First stop was The Bike Connection in Sherman Oaks. Had never heard of this store before, but happened upon it, and decided to pop in to check it out. After looking around for a bit at their merchandise, we were approached by the owner, Felix, and introduced ourselves.  We hung out for a while, just talking about the Economy, and the Cycling Industry. He was very gracious, and even gave us a full tour of their store; which at some point was a house. This made for some creative display and storage. 

Felix and his staff were all very nice. They sell primarily Road & Mountain Bikes, as well as some cruisers and kids bikes. Mostly they carry Specialized and Electra. So if you live in the area, and are in the market, go and check them out. Unfortunately they do not have a website, but they are located on Ventura Blvd. in Sherman Oaks near the Sunset intersection.

Next it was time for dinner at LA Mill Coffee, a newer spot recommended by Ventura local and friend of the shop, Mark L., who recently moved to the LA area. Having already checked out their website, we had a feeling we were in for a treat. This is what corporate coffee wishes it was!  Delicious coffee. You can choose from several different brewing methods, depending on your preferences. They don’t have a very big menu, but what they do have is absolutely mouthwatering.  Enjoyed dinner, coffee, dessert, and took a cup to go as well as buying a pound of their Kenya blend to bring back.  Not cheap, but classy while staying casual at the same time. The baristas really know their stuff; shout out to Mario who was fabulous. Highly recommended. Located on Silverlake Blvd.: http://lamillcoffee.com/.

After dinner, it was on to Melrose to check out the Bicycle Kitchen. A lovely lady by the name of Day, greeted us and let us wander around the place. Not very big, but a great non-profit where you can learn how to build/fix your bike. They’ve got about 4 workstations, and lots of spare tools/parts to use. We were there around 8:00pm, and the place was hoppin’; the air filled with the sounds of Classic Rock, and lots of pinging metal.  Saw some sweet bikes,and the color coded workstations in blue, purple, orange, etc give the place a vibrant feel.  Elizabeth’s favorite decoration was handwritten in black marker in one of the back areas: “Don’t try to brake, that’s impossible. Instead only try to realize the truth: there is no brake.”

Cycle D has been mulling over how to get one of these DIY type places opened up in the Ventura area; anyone with info or feedback, please email us! If you live in the LA area, check out their website for more info: http://www.bicyclekitchen.com/.

As a nightcap, we had been hoping to check out Orange 20 Bikes, (which is located right across the street from the Kitchen). But we were disappointed. They weren’t supposed to close until 9pm, but apparently they had the same idea as we did, and had closed up a spot early. We made due with peering through the windows at all the goodies they had displayed. You know what they say about Karma… http://orange20bikes.com/.

It was nice to take an afternoon off, enjoy some good food, and meet other bike enthusiasts. Hopefully, we’ll get to do it again soon.  For now, it’s back to reality!  Happy Riding!

Click Here To View Event

The Shadow Conspiracy video premiere at Cycle D!  Come see this highly anticipated video from some of the best riders in BMX today. There will be refreshments & stuff, and get $5 off the DVD if ya buy it at the premiere.  That is all!

Check out their stuff & the trailer here: www.theshadowconspiracy.com

See ya there!

Elizabeth

This time of the year, we all begin to remember those less fortunate than ourselves. Especially this year, with so many out of work, and so many who have lost their homes to the recent fires in Santa Barbara and LA Counties, the need is bigger than ever. We all want to help our fellow man (and woman), but we don’t always have time.

We’d like to help fill a little bit of that void. Now through December 24th, bring in at least one item of non-perishable food (canned, boxed, etc), and we will give you 10% off your total purchase. (The minimum is one, but please feel free to bring more!) The proceeds will be donated to Food Share to help feed someone who might otherwise not eat tonight.
Did you know that 1 in 5 children in Ventura County goes to bed hungry? Please help us feed some hungry families this Holiday Season!

Also, the Rotary Club is sponsoring the Coats for Kids Project 2008. Read more about that at http://www.clubrunner.ca/CPrg/Home/storyitem.asp?cid=2868&iid=76010.

We also want to encourage giving in all aspects. Volunteer your time for a local shelter, church, or charity helping those in need. Donate food, clothing, blankets, etc to the many charities out there making a difference. Give of yourself.

On another topic, by now everyone knows all about the injuries of BMX riders Stephen Murray, and more recently, Mike Aitken. There are T shirts for sale on Mail-Order Sites such as Dans Comp to help raise money for their continuing treatment, etc.  This is a great gift idea; you can give a gift that gives twice! Or just support the cause and wear one yourself. (we would carry them but they are only available online!).

Here are a couple more links to places where you can help out:
Mike Aitken

http://www.5050bmx.com/index.php?option=com_myblog&show=GET-WELL-MIKE-.html&Itemid=154

and

http://www.danscomp.com/704133.php

Stephen Murray

http://www.danscomp.com/products.php?brand=STEPHENMURRAY

and

http://www.stephenmurrayfamilyfund.com/

hank You for helping us make a difference.
We hope to see you soon!!!
Cycle D

On a happier note, we’ve got some new product coming in today! We’ve got the new 2009 Nirve Beach Blossom single speed in Ice Blue for you girly girls, as well as a new box of Paul Frank Ring-a-Bling Bells.  For those of you of the BMX persuasion, we’ve got a smattering of parts coming from System Cycle in Ohio including some new Sprockets, bar ends, and some WTP linear cables; (unfortunately, most Shadow Conspiracy product is out of stock until December).

We also have our first 2009 Fit hitting the floor this weekend, A TRL 2 in clear.

Well, that’s all for now…Happy Riding!
Cycle D

Shimano and five renowned bicycle frame builders are offering five custom bicycles being auctioned off to raise funds for the Young Survival Coalition (YSC) this month of October which is Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

The Shimano Alfine Pink Ribbon Fundraiser is LIVE, lasting through October 30, 2008. It is a special way for people to help raise money and awareness for Cancer research while acquiring works of art.  100% of the proceeds go to the YSC.  Each handcrafted bicycle is unique – with its own flair and personality. From the custom bicycle designs to the custom paint and graphics to the unique accessories like custom leather bags and real wood fenders, each bicycle tells an individual builder’s story and reflects their own style.  The custom frame builders include, Ellsworth Handcrafted Bicycles, Rock Lobster Bicycles, Sycip Designs, Torelli Bicycle Company and Vicious Cycles.For more information on the auction and to see the photos, visit:

http://www. youngsurvival. org/donate/Shimano-Alfine-Auction

or

http://www.msplinks.com/MDFodHRwOi8veXNjMDguY2hhcml0eWJ1enouY29tL3ZpZXdMb3RzLmRv”>http://ysc08. charitybuzz. com/viewLots. do

Reposted from Bike Life: http://www.myspace.com/biketowork

I have copied the last handful of posts we have made on our myspace site (myspace.com/venturabikeshop), so you can get to know us a bit better. Now, we are new to the whole blogging thing, so please bear with while we learn! You will likely see posts mostly from Goose and myself, but we may open it up to others involved with the shop. (The same goes for flik’r…still learning).

We have recently updated our website to include more products, links, and we have added a slideshow of available used bikes. I will try to keep this as current as possible. I also plan to add a slideshow of available frames for all you fixie riders, so check back for that!

You can also add us to your Twitter- our user name is cycledynamics.

That’s all for now! Thanks for visiting!

Elizabeth

September 2, 2008 – Tuesday

Cars for Causes employee picnic
Current mood: thankful
Category: Blogging

Thanks for the thanks!
Repost from Cars for Causes blog:

blog.cars4causes.net/

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Wednesday, August 27, 2008

Please, respect my right to be on the road.
Current mood: distressed
Category: Life

Goose here, just wanting to share a story about a portion of my day. So, a few nights ago I stumble across a video showing violence against bikers by police officers. Not saying who was in the wrong, but just saying that I saw one view point of it. Anyways, I decide to share that video with my co-workers. While we’re watching it, the shop gets a phone call from somebody saying that they were clipped by a car while on their bike. Never good and never something you want to hear. It just so happens to be the third incident we’ve had this month about collisions either between cyclists or motorists and cyclists, mine included. So, I’m bummed between the two things there and decide I’m gonna head on home and make a side stop at Ralphs. So, I pull up to the intersection of Telephone and Petit and am waiting to cross from the Autozone side to the Chevron side of the street, those of you familiar with the area know what I’m saying. So, light turns green, I have the walk signal and I’m in the cross walk. Just so happens a lady is making a left turn on to Telephone, right at me. Now, I did make eye contact with this person before I started crossing the street, but she decided that she was just going to accelerate through the turn. When she passed me, without slowing down, there were about 4 inches between my back tire and her front bumper. Now, seeing her coming scared me pretty bad, one of the few times I’ve really been worried about getting hit. And I’m yelling at her while shes coming that I’m in the intersection. She just looks at me like I’m some nut job and keeps going on her way. Sounds like fun right? Well, I decide that I’m gonna just keep going, until a man, who must have been in a hurry, pulls into the right turn lane to go from Telephone to Petit and almost hits me because he decided to run a red light. The only reason he stopped was because I yelled at him that red means stop. Again, I got the exact same look, like biking is some ind of fringe activity enjoyed by people who seem to want to be hit. Why is there such aggression towards cyclists in this city? Why is it that I don’t feel safe riding my bike the mile and a half it is from work to home? Please, to anyone that drives, or to anyone that will soon be driving, or even a passenger, please be aware that you share the road with people on a means of transportation that isn’t encased in thousands of pounds of metal and plastic. My bike and I together weigh barely over 200 pounds and if I’m hit by a car weighing ten or more times as much as I do, then what do you think the odds are of me not getting injured?

A Cyclists Prayer
Current mood: inspired
Category: Religion and Philosophy

A Cyclists’ Prayer.

As we bike through the city streets, the highways and mountain trails Protect us Lord from spills and crashes trucks and cars whose drivers do not recognize our right to use the roads dogs who like to bite our shapely legs potholes, cracks and sharp objects that flatten our tires thieves and bikenappers who lust after our bikes the rains and thunders and all kind of nasty accidents. Give us the energy and strength to wake up in the morning and go for a bike ride to keep us from bonking to ride up the hills and mountains to reach our destination. Grant us the courage to descend rapidly down the hills to ride through the rain to join and finish races even if we know we will never win. May we experience the joy and the ecstasy as we are moved by the beauty of nature as the sun and the wind caress our face as we feel one with the bike and the road and forget about the time as we get in touch with the child within us as we enjoy each others’ company as we feel we could bike forever. May we continue biking even as we grow old and up to the day we die. And may you allow us to continue biking in heaven, forever and ever. Amen!

>>>borrowed from a fellow Cyclist

To the man in the red truck

I have to say thank you to you. Thank you for cutting me off, thank you for leaving me no place to go on my bike except between you and the car ahead of you which happened to be stopped, thank you for taking the bike lane when you saw I was there. But most of all, thank you for being the first person that I’ve flipped off in ten months of solid riding, truly your driving skills are an inspiration to others and from hence forth I will dedicate my life to teaching others the way of The Red Truck. Not that everyone that drives a red truck is a douche bag, my roommate drives one and hes cool. Really, it just seems to be you. Now, I understand where you may have thought that giving me ten feet of room behind your truck was good enough when you decided to drive in the bike lane, but the thing is, I was going almost as fast as you were and you had to gun it to get around me. If I was driving a car, that would obviously have been unacceptable, I’m just not sure what makes it more acceptable when I’m on a bike to endanger my life. Lets look at it this way: you and your car weigh around 3,000 pounds (I guestimated your weight at somewhere around 275 cause you were a big one), me and my bike, with all my gear weigh all of 227 pounds (wow, less than it looked like you weighed!). Now, add to that the speed at which I was going at the time, roughly 32 miles per hour, and the distance which you gave me before you hit your brakes, 10 feet, this gives you something that could be very bad very quick. Thankfully the car ahead of you was kind enough to stop for a bike going the wrong direction on the sidewalk, maybe you saw this, maybe you didn’t. But either way, its nice to know you thought of me too when you decided to endanger my life. Again, thank you a**hole, you made my morning that much more interesting.

>Virtual finger to the Man in the Red Truck from Bethie! Karma’s  a B**CH!