The past weekend I got out of the Bean to check out the Maryland Death Fest and check out the city of Baltimore for the first time.
ROAD TRIP! WOO HOO! Special thanks to my boyfriend, who drove both to and from Baltimore due to my serious lack of manual driving skills.
All loaded up, bikes included.
…8 hours, one bag of chips, half a container of hummus, box of oreos and several Pellegrino Ariancas later we were in Baltimore.
Bridge to Baltimore!
Friday and Saturday were spent at Sonar, a really awesome indoor/outdoor venue. Two outdoor stages and one indoor stage made for a very busy Friday and Saturday.
So many metal vests.
The bill included but was not limited to:
Aura Noir, a black metal band hailing from Oslo, Norway.
The whole audience was going crazy during the Aura Noir set.
Acid Witch, Detroit Doom metal at its finest.
On our last day in town, we had just enough time to check out Baltimore Bicycle Works. At two and a half years old, BBW is one of Baltimore’s first bike shops and ONLY worker owned and operated collectives in Baltimore.
Outside of Baltimore Bicycle Works, check out the awesome street art in the background!
A wide angle shot of the main room of the shop.
Apprentice Will posing for a shot.
The crew humored us with a little Baltimore history, discussing how the bicycle scene is still fairly new but is steadily growing with the increasing population. Since opening, the shop has watched the Baltimore commuting community grow significantly. Maryland even made it to the top ten of friendliest bike states in the US! Only one behind Massachussetts!
The shop offers everything from high end road bikes to a variety of different cargo bikes.
Thanks so much to Tommy, Laura and Will for chatting with us and letting me get shutter happy in your shop!
Next time you find yourself in Baltimore, check this place out. It’s got something for everyone; be it fixed gear free styling or a racked up commuter.
We just received Urban Velo #22. Come grab a copy for FREE!
It is that time of year when it becomes very important to have a good pair of reliable lights for riding in the dark. We have been selling the Serfas USB rechargable lights for a few months now and they have been a huge hit with our customers and our employees. No need to buy tons of replacement batteries anymore when you can just easily recharge your lights by plugging them into any usb power source at home or at work.
The USL-1 (front light) and USL-R (rear light) are very small lights that easily attached to your handlebar or seatpost with a rubber strap similar to the knog lights and is about the size of a thumb drive and plugs into your computer in the same fashion to recharge. The lights are amazingly powerful for how small they are and can even help illuminate the road when needed, or can be set to flashing for extra visibility to motorists. $25
The True 150 Lumens model has, you guessed it, 150 lumens of light and can illuminate a huge path infront of you, which is perfect for those treacherous pot hole ridden bike paths that are not well lit. It also has a flashing mode for when you don’t need to illuminate the road. It uses a usb rechargable Li-ion battery, and also comes with a wall charger for when a computer isn’t handy. 2 mounts are included in the box so you can attach the light to your handlebars or your helmet. $99
We just got this amazing tool in for the repair shop a few weeks ago from Euro Asia Imports and I have to say it is by far my favorite tool in the shop now. It can remove and install a cog and lockring in seconds and even has a 15mm built in to take off your wheels. No swapping back and forth for different tools, this one does it all and fast! The contact point is super positive and has yet to slip off, unlike some other tools which end up leaving you with bloody knuckles. It comes laser etched with Euro Asia Imports however the instruction sheet explains that the tool is actually manufactured by Makino. We aren’t stocking this tool because it is probably a little expensive for the at home mechanic, however if you are a track racer or just find yourself swapping cogs and lockrings often we can order one in for you.
I have had a deep seeded skepticism for any product claiming to be water proof. Though Swrve does not claim complete water repellency, they are pretty damned close. This morning I opted out of wearing full kit, and carrying a change of clothes in my bag, and instead decided to look like a normal human being. With my first experience in a torrential down pour in these things I was so pleased that I wanted to send Swrve a thank you letter.
My commute was as though some one were pouring a bucket of water on me. . . for half an hour. Generally my legs would be cold, and sopping wet, my wallet submerged, and my underwear uncomfortably damp. This was not the case. I made it into Cambridge Bicycle only to be sent back to the side of the river where I reside. 10 minutes into my day at Superb, the only bit of clothing still wet were my socks, luckily I brought a dry pair.
Some details from Swrve’s website:
- water + wind resistant face
- breathable fleece interior
- low waist in front to prevent your belt from digging into your gut
- higher waist in back to stay respectable and to keep you warm
- articulated knees for a better fit on a bike, office chair, or barstool
- seamless gusseted crotch for comfort
- zippered back pockets fit a mini U-lock
- two front pen pockets
- high quality YKK zippers throughout
- steel jeans-style button
- reinforced pocket entry for durability
- stylish trim fit for everyday use
and they’re MADE IN USA!!
There are very few products that I feel are anywhere near perfect, and these pants are at the top of my list. They’re great for just about any situation: cycling, cross-country skiing, shaking it on the dance floor, sitting in a cubicle, or at a bar. You’ll be warm, dry, and sexy.
