TRM Cycles Blog

The Ute's are coming!

2008-08-01T08:01:00.002-04:00

Well a few goods things come from ending bad relationships. One of those things is finding a new girl that makes you happy all over again. I am always sad to see a brand leave the store and don't really like finding a new one, but we really lucked out with Kona. As I sure from you dilligent reading that Kona has some great cross, 29er and squishy bikes but hidden in the back of their catalog somewhere in the road section you will find the Ute long bike. Long bikes (or cargo bikes) have been around for a long time but unless you are a total bike nerd like me you probably have never seen one.

I have been pestering the crap out of our Kona rep to get a few Utes in and the two we got were sold in hours. My friend brad bought his in minutes... You can read some of his Ute exploits here.

Ok, long story short we have some more ute's coming in and if you are as sick of driving a car as I am to get anything bigger than a Chrome Bag then come check out a Ute...

Later

Stop the world I want to get off...

2008-07-10T13:54:00.000-04:00

the TREK STOP is coming to a town near you

Little Evil Knievel In Training Goes Bad

2008-06-27T15:47:00.001-04:00

I was just ridding along when I cased the fifth can...

17 Reasons Why Bicycles Are the Most Popular Vehicle in the World Today

2008-06-20T13:04:00.002-04:00

So, a tidal wave did not engulf the store, nor were we sandbagging to hold back the flood waters, it's summer time people! We have been a little busy, working, riding and living. However, in my internet travels, I found a article that you will enjoy. Check it out...

Now go ride your bike!

I love ridding in the city!

2008-04-30T09:37:00.003-04:00

Pittsburgh's own Urban Velo is turning one this week as Issue #7 hits the stands on Friday. In addition to giving a voice to those of us that just love to ride, for no reason at all, They have started a publishing revolution. You can download any of their issues on their website, they have a great blog, you can find them on Myspace, and their online store has a great selection of stickers and clothing. stay tuned for issue seven on their website. Happy Birthday Brad and Jeff! This is your birthday song it isn't very long...HEY!

The Madone Takes TOP Honors!

2008-04-30T09:22:00.002-04:00

So just the other day some nice people at Outside magazine decided what most of us already know...the 2008 Trek Madone is the "TOP GEAR OF 2008". check it out in person by stopping by the shop.

So I'm an Addict...I can stop any time I want to...

2008-04-24T21:43:00.001-04:00

So as you can tell by the limited Blog postings that we are really busy and any free time I have I would rather be on my bike than here with y'all (sorry, I didn't mean to offend).

One thing that has helped me through has been this song that Nick introduced me to. It seems like each summer has a theme. Last year we rocked out to the Gap Band (you dropped a bomb on me) and this year we are staying motivated with the Flobots. Check them out, you might just learn something.

Fresh off the presses!

2008-04-21T15:06:00.001-04:00

Greetings,

Here are the first impressions from UK writer Steve Worland, one of the most influential and intelligent mountain bike editors of the last 20 years.

http://www.bikeradar.com/blogs/article/magic-carpets-15914

"... you get a seven inch travel freeride bike that hauls up climbs like a hardtail, rushes you down rocky chutes with barely a glimmer of respect for the terrain then grabs you a cold beer and launders your kit when you arrive home. "

Check it out and then stop in and pick up your new Kona...

Like 2 Nerf Ball running into each other!

2008-04-10T10:06:00.002-04:00

So two years ago the professor (Rick) and Lola decided to train and enter the Wilderness 101. Well more to the point, Lola decided that Rick was going to race with her and she told him he was to start training. So they got some coaching, got a powertap, and started training. Well after the race, they were both starving because they could not really eat while riding, and they have not stopped two years later.

We have been riding alot this week enjoying the beautiful weather and the great trail conditions and the two of them are in the back complaining about how fat they are and how hard it is to breath. One thing leads to another and they start fighting. Lola threatens to come over and beat up Rick and he replies, "come on over it will be like two nerf balls running into each other!"

I really need to start riding by myself more...

Can you tell me the way to Kona World?

2008-04-04T10:20:00.004-04:00

So as many of you know we are trying to provide you, the customers with the ultimate in choice and the finest products we can. Along those lines we have made some drastic changes to the bikes brands you will be seeing this season. All 3 of our avid readers know that we re very excited about the addition of Titus cycles.

The next brand is pretty obvious if you read the title of the post. Yes we are now Kona dealers. This includes their entire line of 29ers, mountain, full suspension, cyclocross, road, and urban bikes.

Visit them online at Kona World or stop by and check out the amazing collection from the northwest.

Calling all Cyclists!

2008-04-01T15:56:00.002-04:00

T.R.M. Cycles is looking for part time Sales Associates for this season. If you are interested call, stop by or email.

You need:

A strong passion for cycling with a focus on customer service, a willingness and ability to educate every level of bicycle consumer, strong communication skills and basic computer knowledge , good problem solving and trouble shooting skills, cash handling and passion for cycling. Sales and merchandising experience preferred but not necessary. The ideal candidate must be able to have fun while getting the job done. We will teach you everything you need to be successful!

Welcome to the Neighborhood

2008-03-28T15:39:00.002-04:00

So in an effort to keep our tile as the 29erest shop in town, we are welcome Titus Cycles to the stable of brands. Titus is know for their excellent 29er and their full suspension design and as an added benefit we will be offering a free pair of Crank Brothers Candy SL’s or Shimano PD-770 XT pedals for every complete 2008 Titus Racer X and Motolite sold during the months April and May. These pedals represent a $120 value. STop by and talk to Chrisp for details!

Oven Baked and Ready to Ride!

2008-03-24T17:43:00.001-04:00

Check out this video and then make an appointment to get baked (and no, not that kind of baked)!

A Major Achivement!

2008-03-21T09:40:00.004-04:00

So John Majors calls up and says what I have been waiting for... "I made a decision." John opted to go with a Paragon as opposed to waiting for the Superfly to come in. John then says, "I want to change some stuff..." He rattles off a list of carbon goodies that should lighten everything up and make a comfortable ride for his 100 mile races.

John also swaped out the juicey brakes for mechanical BB7's because they are easier to fix out on the trail. John's focus was to reduce the rotating weight on the bike. He went with the race x lite wheels and tubeless tires. He also went after the stock crankset with an intelligent flair upgrading to the xxx lite cranks with the adjustable crank length.

The last area needing attention was the comfort contact points so Carbon riser bar and a carbon post was added to cut the edge off of spending 10 hours in the saddle.

Good luck John, I hope the bike helps you go faster!

Trek of Pittsburgh Commerical

2008-03-19T08:28:00.001-04:00

Enjoy our latest masterpiece...

PBR and CMT are a bad combination

2008-03-18T21:38:00.002-04:00

So as a growing company, we have bigger needs...what that means to you is that we get to say goodbye to the stalker van as the lease is up and we welcome the MPU to the ToP/TRM family. The MPU or Mobile Party Unit is a 14 foot box truck that will be cruising the streets of western PA doing Transfers, supporting events, generally causing havoc (especially if Nick is driving). If you have ever been on vacation, you understand how unnatural it is to transport a bike by car, imagine trying to get 24 of them in a box truck to arrive safely and scratch free at their destination. Well, four trips to Lowes later and we have the making of a high capacity bicycle transporter or MPU. We may have watched a little too much Trick my Truck. Sorry CMT!

Google This

2008-03-14T15:27:00.000-04:00

We would like a 'Bike There' feature added to Google Maps - to go with the current 'Drive There' and 'Take Public Transit' options.

The feature would take into account actual bicycle lanes from the locality being mapped, and it would automatically plan a route for a bicyclist, possibly even providing the cyclist options for either the most direct route, or the most bicycle-friendly (safest) route. The Google Maps-based third party site, byCycle.org (http://byCycle.org/), provides these features for two metro areas - Portland, Oregon and Madison, Wisconsin, and there are countless other mapping initiatives around the world aimed at accomplishing the same goal. We hope that Google will consider building this feature into the core Google Maps service.

http://www.petitiononline.com/bikether/petition.html

Contest Time!

2008-03-13T15:19:00.002-04:00

So in an effort to be more green we will be holding a Contest. The person with the best greenin up the shop idea wins a $50.00 Gift Card good at any of the TRM Cycles/ Trek of Pittsburgh stores. You can enter by commenting on this posting or if it is more involved you can email me directly at mikeh@trekofpgh.com. We are looking for big unique ideas to take our efforts to the next level, and yes, we already do the easy stuff. We recycle tubes, we recycle parts, we use bio-degradable cleaners and lubes, we recycle cardboard, we even re-use our shop rags. But we want to do our part and show the world that not only can you live better thru biking but you can make a difference as well!

So do some research, ask your friends, and post your comments for your chance to win $50.00 of cold hard gift card good for anything we sell or it can be used on labor as well. Win yourself a free tune-up so you can ride more...

Come Check out the NEW Tech Center!

2008-03-13T14:58:00.003-04:00

So this winter we were huddled around the pile of burning tires and decided that we needed to renovate something. A few rounds with the oiuji board and the spirits of the mechanics pasted said we needed to improve the look of our Tech Center.
Rick kicked his computer until the intraweb came up and he spent several hours on Ikea's web site.

Decisions were made while caution was thrown to the wind and we now have our new and improved Tech Center.
It features a ton more storage which we desperately needed, shiney birch work surfaces and on top of all that...IT MATCHES our exisiting cabinets! Not bad for a bunch of boys...

So Wrong and yet so Right!

2008-03-07T14:53:00.004-05:00

If you haven't noticed, the blogging has been a little sporatic as of late. I get these great ideas about posts but then never get any time to get them on the site. So I store them up and post them when I can. I have asked a few people to join me to keep the reading fun and more frequent. I will keep you posted.

On to the business at hand. All good bike geeks are familar with the North American Handmade Bicycle Show. It is a collection of the smaller custom builders. They roll into Portland with guns blazing trying to outdo each other. This year newcomer and show-stopper was Naked Bicycles from Canada.

Now if you look closely, you will see several features that are made of wood. Now look even closer and you will notice the headset is ringed in Oak. As it turns out the Oak is actually lighter and just as strong as Carbon and Aluminum. Next they will be telling that Steel in the material of the future.

Ah...full circle...how nice for a biker...

The power of bicycles

2008-03-07T14:10:00.002-05:00

World Bicycle Relief aspires to provide people in developing nations and disaster relief situations with a bicycle for access to health care, education and economic development as well as improving the lives of people in those countries.

If you are interested in helping out, each bicycle costs $109.00 and contributions can be made via credit card. visit www.worldbicyclerelief.com for more information.

Welcome to the Family!

2008-03-03T12:32:00.003-05:00

I am pleased to announce that long time friend and local fixture, John Majors has chose to join the TRM Cycles/ Trek of Pittsburgh family! John has a long history of racing and ridng and will be a huge addition to the T.o.P. team in the Ultra Endurance series.

John will be racing on a 29er this year and I am looking forward to some of his tips and reviews of 29er equipment. I will keep yinz posted as John finalizes his bike spec and set-up...

Help Wanted

2008-02-18T15:52:00.000-05:00

Trek Bicycle Store of Pittsburgh Online Sales Coordinator

Description

Description:

This individual will be responsible for the Online Sales, Online Auctions, Order Fulfillment, and Website Maintenance. This includes all aspects of online sales customer service, Creating online auction postings, fulfilling online orders, and Website maintenance of online purchasing specific information. The selected candidate will also propose new online protocols, and coordinate all other aspects of online sales.

Primary Responsibilities:

Coordinate the daily operation of Online Sales.
Candidate must have experience with Microsoft Internet Explorer or Mozilla Firefox and Microsoft Outlook.
Candidate must have experience with Computerized POS, eBay and PayPal.
Candidate will evaluate and recommend new online products and solutions based on internal requirements.
Assist in driving fulfillment projects to completion and assume leadership responsibilities in the day to day operations of the business.
Manage and maintain eBay and PayPal services.
Create Online Sales reports for Managers
Communicates status of online sales and auctions to Operations Manager.
Some Domestic Travel maybe required.

Required Skills:

Internet Experience
Online Auction Experience
Strong Written Skills
Ability to work well alone under time sensitive deadlines
Excellent Communication Skills
Bicycle and bicycle component knowledge a plus
Website management a plus

If interested, please submit a resume along with salary requirements to mikeh@trekofpgh.com

Trek/Gary Fisher Ultimate Demo Tour makes a stop at Ray’s MTB

2008-02-18T15:44:00.001-05:00

Cleveland, Ohio this coming March 1^st and 2^nd (Saturday and Sunday) from 10am till 5pm each day.

So much to say and so little time

2008-02-18T15:10:00.003-05:00

Well as the many long time readers (pause for laughter to subside) know the 3rd annual Warehouse Sale is quickly approaching. It is scheduled for Ferbruary 24th from 8am to 5pm. It is best to show up early if you want the best deals. My free time has been given up to get the warehouse ready for yet another banner year.

In the meantime, Professional Cycling has once again shown how silly they can truely be.

On February 13th, the Amaury Sports Organization (ASO) barred Team Astana from competing in any race or event organized by the ASO in 2008. The ASO owns premiere cycling events like Paris-Nice, Paris-Roubaix, Paris-Tours, and the famed Tour de France.

The ASO cited the doping scandals of last year’s Tour de France as justification.

BE HEARD

Help put Levi’s dreams back on track by signing the petition to Let Levi Ride. Petitions will be sent directly to Christian Prudhomme, Director of the ASO, as well as to VS, the official US media partner of the Tour de France.

Please visit www.letleviride.com and sign the petition!

What's your Vector, Victor?

2008-02-07T14:40:00.000-05:00

So in an effort to open your eyes to some of the talented people that work at TRM, I have asked everyone to answer ten simple questions to answer. Yinz may want to close your eyes for Victor Vector's answers

Parental Waring: These responses have been edited for content, language and Vectorizing...

1.) What was your first adult bicycle?
Mongoose Wing Elite

2.) What will be your next bike?
Eithar a cyclo-cross (XO-1) or a downhill (Session 10) bike

3.) What is your favorite place to ride?
Ray's MTB in winter, Wisp Resort downhill course in summer

4.) What is the ultimate place to ride?
I'd love to go to Whistler and do the downhill/ freeride stuff

5.) How many bikes do you currently own?
3, 2 broken Mongossez and a Gary Fisher XO

6.) Sandex or Baggy Shorts?
Baggy shorts (and some other comments not fit to repeat)

7.) What is your favorite post-ride food?
The first thing into my stomach

8.) When was the last time you rode your bike?
Yesterday

9.) Who is your favorite riding partner?
Anyone who is fun to ride with

10.) Do you prefer a water bottle or a hydration pack?
Hydro packs are da bomb.

Wait for it...

2008-02-05T17:35:00.001-05:00

Yet another glimpse of the Joki...wait for it...Somebody blew that out...

This is what I have to deal with...

2008-02-05T17:34:00.001-05:00

On a daily basis...and everyone wonders why I am bald.

Trust in your 29er and it will guide you thru!

2008-02-04T18:31:00.000-05:00

So after being sick for what seems like all of 2007, I am finally feeling better and, stop the presses, went riding...OUTSIDE! Pause for for everyone to catch their breath...

Saturday was the typical early season ride where you realize that you are way fatter than you thought and you are way more out of shape than you had convinced yourself walking the dog. I did, however, get to ride my new communter bike. I took a old Bianchi cross frame and added what I consider the perfect gearing and some fenders to prepare myself for ridding for my health, the world and our future (sorry poor marketing plug). Saturday was everyhting I thought it would be on the bike but hurt way more off the bike. I think my butt is still sore. Stupid Aspide... I need to find another saddle!

So on to Sunday. My beautiful wife woke me up at 7:30 and said, "it's frozen out get up we are going mountain biking!" I agreed, rolled over and went back to bed. She then unleashed her secret weapon...Sophie, our 78 pound lab puppy. WHo prceeded to lay on my chest and lick my face untill I got up. A couple of rounds with the pump and a little lube and two bikes were ready to ride. We cruised to the local trails and sure enough if who doesn't come rollin' up but Joki...

We rode the warm up trail which was a ice rink and headed over to the other side and rode the knife edge between riding on the ice and hoping you didn't fall. Long story short, 29ers rule! The only way we were able to ride was because of the larger contact patch. A little trust in the abilities of the bike and the riding was awesome (sorry Lola and Joki for being dumb and reckless)

EHarmony.com

2008-01-31T16:02:00.000-05:00

male in search of m/f for race in Wilkesboro, North Carolina, the www. burn24hour.com. race in the 2person category.date may 24/25-2008 $190.00 team. this price is for the earlybird special ending 2-28-08 $20.00 more after date. est. time for trip 8hrs. with one stop lunch-dinner. will pay for gas round trip.

requirements- lights, experience some, willing to go the distance priceless!

my stats.

mtn.biking 20yrs. racing 19yrs. one day races numerous, in PA, OH, & WV 24 hr. races 12 and counting.

contact

e-mail, jimbikeruff1@aol.com

If you are interested..Help a brother out...

The new kid in town...

2008-01-30T11:26:00.000-05:00

Hello again from inside the walls of TRM. Today I am pleased to introduce the world to our latest addition. He is world renown mechanic and former Downhill Racer, Jay Humphrey! Jay joined us this winter and is still getting used to where Rick hides everything. We are really excited to have Jay added to the Service ranks to help Rick and Greg out this summer. We have BIG plans for Jay! Stop by and say hello.

Here are his ten questions so you can get a glimpse into the world of Britney...I mean, Jay...

1) What was your first adult bicycle?
A Fuji

2) What will be your next bike?
cyclocross

3) What is your favorite place to ride?
Mt. Snow

4) What is the ultimate place to ride?
Italy

5) How many bikes do your currently own?
3

6) Spandex or Baggy shorts?
Baggy

7) What is your favorite post-ride food?
Sushi

8) When was the last time you rode your bike?
Yesterday

9) Who is your favorite riding partner?
Someone who doesn't complain

10) Do you prefer a water bottle or a hydration pack?
Bottle

XXX Hot Dirty Girls!!!

2008-01-28T12:05:00.001-05:00

Now that I have your attention...you should all check out the latest Trek of Pittsburgh community Blog from the lovely ladies of Trek of Pittsburgh. They talk about riding, women's friendly products, and life in the saddle. Check them out and see what they are up to.

http://topladies.wordpress.com/

Get out and ride!

English and Bike Shops don't always Mix

2008-01-28T11:59:00.000-05:00

So I am sure that many of you know Jeffers but, many of you don't know that Jeffers is our resident English Major. We wish him all the best with his studies!

1). What was your first adult bicycle?
An IRO fixed gear from my brother. He had cross-threaded the bottom bracket, so I was perpetually tightening both it and all of my chainring bolts, and there were times when I had lost two of the chainring bolts and didn't realize it til after the ride...sold it and got an old Italian steel frame that had been in the Tour de France. Good stuff.

2). What will be your next bike?

Hmm..either a big fat cruiser or the Bianchi Roger with the Surly Dingle Cog, or maybe just a Cross-Check.

3). What is your favorite place to ride?

Oakland/Shadyside area on the fixie...Heartwood and Bavington are fun for the woods.

4). What is the Ultimate place to ride?

Umm...intersection of Forbes Ave and Bigelow Boulevard around 11:52 AM, during Pitt's class changes. If you run the yellow/red light, people are already starting to cross in the opposite direction, so you get to cut through the 1-2 foot gaps between oblivious crossing pedestrians at 10 mph.

5). How many bike do you currently own?

1..2..3..4..5..and a unicycle.

6). Spandex or Baggy shorts?

Spandex, but I mostly ride in jeans.

7). What is your favorite post-ride food?

Vera Cruz burrito.

8). When was the last time you rode your bike?

Thursday...it's Sunday now.

9). Who is your favorite riding partner?

Soupie, Mike McCracken, or Brian Reyburn, in that order.

10) Do you prefer a water bottle or a hydration pack?

Camelbak MULE.

Group Winter Mountain Bike Rides are Starting Again!

2008-01-24T13:19:00.000-05:00

Hello all, I want to start up south park mtb rides again. Check the website for details. Let everyone know that this is a really fun time to ride off road! If they don't have all the winter gear,thats fine. Just tell them to dress warm. I will be starting out with really easy rides due to the fact that I'm phat and out of shape. I'm thinking on Sundays and a weeknight. Not sure which day yet.

-Sam Kaufman

Don't worry I speak Joki

2008-01-15T15:44:00.000-05:00

Well, it took a little bit of doing but I got Rick to answer the questions. After some heavy editing and a few rounds with the spell checker they are ready to post. I hope you enjoy them.

1). What was your first adult bicycle?

1975 free spirit

2). What will be your next bike?

a cyclocross bike with gears I do not which one yet

3). What is your favorite place to ride?

on my bike

4). What is the Ultimate place to ride?

Lebanon Hills Park MN

5). How many bike do you currently own?

two

6). Spandex or Baggy shorts?

spandex

7). What is your favorite post-ride food?

yes

8). When was the last time you rode your bike?

Saturday

9). Who is your favorite riding partner?

10) Do you prefer a water bottle or a hydration pack?

50/50

Tracking a Wild Calvetti in his natural envorinment

2008-01-10T13:23:00.000-05:00

We have round two in the series, "get to know your local Bike Shop". Greg is a part time mechanic and an expert in all things science. prepare to be enlightened...

1). What was your first adult bicycle?

A used Soma Cosmopolitan was my first true adult bike, but a Bridgestone 500 was my first real serious bike.

2). What will be your next bike?

If I were to spend money, I'd build up a Surly Cross Check like half the rest of the world, but it will probably be whatever somebody gives me as a freebie!

3). What is your favorite place to ride?

Hilltop out of Heidelberg, past Nevillewood is lovely in the springtime.

4). What is the Ultimate place to ride?

Joki Mountain.

5). How many bike do you currently own?

I have three, but I maintain the family fleet of an additional eight bikes.

6). Spandex or Baggy shorts?

Spandex.

7). What is your favorite post-ride food?

Cocoa Krispies with the fam.

8). When was the last time you rode your bike?

Today. I commute most every day to work.

9). Who is your favorite riding partner?

For long road rides, my friend and former boss, Tim Steinhauer. Otherwise, I have eight great partners in my home for rail trail rides.

10) Do you prefer a water bottle or a hydration pack?

Bottle.

More than you wanted to know...

2008-01-08T18:17:00.000-05:00

In an effort to introduce you to some of the new faces around TRM, I took it upon myself to ask everyone some deep probing questions and here are Nick's answers. Now i have to warn you in advance that his views and opinions are not that of TRM Cycles and Parental Supervision is required. You may want to have the younger readers leave the room...

1). What was your first adult bicycle?

Bianchi Cross Concept.

2). What will be your next bike?

Something with wheels and preferably handlebars; possibly tricycle.

3). What is your favorite place to ride?

South Park in the day, Bavington at night, Rollers in the cold.

4). What is the Ultimate place to ride?

Coopers Rock WV is sweet, Moab UT is sick. Haven't been to moab since I
was 14 and last time I was at Coopers I broke my foot. SWEET.

5). How many bike do you currently own?

One, The Carnegie Cruiser Custom.

6). Spandex or Baggy shorts?

Depends on my level of friskiness

7). What is your favorite post-ride food?

Rhythm House Rueben and Heinekin. Not so healthy, it will fill ya up good though.

8). When was the last time you rode your bike?

Last night, It was cold so I was on rollers in my living room watching "Scrubs"

9). Who is your favorite riding partner?

Anyone.

10) Do you prefer a water bottle or a hydration pack?

I prefer to do the camel thing (drink alot before I ride and hope it lasts). But for longer rides, camel back all the way.

The 2% Club

2008-01-03T13:53:00.000-05:00

First off let me say that I am really sorry the blog postings have been a little slack lately. We have had a few staffing changes and then the Holidays and then Inventory...you get the idea.

This morning I was walking the dog enjoying the cold...finally...and I was reminded of a survey that I read when I was first started in the bike industry. The survey was talking about how people use their mountain bike (this was long before they had comfort and hybrid bikes). Long story short, they concluded that only 2% of mountain bikers ride their bikes off-road in adverse conditions (mud, rain, rocks and roots), at night, and year round (winter time).

Well I for one love riding this time of year for a few reasons. First off the trails are fun, fast and in good shape (once they freeze up). Second, there are a lot less people on the trails. You don't have to worry about getting chased off the trail by the 50+ group rides. and Finally, Riding in the snow is just FUN, especially a 29er. They really excel in the snow and frozen terrain. You dress right and let a little air out of your tires (or if your Rick you ride your studded tires) and go for a ride.

A couple of tricks that I have learned over the years are to dress for it. Dress in layers and plan a route that brings you past the car a couple of times. Don't forget to drink. Even though it is could and you are probably not sweating you still need water. Don't bother with a bottle it will freeze. If your hydration pack tube freezes up tuck in into your jacket/jersey and it will de-thaw. Or better yet put your hydration pack on under your Jacket. BUY WINTER SHOES! Don't waste your time with booties or shoe covers. Cough up the $170 and get the Shimano winter shoes (in stock now). You will be surprised and pleased with how big of a difference they make. If your feet are still cold add some toe warmers to your socks.

But most importantly get out and ride in the winter. Try a night ride! we have demo NiteRider lites that you can try. Get a 29er from the Two Ninerest shop in town and join the 2% club.

later kids,
Mike

Where have all the bullhorns gone?

2007-11-03T17:06:00.000-04:00

Everyday I read blogs about urban riding, and the new urban bikes look cool but are missing something. Bullhorns. Sure there are a million and a half bikes on the road with bullhorns, but the bikes from companies like Swobo and Mission bikes, even the Specialized taxi bikes are coming with a short and narrow riser bar. Maybe its because these companies have a good source for cheap bars, or Specialized has a pile of them laying around, but it seems like the bullhorn is the epitomy of urban riding in my mind. The "Figuring something out" or "just making it work" attitudes are highlights of the urban bike culture. The prebuilt urban bikes can lose some of this attitude and each companies' attempt at nailing it down with component choices seems relatively forced*. Nothing, in my mind, could compare to building my first urban bike. Don't get me wrong, many headaches would have been saved if had simply bought a fixed gear bike complete, but I learned alot about the bicycle itself by tinkering with my (at the time) rolling pile of destruction. Buying parts from friends, trading mix tapes for bar tape and a seatpost, destroying 2 pairs of cheap track wheels; it was a long ordeal. I think the component that most easily summed up my year obsession are the home made bullhorns. Drop bars and a hacksaw.

* Now soupie, why would you talk down on a bicycle that your store not only carries but stocks. I will admit white rims and white riser bars are pretty lame. The sanchez, however has a galvanized frame, The frame of the bike will never die. Now THAT is pretty awesome

In other Urban news, the great Trek Bicycle Making Corporation has released its One world Two Wheels "commitment". In addition to being obsessed with fixed gears, I was also obsessed with being a Hippie. No I didn't listen to the dead and wear Tie Die. I was being careful about not eating or using products with animals in them (or tested on animals) and riding everywhere to cut down on pollution, and played in a band that sang songs about how horrible it is to drop fire bombs on third world countries from air conditioned cockpits.

That was a while ago... I eat cheese now....still play in that band, but now I ride my bike to ride my bike. The statistic are, however, stifiling. We can all nitpick about saving the planet (it is sadly the only one we have right now) and though Trek may have other motives (bling bling) they are totally right.

In my 4 years being involved in the "bike industry" I have had the opportunity to hang with Gary Fisher (the father of Mt. Biking) a couple of times. This is what he had to say about the whole matter and it made complete sense to me.

In more or less words (as close to verbatim as I can recall) the Father said, "I have been riding bikes in Europe and they have bike for everyday stuff. And I just thought they were great, you know? There no reason to drive around the corner to the store, you could ride your bike. Put the kids on the xtracycle and head to the store. You know? You drive the car and it just F---ing sucks, it just sucks. You drive the car to the store and you have to park the thing and you know, the cars get all f---ed up and it takes almost just as long to ride. I'd just rather ride"

So Trek gives you the "commitment" to saving the world (we still just have one) and Gary reminds all of us that 2 wheels = happiness.

So, I will be in a van, traveling from city to city playing songs about people getting there heads blown off and how much that sucks, for two weeks. I will see everyone around Thanksgiving time.

Love,

Soupie

Exclamation Point

2007-11-01T14:13:00.000-04:00

The Superfly is coming. This is the lightest production hardtail Fisher has ever made, oh, and it is a 29er .

There are 17.5" completes and 21" completes on the way from Trek Bicycle Corporation. As you are probably not aware. TRM Cycles is the Twentyninest Store in the south hills, with more 29er stuff than we really know what to do with....

The new Carbon Superfly looks, smells, tastes, and rides like the bomb, so chances are it is totally the bomb. You dig?

Several of these are presold, and the 19" frames aren't even available yet.

Get some.

Congrats NICK!

2007-10-15T15:56:00.000-04:00

Nick Mosites has successfully sandbagged his way to a first place finish in the beginner class at Mo'raine and a 3rd place beginner overall at the month of mud series this year!!!!

Hot damn!

I would also like to mention, though the month of mud is over, riding your bike in 2007 is not! TRM Cycles has a bunch o winter gear to keep your digits warm and movin'. We have moved to winter hours 11-7 Monday through Friday, 10 - 6 Saturday and 12-4 on steeler sundays!

ESCAPE FROM JOKI MOUNTAIN (OFFICIAL BLOG POST!!!#@!!!)

2007-09-13T11:10:00.000-04:00

Joki mountain has been talked about, had it's layout altered, and its overall plan changed multiple times up untill the day of the event. Since this is the official blog post (!!!#@!!!) I will stick to the facts.

Course Description: 3/8ths Rolling grass hills with 2 sets of barriers and a run/ride up. 5/8ths Tehcnical single and double track with a monster climb/walk up.

Ride Time: 1.5 Hours

Weather: Soupie asked for rain, Soupie Got Rain, and it was glorious.

Most laps in shortest time wins.

Course Details: Mass start along a flat. Tight turn to barriers, Short up hill to second set of barriers and about 3 mintues of off camber grass double track. Once you pull out of the grass it is up and over the goat back. Those with mountain gearing rode the hill, those with cross gearing ran up it. The opposite side of the goat back was FAST with a divot to throw those not prepared from their steads! From their you enter the single track. It twisted and turned and was greasy from the fresh rain. In the single track was a rutted double dip of a downhill. TC Rauch did not fair well on this downhill as well as many others. The Single track was medium difficulty on a mountain bike and tough for a cross bike. After a mixture of Rutted Double track, their was a run up that barely had a line. Ferns overlapped the trail and slick rocks jeopardized traction. Outside that set of single track was the Slag Ridge Trail. On the pre-lap it was visually breath taking but in the actual race in was really starting to blur out. The end of this ride took racers through a pine forrest to THE CLIMB With race legs, this thing was a monster. A long walk with your bike.

At the top of this hill was the start line, racers returned to the barriers and off camber grass. This completes one lap.

RESULTS:

1 Corey Lev - Team Warehouse (usa)
2 Nick Mosites - Team Warehouse (usa)
3 GW Neal - Team Warehouse (Wash)
4 Rick Joki - Psychos 88 (usa)
5 Sam Kaufman - Psychos 88 (Isr)

Women's
Laura Robinson Henninger - Spouse Racing (usa)

It was Great Race for all who survived.
We'll See you all next year!

Transfered to other Concept Stores

2007-08-31T19:22:00.000-04:00

I thought I was being called up to the big leagues when John Burke told me it was time to expand my horizons and become "wildly successful". So I packed my bags caught a plane, and did a tour of the Trek concept stores in Europe. My first stop was at the Trek of Macedonia store. Oddly enough, their clientel consisted mostly of downhillers and bmx guys. Their manager Josh Boxxeropolous demonstrates the necessity of bicycles having more travel than JFK on thanksgiving. Everytime someone asked me for detangler cables they kept saying YEE-ROW. To think we have been calling it something different this whole time. At the end of our shift we ate pine nuts and figs, drank wine, and admired the discontinued Fat Possum and King Fisher.

After an overnight train ride, I arrived at Trek of Oslo. Randi Petorsen and I worked on wheels as he showed me the trick to his TOTAALINEN spoke lacing pattern. I really don't have much to say about working at this shop. Alot of commuters, but I only worked for 5 hours, got free healthcare for a day, and drank beer on the clock. *shrug*

My final Shop stop was at the Trek of Glasgow. Oh so dismal. Rainy conditions allowed this store to function only on rain pants and Trek Portlands. There was a relatively diverse trials section, but there is no way in heck that thing is bringing in any revenue. My Magura rim brake skills were tested and after a night at the pubs I stayed in the basement of a Squat. The mildew was pretty rough to say the least. The 6 hour overnight flight had enough artificial air to force the ergonomic european style back out of my life.

Bike Shop News August!

2007-08-17T16:31:00.000-04:00

Holy crap!

NEW!

WTB Demo Saddle Program. I have got a PILE of WTB saddles here for yinz to try on yer peddle-cycles. By simply leaving a deposit, you can ride a saddle through the mud, rain, snow, tidal wave, etc. and return it.

You say, "Soupie, TRM's saddle collection usually has a 30 day comfort garauntee? Why demo saddles?" I reply that this is WTB's program, and if you are dumping 60+ bones on a great high end saddle the WTB's are worth the test ride!

In other news, Rick (the professor, the wizard, etc.)is leaving on vacation and the infamous Jordan (Gordan, Gordo) will be covering this week. There is coverage, but on more extensive repairs, please expect delays.

Rick also got repped (repped hard!!!!) on the seven springs website, feast your eyes on an image from 7 years ago!!!!!

August is HOT HOT HOT

2007-08-04T17:19:00.000-04:00

Riding in august gets a bit tedious, and it is hard to hydrate when the liter of water you just drank is in your t shirt. I have felt like my brake pads have been rubbing the past 6 rides. It is just hard to breath when the air is this thick and yellow.

Shop Updates:

Bontrager brakes are in. H0ly Sh1t!!!!

Work orders are down to a week, if you are going on vacation, get them here sooner rather than later.

New Serfas multi tools are in, and they are pretty slick for 15 bucks. Knife with locking blade included.

Sam is riding a century with Dave Kraft in Virginia today so the sunday group ride for the 5th (Tomorrow) is cancelled. Sorry folks. Thursday night rides have still been bumpin', get on one of these rides before the season is over.

We have a bunch of bikes on sale at deeeeeeep discounts. (Road, mountain, aluminum, carbon, full suspension, titanium, disc brakes!!!!)

Playlist:

Danzig 2 Lucifuge
Bob Dylan - Times they are a changin
Jeff Buckley
The Smiths - Singles.

Bontrager Speed Limit Road Brakeset

2007-07-17T13:26:00.000-04:00

Campy Record Skeleton 279g $409.99
FSA SLK Brakes 290g $199.99
Sram Force 280g $250.00
Dura Ace Brakes 310g $300.00

Bontrager Speed Limit Road Brakeset 270g $199.99

-Lightweight forged alloy construction keeps brakeset weight down.
-Innovative poweramp linkage provides dual-pivot stopping power in a single pivot design.

-wide cross sextion arms give maximum stiffness and power for a responsive brake feel.

-Backed by a Five Year Warranty

PRO EFFING LOGUE!!!!

2007-07-06T20:04:00.000-04:00

The "F" standing for france.

But wait Soupie, the Prologue starts in Britain!

Yes it does, my inner monologue, yes it does.

It seems that this "bike race" thing is being covered on "versus" tv, which is a bummer because i signed up for OLN again.....

I lied, i don't have a TV.

But seriously folks, July is here, the tour is here, lance armstrong is not here, basso bailed, and hopefully no more bags of blood with pet names on them show up anytime soon.

Either way, swing down to the shop and talk bikes with us, i will use my cyclingnews.com cheat sheet to feign interest in the "tour of france" everyone is so excited about. All sandwhiches at lunch will be eaten with Credit Mayonaise.

....

Get it? Like lyonaise, the bank that sponsors the tour. Get it?

......

Rut Row

2007-06-26T16:15:00.000-04:00

Just a reminder, we are at atleast a week/10 days on repairs. ATLEAST. Thank you for your patience. It's june in a bike shop, baby!

Super Sale/Tour mania/Good deals on accessories is coming up in July. HOLY CRAP!!!

Check your mail for mailers n'at.

Stolen from an email a year ago.

Where are you Steve Feinstein

2007-06-16T13:14:00.000-04:00

Are you in italy?

Thursday Night Group Ride

2007-06-15T15:37:00.000-04:00

Last night's group ride turned out roughly 15 people, trails were super fast with puddles to splash through, 3 paragons, 2 rigs, Adam's Waltworks, Bianchi Cross concept, making this one of the twentyninest group rides we have had yet!

A bunch of d00dz rode demo bikes which Sam brought for everyone in his van, The Gypsy, named after Mr. Paris-Roubaix Himself, Roger De Vlaeminck. Sam upped Roger's 4 Paris Roubaix victories by putting FIVE BICYCLES!!! in his van.

This was quickly shown up by a woman driving a van into the parking lot with, I crap you not, a horse in the back! Leland has a photo on his phone, soon to be uploaded.

Ya, the horse came.

*head shake*

Ride with Mayor Luke Ravenstahl on the new lane!

2007-06-15T13:19:00.000-04:00

Ride with Mayor Luke Ravenstahl on the new lane!

Join Bike Pittsburgh on Monday, June 18 at 11:00 AM for a kickoff and celebratory ride along the new bike lane and shared lane markings with the Mayor of Pittsburgh, Luke Ravenstahl. We will be meeting at the parklet at Baum Blvd and Liberty Ave at 10:45 AM for a press event and speech by the Mayor. PLEASE RSVP TO info@bike-pgh.org if you plan on riding along. An RSVP is not necessary to ride, we just need to get a rough estimate on how many folks to expect. Don’t forget your helmet!

The ride will end at the Church Brew Works. Although we are not footing the bill, join us for lunch afterwards at one of Pittsburgh’s best restaurants. Pierogie Pizza!!

(Repost from Erok of Bike-PGH!)

Porkers

2007-06-14T18:54:00.000-04:00

Jeff "Sammy Haggar" "Red Rocker" Wuertherle came in to the shop today to inform me about some new things going on with Pittsburgh Off Road Cyclists, aka Porc.

Porc is offering a beginner mtb ride in south park at the same time as our Mountain bike ride with Sam Friggin' Kaufman. So in south park, every thursday at 6:00pm there are 2 seperate rides leaving. New to the sport of mountain biking? Check out the beginner ride! It will be at a comfortable pace with no one left behind. Sam's group ride will also not leave anyone behind, however, if you want to hammer, i suggest riding with these guys. Last week, our boy, Jimmy ruffing was putting the hurt on everyone. This week is probably the same.

Trail Conditions from 3:00 pm today : South Park

Tacky, low spots with mud and slick logs and roots.

Rainy Day Bike Shop Poll

2007-06-08T17:53:00.000-04:00

Sam and I hold down the fort as Jeffy and Dave Friedman AKA Butters work on their bikes off the clock. As we dust mop, air up tires, and talk about shit we want to buy, Nature called. As I strode gallantly towards the chair, I thought, "Hey, a tire poll would make a good blog post". So here are the Friday staff of TRM's TIRE PICKS!

FAVORITE TIRE POLL!!!!!!!

Friedman: Friedman likes the Maxxis Holy Rollers for BMX. Dave states, "Accept no substitutes".

Jeffers: Jeffers enjoys the Michelin transworlds, he is rocking the 32c version and claims that "there is minimal water splashback". He and I are both fond of the Reflective sidewall.

Soupie: I like the Vittoria Zaffiro 23c wire bead. This is the pabst blue ribbon of tires. The cheapest I will ride, but still palatable. I like to commute on 23c's, this is my tire.

Sam: Sam likes the Vredrstein Tri Comps, the original. "Some of the Stickyest, Gripiest, high pressure tires out there, Super sticky! Super Sticky!" This is Sam Kaufman's most winningest tire.

Uhh....Yeah.

That's All Folks!

2007-06-05T12:38:00.000-04:00

We are at the point where we can no longer gaurantee work done for the MS-150 Escape to the Lake. We apologize, however, it is in 3 days. Consider yourself warned!

Perhaps get friendly with Lennard Zinn , the gentle giant.

Maglia Rosa

2007-06-01T11:53:00.000-04:00

So Di Luca may be in the Maglia rosa, but aparently TRM is too, not only do we have a super swanky Bianchi Wool Maglia Rosa Jersey in stock but if you drive by you will notice that the outside of TRM is donning the Pink Jersey. WASSSSUP!

Well, I am not 100% sure that the entire store will be pink, but there are a couple of d00ds outside (presumably painters) who are painting trim and ledges pink.

Pretty in Pink

MS 150

2007-05-26T09:58:00.000-04:00

Its a comin' people, itsa comin'.

We have already started to see a few customers bring in their bikes for the event.

TAKE NOTE!!! These prepared individuals will recieve their bike in time for the event because of propper planning. TRM Cycles will do everything in its power to quickly turn around repairs for the MS 150, however, we are quickly approaching the point where if parts need to be ordered you are S.O.L. or S. out of luck. Please prepare accordingly. I type this and look up at the 13 MS 150 plaques presented to TRM. Please, people, help me help you. Get yer bikes in if they need it...early.

Twenty Niner Revolution

2007-05-18T12:28:00.000-04:00

I would like to congratulate? thank? ...whatever.

I am stoked that this d00d Ron picked up a Supa-fly 69er from Trek. He was pretty excited about the way the Maverick Fork felt, he is already a part of the Single Speed Nation so no questions there, and is looking forward to hopping some thick logs on his new horse.

So we are one less bike, but I am still comfortable in saying that TRM Cycles is the Twentyninest (tm) Shop in the South Hills.

If anyone has any good ideas on the "Twentyninest" gang sign for us to through up when we say "twentyninest", please send a digital photograph of it to evanr at trek of pgh dot com . I don't want anything lame, Bettini does that thing in the specialized ad, and it sucks. Nothing like that.

Ok, I have tooted my horn and trashed the competition. I guess that is it for today.

Playlist:
Bob Dylan - times they are a changin'
Guns and Roses - Appetite for Destruction
Mashup crap that Sam Kaufman likes....

Tired of Automatic Shifting Lemons? Try a Lime!!

2007-05-15T18:30:00.000-04:00

As illustrated in this photo, not only are limes the best looking automatic bike out there, they are also automatically shifting themselves out of the store. We cannot keep them in stock. Order 'em up, and we will get you rolling on one in no time at all.

I would also like to give a shout out to all of the Caffiene Club guys heading to D.C. this week. Have fun and take some pictures. The Mount Lebanon Cycling and Caffiene Club has been around since 1988 and has been mostly recognized as "Old guys wearing tight pants". To Horst, Rocky, Bod, Dave, Nick Rossi (not riding his Masi), and anyone that I am missing, have a good time.

Bike to work week!

2007-05-14T15:53:00.000-04:00

So far,

Soupie: 1 day

Adam: 1 day

Revolution Ron Alloway: 1 day (i don't know if he biked to work parsay, but he rode)

What are you guys doin?

Sam Friggin' KAUFMAN

2007-05-12T11:22:00.000-04:00

Is leading two group rides out of TRM Cycles. For those interested in carving through the lush mid atlantic forrest that is south park, at a conversational pace, Sam will lead a group mountain bike ride thursdays, meeting at the ICE SKATING RINK PARKING LOT at 6:00 PM leaving at 6:30 PM. This ride has the possibility of dusk riding, log piles, and drinking beers afterwards.

In addition to this mountain bike ride, Sam will also lead a Road Ride based out of La Bella Bean coffee in bridgeville. Riders will meet at the coffee shop at 9:00am and the ride will leave promptly at 9:30am. The ride has the possibility of two moderate hill climbs, talking to cows, yelling at horses, and drinking coffee before and after. 2-5 hours in duration with Multiple bailout points. This ride is on country roads, with road conditions from good to awful. The pace will be conversational. Country roads and beautiful scenery.

Call for information and directions. 412-343-6885

NATIONAL BIKE MONTH AND BIKE TO WORK WEEK!!!!

2007-05-06T13:12:00.000-04:00

May is national bike month and May 14-18th is Bike 2 Work Week. Ultimately making Friday, May 18th Bike 2 Work day 2007. Bike for a whole month, bike for a week, bike to work one day, the call is simple. RIDE RIDE RIDE!!!

Some say "put the fun between your legs" with a bike, i don't know what they say.

It is only may 6th, and Revolution Ron Alloway already has 6 days on EVERYONE!!!! Soupie can't keep up with the Revolution as far as days in the saddle. Can you?

Patented Ratio

2007-05-02T18:55:00.000-04:00

Accelorade has a patented ratio between protein and carbohydrates making it a superior training beverage. Hrmmm 4 carbs to one gram of protein.

My mind continues pondering from Frick Park monday, Perhaps I (soupie) will patent my own ratio.

Thus I Publish the Soupie Ratio, On my 29 karate monkey I am running a 32x20 or a 1.6 : 1 ratio aka the Soupie.

It is now common occurence when out singlespeeding with your friends to ask "hey what gear ratio are you running? I am running the soupie!". And when your friends realize that they are running an inferior gear ratio on their 29er (cause no one is friends with anyone who rides 26in wheels anymore) they will swing down to the most twentyninest (a word soon to be patented) shop in the south hills to pick up new chain rings and cogs/freewheels.

We also just recieved the Mark Weir Signature 29er tire the WEIRWOLF!!!!!!! 29x2.55

Not just a 2.5, it is a 2.55!!!!! HOLY SH%T!!!!!!

Thought I'd just keep all yinz in the loop.

Playlist:
Pentagram - Relentless
Dropdead - Dropdead
Avskum - Crucified by the System
Danzig - Danzig II Lucifuge

Thanks Scott!

2007-04-24T21:57:00.000-04:00

Even Corey agrees!

If you suddenly discovered this blog, this posting will seem a little odd. Just check out our archives for details. Anyway back to the topic at hand...

THANKS SCOTT!!!

After some technical difficulties with his slide show, Scott Daubert of Trek Bikes fame entertained us with stories of the Discovery/ Postal team and some cool Trek technology.

Here we have Scott re-organizing his 60 plus top secret photos from his five years as the Trek Team Liaison to the Discovery Channel. As of six weeks ago Scott has moved on the Brand Manager for Trek Road Bikes. We are excited to see what the future holds with Scott at the reigns of the Trek Road Marketing Juggernaut!

Scott's talk was awesome if you are a bike geek like I am. We learned that a reduction of 18mm in the bottom bracket will save you a whopping 1;36 over a 50k TT! That will move you from the bottom 1/3 of the pack to a podium position in most Pro races. If anyone from HBO is reading, I have a idea to replace the Sopranos...Belgium Black Money.

I can hear our six rider saying the same thing. But Mike, That's a photo of Ivan Basso wearing a disco kit riding a Cervelo. WHAT GIVES? The answer is easy, my friends. When Basso joined the Disco Squad this year, The boys at Trek (GO SCOTT!) had to prove to Ivan that the Trek Equinox TTX was a stiffer and faster bike. Soooo... They had Ivan get into a low speed wind tunnel and ran some tests and guess what... THE TTX IS FASTER AND BETTER RIDING! Take that you stupid Canadians!

Anyway I digress. Thanks again Scott and you can ride the Paragon any time you want. P.S. I promise to keep T.J. and Adam any from you, or at least to limit them to 1 Q factor question a piece.

Later Kids, I'm Out!

East Coast Free Ride

2007-04-24T21:44:00.000-04:00

While Soupie begins the eternal quest for Yinzers riding North Shore, I am on another quest. I want to start a new trend and bring it the for-front of Cycling Culture, EAST COAST FREE RIDING! I want to hear from anyone riding a cross brike on single track. Where do yinz ride? What set-up works best? How do you talk your buddies into converting? Keep me posted!

North Shore

2007-04-23T19:08:00.000-04:00

NSBS.

Where are all the d00dz that like north shore stuff and free-riding? I had this d00d come in to the shop tonight and he was possibly the first person I have talked to that is actively building north shore stuff in pittsburgh. Needless to say I was pretty excited.

SOupie, you ride north shore?

No, I do not. I am a huge wuss. I do, however, think it is cool as hell. And the d00d that came in was st0ked on riding NSBS. So, anyone out there into north shore stuff, BMX stuff, or anything. Get in contact with us. We'd love to hear your story. If it is legible and coherent (more so than this blog) we will post it. d00d is gonna bring us pictures of his teeter totters and drop offs. Into touring? We will post your pictures crossing the continental divide. Cyclocross? We will post your picture of you bunnyhopping a barrier. Cross Country afficcionado? We will post pictures of your twistiest single track, and your most technical of rock gardens. Want to give a trail report? Sweet digs, TRM would like to hear it.

Power Training, Product Testing, and the Donkey Whisperer

2007-04-23T18:13:00.000-04:00

So it's been a while and we are still here. We have been up to our eyeballs in repairs and new bikes. A little nice weather and everyone decided to come to the bike shop. I did manage to sneek away for a ride with Lola this Saturday and try out some new products. In particular I have been looking forward to really getting some miles on my easy bake oven shoes. THey are the SH-R300, a custom moldable shoe from Shimano.

Needless to say I can easily say that these are the most comfortable road shoes I have ever worn. They are a little shiny for my personal taste. I am from the Johnny Cash school of fashion. They are light, stiff and my feet don't fall asleep.

I also wanted to update our six readers on the Cyclops Powertap. It has been almost a year ofn the SL model and I have no complaints. It is definately worth the additional money for the SL, in just time, reliability, and batteries. It also really helps make good use of your training time when you work witha coaching service like JBVCoaching.com. Lola rides less and is twice as fast as when she trained on her own. If you like to go fast drop these guys a line. THey even have a Coach in the area who understands what it is like to ride here.

We saw a bunch of animals on our road ride. Best of all, we saw a heard of donkeys. I called them over and they actually listened. So from forever forward I will only answer to the Donkey Whisperer. Enjy the photos!

I'm off to Shadyside to listen to Scott Daubert talk and yinz is all dumb if yinz ain't going.

THULE DAYS!

2007-04-18T13:17:00.000-04:00

Thue Days starts today and here are the details:

All OLD products are on sale at 20% off

All NEW products are on sale for 10% off

How do you tell what’s old and what’s new?

If you look at the new Thule catalog (it has the lighthouse on the cover and says 2007) all the new products say “NEW!” in the top right corner of the picture.

Other items that are carryovers that we stock include all the fit kits and feet plus the Low Rider and the Spare Me!!!!

We have a lot of the new Thule stuff here in the warehouse, so if we don't have the rack you are looking for, Just ask and we can check stock between all of our stores and the warehouse.

P.S.

2007-03-30T20:40:00.000-04:00

This means no group ride this sunday. I can't go to school, work, play drums in a band, write two blogs, train for racing (poorly), and fall of the back and still run a group ride. I am just one person. I am sorry for my shortcomings. Come out to mingo, there is single track and a road race, all at the same venue.

Won't be the first, won't be the last.

My bad.

$60 Closer to Falling off the back...

2007-03-29T13:20:00.000-04:00

But why Soupie, where did your $60 go? Did you by lizard skins neoprene for all of your off road bikes? Did you take advantage of the Super Sale price on Helmets, Locks, Seat Bags, Car Racks, WRENCH FORCE DELUXE WORK STANDS and other assorted things?

Nope.

I got my USCF License. Now I can suck, officially.

But Soupie, Where will you be riding to the fullest extent of your mediocrity?

THIS WEEKEND IS THE FIRST RACE OF THIS YEARS MINGO CREEK SERIES, WOOOOOO!

Nottingham Twp., Washington County, PA

Sundays – April 1, April 15, April 22.
Held Under USCF Permit – pending

Entry - $15.00 includes insurance

Registration begins @8:45am

Race Start
Laps/miles
Field limit

Cat. 1, 2, 3 +Masters 40-49
10:00am
7/33
75

Cat. 4/5+ Masters 50+
10:05am
6/28.3
50

Women – open
10:05am
6/28.3
50

(Fields may be combined at the promoter’s discretion) * Cash and or prizes to top 3 each race and each Masters group.
* Course description: 4.7 mile circuit, rolling

* USCF license is required.

* All riders must complete and sign 2004 Standard athletes release

* For additional information contact Don Mosites @ (724) 575-4000, dono@trekofpgh.com

* For more info visit the ACA website at www.acaracing.com

Directions:

The race will be held near Mingo Park, which is near 84 PA, which is in
Washington County PA, which is south of Pittsburgh. From interstate 79 take
the Houston exit east on route 519 east towards 84 PA. Follow 519 until you
get to Brownlee road, and turn onto it. There is a Mingo Park sign right in
front of you on Brownlee. Continue on Brownlee about 1/2 mile, then make a
left on Patterson. Follow Patterson all the way to the Mingo Park entrance.
Then follow the signs to the parking lot.

Course Description:

The race will start out on Valley View Rd. (about 200m from Sugar Run Rd.)
heading south and make a right on Sugar Run Rd. A right on Sundust Rd.
then proceed to Green Valley Rd. At the stop sign make a right and then
another right onto Gilkenson Rd. Follow Gilkenson to Patterson Rd.
and make another right. Then back down to Valley View where the
finish line will be.

If you notice, I will also be riding with the Masters 50+. My plan will be to ride Horst Bernhardt's wheel and then take him in the sprint. I got my eye on you Horst!!!!

My Bad

2007-03-27T12:49:00.000-04:00

So, the trails were swamps on sunday, and I needed to put some finishing touches on college graduation plans (so i can better serve the TRM Customer base *wink*). Thus, The group ride didn't happen. I believe that only one person showed up. And to him, I AM EXTREMELY SORRY!!! Please forgive me and come on more group rides, it was sweet having you out on a bunch of them last year. My bad.

In addition to this, Super Sale starts tomorrow. We have a bunch of stuff from Trek that we just got in. More bike are on the way, too. In the hectic warm weather frenzy, a ton of new bikes left the shops to new owners, and a ton of bikes showed up to get some TLC.

Repair wait without special ordered parts is about a week right now. I will continue to keep this time for work updated. The MS-150 is coming up in (yes) many months, but the last 2 weeks of repairs are usually booked up. Be prepared this year, Pittsburgh!

Love,

Soupie

Sweet Dealz

2007-03-19T18:41:00.000-04:00

This years Super Sale is just around the bend and the Wrench Force Repair Stand is on sale for $139.99. I have been using one of these at my house to tune up a couple of my rides (which i am continually neglecting. Don't tell the bikes though, they don't know any better). For the Home Mechanic this is an incredible repair stand for the price, and during Super Sale, it is $30 off! All of the "Trek of Pittsburgh" locations as well as TRM will be keeping these in stock for the Sale as well as for the summer.

Don't Like getting knee deep in the gears? Bring your bike in for the skilled hands of the Professor. Right now, the $90 tune up plus includes a drive train cleaning, a full tune up, and new cables and housing. Thats $20 of cables and housing included in the price of our Tune Up Plus.

I think its that time again.

2007-03-19T18:17:00.000-04:00

THIS SUNDAY (weather permitting) WILL BE THE FIRST TRM CYCLES MTB GROUP RIDE IN SOUTH PARK!

I don't know who is going to show up, I don't know if the trails are going to be ridable, I don't even know which bike i am going to ride.

So, everyone call saturday for the last minute details. The basic frame work: 2 hour no drop ride, intermediate terrain, meet at 9 A.M. in the Ice Skating rink parking lot. Just like college, we will wait and extra 15 minutes for the professor before leaving without him.

I am hurting to ride single track, So badly, but if weather is crappy, a cyclocross/road ride might be in order. Stay tuned. We (collectively) are going to have a good season off road this year. If it is too muddy to ride, we will stick to the roads. I don't really see a reason to make girl scout, the VIP trail, or any other trails any wider than they already are.

Scott Daubert is Coming!

2007-03-19T16:51:00.000-04:00

So Scott Daubert is coming to Trek of Pittsburgh in Shadyside to give us all a glimpse into life on the bus. He is going to give a two hour talk on Trek's Carbon technology and what it has been like working with the USPS/ Discovery Channel team for the last few years.

If you are as excited as I am to see this talk please RSVP to info@trekofpgh.com as seating is exremely limited. Belfore all of you freak on me I just realized that the 23rd is a Monday so come then and not on Wednesday. I kinda leaked this on the TRM blog so all six of you can get seats...

Here is a little more info about Scott if you are unaware:

Scott Daubert has worked for Trek Bicycle since 1992. After graduating from Fort Lewis College in Durango, CO with a degree in English, he worked part-time for Trek as a test rider to develop their full suspension bikes. In 1994, he became the Trek/VW team mechanic and later managed the SAAB and Subaru / Gary Fisher race programs.

In 2002 his title changed to Trek Teams Liaison. His main responsibility is to deliver Trek and Bontrager products to Trek supported teams, namely the Discovery Channel Professional Cycling Team. He has worked at two Olympic Games, attended 60+ World Cup events on 4 different continents, and has followed the Tour de France from start to finish for the past 4 years.

Trail Work Day!!!

2007-03-14T18:39:00.000-04:00

PTAG (pittsburgh trail advocacy group) has organized a Trail Work Day at Pleasant Valley Park in Murrysville, PA. Bring Tools: Rakes, Pruners, Loppers, Mcleod, Mattock, Hand saws, gloves Etc. A hike and a mountain bike ride follows the work day. SUNDAY APRIL 1st (no joke!) at 10 AM. Refreshments will be provided by Panera bread and possibly others (according to flyer). Directions and more at PVPARK.ORG.

Trail Eddiekit

2007-03-12T15:31:00.000-04:00

Greetings All,

After surviving the first nice weekend in quite a while I found myself compelled to remind everyone about a little trail etiquette. It seems that more than a few users are unaware or have forgotten the rules. I know our Six readers agreeing with me but if you are new, here's a recap.

The ATA (www.atatrail.org) states that:
Average Trail Travel Speed

Walkers and hikers typically average two to three miles an hour; cyclists might cover seven to 10 miles an hour. The speed limit on the trail is 15 mph.

Also IMBA (www.IMBA.com) states that:

3. Control Your Bicycle!

Inattention for even a second can cause problems. Obey all bicycle speed regulations and recommendations.

4. Always Yield Trail.

Let your fellow trail users know you're coming. A friendly greeting or bell is considerate and works well; don't startle others. Show your respect when passing by slowing to a walking pace or even stopping. Anticipate other trail users around corners or in blind spots. Yielding means slow down, establish communication, be prepared to stop if necessary and pass safely.

What this means to the average user is that you need to communicate when passing and Slow down and or yeild to other SLOWER trail users.

I do not want to discourage anyone from riding but I also do not want to lose access to a area as nice as the Trail system because other users do not obey the rules.

Later kids, I'm out

Step it up, Step it in

2007-03-08T18:19:00.000-05:00

Let me begin.

......

(awkward silence)

Cycling Super Giant LOOK is promoting their "Step Into Keo" promotion. By simply bringing in the "STEP INTO KEO!!!" coupon from your favorite cycling publication with a pair of your old Look pedals, You can get $10, $20, or $30 off on select Look Keo pedals.

TRM Cycles will be stocking the Keo Classics (odd name for a new pedal, eh?), Keo Sprints, and Keo Carbons.

Step into it!

Congrats Levi, Boohiss NY Times

2007-03-07T18:37:00.000-05:00

Levi Leipheimer(hausen) won the Tour of California. Crushing it. Time trialing it. Living it. (Shameless brand plug) By using his TREK TTX Time trial bike with BONTRAGER Aero Bars and BONTRAGER "AEOLUS" Wheels, Levi took the top of the podium in time trials and the overall.

Down to Business.

So I heard there was some controversey over the large wreck after the prologue that halted 70% of the riders and there was some ruling that people were a little jazzed about but was totally legit (From my mailorder sources). Velonews was very informative but i wanted to dig deeper. "BY HEAVENS MEANS SOUPIE, WHAT DID YOU DO?". So i googled it and found a New York Times article by Edward Wyatt (yeah, I'm calling it out) and was rather dissapointed. The Mainstream coverage of one of the big American races by one of the big american media sources truly did not do bicycle racing much justice. Though, there are probably plenty of TDF stories that totally blow, I feel kinda put off to this. Before I really tear into this article, I would inform that I did look at some of the author previous articles that were non-cycling related to try and establish some background/cycling cred. His article informing me on Paula Abduls vow to stay healthy and sober was intriguing but his cycling news seemed strictly based off of the TOC.

So where did I get upset?

"Leipheimer rode the course aggressively, sprinting up its short climbs in a standing position on his pedals. Many of his opponents climbed the same hills tucked in an aerodynamic position. Leipheimer said he also rode hard on the descents, at one point cutting a corner so close that he raked his shoulder against a bush."

WHAT THE HELL! WHY MUST HE TAKE ALL OF THE STRUGGLE AND PAIN OUT OF OUR SPORT!?!?!

Cutting a corner he raked his shoulder off of a bush?? I spent 2 hours raking my shoulders off of bushes this morning in South Park, WHY IS IT SO HARD FOR PROS TO DO THIS?!

Why not talk about the wreck that stopped 70% of the field? Why not talk about the climbers and sprinters who were strong in this terrain?

I am only going to attack this particular part. Feel it out yourselves, all six of you TRM Blog readers. I could say something about how this article catered to the preconcieved notion that Professional cycling is for nerds (which it ...well might be) by describing the tedious technology of wind tunnel testing and "aero positioning". "Raking his shoulder off of a bush" is probably the weakest thing to describe about riding a time trial. If Wyatt took the time to describe an aero position he could have maybe written about the comfort level of aero positioning and its correlation to power outputs.

I wouldn't be bold enough to say that this was a poor article, but I was most certainly upset about it. There was an article in BIKE magezine about the image of mountain biking and how ads and various stories "weakened" the sport, or atleast created a weakend image (Olympia camera ad with Muddy biker). Michael Brown said similar things in a recent Dirt Rag.

Either way, Long story Short.

Biking Good, American Bike Races Good, Not-So Enthusiastic Looks at Cycling BAD

I will leave you with the opening paragraph from the article. This is how this thing started.

"So intent was Levi Leipheimer on winning the Tour of California this year that, oddly enough, he had to force himself to stay off his bicycle on some days last fall so he would not burn himself out too early."

What does that even mean, in relationship to introducing the results of the stage 5 time trial.

Same Planet, Different Worlds

2007-03-06T18:15:00.000-05:00

So, I'm on spring break, and rather than "go wild" in Cancun, I decided to pick up work hours. So, after putting in some crucial hours working for National Velo Incorporated, I came to the understanding that working in the warehouse is waaaaaaaaay different than working at 88. First and foremost, 88 is a crisp 64 degrees, the warehouse is a frigid 40 degrees. So how do our brave warehouse lads endure these conditions. Some would guess layering tons and tons of cycling clothing, morphing their bodies in a michelin man like stature, Some would say dressing for the occaision like a construction worker; this is close and does occur but not the heart of my explanation. The warehouse crew copes with the brutally cold winters and sweltering summers by being the junk food kings of the universe. Holy Crap. I have eaten alot of junk food in the past couple days.

Perhaps all six of you at home are saying, "Soupie, your Vegetarian diet causes you to eat more vegetable and your body is just not used to average junk food consumption". I would like to quickly remind those viewers that spending 2 weeks in a van driving around middle america offers little nutrition, especially eating at gas stations in the wee hours of the night.

It all boils down to the superior dollar store. The dollar store has an incredible amount of crap, and there isn't much in this world that will work up a hunger that can only be satisfied with cheap garbage. Lifting boxes, answering emails, talking about how sweet the Descente Aero Tri Suit looks, and wrecking Nick Mosites day really give me a hankering for candy bars, oatmeal cream pies, and 25 cent iced tea.

Tomorow, I return to home base. I trade my "singing black flag at the top of my lungs all the time" for my singing "Paradise by the Dashboard Light once every flash back friday". I will trade my Taco Bell for.....Taco Bell...

..........

Lola's done had an apifaknee

2007-02-26T22:33:00.000-05:00

Greetings All,

Lola had come to the conclusion that she has a Top 5. Her Top 5 is:

1. Saranac Black Diamond Bock (Limited Edition)
2. Team SlipStream Argyle Jerseys
3. Obsidian Coffee on Avocado Day
4. Cycling on VS. (finally)
5. Two Hour Trainer Rides watching a Dog Whisperer marathon

Later Kids, I'm out...

My Feet Hurt

2007-02-25T22:26:00.000-05:00

So, It's over...the Warehouse Sale is in the bag for another year and MAN do my feet hurt. This is the culmination of roughly 2 months of Prep a year of purchasing and a month of 5s. We had to clean, re arrange, and stage 10,000 square feet of warehouse. I was hoping it was going to be bigger than last year... well I was wrong...we beat last year at 11:00 and this year was HUGE!. We doubled last year and destroyed all goals we set. So I am willing to call it a success. It was so big that other shop's employees were shopping OUR sale because our prices were so good.

Anyway, thanks to all of the employees and all of Our amazing customers, who without them, we would be a not so great store. I hope to see you all again next year when I hope it is even bigger and better.

Later Kids, I'm out.

DREAM TEAM!

2007-02-25T13:24:00.000-05:00

I am blogging from THEE warehouse sale RIGHT NOW. It has greatly slowed down (this is a comparison) because it was HOPPIN' for the first 2.5 hours. I had a pretty strong 2 hours at the front register, and I had no sense of self or time. I really would like to thank friends for coming out and breaking me out of the hum of ringing people up. I appreciate seeing all of the faces I recognize from the 88 shop, the old 719 shop, and those good friends of mine.

I am stoked to be working with an extra large posse of Natty Velo employees, and 3 of our reps. It is certainly a dream team.

*please do not give me crap for spelling or poor grammer, it is pretty hectic to be blogging.

The converted?

2007-02-21T16:51:00.000-05:00

Single speed converted, most certainly. I am referring to the Campy-Shimano Debate, and to be honest in stage one, i think my stance will interestingly refreshing.

To begin, I have run shimano LX, XTR, 105, Ultegra, and only ridden dura ace once for about 7 blocks. I have used, STI, Dual Control, Rapid Fire, and Bar End shifters. I am familiar with the shifting of shimano, the speed of a proper shift, the crispness of an adjusted drive chain, and the performance at different levels. I have a pretty decent grasp on the component groups capabilities.

On my new Bianchi 928 (later to be reviewed) I have been running Campagnolo Centaur 10 speed. I have about 3 hours on the trainer, and about 9 hours on the road with this guy, and I have noticed some differences in the way the bike shifts and the function of the shifters and I have to admit, I'm kinda impressed.

There was some fidgeting with barrels, and small adjustments after the first good ride, but the bike is dialed in. I don't believe I have the narrative skill to write about these components and bring the smell of fresh tomatoes and basil to the air accompanied by the sound of opera music (yeah, just like when your on hold on the phone with Campy), so I will make a brief list of things I really like.

1 Three cogs up, all of them down. So i have the same upshift creative control as shimano, but i can dump a pile of gears. To combat this, most say "When do you need to dump 9 gears" and I say not often, but i can dump three and that happens alot, as well as dumping 6 which doesn't happen often but certainly does.

2 The feel of the hoods. I will admit that I am by no means a roadie, nor do i usually take the comfortable way out when purchasing bike parts, but these things feel good. New Shimano 10 feels good, and Shimano 9 feels pretty alright, too. I am just noting that I like this.

3 The shifting is loud! This is great, I hit the shifter, i can hear the mechanisms, i can hear the chain drop into the gear. I can hear when the indexing is off (boy howdy can you) and I can just can the clicks and noises when I'm droppin all them gears and droppin the hammer.

So, Soupie, you love campy now right? No.

No I don't.

I like it. It is pretty swell, It works great (So far) and riding it is a blast. I enjoy riding my Bianchi 928 for the reasons above.

I can't say that I love it yet. I really think you campy guys need to readjust yourself. I am not talking about guys who prefer to run campy, I'm talking about campagnologists, those guys who eat sleep breath loving campy stuff. I just don't understand your love yet. I really like shimano, and i think that I like campy better. I can never say that I loved shimano, and i don't know if i could ever say i loved campy.

It has like....all this stuff going on that I'm not really excited about, special cables, special routing, but the thing i really can't get over is it has DERAILLEURS!!

Soupie, what about campy track? I Simply respond, are you buying? Are you repacking my hubs? Am I Track racing?

So, This concludes phase one. As the current ambassador to the Campy world from our Campy pro shop TRM CYCLES, I will continue this debate at a later time.

As far as being a Campy Pro shop, we are authorized to work on campy stuff, rebuild shifters, derailleurs, and wheels (depending on their rebuildability, I am not going to relaminate your Ghibli). So, if it brakes call it up!

One Less Car....

2007-02-16T14:28:00.000-05:00

So, I am one less car. Seriously. The buick did not start today. What crap, what utter crap. So, i sacrificed comfort and road my fixed gear to work today.

So Soupie, Why didn't you call AAA, why didn't you get a jump, why didnt you put an electric blanket on your engine block? I was short on time, I had to go to class (missing was not an option, thanks landlord) and I do not have an electric blanket and extension cord. After making sure my battery was most certainly dead by trying to start my car 10 times, i scrambled to get my stuff together. The ride was frigid, breathtakingly beautiful, and very hard at times. Perhaps i should have titled this "Uphill and into the wind" or "Everything is Frozen, and soon I will be". Riding down second avenue along the river was breath taking, cruising down 88 was frigid, and climbing up becks run road was difficult. Everytime I got out of the saddle, my shell turned into a sail and just pushed on me.

I guess I could sum up most of the ride in describing a situation (that happened during the ride). On carson street, in the long stretch before the blue belt, a line of traffic had accumulated behind me. Usually people will honk or beep if I am not far enough over for them, but today there was slush everywhere except where i was riding and the cars were driving. Neither of us wanted to sink our wheels into the brown road gravy and a line formed. Then I hear honking in the distance, "what's the hold up". Then there was a critical point where all of the cars started passing me. The last car in the line was a Chevy Cavalier with an old woman with bobby pins and the whole works, behind the wheel. She emmitted this short little angry beep. She was passing me, and had to let me know that she was peturbed. So in a fashion comparable to a "bichon" dog barking at me, the old woman reminded me that I was on a bicycle.

That was all that beeb could have done. It wasn't loud enough to scare me, or piss me off. I had to use my own judgement to acknowledge that she was jacked. It just snapped me out of my anarobic daze. *YOU ARE ON YOUR BIKE*

Ice-Ice Baby...

2007-02-14T16:09:00.000-05:00

it's a freakin'-freezin' deep freeze around the 'burgh these days... i think my own brain is snowed in as well. where's my motivation? i think it's directly hard wired to riding bicycles. when i ride, i function properly. really well, actually. no riding = no functioning. it's a simple, sad equation. sad because i don't get to ride often enough. not sad from the standpoint of how much joy a simple ride brings me. it could be my massive 6-mile commute to work (and then i get to anticipate my ride home all day long), a sunday morning spent with buddies hitting the trails at bavington state game land or a rail-trail cruise with my wonderful wife.
i do realize it's winter and winter has finally come. i actually am gratefull for the snow; it's supposed to happen after all and that guarantees us a good summer with flowing rivers and streams and full lakes in which to take a dip. and plentiful water supplies, too.
winter is more of a time to reflect and take care of those projects we put off when the weather is "too good not to be out ridin'" and "i'll get to that this winter."
you see, my mood is already swinging for the better, just talking about cycling and reflecting on good times past and those yet to come. plus, our store in the south hills is really looking awesome thanks to all of rick's renovations and handywork. we have more space for bikes and this will really rock when the tune-ups start arriving to get some love from the professor's (aka rick) guilded hands. bikes will all have a place to comfortably rest while awaiting the trusty wrench or the return of their loving owners.
speaking of winter and things to look forward to... our 17th (or thereabouts) annual warehouse sale is coming up sunday the 25th of this month! woo-hoo! this is going to be amazing for everyone involved. customers can't afford to miss out on all the schwag and bikes that are at their lowest prices of the year. and there's no other time that all of our employees work together, side-by-side for an entire day for a united cause. that's pretty cool, especially now that we have four stores and lots of great teammates on board.
well, thanks for reading and letting me write my way to a better mindset. i am looking forward to seeing you at the sale and making plans for our next great ride.
stay safe and warm out there!
over and out- adam (bloomy)

Master Says Faster

2007-02-05T19:24:00.000-05:00

Alright, so i will admit, I am slightly shaded out by this "term" and I am going to give an explaination because a) it is kinda cool b) it's on cool socks c) it's on cool shirts d) most importantly and the reason for the former, it is on cool bikes.

So how do I start to explain that TRM is not a sexist shop and is simply filled to the brim with bicycle nerds? I guess i will start with a generic description of the origins. Bianchi had a product manager which gave Bianchi a cool and hip image by designing a bunch of singlespeed bikes. This PM was none other than the infamous hard-ass Sky Yaeger. Sky Yaeger could most easily be recognized in the Park Tool ad where she looks very serious. On all of these single speed bikes she desinged, ( W.U.S.S., S.A.S.S. G.U.S.S. B.U.S.S.) there was a sticker placed on the seat tube of the dominatrix demanding the rider to go faster! Since there being some heat from this, a few new stickers replace it: the "100% Chick Designed" sticker and the "Your Bike Sucks" Chainstay protector.

Recently, Bianchi has been pushing their soft goods. In addition to the totally awesome wool "Maglia Rosa" and "your bike sucks" socks, we have recieved "Master Says Faster" shirts and socks. I will admit, though I am a single speed deviant, the interpretation of this shirt would make me rather uncomfortable, but knowing the history makes it a lot better.

Sky Yaeger would definitly not be cool with the oppression or exploitation of women, she'd probably roll in to whatever bike shop on a Bianchi Rita and castrate all of the evil doers with that pedal wrench from the park ad. Sky's comfort with her gender and her place as one of the few women in a male dominated industry could be reflected by this.

So what are you d00dz lollygaggin' around for? Master says Faster!!!!

TOP 5

2007-02-05T13:59:00.000-05:00

Rick
1Moe's
2Pho Kim
3The Untouchable
4Pizza Hut
5Clif Blocks - Margarita

Soupie
1"A Sunday in Hell"
2Westminster Bicycle Swap
3COFFEE
4Mooching cycling gear
5 Value Time Corn Bread

Blue
1 Really Hot Showers!
2 Sidi Diablo GTX winter boots
3Miles Davis "Bitch's Brew"
4 OX Platinum Steel
5Sleeping in

Mike H

1Being a proud member of the 2% club
2The biggest warehouse sale in history
3Being one less car
4Toe Warmers
5Getting the bomb dropped on you

Cannons were fired but no one was killed

2007-02-01T11:25:00.000-05:00

For those of you readers that do not work in a bike shop, February can be a lonely time for us. The weather is really starting to effect us all. We can't ride as much we would like, so we are all a little on edge. There aren't many customers coming in and we all get a little tired of talking to the same faces every day (sorry Adam and Soupie but it had to be said). One of my former Bike Shop Bosses said that on days like this you could fire a cannon through the store and no one would get killed. Now mind you that as we have grown form one store to four in the last year and a half we are a lot busier that before, but, I have gotten used to the hectic nature and kind of miss it.

That being said, for the first time in a very long time, I am really getting excited about this February! The warehouse sale is shaping up to be the largest in history. We have made some really excellent additions to the TOP family (Welcome TJ, Travis, Bonnie, Janet, Blockhead, Dub, Justin, and Tight Pants) . Shadyside gets closer everyday and should open any day now. It should the nicest and the highest end store in six area codes. Cranberry is open and the staff are starting to lose the deer in the headlights look.

I am also really looking forward to working with local boys on the Fisher 29er team this year (Go Travis and TJ). I am also looking forward to cheering and supporting Lola in her endurance goals.

anyway, 2007 is here and I for one am really excited. I hope yinz stop by and see all of the great thing happening at TRM and the rest of the TOP family. I think you will be really impressed.

Later kids, I'm out.

Racing....

2007-01-31T19:04:00.000-05:00

I am going to try racing, my first real crack at racing.... As a brief update, the soupie is a fat kid. Immediately, all 5 of you at home are going aw soupie your not fat, NO. STOP, it is different. My friend krystina is a "Fat Kid" as well and she probably weighs 120 pounds or something.

I may have been an actual fat kid for most of my life, but now I (and krystina as well) am strictly a Glutton, with a minor case of Sloth. Racing or being fast in general, has never really been my forte` until i started eating vegetarian/vegan. Combining this with fast music and a supposedly active lifestyle has allowed me to shed those pounds and consider racing, at which I am Doomed. Now 3 of you at home are going, aw soupie what does that matter your fine. NO. Stop, this shows on a miniature level that I lack the Discipline to even consider structuring my life around serving sizes let alone ride times and heart rates.

The TRM/TOP race squad was out in almost full force sunday at Bavington and i don't think i have the Cajones to do this. This might take hard work! Something I do not deal well with. I have been getting increasingly more and more interested in Cyclocross racing, So much that i would consider racing at the oval this summer to get into shape for it. In addition to this, Laura (Mike's unentertainable/"hot" wife ) wanted to know/thought I was interested in doing the wilderness 101 with her. In addition to the previous addition, Jim Ruffing wants someone to go to the Burn 24 Hour Challenge in NC with him and ride duo (if anyone on the internet is interested riding with Jim in NC call the shop 412-343-6885).

I hate to show my cycling weakness on the internet, where I must be the Internet Cycling Overlord Admin Czar, but I do not know the second thing about racing ( I will admit, I probably know the first things). So perhaps, to pad the pages of our blog while Mike and Adam are busy trying to run stores, I will Document Weird Gadgets and other doo-dads and goobli gobs, and stuffs from training....

Worth a Shot i guess....More to come after I wolf down this pile of breadsticks from the pizza company.

My two Cents

2007-01-26T22:32:00.000-05:00

Well, I guess it is beeter to be last to post than to never start...so here goes (bare with me, I'm a little new to sharing).

Hi Everyone in Cyberspace, I'm Mike

I would like to share a little about myself. I am a bike geek in every sense of the word. When I am not working at a bike shop, I am reading about cycling on the internet, or I am talking about cycling with co-workers and friends, and if that doesn't work out then I plan building bikes in my head. I even have a special Excel spreadsheet that I can use and save it to view later.

now that I have shed a little light on the true geek within, I decided to build the craziest bike I could this past fall. A quick trip to the garage netted me enough parts to build a Single Speed Cyclocross bike. I ordered a Surly Cross Check and added a collection of Campy Record parts, a vintage set of WTB dirt drops, and a most riduculous set of deep disk carbon wheels. To make a long story short I ended up with a bike where the frame cost as much as the brake set and the wheel cost twice as much as the rest of the bike.

Yesterday i took insane to a whole new level when I switched out the WTB 700 x 32 tires for a new set of Bonty 29 x 1.8 mountain tires. I created Frankenstein's monster truck! I am planning on riding circles around Soupie at Bavington this weekend (don't tell Soupie). I hope to have some picutes up soon, as soon as I figure out how the he double hockey sticks how to do it.

I'm out, later kids

2007-01-26T16:43:00.000-05:00

well, well, well...
a blOg for me to contriBute to? wowZers! i am gonNa spill my brAin juice all over this screen for those who wish to lap up said spillAge of verBage. good tiMes i hOpe...
i lOve to ride bikes, tAlk bikes and wOrk on bikes. roAd, trAil, rAil-trAil, whAtever. bikeing = aweSome for blOOmy.

come see us at the shop. come ride with us on the trails (just ask us when and where). contribute whenever you'd like in any way you would like.
as i say lately... read. ride. repeat.

overandOut
bloomy

Not to be a jerk or nothing.

2007-01-26T13:14:00.000-05:00

I have recieved my nevegals, I am going to rail through corners and run everyone over. I am rather excited. The maiden voyage will be at Bavington on sunday if all goes correctly. The Mythos have served me....well.... well i guess. I recieved them on sale and I got a year out of them...not the best wet tire. That is all about to change, California has not been stoked on the Nevegals, but the east coast (home of varying riding conditions day to day) has been pretty stoked about this tire. The "Old Folks" have been running Michelin Hot S tires and many of them are switching to these.

In addition to being a jerk about new toys,

We are the 29er superstore of the south hills. We have Kenda Nevegalls 29 x 2.1's coming in today on transfer. This will continue to add to our selection of 29er tires, as we also have more bontrager Jones acx tires on the way, and the selection of WTBs and Michelins in stock currently. On top of the 5-8 29ers we keep in stock at all times.

There after a merciless plug, pimping such quality material goods, I can retire from the blog for a day. We have made some progress. Adam has posted, and we have upgraded to the New Blogger Powered by Google, and it only took us a half an hour.

New Pics

2007-01-24T18:24:00.000-05:00

Require webhosting, so i will do that here.

BEHOLD YOUR INTERNET BICYCLE OVERLORD SOUPIE!!!

...

Maybe I have to much power on this thing right now....

Here it is...it happened.

2007-01-24T17:54:00.000-05:00

Now I just need something to say. Hopefully Adam recieves my notification email. He has lots to say. Rick got sent an email, he doesnt say much of anything, and if he does, it is innappropriate. First line of business is changing my profile picture. Either way, here goes nothing, again....