Meet BikeFest BikeBuilder #3: City Bikes

We hope you’re coming to BikeFest on Fri., May 3. The annual BikeBuild contest is back for the third year in a row! Local bike shops and co-ops were invited to build the best, most innovative, and creative bicycle as their entry. We encouraged the shops to use recycled parts, and all bikes had to be built without spending more than $250. This year’s BikeBuild participants are The Bike House, City Bikes, Papillion Cycles, and Phoenix Bikes. At BikeFest, you’ll vote on your favorite build. After votes are collected, all the bikes will be auctioned off. All proceeds raised will go directly to WABA and will help support another year of bike advocacy, education, and outreach. Many thanks to the participating shops for donating skills, time, and parts. We’ll be profiling each shop here leading up to BikeFest (previously, Phoenix Bikes and The Bike House!). We talked to Saul, a City Bikes staffer, about participating in the BikeBuild contest: WABA: Tell us about City Bikes. City Bikes: City Bikes is a full-service shop with three locations in and near D.C.—our flagship in Adams Morgan, another store right on the Capital Crescent Trail in Chevy Chase, and our newest location on Capitol Hill. Celebrating our 25th anniversary this year, we helped create a real cycling culture in Washington. Today, we serve every type of cyclist, from children to young adults to more mature riders; men, women, enthusiasts, and experts alike. More than anything, we believe that cycling is for everyone, and we think of it as fun. That’s why we often say: Let’s ride! WABA: Tell us about the bike you’re building. CB: Our entry is a Trek mountain bike that was donated to our Capitol Hill location upon the purchase of its successor. As such, it represents the type of “basement find” or used bike which often serves as the jumping-off point for a new bicycle commuter. The 26-inch wheels and steel frame provide a stable platform and the newly installed swept bars provide a comfortable riding position. Our inspiration comes from legendary, 25-year City Bikes mechanic and daily commuter Mark Winstead. We have stripped the drive-train down to its essentials, while leaving enough gears for the ups and downs of D.C.’s terrain, and added racks and other features to make the bikes as useful as possible. A true urban commuter—you might even call it a “city bike”—our entry really embodies the spirit of City Bikes.

WABA: What do you hope D.C.’s bike community looks like in 10 years? CB: In ten years, we’d love to see even more people using bikes as their primary form of transportation, or riding for fun on evenings and weekends. With the help of services like Capital Bikeshare and sites like Craigslist, the number of butts on bikes—pardon the language—has skyrocketed. As we continue to engage and educate cyclists on the range of options available to them, proper gear, the importance of safety, and other important elements of riding, we believe that everyone will realize how cycling fits into their lives. Combined with better and better public policies and infrastructure for cyclists (thank you, WABA!), we’re confident D.C. will set the standard for commuter cycling for cities across the country.

WABA: What’s City Bikes up to this spring? CB: This season is one of the most exciting we’ve ever had. Why? ‘Cause we’re celebrating our 25th anniversary! And we won’t be celebrating alone. City Bikes has always been committed to the community, and we can’t think of a better way to mark this occasion than with customers old and new. After BikeFest, our next big event will be Bike to Work Day (together with WABA), which means a lot to us as it encourages the commuter cycling culture we’ve worked so hard to build. From there, be on the lookout for weekly classes and rides at all three of our locations and pop-ups in places like Eastern Market and the Capital Crescent Trail. We’ll also be hosting larger events—including a big anniversary bash—and rides, and rolling out anniversary specials all spring and summer long.