Interviewed

This marks the first interview during which all questions were about being a 'business owner' and not a 'woman business owner'. Thanks, Kristina!

My Other Bike is a Hubway

I accidentally left myself bikeless last night. That's what I get for starting a project on the bike I planned on riding home. Thankfully, our closest Hubway station was nicely stocked. I feel really lucky to have such a great resource right in the neighborhood.

Time to Neglect the Web Log

Biking is up and so are tunes ups at Hub Bicycle (I don't have a Power Point slide to prove it, so you'll just have to believe me). Breathing, eating, sleeping tune-ups hasn't left much time for updating the web log.

I do want to take one second to let you know that it's almost time for the Redbones Bike Party!!

We'll be there with our pal Josh Safe Boston for a classic HUB x BSB collabo. Stop by our table to say hi.

"I can't wait for this week to be over."

You said it, Springfield NBC affiliate reporter.

The last seven days been stressful scary awful. In both a small and big picture way. For me, they started with a broken thumb last Friday (yes, it was bike related and yes, it's hard to work without a thumb). Then Erich broke his arm, reducing the Hub Bicycle Mechanic Team down to two working right arms. I want nothing but to do the best work in the quickest turn-around time. We're still cranking out the same quality service you've come to expect, but at a slower pace that I'm finding difficult to be ok with. All of that seems small potatoes, though.

Sunday night was the wildly fun and successful Midnight Marathon Ride (yes, I rode, broken thumb and all).

Then the Marathon on Monday. My dear friend, Josh, said it best with this post on his website Bike Safe Boston. Sad, unsettling, angering- I can't say it any better than the hundreds blog posts, tweets, and columns that have come out over the last week.

Yesterday I arrived at the shop wicked early to try to get some work done. I looked out the window shortly before 7am to see a CBS news van pull up on Cambridge St. Shortly after that Fox, CNN, AP, NBC, ABC, etc... It was surreal to be watching a live stream of the news shot from a helicopter hovering over the building I was watching the news in. I didn't know the two that lived in the house on Norfolk St, but I did know a lot of their neighbors. I recognized so many faces in the crowd that gathered in front of the shop (many evacuated from their houses, some still in pajamas)- both of folks who are customers and those I see when I walk to the bank, or post office or lunch. I know that this is also not a unique feeling, but this past week reinforced my love for the city and this neighborhood in particular. Some terrible people lived here, but so, so many more good people do, too.

Today the news crews are gone. Many folks have remarked at how well and quickly things seem to be getting back to normal. We're getting back to work, and continuing to will broken bones to heal up fast. So, thanks for your patience, and continue to stay safe out there.

Stunt Double

I'm heading out of town this weekend. I'm off to CA with Team Luna Chix for some mountain biking and I've been promised "new instructional skills to take back to your community to share with other women". I'll bring some back for you.

In my absence I'm leaving Midwest Tim as my stunt double. Squint a little- we look exactly alike. He's a former bike shop manager, turned grown-up office job haver and all around good dude. I know this puts him at the risk of falling off the wagon (or is it onto the wagon?), so make sure he doesn't have too much fun, ok?

We'll be down a pair of wrenching hands while I'm gone, so I expect we'll have to add a day to our turn-around times. If you don't want to leave your bike off with us for a few days, please take advantage of making an appointment. If you don't mind that your bike stays with us for a little while, then carry on. And don't forget- Hubway is back! So you're never really bikeless.

 

One Week

This is our last full week before close up shop for a month of bike adventure, recharging, and planning for 2013. There's still time to get a hold of a last minute gift or two for the bike nerd in your life (maybe that nerd is you, I won't judge...). Place an order with us by Weds (12/19) and we'll have it for you by the end of the world Friday (12/21). BTW, that speedy delivery is free (as it always is), yo.

I, myself, and working on a last minute project or two before I head someplace warmer for some cycling. Here's a little peek at my new bike, painted by the very talented fellas at Circle A:

Wimpy 2 Electric Boogaloo

It's the same color as another adventuring vehicle I once had. The pink stripes are a little washed out in this picture, so imagine they're a darker pink. I'll post up a full bike pic when this baby is ready to roll.

Hug a Trail Builder

I got out of town this weekend, and decided to see what some out of town MTBing would be like. Not great, it turns out. The trails were overgrown, eroding, and had tons of broken, tetanus-inducing 'bridges'.

Pbbbbbbt.

I got a 4 mile ride in before I gave up. It was a really great reminder to appreciate the great trails I get to ride close to home. Those trails (I'm looking at you The Fells, Landlocked Forest, Harold Parker, etc.) didn't magically appear. They also don't magically maintain themselves. People built them, and people maintain them. People like the good folks at IMBA and, closer to home, NEMBA.

So hug a trail builder today. Or even better- donate or volunteer.

Better Than Flowers

I got home to a present from my better (at being thoughtful) half yesterday. Flowers? A puppy? A romantic, candle lit dinner? Nope. Even better- an anti-fatigue mat for my work bench!

More Help Wanted

We're in high gear now! I need more help. Please pass this along...



Hub Bicycle Co., located in beautiful Cambridge, MA, is hiring! Are you a talented mechanic with current bicycle industry experience looking for a small, but growing, service oriented shop to work in? Do you believe that bicycles make the world a better place? Are you comfortable working on the full range of bicycles and components- from big box specials to carbon race rockets? Hydraulic brakes, wheel building, suspension, and three speed hubs? We should talk.


You can expect full time employment, competitive pay based on experience, employee discounts on bikes/parts/stuff, opportunities to participate in advocacy, community education & trail building, a relaxed & positive work environment AND a month of paid vacation during the off season. Please email a cover letter and resume to Emily (emily@hubbicycle.com) if that sounds good to you. Thanks!

Help Wanted

Happy last day of 'winter'. Things have gone from busy to busier around here, so it's time I got a little help. I wrote a help wanted ad- please pass it along to any unemployed or unhappily employed bicycle mechanics you know. It goes a little something like this:

Hub Bicycle Co., located in beautiful Cambridge, MA, is hiring! Are you a talented mechanic with bicycle industry experience looking for a small, but growing, service oriented shop to work in? Do you believe that bicycles make the world a better place? Are you comfortable working on the full range of bicycles and components- from big box specials to carbon race rockets? Hydraulic brakes, wheel building, suspension, and three speed hubs? We should talk.


You can expect part time employment (with the possibility of full, for the right person) competitive pay based on experience, employee discounts on bikes/parts/stuff, opportunities to participate in advocacy, community education & trail building, and a relaxed, positive work environment. Please email a cover letter and resume to Emily (emily@hubbicycle.com) if that sounds good to you. Emails only, please. Thanks!

Trusty Steed

I meant to do this post on Sunday- which was exactly one month away from the start of my trip, but time got away from me. I've been meaning to do a number of things in regard to this bike trip, that haven't quite happened yet. Like putting some miles in on the bike... That seems to be the theme of this weblog- not riding bikes enough. Good thing this arrived today:

I have, however, managed to get a bike put together. The Brown Machine had been sitting idle for a while, and it has proven its worth over long distances. So that seemed to be the most logical frame of mine to hang some parts on. I'm going with a 2x9 drive train (no granny gear, but I won't have much in the way of elevation change to deal with), hand built wheels (natch) with Michelin tires, and my fave seat and pedals combo.

I'm going with the Surly Open Bar for the handlebar. Not a very conventional choice, but this guy has really grown on me. I think it's very comfortable, and it gives a couple of different hand positions. Will it work for me over a month of riding? There's only one way to find out...

I'm still on the fence about the front basket. I really love this guy (it's a Takeout Basket from PDW), but I'm afraid it won't fit enough stuff. I do have a nice CETMA front rack I could put on there for maximum cargo carrying, buuuut- it won't fit in the bike box I'm packing up in (like the Takeout will), so I'd  have to find some other way to get the thing down to FL. I don't want to brag, but I'm a pretty efficient packer (the last time I checked a bag was 2002), so I hope I can put those skills to good use here. I'm going to test those skills this weekend with a trial run/ride. I'll let you know how it goes. Keep your fingers crossed for me.

New and Improved!

We did it! We're open for business at our new location- 1064 Cambridge St. (it's on the corner of Cambridge St. and Elm St.).

I can't really celebrate the new space without thanking and acknowledging all the folks who helped make it happen. Like Robert, Peter, Sal, Lisa, Charlie and the whole Youth Build/Just A Start crew for constructing this beautiful spot. And the moving crew- Ben, Casey, Mirabel, Laura, Janet, Jeff, Charlie, John, Erin, Cathy, Kim, Amanda, Kristen, Nancy, Cami, K Rice, and Jen. Oh, and Abby for showing up just as we finished all the work.

We're still breaking it in a little, but we're back to 93% operational. The other 7% will be back tomorrow.

Big News!

I promised some big news over on our Facebook page the other day. And here it is...

Much like all of my clothing after that first year of college, things have gotten a little snug around here. At one point this summer I counted 42 bikes (oh... not counting the new bikes we're selling! So 46 bikes...) in this shop of 517 square feet. Busy summer evenings have found folks having to wait to get in the door (thanks for your patience!). I couldn't be more grateful for the growth, but there comes a time to admit you don't fit in your pants any more.

So it's time for bigger pants... WE'RE MOVING! Nobody panic. We're not going far. Starting some time in October 2011 (I'm going to shoot for the 3rd week, but I'll keep you posted) Hub Bicycle will be found at 1064 Cambridge St. I'm very excited about the move, and, as I said, I'm very grateful for the opportunity to grow this little bike shop.

In conclusion, I'd like to tell you three great things about the new shop space:

1) We get to stay in the neighborhood! Definitely priority #1.
2) More than double the work and retail space. Like going from skinny jeans to sweatpants.
3) The wood floors, counter, and chalkboards are reclaimed from a church in the neighborhood. Neat.