Passion Trail Bikes, Belmont, CA - specialists in quality bike service and custom-built mountain bikes: Category Shop

Cost of driving, cost of bikes

PeterD — Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:15:00 +0000

Thursday, May 15, 2008, is the 14th annual Bike to Work Day! For those that don’t bike to work, this would be a good day to consider doing that. 511.org has some information related to how to get started, why you’d want to do it, a raffle for those that pledge to ride to work, etc. And there will be energizer stations out at many places where you can grab a bag of goodies, coffee, bagels, etc. (Passion is sponsoring the one at Belmont train station).

Of course, with gas prices what they are, it isn’t hard to understand why you would want to commute by bike.

But, unfortunately, gas prices aren’t the only thing that are increasing…

There have been articles in Bicycle Retailer Magazine recently (like this one) that have been talking about bike industry costs. Here are some quotes:

“It’s not whether prices will go up, but by how much. Somewhere between 12 and 20 percent seems to be the going range. “

and

“One (bike company) executive, for example, said the cost of bringing a container by ocean freight from Europe to the U.S. rose from $2,400 several years ago to more than $6,000 this year. Fuel surcharges on all air and ground freight—UPS, FedEx, DHL and others—have skyrocketed as oil prices spiral well past $100 a barrel.

And that’s on top of price increases for raw materials such as aluminum, steel, carbon fiber and plastic. Further complicating the price structure are inflation, rising wages and pending pension reforms in China, the weakening dollar, the robust euro as well as China’s revaluation of the yuan and reduction of favorable tax treatment for mainland China manufacturers.”

The word we have from our suppliers (both parts and bikes) match this. Even those suppliers like Turner than make their bikes here in the States aren’t immune, as the increased raw material costs are hitting them.

Some prices are going up now, especially for parts. Other products where the supplier does annual pricing won’t see the increase until some time this summer.

Sorry to be the bearer of bad news. But wanted to get this out before sticker shock hits. Seems inflation is here.

Passion is fully adjustable

Charles — Thu, 20 Mar 2008 20:10:00 +0000

Crank Brothers has started shipping their long awaited Joplin adjustable seatpost. These are the newly licensed telescoping posts using the Maverick design and technology to give you 3” of infinitely adjustable range of motion.

I use mine in roughly three positions. Full height for road riding to the trail, a half inch or so lower than that for trail riding, and another inch or so lower than that for rolling things and drop offs. I guess I also hammer down the full 3 inches to hit a jump.

We are stocking these now in 30.9 Lever, 30.9 Remote, and 31.6 Lever. We also still stock the Maverick version of the Remotes and Levers called Speedball.

2nd Anniversary Demo Days

PeterD — Tue, 18 Mar 2008 04:41:00 +0000

The event went off well. The weather reporters were wrong when they said we would get rain on Saturday – we got just enough Friday night to make sure the trails were dust free, but not so much to make things muddy. Good set of photos and comments showing up on MTBR (though I am copying some of the better ones over to this post).

Thanks for everyone who showed up! And special thanks to folks like JohnH, Justine, TomR, MichaelP, and others who chipped in to help.

More photos below…

2nd Anniversary Demo Days are almost here: March 15&16

PeterD — Wed, 05 Mar 2008 16:56:00 +0000

We will have bikes for you to ride. We will have food for you to eat and beverages for you to drink and a store full of stuff on sale. And it’s gonna be good!

Come on down to the store on Saturday and Sunday, March 15th & 16th, and help us celebrate our 2nd anniversary. Whooda thunkit? We made it through our second year and we need you to help us kick off our third!

We are lining up a whole stable full of bikes for you to saddle up and take out for a nice ride. Scroll down for more info on the Demo Days:

Specialized Pitch in Small, Medium, Large
Specialized Epic in Large, XL
Specialized Enduro in Small, Medium, Large
Specialized Stumpjumper in Small, Medium, Large, XL
Specialized Saphire in Small, Medium, Large
Specialized Era in Medium
Ibis Mojos in Small, Medium, Large, XL
Maverick Durance in Small
Maverick ML8 in Medium and Large
Santa Cruz Blur LT in Large
Giant Trance 1 in Medium
Giant Reign XO in Large

Rumor has it we should have some Versus Bikes also – stay tuned…

We are taking reservations for test rides, which will go out in groups at 10am and 1pm, or possibly other times (depending on availability) during the day. You can also take a bike for your own ride, so long as you stick within the time frame you signed up for (we need it back for the next person who reserved it).

We will also have the BBQ going from noon until 4pm both days, along with a nice spread of yummy side dishes, snacks, and of course, the all important brews and EANABS.

Party Saturday Night:
The side dishes, brews, and EANABS will continue on into the Evening on Saturday, as we have one of our world famous parties. Probably do some sort of green theme, as there seems to be some green-related holiday that day…

To reserve a bike, follow these instructions:
Send Charles an email and list your preferred test bike model and size, and ride time. If you are unsure what size, put what size and model bike you are already riding in your email. Or you can just show up and take whatever hasn’t been reserved, but there may be slim pickings…

Please note: Test rides will require a credit card and photo id card (there is no charge for the demo ride – we just want these to make sure you ring the bike back to us). You should come with your riding gear including shoes, helmet, and CamelBak. It’s a good idea to bring your pedals with you, though we do have some Shimano ones and flats available for loan (feel free to just bring your bike and we will swap the pedals over for you).

Save the Dates

PeterD — Wed, 16 Jan 2008 17:07:00 +0000

A couple of things to mark on your calendar…

The weekend of January 26-27, I am planning to lead a shop ride. Where we go and which day it is will all be based on weather and trail conditions. Perhaps Skeggs. Maybe the Demo. More info to come once we know the weather predictions.

The weekend of March 15-16, there will be a bunch of rides and a party. Probably one of our bigger events of the year. This would be a very bad weekend to take that ski weekend in the mountains – as you will regret missing this.

Recent Arrival

Charles — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 18:57:00 +0000

Of all the cool new things we saw at Interbike, one of the hottest was the new 29” Float fork from Fox. Trek is supplying them on a number of their new models, and bought just about all of Fox’s production, at least for the short term. A couple of them did escape the mass purchase, and one or two of them ended up at Passion, yesterday in fact. If you have a 29er project in the works, or will in the near future, you may want to snap this up now, or risk waiting until Spring to have the chance to get another one.

New for 2008, the FOX F29 is the answer to your 29 inch wheel dreams. The new F29 chassis is designed specifically for the demands of the tall wheel crowd. Though ultra lightweight, the crown, tapered casting legs, torsionally stiff webbed brace, and patented and evolved for 08 damper contribute to deliver the steering precision and control synonymous with the Fox name.

This model is the F29 RLC, so it has the external adjusters for Rebound damping, a Lock Out lever, and a Compression damping adjuster. Its currently set up for 100mm of travel, and disc brake only, but could be converted to 80mm travel. Its going for $700.

Shop Shorthanded for Interbike

Patty — Tue, 25 Sep 2007 18:17:00 +0000

This week the shop will be shorthanded while most of the staff is at Interbike test riding cool new bikes for 2008, and wandering through a tradeshow with over 3000 vendors of bike goodies.

Bret, Sterling and Peter will be here to assist customers as best they can, while Charles, Berry, John and Patty are in Vegas. If the phone rings and goes to voice mail, or you come in and find your self in line for customer service, please accept our apologies. We considered being closed during the week but decided open and shorthanded would be better.

If you’re curious about interbike, you can check out the link above, or check out MTBR’s photos from the show. On Monday and Tuesday, the boys will be riding in Bootleg Canyon where there is some awesome rocky technical goodness to put bikes through a real trail test. Between the three of them, they should be able to ride about 15 different 2008 bikes.

Wednesday thru Friday they do the indoor part of the trade show. Wandering through the conference center, they get to pick up and fondle new parts, ask questions and try to stump the techs, and meet up with other movers and shakers in the bike industry.

Look forward to a couple writeups after the boys return. Until then, happy trails, and enjoy the lovely California weather.

Too many delivery trucks

PeterD — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 23:54:00 +0000

If you have been to the shop recently, you may have noticed that we have piles of boxes on the floor. Normally, these would be in the back, but we have run out of storage space back there.

What we have here is the start of the “pre-season” orders from our suppliers. They want us to buy stuff off season to show our commitment to their brand. Definitely makes it tough on our cash flow to be getting a pile of new bikes and gear just before our winter slow down, but that is the bike biz for you.

But, once thing we have to do is make space for all of this on the floor. And one place I had some room was the sale rack, so I have moved a small pile of Fox and Sugoi clothing over to there and placed it on sale (25% or more off).

I ran out of space on the sale rack, so some items are elsewhere. For example, the red full face helmets are on sale (under $100!). Some shoes are also on sale over in the shoe area.

As a reminder, we have little rings labeling the size on the hangers of most of the clothing. The ones that are black and list a number showing the waist size of the item, white show men’s/unisex sizing (S, M, L, etc.), and the ones with red stripes are women’s specific sizing (also S, M, L, etc.).

Who will be our newest mechanic?

Patty — Tue, 03 Jul 2007 23:18:00 +0000

It had to happen sooner or later.
We need another mechanic, and we need one now.
Actually we needed one last month too, but we are just now getting the word out.

If you think you would like to work here, or know someone who would, please send them our way. We will be accepting resumes for about another week or so. Here’s the ad we posted on craigslist:

—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-
Passion Trail Bikes in Belmont is seeking a mechanic for our high-end mountain bike service department. This is a full time, permanent position in the newest and best mountain biking shop in the Bay Area.

The ideal candidate is someone who:
—is passionate about mountain biking and trails
—has extremely high standards for precision mechanical work

—is intelligent and wants to learn
—has excellent interpersonal skills

We are looking for someone who either has experience working as a bicycle mechanic or who would like to transfer their skills from another industry and work in a bike shop. Ideally you would be confident in your ability to take apart, troubleshoot, and reassemble components such as forks, shocks, suspension linkages, and hydraulic brake systems. Although we prefer someone with experience working on mountain bikes, we are willing to train the right person. Most important is that you have really good problem solving skills, you have a good touch with a wrench, you can handle working in a demanding environment, and you can work with customers from all walks of life with respect and a high level of customer service. Sales experience is also helpful.

To apply, please send your resume to Charles by email. Include a cover letter explaining why you want to work at our shop.

For information about Passion Trail Bikes, please visit our website at http://www.passiontrailbikes.com or see our reviews at MTBR.com at http://bikeshops.mtbr.com/cat/united-states/california/california-bayarea/PLS_6221_912crx.aspx

Compensation: depends on qualifications; competitive salary for the bicycle industry

Demo Ride Photos

PeterD — Mon, 05 Mar 2007 17:18:00 +0000

Over 30 demo bikes and awesome weather. Made for lots of smiling faces.

We had 3 lead group rides on the weekend, and a bunch of people who took bikes out on their own at other times. Seemed like around every turn at Waterdog or DMC you’d see another person on a demo ride.

Special thanks to JayB, JohnH, JustineM, DaveO, and BeckyG for leading rides!

Below are some pics from the rides…

Some of the fleet of demo bikes

Showing the boys how it is done

Drop to the lake

The posting on the party, with pics and brief description, is here. The full set of pictures (the good, the bad, and the ugly – everything) from the demo rides and the luau are available on this Kodak Easy Share Gallery.