‘Tis a beautiful, busy, and pollen-filled Wednesday here in Richmond/Henrico/Midlothian, so let’s be brief so we can all go ride bikes!

The Trek factory demo was all kinds of fun!  While it looks like there’s nothing happening in this picture, notice the lack of bikes on the rack closest to the camera.  There were tons of people tearing up the trails at Pocahontas on some rad bikes!  If you weren’t there, just stare at these photos and imagine:

Even Brad showed up!

After the demo, Jeff, our demo driver, was nice enough to let me ride the trails on a Fuel EX 9.8 29er.  (For reference, that’s the neon green bike in the photos above.)  Anyone who’s ridden trails with me knows that I’m typically astride a steel 80s-vintage 26er made by a company that shall not be named….

so as you can see, the fuel was quite the upgrade.  It was a lot of firsts: carbon frame, full suspension, Re:aktiv technology, 29" wheels, G2 geometry, tubeless tires, reeeeally nice disc brakes, etc.  It was a bit of an adjustment, in part because I typically run my brakes moto-style (aka backwards), and in part because I’m used to taking the brunt of every impact with my aging joints.

After that, it was amazing.

Not only could I plow through rock gardens and over logs with nary a second thought, I also found I could lean like crazy in the corners, and the bike just wouldn’t break free.  While the squish of running the Fox shocks in Trail mode was a little much for my riding style, popping the levers over to Climb mode front and rear felt perfect: a lively, efficient ride with just enough give in the bumpy stuff.  I don’t think I’ll jump on the full suspension bandwagon just yet, but if I just happened to find a Fuel EX 29er hanging on my wall, I certainly wouldn’t complain.

As much fun as I was having on the Fuel, the real scoop was a funky bike that Jeff and Brad were hiding in the trailer.  I had to be pretty sneaky to snap this one:

The reason Brad’s rocking a huge smile is that huge tire under him!  The bike astride which Brad is tearing through the woods is none other than the new Stache 9, and if the page isn’t up on Trek’s website yet, it will be shortly.  Not quite a fatbike, this guy is a 29+.  In other words, it’s slimmer and faster than a fatbike, but it’s fatter that a regular 29er with the ability to run a super-low tire pressure.  And it’s no slowpoke: as testament to its trail-slashing abilities, Jeff warmed it up by catching some serious air.  (Sorry, I wasn’t quick enough with the pics there.  You’ll just have to trust me.)

This bike is introducing a lot of firsts and unique technologies.  If it’s not already up on trekbikes.com, I’m sure it will be shortly, and in some pretty rad colors to boot.

Spring is in the air, which means that trees around Richmond are exploding with pollen, the shop is getting busier every day, and we’re all wondering why Daniel is still wearing a 200 gram baselayer.  Still, there’s always time for a little fun here at Agee’s. We just got new water bottles with brand-spanking-new Agee’s logos, and, energized by the sun and warm air, Jay took the opportunity to do a little bowling:

(No dudes were harmed in the making of this image.)

Warmer weather and longer daylight hours also mean more opportunity for bike commuting.  I like to ride my bike to work as much as possible, and today I was finally able to leave the tweed cap at home, point my Crossrip into the relatively warm breeze, and pedal into work with a sun-soaked smile on my face.  (Maybe that’s a little much, but I like to dream.)  Here’s my Crossrip in all its majestic, unwashed glory:

I love this bike.  I’ve had it a few months now, and it quickly went from a “fun” bike to my daily ride, all tricked out with fenders, rack, lights, and fat, smooth tires.  (Notice the helmet, which now fits my head nicely since I don’t need to wear a cap underneath.)  It may not be made of carbon, and and it may not be running Dura-Ace, but it rules, and I’m sure I’ll post about it in the future.

As majestic as the Crossrip is, it pales in comparison to this:

That right there is a beautifully restored Schwinn Paramount that came through the shop the other day.  Check out all the cool details: chrome lugs, Campy Super Record, 700c tubulars, even the bottle cage braze-ons that Monty informs us were an $8 option.

Please, oh please, put me in a bemuraled Chevy van and send me back to the 70s so I can pick one up from the showroom floor.

For those of us who don’t have time machines with moon windows and mag wheels, springtime may mean it’s time for a new bike.  If you’re having trouble deciding which carbon road bike is the fastest or which full-suspension rig will best tame the local trails, you might want to check out

Trek’s factory demo