some Christmas love from Austin:

This is a Christmas self-portrait by our photo-artist buddy Kenneth... can you feel the bicycle love? If you can't, you better check your pulse.

If you like this photo, and want to see more bicycle art, you're in luck. We're going to try to get involved with Fort Worth South's ArtsGoggle this year, with Kenneth as our featured artist.

Merry Christmas!

We wish everyone a happy holiday season, whether you celebrate Christmas, or Festivus, or anything else for that matter!

Here it is, the big announcement:

As all you blog readers know, we're a small shop. We like being small, because we think it allows us to take better care of our customers. But small shops like us just can't afford to keep a huge inventory in the store at all times. You can't come in and browse fancy suspension forks, pro-team kit, or 13 varieties of carbon fiber widget.

For that reason, we know lots of folks do some of their shopping online. So we've decided, with the help of our biggest parts and accessories distributor, to add an online catalog, dubbed the SmartShop, to our website. The SmartShop is open 24/7, and is chock full of bicycle frames, parts, and accessories from brands like Surly, Salsa, Pedro's, Park, and just about anybody else you can think of.

The catalog has over 16,000 items in it, and is updated hourly so you'll never order something that's not in stock. Our prices will be competitive with other online retailers. You can pay securely online with your major credit card, and the best part: if you pick it up here in the shop, your shipping is free! (We will ship to your house if absolutely necessary, but it will take longer and cost more. We'd prefer for 90% or more of our online orders to be picked up in-store.)

Check out the SmartShop at shop.panthercitybicycles.com, and let me know what you think!

Big announcement coming...

Stay tuned for a BIG announcement in the next few days. I think we may just be poised to change the way local bike shops do business. I can't let the cat any further out of the bag than that, at least until it's a done deal.

Feel free to use the comment thread below to take guesses as to what the announcement will be. I'm not giving partial credit, so you have to guess exactly right. First one to guess right gets a $20 gift certificate. (HASTY and MASIGUY... you guys are DQed, because you obviously have gotten some inside information. Thanks for your input, though!)

See... it looks good at night too!

Random but Funny...

So I've been sitting on this picture for a while. I went to TCU's last home game, and our good customer, riding buddy, and TCU Alum Mark met me there. Mark's the funkiest guitar player in Fort Worth, so I wasn't to surprised when he said he was going to sit in with his buddies in the band. But then he sat in at Saxophone... I asked him, "Do you play Sax?" "No," was his only reply. We left it at that...

It's a sign!

Finally, after too many months of sitting on a sign because we couldn't get a permit, we had it installed today. Hopefully we're a little more visible now, especially after dark since it's internally lit.



Here are some pictures of the fine folks at Advance Sign Company (they get a plug because the came and did the work a day ahead of schedule) in action:

While I'm on the subject of beautiful Masis...

Look at Paul's new Masi:


Paul said, "Bernie, my whole life I've wanted a compact oversized-aluminum carbon-stayed road bike."
I said, " your whole life?"
Paul said, "Yeah, even when I was a little kid, I didn't even know what one was, but I wanted one."
I said, "They didn't even make such a thing when you were a kid."

Here's a picture of the proud new owner:


And here's our [admittedly lame] attempt at making it look like the Oakley girl's head is on Paul's body:

Wowee wow wow.

A very, very limited edition frameset Masi will be making available soon. Rumor has it that this bike is built with the same lugs used by Faliero Masi himself. Not reproduction lugs, but actual vintage lugs found in the Masi workshop! If you want one of these you'd better let me know quick; I'd need to order it the day it became available. These are not gonna last long!

Diggin the "Arctic Blast"

I have to say the best thing about riding to work on a morning when everything is closed because of Icy Roads is the "That Guy is Nuts" look you get from strangers.



I couldn't order the studded tires in time for this morning's iciness, so I went the homemade route, using a couple of old knobbies I had lying around. They worked great. I found this morning I could have used 20 or so more studs per tire, but they gripped well enough to keep me from falling. I fell crossing icy streets twice while walking my dog this morning. But riding my bike to work, didn't fall once!

One funny thing about having the business ends of 50 stainless sheet metal screws sticking out of your tire is that they tend to spear debris and keep it sticking to your tire. I mostly just picked up leaves this morning, but I made a mental note not to ride over any litter like fast food cups and crap. Picking something like that up could stop you pretty abruptly if it got stuck somewhere it shouldn't be...

Hey Hardcore Bicycle Commuters:

In light of our first winter cold snap, I'm getting ready to order myself some innova studded tires, and thought I'd offer to split an order with my fellow commies...

Innova Studded tires are $35 ea, and come in 26x2.1, 26x1.9, 700x35, and 700x45 sizes. You really just need a front tire to avoid crashing, but with studded tires front and rear you can turn just a bit quicker. The studs get worn down riding on non-icy pavement, but they are replaceable, so I figure tires should last 3 or 4 winters (seeing as how we'll probably only use them once or twice per winter).

Let me know if you want me to order you a pair.

Road hazards

When you're riding your bike in traffic, look out for dangers like this one. Construction crews rarely take into account the needs of bicyclists. As far as they're concerned, cars are the only road users, so you end up with wheel-sucking voids like this one:



This is just a couple of blocks from the shop. I came upon it on my way to lunch; luckily I saw it before I turned my head to check for traffic (I was passing a car parked there at the time). Be alert, and assume you're invisible!

And now for something completely different...

Everyone knows I don't ride off-road much, you know, since the road starts right outside my front door and all. But after seeing some video and photos of the trails near Possum Kingdom Lake, and knowing there was a group who knows the trails going, and the promise of great Chili and Beer afterward (Thanks Curtis!), Jason and I had to go check it out yesterday.

The trailhead is at lake level, but there's a lot of climbing because the trail goes all the way to the top of Johnson's Peak, where there's an incredible view:



The terrain is classic Texas... limestone and cedars, beautiful red oaks that are changing color right now, lots of prickly pear cactus, and these incredibly scary thorns the locals call "horse cripplers." Somehow, despite all that, none of us had a flat, so somebody up there must like us. Here's one of the cactus patches:



It was a great group to ride with, and it was also really cool to ride with Roger (shown below sharing his water with his dog), who built most of the trail and knows his way around better than anybody.

Happy Day after Thanksgiving

It's here... the day after Thanksgiving, when everybody and their third cousins goes either to Wal-Mart or the Mall. Or the really crazy might go to both.

It's also the day when bike shop guys sit around wondering why anybody would want to go to those god-forsaken places. So come see us... please. We're lonely.

Holiday Gift Registry

An idea just hit me, kind of out of the blue, but I think it's a good one:

Most of you reading this blog are pretty avid cyclists. If you're like me, you have family that starts asking around the holidays what you might like for Christmas. There's always something I want, but sometimes I don't want to ask for it because, lets face it, the majority of our relatives don't exactly know their way around a bike shop.

Enter the Panther City Bicycles holiday gift registry. Next time you stop by, look around for a few items you wouldn't mind unwrapping on a holiday morning, whether it's the latest gadget you can't live without, or just something you'd enjoy but not necessarily buy for yourself. We'll write your choices down and put them in a card file for you.

If aunt Mildred tells you you're difficult to shop for, just send her in here. We'll pull your registry card, help her pick an item in her price range, and she'll be done. You'll both be happier, and so will we. We sell gift certificates too, but unwrapping a package is so much more fun...

If this holiday project works, we may expand it to a year-round registry. Use it for birthdays, graduations, even weddings.

Listen up, fixed gear riders!

If you've ever shopped for an affordable complete fixed gear bike, you know there are not all that many available. And good luck finding any of the few that are available in a local shop....

Same thing probably applies if you've ever shopped for a high-end track racing bike. What percentage of road bike manufacturers makes a track bike?

If you've ever wished you could talk directly to the brand manager of a bicycle maker and give him input that would directly affect what bikes would be available the VERY NEXT YEAR... your chance has come. Tim Jackson, brand manager of Masi Bikes, has a blog much like this one where he gives news about the brand and sometimes directly asks consumers for their input. Kind of refreshing to see a manufacturer listening to the voices of his most loyal customers, rather than relying solely on the abstractions of demographics and marketing study types.

So go to Tim's "MasiGuy" Blog and tell him you'd consider one of his fixed gear bikes. Encourage him to keep the lines of communications with consumers open; I don't know of a single other brand manager doing this, and I think it rocks.

Layaway now for the Holidays!

As you can see, we have more kids' bikes on the floor now than we ever have in our illustrious 7.5 month history. Now's the time to pick out a Haro or Free Agent bike for your little one and put it on Layaway for the holidays.

We've got lots of adult bikes, too, if you've got a more senior rider on your list. Choose from our Haro, Masi, Breezer, or KHS lineups.

A little hero-worship

This is kind of old news, but here's a picture of me and Jason with one of my all-time biggest heroes, Georgie Hincapie (and my Favorite for the '06 tour, by the way). (Yes, I'd have a hard time even cheering for Jan Ullrich over Georgie. Maybe they'd be my co-favorites)

Panther City Bicycles JERSEYS!

The jerseys are here! We have assorted sizes in stock... come get yours today. Just $75 for a beautiful full-zip jersey made in the USA by Canari Cyclewear.

Texas Time Trials: official report

I've been getting a lot of questions about how the 12-hour ride went Saturday, so here's my official report:

It was a chilly start at 5:30. I opted to wear an undershirt, jersey, armwarmers, and vest, shorts, Surly wool socks, and DeFeet shoe covers. I also had taped all the vents on the front 3/4 of my helmet shut. I did it for aerodynamics, but it helped a lot with the cold wind, too. All were good choices, but the decision not to wear knee warmers would come back to haunt me a little.

We took off on the first lap, and I was a little nervous about missing a turn on a course I'd never ridden. It was dark, after all. So for the first lap I kept the taillights of the fast guys in sight. The course was pretty tough: about 800 feet of climbing per lap. I'd say about 650 of those feet were in the first half of the loop, that also happened to feature a headwind that got stronger as the day went on. That first lap took me 1 hour and 9 minutes. That would put me on pace to finish over 180 miles, so I figured that was probably a little too fast a pace. The next couple of laps I did in about 1:15. Between those first 3 laps I took really short, 30-second pit stops to refill my food/drink and peel off warmers and such.

After the third lap, I took a long break because I had to poop. The 5:30 start had kind of messed up my normal "schedule." After I had that taken care of, I ate two sandwiches, tended to the bike a bit, refilled all my bottles and lined them up, and took off again. The next two laps I rode without a break, except to pick up a bottle. These laps were still taking me about 1:15.

After 100 miles, I again took a brief break, about 15 minutes. I peeled the tape off my helmet, because it was starting to get hot, and my perspiration was condensing in the helmet and dripping in to my eyes, which hurt. I put on some sunscreen. As I got back onto the bike, I noted that I wasn't feeling too fatigued, and wondered what was up.

It was about halfway through the sixth lap that my body started reminding me that I'd never ridden more than 100 miles before. My shoulders and neck started getting pretty fatigued, and I noticed a tiny nagging pain in my left knee. By the time I finished that lap (I had now slowed to 1:30), I knew I wouldn't have too many more laps in me.

When I came in from that 6th lap, I asked Julie to gather a couple of bottles and some food and hand them up to me in a musette between my 7th and 8th laps (Thanks Julie!). I did that because I knew if I got off the bike after my 7th lap, even if it was just to grab a bottle, I probably wouldn't get back on.

My 7th and 8th laps took me more like 1:45. I finished the 8th at about 5 p.m. and called it a day. The extra 7 miles I could have added on a prorated basis just weren't worth making another 20-mile lap.

I have a lot of people to thank. Thanks to Brad for convincing me I could do it, and Julie for helping in the race. Thanks to Arundel Bicycle Company; I asked them two days before the event if I could get one of their chrono bottle/cage combos, and they had it in my hands within 24 hours. Thanks to my business partner, Jason, for manning the shop alone on Saturday. A HUGE thanks to Ronnie and Nanette Bryant, who rescued me with a spare LED rear light about 10 minutes before the start. And thanks to Dan Driscoll for putting on a classy event. I had a good time and I'll be back. Hopefully next year I can trade my medal for a trophy.

Bernie lets his freak flag fly...

Most of you who read this blog have ridden with us at one time or another, or have at least been in the shop, so you've probably seen Bernie's bike. But you haven't seen it like this... in an effort to get ready for the 12-hour time trial he's doing Saturday, he's converted his bike to full-tilt aero-geek status. Take a look:



Now, I'll be the first to admit that the bike looks pretty cool set up for time trials. The part I'm concerned about is how excited he is about getting on his bike and riding for 12 HOURS! But that's another story. Take a closer look at the very cool Arundel Chrono aero water bottle/cage combo (link at the bottom of this post will take you to Arundel's site; They're a Fort Worth company!):



And a nice pair of minimalist Vision aerobars:



And of course, since the race starts before the sun comes up, a nifty sub-aerobar lighting system:





I've been giving him a hard time about his geeked-out bike, and I hope some of you will, too. A 10% discount to every customer who comes in and asks Bernie where the "Flux Capacitor" is on his bike!

Last night's FW Mobility and Air Quality Meeting

Jason and I went to the City of Fort Worth's Mobility and Air Quality citizen meeting last night. It was a fairly encouraging meeting, as the city was actually taking notes about what the citizens do and do not like about the current transportation and air quality situation.

The bad news: way too much of our city is still in denial that we even have a problem. Out of a total city population of something like 600,000 people, about 35 were bothered enough to show up for the meeting. Of those 35, close to 10 seemed to be affiliated with the agencies holding the meeting (COFW, the T, McDonald transportation, etc). So only 25 real, independent citizens.

Now, the very very GOOD news: Of those 25 citizens at the meeting, about 10 were cyclists. Andy and Dave from CAMBA were there. Jim and Kyle from the LMRA cycling club were there, plus Me, Jason, and a sprinkling of other cyclists. Since we were the only real cohesive group at the meeting, everytime a show of hands was made to get a public opinion on an issue, the cyclist opinion was most favored.

SO, as the MAQ planning process continues we need to get even more cyclists to come and represent our views at the meetings. The city of Fort Worth will have to listen to us if we're the only ones talking! Stay tuned, and we'll try to let as many cyclists as possible know about upcoming opportunities to influence public policy...

Breezer Bikes and Bags are here...

Breezer bikes and accessories have arrived! All bikes are available with U-frames (not just for ladies anymore!) like the Villager pictured above, or with traditional diamond frames.

Use the link below to learn more about Joe Breeze and his mission to change the world with bikes...

New Water Bottles!

New bottles have arrived (thanks Mark)! Come buy yours today; just $6, or ask for one FREE with purchase of $50 or more. Free bottle offer good through Saturday, October 15.

Give Opinion in Fort Worth Transit Study

Thanks to Andy for bringing the following to our attention:

The City of Fort Worth wants your input in their Mobility and Air Quality (MAQ) Study. There will be a meeting Oct. 18 to give citizens a chance to identify how the area’s transportation system could serve them better. The meeting will be held at the Fort Worth Convention Center, West Meeting Room 108, from 6-8 p.m. Doors open at 5:30 p.m. For more information, contact Amber Mitchell at 817-392-2443 or Don Williams at 817-392-8702. For special needs, contact Amber Mitchell or MAQPlan@fortworthgov.org at least 72 hours before the meeting.

Urban Assault...

KHS was showing a sweet new city bike at the show, the UrbanX. Check out those color matched fenders, seat, and stem. And it comes fully equipped with rack and all for just $330. Just think of how much you'd save on gas...

Pitching a tent...

This is one of the coolest, most original new products we saw at the show. A bike touring tent that's lighter and less bulky because it requires no poles:



Stake the fork of the bike down to support the front of the tent...



use the front wheel as a hoop to support the back end of the tent...



and enter from the side.

Vegas Report, installment 2

MMMmmm... look at this delicious new full-carbon Masi. High Modulus Carbon lugs and tubes, with parts so good there's literally nothing to upgrade. It's even got Dura-Ace wheels! Kudos to Tim Jackson, brand manager at Masi, for making this bike happen. It's expensive, but like I said... there is absolutely nothing to upgrade. Slap on your favorite pedals, and you've got a no-compromise professional-level racing machine.

rides resume TONIGHT!

We're ready to get back to our regular weekly ride schedule... bring lights tonight; I don't want to have to cut the ride short. We leave at 6:30...

We're back!

We're back from fabulously overrated Las Vegas! The show was incredible; never have I seen so much bike stuff and so many bike people in one place. It was the greatest freakshow on earth.... We met cycling celebrities, talked bike, ate drank and slept bike for 3 solid days, but it was worth it. We're excited about our new lines, and I think all of you will be too.

Tune in here every day for the next few days, as I'll gradually be adding photos and blurbs about what we saw... above is the first installment, a view from our hotel window.

Dear "Customer with money to spend"...

Thanks for the note; I apologize for the inconvenience. If we could afford employees, we wouldn't have been closed. But since we had business out of town, we were left with no choice but to close for a couple of days. Next year, we hope to be able to hire somebody. Next time sign your name to your note, or just give us a call so we can talk about it.

Thanks,

Jason and Bernie

Interbike

Well, we're off to Vegas for the big bicycle trade show. The shop will be closed today and Friday. Our friend Paul will come open the shop for us on Wednesday and Thursday, so if you need anything, come see him.

Otherwise, we'll be back at work Saturday morning... see ya then.

Cowtown Classic

Well, we rode the Cowtown Classic today, and it was brutal. The route was interesting, with a lot of fun twisty roads, but a few too many gravel trucks for my liking. There was a nice tailwind for the first 30 or so miles, but of course that means a headwind all the way back. A relentless headwind. A headwind that got continually stronger as the day went on. Wish you could have been there...

More announcements...

We'll be opening late Saturday, September 24 so we can ride the Cowtown Classic. We should open sometime between Noon and 1 p.m.

Also, we'll probably only be closed Tuesday and Friday of next week. Wednesday and Thursday we should have somebody here to open and run the shop. Stay tuned...

PCB announcements

OK... I've got a few little news updates today...

First of all, I won't make the Sunday morning ride this week, as I'm riding the Cowtown Classic on Saturday. That's not to say you guys can't ride without me... I'm going to start a thread on our blog, panthercitybicycles.blogspot.com, for you guys to use to organize yourselves to ride Sunday morning. Or join us Saturday morning at Crowley High School for the Cowtown Classic instead. More info at www.cowtownclassicbikeride.org .

Monday evening ride goes on as usual, leaving here at 6:30. Bring lights! Afterward we will drink lots of beer, and maybe grill a brat or two in celebration of our being named Fort Worth's best bike shop by the Fort Worth Weekly yesterday. Thanks to all of you who voted for us!

We will be closed for a few days next week, as Jason and I will be travelling to the Interbike international bicycle trade show. Mark it on your calendars... we will be closed Tuesday, Sep 27 through Friday Sep 30. If you need something fixed, get it to us quickly so you can pick it up by closing time Monday.

I think that's all the announcements I have for now. Ride well!

Sunday Ride

I won't be here to ride on Sunday, but don't let that stop you guys who want to ride! Use this thread to organize yourselves as to what time and where you want to meet...

Happy Birthday to me!

It's official... We won both readers' choice AND staff choice for best bike shop in the FWWeekly "best of 2005" issue that came out today! Thanks to all of you who voted for us, and thanks for making our first 6 months successful ones.

Link below to the FW Weekly "best of"... Panther City Bicycles is under "getting and spending."

Hey FWWeekly, What's up?

So I've ridden all over this side of town looking for a copy of the "best of" FWWeekly issue that's supposed to come out today. Seems it hasn't been delivered yet. Anybody got a copy yet? Did we win anything?

write your own caption...

Sunday a.m Long Ride

Tomorrow morning we'll do an extra-long ride, out to Aledo and back (70-ish miles). There will be a convenience store or two on the route to refill drinks. Just be sure you bring plenty of flat-fixing supplies, food, sunscreen, and whatever else you might need. Let's leave at 8 sharp... be here a few minutes early to get ready.

Monday evening ride as usual, leaving at 6:30 sharp.

Used Bike for sale...

Know somebody who is very tall and looking for a cheap bike to get around on? Tell them about this IronHorse we just took on trade. Just $100, freshly tuned up...

World Car-Free Day is Coming!

September 22 is World Car-Free Day. Try, for just one day, to do everything you need to do without a car. Walk. Ride your Bike. Curse our woefully inadequate Mass Transit system. Call your city councilman and ask him to bring a light rail system to Fort Worth. Don't forget to tell him he sucks for letting it die last time it was approved.

Stay tuned, as we'll probably have a critical-mass-style bike ride that day...

commuting my way ?

FROM:
I-35 & 820 (North Freeway) area
Western Center & Mark IV Blvd.
TO:
Downtown, HospitaI District, and Shop.

Is there no one else who rides their
bicycle to work from this area?????
It's an easy 12 mile route from my house
It's possibly the best, quickest, and
safest route to the Downtown area.
Avg. 15 mph. Time 45min-1Hour.

If you live in Saginaw, Blue Mound, NRH
or surrounding areas, I ride on Wednesdays
and Fridays at 8:00 a.m. sharp.
Let's meet and ride...everyone is welcome.
Call 817.348.0660

Jason
Support your local bike shop.

VOTE!

This is your last chance to vote for Panther City Bicycles as best bike shop and/or best environmentally friendly business (yes, I'm a shameless self-promoter). Click the link below to vote online; each computer can only vote once, so if you have more than one vote in your household, grab a hard copy of the weekly and fill out the paper ballot. Deadline is tomorrow!

If we win, we'll have a big party, since the best of issue happens to come out on my birthday...

SUV hell

To the lady in the black Toyota SUV, license number K38-PPB:

I'm SO sorry for riding my bicycle to work today, and I apologize for getting into the left turn lane at Rosedale and Hemphill before you did. You honked your horn agitatedly, and boy did that teach me. I'm also sorry you almost hit that white car that was turning left when tried to gun it around me. And I'm sorry when you did manage to speed around me, that you got caught at that red light, the same light I stopped at, proving that your efforts were needless, and that you saved no time whatsoever being in front of me. I'm sorry I caught you at the next stoplight too. And the next one after that. You got that squeamish look as you stared at me in your rear-view, trying to figure out if I was chasing you down or if I just happened to be going the same way. Can a guy really keep up with traffic on a bike? I hope you didn't use too much extra fuel driving aggressively, 'cause that stuff costs a lot these days. Some nerve I had riding a bike, that costs next to nothing to operate, in front of you on the street!

Who was I to think that just because the law says I'm supposed to function as a part of traffic on my bike, that I should actually try to do so? I should know better. I should know that the road belongs to drivers, specifically Stupid Useless Vehicle (SUV) drivers, and drivers alone. My safety on the road just plain doesn't matter. Thanks for reminding me.

Headstrong

So, Lance is hinting that he might try to come back to win an eighth Tour. That would be the second time he's "retired". Could he make himself look any more full of crap? Who's this guys publicist? Don King?

Link below to the story.

Labor Day Photos

The first annual Panther City Bicycles Labor Day Ride and Picnic was a success. It was a beautiful morning for a 35 mile ride, and a beautiful afternoon for eating fajitas and such. Thanks to Leonard Ingalls for taking photos of the festivities. You can see more photos using the link below. Thanks also to the whole gang for bringing something to contribute to the party.

Labor Day Ride/Picnic

You're all invited!

On Labor Day (Monday, Sep. 5), meet us here at the shop for a ride and post-ride grill-out. We'll ride at 9:00 a.m. sharp, and be back about lunchtime to enjoy some fajitas at the shop.

Let us know what you can bring. Got a killer recipe for beans or rice? Bring it. Make a mean red salsa (that's right, Hasty, I'm talkin to you...)? Definitely bring that. Don't know your way around the kitchen? Then just bring lots of beer, or plates and plasticware, or a cash donation to help defray the cost of the food.

Bring your party chairs too for sitting in and around the shop. Music will be played, Frisbees will be thrown. A good time will be had by all.

Let us know if you're coming and what you want to bring. See you all there.

Sunday ride report

The earlier 8:00 meet time for the Sunday ride was a success. It wasn't as hot a ride as last Sunday. I had two rear punctures, the first of which I'm fixing in the above photo. You'd never know from the photo that I'm right in the middle of the Metroplex, somewhere along the border between Fort Worth and Arlington.

After I fixed the flat Rick, who joined us for the first time yesterday, broke his chain about 27 miles out, so he and Stephen were picked up by Stephen's wife. Then on the way home, I had my second puncture. Rear tire again, but a different puncture.

Total distance was almost 90K (50ish miles) again.

Sunday and Monday Rides

For those of you who either aren't going to the Hotter 'n Hell Hundred, or won't be too worn out after riding it, we will be having our sunday and monday rides.

I'm making an executive decision about the Sunday ride: until the weather cools a bit, we'll be meeting at 8 a.m. instead of 9. Last Sunday, we didn't get back until 2, and it was brutally hot. I'd like to not run out of water this week, so the earlier start should do the trick. When the heat backs off a bit, we can go back to 9 a.m. meet times.

Monday night ride will leave the shop at 6:30 p.m., as always. It's getting dark a little earlier, so if you have lights for your bike bring them. If not, buy one from us; we've got lots.

New SRAM prototype!

Good news for the road bike market: American component giant SRAM is finally preparing to release a road bike component group to compete with high-end offerings from Shimano and Campagnolo.

A close examination of the spy photo above gets me pretty excited about the possibilities. SRAM has chosen Campagnolo's more comfortable (to me anyway) flat-topped hood design. The brake lever has an obvious pivot bolt, so I don't think it can shift sideways like shimano. But there's no release lever on the inside of the hood like Campy, either. My guess is that the shift lever moves both directions! Push it inward to shift up, outward to shift down. This would take some getting used to, but the simplicity of the lever would be worth it. SRAM's mountain bike shifters and components, which have gained favor over Shimano for lots of off-road riders, are famous for their simplicity and reliability. I hope we can say the same for their road group. The group will come out sometime in late '06, and include shifters, front and rear derailleurs, bottom bracket, crankset, 10-speed chain and cassette, and BRAKES!

click the link to go to Velonews' scoop on the new prototype

Supercommuter!

Check out this bicycle conversion we did for a customer:



A better look at the Nitto North Road handlebars:



Before, this was a knobby-tired, front-suspension, aggressive-handling mountain bike. Now it's a super-hip, incredibly comfortable, city-cruising cafe racer. And the cost was far less than buying a new city bike, too. We did a bike like this for this customer's mom, and he liked so much that he brought his own bike in for us to convert.

Got an old mountain bike wasting space in the garage or your living room? Bring it in and ask us to give it the treatment!

Why?

In today's world of threadless steerer tubes and their accompanying flippable stems, the reversible stem logo is pretty much the norm. But why would a bike manufacturer (like the Fuji stem in the photo) put a flip-flop logo on a quill stem that can't be inverted? They could have put a 50% larger and easier-to-read logo on the stem. Kind of makes you wonder about their attention to design detail on the rest of the bike.

Tour de France director: Armstrong 'fooled' sports world

Link below to a story about the latest doping allegations against Lance Armstrong. Most of you know how I feel about this subject, so I won't go into that here. But this is a very interesting development to say the least. No way would the director of the largest sporting event in the world tarnish the reputation of his own race unless he was pretty convinced of what he was saying. Wow.

Sunday Morning Ride Stats & Report

Meet time: 9 am
rolled out: 9:30
number of riders: 3
got back: 2 pm
Heat index at 2 pm: 112 degrees
Kilometers ridden: 92
Miles ridden, for ye of little faith in the metric system: 55.2
Kilometers per hour average: 24.8 (14.8 mph )
Slices of pizza eaten at halfway point: 3 (1 cheese, 2 stuffed spinach)
Number of times "Go Lance!" was yelled at us from a passing car: 1
Roadkill armadillos passed: 3
Roadkill armadillos bunnyhopped by Zac: 1
red lights run by Roxanne: lost count
Beers consumed upon return: 10-ish

A good time was had. Naps were needed afterward.

Six new power plants proposed

Six new fossil-fuel-burning power plants have been
proposed just south of Panther City. This would be
catastrophic to our air quality. Want to help? Contact
U.S. Rep. Joe Barton to voice your displeasure.
Read the entire story in the Star-Telegram (link below).

Vote for us!

We need everyone's help. The Fort Worth Weekly is currently accepting ballots for "Best of" Fort Worth, and there are categories for best bike shop and best environmentally friendly business.



The "Best of" issue comes out on Sept. 21, which just happens to be my birthday. I could think of no better birthday present than for Panther City Bicycles to be named best bike shop. So please please PLEASE (I'm not above begging) grab a ballot and vote. And make sure all of your cyclo-friends vote. But don't stuff the ballot box, 'cause that'll get us disqualified.