Vermont Humor (?)

I don't know, but the name just struck me as kind of funny.
Today was an awesome day. When we started the ride, it was 45 degrees, about 10 minutes into it, it was almost 60. A short out and back this morning, from Waterbury Village to Jonesville on River Rd. Normally you might see a moose down there, but alas, not today.
It is really beginning to smell like spring. The winter ice is receding, and you can smell the good earthy loamyness rising up from the ground.
Five Hills is rolling right along too. I am now officially a Gary Fisher, LeMond and Klein dealer. I've had numerous locals discover the store, drop off tunes, so it looks like we, like the daffodils, are starting to make our presence known.
Bike 29 is about to launch here. There is no mistake we waited 'til April Fool's Day. Hopefully, we'll be able to get that seed started too.
Here are a couple more ride pics. More updates on the way, when we get our new Fisher 29ers.
Let the big wheels roll!

Niner One 9

Another beautiful frame from Niner.
This build features DT singlespeed hubs laced to Salsa's Delgado rims with Shimano Centerlock disc brakes, Race Face SS cranks, Endless Bike Kick Ass 18 tooth cog, SRAM PC-68 chain, Thomson bits, a Niner Flat Top bar, WTB Rocket V SLT seat, and a Chris Bling headset.
2.3 ExiWolfs are a tight squeeze in the stays, but the rim is also 29mm wide.
The weather is changing for the better here. The sun is out, the ground is drying out and the sap is running.
More cool stuff to come!

Early spring in VT

I've been reading some of the ride posts on the MTBR 29er forum, and have been pretty jealous of the folks in Oregon and the Southwest, and all the really nice dry singletrack they get to ride. I bet it's warm too. It is not warm here. Hovering in the high 30s, warm enough for the frozen ground to give up the frost and turn everything into mud.
This is what happenes to every dirt road here. Sometimes the ruts get so deep, they swallow cars. I'm not joking. We have some friends that we don't even visit because they live up on some of these dirt roads.

Paved roads aren't immune either. They get heaved up in all manner of ways.

As bad as it sounds, it really is a great time of year here. Because when the water starts running, so does the sap.
mmmmm MAPLE SYRUP.

Plus, it makes you strong because you are riding a 60lb bike

no single track was ridden/harmed today

Steel IS Real

Really freakin' awesome that is. Especially this one. The guys at Niner are on point when it comes to making frames. I wish they lived closer, I'd take them out for beers. This is the S.I.R.9, a stunning example of what intelligent bicycle design can do without breaking the bank. This bike is probably one of the most versatile frames you can get. It has a replaceable derailleur hanger, which can be changed into a single speed mount with the included piece (?), and an eccentric BB (more on that in a future post) so the whole world is your oyster. It's made from Reynolds 853, one of the nicest steel tubesets you can get.
I was listening to some really excellent music when I built it up, so I think it will rock the way it was intended.
We went with the 1x9 format, using SRAM X9 shifter and derailleur, Magura Marta brakes, our Bike 29 Stock Wheelset, a Reba set to 100mm, Race Face cranks, the usual Thomson bits, and a Niner Flat Top bar. We went with skinny WTB Mutanoraptor tires, so DA could find the bottom of the mud we have now. I'm sure he is really going to enjoy his new steed.
And speaking of new steeds, we have another Niner in the stand...



...Stay tuned!

Salsa Dos Niner #1

The very first Salsa Dos Niner frame that we received so long ago, is finally a bike. While I don't have a scale yet, I estimate that we are right around the 24lb mark with pedals. The build is as follows:
Reba Race 80mm fork with lockout, SRAM X0 shifters and derailleurs, Magura Marta SL brakes, FSA Team Carbon cranks,SRAM PC990 cassette, DT hubs, Stans ZTR 355 rims, DT Super Comp spokes, WTB Motoraptor tires, Thomson seatpost and stem, Easton EC90 handlebar and WTB SLT Race saddle. Nice stuff.
We are going to upgrade the wheels to the Bike 29 Ridiculite Wheelset, which will be even lighter than the 1600g wheels that are already on there.
We are getting pretty excited about spring here. And it's official too, the first little pieces of green have poked their little heads out of the ground. About an hour after I took this picture, they had some friends. I have no idea what they are, but I will post follow ups on their progress. YAY spring!

New Niner S.I.R.9

Our very first Niner arrived this morning. I've had my eye on this company for over a year. They have been making serious waves in the 29" wheeled bike world, as they only make 29ers. How cool is that?
Judging by the first real example in my hands, pretty cool indeed. Check back for a picture of the whole bike built in a few days.

A good sign

We got the new sign up into it's final resting place, just in time for it to start snowing. Typical for VT this time of year. Despite being warm enough to ride for a couple of days, it is far from spring. We're about ready to get right into MUD.
Things to look forward to over the next few days...
3 custom builds. The Dos Niner from a previous post, a Niner S.I.R.9, and a Niner One9.
Very exciting stuff.
Stay tuned!

Mud Season

It's here.
We had the first official shop ride today, even though only one other person showed up.
WE aren't afraid of getting our bikes dirty. Although the bikes didn't get as dirty as the last ride, the roads were much softer. So soft, that at one point, I lost all forward momentum, and almost had to put a foot down. Fortunately, I was able to dig deep, and get the cranks around a few more times before almost passing out. They had also sent the grader out early in the morning too, which made things worse.
Nothing quite like decelerating while pointed downhill.
It was nice to get out though, and see some of your common variety views of backroad Vermont.


Another nice part of today, was the delivery of the temporary banner that will alert potential customers to my presence. It's looking like my sign will be ready soon too, so things are really rolling along. At least we are getting more visible...

In it for the Long Haul

Here is our very first complete bike sale.
This customer was referred to us by Surly, and we were able to help him out.
The pleasure was all ours, building this bike was an absolute joy.
It's uncommon that you get to build something like this from the ground up, but that is exactly what we did.
And it's exactly what we like to do.
Even though Five Hills will have a major brand (can't name which one yet...) that will take care of a majority of folks, we still strive to service the full custom market, providing bikes and service that are just as individual as the customers themselves.

I assure you, we really are open...

Although no one has seemed to figure that out yet. It might have to do with the fact that I have no sign yet. I was dealing with this one company, that shall remain nameless, that seriously dropped the ball. I know stuff like this happens, but this is important stuff to me. I waited for 2 weeks to get a quote, which I didn't get, called during week 3, and was told that my contact was on vacation for a week.
So we are 3 weeks out now, and I have no idea what my sign will cost. So I called someone else. The big bare spot over my door will soon have a nice new and easy to see sign, so people know I'm here.
I never did get a quote from the other guy...

Play ball

Well the pictures arent great, but we had a good time.



























These are some shots from the big opening day party. And there was much rejoicing (yayyyyy)
While there is still much to do with the online site, we are getting off to a good start. All of the attendees are friends, some regulars, and all of whom we would love to see more often.




Some jokers check out the wares...


We are open for business!