Here are a few lessons learned while in New York City.
The Rapha store is an excellent place to begin a ride. It’s a killer bike shop with no bikes for sale. Once in the door there are ample places to rack a bike. Behold beautiful espressos, fresh croissants, bike racing projected on a whole wall, seats, tables, a WC, and evidently some nice kit for sale too. They are welcoming to riders who just want to hang out for a coffee and watch a race. Did I mention it has two Belgian-style beers on tap? It is a beautiful place.
Saturday dawned sunny and warm. The Rapha Club-Velominati Saturday ride was on. Riders assembled, the place filled with carbon wheeled beauties, Rapha clad youth and us. The V-kit stood out in contrast to the understated Rapha colors. I outfitted Frank with the oldest and heaviest bicycle there. It was a thirty year old steel bike with heavy but aero aluminum wheels. The best part was it was geared for Roubaix when we were riding Flanders; it had a 44 tooth inner ring and a mostly inaccessible 23 tooth inner cog on the back. I was hoping it might slow him down but it didn’t, nothing does.
The ride was awesome. Some of us represented the kit better than others, let us leave it at that. Our Rapha Club leader, Rob, did a beautiful job getting thirty-plus riders out of Manhattan and eventually back, safely. He is a stud.
The book signing was heart warming; people buying The Rules and us writing something obnoxious in it, for them. Riders were coming into the store and whipping out their copies for us to sign. The New Jersey boys drove two hours to join us on the ride and buy a pile of books. It is simply amazing to me: this Velominati community which has grown across the world, all people who love to ride the bike. To meet some of them at a Keepers Tour, or Cogal or in the Rapha store, it makes this whole endeavor worthwhile.
The San Francisco Event is happening this weekend and I encourage all nearby to venture into the city for the riding and signing.
Mr T was bold enough to shoot photos while riding. Grazie for sharing.
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View Comments
@wiscot
Yeah, the whole shop is like that. The manager, who ran the popup store and then was asked to conceptualize and run the NYC brick-and-mortar operation, is cut from the same cloth as the rest of us. Awesome guy.
I've never seen so many expensive bikes in one place, by the way.
@Marcus
Its a courtesy. I have been taught by all you bald koonts that show up to Keepers Tours and Cogals that my flowing locks, in addition to the Magnificence of my Guns, is altogether too intimidating Pre-Ride.
@xyxax
And it was missing the horizontal slats he put under the tape. And the Scott stickers. And he rode a Regal, not a Rolls. But still, it was cool.
@brett
@frank
I have to think that Rapha does pretty decent in the profit/sq ft. department. In a place like that the empty floor space is just as important as the stuff in the store.
@cyclewalt
Those tires look suspiciously wrong.
When is the book signing in SEATTLE?
The books should be in V stacks not IV.
@Frank
@brypeter
I even know a shop that could host... ;-)
@Nate
A most excellent point!
@frank
Meanwhile in these parts, I woke up to a fresh dusting of snow, and windchill to -5C. Apparently on this day last year it was 27C. It feels like winter will not give up its grip around these parts.
Wish I could have been there, and not only for the nice weather.
Ah, this looks loads of fun, congratulations to everyone involved. A good moment to sit back with the post-ride refreshing beverage and consider what this funny little blog has achieved.
Remarkable.