Getting Used to Weirdness; the State of Our Tiny Corner of the Bike Industry

Somehow, we seem to be nearing the end of 2021, and if you are like many other people, the last twenty months may have felt like an endless tumble down an up escalator. Lots of people are feeling stressed, pessimistic, angry, and confused. It doesn’t sound like it so far, but this post is about the state of the bike industry generally, and Yawp!, specifically, because we’ve been getting a lot of questions from customers about the bike boom, the supply chain, and our sanity. So, I thought I’d either address or fail to address all of these issues in one convenient place. Fair warning—this post makes the situation sound pretty dire. It is dire, but as you read please keep in mind that we’re doing okay. We aren’t going anywhere and we still like operating a bike shop. (Actually, that’s not entirely true. We are going somewhere. We’re closing the shop November 9-11th for a staff trip to Santa Fe. We’ll be back.)

The bike boom happened—or is happening—thanks to the pandemic. Every red-blooded, bread-baking, quarantined American became interested in bikes last year, when exercising outdoors was the prudent thing to do. Many of our customers in the last twenty months bought a bike for the first time, and it was really great to see so many people with so much excitement come through our door (one at a time, thanks also to the pandemic). Is the bike boom still happening? Yes. Ridership is still very high, and this accounts in a small way for the inventory shortages, but those have been caused mostly by supply chain issues.

While I’ve only begun to see news stories about the supply chain in the last month or two, it has been a nightmare for the bike industry for over a year now. It’s an extremely complicated situation, but let’s just say that if the supply chain were a cassette tape, it would be the cassette tape that binds up the tape deck in your car, catches fire, and blows up your car while it’s idling in the parking lot of the firework store (no one was injured in the making of this metaphor). The bike boom emptied manufacturers’ warehouses, while at the same time factories around the world were shut down because of COVID outbreaks. Demand is at an all-time high. Factories are backlogged. Shipping is a disaster. Is it getting better? No! Not at all. It’s as bad now as it’s been. We’ve spent countless hours at the computer to ensure we have small parts for repairs and as many accessories as we can get ahold of. In that regard, our inventory is looking pretty strong. Bikes, however, are few and far between. We—like most shops—are selling bikes months before they arrive in stock. That’s not what we want. We like it when customers can test ride a few models and sizes before making decisions. Are there any signs of recovery? Not really. We currently have a fraction of the inventory we’d like to have, and there’s absolutely no knowing how long it will be before we will once again inhabit the world of endless choice and availability to which we were once accustomed. That world of choice and availability seems as far away as a world where everyone is nice to each other and picks up after themselves.

Running a bike shop these last twenty months has been akin to driving a car in which all of the controls changed operations about once a month. This month, the gas pedal is the brake, the brake is the left turn signal, and the left turn signal is your horn, and the horn activates the wipers. The little button that normally ejects the cassette tape is now the cigarette lighter. Just about the time we get used to the nightmare of driving, the controls completely change again. On top of this disorienting and terrifying sensation, there’s also the way that time has simultaneously become a Groundhog Day-ish echo as well as a blind missile ride. For those of you curious about our sanity, the short answer is, “What is sanity, anyway?” and the long answer is below.

Even in the best of times, working in a bike shop can be taxing. Don’t get me wrong—it’s often fun and rewarding. Sometimes, though, repairing broken things is difficult and frustrating. Rude or condescending customers wander in from time to time. It can even get so busy that there’s no time to record offhand comments that would make a great band names, like Administrative Debacle, or Upset in My Ways.

These last twenty months have been a fair bit harder. We are are socially distant from the community that once gave us purpose. We are constantly disappointing customers who come in looking for bikes we can’t get. Earlier in the pandemic, we witnessed some customer behavior that was truly baffling. I don’t know exactly why, but I think the stress and fear wrought on all of us in those days made some people come into the store and be very weird. If Dennis Rodman had come by to throw cassoulet at us, nobody here would even have blinked an eye. That’s the kind of weirdness we were getting used to. Fortunately, that nonsense has subsided, but many of our present difficulties have no end in sight. This can make us weary. No one likes scrubbing cassoulet out of their jorts.

But the truth is that we’re fine. Everything seems bad, and like it’s going to be bad forever, but in each moment and the next we continue to be fine. We are trying to let go of what we wish were true and accept what is true, and for now what is true is good enough. As restrictions have eased, we’ve been able to ride bikes with you again, and that’s been quite a pleasure. Thanks for being the awesome, inspiring, and friendly customers and readers that you are.

Here are a few photos of some fun times we’ve had together, just because.

A Gift Guide for 2020

Hello. Happy holidays.

See that fella in the picture above? That’s Horatio. Know what he’s doing? He’s not getting COVID. Or, if he has COVID but no symptoms, he’s not giving it to anyone else. Way to go, Horatio!

When the pandemic hit and we could no longer be indoors together, a lot of people pulled their old bikes out of the garage or bought their first new bike in decades. Obviously, this is one of the few benefits brought by the pandemic. Now that the weather has turned, many folks who are newer to riding may not know this wonderful little secret: riding bikes in the winter is (almost) always pleasant. Thus, we thought we’d suggest a few gifts that will help keep your loved ones riding all year long, and thus keep them socially distant and safe. Help your loved ones be like Horatio, not like poor Yorick (alas!).

In addition to the inherent social distance of riding a bike in the winter, there is the additional benefit of mental and emotional distance. Certainly we aren’t suggesting that one can bike away from all of your problems, but one can—and should—take breaks from them. Standing in a snowstorm in the middle of a deserted wild place with only one’s tracks in the snow behind them is a great way to experience meditative solace.

With a little preparation, riding in the winter—either for recreation or just to get around—has produced some of my favorite rides of all time. If you or someone you know needs a little convincing, here’s an old blog post about riding in the cold and the snow.

In order to face the winter, your loved one will need to prepare both 1) their bike and 2) their body.

1. Gifts for bikes

Tires

Winter days in Denver are often dry, but sometimes ice and snow on the streets persists for weeks. On ice or in slush, the wrong tires can make riding scary or dangerous. With the right tires, you can keep riding in just about any conditions. The Continental Winter Contact tires (left) are grippy for snowy or wet days. Studded tires (right) are often necessary for icy days. Some folks swap out tires seasonally, while others will install studded tires before storms and then put their other tires back on for a week or two when the roads dry out.

Alas, there’s no magical perfect tire for all of the conditions we see between October and April. However, the drawbacks of either riding too much tire on dry pavement or swapping tires now and then are small compared to the drawbacks involved in not riding. Winter tires range in price from $65-95 apiece.

If you still aren’t sure which tires your loved one might need, come on into the store and ask Duke E. Bear. He doesn’t know anything about tires but he’s a very good boy yes he is yes he is.

Pogies

Unless your loved ones are Mario and Luigi, their fingers will be the first thing to go numb. Even big fat mittens that are good for other winter activities don’t always work well on a bike. Pogies are the solution. We have pogies that are suitable for mountain and road handlebars. They can be nice to use even when temperatures are warmer, because either a thin glove or no glove is all that’s needed. Wearing thin gloves means it’ll be easier for your loved one to eat snacks and take photos of their bike leaning against things. They cost $75-99.

(Note: Some of the 45NRTH Draugenklaw pogies come with a flask!)

FEnders

There are two schools of thought when it comes to fenders:

School #1: These people know that snow can get packed between the tire and fender, causing lots of extra drag. Ergo, they do not use fenders in the winter.

School #2: These people love having wet, cold feet. They love the feeling of totally numb toes coming back to life, the intense, raw burning that hurts so bad it makes one nauseous. Ergo, they don’t use fenders.

Often in Denver, we commute to work when it’s 25 degrees and then commute back home when it’s 45 degrees. Fenders are pretty great when all of that morning snow turns into cold, dirty afternoon grits. You know what I mean; when the snow begins to melt and everything becomes a greasy gray color, and all of the road grime and goose poop and mud and gutter sludge mix together in grits-n-gravy consistency. Keep in mind that when those grits are flung into the air by a passing bicycle tire, fenders are the only thing between those grits and your loved one’s mouth/eyes/face.

Lights

We have lots of data linking darkness to depression. Especially when daylight savings time ends and we all have to start riding home in the dark, it’s really daunting. It makes me want to ride home in a hot tub. But! Once I get started, the ride is really lovely. Every time. It’s often so nice that I take an extra lap around the park. Sometimes I put on my earphones and ride through the endless tunnel of my headlight, and I have the world all to myself. It’s grand.

Dynamo lights are pricey, but the best, as you don’t have to worry about any battery weirdness in the cold. The setup (one needs a dynamo hub as well) usually costs upwards of $500, but it really is great. Otherwise, Niterider makes many fine USB rechargeable lights that start at $60 for a set. We’d recommend a headlight that’s at least 500 lumens, and we’d also recommend front and rear lights, both. Gift the brightest lights you can afford. Your loved one will be grateful.

Pedals

When it’s snowy or wet, some pedals get packed with snow and become slippery. Having a foot slip off a pedal unexpectedly is dangerous. We recommend a flat pedal with pins, which help feet stay where they belong. While pedals have been tough to come by this year, we have a few brands and colors in stock, and they start at about $50.

Storage

Riding in the cold means wearing layers, and shedding or adding layers happens all the time. Having a place to stow a jacket or heavy pair of mittens can be the difference between a 1-hour ride and a 4-hour ride. In fact, if you guessed that we carry a large number of bags because we think bags are so important, good guess! We carry bags by Oveja Negra, Swift Industries, J. Paks, Revelate, Portland Design Works, Surly, Velo Orange, Lizard Skins, and maybe some others I’ve forgotten.

Chain

Your loved one doesn’t need any special kind of chain for winter, but they will need to take good care of the chain they have. A snowy chain can rust overnight. Chain lube and a chain checker will make sure their drivetrain stays healthy despite the extra wear and tear caused by ice and magnesium chloride. This Rock n’ Roll Extreme chain lube and Park Tool chain wear indicator are $11 apiece. Buy them together for $20 until December 23rd.

2. gifts for people

Merino Wool

Most outdoor clothing will work for winter bike rides, but much of it isn’t ideal. Because riding is aerobic, one tends to get warm pretty quickly. Good riding clothing will wick and breathe and still shield from the wind. Merino wool is the best material for cold weather riding (and maybe everything else). Surly makes great wool beanies that fit under a helmet, Neck Toobs, Raglan base layers, scarves, socks, and jerseys.

The 45NRTH Greazy caps are a little heavier for very cold days.

We also have some merino Surly Pocket T’s with our logo on the sleeve. The Soigneur merino jerseys are some of my favorite riding clothing of all time. $75 and $150, respectively.

Happy hands and feet

If you’ve had hands and feet before, I don’t have to tell you that they get cold in the cold. That’s why we have these Gore Windstopper and 45NRTH gloves for all kinds of temps, as well as these 45NRTH Wolvhammer boots. These boots utilize Aerogel, which was designed for outer space! Gloves range from $70 to $130. The boots are $325. You might think that $325 is a lot of money for boots—and you’d be right—but there really is nothing else like them for long rides in very cold temperatures.

Flasks and Thermoses

Food and water are just as important during winter rides as they are in any other season. However, water and foodstuffs tend to freeze when the temperatures are, um, freezing, so stowing food near the body is important, and using insulated water bottles helps, too. Beyond that, an insulated mug full of hot cocoa can be the difference between a delightful afternoon out and a grueling slog. In fact, winter is the best time to ride out to the middle of nowhere and make #coffeeoutside. The Stanley Travel Mug is $23. Surly flasks are $25.

There you have it. Thanks for reading. If you’d like to check out gift guides from years past, links are below.

2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015

Hello in There

Supposedly it’s the year 2020. I’m not sure whether that’s true, because time suddenly feels non-linear, unpredictable, and meaningless. I don’t know if it’s been the same for you, but here at the shop 2020 has been populated almost entirely by WTF moments, and even though we are all healthy and upright, our minds are fatigued as chewing gum affixed to a public commode, cold and unpliable.

I have a friend who, when she was four years old, used to sneak old chewing gum out of the ashtrays at the mall that were full of something like kitty litter and chew it, cold and gritty and rock hard and diseased. Perhaps that’s a metaphor for the mouthfeel of 2020.

I’m not complaining. We are employed and healthy when a lot of people are not. But I do want to address our almost total absence from social media, as well as from our own blog and newsletter. The shop has been incredibly busy, and because of our social distancing measures we’ve been spread very, very thin. Part of the truth is that we’ve been too busy to post on the interwebs. The other part of the truth is that so much feels broken, and many of our friends and customers are experiencing new hardships. To an extent, publishing content on the internet has felt kind of like saying we’ve figured out just what our downtrodden followers out there need: they need to be marketed to!

Obviously, there have always been hardships while Yawp! has existed, and we’ve managed to create quite a bit of online content in that time. Right now, though, just about everyone is facing new problems. Stoking the fires of the giant capitalist Want Machine in a time like this feels empty, worthless, and a betrayal of our values. Bicycles are valuable to me and, presumably, to you. Bicycles have helped people stay healthy when we couldn’t otherwise exercise during the stay-at-home order, stay sane when there was little else keeping us sane, and get around town to hunt for toilet paper. In fact, there are a fair number of essential workers who ride bikes to their jobs at hospitals and grocery stores, and obviously we have been honored to help those people continue to help us all. I know that what we do can be important, I just don’t know how to present it on the internet right now, when so many things—including a public heath crisis, a racial reckoning, and a politically savage election—are far more important.

We are a bike shop that has always valued and spent a lot of time with our community. Right now it’s not safe to spend time with our community. We used to also engage that community through social media, but right now we aren’t sure how to do that either. People in our community may be losing loved ones to COVID. People in our community have lost their livelihoods. People have lost their futures and their certainty. They are questioning everything. Perhaps touring on a bike for some number of months to let their minds unspool might be the absolute best thing for them. So is interrupting the ongoing conversations about disease control and equal rights to natter on about bicycles a service or just plain inappropriate? I don’t know. Possibly it’s both.

While it’s time to move forward, I don’t know how. We might get through this and we might not—either way, there’s not much point in getting through it alone. So we’re going to meet our community where it’s presently safe: online. Perhaps we’ll try to meet you outside in the near future as well.

In the meantime, keep riding your bike, and please be excellent to one another.

Comparing Surly's Flat Bar Touring Bicycles - Bridge Club, Troll, Ogre, ECR, Pugsley

It is a small world. Astronauts on the space station orbit the Earth every 92 minutes. There is value in seeing our planet that way, as expressed by Carl Sagan when he wrote about the “pale blue dot.” However, the world is also vast and complex, and I prefer to see the world at 10-13 mph. When traveling by car—or worse, RV—many if not most of the interesting details pass by unnoticed. Touring by motorcycle is better, mostly because you can smell roadside flower gardens, pies cooling in the windows of the houses you pass, and the Axe body spray of the driver next to you at a red light. Touring by bike, though, allows for staring contests with blue herons and detours into the backcountry where neither car nor motorcycle can go, and what’s not to like about eating everything you see along the way?

If you’re going to tour—for one night or for weeks—you’ll be happiest on a steel bike. They’re nearly indestructible and are more comfortable than frames made of other materials. Surly has several flat bar bikes in their touring category, but if you’re unfamiliar with them the differences can be hard to spot.

Versatility is one of the three things that Surly values most (along with durability and utility), which means that you can use all of these bikes for just about anything. Furthermore, because Surlys are endlessly customizable, the differences can become even more blurred depending on how they’re customized. Each of these bikes was designed for something specific, however, and will truly shine in that one particular area. So for now, we’re just going to stick to talking about the stock builds.

(Also, if you’re interested in Surly’s drop bar bikes, we have a blog post comparing them here. If you’re interested in the bikes in their Trail category, we’ll be publishing a blog about those soon.)

One way to look at the differences between these bikes is to think of them as falling along a timeline. You tell me how far back in time you wish to travel and I’ll tell you which bike will best suit your needs.

Do you like right now? Do you like riding your bike down the bike path, weaving through downtown, and eating pizza at the Marquis before catching a show? Maybe you like taking the train halfway to work and jumping off early to take the long way in. Maybe you like riding the South Platte trail way down to the southern end with a picnic, and then continuing onto the gravel road that leads up Waterton Canyon. Now is pretty great. You can order beer at the movies! There is less violence now than at any time in human history[1]. The 700 Bridge Club is the perfect bike for now. Now is a very urban time, with over half the world’s population living in urban areas. Our pavement is a bit rough in places, but the 700x41 Extraterrestrial tires on the Bridge Club are well suited for it, as well as for all of the gravel you wish to grind. Hydraulic brakes? Sure, why not. It’s now!

Maybe you want to travel back in time to November 11th, 1918. Perhaps you are too young to have lived through anything in your own time similar to the end of a world war. But see, the roads in 1918 were in rough shape. All of our spare cash had been going to the war efforts, and the roads had seen an unprecedented amount of traffic, what with trucks hauling all of the manufactured war goods to the ports to be shipped overseas. Most of our roads were unpaved, and the few that were had suffered severe surface damage. Many of the streets that were in good shape were made of cobblestone. In 1918, you will want tires that range from 2.2-2.5” in width to get through chunks of busted pavement. You will need the traction to get through the loose, rutted, muddy, and faint tracks that pass for roads. The Troll, Ogre, and 27.5” Bridge Club will be at home in 1918.

Yes, all three bikes are at home on the same kind of terrain. Does that make the differences between them meaningless? Not at all. Many of the differences between these bikes have to do with your preferences as a rider, and less to do with the differences in their capabilities. Here are a few questions that might help narrow it down.

• Touring around the world? Take the Troll. (It’ll be a dangerous world in 1918, but hasn’t it always been?) The 26” wheels are more common worldwide, and it still comes stock with the classic touring 3x10 drivetrain as well as cantilever brake studs.

• Do you have a budget? The 27.5” Bridge Club is $1200, the Ogre is $1450, and the Troll is $1700 (as of the writing of this blog (whatever “now” means)).

• Do you have a favorite wheel diameter? The Troll has 26” wheels, the 27.5” Bridge Club has 27.5", and the Ogre has 29”.

• Do you need to pull a Surly Bill or Ted trailer? The Troll and Ogre dropout have attachment points built right in.

• Max tire clearance on the Troll and Ogre is 2.6, while the Bridge Club is 2.8. (Can you run 27.5 x 3” tires on an Ogre? Yes. But we aren’t talking about that. We’re talking about stock builds. But would it be rad anyway? Sure!)

• The overall gear range on the Ogre isn’t quite as wide as that of the other two bikes. This drivetrain lends itself to shorter, overnight tours as well as commuting.

• Want to run a Rohloff hub? Well shucks, they all can!

If you still aren’t sure, the best thing to do is ride the bikes. A preference will likely make itself apparent.

Also, did you think this through? Prohibition will pass in less than a year!

ECR

Maybe you want to travel further back in time, into June of 1847 to ride the Oregon Trail. To cross the continent ahead of the railroad. The wagon trail was a road in the same way that an echinocactus is a toothbrush. You’ll want a lot of traction and a low tire pressure, but you’ll still want the necessary agility to steer around the oxen poop and cholera. The ECR is what you’ll want to carry your squirrel pelts and 60 pounds of coffee from Independence, MS to Oregon City. The larger tire volume will be more forgiving as you’re crossing wagon wheel ruts and rocky terrain in the west. You’ll get through the powdery, sandy soil in Wyoming, be able to ford the shallow rivers with their slippery, smooth stones in Idaho. The smaller sizes come with 27.5+ wheels, and the larger sizes come with 29+. The frames are different, so these wheels aren’t interchangeable. We know how much ya’ll like to swap your wheels around, but for this model the wheel size scales with frame size, and the results are great. Only those of you who fit on medium-sized frames have your choice of wheel size. What’s the difference? The 29+ roll over obstacles a little better and 27.5+ are slightly more agile. They’re both great! Can’t go wrong. Good luck hunting squirrels. You have typhoid. You have a snakebike. You have exhaustion.

They really do move in herds.

Or perhaps the sum of human folly has you down, and you want to see early peccaries of the Oligocene, 25 million years ago. I don’t have to tell you to wear your cloak of intangibility, right? Because you’ve read A Sound of Thunder, right? Good. (If you haven’t read A Sound of Thunder, this will do). The bike you’ll want to take is the Pugsley. You’ll be crossing terrain that has never been crossed before. You’ll need the maximum amount of traction, flotation, and stability for riding over fallen trees, through swamplands, and across cold lava flows. Should you encounter a mini ice age, you’ll be ready. And, AND! If things go really sideways, you can always put your rear wheel on the front and your front wheel on the rear and convert your Pugs into a singlespeed. If that’s not prehistoric, I don’t know what is.

Now, you may be somewhat dissatisfied by this post. Perhaps you’ve bikepacked extensively on a Karate Monkey or a Krampus. They’re great for that. I know it and you know it. But they fall in Surly’s trail category, so we’ll talk about them another time.

I guess there are many other reasons you may be dissatisfied with this post. If so, feel free to travel back in time to 45 minutes ago and order a pizza instead. (All of these bikes are great for picking up pizza.)

Yawp! Cyclery's 2019 Gift Guide

Giving gifts can be difficult, and the charm of the holidays is sometimes lost under an atmosphere of corporate greed. Every year we make a gift guide hoping that we can help suggest durable, functional gifts for the people in your life who ride bicycles that you can feel good about giving and that they’ll actually use up or wear out. If none of these things quite hit the spot, you can always make a donation in the name of your loved one to World Bicycle Relief or People for Bikes.

We’ve just received an order of tote bags, which we’ve used to make a number of different gift bags. What’s better than getting a gift? Getting a bunch of gifts! In a bag!

on the road

The basics for the aspiring commuter in your life. 1 Yawp! water bottle, 1 bottle of Rock n’ Roll Extreme chain lube, Crank Brothers multi-tool, and the Incredibell Omnibell (designed to fit on almost any handlebar!). ($45)

if on a winter’s night a traveler…

Winter is one of our favorite times of year to ride bikes, but that’s only made possible by the right gear. Keep your head, feet, and insides warm with a 45NRTH Greazy wool cap (with ear flaps!), wool socks, and a Surly flask for a special warmth that wool just can’t match. ($83)

Flatland: a romance of many dimensions

Whether you’ve been riding a bike for eons or just getting into the swing of things, flat fixing tools are perfect for cyclists of all varieties. This gift pack includes 1 tube, tire levers, patch kit, and Topeak portable pump. ($39)

Walden

No matter where the trail takes you or your mountain bike loving loved ones, this bag of delights will help you get there. This gift bag includes 1 pair of 100% Ridecamp gloves, 1 Singletrack Map (with a variety of locations to choose from), 1 Timber mountain bike bell, and 1 Lezyne tubeless repair kit. Safety, comfort, and adventure all packed into one. ($84)

The Sycophant

Maybe you love Yawp or know someone who does. First, let them know that we love them, too. Once you’ve done that, reward them for being so awesome with this collection of Yawp things including a silipint, t-shirt in a size of your choosing, stickers, patches, socks, and Yawp tote bag to carry all your new awesome stuff in. ($46)

the things they carried

Whether you're preparing for a bikepacking trip, or like to carry lots of things on your daily commute, this gift pack has got you covered. With a Salsa Anything Cage, Oveja Negra Chuck Bucket, and Yawp! Silipint, you’ll be able to carry all your favorite beverages and related accessories. ($106)

Other Awesome Gift Ideas for Your Cycling Inclined Loved Ones

Spurcycle Bells

Durable, rebuildable, made in America, and one of the classiest looking and sounding bells on the block. Currently available in black, silver, and limited edition Chris King matte bourbon and violet! ($49-69)

Spurcycle Ti Key Clip

This new titanium key clip will keep your keys portable and handy on your belt loop, while also making sure you have a bottle opener at the ready. Which is important if you’re planning on spending any significant time with your family this holiday season. ($39)

King Cage Topcap Mount

More carrying capacity right at your finger tips! This topcap mount adds another mounting point for more stuff. At just $8, it’s a great option for a stocking stuffer, white elephant gift exchange, or that cousin you have to get something for but don’t really like that much.

Yawp! Gear

Merino t-shirts by Surly with our logo on the sleeve ($75). Caps by Rothera ($30). Tote bags ($12). Silipints ($16).

surly wool

Surly’s line of merino wool gear is great for all sorts of cold weather. Neck gaiters, jerseys, pocket tees, socks, scarves, and caps made out of the best merino wool to keep you warm and dry all winter long. ($15-165)

Yawp! Owl headbadge by jen Green

Jen Green has one of our favorite Instagram accounts. She makes amazing headbadges, and we are lucky that she made some for us! These little owls are white bronze, and we have them in two sizes (to fit all of your Surlys).

For more ideas, here are links to gift guides from years past.

2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015