BY EILEEN BARTELS
SHOP SMALL, SHOP LOCAL
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On a side road just off Greenwich Avenue, Greenwich Bicycles is brimming with cycling options. It offers hundreds of bikes, for all ages and ability levels, as well as excellent service. Its website features local rides and maps.
you’re an avid indoor stationary cyclist and aiming to take on the Tour De Greenwich twenty-mile race this September, check out the feather-light carbon bikes. Need a litte help getting up those hills? Electric or E-bikes are an inconspicuous option and offer the extra punch you may need to manage steep grades or long distances. The best part of cycling can be the accessorizing, so think baskets, mirrors, locks and bins—all personalized to your style. A local bike shop can outfit new and old bikes with everything from side mirrors to removable baskets for easy shopping.
Greenwich Bicycles | 35 Amogerone Crossway | 203869-4141 | greenwichbikes.com
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Whether you’re looking to upgrade your child from training wheels to his/ her first big bike or want to create your own custom Faraday E-bike, Dave’s Cycles is a staple in Cos Cob. Or if you want to try something new, rent a tandem bike for the weekend.
Dave’s Cycles | 78 Valley Road 203-661-7736 | davescyclect.com
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Signature Cycles features custom bikes and fittings. The staff also organizes local and destination rides like the upcoming trip to Majorca and Girona.
Signature Cycles | 14 Railroad Avenue | 203-485-0500 | signaturecycles.com
Put a Lid On It A good bike helmet is the wisest spring bonnet you can wear. Fit is important, so make sure to try on several and be sure to purchase one that you like enough to actually wear. If you can’t find a helmet that suits your personality locally, check out my favorite online bike retailer, Nutcase. The tulips may not be blooming just yet, but you can wear blossoms on your helmet. nutcasehelmets.com
Cargo Hold You can’t drive through Old Greenwich these day without passing a Dutch-style Cargo Bike. Over sixty of them cruised down Sound Beach Avenue in the annual Old Greenwich Memorial Day Parade last year. Parents in the Netherlands have been using these specialty bikes, with a space in front to tow everything from groceries to up to four children in three-point safety harnesses, for the last decade. The Babboe Cargo Bike is available in Greenwich through local enthusiast Friso van Reesema at Going Dutch Bikes. According to van Reesema, “It all started with the community. I love the ‘gezelligheid’ or closeknit O.G./Riverside community that celebrates outdoor living, walking and biking. As a Dutchman, I love encouraging my children to be active in the community and sports. My wife, Meg, and I knew that the box bike would [be a great way] to say hi to friends while biking to school, town, the library, Binney Park, Tod’s Point and the Civic Center.”
The Babboe is available in five different styles, with two to three wheels and an electric battery option that lasts twentyfive hours per charge and can provide steady power or pedal assist. Accessories include rain and sun shields. Selling for $3,000 and up, you may want to rent a Babboe for a day or weekend to try it out. These bikes sell fast and with a limited inventory available, expect to wait up to about two months from order to delivery. Going Dutch Bikes can provide buyers with a good local bike mechanic who is experienced in servicing both the traditional and electric assist versions. goingdutchbikes.com
Join a Biker Gang Riding with a local group is a great way to share the experience and stay safe on long rides. Check with local bike shops, as most provide postings, sponsor rides and help fellow cyclists connect. For $25 you can purchase a family membership with the Fairfield County Sound Cyclists Bicycle Club, which sponsors large local charity rides such as the Bloomin’ Metric as well as local rides throughout Fairfield County. soundcyclists.com
Route Guidance The Department of Public Works and Greenwich Safe Cycling offers a Bicycle Master Plan online that offers safe cycling routes. greenwichct. org/ upload/medialibrary/1ea/ fsTransportationBikePlan.pdf G
APRIL 2018 GREENWICH
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