Five Hills Bikes

It's Official - We Have Sign!

2008-06-05T18:35:00.001-07:00

Although our new shop location opened back on April 1, we haven't had a 'real' sign this whole time. The Bike29 decal has been in the window, but we've been taking our time to ensure that we had a really stylish new sign to go with our stylish new location.
Today was the day. The team was assembled and the sign was hung. And it looks amazing.

Thanks to Chris Jones and Great Big Graphics for all their work on design and fabrication. This isn't the same kind of sign that they do every day and we appreciate all the thoughtful attention to detail.
Also thanks to Alpine Restoration for very carefully drilling holes in our antique building and to Nat Fish for lending a steady hand during the install.

Perry Hill WorK Day - Sunday June 1

2008-05-28T13:14:00.000-07:00

Stowe Mountain Bike Club is having another work day on Perry Hill on Sunday, June 1st. There is a lot of work to be done building the trail re-route and many hands are needed.

Start time is 10:00am at the tunnel. In addition to water and snacks, bring work gloves and bug spray. Tools will be supplied.

Please call us at the shop if you have any questions 244-7330 - see you on Sunday!

Perry Hill Trail Day

2008-05-22T18:24:00.000-07:00

There's a big trail reroute project underway on Perry Hill in Waterbury. Last Sunday was a work day and we had about 20 people on hand to get the work started.

Ready to head up to the new trail

Almost at the end of the trail

Raking, lots of raking

Spring Columbines

There will be more work days coming up. Please come out and lend a hand for a few hours and help keep Waterbury's trail system in top shape. Be sure to join the Stowe Mountain Bike Club for updates and news on the trails.

Mountain Bike Season Kick-Off Party

2008-05-12T07:20:00.000-07:00

All the trails in Waterbury are maintained by the Stowe(and Waterbury!) Mountain Bike Club which is a chapter of the Vermont Mountain Bike Association (VMBA). Your membership in SMBC supports our work on Perry Hill including bridges, trail re-routes, tools and more. SMBC and VMBA also work tirelessly to ensure that we continue to have access to these trails and to build new trails in our area.

Come out to support SMBC and renew your membership for 2008 at the Season Kick-Off Party at Piecasso in Stowe - Friday, May 16 from 7-10pm. The Sugardaddies will be performing, starting at 9.

See you there!

Commute by Bike

2008-05-05T17:46:00.000-07:00

This year we (Five Hills Bikes folk) have made a personal commitment to ride more and drive less. When our schedule and time permit, we will ride into town to drop off at daycare and work at the shop. We will ride into Stowe for our other job. We will make the effort to commute by bike.

There's a great article on commuting by bike for the average person on the Commute by Bike Blog. The tips are a great reminder that you don't have to make bicycle commuting into a struggle. Call for a lift if you get a flat. Take the car if it's going to rain. Wear your civilian clothes and save the lycra for your sporty rides. Take the flattest route possible.

Since I (Mandy) have been working in Stowe at my day job, I've been meaning to ride into the office. But the prospect of facing Rt 100 traffic in the morning was daunting. Equally daunting was the series of long dirt road hill climbs that would await me at 7am if I took the back road.

This year with the rise in gas prices, I knew it was time to make it work. The first step was replacing my uncomfortable road bike with a cyclocross bike. I did some research and decided to get a Soma Double Cross. This isn't a frame that we stock, but was easy enough to get through our distributors and the cost was right - cheap.

It's a steel frame that will accept fenders and racks for panniers. Most of the components from my road bike would work on the new frame, also helping with the cost. My main objective with this bike was to create a perfectly serviceable ride for commuting - not built to impress anyone.

Brake levers on the top of the bar

It has bar top brake levers, which also help with the comfort level. I'm not that comfortable in the drops and I really just want to get to work safely, so I like having the option of these levers. I've also grabbed a Knog light for the back and YAWD for the headset topcap - to keep it interesting.

YAWD for decoration

Knog LED light (as seen from the top)

My first ride into the office was great. The bike is comfortable. The steel frame is supple and smooth on the road and the wider tires on this cross bike make for a much more stable ride. Though there are patches of gravel and sand still on Rt 100, I felt that the tires provided great confidence and grip. I still need to get the racks and panniers, but the ones that I want are out of stock until next week. I dislike riding any distance with a messanger bag, so that is why I will go with the panniers.

Nice wide tires to inspire confidence on Vermont's roads

We can help anyone build up a commuting bike. Whether it's a new bike or changing something that you already have to be more efficient and comfortable for a daily commute - we're happy to help you figure it out, just ask.

Basic Bike Maintenance Class - May 6th

2008-04-26T10:26:00.000-07:00

This spring, Five Hills Bikes is offering a free basic bike maintenance class on Tuesday, May 6 from 6-7pm.

Gain the confidence you need to perform general repairs and maintenance. This free class is fun and a great resource for cyclists. You'll have a chance to try your hand at the new techniques, so please wear appropriate clothing and footwear.

Each course will cover the following topics:

Pre-ride bike inspection
Brake cable adjustments
Minor derailleur adjustments
Wheel removal
Changing a flat tire
Cleaning your bike
Lubing your bike
Tools for at home and on the ride

The class is free, but space is limited. Reserve your spot by emailing mandy@bike29.com or call 802-244-7330.

Additional classes will be offered on June 10 and June 24.

Gravel Grinder Report

2008-04-21T08:39:00.000-07:00

We lucked out and had a beautiful day for the Gravel Grinder. 60 riders tackled all five hills of Waterbury on a mix of dirt and asphalt roads, taking in the beautiful scenery and enjoying the company on the ride.

60 riders preparing to take off

Off they go...

Check out this video of the ride. JG actually filmed his entire descent down Loomis Hill:

2008 Gravel Grinder ride, Waterbury VT from JG on Vimeo

Enjoying the ride

Next year we'll plan to accommodate more riders so that we don't have to turn anyone away. All said and done, we raised about $200 for the Waterbury trail system and the Waterbury/Stowe Mountain Bike Club.

Thanks to everyone who came out. Thanks to our sponsors - Pop Soda, Factotum, and Frida's Cantina. Thanks to everyone who helped out by volunteering. Thanks to Pilgrim Partnership for letting us base the ride in their parking lot. Thanks to Sara and Jesse Wing for use of their kitchen. And thanks to the good folks of Waterbury who let 60 riders have their way through town on the way to the hill.

The Gravel Grinder is Full!

2008-04-18T13:50:00.001-07:00

I'm sorry to everyone who isn't already signed up, but we have reached capacity for this year's Gravel Grinder. For those of you who didn't get in, I encourage you to sign up early for next year's event. We'll announce the date and open registration in February.

Just a few more days until the Grinder. The weather is expected to be phenomenal now through Saturday - drying out the roads and helping the snow move along. At the moment they're predicting cooler temps for Sunday and possibly a rain shower - but not until later in the afternoon.

I would expect that the dirt roads will be riding dry, maybe a little loose as I expect there may be some grading going on this week. No ice or snow on the roads at this point.

Ride Start and Finish:
Pilgrim Park 5 in Waterbury, VT. Exit 10 off of Interstate 89. South on 100. Turn left onto Rt 2 or Main St. At second light, turn left on to Park Row. Cross the railroad tracks, event is ahead on the left.

A couple things to keep in mind:

1. The big hills are all paved, and there are only a couple of spots where poor unpaved road conditions may put the big hurt on you.

2. This is not a race, it is a social event. Be supportive of your fellow rider.

3. The ride is on rural roads, expect to see cars, trucks, and possibly hostile rednecks who are mad that they can't ride their 4-wheelers or snow machines. Obey all traffic laws, and ride single file when encountering any vehicles. Portions of the ride are on Rt 100, which is a busy road. Be aware and cautious on this road.

4. This is not a race! TAKE YOUR TIME. Enjoy the scenery.

5. There will be at the half way point. There will be water, HEED, salty snacks, some sort of energy bars, and PB&Js.

6. We'll have a couple of trucks patrolling the route, making sure that no one gets left along the way.

7. The last hill (Blush) will be optional to those who are not feeling it. It is a steep bugger.

8. There are a few options for riders to bail off of the course and ride back to the starting point. These will be detailed on the cue sheet that you'll pick up at check-in.

There will be a pre-ride meeting at 8:45am. Participants are asked to be at the start point at 8 for registration, and the following pre-ride meeting. We'll be going over the finer points of the event, so you'll want to be there.

We're excited to have Pop Soda come on board as a sponsor with some of their yummy natural sodas. Josh Bard of the soon to open Frida's Taqueria in Stowe will be providing our post-ride feast. Thanks to Factotum for the t-shirt help. And a big thank you to everyone who will be volunteering on Sunday.

See you on Sunday!

Gravel Grinder Update

2008-04-05T07:45:00.000-07:00

The new Five Hills Bike shop is open and ready to go. Find us in the heart of Waterbury at 2 North Main Street.

The Gravel Grinderis coming soon - April 20th, 9am start. Some folks have asked about pre-riding the course, so here is the loop. It will be run counter clockwise from Waterbury Village.

View Larger Map

On April 10th we'll send out an email with all the details on parking and start location. Until then, get your mountain bike or your cross bike ready to ride and start warming up those legs.

Don't forget to sign up for the Gravel Grinder on active.com! We will not be taking any ride day registrations!

Bike Maintenance Classes

2008-03-16T05:18:00.000-07:00

Five Hills Bikes presents free basic bike maintenance classes.

Gain the confidence you need to perform general repairs and maintenance. These free classes are fun and a great resource for cyclists. You'll have a chance to try your hand at the new techniques, so please wear appropriate clothing and footwear.

Each course will cover the following topics:

Pre-ride bike inspection
Brake cable adjustments
Minor derailleur adjustments
Wheel removal
Changing a flat tire
Cleaning your bike
Lubing your bike
Tools for at home and on the ride

Tuesday, May 6th
Tuesday, June 10th
Tuesday, June 24th
6-7 pm

Call 244-7330 or email mandy@bike29.com to register for a session. Sessions are free but seating is limited.

Five Hills Bikes is Moving!

2008-03-16T04:48:00.000-07:00

Five Hills Bikes is moving! The new shop is located at 2 North Main St in Waterbury Village (the old Bisbee's Paint location). There's a lot more room here, so we'll have more bikes, accessories, helmets and clothes in addition to our repair and maintenance services. There's plenty of parking around back.

We've been working away on our new shop getting everything set up for the quickly approaching spring. We will be open for service starting Saturday, March 22nd. Look for our grand opening celebrations in early April.

Five Hills Bikes
2 North Main St
Waterbury, VT 05676
802.244.7330

Gravel Grinder Spring Classic Announced

2008-02-02T17:47:00.001-08:00

We've just opened up registration for the 1st (official) Gravel Grinder Spring Classic Dirt Road Ride. Riders take on all five hills of Waterbury for a 25 mile epic dirt road ride with 3,000 feet of climbing. Roads vary from paved to gravel to deep-rutted mud.

Gravel Grinder Spring Classic -- Sunday, April 20th - 9 am start in Waterbury, VT

This ride benefits trail maintenance in the Waterbury area in conjunction with the Stowe Mountain Bike Club. Registered riders get a signed, supported ride, aid station, special t-shirt and post ride cookout. All registered riders will be eligable for a raffle with loads of prizes at the end of the ride.

Register here.

Some photos of the shop

2008-01-15T18:39:00.000-08:00

Five Hills Bikes

2008-01-13T12:04:00.000-08:00

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