Small Medium Large: Bike Month!

Posted on May 19, 2011 – 5:35 PM | by Admin
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By Melody Stone

All over the country people are taking to the streets on two wheels – May is Bike Month.  Perhaps you want to get into the fray, compete with coworkers to see who cycles the most, or enter to win some cool prizes on  mayisbikemonth.com. Maybe you just want to get riding to avoid paying those high gas prices. Whatever the reason, you’ll need a bike and here are three options for cycling purchases on the grid.

Small: The Sacramento Bike Kitchen
Looking to just get riding? Don’t care about fancy bells and whistles or name brands? Maybe you’r aesthetic is more Frankensteinian? If you’re on a small budget, the Bike Kitchen is a great place to look. Sacramento Bicycle Kitchen is a do-it-yourself bicycle maintenance shop. The shop runs on $5 donations for shop use. They collect donations of bikes and bike parts from the community and staff the shop with knowledgeable volunteers. When looking for a ride the Kitchen offers bikes ranging from $10 – $200 depending on the frame, wheel-set and components. They are usually pieced together with donated parts, but there are some beauties to be found.

Recycled bikes; $10-$200
1915 I St
Sacramento, CA 95811
(916) 538-2725

Medium: Practical Cycle
If you want something, classic, solid, beautiful and fun, the Worksman Dutchie is a great option. Available at Practical Cycle in Old Sacramento, this bike is crafted in a solar-powered New York City Factory and features lightweight alloy wheels, an upright riding posture, internal coaster brake, rear rack for storage, fenders and a chainguard – everything you need to start urban cycling. The guys at Practical Cycle will be more than happy to fix you up with one of these beauties and maybe a front basket too for optimum grocery capacity. This bike is perfect for skipping around Second Saturday, going on long leisurely rides on the bike trails or even running errands.

Worksman Dutchie; $549
114 J Street
Sacramento, CA 95814
(916) 706-0077

Large (epic): Whitworth Cycles
Go big or go home, that’s what I always say. So for this “large” I sought out Whit Brooks from Whitworth Cycles in Midtown and I asked him to dream up a dream bike, design it and give me a price. Here’s what he came up with his imagination and your blank check:

This urban assault cycle has “the heart of a lion tamer and the strength of an elephant,” according to Brooks. The frame is titanium with all the name-brand and top of the line parts imaginable. Heavy duty but lightweight, this bike can take the abuse of riding 365 days a year through rain and snow. Fully outfitted with a soft, supple supportive Brooks Saddle and a custom made rear bag from Sacramento’s own Carsick Designs. Brooks thought of everything:

“Ladies and Gentleman; I am about to unveil a bicycle to please the masses! No matter where you live or how you ride this is the go-anywhere do-anything urban assault bike. It has the heart of a lion tamer and the strength of an elephant.

“Made of titanium, and powder coated black for an urban aesthetic, it has Dura Ace shifters for performance and beauty, Avid BB7 disc brakes for maximum stopping power, and WTB dirt drop bars make this bike at home on the road or dirt. He chose XTR derailleurs to handle the abuse of riding 365 days a year through rain and snow and Race Face Atlas cranks for maximum power transfer to the wheels. The wheels are hand-built using Phil Wood spokes, high flange White Industries disc hubs and Mavic A719 rims. The tires are lightly treaded Geax 29ers – great for high speed hard pack surfaces like dirt or that pile of leaves that likes to chill in the bike lane. The fork is over-sized steel for unparalleled strength. It is built to accept fenders and racks. Lightweight yet rugged, the rack is custom built from stainless steel and utilizing exotic wood for the flooring. The rear bag is vintage-style, great for an extra set of clothes or a 12 pack of beer, and is handmade by Sacramento’s own Carsick Designs. Soft, supple and supportive, the saddle is a Brooks B 17: the ultimate touring saddle. So without further ado I present the Terrible Townie!”

Brooks dubbed her the Terrible Townie and he’ll build her for you for $7,200.

Image rendered by Brian Clifton

The Terrible Townie Dream Bike; $7,200
2311 S Street
Sacramento, CA 95816-7104
(916) 457-7247

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