First up, I want to thank and introduce Mellow Velo bike shop in Santa Fe. There are a handful of solid shops in Santa Fe, but Mellow Velo is by far my favorite one. They are the shop that I trusted to be on it enough to order me one of the first run of the Big Dummy. Owner David Bell and his crew have put together a bike shop that pretty much looks like the one I would like to open, but much better, as it is well run and actually open. They have jedi mechanics, rental bikes, new bikes, lots of shiny bits and lots and lots of single speeds and steel goodness.
I can also categorically declare that Mellow Velo is THE place to bring that UO-8/PX-10 you found at a garage sale and turn it into a fixie.
Some photos of the shop
Somehow this skip tooth Frejus is not even the bike I covet most at the shop:
Boxlined Pinstripey Legano
David's OS Blackbuck bike with a bar end shifter on Paul mount running in friction mode:
Ha!
Jedi Mechanic Art and David and their fabulous teeth:
Aida even loves the shop:
See more of what she thought about it here
Anyhow, if you are looking for a good shop in Santa Fe that can and will happily order you stuff and work on your bike and will rent bikes to your pals visiting from far away and will dispense the local trail knowledge head over to Mellow Velo. They are down Old Santa Fe trail about a quarter mile past the intersection with Paseo, away from the Plaza. In an adobe house. Just before the boot repair place. Got it?
I will be racing in their jersey and socks this year.
I may wear bicycle pants too.
I feel lucky as a merely occasionally fast racer of a certain girth that I can find good people that stand behind Team Tarik Racing. Thanks David, Thanks Mellow Velo.
5 comments:
Cool!
So which bike DO you covet the most?
Lee
Lee,
Great question. It is (or was? the bike was not obviously at the shop last I looked) the 50's Schwinn flying star:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/targetsalad/2355291228
Sponsors! What next, freaking motors in your seat tubes? Sounds like a good idea, actually, maybe 30¢ Squad could be an under the radar co-sponsor and hook you up with that? All our riders have them, but only use them in training, never in competition, just like them loaded bats the baseballers are into.
Pickle,
I am happy to accept the stealth motorized 30cent sponsorship, based on my performance in last weekends road race, I need it. It will segue nicely to my team Tarik presented by BP sponsorship next year.
Sponsorship, whether formal or informal, rocks. Informal sponsorships (from reps at work) have supplied me with tires and a new frame this year. The more formal sponsorships (via Velo Bella) have included skin care products, prescription sunglasses and pedals.
Sponsorship is as good for the company as it is for the rider!
It gets their brand out there in a tangible way, and most companies don't care if you win as long as you make the genuine effort (and talk up their goodies after the race).
If someone wanted to sponsor me with access to a coach and maybe some gym time, I'd be up for it...
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