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Maybe you’ve been thinking about racing CX but your commuter is covered in racks and fenders and you don’t fancy run-ups with your 30lb trail bike.

We have you covered. Rent a podium-ready Ibis Hakkalugi carbon race rig for $60/day from now through November 18. After that we’ll be putting these demos up for sale. Available in 54, 56 and 58.5 sizes (top-tube measurement)

Questions? Call us up at 503-22-2851

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The denizens of sweet bike stuff and all-around good guys at Portland Design Works have a new saddle out. The

Dios Thronous is pretty darn nice for a $40 chair and waterproof to boot. Videographer extraordinaire James Wilson shot this promo feature, starring 21st Ave Bicycles as well as 21st Alumnus Sean Light floating some dirt jump

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If you’re ever looking for a good ride to bury yourself on you can do much worse than checking out the routes on the Rapha site. Tons of good ideas and great places around Portland. Check out the video from the 2012 Gentlemen’s Race- you’ll see some Velodirt riders in there too.

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Wondering why we’ve been closing early on Wednesdays? Here’s some video from last week’s Blind Date at the Dairy race thanks to Kent Johnston’s Vimeo.

Blind Date Cyclocross 9-26 from kent johnston on Vimeo.

We had 550 riders out on Sept 26, which is a series record. What are you doing next Wednesday?

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Come check out the new bicycle in our window. Globe’s hip new commuter bike gets even hipper when you find out the folks over at Specialized only made 275 of them. The one we have is number 187, and it can be yours. Smooth. Low-maintenence. Limited edition.

Specialized says of their new Roll 8:

If you want a one of a kind ride that can get you to the grocer, the pub, the farmer’s market and more, come see us and we’ll send you away smiling on our favorite new bicycle.

And have you ever heard of a track belt? Exactly. This is what you want.

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Pacific Northwest summers are perfect for adventuring. Last weekend I took a few friends up to the San Juan Islands to do some light touring and bike camping. We spent four days hopping ferries, riding the roads, and camping with waterfront views. I was on my Surly Cross Check while my friend Lisa pedaled the distance on her Long Haul Trucker. The Cross Check is the perfect do-it-all bicycle. Not only do I take her for long day rides, but I can strip her down and put knobby tires on to ride cyclocross. I also rode her to San Francisco this June for a thousand mile tour. If you are searching for a bike you can commute on and more, think Cross Check. Surly specializes in classic, steel frame, utility bikes. And if you want to take a trip to the San Juan Islands, there’s no better book to guide you than Bicycling the Pacific Coast, which, as you know if you read the last blog post, we also have in stock.

First day of cycling on Lopez Island. We ditched the gear at camp and set out for a day of flat riding, a nice reprieve from the steep, dirty hills of Orcas.

Bike camping on Orcas Island, featuring my black cross check with a Brooks B-17 honey-colored saddle, 21st ave water bottles, and Ortlieb back rollers classics. We got it all in store, and we’d love to set you up. Also, think about Poler’s Magic Tarpit as a lovely camping accouterment. For a rack, I recommend PDW’s aesthetically sophisticated Payload with it’s double-ply bamboo deck and steel tubing. It’ll have you carrying cargo in no time.

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Not just a bike shop, folks. We’re set up with a library strong enough to woo even the toughest literati. Ever heard of Rouleur? Paul Fornel? Boneshaker? We’ve got you covered. As for the practical minded reader we have a slew of “best ride” guides that will send you sailing through the roads of Oregon with a plan, a pack list, and a feeling of preparedness that’s hard to beat. Come in, grab a coffee or a burrito from next door and browse our bookshelf. Watch out. You’re going to want to ride.

The Bookshelf:

First things first. Rouleur. This fine publication features exquisite photography and muscular prose from the best journalists in the industry. Buying an issue of Rouleur is akin to investing in a piece of art, with their commitment to celebrating the drama and beauty of road racing. It’s timeless: a journal you can return to years later and still find relevant, insightful, and informational. This is the ultimate publication for anyone interested in cycling. I get giddy each time a new issue lands on our doorstep.

Boneshaker:

A Portland and Bristol based publication that seeks to “create a considered, well-oiled publication that promotes a self-propelled life on two wheels, and to be an inclusive platform for your stories and artwork from around the world.” I’ll support that.

Velo by Paul Fournel

So says the book jacket: “Velo is a unique look at the bike. Through a series of short essays, Paul Fournel beautifully evokes the experience and spirit of cycling…Paul Fournel is a writer, passionate cyclist,and president of the French avant garde writing group Ouilpo.”

Bicycling the Pacific Coast

Do you live in Oregon? (Me too.) Do you ride your bike? Do you like to camp? If you answered yes to these questions, and you haven’t taken a tour down the Pacific coast, you better get going. There’s still summer left in the sky, and plenty of coastline to cover. Here’s the book you’ll want to bring.

75 Classic Rides Oregon: The Best Road Biking Routes

This is the book everyone in the shop is fighting over, and if you come in and peek through the pages, you’ll see why. Buy it, go bike, and be happy.

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(Glamor shop shot.)

The folks from Travel Portland came into the shop yesterday and dropped off two awesome Japanese magazines that did a recent spotlight on Oregon and all it has to offer (check out the publications: Pedal Speed and Paper Sky). 21st Ave gets some serious love in each issue. The photographs are gorgeous. Too bad I can’t read the articles.

(Cup of coffee + a good magazine. Smells like morning. Too bad I can’t read Japanese.)

Come by the shop and flip through, if you’re like me, it’ll give you the itch to get out and go. There are some epic shots of forest park trail runners, cyclocross racers, urban cycle commuters, and DIY craftsters-not to mention a bike guide featuring your’s truly. If you weren’t proud to be a Portlander already, these magazines will pump a little more hiplandia love through your bones. Did I mention the epic pictures? Yeah. Good stuff.

(Look there we are. #1)

(Sean Light leaving after a hard day at the office.)

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It’s a backpack. It’s a pannier. It’s both! North St. Bags, brainchild of Portland’s very own sewer extraordinaire, Curtis, is the remedy for sweaty backs and sore necks. Nothing says summer like a hot load on your shoulders, but you don’t have to suffer anymore. Take the weight off and put the style on with this savvy, hand-crafted local bag. North St. packs come complete with a laptop sleeve, waterproof liner, velcro accessory straps, U-lock/water bottle sleeve, and reflectors (safety first, people). Curtis created North St. Bags with sustainability and function at the forefront of his mind. All the raw materials are USA sourced, and the labor comes straight from Portland, OR. As if these perks weren’t enough, Curtis will even custom craft a bag to fit your specific color craving and aesthetic sensibility. Come by 21st Ave and pick up your North St. today! I’ve been riding with mine since last summer and couldn’t be happier. Check out the oh-so-gorgeous blue on orange action happening in the pictures.

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