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If you haven’t been out for a ride recently, you are missing out on amazing weather and fall colors. Personally, this is my favorite time of year to ride. The cool temps and beautiful Midwestern scenery are spectacular. There’s so much great riding is just out the front door! Granted I have moved less than two miles from the Potowatami trail—I’m sure I’ve ridden my mountain bike more in the last three months that I have the last two years. Whether it’s a ride to the Dexter Cider Mill or a dirt road ride (check out Dirt Roads Washtenaw, one of the best new ride resources by Rob Pulchiper) or a ride on the newly paved Greenway along Platt Road south of Ellsworth Road, you should make the time to get out there and ride!
We are excited to announce that not only have we been voted a Top 100 Bicycle Retailer for 2010 but have also been recognized as a 5 Star Retailer. We have now been voted as a Top 100 Bicycle Retailer five years in a row and we have now joined the prestigious ranks of less than forty-five bicycle retailers in the country that have achieved this standing. For that, we have to thank our staff, who have made this possible, and our customers, who expect only the best from us.
We had so much going on this year at the store that I’m surprised I found the time to ride. We sponsored three tri series. Over the summer, you could have found someone for Two Wheel Tango at almost any tri in Southeastern Michigan doing race support. I went to Belle Isle for the first time ever and found myself at the A2Tri reminiscing about my second place finish in the ’97 A2 Duathlon, which was several children ago. This summer has taught me that the only place to get a coffee at 5am is McDonald’s—who knew I’d be a regular!
One of the ways that we are connected to the Ann Arbor community is by supporting organizations that work to make Ann Arbor a better place to live. We have involved ourselves with several amazing organizations like Ozone House, the ALS Society of Michigan and the AAFD’s Bikes for Tykes program. One of the greatest thrills of my year is seeing the faces of the kids at the fire station when they discover their brand new bicycles from the Bikes for Tykes program that we partner with the AAFD. And I’ve found that the store’s charitable involvement has been a good role model for my children. My eldest daughter Margot is donates time to various organizations around the community. Please consider donating to our community’s worthy causes.
We are always looking to improve the products we offer and the services we provide. I got to attend the Specialized’s dealer show in Keystone, CO, the yearly Trek launch in Madison, WI and the annual industry trade show, Interbike, in Las Vegas. They were great opportunities to get a look at all the new bikes for 2011 – and I got to ride some of them too around Lake Menona and down the mountains in Colorado. Commuter bike options have continued to expand, which is great for the Ann Arbor community. I particularly liked the Trek by Gary Fisher Earl—maybe it’s just the color? We braved Las Vegas with the hope of expanding our accessory offerings, and we were not disappointed. Next time you are in the store, make sure to look out for the new bags, shoes, clothing and other exciting products!
It is usually a sad time of year when the temperature first drops below 50, but I urge you to think of it as an opportunity to prepare for the spring. Whether that is as simple as bringing your bike in for its ‘spring tune-up’ now before you put it away for the winter (beat the spring rush!) or challenging yourself with a winter trainer regimen, you should take advantage of your bike’s move indoors. You are welcome to join us, AAVC and the A2 Tri Club for trainer workouts at the Jackson store this winter. Watch our website for details. Otherwise, we’ll still be here in the spring!
If you are into biking or if you like to watch other people suffer, join us at the Tailwinds Cross races at Vet’s Park Halloween weekend. Once again, we will be hosting the Charity Costume Race on Saturday, October 30. If you are willing to ride a lap around Vet’s in a costume, you have a pretty good chance of winning a new cyclocross frame!
Thanks for your support! We try to provide the best service we can every single day. Look for some very exciting news from us in early 2011. In the meantime, we hope to see you soon! And if not, we’ll see you in the spring.
We have recently begun work on Two Wheel Farms on the grounds of our Jackson store.
Our supply of compost for the season.
This is incredibly exciting for me personally, as well as for many of the staff. I have been gardening for years on a small scale and leapt at the chance to farm a larger swath of land. My mother grew up on a farm in Bowling Green, Ohio. Even off the farm, she was able to maintain herself over an acre of kitchen garden that went into our dinners every spring, summer and fall. She passed the skills and knowledge from her family on to me, and now I am hoping to pass them on again to my children.
We are very excited with all the prospective crops that have already been sown. We have started one bed already with an assortment of lettuces, as well as radishes and peas. I’ve been tending tomato starts in my home since March, and they will be ready for transplanting as soon as the rest of the beds are prepared. (I’m thrilled with the number of tomato plants we will be able to tend on the slopes of the Jackson store. Tomatoes happen to be one of my favorite crops, and there is nothing like a hand-picked fresh tomato.) One of the staff has begun his herb starts, as well as zucchini, cucumber, summer squash, melons, and potatoes. Soon enough we will begin planting my first-ever corn crop.
Look for this locally and independently grown produce at the events and functions that we hold later this summer. We will be happy to regale you with stories about our gardening endeavors.
Keep on biking,
Dennis
Two Wheel Tango 