R.I.P., little buddy.

As you can tell, this here weblog has sat idle for a bit. Times change, and so do our weblogging needs. This has been a great outlet to communicate our love of and for bicycles (and the people who ride them!), but we're moving on.

From now on our love letters to the bicycle can be found here.

Presenting... Hub Bicycle's Saturday Morning Road Ride

Get stoked! Hub is starting up a Saturday Morning Road Ride, lead by one of our employees, Jim.

Ride basics:

• What: A ride designed to be an introduction to group riding for road cyclists. It is a no drop ride.
• Who:  Anyone with a road bicycle who's excited about a group road ride
• When: Every Saturday from 8-10:30am, Hub will open at 8am, departure at 8:30am sharp
• Length: 19 miles loop around the Fells
• Expected Average speed: 15mph

About the route:
Broad streets, ample shoulder and smooth pavement (for most of the ride). Gentle to moderate climbs, fast descents. Streets are pretty quiet at this weekend hour. Check out the route!

What to bring:

• A road bicycle in good working order (wheels true, tires in good condition and properly inflated, working brakes, and quiet lubed drive train)
• Spare tube, tire levers, pump
• Two small water bottles
• Helmet

Other important details:

• Jim will go over basic hand signals, verbal communication, etiquette and safety before the ride. 
• Please arrived prepared as the shop will not be open for service. Please drop in during normal hours to address any mechanical issues. 
• The shop floor pump will be available for use and essentials (tubes, patch kits, and water bottles) can be purchased at the shop.

 We look forward to riding with you on Saturday!

Weekend Bike Tour to and from Martha's Vineyard

Looking to get into bicycle touring? There are plenty of accessible weekend trips you can take right from the city. For example, this little gem from our touring expert, Evadne:

Bike Touring to and from Boston to Woods Hole
A relatively easy ride that offers scenic ocean views, riding through quiet Cape Cod neighborhoods, and riding on the Shining Sea Bike path. It also saves you the expense of parking your car in Woods Hole or paying to get your car on the island while giving you the option to have your bike on the island (one of the best ways to explore Martha's Vineyard). In addition, the convenience of the commuter rail creates two route options to choose from based upon the rider's preference on time on the road and experience level. 

Route A: 2 day ride (83 miles)
Day 1: 48 miles from Boston to Myles Standish State Forest
A more challenging ride through higher traffic areas to get outside the city. Also requires the rider to carry a tent and sleeping bag for camping at Myles Standish State Forest.
Day 2: 35 miles from Myles Standish State Forest to Woods Hole
A quieter ride through Cape Cod neighborhoods, scenic ocean views, and an awesome bike path. 

Route B: 1 day ride (42 miles)
This is a great ride that allows you to avoid bad roads and most high traffic areas of route A. 
Take the Commuter Rail from South Station to Plymouth
42 mile ride from Plymouth to Woods Hole

Tips and Tricks

• Commuter Rail: Make sure to check that the time you want to take the commuter rail allows bikes. You don't need to pay extra for your bike, but bikes are only allowed during non-rush hour times and on weekends. 
• Bourne Bridge: You will have to ride over Bourne Bridge to get to Cape Cod. Make sure to take the pedestrian path across the bridge. You do not want to ride across the bridge with cars, no matter how confident of a rider you are. It can be tricky to find, but there is signage up noting how to get on the pedestrian/ bike path. It is also worth
• Ferry to and from the Vineyard: When purchasing a ticket for the ferry, you will also need to buy one for your bike. For more information on the Martha's Vineyard ferry visit Steamship Authority. 

To get back home from Woods Hole to Boston, just reverse the routes above!
For more tips on bike touring and gear, come by the shop. We'd be happy to hook you up!

BIKE MONTH!

It's Bike Month, y'all! For those new to cycling in the city- there are plenty of events to get connected to other bike minded folks and to get educated. For the seasoned cyclist- there are plenty of events to celebrate the cycling community. Here's a list of things we're excited about:

May 5- Boston Cyclists Union Spring Kickoff Party
 
May 7- Our monthly Basic Maintenance Clinic moves to our pal Aeronaut's place

May 8- Boston Bike Party

May 10- Cyclofemme (Boston ride info here)

May 14- Aeronaut Bike Clinic Series #2 with Hub Bicycle Know Your Brakes

May 21- Aeronaut Bike Clinic Series #3 with Hub Bicycle Know Your Shifting

Bike Fridays, of course  

And not necessarily Bike Month related, but seasonal weekly NEMBA rides are back- Wednesdays at the Fells and Thursdays at Landlocked Forest.

Bike Fit

Bikes come in a limited number of shapes and sizes; however, people do not. Getting a bike fit is like going to the tailor for your favorite pair of pants that fits perfectly at the waist but is a bit too long. There are small tweaks that can be made to your bike components so that your bike fits you and feels more comfortable.

Who can benefit from a fit?- Anyone riding a bike! 

Riders experiencing pain or discomfort during or after a ride. The aging cyclist with less flexibility or the younger rider new to the sport. The cyclist looking for a new bike. A weekday commuter and the weekend fitness seeker. The charity rider setting goals or the racer chasing upgrade points.

Why are bike fits at Hub awesome?

• We offer a Commuter Bike Fit. Starting at $75, in addition to a Sport and Performance level fits.
  
• We have Jim. A Serotta International Cycling Institute fit education tops over a decade of direct bicycle industry experience from production(large & custom) to small shop 
  sales, wrenching, and e-commerce operation & management for some very well known names in our little corner of the world. The prior decade was spent zipping packages around Boston as a courier and more recently as an amateur category racer competing in road and cyclocross events. 
  He speaks from experience when it comes to the bicycle and equipment. Where the rubber meets the road is the true test of equipment and technique so he's always out there learning and refining.His knowledge base is at your disposal.
• We believe that education is an important part of the bike fitting process. Not only will you get the numbers and measurements you need, you'll learn a thing or two in the process!
  

Schedule your bike fit today

Contact Jim at jimwcyclingservices@gmail.com. It's the perfect way to prepare for more riding in the spring. 

Spring Makeover Special: Bike Overhaul + Powder coat for $300

Is your bike frame looking sad and scratched?

Want to change up your bike color scheme for a new season of riding?

Treat your bike to a Hub Powderworks Spring Makeover Special! We’ll overhaul your bike, strip the paint, and powder coat your frame and fork with an exciting color of your choice. 

$300*: Spring Makeover Special: Overhaul + Powder coat

• Hub Bicycle strips frame and fork of all components

• Frame and fork are cleaned to remove all paint, rust, decals, etc.

• Frame and fork are powder coated with an exciting new color

• Bike is reassembled with new cable and housing, all parts are cleaned and tuned (includes hubs, headset, bottom bracket), brakes and derailleurs adjusted ($180 value)

• 5 business days turnaround

*Offer is valid through March 31st (Savings of $55). Does not include cost of additional parts

$175: Power coat Only

• Customer strips frame and fork of all components

• Frame and fork are cleaned to remove all paint, rust, decals, etc.

• Frame and fork are powder coated with an exciting new color

• 1 to 2 week turnaround

• Customer reassembles bike

5 Reasons why you should powder coat your bike

1. Looks are everything!

1. It helps your bike last longer. (chipped paint = likelihood of corrosion = weakened frame)

1. Generally more durable than liquid paint

1. More environmentally friendly than liquid paint

1. You know you’ve always wanted a purple bike

How to get your bike powder coated
1. Choose your bicycle dream color | Look at all the awesome colors we have!

Can't find the color you are looking for? For a few more bucks we can special order a color for you!  

2. Contact us | emily@hubbicycle.com or visit Hub Bicycle at 1036 Cambridge St.

ps. This deal is for regular colors. If you're looking for retro-reflective tech for your bike, check out more info here!

The Year in Review

I know it's a little early for year end reflections, but tonight is our Annual Holiday/Season End/Winter Sabbatical Send Off Party (7pm, stop by!), which for me really signals the end of the year.

2014 started off with some bike riding in Singapore and got more exciting from there. Finding a new (bigger!) location for the shop. Building that new location out. Moving to it. Adding room meant adding services like winter storage, and bike fitting. Team Monster Truck trucking its way to a great CX season! Quietly starting work on Hub Powderworks. Not so quietly unveiling Hub Powderworks. It's been exciting and stressful and so much fun.

 

Looking forward- I'm going to stay put for my winter sabbatical (staybatical?). I've got bikes to retro-reflectively powder coat. It won't be all work- I am going to don my best winter gear and head out for some rides. I'm setting a goal of 500 miles during my time off. Then we'll be on to the next exciting year in Hub Bicycle history.