To date we’ve spent a few words writing about fancy bikes, bikes that cost a pretty good chunk of change and are generally purpose-built for racing and/or going pretty fast. But we like other bikes, too.

One of our favorites is the Jamis Coda. It’s a really cool bike — steel frame, good paint scheme, nice lines, comfortable riding position and a ton of versatility. Stock tires are nice, wide road tires, but the frame and fork have enough clearance for much wider and aggressive options. In fact, we’ve replaced the stock tires with cyclocross tires on nearly half the Codas we’ve sold. The bike also accommodates fenders and racks, if commuting or loaded travel are important considerations.

One of the first Codas to leave Pedal went to Kevin, a young guy who wanted to go everywhere on his bike. Kevin came by the shop a couple of weeks ago and let me take a couple of pictures of his bike in full Urban Assault regalia.

Coda with cyclocross tires and extra stickers

Neat bike. Good for paved or dirt roads, in the city or country.

Is the Campy drivetrain angry about the Shimano pedals? Probably.

This dang Guru Photon has been sitting here, built, in the shop for several weeks. Many are the Thursday nights (we ride on Thursdays) that I’ve thought about taking out the bike and, you know, doing some consumer research. Inevitably it’s rained or we got really busy or some horrible thing happened to prevent me from testing the merchandise.

Sunday, everything finally came together. I’d planned to ride with a buddy, the day dawned clear and beautiful and I managed to wake up with enough time to grab the bike and get it ready to go.

So what is the 2010 Bicycling Magazine Dream Bike like? It’s freaking dreamy. Is it stiff? Yes. Is there vertical compliance? Yes. Is it fun? Yes. It is an enormous amount of fun. Should you get one? This is the point at which things get interesting.

Until about two weeks ago, every Guru was made to measure. You’d come to a shop like mine and we’d make some measurements and employ the fit bike and do some magic and then Guru would build you a frame optimized for your position.

In an effort to speed the delivery process (to a matter of days), Guru recently decided to offer a select number of its frames in stock geometry, with limited paint options. It works like this:

• Tier One represents what Guru has always done — completely custom with every option imaginable.
• Tier Two is stock geometry with a lot of latitude for custom options and paint.
• Tier Three is stock geometry with a stock paint scheme.

The truth of the matter is that many of us don’t need a custom frame. I’ve ridden many stock-sized bikes with great pleasure, comfort and efficiency. Guru’s new approach gives those of us with “average” builds an opportunity to save a few bucks and get the bike quickly.

If your physical self requires (or desires) a fully custom bike, Guru represents an excellent value. If you can be happy with stock geometry and maybe a stock paint scheme, Guru now offers an absolutely killer value.

Back to the Photon. It rules. It kicks ass. It is light and neat and expensive and really, really awesome. Should you get one? I really can’t make that sort of value judgement for you, but I will say this: I have every confidence that “regret” is not a word you’d use in any sentence associated with this bike except the obvious: “I regret that I didn’t do this sooner.”

First, a bit more data and detail about the talk we’ve (loosely) organized with Chris Gottwald. Chris’s talk will be held in conjunction with a Trikat meeting on Tuesday, May 24th at the lovely CityScape Center in downtown Kalamazoo. Pedal and the Trikats extend an invitation to anyone who might want to attend. Chis does amazing things — things that make we mortals just shake our heads — and does them with modesty and joy. He has terrific stories to tell and a tremendous adventure ahead.

It’s taken a few months to get a few things in the shop that I’ve wanted for some time. Most of these things aren’t exotic gizmos or fancy bikes, but they are things that I like. Such as…

Feedback Sports stands. I’ve had a Feedback Pro-Elite stand for a long time and have always been impressed with the quality. It’s light, yet strong enough to hold my tandem. Good stuff. If you’re thinking about working on your bikes at home, a good stand is a terrific asset, and Feedback are as good as they get.

Darn Tough Socks have a great story. A Vermont sock mill that did work for Thorlo and other brands found itself in trouble as its client companies sent more and more of their business overseas. After much thought, they decided to reinvent themselves with a new brand of sock, Darn Tough. If you’re into the comfort of a nice marino wool sock, Darn Tough is worth a look. Or a wearing. Or whatever.

I had specific requirements when I went searching for a cycling shoe brand. I wanted something cool, but I wanted a good value. Many are the people who (perhaps rightfully) go into shock when you start discussing the price of a pair of cycling shoes, and I figure I’d like less shock in the store. Northwave is the glass slipper to my Cinderella foot. They’re Italian and cool. They don’t cost an arm and a leg. The fit is very good. They’re worth a look.

We’ve been riding bikes after work on Thursdays. We haven’t made a big deal out of it because the weather has mostly sucked this year. Even so, we’ve ridden and will continue to do so. We’ll do 20-25 miles. It’s always no drop. We’ll try to leave promptly at 6:15. We’ve had a great time so far this year, and I see no reason why the trend won’t continue. Join us!

What a marvelous time was had at the Kalamazoo Marathon today. Most of Pedal ran, but I was part of a “spirit station” on Oakland Drive at approximately mile 13.6. What fun! It was very awesome cheering as the marathon participants ran past.

But I’m ahead of myself. I went to grab some Water Street Coffee before things got underway. It was nearly eerie biking down Oakland with no cars. Eerie and kinda cool. And what a beautiful day! A bit chilly early, but more and more awesome as the day progressed. I arrived at the location to find our favorite band setting up and feeling good. We put up a tent, hung a banner or two and waited for the runners. As we waited people continued to arrive by bike, some from the neighborhood, some from quite a distance. And you could feel it: this readiness, this anxiousness to throw away the shackles of this rather dreadful spring and celebrate fitness and cheer on the strong. I promise: it was like a drug.

We started on the sidewalk, clapping and hooting and banging cowbells. As time progressed we found ourselves in the road, right beside the participants, still clapping and cheering and ringing bells and now slapping hands and making contact and congratulating these guys on getting this far and wishing them the best of luck on their journey.

Ready to dole out some high fives.

A non-athletic friend of mine was amazed by all of this and said, “Wow! Maybe I should run a marathon.” Lemme tell you: you don’t have to do that to experience the joy. There are awesome 5Ks and 10Ks and sprint triathlons and every other thing out there. Don’t get me wrong; a marathon is a big deal, but joy can be found in many athletic events that require less stamina, training and dedication. For some events, and this might have been one of them, the crowd is part of the experience. In others, it’s you — your body and mind and big, big heart.

How does this fit into a blog from a bike shop? Who cares! The Kalamazoo Marathon was big fun, and I’m just thrilled to have watched my friends and neighbors compete and to have, hopefully, contributed to the amazing energy of the race.

Through very happy circumstance, I happened to meet Chris Gottwald earlier this year. Chris is a Kalamazoo resident, a professional pilot, a former domestic pro bike racer and, by the way, a competitor in the Race Across America. And he does the latter to raise money for charity.

With our Trikat friends, we’ve arranged for Chris to speak about his past adventures and his preparations for this year’s race. You, Pedal customer, are invited to attend. So please circle the evening of Tuesday, May 24th on your calendar. More information coming shortly.

Many, many people come in the shop to look around and check things out. Several of those people (you people?) are kind enough to wish us well and ask how things are going.

Despite the crummy weather, things are going better than expected, so we’re a tad overwhelmed right now. This post will communicate a few items related to this issue.

The first is that if you’ve come to the shop and had to wait for attention, I apologize. As a busy guy who doesn’t like to wait, I am completely sympathetic and have plans to solve this issue (more later). At the same time, I loath the idea of not giving any customer all the time she needs. In summary, I’m sorry if you have to wait, but promise that you’ll receive quality service once the wait is over.

The next bit is probably obvious: Pedal is looking for help. Our perfect candidate would be an accomplished wrench with incredible interpersonal skills, a cool stable of bikes and an eagerness to discuss both “Infinite Jest” and “The Big Lebowski” at length. Think you can help our clients find the spin within? Come talk to me.