Kids and Candy

There used to be a time when I’d have trouble getting to sleep because I was so worked up over the ride planned for the next day. That was back during my newbie phase – where every ride was an adventure and just like a kid at Christmas, the next day couldn’t come fast enough. Over time, that excitable boy I once knew fell prey to routine, and while riding bikes still is something I look forward to with a passion, fewer rides these days offer up a genuine sniff of serious excitement anymore.

And so it was that last Saturday I found myself fettling with my bike and getting my gear ready – all while there was still sun in the sky. The plan called for a rendezvous with our good friend Johnny Ribeye—the notorious BlogginGoggin—for a major gathering of serious talent at Annadel park in Santa Rosa. We were riding together to celebrate his making it to the halfway mark of an epic adventure consisting of doing a major ride on a bike every day for a year.

On Sunday I met up with Chris at sparrowfart and we rolled north as a feeble sun tried to poke gauzy holes through the fog. Bypassing Sonoma, we arrived at Annadel in record time and awaited the arrival of the Marin posse—and the top-shelf talent that guaranteed this would more than likely be a hammer-fest. Alas, for better or worse (we voted for the former!) the only two other entities to show were John and his friend Gita, her on Moab-friendly tires which generated much friendly ribbing.

We set out as the temps hung in the frisky low 40’s and quickly stopped shivering as we rode up towards the higher parts of this drop-dead gorgeous park. Thick green moss covered the boulders and logs and the ground was wet and fragrant from the recent downpours. When we hit the delicious singletrack we rode up through thick primal forest to the exposed rocky meadows above, plunged through icy chocolate-milk-colored puddles and laughed as the newbie from Colorado marveled at the various consistencies of mud.

Two and a half hours of serious grin-inducing riding later we dropped back to our cars, and as is always the case, a minor wave of disappointment set in as our ride came to a close. But of this I’m absolutely certain: it won’t be long before I head back for another dose of the good stuff across the Bay. The aftereffects from Annadel are already starting to wear off…

Commitment to the Ride

Some say that I'm "committed,” and others say that I should be committed. A little less than six months ago I got a wild hair up my bum. I randomly decided to ride every single day for the next calendar year. Ooops! What in the hell was I thinking?!? Apparently I wasn’t thinking at all. Here I am in the middle of my journey, and riding in the rain, hail, and bitter cold temperatures. Nope, I definitely wasn't thinking.

Not thinking aside, I did make a commitment, and I’m standing by it, or pedaling through it…

I’ll be posting some of the stories about my journey here. The photo is from yesterday’s ride on Mount Tamalpais. It was rainy and cold, and doing a striptease in my backyard was the only way to keep the mud out of my house! ;-)

Some friends have nicknamed me “Bloggin-Goggin.” I think that’s how I’ll sign off from here on out.

Until the next posting, Bloggin-Goggin.

Climbing, Cowpies and Goatheads

Briones is a pretty straight-forward place to ride. It’s either UP or DOWN. On some days it bites and on others, like today, it’s just plain fun. Originally slated to be a gathering with a bunch of friends in Rockville, today’s ride just sort of unraveled and in the end it was me and Chris heading out to Briones under an ominous slate-gray sky and 42 showing on the thermometer.

Quite by chance we met up with Darin and Steve, who like a certain un-named Marin-county denizen, were themselves off to a late start. Dependence on alarm clocks was clearly the problem here. But it didn’t much matter because on this day none of us were feeling our oats, so it was a placid affair from the go.

We dodged frozen cow patties as we thawed out during the climb up into a surprising amount of bright sun, the icy biting wind however made it moot. Along the way Steve scored another flat and after clocking supra-legal speeds on the descents, all too soon we were down in the floor of the valley. We grabbed a short section of cow trail that led us back to the road and for good measure, everyone picked up a handful of Goathead thorns. To add some texture to the event as I hopped off to do gate duties I stepped in a massive pile of festive green cow doodie. I was none too pleased to have the rustic scent of bovine excreta accompany me all the way home, but the cats were quite interested in my new aroma and followed me around with strange looks on their faces.

There’s no confusing Briones with Marin or other epic destinations, but as my old man likes to say, it’s better than a poke in the eye with a sharp stick.

Mel Bearns

Riding to the Junction and a Mountain Bike Ride Invitation

Mel and I had a lot of fun yesterday as we rode up Mount Diablo from the North Gate. It was a bit of a chilly start to the ride as we left Mel's house in Concord, but as soon as we hit the rollers that are just past the north gate, we began to warm up, and by the time that we hit the climb we were steaming along.

Being it that I'm from Marin and only ride Diablo a couple of times a year, I always forget about just how long of a climb it is up to the Junction. Yesterday was no exception. It's quite simply a great climb, if you're a masochist like me.

Once at the Junction we rested briefly before hopping back on our rigs and freezing our butts off on the way back to down to Danville on the south side. Once there we warmed up while eating lunch in the PBW/Peets quad. How about we all plan to do a Diablo mountain bike ride before the rains muck things up?

Here's the Garmin information from the ride if anyone is interested: http://connect.garmin.com/activity/19969537

Giving Thanks.

Having fallen afoul of dread routine rides that are a result of complications brought on by modern life, I was thoroughly worked up about hitting the legendary Marin Turkey Day ride in the company of a handful of good friends, and a few thousand other like-minded riders.

The day before, I meticulously prepped my bike and got my gear ready in anticipation of heading out the door at sparrow-fart. That night I actually didn’t sleep all that well, mostly because of gastric perambulations caused by some seriously undercooked beans, but also because I was genuinely excited about finally doing this ride.

The first year I tried to join the fray the rain conspired against us and the mountain was pretty much closed off as much of the Pine Mountain Loop would have been impassable, so I went off on a downgraded version on trails that had better drainage. Next time I tried I got sick as a dog a few days before. Then there was one more attempt that never got off the ground for reasons that I can’t even remember.

So it was that I met up with Chris and D and once we were fully caffeinated we headed out to meet our good friend John and M at Fairfax. Even though it was 7:30 the lot by the Java Hut was already teeming with bikers getting ready and rolling towards the mountain. We threw our frigid bodies onto our bikes and made way towards the trail that leads past the golf course and up to Four Corners, and after a good 15 minute climb to warm up we were steaming and started shedding a few layers.

The day couldn’t have been better – it was sunny and only some high clouds conspired to keep temps down enough to make it a brisk affair every time we gathered speed on descents. Idle chat and jolly banter rang out as we made our way and soon we were at the dreaded Baby Head section. And here’s where it started getting much more interesting.

Firstly, it’s a lung-busting technical climb that is relentless in its dispensation of misery. Secondly, it is a notorious newbie trap – lose forward momentum and it’s a long walk up to the top. And thirdly, I could not for the life of me figure out why I kept smelling exhaust – until we cleared the first rise and saw a Marin sheriff on an ATV pulling a trailer up the hill, scattering bikers as he chugged up the hill.

My first thought was that there was an injured rider somewhere, but the pace the rider was maintaining was bucolic at best and soon it became painfully apparent that this was part and parcel of the new approach towards “managing” mountain bikers – by intimidation. When we tried to pass the rider, he’d speed up, on long ascents he would slow down. And all the time we were inhaling fumes – just what we wanted to do on our mountain bikes. I finally passed him at the bottom of the last climb and even though it sounded like he was about to roll over me I pipped him at the top of Smoker’s Knoll, on which nary a smoker was partaking as it looked like half of the Marin sheriff’s force was just hanging around, scowling at the riders who scowled back.

After a quick snack during which we saw a few legendary riders like Charlie Kelly and local racers like Rachel Lloyd, John pointed out the approaching monster SUV that was coming up the hill and said “We’d better get rolling – this guy HATES mountain bikers…”
Even though my bike was off the side of the road I quickly dashed over to get it as he appeared to be heading straight toward it. Next to me was a lovely Ventana tandem bike, which unfortunately fell foul of the law.

I was the first to start rolling down the steep descent into the canyon below, and it wasn’t long before Chris caught up to me and John and called out ”Typical! He rolled OVER the tandem!” When we bunched up at the bottom we got the 411 from M, who even tried to stop the “sheriff” from rolling over the bike, but he didn’t stop and destroyed the rear wheel of the tandem and ruined the day for its two owners. The scene started getting ugly immediately and several riders were calling out insults and “explaining” how much a new wheel costs for a tandem. And I’m sure on that day a lot of riders were not only polarized but hopefully energized into action, because this was truly beyond the pale.

So what did we do to deserve this? Are we torch-bearing anarchists? Serial killers? Thieves, murderers and rapists? A look around at the crowd revealed a cross-section of riders – from die-hard racers to weekend warriors. Rawboned teenagers and AARP candidates. Riders on 1980’s vintage iron to the latest in carbon fiber trickery. Men, women, boys and girls – all trying to have a good time, but when we’re singled out as scofflaws and harassed simply because we’re trying to enjoy some recreation, it’s enough to make a grown man sigh.

I lost count, but on that day I counted about 10 SUVs, 6 or 8 ATVs, and well over 2 dozen law enforcement officials – enforcing what exactly? On a holiday. On our tax-dollar. At triple overtime. At a time when the state is fiscally and morally bankrupt and our parks are on the ropes. Great – makes me feel all warm and fuzzy – how about you?

So the rest of the ride was great, but tainted with the sour taste left by that one moment. Along the way we passed several more SUVs and officers out in the middle of bloody nowhere, ensuring that we all felt “protected” – yeah, so long as our bikes aren’t in the path of one of their vehicles. At the top of Repack, Access for Bikes (A4B) was collecting signatures and trying to get people involved – no doubt they had a banner day, considering the warmth we felt from the Marin sheriffs.

If there’s a moral to this story it’s that we ALL need to get more involved in all manner of activities – from continuing to work towards greater trail access, to doing trail maintenance, policing ourselves and in general becoming more politically active – and savvy. If not, intimidation tactics like this will continue to strip from our hands that which is rightfully ours. So if you’re feeling grateful for being able to ride today, consider this a call to get involved – so that we all may continue to ride tomorrow.

M. Bearns

Happy Thanksgiving!

A posse of us from the Pegasus family got up at Oh-My-God-O-Clock on Thursday in order to make it out to Fairfax. We did so because we signed up do the Thanksgiving Day Ride. It's a fantastic gathering of the cycling tribes that's existed for over 20 years now.

JuAs we unloaded our bikes in the parking lot you could see jerseys from dozens of cycling teams and clubs, counties, and even states. The rigs are even more interesting to look at, as many people bring out their old hardware to show off on this special day and gathering. I almost brought out my WTB Phoenix, and I even contemplated bringing out my Potts-built Bon Tempe since I'm riding with broken ribs right now. In the end I brought along five inches of supple travel provided by Santa Cruz, Fox, and WTB.

Chris, Darin, Mel, Michael and I, had a blast on this ride. There was a bit of an unwelcoming supplied to us by the Marin County Sheriff's Department, but that's a sign of the times here in Marin County, arguably the birthplace of mountain biking. To me it feels like the last stand before the county realizes that there are more of us riders paying taxes than the average Joe. I don't want to taint the day's fun with too much politics, so I'll stop here. We had a great time, and I look forward to more of the PBW family taking rides out here in Marin where I call it home.

Best wishes and Happy Holidays to all of you!

Something in the air.

There’s something about the fall that always triggers a potent urge in me to get back into mountain biking in a big way. I like it when there’s a nip in the air—and the significant reduction of sweat this brings—but mostly it’s because it’s the harbinger of winter and the end of another long and dusty summer.

Last Sunday I dug myself out of bed later than I would have liked but still escaped unnoticed as my family slept on. I had gathered up my gear the night before and so was able to avoid the dread hunting and gathering the morning of the ride which always adds way more time than it should. Besides, it sure makes it easier to get out the door with everything accounted for, even in a pre-caffeinated state.

I hit the trail down by Shell Ridge in Walnut Creek and pointed my bike towards Wall Point – always a good ride when I feel the need to be humbled by the vertical element. The shadows cast by the pale rising sun lay long on the powdery ground – the deep dust scoured smooth by the big winds the day before showed only animal tracks and a few tenacious tire treads. Gathering speed I felt the cold air as it cut through my jersey and arm warmers and wondered if I had brought enough gear. My knees were happy enough in knickers, but the rest of me shivered for just a little while before I started pedaling. It didn’t take long to feel just right.

Not many people were out yet, but the acorn woodpeckers were in full song as I threaded my way up the trail. A coyote crossed ahead of me and paused – balefully staring at me with its bright yellow eyes and only moved on when I was less than 5 yards away.

It wasn’t long before I was fully warmed up and at the foot of Wall Point when a long string of riders came bombing down the trail. After a while the last of the stragglers finally hove into view – all goggle-eyed and covered in a fine layer of dust after obviously having sampled Diablo’s mineral wealth further up the hill. The funky plaid shorts and red converse sneakers were a nice touch, but the dangling laces were just waiting to facilitate another encounter with the ground, but before I could say anything he was gone – skittering over the sandstone as he struggled to stay upright on the razor-thin edge of control.

This brought back a memory of my first attempt on this trail back in ’96 when I was a rank Diablo newbie, and although I had more common sense than to wear laced sneakers I didn’t have enough sense to know that this was not a beginner-friendly trail. I pulled it off in segments and came to know why it’s called it Wall Point. Now when I ride past the places where I stopped to gasp like a dying fish as my heart tried to jump out of my throat, I think back to those early days it always makes me smile.

There’s something about climbing that always makes me pensive. Usually because I’m typically off the back when riding with friends – and of course when I ride alone I've got nothing but time. I’ve learned to not hate climbing, and not because I’ve gotten any better over the years as I still go uphill as fast as Sisyphus rolling his rock, but because it gives me time to think and clears my mind. I’ve gotten some rather good thinking done while cranking up merciless hills all around the Bay Area.

Once up at the top of Wall Point on this my first official ride of fall, I thought back to the many times I’d been here before – at this very time of year – and how lucky we all are to have beauty of such grand scale available in our back yards for our enjoyment. The last of the dust-infused yellow Manzanita flowers and sage released their scent as the sun rose higher. The air was exceptionally clear, definitely one of those days where you can see forever which stirred in me a deep urge to keep riding. I clicked back in, looked up and said Namaste to the universe for the joy that riding a bicycle brings and started turning the pedals again. Life is good.

M. Bearns

Keepin' it Green

When we first took over our new space it was all about demolition and removal. Thick, toxic carpeting lay on the floor - and drop-ceiling panels crowded head room. As soon as we got all of the old and useless detritus from the previous occupants out, what greeted us was beautiful open space that inspired all manner of ideas. Above all - we wanted to make sure we re-used and re-cycled as much "old" stuff as possible (easy on the budget and easy on the planet!)

The rough concrete floor was the first serious upgrade we took on, and rather than lay down vinyl tiles glued on with hazardous materials we polished the floor to obtain a very contemporary look that is extremely easy to keep up.

Next up was our service counter which would provide not only the visual anchor for customers coming into the store, it was also envisioned as a gathering place, so we created a counter next to our lounge area and used old but beautiful exotic hardwood sourced from a friend to build the main face.

When we got to decorating the new store we used old fence rails to frame the windows - again sourced from another friend who has a spread on the mountain, and whenever possible chose to use the most environmentally friendly materials throughout the store.

Lastly, we already had quite a lot of slatwall from our previous store, and inherited several more panels when we took over the new space. In addition, we sourced several used floor stands from local shops and very cool retro lighting fixtures to hang above the lounge area. We're not done with decorating yet, but we'll definitely stay true to our goal of re-using and re-cycling as much as possible.

Calendar

div>

Bike Builds

You’re dreaming of a bike. It’s the one you've always wanted. But you can’t find it anywhere. Talk to us before you settle on anything less – you’ll be surprised at what you can afford and will be even more amazed when you ride it for the first time.

Special Orders

Call or email if you’re looking for a hard-to-find part or something that nobody else even knows about. Chances are very good we can help you.

Brands

Pegasus Bicycle Works

Bikes:

Bianchi: http://www.bianchiusa.com
BMC: www.bmc-racing.com/

Felt: http://www.feltbicycles.com/USA.aspx
Linus: http://www.linusbike.com/

Neil Pryde: www.neilprydebikes.com

Rocky Mountain: http://www.bikes.com/

Scott: http://scottusa.com/
Time: http://www.time-sport.com/

Wilier: http://wilier-usa.com/

Wheels:

Campagnolo: http://www.campagnolo.com/jsp/en/index/home_true.jsp
Easton: http://www.eastoncycling.com

Fulcrum: http://www.fulcrumwheels.com/jspfulcrum/index.jsp?lang=en&world=road

Mavic: http://www.mavic.com/home.aspx
Zipp: http://www.zipp.com/

Tires:
Challenge: http://www.challengetech.it/

Continental: http://www.conti-online.com/generator/www/de/en/continental/bicycle/general/home/index_en.html
Geax: http://www.geax.com/
Hutchinson: www.hutchinsontires.com/en
Kenda: http://www.kendatire.com/en/home.aspx

Michelin: http://www.michelinbicycletire.com/michelinbicycle/

Schwalbe: http://www.schwalbetires.com/
Serfas: https://www.serfas.com/

Vittoria: http://www.vittoria.com/

WTB: www.wtb.com

Accessories & Gear:
Contour: http://contour.com/

Crank Brothers: http://www.crankbrothers.com/

Fizik: http://www.fizik.com/spineconcept/

Fox: http://www.foxracingshox.com/fox_bicycle/bike_index.htm
Garmin: http://www.garmin.com/us/

Giro: http://www.giro.com/en-us/?loc=1
Koki: http://www.lashelmets.com/en/
Kuat: http://kuatracks.com/

Lezyne: http://www.lezyne.com/
Light and Motion: http://www.lightandmotion.com/
Tifosi: http://www.tifosioptics.com/
Scott: http://www.scott-sports.com/global/en/category/bike/

Serfas: http://www.serfas.com/

3T: http://www.thenew3t.com/

UVex: http://www.uvexsports.com/

Cycling Apparel:

Capo: http://www.uplandsg.com/capo/index.htm

Castelli: http://www.castelli-us.com/

Endura: www.endurasport.com

Fox: http://www.foxhead.com/us/mtbGear

Hincapie: http://www.hincapie.com/

Giro: http://www.giro.com/en-us/
Sugoi: http://www.sugoi.com/
The North Face: http://www.thenorthface.com/en_US/index.html

Shoes:

Bont: http://www.bont.com/cycling/
Fizik: http://fizik.com/
Giro: http://www.giro.com/us_en/
Northwave: http://www.northwave.com/usa/
Scott: http://www.scott-sports.com/global/en/

Sidi: http://www.sidisport.com/

The Graffitti Wall

When we envisioned the overall look of our new shop, we definitely wanted to create an urban wallscape for the shop area that captured our love for the sport - and our love for color and design.

Over the course of two nights we got out the airbrushes and let our imagination fly as we set out to create a graffitti wall that reflected our passion. A collaborative effort, it took shape first as a background tapestry that invited more layers to be laid over it.

A logo here, a rainbow there, some phrases rabid fans scream out to their favorite riders as they battle the moutains in the Grand Tours. They're all there and capture the passion this great sport has to offer!

Contact Us

We moved! Our new location as of January 2013!

114 E. Prospect Ave.
Danville, CA 94526

We’re in the heart of Danville, located right next to Starbucks and across from the Senior Center/ Veterans Memorial Building.  Yes, we moved January 2013 from our prior location by Peet's.


Phone: (925) 362.2220

Email: chris@pegasusbicycleworks.com

Store Hours:     10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. Monday - Friday
                           10:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m.  Saturday 
                           11:00 a.m. - 5:00 p.m. Sunday

Link to Google Map of our new location:

https://www.google.com/maps/place/114+E+Prospect+Ave/@37.808045,-122.011194,13z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x808f8ca999c56ff1:0xf528fd93cb77152d?hl=en-US

About Us

What a view!

We admit it. We're bike nuts. All of us grew up riding and never stopped. We love everything about bikes - their multiple personalities. Their rugged disposition. Their simplicity. But most of all we like to ride them.

When you ride a bike, you're not a spectator as when driving a car - you are fully vested in the experience and you become a starring actor in the episode you set out to create.

When you ride a bike, not only are you doing good things for yourself, you're also treating our poor planet with more kindness than if you were bruising around in a car.

And when you ride a bike you meet all sorts of new friends that share a common bond - genuine passion.

We're glad to have you with us and look forward to sharing epic stories, funny anecdotes, advice, support and most importantly - friendship.

Demos & Rentals

The rental fleet

Are you ready to check out a new style of riding without making a big commitment? Or maybe you have friends in town and you want to take them out and show them how cool our neck of the woods is. We’ve got a wide range of bikes to choose from including mountain, road and hybrids. Call us to check on selection and to reserve your bike ahead of time to guarantee it will be ready when you are. 

We also host Demo-rides. Through-out the year our bike manufacturers stop by with all the latest and greatest bikes for YOU to try out. Check back periodically, or become a follower and receive all the latest news from ground zero. 

Rates:
Hybrid/City: $25 x day
MTB: $50-$85 x day
Road: $50-$85 x day

We also do weekly and monthly rentals on request.

Services & Repairs

The well decorated workbench

Services: In a nutshell, we’re a full-service bicycle retail and repair shop. Fortunately, we’re no longer in a nutshell because our new shop is 10 times bigger and a whole lot cooler. And as we have since we first opened our doors in 2001, we offer everything from simple repairs to major overhauls, plus apparel, gear, accessories, bike build and just about everything you need for the road, mountain, commuting or just cruisin’ around.

At Pegasus we’re passionate about bikes and everything to do with them. We like to think that every day is an opportunity to make this whole cycling thing better for more people, and especially that we’re fortunate to do what we love most.

The Bottom Line: “We’re here to take you as far as you want to go.”

Getting the job done

Repairs: If it’s broken, we can fix it. It doesn’t matter if your bike is cutting edge, vintage or anything and everything in between. From repairing pesky flat tires to major overhauls that should have been done years ago, we’ve been getting grease under our nails since we were kids and we know how to get bikes rolling again and keep them in tip-top shape. Please call us or drop in for a free estimate.

Stuff

Lots of accessories

Will having the right gear make you go faster and climb higher? Sure! And it's also scientifically proven that you’ll be a lot more comfortable and your performance will improve when you’re wearing the right apparel, shoes and protection for whatever type of riding you do. From Assos to Uvex we carry proven brands that represent the best in performance, value and style.

Bikes

Shaken or stirred? Scrambled or sunny side up? We recommend a diet rich in variety when it comes time to riding, which is why we ourselves ride a lot of different bikes and carry a wide selection of manufacturers that have proven themselves by delivering the highest level of customer satisfaction, performance and service. Check out the brands we believe are head and shoulders above the herd, then contact us for availability and price.                  

And yes, we think test rides are a very good thing and definitely encourage them.

Bikes:

Bianchi

BMC
Breezer
Eddy Mercxk

Felt
Fuji

Linus
Look
Pure Fix
Rocky Mountain

Scott
Simcoe

Soma

Time

Wilier

Wheels:

Campagnolo
Crank Brothers
Easton

Fulcrum

Mavic
Reynolds
Zipp

Tires:

Challenge
Continental
Hutchinson
Schwalbe

Serfas

Vittoria

WTB

Helmets:

Catlike
Kali
Kask
LAS

Saddles:

Brooks
Fizik
Selle Italia
SMP
WTB

Accessories & Gear:

Crank Brothers

Fizik

Garmin

Kuat

Lezyne
Light and Motion
Nite Rider

Serfas
Silca
Tifosi
3T

Cycling Apparel:

Capo

Castelli
Club Ride

Fox
Gore

Hincapie

Shoes:

Bont
Fizik
Northwave

Sidi