What?

It's true. We're open.

Can you feel it?

Can you feel the excitement in the air? Can you hear the buzz? It's unfolding before your eyes.... Can you feel it in the community? Can you see it on the faces of people walking by?... No we are not talking about the Olympics (but those are pretty cool aren't they?). We are talking about opening our doors to the public! We will be open for business by the weekend and we are totally pumped! We are also excited to finally be able to reveal the rest of the brands we've got in our lineup.

We are pleased to report that along with Batavus and Opus, we are carrying the best in spanish bikes: Orbea, the largest bicycle company in Spain. Orbea are some of the most aesthetically pleasing road bikes on the market, and have the added reputation of being ridden in the pro tour by Euskatel-Euskadi, including 2008 gold medalist Sammy Sanchez.

If you are looking for a more unique bike with a custom build, we've got Traitor frames and build kits from Ferndale, Washington. Carrying Traitor bikes allows us to custom-build a bike to your style and specifications. We'll build a few up as singlespeeds and 9-speed commuters.

On the classic urban side we are also carrying the beautiful Pashley bikes. Pashleys hail from England and have the most stylish finishings of any bike on the market - leather saddles, baskets and the greatest sounding bell ever (we really mean that)!

Keep an eye and and ear out for our advertising announcing our Grand Opening in March. This is going to be a huge event but we are just in the beginning planning stages so we don't want to say to much until things are more concrete.

Please stop by soon to say hi; we are looking forward to meeting you in person!

Bionx: Alternative & Intelligent Mobility Solutions for Bicycles

Okay, first off, the February 8 opening day isn't going to happen. I guess we'll just pretend when the torch comes by, and hopefully we will be open for business sometime mid-week. Now, here's some good news.

A few days ago, Tim and Jon went to a workshop for Bionx, a Canadian company that has become a world leader in electric-assist systems for bicycles. Basically, what you get in a Bionx package is a battery pack, a rear wheel with a motor built into the hub, and a controller unit for your handlebar. This package is designed to fit virtually any bike on the market. Now, before all the purists out there start freaking out that we’ve gotten excited about an electric bike – and a retrofit Bionx kit at that – let us assure you that we also had our doubts coming into this workshop. Really, how much assistance could a small hub motor and a battery pack actually provide? And how could a retro-fit product actually fit well with my bike? And, if you've looked at Bionx before and thought, 'It seems cool, but that battery pack is too obtrusive for my beautiful bicycle,' then we advise you to check out the classy new PL-350 RR model that hides the battery pack under the rear rack.

(you can find more pictures in the Bionx Gallery)

To answer our questions about power and usefulness, they let us test ride a few bikes. We got to try out some specifically designed electric-assist bikes from the competition and some normal bikes fitted with a Bionx unit, and the Bionx bikes blew their competition out of the parking lot. These things were more powerful, more efficient, a million times smoother, definitely much quieter, and a zillion times lighter. All you need to do is get the bike rolling at 3km/h and then press the throttle. The motor will take over from there and quickly have you zooming along at a max speed of 32km/h. If you opt to pedal along, you could find yourself cruising at 45km/h without breaking a sweat. The motor has a sensor that gauges how hard the rider is pedaling, and adjusts its power output accordingly, so that you get more help when you need it most.

Obviously, nobody will want to race you on your new Bionx, but these units seem very appealing in many other situations. If you have a fairly tough commute or if you don't want to bike because you get to work and need to take a shower, Bionx can help. If your toddler is too heavy to pull around in the trailer, get Bionx to do the pulling. If you’ve just had knee surgery or have a heart condition, a Bionx unit on your bike will allow you the pleasure of outdoor recreation without too much strain on your body. If you just like to cruise around town and have fun without getting tired, Bionx will do that too.

We should have one in the store soon, so come on by and take it for a spin in the parking lot. I’m sure you’ll be amazed as we were just a few days ago. 

We're Sorry!

We apologize for our absence from writing on our blog for these past few weeks! All of us have been so busy with various tasks that we forgot about including you, our friends. So without further adieu, we would like to update you on the many exciting things that we have been doing.

Firstly, the shop renovations are coming together nicely. The flooring is 3/4 complete, painting is complete and the cabinets are being made as we speak. Our logo has been finalized, business cards have been ordered, and next we will be ordering signage. We've ordered the first bit of Fort Langley Cyclery merchandise for sales and promos and we are getting very excited about seeing our name on our customers and hearing our name spoken around town!

As things are coming together it is easier for us to pin-point our soft opening date. Given no major issues arising in the next few weeks, we will be opening our doors on February 8th. It will be a very exciting day in the village of Fort Langley - the Township of Langley is even going to throw a party! We would love to say that it is all in honour of our little family shop opening its doors for business, but we would be misleading you if we didn't tell you what else is happening that day.... From 9:40am to 10:40 am, the Olympic torch will be making its way through the town and even past our shop! Cool eh? It will be a great family day with lots of activities planned and a great excuse to play hooky from work or school (in the case of our children! Shh, don't tell!) And as a bonus to us, it will be great exposure for our first day open.

We are very pleased with the progress of securing our distributors and brands. It was a bit slow for awhile trying to nail down contracts, but now the t's have been crossed and the i's have been dotted. We are waiting for the final word securing one other major bicycle brand and hopefully that will happen this coming week.

On a personal note, we are extremely excited to have puchased a home in Fort Langley and we look forward to moving back into town next week. It will be great to start feeling settled into a home and to start preparing for the newest addition of the family! It may be hard though to find a newborn cycling jersey! Oh well, a onesie it is!

OPUS - In Velo Veritas

     Things are coming along nicely for Fort Langley Cyclery. The shop is starting to look useable again – the ceiling is drywalled and the holes in the brick are patched – and we’re getting the rest of our product line in place.

     New to the lineup is Opus, a Canadian bicycle manufacturer celebrating its tenth year in production with an expanded line of bicycles. Opus has noticed the recent evolution of urban cycling, as bikes become a more common form of transportation and as people look for new ways to stay healthy. The 2010 line of bicycles includes 18 models for “urban cyclists,” in addition to their well-established road bikes.

     One of our favourite pairings is the classy men’s Lugano (charcoal grey) and the ultra-elegant women’s Nuovella (powder blue). They feature full fenders, chain guards, and an integrated rear rack, internal gearing, and roller brakes, for a clean, virtually maintenance-free bicycle. It’s a comfortable bike with a smooth, silky ride, and arguably the most beautiful bike you’ll ever sit on. You should come on by, once we’re open, and take one for a spin. 

Let it rain, let it rain, let it rain....ugh!

Most of us are not fans of the rain and nearly all of us cyclists agree that rain can seriously dampen (pun intended) our spirits when we have an itch to hit the road. But wait no longer - Fort Langley Cyclery may have found the solution to the soggy dilemma of whether to ride or not to ride! While at Interbike this past September, we came across this great bicycle clothing company: Showers Pass, based in Portland Oregon, makes incredible rain gear for cyclists and some of their gear is so good-looking that you could wear it straight from your bike and into the office. We are working hard to find a way of getting this clothing line across the border and into our store, and are very excited about the possibility of carrying this product. We hope you'll love it too.


As for the progress of our store renovations, we are steadily moving forward. The electrical work is done, the bathroom is done, the old flooring is out and the drywallers will hopefully be doing their magic between Christmas and the New Year. 

But the thing we are most anticipating is the unveiling of our design and logo. We have a meeting this weekend with our design expert, James Moes, and maybe on the next blog we can put it up to show you (no promises though...). James, a wonderful visual artist and photographer, has been working hard to interpret our mental vision of the store and putting that into a physical design pallete.  Thanks James! 


And thanks to all of you who have been following along with us and have been encouraging us in this journey.  Your support has been appreciated.  And in case we don't have a chance to blog again in the next week, Tim, Misty, Jon, Alyssa (and baby-to-be) all wish you a very blessed Christmas.

Langley Area Cycling Coalition

A group of cycling advocates in Langley have recently formed a local chapter of the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition (VACC). The VACC is a very well-respected group of cyclists that advocate for cycling safety and improved conditions and infrastructure for cycling in the Lower Mainland. They have formed local chapters in various communities throughout Metro Vancouver, including Maple Ridge, Surrey/White Rock, and now also The Langleys.

The new Langley Area Cycling Coalition (LACC) had their most recent meeting last Tuesday, December 8, led by co-chairs Richard Edge and Dan Milsip. They told us about their initial meetings with the engineering staff from the City and the Township and the plans that our local governments have for developing cycling infrastructure in Langley. The governments are very eager and willing to work with the LACC, and the LACC is very eager and willing to represent Langley's cycling population.

In order for them to represent the local cycling community better, local cyclists (including you) need to come to LACC meetings. You can become a member if you want, but you are more than welcome to attend the meetings and give your input without becoming a member. Also, you can join their Yahoo Group for free, and join in the online conversation.

Cheers.