What it really means to have a great bike

After a long hiatus of not posting here - mostly because I've been all-consumed in numerous Studio projects (read: helping host super awesome bike rides, working with people on very cool bike projects, and the day-to-day stuff like inventory, changing apparel with the seasons - the list is quite long), I have inspiration - and a day off - to spend a few moments here.

Returning to my blog after not reading it for quite some time gives me cold chills - this blog is full of stories of experiences made possible by my bike. The people I've met, the fun times I've experienced, what would my life be like without my bike? It's a thought I don't like to think.

Photo taken at the beginning of the Maneha Rappel ride from this past weekend. I started riding a little after 8am and finished after 8:30pm. My riding companions and I had so much fun. Very cute pigs were in the background. Photo by Rob Vandermark, Overland Base Camp.

Someone recently told me that he doesn't think he deserves a nice bike. Of course, this person was being fairly clear with me. Far too often, I hear people make excuses for not getting a bike that boil right down to this same feeling.

One weekend this fall I ended up on a rare solo ride. I took more time taking photos than riding, though I still got 77 miles of amazing leaf peeping on my legs...soooo much better than driving to leaf peep!

I am committing my life to offering people great riding experiences because I know how rich a life spent on a bike is. I really enjoy the flexibility of being able to work when I want to (which is almost always because I love what I do). When I get an email or photo from someone telling me that he or she just had an amazing ride, experience, or accomplished a goal on the bike, I feel good--very, very good. I get a lot of these kinds of emails, letters, and hear a lot in-person. It makes me feel great. Call me selfish.

What is a great bike? What is this elusive thing that so many people feel they aren't fast enough, young enough, pro-enough, whatever-enough to deserve?

Working with people who are 65 years old and quite a bit older who ride consistently has proven to me that youth is granted to anyone who insists upon staying young. Having a bike with comfortable contact points and one that absorbs the shock of the road helps a lot, too. 

The qualities that each person values are different. Here is my list of what everyone should expect in a nice bike:

• It fits the rider perfectly
• Comfortable for any length ride from 10 miles to 100+.
• Allows for pain-free riding
• Fast - sure, race-fast if that's your thing. Otherwise, fast as in if you go fast, you'll get further on your ride, see more stuff, and spend less energy going there.
• Shifting is effortless, chain is quiet
• Rides smoothly
• Durable
• Dependable
• Pleasing to look at 

Bikes that are well-built often look good. Don't blame the bike! So many people ask for a really toned-down color scheme. They don't want the bike to shout: "Look at me!" That's fine - whatever makes a rider feel comfortable. But I think many people are coming from the place of guilt - like they haven't earned the cool bike underneath them.

This inspired bike is made for a rider who rides before dawn, he wants to fly over the dirt roads and up the paved climbs. The person this bike was built for is the perfect example of someone who values his time on the bike and wants each ride to make his life better.

An old bike rolls more slowly with worn-down bearings. A heavier bike makes each pedal stroke harder and less fun. A bike that isn't properly fit or one with the wrong geometry will leave the rider without the desired feel of stability, and it often translates to unnecessary aches and pains. A lesser bike won't have a quiet drivetrain, it'll be quick to interrupt the peace of pretty scenery. The chain might bounce off of the gears too easily. A lesser bike will be too stiff - it will transmit the roughness of the road right through the rider's body. Or, the bike will be too soft, not allowing the power from the pedals to transmit to the rear wheel. Far too often, we've also found the lesser bikes to be safety concerns. There is a lot on a bike that if it isn't properly installed or maintained, can cause an accident. It amazes me how lightly people take bike maintenance and how many near-misses we've seen.

How bad would it be to invest in a nice bike, ride with friends or go solo, and understand why we have riders regularly logging 100+ miles every week? It's not unusual for me to see someone who gets a nice bike to go from a casual rider to a serious enthusiast...just because it's fun and the bike encourages such behavior.

Me out having fun on a bike ride. Photo by Overland Base Camp (@overlandbasecamp) on Nov 29, 2015 at 8:49am PST

Too many people want to suffer it out on their current bike or a lesser bike in order to "earn" the nice bike. But what's the motivation to get to the nicer bike if the current ride isn't much fun and it's painful to achieve the goal? Is it so terrible to have a lot of fun while being out there getting healthier, getting fitter, and going faster?

Everyone who simply wants to go new places, experience the fresh air, and do it quickly, without the bike interrupting the experience or the conversation with a friend should have a nice bike. According to the late Robin Williams, a Seven owner, he said that riding is the closest thing to flying. A nice bike offers this experience. If you haven't felt it, you haven't been on the right bike yet. 

There's the feeling of "flying" on smooth pavement. A ride like this is like that, too, where you only see things accessible by the trail - or by a helicopter entry. I like having my feet on the ground *and* getting the amazing experiences all at once.

Take a moment to read how a Seven Cycles bike Ruined Lovely Bicycle's Blog. As the blogger learned through an extended demo ride, there's something to riding a bike with the qualities I've described here. In her words:

"I started to ride more frequently, more aggressively, more confidently, and in a more determined and less meandering manner. I lost fat and gained thigh and arm muscle. I got generally stronger and more cardiovascularly fit." 

She didn't go in expecting that, nor was that her aim. And this happened over a fairly short period of time. She continues in the article:

"...as you're reading this, you are probably thinking "Well, she would have had the same experience with any light, fast modern roadbike." Except I don't necessarily agree. In order for a person to have an experience like that, a bike has to make them want to ride that way. It has to feel pain-free, safe and comfortable - while going at speeds faster than what they are used to."

Why do you deserve a great bike? Because you deserve to enjoy your free time, you deserve to have a healthy lifestyle - one that is easily shared with friends.

Bikes bring people together. Add some food to the mix and it's even better.

I justified buying a nice, light, semi-custom steel road bike to myself when I had absolutely no fitness, no need for a bike, no particular incentive to get into it aside from someone telling me that when I did get a nice bike, it would be all I'd want to do once I started pedaling it. He said that it'd be a waste to go for a lesser bike because then I wouldn't enjoy it as much and wouldn't ride. I know enough about myself to know he was right. I'd only ride it if it would treat me to a good ride, one that has an addictive quality to it.

That was the single best bit of advice I've ever been given, as it changed my life.

With any luck, you'll take that advice, too.

New Not-Skinny Tire Blog Up

I decided to create a new blog to encompass all of my non-skinny tire adventures. The first thing going up: a bike riding trip to New Zealand - address: http://allez2.blogspot.com  - Check it out!

Why I'm not Sick of Winter

When trying to blog for the first time in what feels like an eternity, what topic comes to mind? Winter, of course, but not for obvious reasons. This winter is similar to the winter I moved here three years ago January. The time has flown by, that's mostly good. It's been snowing almost non-stop, there's ice all over the place, and it's been cold enough to freeze my water pipes more than once.
The question is this: why am I *not* sick of winter, especially as much of it as has come?

#1 - Bike (Honey All Roads, to be exact) that has studded tires. It's *awesome* to not be scared on ice or snow and there's almost no place that's off-limits.

#2 - Lights that turn all of the dark hours (that's 4:30pm or later) into perfectly useful riding time. And the traffic is less and, when it's super cold, pedestrians are hard to find, too. 

 #3 - Getting out enough (and wearing the right clothes) such that I'm conditioned to not be *as* cold as I would be otherwise. I think it's easy to get soft and to feel the cold more easily when there are warm days (or warm vacations) sprinkled into an otherwise cold winter.

#4 - Because I am stubborn. If I want to be happy that it's still winter, I am. And I'm trying hard not to remember how nice warm weather is.

#5 - I love the beauty of the snow.

#6 - I like to watch the strange people-patterns (as it relates to customer behavior) that results from unusual weather.

There's more, but those are the biggest ones. The spring and nice weather will be here soon enough.

In the meantime, I'm savoring the time sipping hot chocolate, eating comfort food, and looking forward to the next ride on studded tires on ridiculously pot-holey, icy roads...which is coming up in a day...and yes, as I'm writing this, I'm hearing the trucks clearing the road outside making the large, man-eating pot holes even bigger.

Posts Unpublished and Back at it

I can't seem to get time together to post to my blog. I have gotten plenty of time together to write many draft posts.

What are some of these drafts that no one has had a chance to read? I've written about the key maker around the corner and a very pleasant interaction with him, some of the small tasks involved in running a shop and what they involve, major events on the timeline such as my last birthday (a milestone and something that was *really* freaking me out going into it), my very wonderful trip to Denver and a massive coffee tasting trip with my dear always-good-sport parents, some rides I've gone on lately, some work projects, interesting customer situations that can be shared, my work anniversary (a very big deal since I traditionally haven't believed in working in the same position for > 1.5 years due to a flat-lining learning curve/challenge curve).

So, there's a quick catch-up. Now on to today. Today is Labor Day, where I celebrate working by working a little less hard than on most other days.

This weekend I was able to take a full step back from things which I needed since I was teetering on tipping over by the end of last week. It was one of the most intense weeks I've had in a little while and I seemed to have caught a cold for two days. I'm sure it was stressed-induced. Some of the stress was positive, so it's not like much bad was happening (though big changes happened personnel-wise that did affect me greatly). I am, in general, affected by people. Little negative people things throw me off. Little positive things send me over the moon. It's how I tick.

Last week RSC got some great press (alright, it's not like a feature story, we gotta have something else to look forward to in the future). That was a huge high for me and everyone who works at RSC. It was really exciting for all of us. It excited customers, too. It's a huge motivation boost when our efforts are recognized from the outside, though we know what we do every day is something special.

Once upon a time when I was very little (5th grade), I'd done something I thought I was going to get in the local paper for doing. I didn't end up in the paper and I wasn't particularly disappointed; I just remember thinking that if it were to have happened, it would feel like winning the lottery. Why? Because it wouldn't have been particularly deserved.

Now it feels good to be recognized, but it's not super surprising. I jumped up and down when the Wall Street Journal called, I couldn't help myself. I think the WSJ is the best newspaper. But when we were included in their article/video/online piece, it wasn't that feeling of winning the lottery. I think it's because maybe it is something whose time has come, the Studio is remarkable and should be recognized for what it is and it does deserve the notice of national publications. The people inside really deserve the recognition, especially, and I wish everyone who works at the RSC could have gotten their photos in the slideshow and could have been recognized. The Studio is great because of an initial brilliant idea (not mine), fantastic execution making that idea reality (something everyone wants to do but no one actually does; something I'd love to be part of in the future, but wasn't this go-around), and now it's all about the team who breathes the life into it daily. I'm really proud of everyone who works at the Studio, and I am protective of each person, too. It is a very good feeling to have and it is a really good place to be in all ways that can be inferred.

That's a wrap for today. I have a Studio blog begging to be attended to... 

Italia Vacanza x 2

DAY 1 - Saturday - Arrive via plane in Catania, Sicily.

Gelato was nearly the first meal, if I remember correctly, after landing in Catania. My travel companion was drug to many gelaterias during the trip. If there is one thing I absolutely love in Italy, aside from the breathtaking, constantly changing landscapes, is their gelato. 

This is a panoramic shot taken from within a castle that we were touring through. It was quite funny to see a vending machine in such a place. (This was a round room, so this is actually just one vending machine.)

 Here's the castle. Just in the middle of the city.

 Also in the middle of the city was this cool Greek Amphitheater. Think lions, Christians, gladiators, the works. Not *all* that long ago. 

This is the site of their fish market in Catania. Open first thing every morning where fresh fish is sold to every good restaurant owner who drives here (often hours) early in the morning to get their pick for their dinner crowd. I found the amount of blood and live fish and heads of fish to be a bit disconcerting. 

DAY 2 - Sunday - Catania, shuttle to Caltagirone for first day of bike riding.

The warm-up ride was short (approximately 10 miles), but really gorgeous. It even had a long stretch of cobblestone road which I appreciated. It was hilly, but not bad. We took it at a pretty leg-stretch pace. I couldn't believe how good it felt to be dressed in just a jersey and shorts - not many other layers of clothes. 

After the warm-up, a small group decided to do the ride again. I *had* to do it again. It was particularly easy to do it with the aid of the Garmin which had captured the route the first time. This time, we went hard, and I couldn't totally hang with the guys, but it felt absolutely fantastic to get to push hard and breathe deeply. 

After riding and cleaning up, we shuttled into Caltagirone. Absolutely beautiful evening. One of the best parts about the trip is that I really enjoyed the peaceful night sky and sunsets on almost every night of the trip. 

Enrico was explaining about the town. All I could think about was my hunger. So I slipped away and got some really good gelato. 

Before dinner was appetizers and drinks in an old town meeting place. Something I've never been a big fan of is Italian appetizers. Anytime one orders a drink during that pre-dinner time, that drink comes out with small food. It's a nice system for keeping people content prior to the late 8-9pm dinner time. 

Dinner was the best of the tour. It featured generous amounts of a wide variety of fish (amongst all of the other courses). And this very large bottle of red wine that Paolo (one of our guides) is holding. I tried to forget the gross fish market and I did enjoy the varieties of the fresh fish and food served. 

The town was full of little alleyways and a humongous staircase where there was a row of tiles on each stair. This is looking down from the top. Exploring the town was great fun. 

DAY 3 - Monday - Bike riding Caltagirone -> Ragusa.

DAY 4 - Tuesday - Bike Riding Ragusa -> Ragusa.

DAY 5 - Wednesday - Bike Riding Ragusa -> Syracusa.

 DAY 6 - Thursday - Bike Riding Syracusa -> Brucoli, Shuttle to base of Mt. Etna.

DAY 7 - Friday - Bike Riding - Attempt at Mt. Etna. Return to Catanya via shuttle.

DAY 8 - Saturday - Up and Out Early - airport goodbyes. Train to Messina. Ferry to Italy mainland, Reggio di Calabria.

Day 9 - Sunday - Reggio di Calabria. Stuck here in a good way.

Day 10 - Monday - Rent car. Drive up the east coast to Rossano.

DAY 11 - Tuesday - Drive coast to Taranto, then up to Alberobello.

 

DAY 12 - Wednesday - Drive Alberobello to Matera, then on to Salerno. Ended up in Calvanico for refuge/place to sleep.

DAY 13- Thursday - Drive Calvanico to the Amalfi Coast -> Positano -> Salerno -> Roma.

DAY 14 - Friday - Drive to the Rome airport, 11am flight home. 

Pictures to fill in the details coming when there's a chance to post them. In the meantime, many are here: http://www.flickr.com/photos/23781778@N07/

Home is where...?

A recent major stressor is that I'm likely going to have to change my place of sleeping yet again. If there's one thing that's disconcerting to me, it's not having firm footing living-wise. This was something that was somewhat uncomfortable to me when I was living in Italy, but at least then, I still had a home to return to in the US. I've been a home owner pretty much all of my adult life and it feels good to own my own place and be able to decorate as I please and simply not having someone else ruling my space.

Now, I have been here for over 2 years and have no semblance of stability aside from work which, thank goodness, does provide some level of that "home" feeling. I like where I am living now: I have two rooms and quite a bit of quiet space and privacy along with hardwood floors. This particular home will be sold soon and I'll be homeless. It really freaks me out not knowing where and when I'll have to move next. For the past 2 years, I have longed daily for a living arrangement that can't be yanked out from underneath me at any moment in time. I also long for walls that I can paint and decorate as my own.

Lately I've been researching tiny homes. This is a concept I'd read about in a book about tiny homes  years ago so it's not new but it's little known still. Aside from the obvious financial benefits, I'd take a 300 sq ft place of my own over a gargantuan home any day. I prefer it. Small and mine. Simple. The picture above is of a home that's 350 square feet.

An opportunity has presented itself for some such arrangement. I'm really excited about the possibility (it may not work out, but I am really hoping that it does) and it's got me thinking about what I should do even if it doesn't happen. I am yearning so much to settle down and get on with my life as an adult, as I used to love living before I uprooted myself and moved to Italy.

It's Hopping

February in the bike business can be a sleepy month. Things have hardly slowed down at the Studio, though, as it's been hopping nearly constantly with the exception of today which was, truly, a day almost no one would dare ride (icy gusts and snow falling most of it). Yesterday was the kind of day that keeps normal people off of bikes, but we had a 30+ person ride go off for 50 miles and it started while it was snowing and cold. Everyone came back smiling (and in party-mode). It was for a special occasion as it was a landmark birthday for one of our endurance team riders who has a lot of friends who are into really hard riding.

When I couldn't stand or talk anymore from tiredness (hadn't fully recovered from my night ride the previous evening), I sat down and did some website work. I never miss not having a desk job, but I do sometimes miss having a desk or a few forced hours there each week. I think 1-2 days a week at a desk is perfect. The rest of the time standing up is my preference; I'd take 100% standing over 100% sitting.

I'm happy to report that this past week was totally sane and resembled a normal work week. It's made me a bit anxious: what am I forgetting to do? Usually I can't get close to getting all of my work done in 70+ hours a week so taking the day off today and going home at a normal time yesterday felt really weird. (To be clear, I'm not caught up with things, just nothing is so urgent that it can't wait a few more hours.)

This week I'm bunny-sitting. Usually it's cats and plants, this is new. There are birds, too, but they only need their water changed so basically need no attention at all. Bunny just has to hop around. I keep meaning to become a more professional house/animal sitter since it's so easy with my lifestyle. I also keep meaning to get into the maker community (it's the best thing about Boston that I'm not taking advantage of) and do some video editing. My short list of to-dos is long and every little thing takes way too much time. All this and I really need to focus on simply riding the bike to keep things balanced and stay healthy.

Long day made longer

Friday morning started early with a visit to the RSC by U Mass Lowell. They are exploring transportation options, looking to do a lot more with biking on their campus (of which they have a few separated by trivial distances perfect for riding, too long for walking) and they have a repair shop and food services that they are looking to combine in a unique way. We were their first stop on a day-long field trip. It was a nice opportunity to share with them how the business works, keys to its success and the areas that are challenging, to assist them in thinking through their own situation. They were a great group I'm glad to have had a chance to meet. 

I wonder when someone will want to write a book about the Studio. It'll happen someday. I'm going to be brainstorming titles in the interim. Smaller is Better, Good to Fabulous, The Art of Running a Studio, The 400-Hour Work Week, It's All About the Latte... good thing I'm starting now so in 20 years, it'll have come together and the 400-Hour Work Week title won't be in the running. 

Friday's challenge was set forth by both Comcast and Verizon somehow both losing control of our voice phone number leaving us phone-number-less for a couple of days. Hours lost, only thing gained: not having to run to the phone when it rang today since it didn't. Nothing is easy, I'm just glad this is happening now and not in the middle of spring. 

Friday was a beautiful day and one that treated cyclists who were able to get outside. I have been craving a reasonable day to ride. It got the best of me and with a new pair of new Mavic mtn bike shoes on my feet, I decided I *had* to take the long way home last night on my non-studded tire Honey (sweet, oh so sweet) bike. It flew and just felt great. I've been only outside lately on a heavy commuter bike with studded tires so the ride quality of it is suboptimal. I was happy to feel the difference between the two and re-appreciate my super sweet cross bike. I wanted to get a good pic of the bike out there in the night. Will need to get it out and do that still. I really like that bike. 

Boston Skyline from the MIT bridge & my turn-around point.

 It was late by the time I got out and I didn't know where I was going to go. After taking a look at some city riding photos late in the evening, I began to thirst for NYC. So I got on the bike and headed toward Boston. The smells of Central Square and the skyline of Boston quenched my thirst. I returned home and called it a night, a good night indeed. 

In Harvard Square.

Sweet Nothings

Pedals/petals for Valentine's Day

I had a good time doing a little shopping for the day at Wilson Farms, the land of all beautiful, smell-good flowers. I picked up some flowers for RSC and a few other little things. I'm not interested in buying things for myself usually, but I really enjoy getting things for the Studio. Typically this manifests itself in doing things for the various holidays. Nothing big, but still fun. Customers and employees like it, I always hear people who express their appreciation for the little touches of festivity. Though we always work hard and keep our standards at the highest level, we always seem to know how to have fun and enjoy the special days as they come around.

Calmness

Monday was such an ugly, useless day, it made sense to me to go to work as staying home would have been pretty miserable. I was happy at work and with it calm there, I could accomplish some things and spend time on personal stuff around people I like to be around. I hate to admit that I don't have other good rainy day hangouts. Even Barnes & Noble didn't lure me to it even when I was driving by next to it (unusual). Good news on that is it's because I'm gainfully employed with too many good books and browsing around and finding yet another book or magazine would only put me further behind in reading the things I really want to read.

My Nook is changing my reading habits. It's making it more convenient and possible with my current living situation and so far, it's working. I thought I liked paper better than electronics for reading. I think I'm changing my mind very quickly though the world will be a different place without paper and that isn't necessarily a good change overall.

The week was pretty calm without any stressors that stood out or kept me up late. I'm trying to appreciate this time of relative calm.

Playing in Snow

Sunday I had no choice but to do something outside of work as I'd used up my last bit of energy. I like getting to that point as playing then feels really good. No guilt. Festering energy to snowshoe seemed ridiculous, but I'd commited prior to Sunday to go so I couldn't very easily back out. It was a blue-sky day with everyone who has waited all last winter and this one for a good snow. The powder was deep and snowshoeing was just the thing to do, though the hundreds of other people out there at Great Brook were mostly cross-country skiing.
Having a day of talking bike racing with bike racing girls was very fun. It made me get on the trainer yesterday. Today I woke up feeling dead. It's going to be a very long, slow grind up this steep hill to get back to racing.

Barista Hat

A business such as this one (particularly this one) involves wearing many hats depending on the day or who the customer is or who's working on a particular day. Some days I've manned the bar while sending a customer out on a test ride and placing an order - almost forgot - and fixing a flat tire. Actually I can remember only one day exactly like this and that was many months ago. Thankfully.

We've got a great team together now and the system is humming for the time being so I haven't been a barista (or a mechanic, for that matter) in many months. But throw in a blizzard that makes it physically impossible for people to leave their homes today (driving ban was still in effect until 4pm) and I had the now rare chance to be a Saturday barista.


Pic from the morning made the town news.


I highly respect our baristas and never take their work for granted. But doing the job reminds me even more of what they do daily and it's not trivial. Few people can be a great barista. Today had to be the best day ever for me to go from rusty to fully functional again considering that no one was in a hurry to go anywhere. Everything was closed, no one was allowed to drive. It made people relax. In a place like this where everyone and everything is constant go-go-go, it was an obvious step change from the norm. People were calm, unhurried, and exceptionally friendly.

My bike ride here was long because it was slow with the icy, snow-packed road but fortunately uneventful. Hauling the bike through the waist-deep snow to reach the road was the most challenging part of any of it. I have video footage of the process which I hope to get out at some point. My back tire slipped out a few times, but it corrected itself thanks to the studs catching. Now I see what people are talking about where it comes to the usefulness of studded tires.

I chose my current living situation for days like today: I never want to be too far from work, where weather could impact my ability to make it in. Today it paid off in so many ways. No other businesses were open at 8am like we were. No, there weren't customers at 8, but I needed the extra time. I had to shovel a path from our front door to the street as 3 1/2 feet of snow stood between the two. It didn't take too long.

The first customers to come in were bike customers on snowshoes, probably around 8:35. They both ordered quad lattes, a fine selection of drinks for the necessary caffeination to get through shoveling out cars/driveways.

The next set of customers are regulars - typically people we see right when we open. They walked over from their home. With these early morning customers, they ordered drinks, we chatted awhile, I got to move at a pretty leisurely pace. Then there was a lull where no one was outside, no one was inside. I was questioning the decision to open. Only 7 sets of customers came in before 12:30. After that, the sun came out, the snow and wind died down and in the next 5 hours, everyone within walking, biking, snowshoeing or skiing distance from home who needed coffee, needed to get out of their home or needed a place to be with their families *all* came in since they didn't have any other option.

Most of our regulars couldn't make it here today. Despite the jokes, for the first time this winter, our Saturday morning group ride didn't run. Quite a few people rode here today. Quite a few meaning probably around 10 people on some sort of winter-ready bike.

We were full of new customers. People I don't know. People who are used to ordering drinks of different sizes, off of menus that are distinctly different from ours. I was glad to get the opportunity to meet people here who would never, ever be our customers as their habits and comfort zones have been formed around frequenting other coffee establishments.

I am so used to being around people I know or at least recognize here that I actually felt a little unease with all of the new faces. Everyone was so friendly and nice, there was certainly nothing to be uneasy about except that they were new.

One part of the unease may have to do with expectations and not knowing if I will meet them of someone who has yet to be a return customer. Again, people were nice today and everyone was deeply, truly thankful that we were open. So I feel that bought me a bit of leeway.

One example that stood out today: A couple sat down and ordered a chemex, something they didn't know how to pronounce prior to coming in (it's kem-ex). It takes a little time to brew coffee using this method (even longer when I'm juggling  many other people), but they waited patiently for it. I could tell they didn't expect the process that ensued. They looked a little afraid of it. They, like with most people who came in today, asked for the dark roast. We do light and medium, almost never dark. So we're entering into a transaction with people who believe they won't get what they're asking for...it's a risky start.

Once the couple drank their coffee, and it took awhile, I cautiously asked them what they thought. They weren't the happy-go-lucky types that had bounded in today so I was worried at the answer. The gentleman responded with a tone of thoughtful seriousness in his voice when he said, "I believe that was the best cup of coffee I've ever had."

Yay, secretly thrilled, leaping inside with the satisfaction of making good coffee, I thanked them for coming in and wished them a good day.

Another customer parked his snowplow on the road and came in for a macchiato and americano. He'd been up all night plowing. Another customer was in at the same time and the three of us had a nice conversation. The snow plow guy who, as it turns out, was in Afghanistan last year at this time in snow, admitted he was bummed that Dunkin Doughnuts wasn't open as that's where he always goes. He was happy with his coffee and was happy to come in, but his routine was changed and that was uncomfortable to him. Fact. I appreciated him sharing his thoughts. I think that he felt comfortable enough to say this was good. It certainly doesn't bother me at all, we're very different businesses and I don't begrudge anyone for having their coffee anywhere else.

Later into the afternoon, our regular customers who had come in the morning, returned for their afternoon lattes. They saw a couple they'd known years before and struck up a good, long conversation. The couple they ran into were here for the first time ever. They only discovered us today, upon seeing the orange coffee bike perched high atop a snow pile (an excellent customer idea to put it up there early this morning). After they'd gotten done catching up, our dear regulars saw what was happening: there wasn't a break in traffic - I couldn't get half of a second to wash dishes and they were piling up. Most customers were lingering over their drinks, so they hadn't gotten to-go cups. The woman, Mrs H, I'll call her, had mentioned that if I needed help with dishes, she'd jump in. She stopped asking me and went to the sink and asked for directions. Literally seconds later, she was flying with washing the dishes properly, then learning the locations for all of the dry ones to put them on the shelves. It was awesome to see her go to town on those dishes! She saved me and it was a fun process of working with her in her calmness and confidence.

Short cutting to the end of the story, so many customers came in at the end of the day, I wasn't able to break away to lock the door. The last customers strolled in 1/2 hr after closing time. Other customers offered to lock the door and take down the enormous OPEN sign we'd printed up to be more than obvious of our status.

It was a day of community, neighbors connecting, people taking time away from work and simply enjoying the special day. As thankful as everyone was to have a place to come and be, I gained as much as they by being able to be part of such circumstance.

It's a real Blizzard!

It looks like the storm actually arrived and may be even bigger than predicted! I'm excited, thrilled, happy it came. I've waited years for this kind of storm (rarer than rare on the Colorado plains) and now that it's happening I don't want to miss a second of it.

This morning was a true test of bike vs car. Why drive when driving bans were already being issued? Risking a ticket or getting the car stuck didn't seem like a good idea and it simply sounded like work. I needed to buy food for the cafe in prep for being open Saturday w/o a pastry delivery coming tomorrow.

A quick stop at Wilson's was easy and I got some essentials there. One guy stopped me in the store and asked if I was really on bike (wearing a helmet in the store for lack of a better place to put it gave me away). Yep. I'm on bike. This guy was incredulous. Really? Yes, really. They make bikes & tires for the snow? Yes, they do. My thought bubble read: And there won't be a ban on my bike later today like there will be on your car. He acknowledged that he should look into getting winter tires for his bike after validating that I'm not insane. I hope I proved that, anyway. Bikes=freedom. I really felt that today.

I dropped off the gallon of special beverage and pile of food from Wilson's at the Cafe. I stayed to do some work and then was off again to the bank and local grocery store for the rest of the stuff. The bank shut down at noon, prior to the snow even beginning to stick on the ground. When I got there at 12:05, I made (read: begged) them to open up to let me in, I couldn't survive the weekend w/o the transaction I wanted to make. Maybe I could have, but there was no need for them to close at that early hour. They are always closed when I need them to be open. I didn't feel bad asking them to stick around for one more customer. At least they were very nice.

Two panniers completely full yielded what can be full breakfast for 40+ people. Bike did the job of car, at least today. (I'm not advocating getting rid of one's only car, it's just good to not need it.)

All of Lexington was nearly shutdown by 1:30. The morning was packed with customers getting their pre-storm caffeine and stocking up on retail bags of coffee. People thinned out a bunch around 12:30 or so and then we had a few show up mid-afternoon. The parking & then driving ban kicked in. People who'd driven ran out in fear of a $500 ticket. Then people started coming in, their transportation being riding or walking.

I got to jump on bar when our last remaining barista decided the snow was just right for riding home on his bike. He couldn't wait to ride and he had a long one ahead of him. A few more customers rounded out the day and we were the last business standing in the Center. We closed at our regularly scheduled time. To me, it means a lot that we could be the last one open. It meant a lot to the customers who came in during those last few hours, too.

The winds were picking up but there wasn't too much snow to deal with on the road or falling from the sky. I was looking forward to riding home after dark on the snow. The road was super slick and the studded tires didn't help in keeping me up. Momentum works great and though the bike was slipping all over, it stayed upright. Once upon a time, this would have freaked me out. Now I am not afraid of it, but find it somehow thrilling. Besides, a crash wouldn't hurt, it would be soft. I'm listening to the wind howl outside now and wonder what awaits in the morning. Can't wait to get back out there, but this time, I believe it'll need to be with snowshoes.

The Sky is Falling

The blizzard is officially on its way. Not a snowflake has touched the ground, but all of MA is officially in a state of shut-down, emergency, running around stockpiling food for a month because 24" of snow might just fall Friday into Saturday. If we don't get at least 24" of snow, I'm going to be disappointed. I have big plans for the huge shutdown. I will be working (so as to keep people caffeinated) and having fun getting out in the storm. Staying home would mean missing all of the fun. Snowshoes are at the ready, but I doubt they will be necessary. Weather forecasters must enjoy watching people scurry this way and that based on their predictions. I would say they are playing God, but clearly, they don't since the weather never ends up as they say it will. God, on the other hand, must enjoy watching us try to avoid the weather. Sheesh, it's winter and we're getting snow. Maybe we'll stop and appreciate nature a bit. Parents, take your kids sledding. While you're there, borrow the sled and hit the hills, too.

Today was a good day in the accomplishment category. There are many bikes in for service and for new spring parts right now. All sorts of parts and pieces are on their way and like-new bikes are going home next week. The trend is people are upgrading components to Dura-Ace 11-speed and SRAM Red. Dura-Ace 11-speed, aside from it having too many cogs in the back (my opinion) is a really good kit. It's lightweight and works very well. Customers are drawn to it. There's just the right amount of work and number of service bikes around considering it's likely our mechanic won't be able to get to work Saturday. Got a few website updates done and a Facebook post up. Those are always fun and I look forward to doing them. Oh yeah, even Twittered, something I have a hard time justifying time-wise when other things need to be done. But I'm guessing few businesses will be open for the storm and it's something that sets us apart so I like to advertise that.

Tonight we hosted Next Step Living which is an energy efficiency company that performs energy audits on homes. I stayed to barista the evening during which the company explained their services to attendees. Not bike or coffee related but a good thing for residents. One of the guys on the Lexington bike committee is part of the organization and he's the one who contacted me to do the event so there's the tie in. More people showed up than I expected, but this is the land of huge, old homes that probably cost more to heat than what I pay in rent every month. Events like tonight's are easy since I don't have to worry about their logistics, marketing or food. Other people get to do the worrying, I serve drinks. Nice to see some attendees checking out the bikes and being curious about the shop.

Conversation of the day: Someone wanted to know if his Merlin bike could have fender mounts welded onto the frame so he could turn the bike into a winter bike. I showed him some options for fenders and suggested he check out a bike made for winter riding. We have a few options of perfect bikes for this very thing on the floor. The man told me that he's in his seventies and has 3 bikes so that is quite enough. I didn't know how to respond. 3 bikes considering his age and circumstances sounds like there is plenty of room for more but there is absolutely no way to have that conversation. I hope he thinks about the winter rando bike for awhile and comes back. These bikes grow on a person so much. The different functions of each really do allow for quite a few in the stable without duplication and with a proportionate increase in quality of life.

For now, I am dreaming of riding my winter, studded-tire bike tomorrow and hopefully Saturday, too, through the snow. Until this out-blizzards the Great Blizzard of 1888, I refuse to freak out about the changing of global weather patterns and the newness of super storms, though I acknowledge the existence of each. It's winter and we're getting some snow.

Eating My Words for Breakfast

If there are two things I need to start the day every day, it's breakfast and a shower. I got neither today and the yoga that I was sort of looking forward to didn't end up happening. I'm trying to get to like yoga so I didn't miss it that much. But it seems like it could be a good way to start the day for someone who really needs something to be scheduled on a calendar to get me away from work/computer/sleep/whatever prior to going in to the shop in the morning.

A wave of stupid things happened all at once and without breakfast with the unexpected activity got me a little off balance. A fine mocha-cortado made with perfectly steamed milk and the grace of a barista who empathized with me helped lift my spirits some. It all boils down to me eating much of what I said in yesterday's blog. It makes one re-think blogging. If I said I enjoy figuring out schedules yesterday, I was dealt a bigger challenge where it comes to that subject today. It turned into something larger with consequences of mis-calculation scaled up. It remains an interesting challenge.

A huge blizzard is now scheduled for Friday. So much for the wispy snow dancing to the ground. I would be happy with a blizzard or some crazy winter weather. Now after saying this, it probably won't snow. I'm leading a studded-tire ride if Sunday's roads allow.

A Winter Day

Have the winters been so bad here in the past that people have been really well trained that in January and February it's necessary to stay in one's home and not venture out?

This winter has been a dream. From watching the snowflakes float to the ground all day Sunday to the mild temps today, it's been one of those wintry-enough seasons for me. I enjoy four seasons and I really like some snow. I also enjoy some big snow storms, but no one here has forgotten the winter of two years ago yet so not too many people are bemoaning the lack of snow yet (except the skiers, but as I think of it, I haven't heard anyone complain in awhile). It's never been too cold to pedal to and from work.

Today was quiet at the shop. If it were the same temperature during any other month, I'm sure we'd be packed. But people seem to be in hibernation mode and its Tuesday. I had a chance to sit and knock out some work. It took well over an hour to prepare a quote for a fairly straight-forward customer (note, nothing is ever that straight-forward). Quotes aren't easy things, but I find them interesting. I'm still learning so to look up the parts, reviews, prices, etc. is oddly fun. I know soon enough it will become mundane, but the idea of sourcing parts that all fit together and make a system that works flawlessly excites my inner engineer that never got to do what it desired. More often than not, I find my job to be one of applying engineering problem solving or logic of some sort. Trying to figure out employee schedules is another puzzle to solve. It's a bit time-consuming, but fun at the same time. Rearranging schedules for a lot of upcoming travel sank a couple of hours today alone. Submitting hours to payroll: at least an hour and that is mundane and just a pain. I wouldn't trade the mundane, though, it's sometimes nice to do a few mindless tasks that still equal some level of accomplishment.

The rest of my job is a communications one. It's cool to try to figure out better ways of doing all of these things without automating out the human touch. I would really enjoy writing a smart database coded just for our business. I wrote a database for a bike shop once in two gloriously fun hours that would have, literally, solved all of their problems had they had the sense to use it. Maybe someday there will be time...and I can go back to being a developer and not on the receiving end of a database that is exceedingly uncustomizable and rigid. Just not right considering everything else is custom in this business.

Speaking of systems, it's that time of year to get systems in place and make internal improvements so that we're ready for the spring and when it gets insane with a million customers all needing something new. I've had a little more time than usual to work ahead on a few things, but we've been selling bikes at a high rate so it's not like there's that much time. There's never extra time, it's just how much time I let work cut into sleep that's the question. A usual day is 12 hours long, some much more, almost none less. It's nice to be accustomed to the longer days because it's possible to actually accomplish something within that time. Someone told me today that I look rested. That's a first in a long, long time to hear such a thing. And I did, after 8 full hours of sleep last night, feel rested.

On that note, time to wrap this one up. Maybe this blog will find its voice and I can get it on auto-run before too long. Tomorrow I'm starting the day early with yoga (it's better than nothing) though I am feeling guiltier and guiltier for not being on the trainer spinning daily. Once a week right now, not enough. Should be training to race. I want to race, can't wait to race, but am not training to race. To be continued...

Community

Tonight I ran into two people I know, both at Whole Foods. One of the guys I ran into tonight needs a couple of wheels rebuilt. Yeah, we'd be happy to do that. Our mechanic really enjoys wheel work.

The other day, I had an odd interaction with a gentleman standing in line at the post office. He is selling his Merlin to make room for a new Seven. He was excited to tell me the news. We'd spoken just a week or two prior about his aspirations of getting a new bike.

On my way home, I was thinking about how small-town it feels to have these sorts of conversations in a place outside of the RSC. But this isn't that small of a town and we're living in modern USA, everyone is busy doing things and involved in professional work lives.

The RSC also isn't a small-town sort of place. It's modern in appearance, style and feel. It's a professional space. It hosts business meetings, investor-investee interviews, interesting conversations, people and ideas. This person teaches chemistry at Harvard, that one over there is working on curing cancer. I've been told that match.com dates happen here too, it is a coffee shop after all. But there's not a lot of anonymity here, so that seems to keep shenanigans to a minimum, or so I like to believe.

Saturday night one of our good customers celebrated his 40th birthday at the Studio. His friends and family were together to share his special day with him. I got to partake in the festivities as barista and as a friend. We've now been host to a 30th surprise b-day party (007 style) and a 50th birthday celebration. Landmark days are being captured here.

So when someone says "Buy Local," I suppose that means come to our shop to buy stuff. But I don't relate RSC with this, I think this campaign is more applicable to food where it is important to the consumer to get the freshest food by buying local.

Where it comes to the Studio, I think of it like this: we'd better offer the best experience, best customer service, the best products and best value than anyone anywhere. I don't want someone coming in because they have listened to some Buy Local campaign, I want each person to see the value that lies within its walls. That we are an integral part of the community, building community and a place where employees have a lot of interaction with each person as an individual should only add to the value proposition.

We don't have fancy methods of routing a phone call and we don't have a PA message overhead when it's time to close telling people to leave. We have technology where it belongs and in these other places, I think it's quite alright that we aren't keeping pace with the rest of the world.

A cappuccino and a mocha

This morning I woke up really wanting to post something in my blog. I got particularly motivated when it was brought to my attention that today is Superbowl Sunday.

Two years ago on Superbowl Sunday I walked into the Ride Studio Cafe for the first time and had a tasty cappuccino. That day bridged my return to the US from Italy and welcomed me back. I found my home and place in the world where I belong that day.

Photo & drink by Steven Lim

Naturally, I'm blogging from the RSC, it's a quiet day and I don't "need" to work. So I'm here as a customer and I just finished a cappuccino.

I'm sorry I'm not capturing what's happening here on a day-to-day basis. Every single day there are noteworthy conversations that I've had and something that needs to be written down. So much of what I do doesn't have anything at all to do with a bike.

I will tell the story of Noni and Wally, two wonderful customers of ours who we used to see every day here. We got to know them, their family and friends. They shared many interesting conversations over their large cups of coffee and the pastry that they shared. Neither Wally nor Noni were cyclists and they didn't seem to take particular interest in the bikes. They were interested in many things, just not bikes.

Noni came in a few days ago for her last cup of coffee here. She looked drawn and the color was gone from her face. She looked much different than she had since the last time I'd seen her only a few short weeks prior to coming here last. I believe she was still in shock: Wally, her husband of countless years had just passed away. She sat down at the counter as she had done with Wally so many, many times. She ordered a mocha and a chocolate croissant. I don't remember her ever ordering a mocha before. She used to tell us that she couldn't tell what the coffee tasted like. Wally really enjoyed Americanos with steamed milk. They always ordered two of those. She liked it that he liked it.

Noni lingered over her mocha and croissant. Ariela helped her out and came over to make sure I knew why Noni was here. I had a brief conversation with Noni. She told me that Wally had gotten sick and hadn't recovered. She told me of how much Wally loved coming in here. She told me how much he enjoyed bringing others in and showing them the bikes. Not being a bike guy, I wonder if he showed off the bikes and this space as a sense of pride in being a part of them. The bikes do become one's companion during a visit here. There is a friendliness that the bikes have. Maybe it's because they are each unique and likable. And so many people have pleasant memories that involve a bike in some way. Small children who are too young to ride are equally drawn to the bikes which I enjoy and marvel at.

Wally looked forward to RSC coffee every single day. Every day prior to getting sick for the previous year or more was highlighted by a trip here. Noni came here with her husband and good friend. I doubt we'll see her again, but I know why. They both will remain part of who we are and other stories will unfold here. I thank them for sharing their love story with us and making us part of it.

The Inescapable Pull of the Group

I wrote the above article for the 2013 Seven Cycles brochure. Writing this gave me a good chance to reminisce about the every-weekend rides from REI in Denver compliments of the Beams (that one was the model for this article) that often ended up in epic 100+ mile adventures in the mountains. The Thursday night group in Boulder - I think the point of that was sprinting, I just remember being excited to ride with Jules and her gang of riders that she put together. The many, many weekend rides from Amante in Boulder. Sometimes small groups, sometimes a little bigger. The countless group rides with my Italian racing team, so many of those when I couldn't speak Italian and through those rides was how I learned the language. Through that experience I learned how riding spans cultures and bridges communication gaps so incredibly well. And the group rides that I do here. I credit the Ride Studio Cafe Sunday group ride (the people who I met before, during and after the rides) for being the reason I decided to stay in Lexington.

The rest of the article and entire Seven brochure can be seen here. I highly recommend reading it. It's the sort of reading that takes you into the heart of Seven and why people "love to ride." It's not an in-your-face sell; it hardly mentions the different bikes that Seven builds. The point is that Seven handcrafts the bikes with incredible skill, knowledge of bikes in general, and incorporates knowledge of the specific rider to build a bike unlike any other. They build the bike that is as close to perfect as possible so the person riding it can be in the moment with fellow riders, an event, nature or him or herself, as the case may be, without the distraction of aches, pains, discomfort of any kind, or a bike that holds anything back due to weight or composition. 

Today I did a group ride that made me feel alive - similar to the ride I describe in the article. The group rides that really fit this description are few and far between that I do now, but when they happen, they are something to be remembered and shared in hopes that others find themselves in a similar situation. 

Yesterday a group formed at the Ride Studio Cafe at 9am while it was raining out. No one who had come for the ride knew each other in advance of the ride, but when they got back after being rained on for 52 miles, were all smiles. 

One guy came up to me and spent a good amount of time telling me how appreciative he is of the group rides that the RSC offers. He explained how much value it has to him and what a service it is that we provide to people. It's something we rarely stop to think about, it's just what we do. Since I've gotten out of the habit of group riding due to my schedule or simply my lack of interest in committing to anything on my days off, I have a tendency to forget just how good these rides are. 

I used to thirst for the off-season since it always meant 3-4+ hour training rides, my favorite. Better yet, it was time to connect with good friends. Race season is fun in its own way due to the traveling and adrenaline, but it's the long, sometimes epic rides I really like. 

Today was a 52-mile spin up to the Harvard General Store and back with my RSC teammates & team co-captains, Joy and Jay, with whom I rarely ride. The distance and pace were just what I needed and it was easy. Get on our bikes and go. Don't worry about anything, just chat and ride. We all know where to ride - even I know this one. Finally, I'm feeling like I'm settling in here in this hard-to-settle place.

The Harvard General Store is a very popular training ride destination located in Harvard, Massachusetts. It represents the Ride Studio Cafe's start at branching out beyond our own walls. Within the store is a Ride Studio Cafe pop-up: a sizable display of particularly useful items cyclists need while out riding, stocked by us. 

 

Developing a relationship with this cool store, its new owner and employees has been a great deal of fun for me. Growing a business happens in many different ways, and what is particularly thrilling about the RSC is that it can grow in every possible direction even though it's a brick-and-mortar establishment. Walls don't define it. It's the people and relationships that do and they extend far beyond our front door. 

Finally, finally after all of this time being here, nearly 2 years now, I feel that I am becoming more at home. I could feel it when I returned from Thanksgiving. The 6-day break with family in a new place (center of PA) was more than necessary. It helped me reset a bit. It was not just a good break from work, it was very quality visiting time with family members who are very close to me. And it was fun. I found myself feeling not quite ready to come back on the last day so I didn't. 

I traveled up to upstate NY (Saratoga Springs) for quiet time. I relished the hotel room I stayed in, taking full advantage of every amenity it offered. I had a lot of time to think, relax (plus ride a tiny bit) and visit one of my favorite coffee shops and vegan restaurant, though I had to miss my most-favorite-in-the-world co-op due to time.

Late in the day I drove back and when I arrived on known roads, I felt glad to be back, glad to be home. 

I'd like to believe that the pull of the group, as defined by those I ride, work and socialize with here, are inescapable. Fortunately the memories of rides of old certainly haven't been.