Ride to Help Michael Wright & Multiple Sclerosis

Our friend and former employee Michael Wright has been diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS). He is one of the most genuine individuals you will come across and we are going to do as much as possible to help him. Below is the info to participate in Bike MS: Waves to Wine Ride or to make a donation. Michael's brother, Nicholas Jensen, will be riding for the love of his brother and to help people living with MS. Our strength goes out to Mike and his family.

I am thankful for you.

Tears fall reading your words.

I love you Brother.

Here are a few sweet words from Michael...

For Roger:

"a mentor, a coach, a friend, full of sincerity and honesty who knows how to laugh." 

For OTS:

"the foundation of teamwork and respect in a workplace."

On September 25 - 26, 2010, I'm joining more than a thousand cyclists for the Bike MS: Waves to Wine Ride. This two-day bike ride isn't a race, but it does raise money in the race to find the cure for multiple sclerosis.

As some of you know, my mom had MS and my brother was recently diagnosed with MS. I'd love to see my brother cured of the disease. This is the only way I know how I can try to make that happen.

Last year cyclists raised over $1.5 Million to help the 20,000 Northern Californians living with MS, a degenerative disease of the central nervous system. Researchers are making progress, but the cause and cure are still over the horizon. And that's why I saddle up to ride.

With this journey, I'm helping the National Multiple Sclerosis Society fund research to find the cause, cure and treatment of MS. My participation also helps support services for people affected by MS. My fundraising supports the ride's 2009 goal of $1.75 million.

Please help people living with MS in our community by making a one-time, tax-deductible donation. Click on the link at the bottom of this message to visit my personal page to make a donation. Any amount you feel comfortable giving is deeply appreciated.

With your support, we can make a positive impact today in the lives of 20,000 men, women and children with multiple sclerosis. Thank you!

Click here to visit Nicholas Jensen's personal page
Or paste the following web address into a new browser page:
http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/CANBikeEvents?px=7647505&pg=personal&fr_id=13803&s_tafId=147951

Click here to visit the page for Team Mike's Bikes
Or paste the following web address into a new browser page:
http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/CANBikeEvents?team_id=189687&pg=team&fr_id=13803&s_tafId=147951

Click here to view the company page for Mike's Bikes
Or paste the following web address into a new browser page:
http://main.nationalmssociety.org/site/TR/Bike/CANBikeEvents?company=Mike%27s+Bikes&pg=company&fr_id=13803&s_tafId=147951

Early and ongoing treatment with an FDA-approved therapy can make a difference for people with multiple sclerosis. Learn about your options by talking to your health care professional and contacting the National MS Society at http://www.nationalmssociety.org/or 1-800-FIGHT-MS (344-4867). Our postal address is: National Multiple Sclerosis Society 733 Third Avenue New York, New York 10017 Unsubscribe Email Preferences Forward to a Friend Privacy Policy

 
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Portland Bound to The United Bicycle Institute

If there is one thing I have learned through the 10 years I have serviced bikes rolling through the front door of our shop, it's that every bike has its own personality and kinks to work out. There are moments where you think you have seen every component and service situation known to man, and then a new one rolls through the door. Bike maintenance is a non-stop addiction for progression. With that said, I will be in Portland at the United Bicycle Institute for the next two weeks to receive a professional certification as a bike mechanic and take in as many details as possible.

Having Portland rated as the #1 cycling city in America doesn't hurt to get more ideas for our community and some more riding in as well. Not to mention how beautiful the drive up the coast is through the Redwoods. More updates soon. For now, here are a few photos I shot on the way up...
Click on photos to enlarge

Finding The Comfortable Bike For You...

We wanted to shed some light on the many questions we have about how a bike can be more comfortable for an individuals desired type of riding. The key factor is that hybrid bikes, otherwise referred to as comfort bikes, provide you with a more upright posture. This makes riding much easier on your lower-back, relieving pressure & tension, as well as your shoulders and arms.

The frame geometry of hybrid/comfort bikes is designed for upright posture. In the image below, you can see the difference in the height of the handlebars compared to a mountain bike. All of our Hybrid/Comfort bikes such as, the Fuji Crosstown, come with fully adjustable stems (component holding the handlebar up from the frame). The stems have a great adjustment range to fit your body type and height. The next benefit is the wider, comfort seat with a suspension seat post. This offers the feel & comfort of a full suspension bike, but it does not act like a sponge, absorbing all of your energy as you pedal. Front shocks add to the comfort and do not absorb too much of your pedaling efficiency. Your wrists will thank you for having quality front shocks.

Whether you are riding long distance backroads, some fire trails, cruising to town to grab some lunch, or just getting some exercise, hybrid bikes will allow you to have more fun with comfort.
Click on images to enlarge
Images: Fujibikes.com

CROSSTOWN 3.0 
(Mens)
$349.99
Sizes—15", 17", 19", 21", 23"

CROSSTOWN 3.0 (Womens)
$349.99
Sizes—15", 17", 19"

CROSSTOWN 3.0 (Womens)
$349.99
Sizes—15", 17", 19"

Verde 2011 Completes Now In Stock!

Our shipment of Verde 2011 completes arrived and they are nothing short of amazing! Their attention to detail does not go unnoticed. Models starting with the Prism have integrated crown races on the forks for the lower headset bearings to rest in. This eliminates the tedious task of installing a crown race, which can be frustrating for many. All bikes include sealed Mid Bottom Brackets & a 25-9 gearing. All cables, including straddle cables, are now black. And the casting of the Verde logo on headtubes is a the aesthetic icing on the cake. It feels like Christmas having these in the shop!

The following bikes are the models & colors we have in stock...
Click on images to enlarge
Photos: http://blog.defgrip.net

CADET—Red
$309.99

CADET—Teal
$309.99

EON—Black/Blue
$349.99

EON—Black/Gold
$349.99

EON—Black/Red
$349.99

PRISM—Flat Grey/Orange
$389.99

PRISM—Flat Grey/Green
$389.99

THEORY—Flat Purple
$439.99

RADIA—Flat Black
$539.99

LUXE—Black/Gold Flake
$629.99

CULT Faith Grips, Doomsday Pegs, & Pivotal Post Now In Stock

We just received our first shipment of Cult BMX products from our very awesome distributor Greenhouse. Cult was founded in late 2009 by Robbie Morales, who originally started Fit Bike Co. Robo has been a legendary name in the BMX industry for as far as I can remember. Team riders who followed Robbie from Fit to Cult were Chase Dehart, Chase Hawk, & Dakota Roche. As Robbie put it, " This company is in no way about “reinventing the wheel” per say. It’s actually more of appreciation for classic looking BMX parts." It's great to see this appreciation for quality and very minimalistic packaging with no plastic.
Click on images to view large version.
Photos: Greenhouse BMX

 Cult Faith Grips—$13.99
• Made in the USA by ODI
• Comes with bar plugs

Cult Doomsday Peg—$13.99 Per Peg
• Internally machined to reduce weight
• 100% heat-treated chromoly
• 3/8″ (10mm) or 14mm
• 35mm diameter
• 100mm length
• 7 oz. per peg
 

Cult Counter Culture Pivotal Post—$26.99
• 6061 aluminum alloy
• 25.4mm diameter
• 130mm length
• 3.5 oz.

Marin County Bicycle Coalition

We have just added the Marin County Bicycle Coalition (MCBC) to our Links page for you. There Website is such a great resource for the cycling community in Marin. There main aspirations are the following...

• increased opportunities for daily physical activity,
• teaching your children to be skilled and safe bike riders,
• reduced road congestion and greenhouse gas emissions,
• transportation equity for our low-income neighbor
• for 20% of all trips in Marin to be made by walking or bicycling by 2020

Their site offers constant updates on their campaigns for improving riding bikes for us in Marin. Currently, they're working on the Cal Park Hill Tunnel, which will connect the Larkspur Ferry Terminal & San Rafael. It is designed to accommodate SMART passenger trains, bicyclists and pedestrians.

"When completed, the 12-foot-wide, two-way, paved asphalt path will have emergency call boxes/blue light stations, closed-circuit television cameras, tunnel ventilation, a new pedestrian/cyclist overpass bridge in San Rafael where Anderson Drive crosses underneath Highway 101, and tunnel and pathway lighting with emergency call boxes."

Completion of this tunnel is estimated to open this summer. It will offer a much more direct, quicker, and safer route to ride. Man are we fortunate to have these improvements happening. The MCBC site also offers an incredibly helpful Marin Bicycle Map, originally created by local bike legend, Joe Breeze, who created Breezer bikes, one of brands carried at Old Town. There's plenty of news articles on the site, a calendar of scheduled rides, and volunteer opportunities. Hopefully this post was very helpful for you. We're always open for feedback.

BMX Inspiration // Tim "Wolfman" Harvey Stranger Video

Here's some riding inspiration for the 4th of July Weekend. Our good friend Tim Harvey had a nice little edit for Stranger BMX not too long ago. Tim is one of the most genuine guys you will ever come across and is beyond talented on a bike. Enjoy and have an amazing holiday weekend!

STRANGER/WOLFMAN/C.O.T.R. #7 from THEM on Vimeo.

1953 Schwinn Hornet Restoration

One of our new customers, Ann, gave us the opportunity to restore her Schwinn Hornet from the 1950s. It was passed down to Ann from her Mom, who originally owned the bike at age 12. This bike is amazing and as classic as it gets! New wheels, some classic white wall tires, a serious drive-train clean, and the Hornet is set for cruising again. This was truly a pleasure to work on. Hope you enjoy the photos!

1953 Schwinn Hornet

Chainguard Logo Detail

Preview of 2011 VERDE Complete Bikes

As usual, Verde has created some of the cleanest and most solid designs for their 2011 line of bikes. Whether you ride BMX or not, the aesthetics and design are beautiful to look at. Man are we excited about these! All bikes now feature a 25-9 gear ratio & sealed mid bottom bracket. The Cadet model has also been introduced for the little guys getting into BMX at a very affordable price. We should be seeing our first shipment of these in the shop in July, so be sure to swing by and check them out for yourself.
Click on photos for larger view
Photos: http://blog.defgrip.net/
Luxe—Black & Gold Flake

Radia—Black

Radia—Concrete

Theory—Purple

Theory—Aqua

Vex—Red

Vex—Teal

Prism—Neon Green

Prism—Orange

Prism—Purple

Eon—Red

Eon—Gold

Eon—Blue

Cadet—Teal

Cadet—Red

New BMX Parts In // Ruben Graphite Pedals & Aitken Tires

Just received our shipment of the new Fly Ruben Graphite Pedals. These have just been released and are looking amazing! The graphite allows for a harder material than regular PC pedals, making them more durable for a longer life. Same thin design as the Ruben Aluminum pedals, very grippy, and much more affordable! $24.99—12.6 oz—Dark Red, White, & Black Click on images for larger view.

Odyssey Aitken P-Lyte Tires are back in stock as well!