Ryan brought his family by the shop on Friday for a surprise. This is pretty cool. The video says more than a bunch of words could, so have at it, folks.

It’s never been easier to take home a new Ellsworth, Custom Seven, Cysco, or a killer wheelset. If you receive our email newsletter (and you should, if not, sign up here) then you have already heard about this, but Harpeth Bicycles has partnered with GE Money to bring you more great options for financing a new bike purchase.

The application process and approvals take seconds, a can set up qualified buyers for 6 or 12 months no interest payment plans. All you have to do is fill out a form and meet a $600 combined order minimum (wheels, bike, clothing, you name it).

Our customers have asked for this for a while, and we heard you. In the short couple of weeks that we have offered this, the demand has been huge. If you have been waiting for the right time to purchase that custom frame or Ellsworth mountain bike, come talk to us today and see if we can make it happen right away!

Soft Goods at Harpeth Bicycles are deeply discounted until September 10th. Stock up on jerseys, bib shorts, and apparel for fall riding. If you wear it on the bike, it’s probably on sale.

We’ve got to start making room for the 2012 merchandise and you need new stuff for the cooler fall weather coming up. Get great deals on a cycling wardrobe refresh.

Vuelta Soft Good Sale

2011 Harpeth Bicycles Team Apparel
40% Off

Jerseys, Shorts, Bibs, Cool Stuff Insoles & Harpeth H2O bottles
30% Off

North Face Apparel, Hydration Packs, Sunglasses
25% Off

Gloves, Wool, Shoes, Saddles, Socks, Maxxis Tires
20% Off

Swiftwick Socks, Harpeth Team Custom Wool, Harpeth Saddle Bags
15% Off

Sale Ends Saturday September 10th

The 50 Miles of Hamilton Creek and Fat Tire Festival weekend was a ton of fun. It was hot, but the shade trees at the Ned Shelton trailhead and the Harpeth Bicycles pop-up tents gave everyone a cool place to hang out.

Pinnacle tests the brave while the less brave stand and spectate

Fat Tire Festival

Saturday’s Fat Tire Festivities included a kid’s race, tire slide race, and hill climb and downhill race on the rocky face of the Pinnacle Climb. Rain from the day before gave the rocks and roots a slippery sheen, but several participants were able to clean the roughly 100 yard long rocky incline.

Brentwood Market and Deli brought some of the best pulled pork sandwiches we’d ever had and ran out almost immediately (mountain bikers and little mountain bikers are hungry folk).

50 Miles of Hamilton Creek

Sunday the racers lined up early in burlap sacks for the slightly modified Le Mans start to the 50 Mile race.

Nothing like a hot burlap sack to start a summer day.

The first lap was still slick with humidity and racers struggled to maintain traction on several technical sections. As the day wore on temperatures climbed and the trail dried out, making faster lap times possible but a lot less comfortable. Several strong local endurance racers bailed out after only 2 or 3 out of 4 laps. Those lucky enough to be sitting in the shade of the pit area during lunch were treated to another round of Brentwood Market barbecue.

By mid afternoon the teams and solo racers started to straggle back into the pit and cool down and socialize. The awards ceremony included prizes from Oakley, North Face, Chamois Butt’r, the ever-present Yazoo Brewing Company, and many other great companies.

Still, everyone’s eyes were on the Ellsworth Glimpse that had been showcased since the event began, and all were wondering who it would go to. Instead of giving a race-ready trail bike to a raffle winner, or awarding it to someone who already had a great racing machine of their own, Harpeth Bicycles and SORBA decided early on that we would pick someone deserving of a new bike from the race participants. There were a few early standouts, but as the day progressed it became clear that we had a definite winner.

Josh Butler’s bike made squeaking sounds as he navigated it expertly over the rocky terrain of Hamilton Creek. It was a sound most only heard once – as he passed them. After the race we feared that he had bailed out early, because no one could find him. Turns out he had raced his aging hardtail mountain bike 50 miles, then ridden to the other side of the Hamilton Creek park area to cool down with a dip in Percy Priest Lake! His efforts during the race were enough to net him a solid win in the Solo Men’s Amateur class. After awarding him his case of Yazoo and first place prizes, we called him back up to receive his new bike. The look on his face was an amazing combination of shock, excitement, and disbelief.

The highlight of the weekend: Jonathan Woody shakes Josh Butler's hand after awarding him with his new Ellsworth Glimpse mountain bike.

What makes this even better is that Josh only recently moved to Nashville from a small town in East Tennessee, hoping to go to Belmont. He didn’t know anyone else at the race and signed up at the last minute having never ridden the Hamilton Creek trails. No one in his class could keep up with him on his old bike. Imagine how fast he’ll be now. Congratulations Josh!

More photos from the weekend posted on our team facebook page.

]]> http://harpethbikes.com/crank/50-miles-of-hamilton-creek-weekend-recap/feed/ 0 http://harpethbikes.com/frontpage/5-more-days-left-in-our-summer-tour-de-france-sale/ http://harpethbikes.com/frontpage/5-more-days-left-in-our-summer-tour-de-france-sale/#comments Tue, 19 Jul 2011 19:15:17 +0000 Nathan http://harpethbikes.com/?p=1887 Tour de France, and so far the sales have been as fast and furious as the racing. Over the first two weeks we sold more than two dozen bikes to happy customers. Everything from kids bikes to road racing bikes to mountain bikes has been flying off the racks, and we've been putting more together each day to replace them. This last week of the Tour takes the peloton into the Alps where the true race leaders will emerge on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Who will it be? Andy? Alberto? Cadel? Voeckler?? Want to know what we have in stock? Give us a call at 615-567-6612 and find out. Remember that the sale counts towards bikes not in inventory as well, including custom frames from Cysco Cycles and Seven! No better time to get a new ride, and no better motivation than watching the Pros fly up the mountains.]]>

We decided to hold our big Summer Sale over the three weeks of the 2011 Tour de France, and so far the sales have been as fast and furious as the racing. Over the first two weeks we sold more than two dozen bikes to happy customers. Everything from kids bikes to road racing bikes to mountain bikes has been flying off the racks, and we’ve been putting more together each day to replace them.

Steve has been making sure that new bikes get built just in time for happy customers to take them home. Thanks Steve!

This last week of the Tour takes the peloton into the Alps where the true race leaders will emerge on the Champs-Élysées in Paris. Who will it be? Andy? Alberto? Cadel? Voeckler??

The rules still apply, in order to qualify for your discount you have to know who won that day’s stage. With the racing heating up this week it should be easy to find out who is on top.

Want to know what we have in stock? Give us a call at 615-567-6612 and find out. Remember that the sale counts towards bikes not in inventory as well, including custom frames from Cysco Cycles and Seven! No better time to get a new ride, and no better motivation than watching the Pros fly up the mountains.

To celebrate the 2011 Tour de France we are marking down all in-stock bikes from Jamis Bikes and Ellsworth Handcrafted Cycles, even custom bikes from Seven Cycles and Cysco Cycles and EMX-1 and EMX-3 bikes from Merckx Cycles!

Here’s the deal. In order to get in on these deals, you must know the winner of that day’s Tour de France stage when asked at checkout. 

Street, dirt, fitness hybrid, commute, youth & kids – we have ‘em all. NOW is your chance to feel the cool breeze on a cool new bike at an incredible price! Clicking the images below will take you to our email newsletter, where you can subscribe and share with friends so you never miss out on a great deal at Harpeth Bicycles!

Discussing the merits of steel vs titanium over a bacon swiss burger and an IPA was a good start to this bike build. Richie’s 15 years of experience as a custom frame builder was clear from that first discussion. I knew I wanted to build in steel, and over a couple more tasty beverages at The Terminal in Chattanooga we sketched out how I wanted the bike to feel, it’s geometry, and it’s purpose. No forms or emails, those could come later, just a chat over burgers and beer with the one person who would build my Cysco. Perfect. After thousands of miles and just over one year from delivery I can write a review that does this bike justice.

First, why steel? Steel is close to the perfect all-round material for a bike frame. It is durable, less expensive than titanium, and has an exceptionally springy quality that gives great road feel. It is also highly tunable to rider needs and specifications.

Modern steel tubing is definitely not outdated, and it is a choice that we think more riders and racers should look into. Two of our team members have cracked, and thus ruined their $3,500+ carbon frames in criterium race crashes in only the first part of this year’s road racing season. If your not getting your bike for free via pro deal, this is definitely something to consider. I say that knowing I am also racing a carbon 29er mountain bike this year. Yes, I could break a carbon frame zipping along the trail and crashing but when you go down offroad you typically don’t have 25 other guys smashing into you and the bike. Carbon, for all it’s virtues and ubiquity, does not tend to fare well in an impact scenario. Another of our team members went down in the same crash that ruined a high-end carbon frame, except this team member was riding a steel road racing frame. Other than a minor scratch in the paint a slightly tweaked derailleur hanger, the frame was completely unharmed.

After a surprisingly short wait (increasing every week – order yours now!) Richie had delivered a lightweight steel  criterium racing machine. It built up easily with a perfectly tuned Campagnolo Chorus groupset. Sharp handling and ultra responsive into and out of the corners. This bike makes holding your line easy but it responds instantly to directional changes when needed. The oversized steel tubes made for a stiff, but not harsh ride. For the few times I have lined up at a crit race during the year it has delivered me across the finish line no lower than 7th place – and no higher than first. It is a precision tool cloaked as a piece of bicycle art. I have foregone my plans last year to build a killer carbon road bike – for now. I enjoy this bike so much it has simply become the bike I want to ride. I look forward to climbing on board every time I think about hitting the open road. From the paint to the road feel to the razor sharp handling, this bike is exactly what Richie and I envisioned a year ago over burgers and beers, and it still exceeds my expectations.

Full build:
Cysco frame – twisted downtube and three color paint scheme: $1,900
Campagnolo Chorus groupset: $1,945
Fulcrum Racing One wheelset: $1,299
Enve 1.0 Fork: $699
Deda Zero cockpit & seat post $535
Lizard Skins bar tape: $40
Selle Italia SLR saddle: $375
Continental GP 4000s $135
Total Build $6,553

You can’t beat the value Richie delivers for the money. Though this build has some high end componentry that pushes the price into the 6k+ range, there’s no reason why a more budget conscious custom bike couldn’t be built. At the time this review was written, a Cysco Cycles road frame with a basic paint job starts at $1600. Couple that with a set of handbuilt wheels from Harpeth Bicycles, and a SRAM Rival or Shimano 105 groupset and you would be riding a locally built, custom bike that rivals anything from the big manufacturers. Give us a call to talk about Cysco Cycles. We’re big fans.

Racers and Festival go-ers. Due to the amount of rain we have received in the past week we are making the call to postpone the Fat Tire Festival and 50 Mile race until the weekend of July 9th and 10th. The festival will take place on Saturday July 9th and the race will be on Sunday July 10th. This is in the best interest of all racers and is also in the best interests of the Hamilton Creek trail system.

We want this race to be tough (it will be) but we don’t want it to be dangerous. Think broken egos, not broken bikes (or bones). Keep practicing out there when trail conditions permit, and contact the race promoters with any questions.

If you have already registered, thanks! If you have already registered and absolutely cannot attend, contact the race coordinator for a refund via the registration website: http://www.prerace.com/races/event/26828

Registration will now remain open until July 8th.

During this month, our Commit to Commute event is going on and this week we’ve interviewed Keeley about her commuting. Keeley is representing Team Green, our partner for this event! Check out how Keeley’s commuting and riding have been going so far this month:

Harpeth: Why did you decide to commit to commute this month?

Keeley: I decided to commit to commute this month because cycling is an activity I’ve always been interested in, but never took the initiative to start doing. This challenge provided me an incentive to get out on a bike for the first time in years and wake up some sleepy muscles.

Harpeth: How has riding this month affected you personally or physically and why do you think that is?

Keeley: Riding has been difficult because of the weather. Cold, Rain, extreme heat! There has only been a small window of good weather. However, the evening rides with the family has been a great experience and I definitely feel that I wake up with more energy in the morning because of it. Commuting on the days that I can has also impacted my eating schedule. I’m a horrible meal planner and forcing myself to commute has required me to eat a good breakfast and pack a good lunch so that I’m not tired during my commute. It has also required me to drink more water, which I should be doing anyways.

Harpeth: After this month event do you think you’ll continuing riding as much? Why?

Keeley: Honestly, I wish that I had been riding more often than I actually have. I do plan to purchase a bicycle (perhaps something more in line with recreational riding instead of commuting, though). I’m a cool weather person, so I’m more likely to pick up commuting more so in the fall (Sept-Dec) and again in the spring (March-May). Yoga in the Park starts up this week and I plan to ride my bike to that event each week that I attend.

Harpeth: How did you incorporate your riding into your memorial day weekend plans?

Keeley: I wish I had a chance to ride. I spent my memorial weekend doing home construction, which I needed the van to transport lumber, and shopping at the mall with my soon-to-be step daughter, Chloe, for wedding apparel. However, Jon and his daughter, Bella, rode from the park near his house to her mom’s house in North Franklin as their “daddy date” activity this week, which was super cool!

Harpeth: What would you tell a new beginning bike commuter?

Keeley: I would tell a beginner bike commuter to make sure they have all the right gear and research their possible routes before starting. Time the routes too! I still have not had a chance to purchase a bike lock, which has been my biggest setback in commuting more (to the store, etc). Just the other day I had to drive from my house to a diner to pick up lunch and really wanted to take my bike (only about 3 miles round trip), but I had no bike lock and was in a rougher part of town. The bike lights on the front and back of the bike (in addition to a head lamp) have also been crucial. There have been several times on family rides when we got caught up in the ride and had to ride home on main roads in the dark. Usually I as the only one who had a light with me.

Commuters, check out Keeley’s blog on the Lightning 100 site: www.lightning100.com. Also, find out about more Team Green events at www.teamgreenadventures.com. See you on the roads!

Registration is open, folks. Get in early and secure your spot for 50 miles of rocks, roots, and bruised egos. The Harpeth Bicycles 50 Miles of Hamilton Creek race is just around the corner.

Harpeth Bicycles and the Southern Off-Road Bicycle Association are teaming up to put on a killer race weekend. Come out on Saturday June 25th for the 9th annual Fat Tire Festival at the Ned Shelton trailhead. There will be a kid’s race, festivities, and of course the infamous Pinnacle Hill Climb. Stay home on Sunday June 26th, because you aren’t ready for for the race. Five full laps of the rockiest, technical-iest trail in the Middle Tennessee area. Think you can solo this one? You have 8 hours to do it, solo man.

Update 6/23/11: Racers and Festival Go-ers! Due to rain over the course of this week and into the weekend we have made the decision to postpone this event by two weeks until the weekend of July 9th and 10th. This is the best decision for the integrity of the Hamilton Creek Trail System and for all riders. If you are unable to attend this event due to the rescheduling and have already registered, contact us for a refund of your registration fee. Thank you and see you in two weeks!

Update: After reviewing the race course, we have decided to shorten the lap count from 5 laps to 4 laps. This should only affect 5 person teams, but ensures that we have as close to a 50 mile race as possible and keeps our race length within the 8 hour cutoff. Contact us if you have questions.

Register Now! Check for updates via the official race page at http://harpethbikes.com/racing/50milesofhammy/ or check out the facebook event page