Our grand opening, on Sat. Dec 3^rd was a success and we want to thank everyone who visited, or wanted to but couldn’t. Blacktop Cyclery is now officially open for business at 612 18^th St in beautiful Downtown Bakersfield.

First off I want to thank my family, friends, new and old, and all the local cyclists who made Saturday a success. My friend Daniel Sikola, and the great guys at Bike Bakersfield, Zac Griffin and Brad Swanlund, did a phenomenal job of getting the word out about our opening. It took a lot of work to get to this point, and I owe a lot to those who helped with all the dirty labor, David Taylor, Chris Rigby, Patty Smale, Joseph Dean and Donna Rodriguez. Last, but by far not least, a big thank you goes out to my beautiful wife, Molly, and the rest of my family who have supported this endeavor, and I am forever grateful.

Now on to news of the shop;

We currently have two lines of bikes available to out customers physically in the shop, Linus and Sun Cruisers. As always, we still sell the whole Soma line, stocking some of the Fixed/SS frames, as well as Pake and Velo Orange. We recently also became an authorized dealer for Jamis Bicycles, which we will be going into more detail with later.

For your racing needs we can order any of the 2012 line of Argon 18.

For the BMX fans, we recently became an authorized dealer of Verde and Cult bikes, which we hope to have in the shop soon. We also have available FBM, which should be available in the spring of 2012.

Blacktop Cyclery doesn’t want to stop there. We want to know what you, our customers, want us to have on hand or to have access to.  You, our customers and friends, are the reason we exist, and we want to continue to serve you. So let us know, either at our website, or at Facebook or twitter. We are listening.

Thanks again everyone!

All images in this post are provided by Atomic Cycles

It’s that time of year again, my friends! Atomic Cycles of Van Nuys is once again hosting the Coaster Brake Challenge of 2011.

This self proclaimed “Anti-race Race” is annually put on by the guys at Atomic Cycles for the purpose of having “fun, to race, to sweat, breathe hard, to ride hard, to challenge ones self”. The 4-part series will take place Jan. 2nd, 9th, 16th and 23rd, all at different locations throughout the San Fernando area. The rules are simple, all bikes must be single-speed, coaster brake (pedal back brake) equipped. No multi-speed systems (derailleurs or internally geared hubs) are allowed at all. No other form of brakes other than the coaster hub brake are accepted, no exceptions. You must bring tools/supplies for fixing your bike or tires in the event of a failure during the race. Other than that, you have a great time. Frames are yours to choose from, single speed MTB’s or old American cruisers (e.g. old Schwinns and etc.) are recommended, but you may choose at your leisure. Pretty much all other components, except the afore mentioned brake and gear changing systems, are yours to choose as well. There is lots more specific info here along with helpful hints and suggestions.

All images in this post are provided by Atomic Cycles

For over a year now I have wanted to attend this event, and this year I am, along with a few others from Bakersfield. I will be able to haul up a few bicycles for those who don’t have the means to do so, but those persons will be responsible for their own transportation to the events.

If you are interested in participating but don’t have the correct equipment feel free to contact me. I can order coaster brake wheelsets, or build a custom set for you; help you determine and achieve the proper gearing you may need, or serve any tire, tube or other component needs you may have. You might also contact Jon P. at Bike Bakersfield to help get a used frame or components you might need.

All images in this post are provided by Atomic Cycles

Also, while you’re doing some research contemplating whether or not you want to be involved in this as a racer or spectator, take at look at these links for some phat illness: Klunker Bike gallery at RatRodBikes.com, The Cruiser & Klunker thread at MTBR.com, Alan Bond’s Klunker Gallery and a preview of  the movie, Klunkers: A Film About Mountain Bikes.

All images in this post are provided by Atomic Cycles

Here’s a little background on Mr. David Taylor. I first met him when he was referred to me to build a custom wheelset for his old green Mercier Kilo TT track bike. David rode that bike everywhere as it was his only means of transportation. After the wheelset he invested more into his “daily”, including a new IRD headset, new stem and some sweet green tires; he had that bike wayyy hooked up. Then came that fateful day when he left work to make the short trip home. David was struck from behind by an oblivious driver, resulting in a concussion, broken collar and a completely destroyed bike, but he survived and that was enough.

Somehow the driver who had hit David had been found not-at-fault. This left David in a difficult position. He had no transportation, and still had to get to work and fulfill his other responsibilities. Money was definitely tight and completely out of pocket,  but he committed himself to building up a new steed.

David chose to build up a Pake Track Bike, the updated steel frame in SID Blue, with a contrasting black fork. He had been able to save the hubs from his old Mercier, along with them stem as well, so he chose the Foer 41mm rims in white to go with his black Soma hubs. A super strong, but attractive crankset was needed, so he looked no further than IRD’s cold forged Defiant Track Crankset. Classic styling but superior strength made it a no-brainer. He also chose MKS GR-9 pedals, for the added clearance they provide in tight turns, while still giving ample platform space for comfort and efficiency. For a little added “bike bling” chose again to use IRD’s TechnoGlide  headset, but this time their carbon fiber model. He finished everything up with Soma Fab parts, including striped Evenflow tires, 456 Track Bars, track grips, clips and straps.

He seemed very happy with his choices and more excited when he got to see it in it’s complete form. I am personally pleased with how it all turned out; David has been a great customer and I know he worked really hard to get this bike, and he certainly deserves it.

Specs:

Frame- 57cm Pake steel track frame and fork
Headset-IRD TechnoGlide in crabon fibre (carbon fiber)
Wheels- Foer 41mm rims, Soma Fab high flange flip-flop hubs, Sapim double butted spokes, 16t cog
Tires- 700x23c Soma Evenflow w/ white stripe
Saddle- unknown take-off
Handlebar- Soma 456 Track bar, 44cm
Crankset- IRD Defiant Track Crank, 46t
Stem- Soma
Seatpost- Kalloy
Grips- Soma Fab
Bottom Bracket- RPM 110.5mm alloy

**Update** New pictures added.

View even  more pictures of David and his Pake  here at Flickr

First off, I would like to say that Interbike was great, and I accomplished all I had hope to, plus some.

What does this mean for you? It means that in the coming days and weeks I will be introducing new and great products and manufacturers that will be newly available to you here in Bakersfield.

The brand we’re starting off with today is Vassago Bicycle Co. Their slogan is, “Obsessing over 29ers for those obsessed with 29ers”, and it’s no joke. This relatively small, but influential, manufacturer of 29er bicycles has been ahead of the game since their inception. They only do 29ers and they are constantly working to improve them. While they do specialize in steel frames, they also have made available  aluminum and Ti options for those too timid to truly accept that, in fact, Steel is Real. Vassago is for those bored with traditional offerings from the big manufacturers and those wanting to expanding their cycling options. And their bikes aren’t just for who seek adventure off road. The Fisticuff is a ‘cross inspired frame that lends it self to commuting and touring as well; it also makes for a great MonsterCross bike too.

As of late, Vassago has spent quite a lot of time testing out a new line of frames for their Black Label series, a line aimed more at those who have a competitive streak in them. Keep an eye on their blog here for updates on release.

As always,  remember that  you can always call or email us at the shop with your questions, product related or otherwise. We’re happy to hear from you.

update

The shop will be closed from Sept 22nd to the 26th as we will be in Las Vegas attending Interbike, the bicycle industry trade show.  Our hope is that the weather in Bakersfield continues to be a nice as it has been so that you can continue to enjoy it by way of bike. Obviously, if you have safety concerns regarding your bicycle we encourage you to visit any one of the other fine bicycle shops in town to get it remedied. Otherwise, we look forward to speaking with you upon our return.

Best regards,

Your friends at Blacktop

As of September Blacktop Cyclery celebrates it’s first full year in business. We have to say it’s been a great year, full of new friendships and milestones. We have had the great opportunity to serve our community, bring new and exciting products to Bakersfield and get to know many people, some of whom have become regular customers of ours.

Although our business model is somewhat unconventional we have had lots of encouragement from many people and organizations.

First, on Aug 12th, Soma Fabrications, the people who bring cyclists many fine products, both of  high quality and great value (one of my favorites if you haven’t noticed), did a “Shop Spotlight” featuring Blacktop. This of course was a great honor for us as this is a manufacturer whose products we love, and who we have noticed does listen to customers when considering new innovations.You can find many great examples of this on this website alone.

Second, on Aug 24th, VeloCast, a UK based podcast (Scotland to be exact) did a small report and commentary about Blacktop as well, both on our business model and work. If you’re not familiar with VeloCast definitely check it out. These guys love riding bikes and love to talking about them; sounds familiar to me.

Finally, I would personally like to thank every one of you who has helped keep the dream going. It sure hasn’t been easy, but every second of it has been a treat. We at Blacktop have been very fortunate to have the absolute best customers and been able to work with the best in the business when it comes to our manufacturers and distributors.  I know I have been greatly blessed and I work every day to make sure my family, friends, customers and business associates all know that I appreciate it. Thank you again, everyone.

If you’re interested in checking out our Shop Spotlight at SOMA Fab’s blog you can find it here: SOMAfeed

If you would like to hear the great guys at VeloCast discuss Blacktop, and lots of other bicycle related topics on their podcast, you can download the episode here (we come up at 28:30 min.): VeloCast; Episode 107: Giving Gingers A Bad Name

As always, whatever your bicycle related needs, little or great, never hesitate to contact us at the shop. We’re always happy to hear from you!

Whats Bishops is doing is bringing back to life old, forgotten British track bikes, or Path Racers, and putting them back on the streets. In a few cases they have simply used old Raleigh and BSA city bikes in place of the much harder to source original track bikes and built them in the Path Racer style. Either way, their restorations have each been a success as far as I can tell. Looking at these bikes, and other like them on the Net, it’s funny to see how similar, and how different, they are to the ones that we ride today.

It might be a bit underwhelming these days walking through department store bike sections, seeing what they’re trying to pass off to us as stylish and hip, but fortunately there are people like those at Bishops who bring the smiles and true class back to riding a bike.

Keep an out out here at Blacktop for a near future build or two of a Path Racer type bike. And if you are interested in owning one of your own, you can as always look to us at Blacktop Cyclery for all your custom bicycle needs.

Blacktop Cyclery is now a direct dealer for Schwalbe Tires. Schwalbe has an exceptional selection of tires that range from light weight race tires to super fat, high pressure cruiser tires and everything in between. Their selection is great and their quality is phenomenal.

Also, if you’ve been thinking about building your next city bike Schwalbe has urban and touring tires that look great, provide supple ride while still offering better puncture protection than most other tires from other manufacturers.

Contact Blacktop Cyclery to order a set for yourself today.

For 2010 Soma Fabrications has introduced a Special Edition Rush track frame. Whats so special about this special edition? Well for one, it’s being offered in this sweet Khaki Green adorned by some pretty nice decals (which are also removable). This model is void of any water bottle braze-ons and it comes equipped with new Tange track ends. One of the best features of this frame would probably have to be the sexay headbadge:

There is also a new deep section rim available that is even deeper (by 1 mm) and lighter than the Velocity B43′s. That new rim is the Foer 41. Perhaps the best thing about these new rims is that they are cost less than Velocity’s B43′s. Although, if you’re into jumps and tricks, the triple wall design of the B43 will still be the best choice for you.

Again, these and many other items are always available for order from Blacktop Cyclery. Call us today!

If you like the clean lines and efficiency of a fixed gear, but wished you had some additional gears to make climbs and descents a bit more tolerable then look no further, Sturmey Archer has the hub for you. The S3X is an internally geared fixed hub that delivers just those attributes, while still giving you a reasonable selection of colors. Sturmey Archer also has a new 2 speed kickback hub for those who like a little coasting in their lives as well.

Lots of people I know haven’t heard much about Sturmey Archer and their hubs. Although there’s lot’s to know about them and their history, the main thing I think people should know is that they make a great internally geared hub.

Blacktop Cyclery is your local Sturmey Archer retailer so give us a call to get your new hubs or custom built wheelsets.