Music Festival at Ride Headquarters - Saturday, August 31

We are really excited to announce that Ride Headquarters is hosting the BONYCH Music Festival on Saturday, August 31.  Starting at 2 pm we’ll get the grill going for an epic BBQ.  Music from a five exceptional artists hailing from Boston, New York and Chicago will begin at 3 pm.

The musicians offer a wide range of creative aesthetics found in contemporary music, from purely improvised to compositionally based, from acoustic to completely electronic, represented by four sets of musicians. 

The musicians include the pioneering and legendary Ikue Mori, MacArthur prize winner Ken Vandermark, Chicago's Mars William and Steve Marquette, and Boston stalwart drummer Curt Newton.

The BONYCH Music Festival coincides with a stateside tour for Cinghiale and Steve Marquette, and will be the first performance by Ikue Mori in the Boston area in years. This will also be the first collaboration between Mori, Vandermark, and Newton.

BONYCH ticket donations are only $20 and include both the music and all day BBQ, something we know you won’t want to miss! Seating is limited.

Order tickets now!

Sunday: Ride with Pro Mountain Biker, Kelly Catale

This Sunday morning, June 22, come out to ride with Kelly Catale, professional mountain bike racer and sponsored Seven Cycles' athlete. The ride is a fun, a moderate pace, meant to allow everyone to ride together with frequent regroups and opportunities for Kelly to share skills riding advice real-time on the trails. Come out to meet other mountain bike riders, learn from Kelly, and see the awesome mountain bike building technology Seven is employing in their dual suspension and hard-tail mountain bike designs.

Kelly Catale races at the highest levels across the U.S. and finishes on the top of the podium in New England mountain bike races. Here she's flying on her Seven Cycles KellCat at the Sea Otter Classic.

Come out to enjoy a very special day of mountain biking!

• Ride with Kelly and other mountain bikers

• Learn more about mountain biking via a mini-skills clinic during the ride

• Enjoy after-ride food and beverages

• Hear more about pro mountain biking and Kelly’s very special bike during an after-ride Q&A session with Kelly

• Get a discount voucher good toward the purchase of any Seven dual suspension mountain bike from Kelly

Details

Every Sunday morning we host a mountain bike ride here at Ride Headquarters. This event is being run in conjunction with that ride. Details of how the ride is run, equipment expectations, and the waiver which must be filled out and signed prior to joining in the ride are on the Ride Page.

Schedule for Sunday

8:30am - Store opens for riders

9:00am - Ride rolls out, store closed until ride returns

~11:30am - Ride returns, riders clean up & get food

11:45am - Q&A Session in-store with Kelly

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Please RSVP so we know to expect you!

Come Out to Ride! Weekend Rides Galore May 25-26

We’re looking forward to a beautiful weekend absolutely full of very fun bike riding! Here is what we have running from here over the weekend:

Saturday, May 25:

• Doors open 7:45am, 8am rollout: 37-mile Road Ride, Sunshine Express - Two speeds: 15-16 mph and 17-18mph

• 11am rollout: 2-2.5 hours, Mixed Terrain Ride, Beowulf Mixed Terrain - Ability level: Moderate, comfortable on trails, average around 16mph on roads, trail average speeds are much lower

• 12pm rollout: 2 hours, The Gravel Ride Mixed Terrain- Ability level: New to trails, experienced on road bikes. This is the ride for your friends who don’t want to ride off pavement. Learn how to enjoy riding trails, dirt, around rocks, over roots.

Sunday, May 26:

• Doors open at 8:30am for riders, 9am rollout: 2.5 hour Mountain Bike Ride - Ability Level: Fun-Moderate. For riders comfortable on trails but who aren’t trying to race the ride. No one gets dropped, all have fun. Mountain and fat bikes are appropriate for this ride.

Monday, May 27: We are open Mondays except holidays. We’re closed for Memorial Day.

Be advised OUR Red REFRIGERATOR is FULL of cold drinks, Ride Studio Cafe Cold Brew, and ice cream from Whole Foods is in the freezer.

Stop by on your ride for fresh, cold water, ice, hot coffee, iced coffee, bathrooms, a relaxing break, ride nutrition, air for your tires, lube for your chain…

Email us if you want to demo ride a stock Honey bike or custom Seven Cycles bike!

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All of the latest news just arrived in your inbox! If you didn’t receive it, be sure to Subscribe within the newsletter page for future eNews.

We have announced Adventure 500 dates - starting this month!

New bike announcements including the Seven dual suspension custom titanium mountain bike.

The Sunshine Express is tomorrow morning at 8am.

Read and enjoy!

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Top Eight Ways to Improve Your Gravel Riding

Top Eight Ways to Improve Your Gravel Riding

Rasputitsa is the hallmark event of spring gravel cycling. Considering the numbers of people who pilgrimaged to the ride this past weekend, it’s obvious whatever weather and conditions, people are excited to join their friends, face a challenging course, and put their bodies and bikes to the test.

We were pleased to see so many of our riders out there conquering the course and the day. We enjoy hearing your stories and experiences.

Do you hear yourself saying any of these things? We have answers to what will make your gravel cycling life significantly better:

• "The climbs were hard at Rasputitsa, but I was frightened on the descents." - We discuss how not to fear descents.

• “My back hurt during the ride and reminded me of the ride well after it was over.” - Your body should only hurt in your muscles. Other pain on the bike shouldn’t exist.

• “I was beaten up so badly, I didn't want to ride the next day.“ - It’s possible to have your bike roll over the bumps rather than jar you over bumps. You should want to get right back on your bike after a long, hard ride.

Read on to understand more on how to make your gravel riding significantly better than it already is…

Seven Cycles Wins Best Road Bike, Best Gravel Bike, and takes home other top honors at NAHBS

We are thrilled to parter with Seven Cycles, they are an incredibly thoughtful, quality-first company who builds every single frame for each rider. Seven is located in Watertown, MA and they build the best bikes in the world. This past weekend, Seven Cycles attended NAHBS (North American Handmade Bicycle Show) and took many awards home. Hundreds of bikes are judged at the show so to take home both Best Road Bike and Best Gravel bike and being a dual-suspension mountain bike finalist with their new-to-the-world dual-suspension bike (among other finalist categories) is a next-level accomplishment and shows the depth of Seven’s design and bike building expertise.

This is the Seven Cycles Ultimate Axiom Disc award-winning road bike! See it on Seven Cycles’ website.

To celebrate Seven Cycles winning Best Road Bike, if you order a Seven Road or Gravel Bike between now and March 31, we are offering you a free headset upgrade to Chris King, a color upgrade on your wheelset (if you choose Industry Nine wheels or another brand that offers color choices), a free year of service on your bike including the first Professional tune-up, and a free professional fitting. This is a package worth over $1,100.

Email us at connect@rideheadquarters.com for more information and to set up a demo ride of *the* NAHBS winning road bike or any of the awesome Seven Cycles bikes (road, gravel, mountain bike or any kind of bike)!

News January 26 - Special Night Ride! Read Newsletter for More...

With winter finally arriving, we’ve been busier than ever between enjoying the riding that comes with snowy, icy trails and working on new bikes for people who are excited to take their cycling to a new level this spring.

Winter is one of our favorite times to ride, so we’ve added special rides, including the ride tonight at 7pm followed by a fire, hot drinks, s’mores, baked apples, and more!

The BiFrost ride always runs, and when trails are frozen or snowy, we are out there on a Sunday morning 9am Adventure. Most of our winter trail rides require studded tires for fun on the ice (read: important for your safety).

Check out our latest newsletter full of cool stuff upcoming and be sure you sign up to be on the email list if you aren’t receiving it already.  

https://mailchi.mp/rideheadquarters/weekend-rides-happening-studded-tires-winter-riding-to-anxiously-anticipate-1797325?e=49ffb7ab78

News as of January 4 - Ride Updates and Winter Riding Clinic this Weekend

Topics Included in this Edition:

• Brutiful Roads Triple - Adventure road ride series that begins in remote locations no more than a 1 hr drive from either here or Ride Studio in Lexington - it will NOT be running tomorrow, January 5, due to rain. This means next Saturday it is likely to be running. Be sure to RSVP so you get the latest news from us as to when it will be running and other very important details!

• Winter Riding 101 Clinic: Learn how to Enjoy Staying Outside on your Bike. We’re hosting, CRW is bringing snacks and drinks! Be sure to RSVP! Only a couple of spots are left! It’s this Sunday, January 6 3-5pm

• Nailing Your Nutrition, Riding to Lose Weight Seminar is happening Tuesday, January 15 at 7:00 pm, be sure to RSVP to attend. CCNS is presenting valuable insight.

• Lactate Threshold Testing - CCNS is offering LT testing on January 15 during the day, be sure to reserve your test slot!

• Weekly Group Rides for this weekend:

  • SELF-LED THIS SATURDAY: Sunshine Express Road Ride - Saturday Mornings 11:00am Rollout - This ride is self-led if you want to ride, it’s going to be raining, so come with the route.
    

  • Beowulf Terrain Ride - Gravel bikes, cross bikes, mountain bikes - Saturday Mornings 11:10am Rollout - Canceled for this Saturday due to WET trails. We run this ride when the trails are DRY and/or FROZEN!
    

  • BiFrost Offroad Ride - Mountain bikes, fat bikes, any bike with studded tires - Sunday Mornings 9:00am Rollout Sponsored by Honey Bikes! - This ride is LIKELY GOING TO BE A ROAD RIDE this Sunday due to wet and soft trails. However, watch our Instagram/Twitter Saturday evening for an update as to what this ride will be for this Sunday morning!

• Gravel and Winter Bike Feature - Honey Allroads - perfect for winter and gravel riding!

Honey Allroads is the best value gravel bike on the market. Get one to be ready for upcoming spring events!

Winter News - Start 2019 With Rides and Clinics!

Our latest newsletter just went out. If you’re not yet registered to receive it, be sure to Subscribe Now! We email no more than twice a month. It’s a good way to be sure you’re up on our special rides, weekly rides, and very useful clinics! Check it out!

Topics Included in this Edition:

• Brutiful Roads Triple - Adventure road ride series that begins in remote locations no more than a 1 hr drive from either here or Ride Studio in Lexington

• Resolution Ride - Ride on Tuesday, January 1 at 11am, RSVP’s important since we won’t know the best route or bike type until just before this ride due to weather

• Winter Riding 101 Clinic: Learn how to Enjoy Staying Outside on your Bike. We’re hosting, CRW is bringing snacks and drinks! Be sure to RSVP! January 6 3-5pm

• Nailing Your Nutrition, Riding to Lose Weight Seminar is happening Tuesday, January 15 at 7:00 pm, be sure to RSVP to attend. CCNS is presenting valuable insight.

• Lactate Threshold Testing - CCNS is offering LT testing on January 15 during the day, be sure to reserve your test

• Weekly Group Rides for this weekend:

  • Sunshine Express Road Ride - Saturday Mornings 11:00am Rollout - This ride is on, it's ideal road riding weather this weekend. Two speeds: 17-18mph average and 15-16mph average.
    

  • Beowulf Terrain Ride - Gravel bikes, cross bikes, mountain bikes - Saturday Mornings 11:10am Rollout - Canceled for this Saturday due to WET trails. We run this ride when the trails are DRY and/or FROZEN!
    

  • BiFrost Offroad Ride - Mountain bikes, fat bikes, any bike with studded tires - Sunday Mornings 9:00am Rollout Sponsored by Honey Bikes! - This ride is ON for this Sunday since the trails will be frozen. Studded tires are REQUIRED to participate this Saturday for the safety of all.

• Gravel Bike Feature - Honey Allroads

Honey Allroads is the best value gravel bike on the market. Get one to be ready for upcoming spring events!

What if you Could Have Everything in One Bike?

When is the last time you saw a bike you liked, but wished for it to have bigger tire clearances, lighter weight, the frame size that is right for you, the speed and ability to roll over a variety of surfaces? Do you worry about buying a bike that will break early in its life? How many times have you had to concede when buying a bike, taking the color or components that you weren't excited about?

Why make compromises with your riding, considering how much cycling brings to your life in the way of enjoyment, health, time with others.  You know that accepting non-ideal bike features, functionality, and aesthetics translate to riding discomfort, being limited in the rides you can do, and even sacrificing your hea lth and safety. This isn't a stretch, this is the norm of what we see people contending with regularly. You can likely relate to at least a few of these. 

When you walk into Ride Headquarters, what you will see are some of the bikes that comprise our 40+ demo bike fleet. These demo bikes are examples of configurations of what is possible in a variety of sizes. What isn't obvious is that we have access to the equivalent of the largest warehouse in the world filled with thousands of bikes with no two being the same. One of the bikes in the warehouse has all of the features, functionality, fit, and aesthetic that is right for you. Just walk over to the right row and pick out this bike that catches your eye over all of the others. How fun is that? Essentially, this is what working with us to get a Seven Cycles or Honey bike is all about. 

By way of examples, here are some of the bikes Seven produces. The challenge to you is to remember each of these bikes can be modified such that it fits your criteria. 

Seven Cycles' Axiom Ultimate Disc Road Bike

- When you want the fastest, stiffest road bike with disc brakes
- Too stiff means the bike doesn't get proper traction on the ground, and in New England, stiff in the vertical direction means feeling too much of the road. That has been managed with this bike. 
- Lightweight is not synonymous with disc brakes, but this bike keeps the performance and loses the weight and keeps the braking power and sleek design, too. 

Read More about the Axiom Ultimate Disc Road Bike. 

Seven Cycles' RedSky Endurance Bike

- When you usually want to ride on pavement, 25c tires are pleasing to you. But why have tire size limitations?
- Gravel rides are becoming more prevalent. Let your performance road bike take bigger tires for potential gravel rides or events, up to 33c knobby tires! 
- Caliper brakes and road wheels are light and performance-oriented. No need to add weight when you've been happy with road bikes all your life. Maybe you have a lot of rim-braking wheelsets at home that you would like to continue to use on your new bike. Go ahead! 

Read More about the RedSky Road Bike. 

Evergreen with XX Upgrade

- Mixed terrain is your joy, you prefer to be off the beaten path than on, though this bike rides well on every surface you can find. 
- Disc brakes and tire clearances for 40c tires on 700c wheels means this bike doesn't know limits in foul conditions, easily fits capable tires for rough terrain, and studded tires for winter.
- You want to ride hard on trails, single track, and over rocks and roots. You need to be able to rely on your frame and components. How about the unbreakable derailleur hanger? Sounds like insurance for when you take the bike for a long adventure.
- You have no interest in being fatigued in position or with handling the bike because you are likely to want to take the bike for longer adventures and a more stable geometry with maximum power transfer gets you to where you want to go...even though you might not know where you're going when you head out.

Read More about the Evergreen with XX Upgrade.

Evergreen Sevenduro 2x2 Scrambler

- You want to ride off-road and maximize tire width for the most technical riding with a rigid fork and drop-bar setup possible. 650B wheels with tires of 2.1" mounted are your riding nirvana. 
- You value short chain stays and tires as wide as 2.1" with room to spare.
- Maybe you want a fender with that biggest tire. You got it. 
- And, there are days you'd prefer to do more endurance gravel with a 700c wheelset and 40c or narrower tire. You got that, too. Just swap wheelsets and it's like two bikes in one. Or a lot of bikes in one. Infinite Evergreening experiences realized. 

Read More about the Evergreen Sevenduro 2x2 Scrabler. 

29" Mountain Race Bike

- You like to go fast. Really, really fast. You might even like mountain bike racing. A pure 29" mountain bike made with titanium frame and suspension fork, designed by Seven Cycles, is fast. Seven Cycles' founders are former expert- and pro-level mountain bike racers. Let them design your mountain bike. 
- You want a quick, nimble, awesome mountain bike. This trims out the excesses and is a light, fast bike.  

2x2: Plus Mountain Bike and 29" Mountain Bike in One 

- You want to go fast some days and be able to roll over everything in a more casual manner on others. Have two wheelsets, will travel. Will have fun. 
- Why ride a dual suspension bike? Demo this bike out and find out how much weight and how many creaks can be saved by going with a 3" plus tires. 
- Choose the wheelset you want for the ride you're doing. Why have two bikes when one gives you all of the flexility you are asking for? 
- What tires will be a treat for other endeavors you might want this bike to join you in doing? Bikepacking is in the back of your mind, adventure riding, and floating over snow in the winter can be on your to-do list. 

Our lead times are ~4 weeks from the date of confirmation until the day you roll away on your new bike and 8-12 weeks if the frame is painted. Now is a perfect time to be thinking about spring and the events you would like to do on the bike that you want to see come to life.  

Tell us what kind of riding you want to do and we'll offer our experiences and many years of expertise to help you make a well-informed decision. We'll also show you how you don't have to compromise and be the happiest rider out there. Email us at connect@rideheadquarters.com for more information!

622 SLX Disc: How combining titanium, carbon, thru-axles, disc brakes, and Di2 makes a super performance bike

At Ride Headquarters we all work together with you to bring your dream bike to life.  It is a holistic process where you, we, and our suppliers all collaborate.  Not only is it incredibly rewarding for us, but you get a bike that looks, feels, and rides exactly the way you want it to.

In 2017, we delivered a number of amazing new bikes. One that stood out was Harvard, Massachusetts cyclist Mark G's 622 SLX. Mark's 622 SLX is a performance road machine with the newest technology, classic style, and several unique features.  This bike incorporates many of Seven's coolest design features such as their new thru-axle dropouts, carbon-titanium frameset, road geometry, clean aesthetic with internally routed Di2 wires, and road disc brakes. Like all Seven bikes, it is a completely custom bicycle with the geometry, tubing, and frame features selected specifically for Mark based on his wants and needs.

As Mark describes his bike: "The more I ride it, the more I notice and appreciate the many nuances and refinement. The manner in which the bike responds to input is simply a joy. Such precise and immediate response is doubly amazing when measured against how damped the frame is on very fast descents." 

We sat down with Mark to share his story and hear what inspired his choices.  

This is the 622 SLX that Mark describes as "stable, nimble, and responsive all at the same time."

Mark's Build Kit

• Frame: Seven 622 SLX, Custom
  • 44mm Headtube
  • Electronic Internal Wiring System
  • Seven Max 45 Thru Axle Fork
• Shimano Dura Ace Di2 9170 Group
  • BB-R9100 Bottom Bracket, English
  • 52x39, custom chain ring combination
  • R9170 11 speed electronic/hydraulic levers with flat mount caliper brake
  • R9100 Front and Rear Derailleurs
  • CS-9100 Cassette, 12-28 tooth
• Wheelset
  • ENVE 3.4 Disc Wheels, tubeless ready, thru axle
  • Schwalbe Pro One Tubeless Tires
• Support Package
  • Seven aluminum 3D forged ultralight stem
  • Seven aluminum ergo bend ultralight handlebars
  • Fizik R3 Cyrano aluminum seatpost
• Contact Points
  • Selle Italia SLR Saddle, titanium rails
  • Fizik Endurance Tacky handlebar tape
  • Shimano Dura Ace Pedals

Cal: Mark, how did you become a cyclist? And what inspires you to ride?

Mark: Like most kids, you start when you are 4 years old and you ride your bike everywhere – that’s your little peace of freedom. I actually got into the whole road riding thing from mountain biking. I was racing with a group that was fairly competitive and we all started riding on the road to get better results in the woods. Before I knew it, I was road riding all the time. I just enjoy it. I enjoy the competitive nature of it and it’s a great way for my wife and I to spend time together.

Cal: What led you to Ride Headquarters?

Mark: Back when I was racing in the woods, Merlin was an up and coming company. My first real mountain bike was a Merlin Standard Mountain. Then when I started racing on the road I ended up with an Extralight. And then I had an old Surly Cross Check that I was commuting on for a really long time that ended up needing to be replaced. So I started looking around at who was making really nice cross bikes. And Seven stood out. The designer of the Merlins which I had I enjoyed so much works at Seven, so I went in trusting the design would be good with a Seven. Knowing the staff of Ride HQ has many years of experience working with Seven Cycles and selling Seven's bikes brought me here.

Seven's signature thru-axle dropouts are exceptionally strong and well designed. Never worry about a broken derailleur hanger again with this titanium hanger.   

Cal: When looking for your new bike what inspired your choices? Did you consider other options?

Mark: I looked around quite a bit. Initially I had a bias towards Seven but I definitely looked around. There was such a huge technology change in the last year. I knew that I wanted to have road disc brakes, thru axles and electronic shifting. 

I investigated who was building bikes that were interesting, better than what I had. There are people doing some crazy carbon/titanium hybrids out on the west coast. So I looked at that stuff but nobody really had the whole package that Seven did. Some of it was either questionable or wasn’t as fully thought out. But when I looked at the Seven 622 SLX, I started to understand what they were doing. Other companies had similar kinds of concepts but they didn’t take it the whole way. And so I was looking at the philosophy Seven had for building bikes and the technology they were using. All of those things combined, after looking at everything and looking at everybody, it was clear that Seven was one of the few companies, maybe the only company, who had a solid solution. There are a lot of frame makers out there but every other one had a question mark.

Mark opted for a unique chainring combination of 52x39 with a 12-28 tooth cassette.

Cal: What was the process like working with Ride Headquarters?

Mark: It’s been great. No matter what bike you get it has to fit. Just going through the fitting process and experiencing the end result, I have the utmost confidence in Ride HQ. Now my bike feels like an extension of myself. It’s just so comfortable. Part of it is the machine but also my position on the bike – I couldn’t have asked for a better fit.

I took the test bike out for almost two hours. I rode it in one direction until I felt I had an understanding of the bike.  I got on the 622 and said I’m not turning around until I understand how the bike should feel. I probably rode it for over an hour before I starting heading back. It was really eye opening. 

The clean interface between the flat-mount Dura Ace 9170 hydraulic caliper and Seven's titanium dropouts make for confidence in braking power, stiffness in the rear of the bike, and is indicative of all of the quality control and precise tolerances Seven incorporates into each of their frames.   

Cal: How does the new bike ride?

Mark: I have over 600 miles on it as of this morning. The frame itself, the whole platform, is just so efficient. The wheels are very, very reactive. It is really eye opening. You notice it the first time you go to ride a hill and you stand – the bike is already waiting for your next pedal stroke!

Mark and his 622 SLX regularly ride the hills in and around Harvard. 

If you'd like further information about this or other bikes, just ask. There is so much more to custom than geometry. This is perfect time to be dreaming up an awesome bike to be riding this spring! Email us at connect@rideheadquarters.com. 

Seven Cycles Meet the Builders Day at Ride Headquarters

Saturday, October 7 is a special day at Ride Headquarters: we're fortunate to have Seven Cycles here from 11am-5pm! This is an extremely unusual opportunity to see into the world of bike building, especially how it happens at Seven by the many good people who bring Seven Cycles' incredible frames to life.

Why come out?

• Meet the builders

• It’s better than a factory tour

• See unique bikes, project bikes, prototype bikes & new 2018 models

• Special edition sales promotions just for attendees

• Receive Seven Cycles literature

• Seven soft goods available

Meet the builders

Meet the Seven Cycles' bike builders and hear all about what they do, how they do it, and ask all of the questions you have about how Seven creates such highly customized, incredible bikes efficiently.

Seven will show how they offer so many customizations, frame features, designs, and models. This is a special opportunity to talk with their designers, machinists, welders and finishers, the people who bring great frames to life there. Seven's founder and President will also be in attendance and will share his insights with you.

It’s better than a factory tour

Factory tours of Seven are fun to see all of the raw materials, the cool machines, the 5” thick chain stay design binder, and arcs coming from the welding torches. However, it’s impossible to stop and speak with the people who are working hard to build the bikes while they are in the factory. During the Seven Cycles day here, this is time when you can ask the questions you’ve always wanted to ask, and get in-depth answers. It’s almost never possible to be in an environment where you can speak at length about bike design and bike building.

The frame builders will be demonstrating some of the steps live and in person, from frame drawings to tube samples, polishing, and the mathematical intricacies of frame design. They will be bringing raw materials so you can see what they begin with and the end result. You can feel lightweight titanium tubing, understand how well built their carbon tubes are, and see their lugs prior to being welded into a frameset.

Forum with the frame builders 1pm-2pm

At 1pm in the afternoon we're hosting an interactive panel discussion with the Seven team who will discuss bringing dream bikes to life. We ask for you to RSVP for this portion, at least, so we have proper seating available during this time.

 

 

See unique bikes, project bikes, prototype bikes & new 2018 models

The bikes on display during this event are unusual and cool. Expect to see a lot of bikes rarely seen in the world. Seven’s Editions-of-One bikes will be here. This includes the Berliner bike, Project Pioneer Bike, and Special Edition Chris King bike. Some of Seven's finest show bikes will be here. Check out Seven’s newest bike model, a super commuter bike with Rohloff internally geared hub, belt-drive bikes, new concept fat bike, some of the coolest road bikes Seven has built, and other drool-worthy bikes.

Special edition sales promotions just for attendees

For this event only, we have unique product offerings and specials that are compelling; you'll want to know about these. The specials we have for you are meant to be useful and offer enough variety so that you’re likely to be able to take advantage of one of them.

If you’re already a Seven bike owner, we have two special offers just for you. Come out to see what we have for you!

Receive Seven Cycles literature

Seven puts great thought into everything they do. They have shared a lot of their ideas in writing, which will be available here during this event. Take any or all of these home with you:

• Seven’s 2017/2018 brochure-
• Seven’s 2018 bike catalog
• Seven’s Technical Supplement: Entirely updated for 2018
• Seven’s booklet about Women’s Specific Design Philosophy
• Seven’s Custom Kit - Everything you could want to know about the extent to which Seven can customize each bike

Morning group rides! Come out and ride: Mixed Terrain & Road options

At 9am, we are hosting our weekly Mixed Terrain Ride which is 15 miles in and near Sherborn on terrific trails and quiet roads.

At 9:30am, we're hosting a 36-mile road Ice Cream Prestige ride. Two speed options are available. Both of these rides are being led by our terrific Super Domestiques will return just after the start of this event.

Seven Cycles soft goods available

Seven is bringing caps, jerseys, water bottles, and many other soft goods. This is a great chance to pick up some cool Seven-branded stuff! If you want anything else from Seven such as their titanium seatposts or other components, let us know so we can get those on order for you and possibly have them here by Saturday.

Demo rides

This sort of event is typically tied to demo riding opportunities. We have a huge fleet of Seven demo bikes and we offer demo rides seven-days a week anytime you'd like to ride. When you RSVP, below, you'll have a chance to tell us you'd like to demo bikes and we'll schedule this with you. If you'd like to take out a demo bike for any of our group rides, just let us know that and we'll get you riding.

Food, drink, family-friendly

We'll be serving refreshments all day. This is a family-friendly event; bring the kids, and your cycling or non-cycling friends and family members. It'll be really interesting to be part of this day for all.

RSVP Now

We want to supply plenty of refreshments for everyone throughout the day and have proper seating for the 1pm Forum panel discussion. Please RSVP so we know to expect you!

Spring Classics Wrap-Up Party - Happening Here Friday, April 28 - 7pm

Please RSVP Now!

The Ride Headquarters Spring Classics Series has come to a close! It has been an awesome six weeks of epic rides and great camaraderie.  Our participants braved harsh elements, rough roads and fierce competition. Everyone is to be commended for great riding all around.

We'd like to commemorate the end of the series with a party this coming Friday, April 28th at 7pm. We'll be awarding prizes and recapping some of the highlights from each stage.

Everyone is welcome, even if you did not participate in the ride series.  Bring your friends and family. We'll have refreshments and hors d'oevures for all.  Please RSVP here.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Competition Final Results

Men's Stage Points Competition

Place	Handle	Stage 6 Points	Stage 5 Points	Stage 4 Points	Stage 3 Points	Stage 2 Points	Stage 1 Points	Total
1.)	Tucker W.	64	90	100	100	90	39	483
2.)	jmangieri	100	80	70	60	42	100	452
3.)	Chris D.	44	95	80	70	80	81	450
4.)	Phillip Stern	100	100	46	48	46	72	412
5.)	Robbie	3	19	90	80	100	49	341
6.)	Andrew U	52	60	44	38	32	74	300
7.)	Martin H	21	55	42	42	36	43	239
8.)	Darren Garnier	40	47	20	20	10	70	207
9.)	TimM	49	53	20	20	10	51	203
10.)	kklasman	63	32	20	20	16	45	196
11.)	LeonPalandjian	35	24	50	40	38	1	188
12.)	WesTate	3	5	48	46	44	38	184
13.)	Cal	19	50	20	44	28	20	181
14.)	JayS.	54	38	20	20	10	36	178
15.)	jaytheskier	19	5	20	20	48	48	160
16.)	Walter T	22	21	20	34	40	21	158
17.)	Andrew L	3	5	20	50	50	27	155
18.)	Janders	6	5	60	32	34	17	154
19.)	Joe Marinelli	3	5	20	20	60	38	146
20.)	Dustin Weigl	3	5	20	90	10	1	129
21.)	pincince	11	25	40	28	20	1	125
22.)	gregonabike	3	5	20	30	24	39	121
23.)	Seth Porter	3	5	20	20	70	1	119
24.)	stnphoto	11	17	20	20	18	29	115
25.)	M_A_T	3	5	20	36	26	24	114
26.)	Chauncy	40	13	20	20	10	1	104
27.)	myth_jimmy	3	5	20	20	22	32	102
28.)	Jon Doyle	3	5	20	20	10	43	101
29.)	Lentamentalisk	11	15	20	20	10	22	98
30.)	BradDutton	21	26	20	20	10	1	98
31.)	Roger	3	13	20	20	10	28	94
32.)	Mark	3	35	20	20	10	1	89
33.)	JohnLees	14	22	20	20	10	1	87
34.)	Nick_NE	3	5	20	24	10	17	79
35.)	Pete Yoest	3	5	20	20	30	1	79
36.)	jkerbs	12	14	20	20	10	1	77
37.)	JJ Cobb	3	20	20	20	10	1	74
38.)	James Smith	3	5	20	26	14	1	69
39.)	Mike Dietrich	3	5	20	22	10	1	61
40.)	Doug Cornelius	3	5	20	20	12	1	61
41.)	Bob W.	3	6	20	20	10	1	60

Women's Stage Points Competition

Place	Handle	Stage 6	Stage 5	Stage 4	Stage 3 Points	Stage 2 Points	Stage 1 Points	Total
1.)	ChristinaCarvey	100	97	90	100	80	44	511
2.)	IMK	86	54	80	90	90	100	500
3.)	LaneMarder	76	100	100	50	100	63	489
4.)	Jenny	42	88	70	60	70	31	361
5.)	AprilRicciardone	42	7	60	80	60	6	255
6.)	CapeCat	9	13	50	70	50	30	222

Men's Spirit Competition

Place	Name	Spirit Stage 1	Spirt Stage 2	Spirit Stage 3	Spirit Stage 4	Spirit Stage 5	Stage 6	Referall Bonus	Total
1.)	TuckerWetmore	66	58	53	66	66	66	200	575
2.)	Andrewu	39	43	44	46	42	55	150	419
3.)	PhillipStern	36	42	46	47	58	64		293
4.)	MartinH	47	50	46	44	45	49		281
5.)	jmangieri	37	42	43	43	46	33		244
6.)	LeonPalandjian	0	40	40	38	61	63		242
7.)	Janders	37	53	50	43	14	33		230
8.)	MangoNut	33	33	33	33	33	33		198
9.)	Robbie	33	33	45	33	44	0		188
10.)	AndrewL	53	66	66	0	0	0		185
11.)	WalterT	33	52	33	0	33	33		184
12.)	Wes Tate	33	33	46	33	0	33		178
13.)	kklasman	50	52	0	0	33	33		168
14.)	Cal	33	33	33	0	33	33		165
15.)	pincince	0	33	33	33	33	33		165
16.)	jaytheskier	33	63	0	0	33	33		162
17.)	DarrenGarnier	33	39	0	0	41	39		152
18.)	Lentamentalisk	60	0	0	0	33	33		126
19.)	gregonabike	41	33	47	0	0	0		121
20.)	JamesSmith	39	41	33	0	0	0		113
21.)	stnphoto	38	40	0	0	0	33		111
22.)	M_A_T	33	39	33	0	0	0		105
23.)	JoeMarinelli	51	52	0	0	0	0		103
24.)	TimM	33	0	0	0	33	33		99
25.)	JayS.	33	0	0	0	33	33		99
25.)	Roger	33	0	0	0	33	33		99
25.)	Chauncy	33	0	0	0	33	33		99
22.)	myth_jimmy	56	42	0	0	0	0		98
25.)	Nick_NE	33	0	33	0	0	0		66
25.)	Mike Dietrich	0	0	33	0	33	0		66
31.)	BradDutton	0	0	0	0	33	33		66
31.)	jkerbs	0	0	0	0	33	33		66
31.)	JohnLees	0	0	0	0	33	33		66
31.)	SethPorter	0	33	0	0	0	0		33
31.)	PeteYoest	0	33	0	0	0	0		33
31.)	DougCornelius	0	33	0	0	0	0		33
31.)	JonDoyle	33	0	0	0	0	0		33
31.)	Mark	0	0	0	0	33	0		33
31.)	JJ Cobb	0	0	0	0	33	0		33
31.)	Bob W.	0	0	0	0	33	0		33

Women's Spirit Competition

Place	Handle	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 3	Stage 4	Stage 5	Stage 6	Referal Bonus	Total
1.)	Jenny	39	64	53	63	66	66	200	551
2.)	LaneMarder	33	66	33	66	60	56	150	464
3.)	ChristinaCarvey	33	48	41	53	45	55	100	375
4.)	IMK	33	33	33	56	33	56		244
5.)	AprilRicciardone	33	33	33	33	33	33		198
6.)	CapeCat	33	0	40	0	33	33		139

Men's General Classification

Place	Handle	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 3	Stage 4	Stage 5	Stage 6	Referal Bonus	Total
1.)	Tucker W.	105	148	153	166	156	130	200	1058
2.)	Phillip Stern	108	88	124	93	158	164		735
3.)	Andrewu	113	75	82	90	102	107	150	719
4.)	jmangieri	137	84	103	113	126	133		696
5.)	Chris D	114	113	103	113	128	77		648
6.)	Robbie	82	133	125	123	63	3		529
7.)	MartinH	90	86	88	86	100	70		520
8.)	LeonPalandjian	1	78	80	88	85	98		430
9.)	Janders	54	87	67	103	19	39		369
10.)	kklasman	95	68	20	20	65	96		364
11.)	DarrenGarnier	103	49	20	20	88	79		359
12.)	Cal	53	61	77	20	83	52		346
13.)	WalterT	54	92	69	20	54	55		344
14.)	AndrewL	80	116	116	20	5	3		340
15.)	Organs	71	77	79	81	5	3		316
16.)	pincince	1	53	77	73	58	44		306
17.)	TimM	84	10	20	20	86	82		302
18.)	jaytheskier	81	111	20	20	5	52		289
19.)	JayS.	69	10	20	20	71	87		277
20.)	stnphoto	67	58	20	20	50	44		259
21.)	Chauncy	82	10	20	20	46	73		251
22.)	JoeMarinelli	89	112	20	20	5	3		249
23.)	gregonabike	80	57	82	20	5	3		247
24.)	Lentamentalisk	82	10	20	20	48	44		224
25.)	M_A_T	57	65	69	20	5	3		219
26.)	myth_jimmy	88	64	20	20	5	3		200
27.)	Roger	61	10	20	20	46	36		193
28.)	JamesSmith	40	55	61	20	5	3		184
29.)	BradDutton	1	10	20	20	59	54		164
30.)	Dustin Weigl	1	10	123	20	5	3		162
31.)	JohnLees	1	10	20	20	55	47		153
32.)	SethPorter	1	103	20	20	5	3		152
33.)	Nick_NE	50	10	59	20	5	3		147
34.)	jkerbs	1	10	20	20	47	45		143
35.)	JonDoyle	76	10	20	20	5	3		134
36.)	Mark	1	10	20	20	68	3		122
37.)	PeteYoest	1	63	20	20	5	3		112
38.)	JJ Cobb	1	10	20	20	53	3		107
39.)	DougCornelius	1	45	20	20	5	3		94
40.)	Mike Dietrich	1	10	55	20	5	3		94
41.)	Bob W.	1	10	20	20	39	3		93

Women's General Classification

Place	Handle	Stage 1	Stage 2	Stage 3	Stage 4	Stage 5	Stage 6	Referral Bonus	Total
1.)	LaneMarder	96	166	83	166	160	132	150	953
3.)	Jenny	70	134	113	133	154	108	200	912
2.)	ChristinaCarvey	77	128	141	143	142	155	100	886
4.)	IMK	133	123	123	136	87	142	0	744
5.)	AprilRicciardone	39	93	110	93	40	75	0	450
6.)	CapeCat	63	50	120	50	46	42	0	371

Winning Winter: Wearing the Right Clothes

Much of the fun of winter cycling comes from being outside pedaling with the thrill of an adventure, and the discovery that winter cycling can be quite comfortable and enjoyable. It's all a matter of dressing appropriately. You'll find that one of the bigger issues of cold-weather cycling comes in the form of over heating and then subsequent freezing. Prevent over-heating or freezing with the right clothes, and a very unique, unforgettably fun cycling experience ensues.

Here is what we recommend wearing. We get these recommendations directly from personal experience. We love winter riding and have done quite a bit of it. So, we've tried a lot and have arrived at tried-and-true recommendations. The winter of two years ago, with many feet of snow, found us outside riding frequently. The more it snows, the more we are excited about riding outside in it. 

Fingers and Toes

What freezes first and is most painful if not properly dressed? Almost everyone agrees it's the poor fingers and toes. Fortunately, there are perfectly cozy fixes to make them happy.

45NRTH knows winter riding and the best possible attire for it. We've got a full size range of their boots in stock. The Wolvhammer model is the most perfectly suited to New England winter riding.

Boots are significantly better than shoe covers to keep your feet warm. One reason why feet freeze so quickly in the cold is that the cold air quickly penetrates the thin sole of a cycling shoe, especially where the cleat is attached. These boots make a huge difference in warmth and they are light and move well so that pedaling is still easy.

For gloves, fingers stay warm if they're together. For this reason, we recommend 45NRTH 4-finger gloves with liners and Pearl Izumi lobster gloves. These gloves allow plenty of dexterity for shifting on drop-bar and flat-bar bikes. 

The Pearl Izumi P.R.O. AmFib Lobster Glove keeps fingers together, and very warm.

The 45NRTH Sturmfist 4-finger gloves even include merino wool liner gloves to be worn underneath.

Our product testers who have the most sensitive hands and who have Raynaud's have found these gloves to do the trick to keeping hands warm for long, 3+ hour cold-weather rides. We suggest sizing up to allow for more room for fingers to move around within the gloves and a bigger chamber for warm air to reside.

Keep Your Noggin and Surrounding Parts Warm

A big source for heat loss comes from your head. And your sensitive ears, being affixed to your head, really need to be kept warm, too. We suggest a comfortable wool cycling cap that is made to be worn under a helmet. Separately, use a neck warmer to cover your neck, mouth, and nose, depending on how cold it is. It's useful that these two things are separate since it's often necessary to use them in different ways during the course of a single ride. Start really well bundled up, and have the ability to move things around as the ride progresses and you warm up. 

We designed a 3-season wool cap for the purposes of keeping your head warm, ears properly covered, and a bill to keep the elements off of your eyes. It fits well under a helmet, too.

A neck warmer is best if it's wool. Like everything 45NRTH produces, their Blowtorch gaiter is wonderful in its simplicity and effective in keeping comfort levels high on a ride. 

Limit the Layers

As nice as layering is, it's not always beneficial to layer too much. There is a fine balance between temperature control, breatheability, and feeling constrained, and uncomfortable. 

The easy solution to this dilemma is to invest in a winter jacket and winter bib tights with a built-in chamois. 

Take this supremely comfortable, very innovative jacket made by Velocio. It's warm. And it breathes well. It's been created with the idea in mind that a single layer under it is all that is necessary on the coldest days. Imagine not having to get a whole bunch of layers gross and sweaty. Keep the laundry pile small, and discover the joy of putting on a warm jacket that has proper temperature control in mind for the duration of any pace bike ride. 

The women's Velocio tights are made as comfortable and cozy as the men's with the addition of a rear zipper. The zipper allows for quick nature breaks without having to completely disrobe. This is a game changer for women who love to ride in winter.

If you haven't experienced the sheer pleasure of putting on winter tights with nothing underneath them, you have to do it to know just how great it feels. The fuzzy inside of the tights is instant warmth, comfort, and the chamois is arguably the most comfortable chamois on the cycling market today. You'll want to run outside and play in the snow the moment you put these on! If you're used to wearing tights over a pair of cycling shorts or bibs, you'll see how much extra compression and discomfort is introduced as a result of wearing too many layers. Try these and you'll find you're looking forward to cold days to have an excuse to put them on. 

45NRTH has introduced an apparel line, the Naughtvind, for this winter that has cold and protection in mind. They have a very protective jacket, full pants, and thermal bib tights with chamois built in. 45NRTH is used to riding and designing apparel and equipment for Minnesota winters. Everything they produce is very high-quality and well thought-out. We and Ride Studio Cafe in Lexington are two of very few 45NRTH apparel dealers in all of New England. Check out their stuff on our shelves.

That's all there is to dressing for the winter. The basic concepts are:

• Invest in a few, key pieces of clothing that are built for winter cycling. There is a noticeable difference between good winter clothes and great winter cycling clothes.

• Take especially good care of your fingers, toes, and ears. Suffering in the cold is not only painful, it's dangerous, and unnecessary.

• When in doubt, go up a size. Having more room for warm air inside your clothes whether we're talking about gloves, boots, or jacket, is always a good thing.

• There's no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear. We look forward to the winter and the riding we get to do in fresh snow every year. The reason is that it's fun, always a memorable experience with friends, and not something we do out of any need to suffer.

Grand Opening Donations Distributed and Ongoing Effort Continues

What feels like yesterday, though was at the end of August, our Grand Opening was a fantastic day and event. The best part of it was how much money the raffle and silent auction earned for MassBike, the Sherborn Forest and Trail Association, and NEMBA. These organizations all make amazing riding in our area more prevalent, more accessible, and safer. They are advocates, they educate cyclists and the public, they get out there and do work to clear trails, to make trails, and so much more.

Don't forget our terrific suppliers who donated the very high-quality items that were prizes for the raffle, making all of this possible. 

We sold 191 raffle tickets at $5 a piece. We matched the raffle ticket sales which totaled $1,910. This equated to a $636 donation to each organization. MassBike ran a separate silent auction which raised an additional $400. All of the funds have been distributed to these very worthy organizations.

We'd like to encourage you to become a member of MassBike, NEMBA, and the Sherborn Forest and Trails Association.

You'll find the current NEMBA magazine and the Sherborn Trail Maps and membership form here on our community table, and we have MassBike water bottles which, when purchased, offers you MassBike membership.

As always, our hot coffee and tea are here free for you. You'll find a tip jar near the coffee. All tips collected here are currently going to the Sherborn Forest and Trails! We'll rotate the recipient of these funds each time $500 in donations has been accumulated for one. 

Just a few hours of coffee consumption earns good money to the work of Sherborn Forest and Trails!

Get Your Fat Bike Before the Snow Hits

Fat bikes are a good solution to embracing the coming winter. Many winter fat bikers have found year-round use for their bikes. It's much more common to see them in more typical mtn bike areas.

This Seven Cycles titanium Treeline SL is equipped with a Rohloff hub and Gates belt for clean, simple operation in the snow of winter and on beaches in the summer.

We have a special fat bike offer for you: If you order a Seven Cycles Treeline fat bike, we'll kick in a second set of wheels free. If you get a Honey Bike OffTrail fat bike, we'll cover 50% of the cost of a second set of wheels. This way, one set of wheels can be outfitted with studded tires and the other set can be your ideal mtn tires. This offer is good through orders placed through December 1, 2016.

Honey's OffTrail fat bike is a lightweight steel bike that offers a well-constructed frame and the gearing and contact points of your choosing.

The lead time on an unpainted Seven titanium frame is 3 weeks (ride before the snow hits!) and the lead time on a painted Seven or Honey is 5 weeks from the date of confirmation. 

Taking on the Winter by Bike

Every winter, we look forward to the snow. Riding in the snow, in the dark, on- and off- road is not something we do because we're trying to prove anything or show how tough we are. It's genuinely fun to be outside in the snow. Maybe it's just us extending our childhood of playing in the snow, and being able to couple this with spending time with our riding friends. 

Winter riding simply involves having the right clothes, tires, and pedals. There are many options for each and maybe surprisingly, snow and winter riding often results in the funnest rides of the year.  

We'll be talking about winter riding a lot here since there is a lot to say. 

For starters, we want you to be sure to get ready for the great winter rides we have in store. When the snow hits, it's too late to start getting you and your bike ready.

Here is a winter prep checklist:

1. Get all of your winter clothes out and see what's missing. Here's what's necessary:

• Hat that fits under your helmet, make sure your ears are covered
• Neck gaitor 
• Base layer
• Long-sleeve jersey or Short Sleeve jersey with arm warmers
• Jacket
• Winter tights
• Wool socks, make sure they fit in your shoes
• Shoe covers, or, better yet for much more warmth: winter shoes
• Winter gloves. Lobster gloves or 4-finger gloves work particularly well

2a. Get a set of studded tires. This way, there will never be a day all winter when it's too icy to ride. There are 30c knobby studded tire options and 38c knobby tires that ride well, aren't too heavy - yes, studded tires are heavier than what you're used to riding, but they can have a nice ride quality, too. 

2b. Consider a large diameter tire as in those that are found on fat bikes. Fat bikes with huge tires feel like they float over the snow. They are fun bikes! Fat bikes don't move quite as fast as bikes with skinnier tires, but less wind equates to a warmer ride. We have demo fat bikes for you to ride, just ask us to take one out!

We also have a special running to help you get on a fat bike: check out the details here.

3. Make sure your bike doesn't have road pedals. Mtn bike clipless pedals are easy to use in all weather. Most winter boots are compatible with mtn cleats/pedals. Some people prefer not to be clipped in to pedals in bad weather. There are very good platform pedals made for winter riding.

4. With so little light available, the chances of wanting to ride in the dark or getting caught out riding in the dark are very good. We suggest a nice headlight that you can simply keep charged and on your handlebars and a rear blinky.  

Questions on the best equipment for winter riding? We've done a lot of winter riding and have been part of many cold adventure rides. Ask us whatever you want to know!  Email: connect@rideheadquarters.com