Building on the success of our bike swap late last summer, we’re doing it again with the

1st Annual Carrboro (spring) bike swap!

We hope to make this a semi-annual event to bring people together who loves bikes. This spring we’re inviting more shops to come join us as well as our local crew, and the location will be in the front of the building rather than the parking lot.

What is it?

A fun gathering of people, looking to buy, sell, or trade bikes and bike-related stuff.

Bring any bikes, parts, etc you want to sell or come looking for used, new, and vintage items.

When is it?

Sunday, March 28th

Starting at 11AM, Ending around 4pm

Who should come?

If you’re looking for a used bike or parts for your next build, come see what shows up.

If you have an old bike or parts you’d like to off-load, bring them down.

If you’re just interested in seeing what comes out of the woodwork, you are welcome

How does it work?

Private sellers and independent shops that bring items will set up in front of Cycle 9 and around the side of the building. Bring anything you need, such as blankets or tables to display your items, etc. You are responsible for your own items, and you may sell or swap on any terms you deem reasonable.

Buyers come looking at items brought, and you can offer trades or purchase items you see. Please bring cash for the sellers (there is an ATM across the street).

What else is going on?

The swap will be set up in front and to the side of our building. We will also be having a sale on Cycle 9 bikes, some at really awesome prices, so come see what’s available inside. The Looking Glass Cafe next door provides coffee, tea, drinks, pastries, bagels, and sandwiches to snack on, so you won’t die of hunger or thirst while you’re here.

See you then!

Upcoming Event!

Kick-off tour for Jon Watts

Cruiser Ride and

Cycle 9 Open House

Hey all – wanted to announce this cool upcoming event at Cycle 9. Late last fall I got a visit from Jon Watts. He is a spoken word/music artist and was going on tour in the spring, but wanted to do by bike instead of car or train. He had found our shop and came to test ride our longtail bikes – the perfect setups for him to carry his guitar, amp, and other items he’ll need on the trip. I spent some time talking to him and listening to his music and found him to be a very interesting and spiritual person who was serious about his music, but also serious about living out his ideals. Thus, the bike tour.

So we decided to sponsor his trip via Xtracycle Radish, from Richmond to Boston. As a kick-off, he’s giving a show here in Carrboro and we’re having some other fun stuff to go along with it. You can find links to Jon’s website and music samples below. And here are the particulars of the kick off event:

Friday, March 19th

Cruiser Bike Ride, starts at 6PM at Cycle 9. Open to all levels and ages! We’ll cruise around Carrboro and Chapel Hill for about an hour, just for FUN.

Jon will perform at the Looking Glass next door starting at 8PM

We’ll have an Open House at Cycle 9 from 7-9 for anyone wanting to check out the bikes.

Jon Watts is a Quaker spoken word poet, guitarist and producer. The Radish is a longtail cargo bicycle that Jon is loading up with gear and riding from Richmond to Boston on the 2010 Two Wheel Tour.

See Photos of Jon and his Radish

Read his blog entry on why he’s decided to bike this one

Jon lived in Carrboro for the last year and a half before moving back to his native Richmond, VA. He is excited to be back and celebrating the beginning of his ambitious tour with the bike shop that has been so supportive. The public is invited to join us in an hour-long cruiser ride around town (to meet at Cycle 9 at 6pm) before settling to hear some music and see some sweet bikes just next door to Cycle 9 at the Looking Glass Cafe.

Jon’s music has been described as:

“Amazingly Fresh.” – Niyonu Spann, leader of Philadelphia based Tribe One
“Deeply Moving.” – Max Carter, Director of Friends Center at Guilford College
and
“Remarkably Original.” – Chuck Fager, The Journal of Quakers in the Arts

Read more testimonials

Check out the music at
www.jonwatts.com

I hope everyone is having a great holiday season! We’ll be open all week and have some specials running,  so come and visit.

We WILL BE CLOSED Jan 1- 8 as a post-season break and to do end of year activities. We will still fulfill some online orders during this week, but will not be doing our regular shipping, so there will be a few extra days of delays for orders placed that week.

Thanks for a great year and looking forward to 2010!

How can it be almost the middle of December already? I never know how time seems to fly by this time of year. I managed to find the big box of Christmas stuff in the attic yesterday, and we got a tree and got it set up. One thing I do enjoy this time of year is the lights. I tend to be one of those people that leaves the lights up long after the holidays are over …(after all, it’s still very dark in January!)

The gift-giving part of Christmas is one of those things I have a love-hate relationship with. I am not a big shopper myself, at least when it comes to “typical” shopping stuff, but I do like to find useful little items that my friends and family can fit into their lives, and hopefully ones that are stylish as well. This year, everyone in my family will be receiving something bike-related. What do they want to receive? I don’t know, but being as I have access to lots of bike stuff, there you go (shhh! Don’t tell them my secret). When looking through the catalogs for them, I came across a few kind of cool things that I thought you might like as well. So, I decided to offer a “12 Days Of Christmas” (sorry to all you non-christians out there for the inevitable reference) special.

Starting Wed, Dec 9th for the next 12 days, I’ll list one item on sale in our store – both the one at 601 W. Main and the one online. Each instore item will be listed at the top of this post. The online items will be posted on the main store page. Items will change each day, so be sure to check back in.

Happy Holidays!

-Elise

12 Days Specials:

Day 1 Floor Pumps 35% off

Day 2 Soma Rush coffee cup and holder $24.90 (Reg $39.95)

Day 3 Topeak Alien II multi-tool $29 (Reg $44.50)

Day 4 Winter hats and gloves 35% off (BONUS $50 off bikes)

Day 5 Nutcase helmets $35 (Reg $49.95)

Day 6 Spoke Lites $5.70 (Reg $9.95)

Day 7 Mirrcycle mirrors $8.70 / $10.70 (Reg $14.95 / $19.95)

Day 8 Topeak Handlebar bag $24.95 (Reg $39.95)

Day 9 Rain gear 40% off

Day 10 Pedalite 360 degree visibility pedals $30 (Reg $59.95)

Day 11 Mini Bulldog U-Lock $19.95 (Reg $32.95) + BONUS $100 off ebikes and $50 off ebike kits

Day 12 Axiom bags %35 off

At Cycle 9, you’ll find kids bikes for ages 2 through first adult bikes.

For your littlest riders, ages 2-5, we carry Balance Bikes by Kazam. What’s a balance bike? This is a short little bike that has no pedals. Your toddler sits on the seat and walks along, holding onto the handlebars. The advantage of this is they learn how to balance the bike in an upright position. As they get a little older, they can run along and cruise on the bike while picking their feet up off the ground. They get the idea of balancing right from the beginning without training wheels, and then add pedaling skill later.

Kazam balance bike

For 4-6 years old, the 16″ wheel bike is the way to go. We have bikes from Marin bike company in this category. They come with training wheels installed which can be removed once they aren’t needed anymore.

Marin Kids Bike 16"

From there, it’s leg length that determines how quickly they move up in sizes. We have 20″ wheel bikes in a mountain bike or beach cruiser style, and 24″ bikes in a mountain bike style. The 24″ bike will last until they reach their teenage growth spurts, at which point, they’ll be needing a bike with 26″ wheels, the standard wheel size for most mountain bikes. When they get to this point, look for a bike in a small frame size with adjustable seat post and handlebars to get the most years out of the bike.

The bike designs change a bit from year to year, but here are some photos of the bikes.

Kids Beach Cruiser

Marin Hidden Canyon Kids Bike

Another reason to buy a Kids bike from Cycle 9 is our Trade-Up Program. Get up to 50% of the value of the bike towards the next size up. Read more about it under our “Why Shop Cycle 9” tab.