proteus bicycles shop blog

Sunday Feb 5th, Bike ride

2012-02-02T18:33:00.001-05:00

We’ll be welcoming the month of Febraury with a fun ride from the shop to the Patuxent Wildlife Visitor Center and back.

It’ll be a 22 mile paved loop through the Beltsville Ag Research Center. Relatively flat, with hills that are generally gradual or short. Shoulder riding on Edmonston Road and Powder Mill Road. Restrooms at Patuxent visitors center.

All abilities welcome, no-one will be left behind. Helmets required!!

We’ll leave the shop at 1PM, Sunday.

Hot Chocolate, tea and pre/post ride snacks at the shop.

Links to map and video of last ride.

Check this out! Pretty amazing.

2011-11-24T18:27:00.001-05:00

A Meeting Not To Miss

2011-11-12T13:55:00.001-05:00

Do you bike the USDA Campus in Beltsville? If so, you need to know about
and fight the proposed CSX Baltimore-Washington Rail Intermodal Facility!

Don't let your eyes glaze over that long name--it spells bad news for your
favorite local biking route.

The rail intermodal facility will be a 70 acre industrial site where trains
and trucks exchange large cargo containers of goods being shipped all over
the country. The state of Maryland needs to build a new one somewhere south
of Baltimore's Howard Street Tunnel to be a part of a new transport system
using "double-stack" train cars (These can carry cargo stacked higher than
normal trains we are familiar with--which is more efficient, and hooray for
that, but Beltsville is NOT the place for such a facility!)

The State is considering four possible locations for this new facility, and
one of them is in Beltsville, bounded by Sunnyside Avenue on the South,
Edmonston/Kenilworth Avenue (201) on the East, Powder Mill Road on the
North, and the CSX rail line to the West. Local cyclists will recognize this
as immediately adjacent to the USDA campus, a popular local biking area.

Construction of the intermodal facility will have the following impact on
the area:
A variance would be obtained to destroy wetlands and forested flood plains
currently designated at permanent open space by law.
Six private homes on the property would be displaced, and quality of life
for another 140 or so homes within a quarter mile would be impacted by
noise, light, pollution, and vibration.
Local roads--already at or near capacity--would see about 350 truck trips a
day directly related to the facility. (Do you want to bike with THAT?)

All three of the other sites being considered are closer to the port of
Baltimore and already designated as industrial sites. CSX claims that the
facility will bring jobs to the area, but studies show that such facilities
generally bring only 35 jobs to any area where they are established. The
quality-of-life price for those 35 jobs is simply too high. Other
development projects (such as the proposed Konterra town center for the
Laurel area, which the intermodal facility may endanger) will provide much
more bang for the buck in terms of jobs.

Selecting the Beltsville site does not make sense for a myriad of reasons,
and we must make sure the people in charge understand this!

To learn more about the intermodal facility project, check here:
http://www.mdot.maryland.gov/Planning/ICTF/Home.html

To learn about some of the community efforts to fight it, check here:
http://www.bikebeltsville.org/blog/639458-no-beltsville-intermodal-get-conne
cted-to-this-community-movement/

The Maryland Department of Transportation will be holding several
information workshops in November. The workshop for the Beltsville area will
be:

Monday November 21, 2011
7 PM to 9 PM
Beltsville Acadamy
4300 Wicomico Avenue
Beltsville MD 20705

Show up, learn more, and connect with others in your community to fight
this!

Constantia Rioux

Kids Bikes Have Arrived

2010-05-07T14:55:00.002-04:00

More kid's bikes have just arrived. They are all built and on the floor. Come check them out.

New Developments

2010-04-01T11:42:00.000-04:00

Great news!!

Google just bought our shop. The new name will be

*invite a friend

Something to Think About

2009-12-11T13:35:00.003-05:00

Forgive me. I just can't stay quiet on this issue. I can understand if you want to skip this posting. On the way to work this morning I heard a report on consumers having a stand-off with retailers on the level of discounts expected. Consumers are refusing to buy items until a 50% if not 70% discount is offered. Honestly, I am speechless and saddened. Proteus is doing fine, this is not about our bike shop. This about how I value my fellow man and planet. This about our obsession for "something for nothing" about turning a blind eye to what is ultimately exploitation and degradation. This happens on all levels: global (China vs USA) and local (WalMart vs mom and pop store). Rather than hearing my thoughts you should consider this:

The Author Speaks

Why a Low Price Isn’t Always a Good Deal

Interview With Ellen Ruppel Shell, author of Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture

By: Krista Walton | Source: AARP Bulletin Today | July 9, 2009

“All you can eat!” “Buy one, get one free!” “Thirty percent off everything in stock!” “Forty-eight-hour sale!”

Shop. Shop. Shop. Americans march to sales pitches. Many of those scurrying to be first in line don’t question whether they’re getting a good deal. And if they are getting a good deal, at what cost to others does it come?

Ellen Ruppel Shell is a self-described cheapskate. But one purchase—three pairs of tube socks for $5—made her begin investigating how anything could sell at such an incredibly low price. The result is her new book, Cheap: The High Cost of Discount Culture [read an excerpt from Cheap]. Shell, a correspondent for The Atlantic and author of The Hungry Gene, not only uncovered dire consequences for consumers and workers in this country and around the world but also adopted a whole new approach in her own shopping. To start with, she now buys free-range organic eggs.

Shell spoke with AARP Bulletin Today about why $5 for tube socks isn’t such a great deal after all.

Q. What’s more important to a shopper—price or product?

A. Price is the biggest trigger, not the product itself. That’s what is really remarkable: We love the deal, we cherish the deal, we go for the deal, and often we care much less about the purchase itself. Studies have shown that there are actual psychological changes in our brain when we buy something. We get the biggest jolt from making the actual deal, and often when we bring that product home, we’re much less happy either with it or with the ownership of it.

Q. How did the price of tube socks make you question the high cost of discount culture?

A. I was buying tube socks for my kids at a discount store, and it just freaked me out that I could get three pairs of tube socks from China for $5. What does it mean when making fibers, producing socks with them, shipping the socks all the way from China, and then putting them out on the store floor—where the store space costs money and the employees checking you out at the register need to be paid—adds up to $5 for three pairs? How could these prices be so very, very low?

Q. Isn’t cheap good?

A. Well, no one wants to pay more money. I mean, I’m the biggest cheapskate that walked the earth. When I say that I adore getting free parking, I mean it! But I realized I was making a mistake by cruising for half an hour to find free parking. I was wasting gas and wasting my time. We really devalue our time. Marketers count on the fact that we’ll devalue our time.

Consider how long you spend driving to a discount store—which in the case of places like IKEA is an average of 50 miles. And then add the time you might spend assembling what you bought. And the fact that you got something that you probably won’t be able to pass down to anyone. All of that should be added to the cost of your purchase.

Q. Do really low prices come with social consequences?

A. Absolutely. I went to China twice while writing this book, and the conditions for workers there are not ideal, to say the least. I visited Taizhou, an hour’s flight from Shanghai, where thanks to low-cost production the air quality was so bad my eyes stung the minute I got off the plane. My guide, a high school teacher, showed me polluted ponds where frogs, mutated by the toxic metals and chemicals pouring into the water, had only one leg. In those same ponds, women washed clothes and kids played. Those kids also worked dismantling high-tech devices shipped in from the United States, Japan and elsewhere—computers, cell phones, et cetera—which they “mined” for metal. One way to do this was to use an acid bath to leach out the gold from, say, a pile of cell phones, resulting in extremely toxic fumes.

Q. What do American companies do about it?

A. While I was in Shanghai, I tried to get in touch with the American Chamber of Commerce [AmCham] to discuss their view on workers' rights. They declined to get back to me, but AmCham—which represents Nike, Intel, Microsoft and Wal-Mart, among many other companies—lobbied assiduously against regulations that would enforce worker protections. For example, one regulation would guarantee workers a binding agreement to ensure timely payment at a minimum rate. AmCham threatened to curtail investment and lay off workers in China if reforms were instated.

Q. Has discount culture contributed to the current economic crisis in this country?

A. Well, we live in a culture that insists that we can have it our way immediately, at all times, whatever it is we want. This culture encourages consumption, and low prices have made everything seem within our reach. That perception got us deeply in debt. Over 60 percent of us own houses, and we used them as piggy banks, taking out loans based on the value of our house or the projected value, all fueled by the idea that we needed objects and we could buy them cheaply if we just had a little more money.

Q. Was income increasing to finance greater consumption or repay new loans?

A. By 2008, the inflation-adjusted median family income had dropped by almost $1,200 from the 1970s. At the same time, spending increased by over $4,600, while corporate profits doubled. How is it possible that our inflation-adjusted incomes are going down, but we’re spending more and corporate profits are doubling?

Q. What’s the answer?

A. Part of that is that while consumer goods got cheaper, we were neglecting our wages and benefits. I can’t really emphasize that enough. What helped keep those wages and benefits low without us revolting and protesting was the decline in prices of consumer goods. We could get T-shirts for really cheap, so it seemed like everything was OK, when in actuality the price of many of the things we must buy, like education and health care, soared. We have these very enormous and growing costs on big purchases, and we’ve kind of been distracted by the low costs of small purchases.

Q. But isn’t high-quality stuff often priced beyond the reach of most people?

A. There’s this false dichotomy between quality and price, the idea being that you have to pay a very high price for quality. That wasn’t the case 30 years ago. You weren’t necessarily looking for the lowest price, but you’d get quality for a reasonable price, and you’d also get reasonable service at many places. Once, you could go to a mid-priced store and be served by knowledgeable sales people. You would stand in the dressing room and they’d bring you stuff, and they’d tell you what they thought—whether you liked it or not!

Q. Is that impossible today?

A. We could demand that kind of service for a moderate price, but we’ve been trained to assume that that level of service has to come with a high price. Our expectations have been lowered. Brent Hull, a Texas-based architectural designer [quoted] in the book, said to me, “We don’t think we deserve quality anymore. We think that’s only for rich people.” There’s some truth to that.

Q. How can we be smarter shoppers?

A. Well, my book isn’t a consumer’s guide, but I can tell you how writing it helped me. I completely changed the way I shop. I try to think first about what it is I want in a product, whether it’s a sweater or a chicken or a bicycle. What is it that I value? What do I want? Do I want this thing to last? Do I care? Am I thinking in terms of the environment when I buy this thing? Sometimes I am and sometimes I’m not. I’m not perfect.

I try to think about all those things before I look at the price. Then if I look at the price and it’s more than I want to spend, I rethink the purchase. Do I really need this thing? If I can’t buy something that’s of quality, maybe I should wait until I’ve saved enough to buy it.

Now, for example, when I buy eggs, I buy the free-range organic eggs. They are more expensive than the regular eggs, but only by a little, and for some people that would be a deal breaker. For me, I can afford it.

Q. What kinds of things should we be buying?

A. I would like people to challenge their assumptions about what gives them value in life. What gives them a kick? What do they really enjoy? And what do they think it is worth to them? People should also think about whether they’re being taken advantage of by this system. Are they getting what they want in terms of their benefits and pay? Are they feeding into the sweatshop mentality? If people were really informed about the personal consequences and the consequences for the world community because of these extremely low prices, they may think twice.

Here is another interesting article to read:

Why Big Shopping Bargains Are Bad News For America

http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20091128/us_time/08599194325200

Like I always say "it's not just about what people deserve, but about what kind of person I want to be." I want to buy local and pay honest and ethical prices.

Jill

Cranksgiving Sale Nov. 27-29 9am-9pm

2009-11-17T13:36:00.013-05:00

Don't miss our 3rd annual Cranksgiving Sale Friday Nov. 27th to Sunday Nov. 29th. Special Sale hours are 9am-9pm. Some killer 2008 bikes: Pistas, Kapu's, Onix SL's, Sutra's, X-City's, Blasts, to name a few. We have great stock in 2009 and lots of brand new 2010 bikes as well. This is a once in a year event.

2008 BIKES 50% OFF
2009 BIKES 20% OFF
2010 BIKES 10% OFF
30-50% OFF TONS OF GEAR AND APPAREL

We Are Now Open Mondays

2009-10-28T16:38:00.002-04:00

Starting November, Proteus will be open Mondays! Our hours are:

Monday 10am - 7pm
Tuesday 10am - 7pm
Wednesday 10am - 7pm
Thursday 10am - 9pm
Friday 10am - 7pm
Saturday 10am - 6pm
Sunday 12noon - 6pm

A Don't Miss Clinic Nov. 12th 7pm

2009-10-22T11:10:00.001-04:00

What’s In Your Bag? That Is Your Saddle Bag!

November 12, 2009 7pm

Take some time out to learn about tire/tube maintenance and repair. This hands-on session will cover flat prevention, tire/tube changing, and various equipment needed to handle the job. Please be assured, we will spend the evening getting lost in the joys of riding and not getting lost in bike parts & pieces. Limited to 25 attendees. Cost: $5 will all proceeds going to the Maryland Food Bank. Proteus Bikes, 301.441.2928 www.proteusbicycles.com, 9217Baltimore Blvd. College Park, MD. Light refreshments served. RSVP by November 5 to Johanna Nathanson [myjnat@hotmail.com] 202/210-8599

Mucho!

2009-10-15T10:05:00.000-04:00

1. diario sera de EM. Comparar Borges y Marquez
2. Poemas. TIene que escoger poema para la tarea opcional antes de jueves
3. Subjuntivo (probablement habra prueba del subjuntivo muy pronto)
4. Tarea para martes. EM p. 123-125 act A y B

Come Meet Kona VIP!

2009-10-14T13:47:00.002-04:00

Angi Weston from Kona USA is coming to our potluck, Thursday 7-9pm October 29th. Come join us for food, drink and cheer. This is your chance to talk with the inside folks of a world-wide bicycle manufacturer. Check out Kona's webpage: "www.konaworld.com". We're super excited! It's going to be a fun evening. I look forward to seeing everyone.

Jill

A Must Watch

2009-08-28T22:01:00.000-04:00

Just watched a very interesting Bill Moyers Journal special: Money Driven Medicine. Very worth the view! : http://www.pbs.org/moyers/journal/08282009/profile.html

snickers is enjoying the last days of summer

2009-08-28T11:51:00.002-04:00

End of an Era - Ted Kennedy - You Will Be Missed

2009-08-26T10:06:00.003-04:00

I must admit there is a lump in my throat with the death of Ted Kennedy. It is the end of an era that I feel still too young to experience. I'll never forget that day in 1963 (I was 4 years old) when my sister and brothers were sent home mid day from school and watching my mother cry inconsolably with news of President Kennedy's death. Everyone was in shock. I remember the day my mother took my brothers to see Bobbie Kennedy campaigning in Cortland, NY for senator and when my sister came home from college that summer with stacks of Kennedy campaign posters and pins. Bobbie's death was at a time of genuine crisis with the nation at trauma with civil rights. Ted Kennedy stepped in as the remaining Kennedy symbol and truly extended the Kennedy legacy in the US Senate. I pray that others will rise to the Kennedy passion for service.

Jill

Check Out News From across the Pond

2009-07-10T10:19:00.001-04:00

My sister sent me this link about the demand for bicycles in London. It's really interesting. I wonder if the demand will grow here in the US?

http://londonist.com/2009/07/get_a_bike_while_you_still_can.php

JIll

Pedaling Revolution

2009-06-05T14:51:00.004-04:00

Where would I be without Guy LaValle emails! Here is another link he sent me about a really interesting book. We will order the book and have it available for lending at the shop! Have to stay true to print media. Let's support bicycles and the printing presses!

http://www.treehugger.com/files/2009/06/bike-book-heads-for-best-seller-list.php

Jill

All 2008 Bikes are now 20% off!!!

2009-06-04T15:37:00.003-04:00

Hey everyone!

We still have a good amount of 2008 bikes in the shop. They are now all 20% off, so come on in and check out some of the cool deals!

Why Matthew Bodine Loves His Bicycle

2009-05-27T13:41:00.003-04:00

Very interesting post:

Jill

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/matthew-modine/cars-are-like-cigarettes_b_207894.html

Jill's New Bike

2009-05-04T14:01:00.006-04:00

My New Bike!

I just received my beautiful custom bike from Stephen Bilenky of Philadelpia! It's without question the nicest bike I have ever ridden. I wanted a 1 x 9 geared bike that I could ride in upstate Ithaca, NY. Disk brakes for all weather, drop bars for comfort, fenders, 650b wheels, front and rear rack capacity and S&S coupling for travel. It's my idea of the perfect bike for the lifestyle I lead. Aside from the features I wanted, the workmanship is the best I have ever seen. Rene Herse would be jealous. In addition, Stephen built much of the bike out of original lugs and tubesets from old Proteus stock ... materials left over from their heyday of frame building. The bike is the culmination of amazing talent, friendship and respect. Many friends and Stephen himself all contributed to make this happen for me. In Stephen's words this build was called the "Proteus Group Hug."

This weekend was my first real ride. Friends and I joined in on the Kinetic Art Sculpture Race. The bike is the best fitting bike I have ever had. Just hopping on and going, the bike felt already dialed in. I rode all day perfectly balanced and relaxed. I could have ridden on and on all day. As someone who specializes in pro-fitting bikes, I couldn't believe how amazing this bike felt right out of Bilenky's shop.

I own a bike shop. I've seen some of the best of past and present bikes. Bikes mean the world to me. The love, talent, and quality of the bike Bilenky built has by far shadowed everything I have ever seen and ridden. This is one of those rare moments of speechlessness. Thank you everyone for making this possible.

Jill

what goes on in our top secret internal proteus e-mails.

2009-04-28T10:14:00.002-04:00

We always end up sending people links back and forth through e-mail but then forget that we have a shop blog. Here's an article that Jill just sent us, worth a read.

Energy boss Steven Chu misses his bike

opening late today

2009-01-28T09:54:00.001-05:00

11AM

because of snow and ice stuff!

Hot Chocolate and Cookies Dec 24th 10-5

2008-12-19T16:29:00.002-05:00

Come join us Wednesday, December 24th for hot chocolate and cookies. We'll have wrapping paper available, too, for any last minute gifting. Be sure to check out some of the awesome gift items we have. Fun Reflectors for $5, every design of sock you can imagine for around $10 a pair, bicycle repair manuals for $33, O2 rain jackets for $32, wool beanies $15-$30, etc.....

Please note that we will be closing at 5pm Dec. 24th.

LEFTOVERS!!!!

2008-12-12T12:13:00.001-05:00

so we have some leftover from the big sale.

2008 bikes are now 10%
but we still have some slammin' deals on 2007 bikes. THe following bikes are 50% off their old MSRP (which is even lower than the 2009 MSRP)

Bianchi Virata 49cm was $2299 now $1149.50
Kona Kula 29er 20" was $2299 now $1149.50
Jamis Dakota Elite 19" was $1650 now $825
Felt F75 56cm was $1399 now $699.50
Jamis Exile SS 29er 15" was $1000 now $500
Kona Dew Deluxe 49cm was $599 now $299.50

Kids bikes are 10% off for Cranksgiving Sale

2008-11-26T12:59:00.002-05:00

All kids bikes are 10% off regardless of model year.

some other crazy deals @ the sale this weekend NOV 28-30.

2008-11-24T22:52:00.004-05:00

so. the 50% off bikes have been getting a lot of attention, but it seems worth it to point out what a deal the 20% off bikes are. It's an unfortunate fact that bike prices from 2008 to 2009 have made a jump across the boards. So the difference between the old and new is pretty significant. I was never good at math in school, but let's do some anyway.

2008 Jamis Nova Pro = $1100. 20% off = 880. 2009 Jamis nova pro = $1575 (regular price). So you save almost 50% of the 2009 MSRP. (there are a couple upgrades on the nova pro this year also, but you get the idea)

let's do another one.
Kona Major Jake (yeah, we have one). $2000 normally. 2008 sale price would be $1600. 2009 regular price is $2200, so you're saving $600.

one more?
OK.

Bianchi VOlpe. 2008 price = $1000. 20% off is $800. 2009 Normal Price = $1100.
So you save $300.

Oh, I said I would let the cat out of the bag for some of the 50% off bikes. A few are mentioned in the comments for the last entry, but here's a few more:

Somebody's going to get a Felt F85 Road bike with 105 and Ultegra for $525.

Some lucky devil will get a Jamis Dakota Elite MTB for $825

Felt F75 for $700
FULL CARBON Jamis XENITH PRO: $1550
Bianchi Castro Valley for $425 with a front Dynamo Generator Hub!

and more. hope to see you this weekend.

3rd ANNUAL CRANKSGIVING SALE

2008-11-21T14:50:00.003-05:00

check here later for updates on what kind of crazy bikes are going to be on sale. ok. maybe not crazy bikes. but on crazy sale.

Don't forget to vote and election day discount/party

2008-11-02T13:21:00.004-05:00

WOW! Election day is almost here! Tuesday, Nov. 4th. I'm going to go vote as soon as possible. I hope everyone else is going to vote, too. Each and every person's vote truly matters. If anyone needs help getting to the polls please call us. We'll free up staff to drive you. Let us know how we can help. We live in this nation and we need to participate in it's governing.

Let's celebrate this historic day. Hope everyone wears their "I Voted" sticker. Feel free Tuesday to ask for 10% off on any one item in the shop.

We are also having an election returns party at the shop. We'll provide food and beverages as we watch the returns. Come join us.

RIDE OF THE LIVING DEAD 4! a proteus halloween ride/party

2008-10-23T10:52:00.001-04:00

It’s that time again, the Proteus Halloween Ride / Party is upon us. The past few years we have had slow casual rides on a weekend morning, but this year we’re going to turn up the spooky (but keep the ride casual). At 7PM Thursday Oct. 30th we will meet @ the shop. At 7:30 sharp (no stragglers!) we will roll out for a casual, slow, fun night time ride along the local trail system. There will be some on-road riding, but most will be on trails. Dress warmly because it will probably be a little chilly. Bring a light if you have one, if you don’t it’s OK. Along the way, we are going to stop briefly, turn out most of the lights and enjoy some “spooky live music.” Then we turn around and hightail it back to the shop (probably arriving around 8:30 or a little later?) for some snacks, food and drinks.

New gift cards and a tip for squeezing in more ride time

2008-10-12T23:11:00.004-04:00

Last year's gift cards are all gone. Instead of gift cards, they were framed 3-color linoleum reduction prints. We kinda like that idea so we are trying it again. This time, the gift cards are gocco riso prints of a front dropout, hub, axle, and spokes. 36 were made. Hopefully people like them. Here's a picture.

They should be available @ the shop by Thursday.

Fortunately, we all have lives outside of cycling. No matter how obsessed we may seem when talking to people who don't get it, we all still have other things going on in our lives. Sometimes the trivial things in our lives get in the way of riding bicycles, but hopefully riding bicycles never gets in the way of the important things.

I'm a fairly busy guy and I have a hard time squeezing in as much time on the saddle as I'd like. Today, I think I had a good idea. My wife and I had a number of errands to do and one of them involved going to IKEA and buying a set of shelves. The IKEA is about 12 miles from my house. Instead of trying to cram in a ride before we left, I decided to meet her there. I got on google maps, got what seemed to be a decent route, took off and she met me there. It took her about 30 minutes, it took me about an hour. She waited a bit before she left and everything worked out perfectly timewise.

Now, I realize I'm not the first guy to think of this. I'm sure I read this tip someplace else, but what's important is that I'm passing it on. So maybe give it a try, I definitely think that I'll try to do this more often.

NEW BIKES

2008-10-10T15:06:00.002-04:00

We got a lot of 2009 bikes in recently. Please come in and check out.

For the mountain bikers (or future mountain bikers)
THe Jamis Durango - entry level MTB.

For the around towners and fitness riders
bianchi iseo
jamis coda sport
kona smoke

for the fast commuters or cyclocrossers:
the kona honky tonk (DOWNTUBE SHIFTER STEEL ROAD BIKE UNDER $900!!!)
kona jake and jake the snake

we have more in the back waiting to be built! come by.

More Customers and their bikes!!!

2008-10-10T10:41:00.002-04:00

I've been slacking a bit. These pictures were taken a while ago.
Here's John and his new Felt Mountain Bike.

and here's a picture that Charlotte sent us of her trip to Washington State with her Felt Road bike.

Please feel free to send us pictures of yourself riding your bike. If you do, I will do my best to try and get it up here!

a little bit later, there will be an update on some great 2008 bikes we got in.

Las Vegas CX

2008-10-01T10:17:00.003-04:00

if anyone wants to be bored with the details of the CX Vegas race. hop on over to the proteus cyclocross page. (look up and to the right for the link). Here's a picture jill took of me with her phone.

training wheels? we don't need no stinking training wheels!

2008-09-26T18:30:00.002-04:00

so, this has been a long time coming but proteus is now a dealer for like a bike! like a bike is a bike for children that takes a different approach to learning to ride a bike. I know a budding young cyclist named Holden (who is now 4 years old). He began riding a like a bike at age 2. There are no pedals or training wheels, it works just like a very old velocipede. There are a number of cool things about them. As they improve, they can go faster and faster and when they transition to a real bicycle, they will not need training wheels. I'm REALLY excited to be selling these because I think they are great.

We will be selling the likeabike aluminum version as well.
Oh, and about a week ago, a friend of mine (HOlden's father) called me to tell me that Holden just rode down 3 stairs in the park on his 16" wheel bike. We may be looking at a future Kona CLUMP team member.

INTERBIKE

2008-09-26T17:43:00.001-04:00

presently Jill and Yo are still in Vegas. I am sitting in the Houston airport for 4 HOURS! figured I might as well provide people with an interbike update:

There's a lot to swallow so I'll spread it out over a few days.
Tuesday Morning: Outdoor Demo.
I entered with a fairly comprehensive list of bikes that we want to sell in the shop and I wanted to evaluate them to see if they are something we might carry or not. I soon discovered that the companies didn’t bring those bikes with them. I immediately switched gears and started riding fun bikes. I was able to check out:
from surly: the pugsley, the karate monkey, the big dummy.
from kona: the hei hei, and something else but I don’t remember
from Jamis: the XAM1, the super nova
from Van Dessel – gin and trombones
and a few more, but I don’t remember them all

they had the following areas set up:
a road loop with a long gradual descent, a flat and a long gradual climb.
a really cool BMX/pump track type deal (I rode this a few times on the mountain bikes, even the pugsley).
good mountain biking with narrow sandy singletrack. Riding in the desert felt very strange to me.
and THE MOST HORRIBLE CYCLOCROSS COURSE EVER.

the last part is particularly relevant because I got a chance to go to a cross clinic with National Champion Tim Johnson. we rode through the demo cross course and then decided to ride down the hill to a big flat hardpack dirt area instead. we made hurdles out of really old discarded mountain bike tubes that were sitting on the ground. The clinic was good, I am already very aware of all my mistakes, but I learned some new strategies for trying to fix them. I made plans to try out my “new skills” at Cross Vegas.

A couple of the more interesting moments of the clinic:
-He is an advocate of pushing the bike on some hills.
-Doesn’t really bother with the step-thru dismount
-does ZERO running training. he actually said “I walk my dog. That’s my cross training.”

later, some info on the show and a write up of the CROSS VEGAS RACE.

flat tires. patches. sneaky tricks!

2008-09-06T09:09:00.003-04:00

Sometimes you'll go miles and miles without getting a flat; riding at low pressure, riding over glass, sometimes people are just lucky. I'm that way, but sometimes the pendulum swings in the other direction.

In the space of about 2 months I got more flats that I could shake a stick at. I try to ride with a spare tube with me on longer rides. But if I'm in the city I get lazy and just hop out the door. A few times without a patch or a tube or a pump. Here's my new trick: Get a park "SUPERPATCH" (which is basically a sticker) and some electrical tape or masking tape. Tape a patch to your frame. Now you'll always have one.

Now here's the thing about patches: The "Industry line" is that they are just supposed to get you home until you can replace the tube. A new tube is more reliable than a patched tube. That's why we don't patch tubes, we replace them.

BUT, because I became a flat magnet lately, I have taken to patching my old tubes and keeping them as spares. The superpatches have always leaked on me over time, but they definitely hold the air enough to get home. I've used the other patch kits (with the patches, rubber and sandpaper) and patched tires and ridden miles and miles on them. So the next time you change a flat, maybe keep that tire and patch it, just in case.

2 more tricks!
1. Jill taught me this one. If you get a big hole in your TIRE not your innertube and you still need to get home, take a dollar bill, fold it in half and use it as a boot for the hole in your tire. I had to try this a few weeks ago and it worked!

2. save the washers from your old presta tubes (the threaded ones), they can be used for all sorts of monkeying around on your bike purposes.

cyclocross again!!!!!

2008-09-05T15:00:00.003-04:00

Well, bikes not racing.

THE 2009 KONA'S ARE IN!!!! Not all of them, but the cross bikes! Come get a look @ the new hotness.

We have Jakes, and Jake the snakes!

cyclocross blog -->

2008-09-05T14:53:00.002-04:00

don't forget to check the proteus cyclocross blog. a few other team members have been added as authors so get ready for some reports from other people (old and new). link is up and to the right.

another cool customer and her cool bike!

2008-09-02T21:32:00.002-04:00

Here's Mary and her Kona Dew. Mary is very serious about energy conservation. She's riding a lot more often than she is driving and she is into SOLAR POWERED COOKING! I don't know that much about that, but I think it sounds pretty cool.

so far for the "customers" and their bikes, we seem to have more ladies than guys so if you're a guy and you want get your picture taken, just let us know and we will hook it up!

New Louis Garneau Stuff

2008-08-26T11:30:00.001-04:00

It's not out yet, but we had a chance to see some of the Louis Garneau 2009 apparel and we're pretty stoked on it. It really seems like they hit the nail on the head this year. Anyone who has a pair of the high end LG shorts knows how comfy they are. We have been on a quest for really nice cycling attire that you can wear on and off the bike.

Here's some of the New LG Stuff modeled by US!. Also if you get a chance let us know what you think between the black plaid shorts and the brownish knickers. We might not carry both, but we are definitely going to carry one of them and customer input would be really nice. Keep in mind that the black shorts will be a lot shorter on most people, but I have extremely short legs so they look like knickers on me (the knickers we basically pants when I tried them on).

Here's a really cool bag, that is also a pannier!

the shorts. I'm not sure if you can see, but the pockets are closer to the center vs. the side.

the knickers and the shorts both have a removeable liner

katie, rocking one of the new jerseys!

so let us know. there is also a really cool riding skirt made with the same plaid as the black shorts (also with removeable liner) but the picture didn't come out.

Kona continues to be a "fun" company.

2008-08-22T13:31:00.001-04:00

if you're sitting at a desk looking for something to read while you kill time eating your lunch. check out the Kona On-Line Magazine. I really like the article about Eric Tonkin.

1st cx practice of the year!

2008-08-22T10:35:00.001-04:00

starting last night, there will be a weekly cyclocross practice on the Univ of MD campus. Thursday nights. For now, they start at 6:30 and will run probably until 8. if you can't get there by 6:30, just wait in front of the steps of the comcast center and we will roll by soon enough.

Last night was a very low-key ride.

Both Bens were there, along with Hillary, Dale, Jen and Ryan from the Bike rack. we rode quite a few warm up laps and then maybe 4 total at pace. I broke out the helmet cam last night so check it out if you want.

speaking of Carbon Fiber...

2008-08-18T11:02:00.001-04:00

It's not just for bikes anymore. We have some really cool jerseys by Louis Garneau that actually have carbon fiber threads in them.

WHAT!?! Jim, that's crazy talk. Why on earth would you put carbon fiber threads in a jersey?

well the LG carbon Ion Jerseys are:

extremely light. very breathable. very durable (a lot of ultra lightweight jerseys are on the delicate side of things)

so come check them out if you are still suffering through the summer heat and humidity.

I love the smell of carbon fiber in the morning.

2008-08-18T10:56:00.000-04:00

we recently sold some really great bikes to some even greater people. check them out!

Here's Melanie with her brand new Orbea DIVA!

And Here's Karen with her brand new Jamis Xenith Comp Femme!

2008-08-12T19:53:00.001-04:00

Please adopt me

My name is Sadie and I live next door to Jill in Baltimore. I am looking for a good home, if you would like to adopt me, please call the shop @ 301-441-2928 or e-mail jill (AT) proteusbicycles.com
I have already been treated for fleas and I am SUPER DUPER SWEET.

CARS!?!?! who needs a car?

2008-08-08T16:17:00.000-04:00

We have been getting a lot of calls lately about Xtracycles. we are an xtracycle dealer, but they are sold out across the country. Surly came out with a cargo bike frame called the big dummy that works with the xtracycle. They sold out almost immediately also.

Another cargo bike that hasn't been on as many people's radar is the Kona UTE. it's rad. we love it. apparently our customers love it too. We sold 2 in a week. This made me a little bummed because now I can't ride it to the store for lunch. But at the same time, I'm super stoked that people are riding such a cool bike. So stoked that I took their pictures with their new cool bikes!

Here's Wendy. She's really tall and the Ute only comes in one size, but we were able to make it work

THis is Lee and his Ute. we swapped the bars for some risers, threw on some bar ends, and extended his stem and he's ready to roll too!

not just for fun!

2008-07-29T08:40:00.000-04:00

as gas prices rise, people are beginning to talk more and more about using their bikes as transportation and not just recreation. all of us @ proteus ride when we can, but none of us live totally car-free. It's really easy to come up with an excuse to drive: I have to bring something heavy home, it's raining, that road is not very good/safe/smooth etc.

I have been trying really hard lately to not let those excuses get to me and it has been really nice. A simple thing that has made a big difference is playing around with baskets and racks!

front basket: I have a really simple one that goes on and off and hangs from the bars and it has become one of my favorite bike accesories, It's really nice to ride around, haul stuff, AND not have a sweaty back from a bag.

Rear rack, a simple easy way to make your bike much more utilitarian. I have a large wire basket that I zip-tied to the rack and I was able to ride to an outdoor movie with food, locks, a blanket, and 2 folding chairs. the weight always seems weird for the first minute but then you totally adjust, I've found that larger loads feel better once you get going. One of the many items that I drool over in the shop is a quick release basket for rear racks. It looks really classy and goes on and off in seconds.

now, anyone who knows me, knows that I have a bicycle acquisition problem. I have had plans to add an xtracycle attachment to one of my bikes for a few months, but Xtracyle has been sold out for the year for some time. Just in time, we received a couple Kona Ute's. These bikes are SO COOL. 8 feet long, built for cargo, handles really steady, still able to hop over curbs and small logs, room for 29'er mountain bike tires and has front disc brakes. Can you tell that I want one? unfortunately living in a small Baltimore row home with 9 bicycles and a wife who has been far more tolerant than necessary would suggest that this is probably a bad move for me. That said, I can't stop thinking about picking one up. Come give one a try, because it's COOL!

pretty long-winded entry I guess, but if you still have 10 minutes to kill, watch this segment from CBS Sunday on increased bicycle usage.

proteus bicycles @ the tour!

2008-07-24T10:16:00.000-04:00

well not really. but let me explain... every now and again, we get people coming into the shop asking if our bikes are as good as trek, cannondale, specialized and giant. I then take the time to explain that in many ways, no bike company is necessarily better or worse than any other (big box bikes excluded). The main thing those other companies have going for them is size and name recognition so the average non-cyclist still may have heard of them. Pacific Bicycles has totally taken advantage of this in buying the names of Schwinn and Mongoose and using that to sell unsafe, poorly-assembled bicycles in big-box stores.

But that's not the point of this post at all. I just wanted to let you know that 3 brands of bicycles we carry at Proteus are currently being ridden in the Tour de France.

The Garmin Chipotle Team rides Felt.

Barloworld rides Bianchi.

Euskaltel Euskadi rides Orbea.

The tour has been pretty interesting this year, and it's pretty much on in the shop non-stop. If you haven't been watching, you might want to turn it on this Saturday, it should be a pretty cool stage.

nope, it's not the latest in club wear...

2008-07-23T12:50:00.000-04:00

as the temperature climbs and the humidity rises, it seems a lot easier to skip riding because of the heat. We got this crazy gadgety type base layer in. It's basically a polyester fishnet singlet. The box says that the mesh feature creates space between you and your jersey, and that this improves air flow and cools you more. I have to admit, I was skeptical when I saw it...mainly because it looks silly and I look silly enough on my own without making it worse with wacky get ups. If you are a little more fit than I am, you can probably wear it with a little more confidence. That said, I put it on and hopped on the bike today and I could definitely feel a difference. so if you are suffering through the heat and you want to suffer a little less, maybe pick one up and give it a try. and then you'll have something cool to wear when you head out to the clubs on the weekends (just wash it after you ride in it :)

-jim

Versatility

2008-07-03T19:34:00.000-04:00

I get really excited when someone brings a bike in and has it modified to do something that it is totally capable of doing (and doing well) but it's not the "normal" use of the bike.

I haven't seen it, but I know that one of our customers named Meghan has a Jamis Coda Sport but she has fat tires on it and does light mountain biking with it.

You can also ride a cyclocross bike on singletrack. Here's Josh riding a log pile last winter. Admittedly, Josh is a much better rider than I am, I wouldn't try this myself.

The Jamis Nova Pro is a really cool bike. I raced it through most of last year's cyclocross season. We recently sold one to a woman named Candace who will be using it as a fast and light touring bicycle. She's got some slicks on it, and we found out that using a monostay adapter, we can set it up with a rear rack even though it has carbon seatstays. Cool! Here's some pictures.

are you doing something cool with your bike? Drop us a line and let us know, send a picture if you have one.

jim (AT) proteusbicycles.com

OK! Here come the updates

2008-06-23T15:47:00.001-04:00

We have this blog for the shop. It never gets updated. People rarely read it because of that. So I am going to try very hard to update it more frequently, even if it is just something small.

One of the best things about working @ proteus is meeting all the cool customers. This might sound like sucking up, but a lot of really cool people come through the doors.

Chris is one of them. He used to row for the Maryland Crew Team. He races cross on the proteus cross team. He's super fast, super strong, and super cool.

He is also an environmental engineer, he has been working in the Appalachian Mountains and has been doing some interesting work. He keeps a blog about it. CHeck it out :)

bakers dozen race

2008-04-22T22:12:00.001-04:00

so this weekend, many of the proteus gang (along with some folks from the racing union) tried out their first enduro mtb race. Here's some abbreviated helmet cam footage of my first lap. It doesn't look great, apparently when I am on a mountain bike I need to angle the camera up higher so it's not all pictures of the trail. But here it is for your viewing "enjoyment".

Directions to las giro de birra. Saturday! Rain or Shine!!!

2008-04-11T14:18:00.000-04:00

directions from 495:
Take 495 to 270 north take exit 4a montrose road
stay left at fork
take left at first light (Tower Oaks BLVD)
take right at first light (wotton pkwy)
left at second light (west edmonston)
got to bottom of the hill. straight at stopsign
at the end of west edmontson take a right (cabin john pkwy)
take left at stop sign and than IMIDIATE left (monroe st)
follow monroe into the park
the first parking lot onthe left is the meeting spot
you should see b ball and tennis courts

Las Giro De Birra Ride

2008-04-10T11:10:00.000-04:00

11 AM Saturday April 12th.
Dogwood Park (Monroe Street in ROckville MD) to Gordon Biersch in ROckville.

park near the basketball courts @ the north entrance.

for more info call 301-441-2928 ask for Wes.

New Standard in Bike Fitting.

2008-04-01T17:03:00.000-04:00

Welcome to the next step in fitting technology. While it's possible for a trained fit specialist to adjust a saddle to the perfect position, there is no way to guarantee your butt will stay there...Until now. Proteus Bicycles is proud to introduce the clipless saddle (patent pending.)

Used in conjuction with our cleated shorts (patent pending,) the clipless saddle keeps your rear in the perfect positon for maximum comfort and performance.

While wearing the cleated shorts (or Clhorts for short,) just rest your pelvis against the saddle and press your body downwards. To exit the clipless saddle, simply jerk your pelvis to the left or right (like the electric slide.) We opted for the Look Cleat Platform as it provided the greatest engagement between cleat and saddle. We are currently testing prototype spd/time/and crank bros Clhorts with recessed cleats for mountain biking and long touring, we expect that they will be available early 2009.

Still not convinced of the superior quality of this product? Come try it yourself. If you're not absolutely sure this is the best saddle ever made... than you can try another one.

Giro de Birra #3: Schaffer Farms & Dogfish Head Sat March 29

2008-03-21T07:24:00.000-04:00

PLEASE POST ON WEBSITE FOR GIRO DE BIRRA :

Thanks for your interest in the Giro De Birra Mountain Bike Ride at Schaffer Farms. Here is the Location of the trail, we will meet here at 11 AM. Unfortunately, you will need a car to get to the trail head, AND to the brewpub, and then to get home. However, this ride is going to be excellent, and I think that everyone will have a lot of fun. We will do a beginner loop, and depending on how people feel we will run the trail twice. This ride is cyclocross bike friendly.

This is the trailhead, use google maps to get directions to this spot.

This is the driving directions to the brewpub.

For more info, e-mail josh.nadas(AT)gmail.com

giro de birira # 1: Baltimore

2008-03-02T20:55:00.000-05:00

It was a great day of riding. Altogether, there were 9 of us. The thermometer said 50 but the wind said something else. At a few points, it was a struggle just to move forward.

I'm getting better with the helmet cam (if you happen to want one of these, we can order it for you through the shop :)

Here's the evidence, set to the sweet sounds of Caleb Stine and the Brakemen.

In case the video embedding doesn't work, you can follow this link.

The next one will start at the shop at 11 AM and will roll along the PG county trail system to Franklin's in Hyattsville.

Giro de Birra #1

2008-02-25T10:57:00.000-05:00

The Webpage doesn't want to print this info so here it is on the blog.

Giro de Birra Ride # 1 Duclaw Brewery in Baltimore MD

Starts @ 10:30 AM Cherry Hill Park, 101 Reedbird Ave, Baltimore MD

There is on street parking on Reedbird Ave. or you might be able to park at the Cherry Hill Splash Park. We will ride along the Gwynn’s falls bike path to downtown Baltimore. Where we will be riding in the city briefly and then continuing on to Fell’s Point via the Inner Harbor Bike Path. This is a ROUGH map of the route we will be taking (I couldn’t trace the Gwynn’s Falls Trail perfectly, but it’s there)

http://www.gmap-pedometer.com/?r=1652260

Bring a good lock and enough cash for refreshments. Remember not to leave anything of value in your car. The pace will be EXTREMELY relaxed. We will probably cover around 12-15 miles total. Bring a friend, maybe that friend that wants to start riding more but is intimidated by your speed.

Awesome Charity Ride Team!

2008-02-22T15:30:00.001-05:00

Hey All,
One of the coolest members of the Proteus Family is a young lady named Constantia. She's done the MS150 ride a number of times in a very unorthodox manner (once she did it on an old English 3 speed!). She is part of a team that takes the fight against MS pretty seriously but manages to have a lot of fun while doing it. Please take a second to click the link below and make a donation to Team Greykell .

Here are a few words from Constantia herself:

The MS Fundraising Ride will be on June 7th & 8th this year, operating out of Salisbury University on Maryland's Eastern Shore. 30, 62, and 100 mile routes are offered, all fully supported. Registration is cheaper if you join a team, and Team Greykell is the team to join! We have cyclists at all skill levels and welcome more. Check us out at

http://www.nationalmssociety.org/goto/Team-Greykell

CAPTIONS!!!!! for snickers the cat!

2008-01-26T15:39:00.001-05:00

Cranksgiving Leftover Sale!!!! 50% of some awesome bikes

2007-11-29T11:20:00.000-05:00

So the sale went really well, but everyone knows about Thanksgiving leftovers. Well we're not making turkey soup, turkey tetrazini, or turkey casserole, but we DO still have some ridiculous deals on some 2006 bikes. 50% off!!!

Lisa FS (14") for $700. this bike rules. I want to buy it for myself.
F80 (49 cm, 52 cm) for $500. if you want to get a road bike and start riding, but don't want to buy a bike that you'll burn through and need to replace, get this one.
F55 (56cm) $1000. Awesome Frame and did someone say Dura Ace?
F5C (56cm) $1250. A FULL CARBON bike for that much?
Dr. Dew (49cm) $499. hydraulic dis brakes and everything!
Sutra (52) cm. $700. Fully loaded touring/commuter rig. drop bars and disc brakes....rad.
Orbea Vuelta (54 cm) 50% off a hand painted Spanish beauty.
Koga Miyata (medium) The Cadillac of Bicycles.
Kona Scrap (size sm and med) $440. This is for people who want to jump off things.

2007-11-16T15:27:00.000-05:00

2nd annual Cranksgiving Sale. Huge Deals!!!
3 DAYS ONLY. Fri Nov 23-Sun Nov 25
SPECIAL HOURS: 9AM-9PM all three days!

Huge Deals. Friendly People. and Snacks!

Thanksgiving is here, the season is winding to a close and the 2008 bikes are starting to roll in. To help make room for the new bikes we are having a big sale!

We'll have some BLOWOUT CLEARANCE BIKES 40-50% off! I don't want to give all the details but some of these bikes are being sold below our cost.

Killer road bikes from full 105 to full carbon dura ace on sale for as
little as $600 - $1250

Full Suspension XC and Freeride Mountain Bikes with Hydraulic Disc Brakes $700-$850

And More!!!!!

All 2007 Bikes are 20% off Here are just some of the awesome deals:

Kona Jake $640 (was $800)
Kona Paddywagon $519 (was 649)
Bianchi Volpe $720 (was 900_
Bianchi Nirone $800 (was 1000)
Jamis Sputnik $560 (was 700)
Jamis Exile Singlespeed 29'r $800 (was $1000)
Bianchi San Jose $480 (was $600)
Orbea Aspin $1000 (was $1250)
Orbea Vuelta $1320 (Was 1650)
Felt F1X $1159 (was 1500)

We have lots of 2008 bikes too... and they are 10% off. THESE BABIES ARE FRESH OUT OF THE BOX!!!

Get started on your 2008 Road training

Felt F-85
Orbea AQUA
Orbea ONIX

Commuting, Day to Day Riding, and Cylcocross

Kona Jake the Snake
Kona Jake
Kona AfricaBike
Kona Dew
Jamis Aurora Elite
Jamis Nova Pro
Jamis Commuter 1.0, 2.0, 3.0
Jamis Coda

2008 Mountain Bikes from Kona and Felt!!!

Select Accessories and Apparel will be heavily discounted also (up to 50% off)

Jerseys
Heart rate monitors
Select Components
and other good stuff.

Come See Us :)

It's hard for us to do things at the shop without food. So we will have Free Hot Food, Coffee, Tea, HOT CHOCOLATE, and more. Maybe you already have enough bikes and gear to last you forever. That doesn't mean we don't want to see you. Come on by, have some food and hang out for a bit. Because we're still that kind of shop. Hope to see you.

3 DAYS ONLY! Come get your dream bike and start your best journey ever.

9217 Baltimore Avenue
College Park, Maryland 20740
www.proteusbicycles.com
301.441.2928

Sunday in November

2007-11-12T11:09:00.000-05:00

So this is a cross post from the cyclocross blog (pun intended). This weekend was a huge weekend for the proteus cyclocross "team". We've had more and more green jerseys coming out at the 'cross races as the season has progressed (you would think that it would go the other way since it's getting colder and colder) and yesterday's race was a big one. We had six riders who in the women's B and Men's C race. But along with that, we had a number of friends and family also there. I put the word "team" in quotes because we're not a team in a conventional sense. If you go fast and do well, that's cool. But if you don't, that's cool too. So here's two pictures compliments of CJ's camera (I can only assume that she didn't take both, because she's in one of them). The first is Greg, who raced for the first time because he thought it looked like fun. He's in a borrowed jersey on a borrowed bike. And the second is 3 friends on a cold Sunday in November.

more photos here.

fun stuff from interbike

2007-11-09T14:29:00.000-05:00

So the blog wasn't around when I was @ Interbike so I never got to do a proper report.

I can hardly do one now more than a month after the fact, but I figured it was a good chance to mention a few cool things and put up some funny pictures.

SRAM has a new gruppo coming out called RED. It's Ultralight and works on the same principles as Force and Rival. They had a lot of bikes set out so you could try it. It shifted super smooth and looks pretty slick.

I got to do the photo/autograph thing. I'm not one to get starstruck but there are a Greg Lemond is an exception. I also got a picture with Phil Ligget, because you know...he's Phil Ligget.

I also got pictures with Cyclocross Phenoms Barry WIcks and Ryan Trebon who seem like pretty cool guys. I met them last year and they were nice. Here's a conversation I had with them:

- My friend Wes said I should get a picture with you guys because you're so tall and I'm short.

- Yeah, you are really short=

.

As always, there was some pretty fun stuff there. We ordered some of it. SOmething we got in a few weeks ago but you may not have noticed are KRIEG CYCLING Seat Bags. I actually recognized the guy because he also makes Chalkbags for rock climbing. The cool thing about them is that they are not boring! It's easy to get tired of black nylon everything. If you want to add a little flavor to your bike, you can pick up one of these bad boys. They're not too big and not too small, just enough to hold all the essentials. We have a lot of different styles in the shop, but this one (although flashy) is pretty photogenic as well.

Want to try road racing?

2007-11-01T11:00:00.002-04:00

Artemis is one of the teams we work with at the shop. They have an introduction to Road Racing clinic going on this weekend. Check it out. Maybe one day, you'll be as cool as this guy:

Here's the info, Click it for a link:

Have you ever thought about giving bike racing a try, but are not quite sure how to do it? What makes racing different than fast, hard group rides? Do other people ask you if you "race?" Or maybe you just want to be a more proficient rider.

This clinic is aimed at the athletic road bike rider who has never raced before and wants to give it a try. The information provided spans the very basics of riding for racing on and off the bike, and to the special skills needed for different kinds of races.

Basic information from how to get a license to local resources will help you get past the paperwork and to feel comfortable when you arrive at your first race. Training tips and targeting your strengths will get you ready this winter to race next spring with confidence!

My first mountain bike ride!

2007-10-30T08:54:00.000-04:00

I must admit that mountain biking always scared me a bit. I am a dreamer, what can I say. While riding I tend to look off at something and start drifting my thoughts off to art and people and things I'm curious about. I figured that I'd last 2 minutes mountain biking before running into a tree.

Not the case at all. Jim took Yo and I out to Rockburn for my virgin attempt at mountain biking. I must admit that I had a blast! Bear in mind that while this was an easy route by mountain bike standards, it nonetheless qualified as mountain biking. It was a single track, dirt trail in the woods climbing some loose rocky stuff, crossing a creek, and rolling over some rocks and tree roots. One could do it without suspension, but I found the front fork was dreamy and gave me, I think, better control and traction. I rode on the slower side taking my time to look at everything and learn how the bike works. I'm not a particularly aggressive person and am happy plodding along.

We saw lots of deer, biked through an open meadow, sat down on a log near a creek and took in all those woodland autumn smells. It reminded me of all the hiking I used to do in the Adirondack mountains.

Honestly, I can't wait to go again!

Another cool and noteworthy group of people doing cool things on bikes!!!

2007-10-26T15:38:00.001-04:00

Women's Garden CYcles Bike Tour

This sounds pretty cool. Oh yeah. And they are hosting a scavenger hunt race on Saturday Night. Click the LInk for details. Sounds like FUN!!!

RIDE OF THE LIVING DEAD RAIN OR SHINE!!!!

2007-10-25T12:08:00.000-04:00

The course has been shortened. It's mostly on bike paths. Come out. Bring a towel and some dry clothes. Or, show up a little bit later. Bring some drinks or snacks to share. Bring a pumpkin to carve. Watch some Rock and Roll. CLICK HERE TO HEAR A GREAT SONG BY CALEB STINE.

Ride starts at 10AM sharp. music starts around 12pm(ish)

And here's the flyer again, because I'm really proud of it.

Bicycles rule for transportation!

2007-10-16T09:17:00.000-04:00

This is a chart based on energy consumed per kilometer of distance traveled. Pretty amazing!!

Got 10 minutes?

2007-10-14T21:14:00.000-04:00

Watch this short documentary about Sacha White of Vanilla Bicycles.

What's shakin?

2007-10-10T11:08:00.000-04:00

So the shop now has a blog, a flickr site, a myspace, a blog for the cyclocross practices. Remember the good old days when people used telephones and letters?

New information will still go up on the site, but any random musings we have throughout the day might be posted here.

The regular Wednesday Night Cyclocross practices have begun. Last week was our first, and they will continue on rain or shine until cross season is over. If you are interested in hearing what's new in the world of Proteus Cyclocross, head on over to the Proteus 'Cross Blog.

Halloween is coming so that means the return of the Ride of the Living Dead (part 3).

Keep your ears to the ground to listen for the zombies.

-jim