Bicycle Shops Indianapolis

Just over one year ago I decided to start saving some gas by taking the bus to work.  The problem?  The nearest bus stop to my house was over 1 mile away and I would have to leave very early (5 am or so) to walk there in time for the bus. The solution? A bike, I started with a used one from a pawn shop and liked it so much that I soon upgraded to a "real" bike (with multiple gears and everything).  I rode in the Bicycle Garage Indy Get Back On Your Bike program and won the $400 that year.  Since then I have saved a lot of money and lost over 90lbs.  I ride to and from work some days and can be seen riding around downtown at lunch most days.  I love my bike and am always looking for more chances to ride.

Name: Sam Cohen
Bicycle: Schwinn
City: Indianapolis
State: IN
 

Sam: We are glad you enjoyed Get Back on Your Bike, and congratulations on your weight loss!  Thanks from everyone at Bicycle Garage Indy for sharing Your Bicycle picture and story.


 

Bicycle Garage Indy is pleased to have Geoffrey Chandler join us and help our customers learn more about preparing for triathlons. His presentation will cover the following:

• Training
• Skills
• First Race Preparation
• Equipment
• Resources

If you have any specific question on one of the topics listed that you'd like addressed, please enter your question in the registration form at www.bgindy.com/for/trinight.

Geoffrey Chandler's bio: Based in Indianapolis, Geoffrey is a certified USAT level 1 coach bringing 28 years of multi-sport competition and passion for endurance sport.  Having competed in six World championship events of varying distances including Hawaii Ironman, ITU Wolrd Long-Distance Championship, ITU World Duathlon Championship, and ICU Masters World Cyclocross Championship, Geoff has a wide range of experience from which to draw. Geoff is also the 2012 Indiana State TT Champion in his age group and considers cycling his strongest suit.

Geoff's background as a teacher helps him appreciate the uniqueness of each athlete and find ways to turn challenges into strengths. He has a particular interest and knowledge relating to power-based cycling training.

Agenda

5:45 pm    Food/social time
6:15 pm    Welcome/Intros
6:30 pm    Presentation: How to Prepare for a Successful Triathlon - Geoffrey Chandler
7:15 pm    Shopping
7:45 pm    Door Prizes / Evening ends

Please fill out this form at to register for Bicycle Garage Indy's "Tri Night: How to Prepare for a Successful Triathlon" on Thursday, April 25, 2013 at Bicycle Garage Indy North, 4340 E. 82nd St., Indianapolis, IN. 

Jay Hardcastle
Marketing Manager - Bicycle Garage Indy
jhardcastle@bgindy.com

March 3-7, 2013 I had the opportunity to go to the Women's Bicycle Forum and the National Bike Summit in Washington DC, Here's a summary of what I did while in Washington DC:

SUNDAY March 3
I arrived Sunday evening and went to the Women Bike Launch party and met a woman who does similar work in a Chattanooga TN bike shop and some bicycle advocates from Minnesota who work for BikeMN.

MONDAY March 4
I went to the Women's Bicycle Forum Monday. There were 325 women (and about 50 men) signed up. Great presentations and keynote addresses. I met up with Elysa Walk (head of Giant Bicycles USA) and got my picture taken with her. She was on a panel about bicycle manufacturers and efforts to make products for women. 

At Women's Bicycle Forum, I was inspired by Georgena Terry (keynote speaker), Rep. Tammy Duckworth (IL), Black Women Bike organization.The only presentation I was somewhat disappointed with (and was the main reason I wanted to attend this pre-summit event) was the presentation about what bicycle retailers can do to attract more women customers. First of all, the original proposal I sent in to present was about what BGI does to attract and keep women customers. So I was hoping to hear something that we aren't already doing and hear what other creative folks were doing. There were 4 panelists including 1 company that has been featured in many publications - Pedal Chic (started 3 years ago) and 1 retailer who just started 1.5 years ago.  Their criteria for choosing the panel was shops that had 40% or more business from women.

The top 9 ways the shops gave to attract women: location of store, clean bathrooms, comfortable dressing rooms, friendly staff, women staff, wide selection of products, positive retail experience, layout of store, communication and didn't go into much detail of any of them. Although I could say that might mean we're doing as much or more than everyone else, I think there are things out there we could be doing or doing better.  So I was disappointed that I didn't learn anything new and they didn't have a retailer on the panel who had been in the business for a long time, had made changes and saw those changes pay off. I got more insight in one-on-one discussions with other women who work for retail shops and are doing similar things to what I do.

Monday evening I met up with the Indiana/Indy delegation and spoke with Mayor Ballard and Chad. I also made a point to introduce myself to John Burke, president of Trek Bicycles. He spoke at the evening's session and mentioned that only 300 of the 4500-5000 bicycle retailers are involved with advocacy. So I told him I was a full-time bicycle advocacy director for Bicycle Garage Indy and that I was on a panel tomorrow talking about the role BGI has played in helping make Indianapolis more bicycle friendly.  I asked him if he knew how many bike shops had a full-time bicycle advocacy director, because I didn't think there were many of us, and I'd like to be able to network with them and share ideas. He thought there were about 20 and gave me his card so I could email him and he would forward it to someone at Trek who could find out.

 

TUESDAY March 5
Mayor Ballard was a hit in this morning's session and got interviewed by Bicycling Magazine; also got interviewed or will be featured in a PBS show (I think). Maybe Indy will make it into the Bicycling's Top 50 Cities for Bicycling this year. Several folks wanted to ask questions of him after our presentation.

Mayor Ballard at Summit
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bcqfWdkF-e8

SLO bike blog - mentions Mayor Ballard
http://slobikelane.wordpress.com/2013/03/05/nbs12-day-2-recap/

Our Indy presentation went well - we had a lot of people attend because the Mayor had spoken at the plenary session and they wanted to hear more. John Burke was in the audience of Indy's presentation. Our presentation was about how the various entities have combined efforts to create a more bicycle friendly Indianapolis: public/government - Jamison Hutchins and Mayor Ballard; public/private partnerships - Cultural Trail / Karen Haley; business/retail - I covered Indy's timeline, Bicycle Garage Indy's advocacy efforts and Indy Bike Hub; and advocacy organizations - IndyCOG / Kevin Whited. Our presentations along with other summit presentations are now posted online at http://www.bikeleague.org/conferences/summit13/

I also went to the presentation called "the business benefits of advocacy for bicycle retailers". Most of the discussion from the panel was how they got started in advocacy and then they had Q&A. Jerry Hiniker, Claudia Nix, Jeff Selzer and Dan Thornton were the panel. They each had a unique perspective in how they supported advocacy within their store. Most of the questions were how can an already busy business owner make the time or devote the resources to advocacy.  The panel was fairly unanimous is saying you have to make the time - advocacy is what develops the opportunities for new customers. Liberty Bicycles has "Pedal Link" a fundraising effort - customers record mileage on website. Shop donates $0.01/mile as well as any additional donations people give - they raised $27K for advocacy efforts - enough to support development of a trail. I thought that was a unique way to engage customers and provide a source of revenue for advocacy projects.

The last session I went to had 3 short segments about getting businesses involved with bicycling (outside of the bike business) - most interesting was about the National Bike Challenge.

Plenary sessions included AAA unveiling their new "Share the Road" public service announcement (http://blog.bikeleague.org/blog/2013/03/bike-summit-aaa-debuts-new-share-the-road-psa/) - and the background on the inspiration for the video by the ad firm was very interesting. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4629Ic25-Ko)

The League of American Bicyclists has posted most of the videos online - the easiest way to access them is here (scroll down to see Summit videos): http://www.youtube.com/user/bikeleaguevideo/videos?view=0 or links to specific videos from their blogs about the event: http://blog.bikeleague.org/blog/

WEDNESDAY March 6
Snow was predicted for Wednesday when we all were to descend upon Capitol Hill (4-6" predicted). What we got was mostly rain. I went to three appointments - Sen. Dan Coats, Rep.  Susan Brooks and Sen. Joe Donnelly. As we were leaving Sen. Donnelly's office he made a point of coming out and greeting us and we got our picture taken with him. We were scheduled to go to Rep. Carson's office, but they didn't have the office opened. The federal government offices were all closed due to the prediction of snow. The senate and representative offices were all trying to get out early so we had a few meetings rescheduled to earlier.

The meetings I went to and the other meetings that were covered by others from Indiana went very well - even those we didn't have any expectations for - Rep. Larry Bucshon being a big surprise (he didn't even want to meet with bicyclists at last year's summit). The Indiana delegation was mostly from Indianapolis area, but we covered all but 3 of the 11 senators/districts. Nancy Tibbett, Executive Director of Bicycle Indiana, arranged the congressional appointments and who would be the lead in each meeting. It was stressed that the meetings were the start of a long-term relationship building. The leads for each meeting will be continuing to contact them and invite them to special events in their districts.
 

  After lunch with the Indiana delegation I had a bit of time before going to the reception, so I took some pictures of the Bikestation at Union Station. Since it was locked/closed to non-members, I had to take photos from the outside. Better photos and more info are here: http://home.bikestation.com/washingtondc

Wednesday night everyone got back together for the congressional reception and heard of the successes on capitol hill. I got reacquainted with several advocacy folks I met at previous National Bike Summits and Thunderhead Alliance (now Alliance for Bicycling and Walking) retreats. When I came to the National Bike Summit as executive director of Indiana Bicycle Coalition (now Bicycle Indiana) I stayed at the home of Ellen Jones, then ED of Washington Area Bicyclists Association. It was great to catch up with her.

Then there was a party at a normally hip-hop place filled with bike advocates instead for the night. At the party, I was able to talk with Andy Clarke, president of League of American Bicyclists, and thank him for having Mayor Ballard and Indianapolis featured at the Summit. He is going to be in town for the grand opening of the Cultural Trail May 10-11 and again at the end of May for the American College of Sports Medicine conference so he'll get to see the Hub and the progress we've made first hand (the last time he was in Indy was April 2010). I hope to get him to BGI's North store while he's here as well, but his time will most likely be filled. I also spoke with Ginny Sullivan (Adventure Cycling Association) and Jeff Miller (Alliance for Bicycling and Walking) - they were interested in BGI's advocacy efforts and would like to see other retailers be as involved in bicycling.

THURSDAY March 7

Thursday morning was sunny and I had a bit of time before my flight so I went sightseeing at the Mall. I had hoped to find a bikeshare bike and ride around for a short ride, but was not able to locate any (and had forgotten to look online for a location before I left my hotel). I did see people on the capitol bikeshare bikes but only saw one corral the entire time I was in DC. Besides photos of the Washington Monument and the Capitol, the other photos are of  a unique bicycle shaped bike rack right by my hotel in Arlington, VA and the bikes lanes that are on Pennsylvania Ave. 

On Thursday, Rep. Brooks was on my flight and as we were waiting in baggage claim, I introduced myself to her (we had met with her legislative assistant for transportation issues). She seemed genuinely interested in going to a Safe Routes to School award school in her district (to be determined).

I had 4 very long days (up 'til midnight, rising at 6 am). I returned Thursday evening (flight was delayed due to snow in other areas of the country) just in time to get ready for BGI's Spring Bicycle Expo which started the following week (March 15-17).

Overall the Summit was good. I still have about 12 pages of cryptic notes yet to go through. (may translate into 3-4 pages of typewritten).

Connie

Working in a bike shop is more than just getting to handle all the "cool" gear.  You also get to meet, talk and share with industry experts with decades fo experience in their fields and products.  During the Bicycle Garage Indy Spring Bicycle Expo,(March 15-7, 2013) we will have dozens of these experts from our suppliers on site, who come to help us staff the event.  They are stationed throught the store, helping customers with their specialties all during the weekend.

This year, we are offering a number these industry experts a chance to offer short semiars, 30 to 45 minutes in length, to talk to directly to you, our customers.  Many of these seminars will be the short version of the same product training they offer BGI staff each year.  And we have also given local bicycle advocacy groups, IndyCOG, Bicycle Indiana, and the Hoosier Mountain Bike Association (HMBA.org) a chanc tell you about their organizations too!

With one exception, the seminars will take place at Bicycle Garage Indy North (Dean Rd. at 82nd).    Their will be one seminar at BGI South and North, as Giant introduces the Propel Advance SL, their newest road bike, the most aerodynamic road in the world.  This is the Indiana introduction of this bike from Giant.

The seminars are occur throughout the day, all weekend.  The schedule, with a short description is listed below.  The seminars are free, with no registration required.

Seminar at BGI South
	Friday - 7pm BGI South	Eric Pirtle of Giant Bicycles will be unveiling Giant Bicycle's Propel Advanced SL, the world's most aerodynamic road bike. The Propel Advanced SL is wind-tunnel proven to be faster from every angle. You'll be the first people in Indiana to see the fastest aero bike ever built!
Seminars at BGI North
	Friday 1pm BGI North	Gary Thomas from Electra Bicycle Company will be discussing why Electra bikes (especially Townies) work so well for the casual cyclist that wants fun and comfort to be the major part of their cycling experience.  "Come see why a Townie can be a 30 minute vacation every day" with it's upright riding position, flat foot technology and how the customer can personalize their bike with all the fun accessories.
	Friday 3pm BGI North	Learn about Shimano's newest Dura-Ace groups from Dave Riggs from Shimano. A short movie will be shown about the development of the new mechanical and electronic groups and after the movie Dave Riggs will do a question and answer session.
	Friday 5pm BGI North	Eric Pirtle of Giant Bicycles will be unveiling Giant Bicycle's Propel Advanced SL, the world's most aerodynamic road bike. The Propel Advanced SL is wind-tunnel proven to be faster from every angle. Be the first to see he fastest aero bike ever built!
	Friday 7pm BGI North	Joshua Ruddy from Cannondale will discuss Cannondale's brand history/proprietary technology.
	Saturday 1pm BGI North	Presenter Kevin Gamper will highlight the company history, brand identity, distinctive product offerings and contributions to the sport and pastime of cycling of both Sugoi Performance Apparel and Sidi Cycling Shoes. Sugoi is a multisport apparel vendor out of Vancouver, British Columbia. Sidi is an Italian manufacturer of what many regard as the best-fitting cycling footwear on the planet. Come learn more about both of them! The discussion will be enhanced with samples of each vendor's coolest designs.
	Saturday 3pm BGI North	Find out about the new line of Zipp aero wheels from Jeff Gold from Zipp.
	Saturday 5pm BGI North	Luke Lindgren from Trek Bicycles will be on hand to discuss Trek's involvement with Bikes Belong and IMBA. He'll also give an overview of Trek's road bike line-up, Bontrager accessories, including road wheels.
	Saturday 7pm BGI North	Learn from Kevin Whited of IndyCOG about the latest activities and initiatives Indianapolis' bicycle advocacy organization, IndyCOG, has planned and how you can get involved: Bike to Work Day, Two Wheels One City, Indy Ride Guide and more.
	Sunday 2pm BGI North	Nancy Tibbett, Executive Director of Bicycle Indiana, will be fresh from the National Bike Summit and SPIN 2013 (indiana Bike Summit) armed with news about local and statewide bicycle news and initiatives of Bicycle Indiana. Bicycle Indiana works to create a more bicycle friendly Indiana through promoting and encouraging bicycling in Indiana, educating  bicyclists, motorists and policymakers on the benefits and importance of safe bicycling and advocating bicycle-friendly laws, policies and infrastructure in Indiana.  find out how you can help.
	Sunday 4pm BGI North	HMBA-IMBA has built and currently maintains over 125 miles of high quality mountain bike trails statewide.  With over 200 more miles of trail in the development of planning stages, Indiana is positioned to be a midwest destination for mountain biking.  Learn from Paul Arlinghaus, President of HMBA-IMBA, about HMBA-IMBA trails and how you can help build more trails.

We hope these seminars give you one more reason to stop by yourself, or tell a friend about Bicycle Garage Indy and BGI Fitness.

Join us at Bicycle Garage Indy North on Thursday, February 28,  and be surrounded by dozens of other women for a fun evening. The evening's topic will be "All About Chamois".  We'll have Brendan Gecik from Gore Bike Wear in town to answer all your questions about chamois, including - what is a chamois?.  What is a chamois?  (If you don't know, you definitely should attend this Ladies' Night!)

What is a chamois? Pronounced "Shammy", a chamois is defined as: 1) a small extremely agile goat antelope (Rupicapra rupicapra) of mountainous regions from southern Europe to the Caucasus; 2) a soft pliant leather prepared from the skin of the chamois or from sheepskin;3) a cotton fabric made in imitation of chamois leather.

Brendan will be talking about definitions #2/#3 and how it relates to comfort on the bike.  In his own words, here is Brendan's bio. "I've been riding and racing bikes since 1985, shortly after the bike was invented and right before the advent of suspension. I'm a cyclist first, racer second though. I feel more accomplishment helping others achieve and pulling teammates along than actually going for the win myself. I've raced everything from BMX to 24 Hour Solo Mountain Bike and I have a lot of time in the saddle to speak from. I've worked for GORE Bike Wear for two years and prior spent 12 years as a cycling apparel Buyer at retail so I've seen it all come and go or stay."

So mark your calendar, and and be sure to register (it's free) at www.bgindy.com/for/ladiesnight.  Registration is limited to 50, so please register soon!

Date:  Thursday, February 28, 2013
Time: 5:30 - 8:30 pm
Location: Bicycle Garage Indy North, 4340 E. 82nd St., Indianapolis, IN

Evening Activities

5:30-6:15 pm   Social time with food and beverages
6:15-6:30 pm   Introduction
6:30-7:15 pm   Presentation "All about Chamois" Brendan Gecik, Gore Bike Wear
7:15-8:30 pm   Shopping
8:00 pm          Door Prize Drawing / Shopping
8:30 pm          Evening ends

Registration is FREE. Discount coupons for clothing and accessories will be available to those who attend. 

Bonus Mid-Day Event
Meet & Greet with Brendan Gecik
Bicycle Garage Indy South (997 E. County Line Rd., Greenwood)
Thursday, February 28 12-2 pm
 
If you can't come to Ladies' Night but still want to learn about bicycling clothing, the mysterious chamois, or Gore Bike Wear products in particular, head to BGI South on Thursday February 28 between 12pm - 2pm. We're pleased to have Brendan Gecik from Gore visit BGI South for a less structured event. Don't be shy. We just want to help you learn about bike clothing so that you can enjoy your biking more. You can register (it's free) at www.bgindy.com/for/ladiesnight.

While this event is free, we hope you will please consider making a small donation (used bicycle parts, cash donation) to help support Shifting Gears. Shifting Gears is a program which takes in donated bikes, the bikes are refurbished by offenders and donated through community organizations to people who need bikes. Shifting Gears is a partnership between Bicycle Garage Indy, Volunteers of America of Indiana and Indiana Department of Correction. For more information: www.bgindy.com/for/shiftinggears

 

First, let me give you my personal thanks for the support you have lent to Bicycle Garage Indy and BGI Fitness.  We really appreciate your business! 

I have a good problem to report to you.  We have been very successful over the past year, particularly since opening the new North Store in mid-February 2012.  This put a strain on our existing personnel over the last year.  We are looking to hire quite a few part-time personnel over the next month to prepare for the 2013 bicycle season.

I'd like to reach out to our existing customer base in hopes that you can help us find some high-energy bicycle enthusiasts who want to be a part of the BGI Team.  I would love to tell you these are "get rich" jobs but they are not.  They are, however, fun jobs with the opportunity to be around the sport we all love.  Most of our part-time staff is here for 1) fun, 2) to be around people who share their passion for cycling and 3) the opportunity to "feed" their cycling habit with the handsome discounts they get as a Team Member!

Remember also that we need help when we are busiest: nights and weekends.  For this reason, it's not for everyone.  Part-time employees must be available for a minimum of one weekday evening and one weekend shift.  Full-time employees must be available for a minimum of two weekday evenings and one weekend shift.  For high school students, this means working during the school year requiring excellent time management and a high level of organization.

We have openings for the following positions at our North Store:

"Runners": Typically high schools students who assist Consultants and Sales Associates in being successful. The job involves stocking, product movement and housekeeping duties.  Many of these are young people who will typically grow into a Sales Associate or a Service Technician position.

"Customer Service Representative (CSR)": Typically high school and college students who assist the Selling Floor Leadership at the cash registers.  Main duties include ringing out customers, phone management and assisting the Selling Floor Leader in being successful.  Likewise, these individuals usually grow into other jobs over time.

"Sales Associate": Works directly with the customer and must have a sincere interest in probing the customer to understand their needs and then working to match those needs with BGI's products.  Being a high-energy people person is the most important element for success.  All else can be learned.

"Bicycle Technician": This position does require experience.  If not previous bicycle shop experience, then considerable self-taught experience is required.  Demonstrable mechanical aptitude is a must.

Find more detailed job descriptions at this link: http://bgindy.com/for/bgijobs

Please be in touch with me if you know of someone who might be interested in these opportunities.  My email is rclark@bgindy.com and the first best step is to email a scanned copy of a completed BGI job application to me at that address.  Here is the link to our Employment Application: http://bgindy.com/dir/87/files/Employment%20Application.PDF.

Thanks in advance for your help and, again, thanks so much for your business.  Be safe and have fun out there!

Randall G. Clark, Founder and President
Bicycle Garage Indy / BGI Fitness
 

When shopping for a home treadmill, the name Precor jumps out.  It certainly has name recognition for being the top-of-the-line brand.  That is one of the reason BGI Fitness is a Precor dealer.  But just what is it about Precor that makes it such a high quality unit?  The discussion below pertains to the 3 series models:  9.31, 9.33 and 9.35.  

For one thing, these are basically commercial grade units with just a few additional home components.   Most treadmills for home purchase are graded for home use only – significantly different than their more durable commercial grade counterparts.

Give a Precor a test walk or a test run – I think your body will “feel” great the next day.  This is due to two innovative technologies.  The first technology comes from differing materials under the running belt.  The high quality shock absorber under the front part of the belt helps to cushion and absorb the impact of your footstrike, while the stiffer material under the back part of the belt allows you to push off with more force.   

The second technology, which is unique to Precor,  allows for the different phases of your foot plant.  You may not realize this, but your foot hits, then “pauses”, then pushes off again.  Think of it as a fast –slow- fast phase.  The Precor micro-adjusts down for this “slow” phase, more accurately mimicking your natural gait.  The result is greater comfort post-workout. 

Another plus for the Precor brand is that over 95% of these 3-series treadmills are made right here in the United States.  There is no user weight limit for the larger individual.  AND the belts are non-maintenance!  That’s right – no belt waxing or sprays for you to deal with. (BGI Fitness does recommend regular treadmill maintenance for other issues.)

Not sure if a treadmill is the right machine for you?  Consider an elliptical – Precor was the first to create ellipticals in 1995 and is rated the #1 elliptical in health clubs today!

Bicycle Garage Indy and BGI Fitness, serving Indiana fitness enthusiasts since 1983, with stores in Indianapolis (Dean Rd. at E 82nd Street)  and Greenwood (Just west of I-65 on County Line Rd).

If you have have been wanting to have that hanging shift or squealing brake fixed before the Hilly Hundred Weekend, (or any other big fall event) there is no better time than right now.  Any bicycle brought into to Bicycle Garage Indy for bicycle maintenance or service can be returned to you in just a few days. You can even call ahead to arrange an appointment and keep your bikes time in the shop to a minimum.

 "You want to pickup your bike (after service) and be able to ride two or three times before your event,"  says Bicycle Garage Indy North Service Manager Josh Prather, a long time Hilly Hundred rider.  "That gives you practice with the feel of new brakes or any other adjustments before your big ride."

Typical items to check at near the end of a busy riding season are tires, wheels and brake pads, especially for an event like the Hilly Hundred, with it's challenging weekend of climbing and descents.  And shifting, especially in the low gears that you many not use in your every day riding, should also be checked, to make sure you are able to shift smoothly into those climbing gears. You can find the ABC Quick bike check list, and other event ride tips, on the Bicycle Garage Indy Hilly Hundred resource page.

Bicycle Garage Indy now has three locations to offering complete bicycle service; Bicycle Garage Indy North (Indianapolis, Dean Rd at  82nd St.),  South (just west of I-65 on County Line Rd, Greenwood), and  BGI Downtown, in the Indy Bike Hub YMCA.

This was my second RAGBRAI (Registers Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa), but my first riding alone. It was a great experience even though the first part of the week was very hot. I bent my first spoke (fortunately one of the bike shop tents was really close) that week, but still had great performance from my Giant Avail 3W from Bicycle Garage Indy. Love RAGBRAI and hope to do it many more times.

Name: Rose Scovel
Bicycle: Giant Avail 3W
City: Indianapolis
State: IN
 

Rose:  We have many Bicycle Garage Indy fans on RAGBRAI every year, and it always fun to hear their stories.  Thanks from everyone at BGI for sharing your picture and story.

I don’t have an office at work, and I don’t like doing all of my work at home.  I find the call of housework and teenagers too distracting.  So this summer I have had great fun putting my office on wheels.  I load up my commuter bicycle and head out in search of a wireless café or coffee shop.  There I can settle in for a morning or afternoon of uninterrupted work. 

I chose my Trek hybrid bike for this conversion to commuter bike.  I considered some of the really pretty commuter bags that are now being made – my favorite being the Sherpani brand.  I love their colors and feminine designs.  But surprisingly, I dug up our old, faded Eclipse folding baskets from years ago.  They are no longer pretty to look at – but I love the design.  Just big open bags that I can drop my supplies in.  No need to “pack” things in and then close up the top.  Granted, this works well for me, as I am definitely a fair-weather commuter.  If I had to contend with the elements (i.e. rain) – then I would definitely opt for the cinched up designs.  

You can find very similar bags today,  like the Bontrager Grocery Bag ($49.99 ea.), or Arkel Shopper ($94.99 ea.).  Both are open top withe a water resistant drawsting cover, and clip to your rear rack.  Or the Arkel Metropolitan ($169.99 ea.) is shopping bag sized, but has an over sizes zip closure and carry handles, along with a cover for the pannier hooks.

My favorite routine is to get up and head right out on the bike.  Five miles is a good distance for me – just enough to wake me up, loosen up the body and feel good.  The round-trip back home makes for a total of 10 easy miles for the day.  Not so much that I am too tired to do a full “workout” later in the day – but enough to feel like I’ve done something in case that is all the time I have to devote to exercise. 

Find a full range of urban and touring bags and packs, from Arkel,  Bontrager,  Koki and Sherpani at all 3 Bicycle Garage Indy locations; North (Dean Rd at 82nd, Indianapolis) Downtown (Indy Bike Hub YMCA at City Market) and South (just west of I-65 on County Line Rd, Greenwood).

The Mass Ave Crit is one of Indy's largest competive cycling events, coming up this Saturday, August 11. The folks at NUVO, the Cultral Trail and the entire Mass Ave Distirct hope you will come down for a day of exciting racing in the heart of Indy.

Watch The Racing:  Criterium bike racing can be very exciting to watch in person. Whereas Tour de France spectators get to see the racers once along a long road route, criterium fans see the racers every minute or so as they complete dozens of short circuits (laps). Racing lasts most of the day. See the Mass Ave Criterium Website for details.

Visit The Mass Ave District: The "Mass Ave." district offers dining, shopping, arts, and more. Visit bgindy.com/for/MassIndyAve to see the directory, which shows over 30 shops, over 50 restaurants, and more places of interest.

Say "Hi" To Bicycle Garage Indy Downtown staff: At BGI's tent, we'll have fun challenges for you to participate in:
*** Change a inner tube *** Handlebar wrapping *** Trivia questions ***
Stop by the tent for special offers, learn new skills and find out about Bicycle Garage Indy's clinics, classes, rides, special events and other activities. We'll be located in Barton Park- near where Pedal & Park will be set up.

Breaking Away Film: After the races, stay for the Movie in the Park - the Indiana bicycling classic "Breaking Away" will be shown at 9:30pm after the last race and award ceremony in Davlan Park (site of the beer garden).

Go By Bike: The folks from Pedal & Park will be there to offer secure bicycle parking, just north of E. Michigan and Mass Ave, in Barton Park.

And while you are the crit,  be sure to visit the Indy Bike Hub YMCA, home of Bicycle Garage Indy Downtown. The Indy Bike Hub YMCA is Indy’s (and the nation’s) unique bicycle & fitness resource.  Both are just a few blocks away in the Indianapolis City Market.

The entire staff of Bicycle Garage Indy would like to thank NUVO Magazine readers (and all of Indy!) for voting us the 2012 Best of Indy - Best Local Shopping for Bikes & Bike Gear.

Bicycle Garage Indy has been part of the Indiana bicycling scene  since 1983. Starting from our first store on the North side, and expanding to BGI South in Greenwood and then Downtown in the exciting Indy Bike Hub YMCA in  2011.

With the opening of our new North store in 2012, the staff at BGI continues to strive to offer our customers the best value, selection and  service in bicycles and accessories in Indianapolis and central Indiana.  

To show our appreciation to all friends, fans and cutomers, follow this link for two ways you can save on your next bicycle, clothing or accessory purchase at BGI!

Thank you again for your continued support!

Randy Clark
BGI Founder and President 

The Mass Ave Criterium is coming downtown to the Mass Avenue Cultural District on Saturday, August 11, 2012.  A full program of racing will run from 11:30 AM to 9:00 PM.  This event title sponsors are NUVO and the Indianapolis Cultural Trail.

See European-style racing up close and personal as cyclists race by at 25-30 mph, competing for $10,000 in cash and prizes! Criterium racing can be very exciting to watch in person. Whereas Tour de France spectators get to see the racers once along a long road route, criterium fans see the racers every minute or so as they complete dozens of short circuits (laps).

The "Mass Ave." district offers dining, shopping, arts, and more. The folks from Pedal & Park will be there to offer secure bicycle parking. Make it an event: ride to the races, grab a bite, take in some culture, and have a great day. Mass Ave Criterium Website.

And you can be part of the action!  Volunteers are needed for the race course and Pedal & Park. Volunteers will be fed (!) and will receive a tee shirt.
(11am-2pm, 2pm-4:30pm, 4:30pm-7pm, 7pm-9:30pm)

Volunteer duties include:
•    Setting up the criterium course
•    Monitoring traffic and intersections on the course to ensure cyclist safety
•    Assisting attendees and residents with parking needs

To volunteer, visit: http://www.surveymonkey.com/s/S9DHXSH

Bicycle Garage Indy is proud to be sponsor of this event.  Bicycle Garage Indy Downtown, in the Indy Bike Hub YMCA at Indianpolis City Market, is just a few blocks away from the Mass Ave district and will be open during much of the day.

The east plaza of Indy Bike Hub YMCA and Indianapolis City Market will the site for a bicycle swap meet being organized by the Central indiana Bicycle Association (CIBA) and IndyCog on Saturday August 25.

The event on the east plaza will be open from 1 to 5 PM, and will benefit the both CIBA and IndyCog.   Individuals and commercial vendors can arrange for table space at a very modest cost.  Plan on coming downtown after your morning ride to sell off unwanted bike gear or shop for a rare item you can't live without. 

Watch the cibaride.org or the theindycog.com sites for updates.

For table and rate info contact:

Ron Gurth at vp@cibaride.org; or
Kevin Whited at kevin@theindycog.cog.

Mayor Greg Ballard often speaks about the importance of Indianapolis as a bicycle-friendly city in attracting employers and employees to Indianapolis. When Bicycle Garage Indy asked Mayor Ballard to video a welcome the National Bicycle Dealers Association P2 group to Indianapolis, he highlighted recent accomplishments for bicycling and why a bicycle culture is an important part of economic development in Indianapolis.

Bicycle Garage Indy is honored to have such an avid spokeperson and advocate for the benefits of bicycling in Mayor Ballard. We were thrilled when he agreed to make a video welcome to the P2 group, bicycle shop owners from around the country who were attending a conference Bicycle Garage Indy last month.

With the permission of the Mayor’s office, we’ve made this video available to the public on YouTube so viewers can see the progress Indianapolis has made in making Indianapolis a bicycle-friendly city.

Enjoy!

Bicycle Indiana has released the "2012 Resource Guide", a 44 page summary of the best cycling events in Indiana. For several years, you've seen the paper version in Bicycle Garage Indy, the Indy Bike Hub YMCA (Bicycle Indiana's home since the hub opened), and other bicycle shops and events around the state.

As a not-for-profit organization, Bicycle Indiana depends on grants to pay for printing and shipping. This year, a slow grant approval has delayed the printing. Luckily, we live in the age of technological wonder! You can download the PDF version of the guide and view it on your PC, your e-reader, or nearly any smart phone.

Here are the links you can choose from:

• Bicycle Indiana's original PDF downloadpdf link (this is a very large file)
• Bicycle Indiana's Resource Guide MOBILE version link
• Bicycle Garage Indy link (a reduced file size version)-  www.bgindy.com/for/guide

Want to know more about Bicycle Indiana or support their mission? Visit www.bicycleIndiana.org.

Join us at Bicycle Garage Indy North and be surrounded by dozens of other women for a fun evening. We'll have Lindsay Sherman from Trek for Women in town with Trek for Women demo bikes which you can test ride. You can also bring your own bike and participate in a short bike skills activity for on-road or off-road. When not on a bike, take part in a flat fixing clinic or go shopping in our new store. And during the evening you will be able to enjoy a casual barbeque on our outside deck.

The Trek Women program is not only for riding the latest and greatest but to overcome the obstacles that many face when riding a bicycle. We teach mountain bike skills, road safety, bike maintenance, and teach the bike shop employees how to better engage their female consumer. We are a program that loves to teach and have fun in a non-intimidating setting.

Date:  Tuesday, June 5, 2012
Time: 5:30 - 8:30 pm
Location: Bicycle Garage Indy North, 4340 E. 82nd St., Indianapolis, IN

Evening Activities

5:30-8:00 pm Open activities Test rides, flat fixing clinic, Adult 1-2-3 skills, off-road skills
8:00 pm  Door Prize Drawing / Shopping
8:30 pm  Evening ends

Registration is FREE. Discount coupons for clothing and accessories will be available to those who attend. 

NOTE: Registration is limited to 50. Please register at www.bgindy.com/for/ladiesnight.

Indianapolis Bike To Work Day, on Friday, May 18, 2012 makes a major change with all downtown routes now concluding at the Indy Bike Hub YMCA, 222 East Market Street.  The move from Monument Circle will highlight the Indy Bike Hub YMCA, a premier, one-of-kind bicycle fitness facility to the over 500 ridres for this years Bike To Work Day.  INDYCOG will again hosting the event, and partnering with Bicycle Indiana, IndyGo and the City of Indianapolis as well as many other sponsors, including the Great Indy YMCA and Bicycle Garage Indy.

Opened in September of 2011, this is the first time the facility has been been available for Indianapolis Bike To Work event.  The Indy Bike Hub YMCA supports bicycle commuters with secure indoor bicycle parking, locker rooms, showers, full service bicycle shop (offering bicycle accessories, bicycle repairs and service and bicycle rentals) and provides downtown Indianapolis workers, residents and visitors with a full service fitness center. You can learn more at the YMCA website and at IndyBikeHub.org.

Over a dozen rides originating from points all around greater Indianapolis will converge on the Hub by 7:45 AM.  A complete listing  of starting points and distances is available on the IndyCOG web site.

Commuters will receive free breakfast on the City Market plaza, with short term parking (7:00 AM to 10:30 AM), provided by Pedal & Park  on the west plaza.  Spaces will also be available inside the Indy Bike Hub YMCA commuters who register online.

Bicycle Garage Indy is a sponsor of the Corporate Bike to Work Challenge.

Did you get a new bicycle this spring?  Or perhaps return to cycling after a long absence?  I had the pleasure of working with a lot of folks last summer, who were relatively new to the sport of cycling.  And the one consistent problem which I observed was that many folks were hesitant to use their gears.  They pretty much chose one gear and never moved away from it.  Is this a problem?

For an afternoon toodle through a flat neighborhood, maybe not.  But as soon as you venture out into any terrain changes at all, you really do need to use those gears.  The gearing was designed to maximize your efficiency, speed and comfort.  So I challenge you to go out on a flat ride and play with the gearing.  Shift through the full range of gears, both on the front sprocket and back. Get comfortable with the shifting process and learn what the different gears feel like.  Then when you head out onto a hillier course, you will feel prepared to shift and to shift appropriately.

Let me share a couple of pointers to help you out.

When we were planning our family, we knew we wanted our kids to be a part of our bicycling.  And even in the early `90’s, the first name in child trailers was Burley.  Our Burley D’Lite was used first for Tyler, and a few years later his brother Justin.  It was pulled behind our tandems and road bikes, for shorts rides to market, day long adventures, and even extended trips, including a week long tour in the San Juan Islands when Tyler was just shy of 2-years old.  When Justin joined us, we even did a few weekend camping trips with all four of us.

In the years since, Burley has added more models, and added innovative safety and comfort features that we had to improvise.  The entry level Bee ($279) trailer is the closest to our 1990’s D'Lite, with a simple nylon seat  for one or two children, behind the seat storage for day trips and shopping, and an integrated mesh wind screen and rain cover.  Burley's now expanded line up includes the Burley Honey Bee ($399, with stroller wheel) and Encore ($439), both offer padded, 4-point safety belts, screen and rain cover, and accept other options like infant snugglers, a jogging stroller wheel kit, and even a snow ski kit.  All Burley trailers have easily removed wheels, and are collapsible to fit in a car or for off-season storage.

Once our boys were pedaling on their own, we passed our D’Lite on to another family (they hold their resale value quite well!).  But we weren’t through with Burley trailers.  We switched over to a Burley Nomad cargo trailer ($349). The narrower, low profile Nomad weighs just 15 lbs, and with a 100 lb. capacity is great for grocery trips, hauling folding camp chairs for an evening of fireworks, or for all our gear for camp touring with a tandem.

You will find a full selection of Burley trailers and accessories at the exciting new Bicycle Garage Indy North (just a few feet away from our old location at Dean Rd and E. 82nd St., Indianapolis) or Bicycle Garage Indy South (just seconds west of I65 on County Line Rd, Greenwood.)