friendly walk or short ride, and of course lots of biking. I had a great opportunity to talk with a lot of people during the expo while staffing the Damn Good Bikes table. I enjoyed sharing my experience and knowledge of bikes and riding with such a friendly crowd of people. Also I met Jenny Farrah, the late Lou Farrah’s wife, and the other inspirational people who were behind putting on the event. 

          Starting very early in the morning myself and hundreds of other riders began their own struggle. The race had staggered starts for each of the 5 distance categories. Riders had a choice of riding 100, 60, 40, 29, and 11 mile courses. For my first road ride I choose to ride 40 miles as I know I could do this comfortably and it wouldn’t take me all day. 

          Most of my previous biking experience and all of my previous race experience is on mountain bikes. Mountain bike racing is more individual but on the road I quickly learned how important the other riders around you are. I started out way in the back of a hundred or so riders and very quickly moved toward the front of the pack. Then as riders spaced out further I settled alongside another rider who held a similar pace. It seemed a lot easier to turn the pedals with someone to talk to and take turns drafting each other. We had a nice sense of teamwork and the miles flew by. 

          On that short section of road I learned that pedaling your butt off with your tire mere inches away from someone else’s is a great way to get to know someone. Unfortunately, as in life, people come and go. A little more than halfway through, my new friend stopped at a water stop and I found myself cruising along by my lonesome. Over the next 8 or so miles, riders were so far spaced that I could barely see anyone from my group and my legs were starting to hurt. 

          Nearing mile 30 with 10 to go I gained some company in crossing paths with riders running the shorter courses. It was really inspiring to see the less experienced riders riding ordinary bikes all out there putting their hearts into overcoming their own obstacles. Waves and smiles were abundant and sharing those brief moments made me forget how much my legs hurt and keep pushing on. 

          I can only hope that I inspired them as much as they inspired me because to me that’s what life is all about. I have found in life that my bicycle is a vehicle that takes me to far greater places than I could have ever imagined and has put me not only closer to the good things in life, but farther away from the bad. 

          I personally rode as hard and fast as I could for 40 miles and it took a toll on my body. However the physical sacrifice I made became quickly masked by the shared feelings of success amongst over 700 riders. Helen Keller said of riding on her tandem, "It is splendid to feel the wind blowing in my face and the springy motion of my iron steed. The rapid rush through the air gives me a delicious sense of  strength and buoyancy, and the exercise makes my pulse dance and my heart sing." The Ride For Hope showed a winning combination of all the good that comes from the biking community. 

Tim Sybrant is a freelance bicycle journalist from Madison, Wisconsin. His work has been published in XXC Magazine and Street Pulse News. You can contact him about this and other articles via email at sybranttim@gmail.com.

2-Day Sale

Heads up, 2 day sale this weekend!

Hidden Gem

Hi!

If you can see this then you've done one of two things. First, you happened to have found/followed this blog a long, long, time ago. If so, you get the first chance to cash in! Second, you found the QR code we hid around the shop and around the town. If this is you, CONGRATS! You have just found a HIDDEN GEM!

What's a hidden gem? Well, we sometimes get bored and play games like hide and seek. In this case we hid a gem which entitles you to a free schwagg bag from interbike! We had so much cool stuff like edible goodies, stickers, lanyards, etc. that we want to pass some of it along! Bring in this post or mention the promotion in the store to receive your schwagg! But hurry! We only have a limited supply of awesome!

Your promo code is: RUBY

Happy Monday

BUCS 2011 Moelfre Downhill from Joe Bowman on Vimeo.

New bikes and new projects

We've got some new bikes rolling into the shop this week! We now have a complete line of KHS Alite 150s in stock as well as stocking up on Alite 40s. Add to that the Urban Xpress (Reynolds tubing, mixie frame) is now on the floor. We're also having 3 new lines delivered tomorrow. First, the Flite 223 which is the 2011 version of the 220 with some upgrades and a triple chain ring int he front. Second, the 2011 Flite 300 with is the value race bike from KHS with and aluminum frame and carbon fork. Finally, the 2011 DJ50 which is a major upgrade to the 2009 DJ 50 that we've sold almost since the shop opened.

We also received a shipment of accessories that made it's way out to the floor today. Things like new fenders, water bottles, lights, car and hitch racks, saddles, and even a few snazzy new pedals are now beautifying the shop!

Two new projects are also taking up our time. The first is a joint effort with Share the Love for the beginning of the school year. You may have heard me prattling on about it the last few weeks but until some details are finalized I'm just going to say it's a big party!

The second is a super secret project to reduce the prices of some of the accessories we sell even further! No details from me, but keep an eye out here for more tidbits.

We also have an April promotion that we're prepping for. No details yet, but let's just say we're giving away bigger and better prizes than last year!

I know it's cold, but here's some summer!

Just because we love rubbing it in, here's what summer (or Florida in the winter) can bring!

Cheeze it, it's the cops!

Well, we're not really "cheezing it" and the cops in this dramatization are imaginary. However, we do have a very super secret shipment of 2010 Alite 40s that just arrived. That's why we're only talking about it on the interwebs, the most secret place there is!

Anyhoo... we need these things gone before KHS realizes that we still have them. Think of it this way, if your mom gives you candy and you don't eat it all will she give you more candy if she knows? Nope. We've got the same problem, but KHS is our mom and we've been naughty (I swear if I get one dirty comment from this there's going to be hell to pay!). Therefore, we need 'em gone before someone else notices. To do that, we're doing this:
1) Mark them down $1,000,020 from $1,000,219.99 to $199.99
2) Give anyone who buys one a free U-Lock
3) Include 10 years of free tune-ups
4) ?
5) Profit!

Good plan! Damn Good Bikes on 10! 12345678910! D A M N G O O D B I K E S! Now.... BREAK!

New Years Sale!

We're taking $10 off all remaining in stock 2010s to help ring in the new year! To make this year even sweeter, we're taking $20 off all remaining 2009s!!! Take that 2011!

More new bikes!

Not content to live with what we have in terms of bike selection, DGB has decided to expand the lineup even more. To better serve our customers we've decided to carry a selection of kids bikes and Tri equipped bikes just in time for the holiday season! The kids bikes are everything from MTBs to BMX and all priced under $300! Our Tri Bikes are fully equipped road bikes from KHS and Kona that come with Areobars, clipless pedals, bento box, and water bottles/cages! Not bad huh?

Break the Silence!

Hi all,

It's been several long weeks since the last post... My bad. I was just saving up a little fun for you! What's the fun? Well, there's a new damn good bike in town. Yep, Kona has joined the Damn Good Bikes team! Let's all give them a round of applause!

*crickets*

Oh right, I have to introduce them before you clap! Am I fired? No? Keep Going? Stop writing down what you're saying?!? Oh, sorry. Well, Kona makes some fantastic bikes for mountain, dirt, and road riding. All their bikes incorporate ridiculous components into a sexy frame style and solid specs. We have, however, chosen the best of the best to carry at Damn Good Bikes. Here's the rundown of the first few lines we will feature... in an analogy designed to remind you that you were the nerd in high school:

Hardtail:
Fire mountain (MSRP: $599.99): Captain of the volleyball team. Makes all the boys stop and drool. Think Alite 500 with a Dart 1 fork and hydraulic disk breaks!

Nunu (MSRP: $749.99): Cheerleader captain. All the pomp of the Fire Mountain with some added sex in the components!

29er:
Kahuna (MSRP: $1049.99): The Nunu's younger prettier sister. Think Deore and Tora and bigger, um, wheels!

Road:
Zing (MSRP: $1049.99): Zing's the QB of your HS football team. Clean cut and has the endurance of a starter. 7005 aluminum body with carbon in the fork.

Cross:
Jake (MSRP: $999.99): Jake's the running back on the football team. Rugged, dependable, and versatile. It's every girl's dream! All 7005 body and fork.

City:
AfricaBike 3 (MSRP: 449.99): The humanitarian. Sturdy and dedicated. For every two Kona sells they donate one to an African in need. 7005 body built for the harsh African climate.

Hybrid:
Dew (MSRP: $409): The nerd. Straight and narrow, efficient and straight to the point. Light weight components and aggressive geometry for a faster commute.

*sob*

This is just the first few lines we're ordering. We'll fill out selection eventually. In fact, some of these bikes won't arrive till January (I'm looking at you DEW). Others will be here for November. You're welcome!

Ridiculous!

So the end of the 2010 model year is upon us and amazingly enough the warehouse has some 2009s left in stock! We were able to pick up a select few of those bikes at ridiculous prices and we're passing the savings onto you! These are closeouts and one offs so don't expect to be finding deals like this every day. Here's the short list:

KHS Alite 1000: Red 21" or Green 21" $549.99, SAVE $260!
KHS DJ50: Yellow Small $449.99, SAVE $100!
KHS DJ24: Grey $399.99, SAVE $100!
KHS Alite 150: Red 19" or Grey 19", 349.99, Save $90!

End of the model year Clearance!

Those 2011 bikes we've all bee waiting for are beginning to arrive! That means not only that there's new eye candy in the shop, but also that the remaining 2009 MY bikes have to go! We're slashing our already reduced prices to clear these bikes out! Look for the Green slashed prices for discounts! Our bikes don't get any cheaper than this so stop in and get them while they last!

Sweetening the deal...

This weekend is going to be big! You might have noticed that we've doubled the number of new bikes and almost doubled the number of used bikes in the shop from what we had at the beginning of the month! You might not have noticed that we've also doubled our stock of accessories! To celebrate we're giving away accessories! That's right, you get a free* accessory when you buy two! That's on top of 10% off new in stock bikes for college students!


*Free accessory is lowest priced of 3 purchased. Limit one free accessory per person per visit. Tax and service costs may still apply. See an associate for details.

The Big Day!

It's been a long two months but our soft opening is almost over! With school back in session and the weather cooling off it's time for one more expansion. Starting August 21st and running through the rest of the year we will be open 5 days a week, 10-7 Wednesday-Sunday!

These expanded hours also coincide with our Back to School Sale! For the rest of August FSU, FAMU, and TCC students will receive 10% any in-stock, new bike when they show their school ID!

Sanday Sale

If you haven't seen the shop lately, you're in for a surprise! We've made a lot of new floor space and we've gotten in a lot of new bikes! The bad news is that we got so many new bikes we just don't have room for them all! To make some space we're slashing prices on older models and scratch and dent models. Try 10% off* the already discounted prices! Here are some examples:

Manhattan/KHS Green Urban Bike MSRP: $359 -> Scratch and Dent: $250 -> Sunday: $225
KHS Urban Xcape Urban Bike MSRP: $379 -> Scratch and Dent: $325 -> Sunday: $292
KHS Alite 1000 Mountain Bike MSRP: $809 -> Closeout: $600 -> Sunday: $540
KHS DJ50 Jump Bike MSRP: $549 -> Closeout: $500 -> Sunday $450

That's a savings of at least $87 each! Not bad for any given Sunday!


*Discount limited to stock on hand. Warranty coverage on damaged bikes is at the sole discretion of KHS, not Damn Good Bikes. All sales on discounted merchandise are "as is" and final. Discount does not apply to previous or future purchases beyond 8/15/10.

Making the rounds...

Some updates for yall!

First, we have new used bikes. A lot of used bikes. We got them from auction and are fixing them up as fast as we can. Why do you care about used bikes? Well because for the first time in a while we have A TON of inexpensive used bikes! We're talking the vast majority of them priced between $50 and $100! That's ontop of our larger than average stock of used road bikes ($100-$500) and premium used hybrid and mountain bikes ($100-$200)!

Second, we're picking up some new lines of bikes from our friends at KHS. The new lines will be in the form of comfort bikes, mountain bikes, and urban bikes. We already have the Green line in the store but we will also have Alite 40, Alite 300, Alite 500, TC100, Brentwood, DJ50 and a smattering of Manhattan Cruisers!

Third, if you're wondering where all the new bikes will fit, don't. After we closed the shop Sunday we began our last remodel before our Big Grand Opening!!! August 21st will be the day we open our doors as a full time bike shop! Since our soft opening we've been operating weekends only with limited staff. We took the time to talk to customers and find out exactly what they're looking for. What we learned was that a damn good bike at a damn good price was good an all but you also wanted more hours, more selection, and more services. We're happy to oblige!

New Hours: 10am-6pm Wednesday-Sunday (starting 8/21)
New Bike Lines: Alite 40, Alite 300, Alite 500, TC100, Brentwood, DJ50 and a smattering of Manhattan Cruisers
New Services: Custom frame paintings by our resident artist, free bike fittings with new bike purchase, and bike building services.

Read This

If you've ever had you bike stolen or worried about what you'd do if it were, read this!

http://www.whatever-whenever.net/blog/2010/08/justice-in-brooklyn/

Some notes on new used bikes

Just wanted to give you all a heads up on some new bikes. We now have two new road bikes (a 54cm men's and 56com women's) in the shop. We also have a Diamondback Peak (22" frame) and a specialized hybrid (18" frame) out on display. We're still working on about a 1/2 dozen bikes from last week that will be hitting the floor throught the day. Here's a partial list of what's comming:
-Cannondale RB
-Columbia Single Speed
-Raleigh Road Bike
-Next Cruiser
-Raleigh 3 speed cruiser
-Unknown 3 speed cruiser

Making it easy...

Q: So let's say you run a bike shop and you've got all these bikes to sell. Let's also say that you've got even more product coming in this week and are beginning to run out of floor space. How do you solve this problem?

A: Give shit away!

Yep, Damn Good Bikes is giving away $50 of merchandise for every bike $399.99 and up purchased. That $50 could mean alot of awesome things...

-5 Damn Good Shirts
-A jersey and pair of riding shorts
-About a dozen water bottles
-A new set of pedals and some riding gloves
-A helmet and a bike pump
-A bike rack to transport your new bike
-Something else so awesome my mind can't comprehend it!

Oh, and there will be some new merch in the shop too...
We're getting some new bike pumps, tires, gloves and other stuff to make riding more fun!

Also, if you're wondering where the new "Product" is coming from? Well we've become an authorized dealer for Torker! What does that mean? Well, it means we will be carrying Torker's full line of hybrid and city bikes! Why is this special? Well, mostly because Torker makes the U-District single speed/fixie road bike! The U-District is a value bike of the highest quality. I dare say it's a Damn Good Bike!

More new stuff...

If you haven't recognized the theme of these posts yet, well, shame on you! Here's another of the ubiquitous posts about what we got form the Santa in a brown suit (read: UPS Guy).

-Crankbrothers EggBeater 1 MTB pedals
-Crankbrothers single sided MTB pedals
-Powerstrap pedals
-Frame pumps (you're welcome Bryan!)

On a different note, the shop will be closed this Sunday 7/25 so that we can do things that normal people do for once! Damn Good Bikes will be open normal hours otherwise.

Also, I just want to remind everyone that we'll be having our Beginning Biking class on July 31st at 7:30pm. The class is free for anyone who purchased a new bike from us and $10 for the general public.