Okay so not the greatest of blog titles.....I have wanted one of these for a long while and about a month ago my dreams came true. Tired of wearing a pack for my 28 mile r/t commute and not wanting to deal with the heft of racks and panniers I waited anxiously for my friends at Swift Industries to dial in designs on their Saddle bag or as I like to refer to it, my seat trunk. If you are not familiar with Swift you should be, it is made up of Jason and Martina, two wonderful people who I am fortunate to have a part of my world. Running out of the spare bedroom, living room and a little into the kitchen and entrance to their home, they build each bag to order based on your color preference, oh did I mention the do panniers, seat trunks aka saddle bags and portuer bags. Jason had asked me what colors I wanted and after 2 months of indecision I decided on this one, The Sum of its Parts designed in conjunction with PartyBots out of Seattle.

The best addition yet to my bike. I couldn't think of more deserving people to support.

Some cool link for you. The Path Less Pedaled one is pretty great!

Swift's Blog: http://cycleswift.wordpress.com/page/2/                                      

Swift's Website: http://swiftindustries.wordpress.com/

A little something about Swift: PathLessPedaled - Swift Industries

Bellingham isn't the biggest of cities but has proved to be just about right for me nice scenery, good people, yummy icecream, temperate climate and lots of bicycles. Shortly after the move I signed up my first shop, Fairhaven Bike and Ski in my new home. Since then they have been representing the brand like champs, selling through Rubens like crazy.  Here's a pic of a few of the new ones they just brought in. See that Curry Ruben? How hot is that? It's the first pic I've got from one of our shops. Big ups to the crew over at Fairhaven, thanks for all your support!!

We just got our latest saddles in just in time for spring riding. The Rivet commuter saddle features a perforated black synthetic leather with old school copper rivets. The saddle is a bit larger than our Diamond Stitch saddle so it is a touch more comfortable and it looks great on old school lugged bikes.  The saddle comes with matching perforated bar tape for a classic look on the front and back of the bike. We are selling the combo for $55.

The speakers were pumping the likes of Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and Van Halen all night long as the over capacity Cabin Tavern was spilling out with people. Our very own sponsored singlespeed cross rider Joey Mullen took home the win for the men with an impressive time.  Lara took the win with a huge turnout for the women! Thanks to all the local bellingham and industry sponsors for supporting our bike scene here and we hope to hold these events twice a year so stay tuned for more. We couldn't hold these events without the help of Pabst Blue Ribbon,Chrome Bags, FreeHub Magazine, Red Boot Designs, Donkelope Bikes, Cascade Cross, Kona Bikes, Mallard Ice Cream, Anker Cafe, Pickford Cinema, Mind Port, Backcountry Essentials, Jagwire, Superfeet, Asolo Packs, Drop n Zone, Fairhaven Bike, Kulshan Bikes

Thanks to Jordan Bright for the photos. Enjoy.

A good friend of mine just starting working for this really cool coffee company. The basic idea is that when you buy their coffee which is all fair trade coffee that 20% of the sale goes to the farmer and 8% goes to charity. The cool part is that you can choose your own charity or pick one of their affiliate charities. The coffee is delivered for free every month to you.  Since Joe and I used to be involved with Bike Works Seattle a non profit project aimed at teaching inner city youth to work on and ride bikes, we got ReThink Coffee to add them as a partner.

Click here if you want to learn more. I can personally say the coffee is excellent and worth it for sure.

With just of few DP2 premiers going on around the country, with the NAHMBS & Seattle down you only have a few chances to catch this on the big screen.  April 10th Kareem will be premiering DP2 in Atlanta as a fundraiser for the North American Cycle Courier Championships. There are a grip of prizes up for grabs so there are no reasons not to be in attendance if you are in the South East.

How time flies. It doesn’t feel like all that long ago when I was approached by not one, not two, but three guys from Canada. Two were representing a shop they were starting in Fort Langley, BC while the third was asking on behalf of his now open shop BikeBike in Calgary.

Here we are 6 months later, that’s an entire winter which never quite happened in the NW, the job for me has been going along much like it was the 6 months prior to meeting these three gentlemen. Their lives however, are much different now then when we first met at Interbike and quite frankly will never be the same.

To celebrate their next steps, Jon and Tim will be hosting a little party this Saturday complete with free BBQ and some giveaways. If you live in the area, for sure stop in and wish the crew well.

From their Blog: “A bicycle shop should not only sell bicycles; it should sell a way of life.” Here we are at the beginning of fulfilling a dream that we’ve had for years; an opportunity to meld our livelihoods with our passion for bicycles. We are Tim & Misty and Jon & Alyssa, brothers and their wives who are looking forward to opening Fort Langley’s first bike shop, in the heart of town.  

Check out their new web home at www.cyclery.ca

So this is it, I've finally put together an entire event from scratch and have learned a very important lesson along the way, event planning is a pain in the a**.  I know, it will all be very worth the effort.   At the very least I've done it once, I've delegated, people have been contributing, generating excitment, and I have met some really wonderful people in my community during the process.  It's mostly Bellingham area businesses with the exception of Chrome, Jagwire and Pabst.  Just think of all those smiling faces I will see enjoying the fruits of my labor. If you find yourself in town you should come out and play. 

Thanks to everyone for their support and involvement in my personal experiment.

Go Means Go and Baron Bicycles present: Pedal Party. An event that will take place after the Cascade Bicycle Club's Bike Expo and is designed to bring the cycling community together for bike trivia, food, and drinks at 9 Million in Unmarked Bills in Fremont. The event is 21+ and sure to be a good time.

Somehow in the craziness of yesterday I overlooked a gem of an email. It was from Joseph B., a very patient man with a vision from Portland, who has been working on building his Exile since the summer. How some people can wait that long to get going on their new bike is beyond me but something I won't question as he is officially on the most beautiful Exile out there. Sorry everyone, Joseph wins, but maybe that's because I have a soft spot for shellacked bar tape, leather saddles, mustache bars and lots of polished components. Thanks for sharing Joseph and thanks Veloce for setting things up.

Click here for a closer look on FLICKR

It's official, Traitor Cycles now has a home in Calgary.  Bikebike Bike Shop will have its grand opening party on February 13th. Here is the official press release. Well, mostly official, I did pop in some pics.

NEW URBAN/TRANSPORTATION BIKE SHOP ARRIVES IN CALGARY CALGARY, AB, JANUARY 1, 2010: BikeBike Inc. will be Calgary’s premiere everyday cycling specialists. We will feature bicycles, services, and products that are specific to everyday cycling – car-free living, bike commuting, pathway exploring, running errands, and general city cycling. We hope to inspire our customers to make cycling an important part of their daily life by providing products and services that make everyday cycling not just possible, but totally enjoyable – all year long.

Our mission is to spread our passion for bicycles as fun and responsible transportation and to lead everyday cycling forward in a positive and professional manner. Climate change, rising energy prices, a growing eco-consciousness, and childhood obesity are just a few factors that are helping push bicycle use back into the mainstream and we at BikeBike feel that the time has come to remind people that bicycles can be used for more than just recreation – bikes are truly vehicles that can change our world for the better.

For more information, please visit:                                                                   www.bikebike.ca                                        Facebook                                                           http://bikebikecalgary.blogspot.com/                                                            Twitter

About BikeBike BikeBike was created by Sean Carter with the goal of providing Calgarians a bicycle shop that is welcoming to new cyclists, families, and eco-conscious individuals.

Get these out of our hair and have a Happy New Year!!!

56cm Exile Curry Dragon Frameset -$499

56cm Exile Antique White Frameset -$475

Please remember these are AS-IS, that means no refunds because of size or because it has a scratch.  I tried to reasonably depict what I have seen on the frame.  They are merely cosmetic blems, so they are safe to ride.  Be in touch info@traitorcycles.com.

Just got this pic of a Luggernaut from Ted over at Recycled Cycles in Seattle. If you are still wondering what to get yourself or your sweetie for the holidays, here it is. Super hot!!!

My Friend Kylie is putting this together for the weekend.  Just helping to spread the word.

Alleycat through the mean streets of Bellingham. Meet at Cornwall Park at 12 o'clock noon on Saturday, December 19th. Please wear a holiday (or at least an unsightly) sweater and bring three cans of food for donation. We'd also recommend bringing a courier bag of sorts, some extra cash if you got it, a pen, and a sense of fun. Also we're making this a team edition alleycat, so choose one person to race with, and choose them well. The finish might be at the Cuddle House, or it might not be, but either way, there will be a party. We'll find it all out in your manifest the day of. See you on the streets.

I know this is a long ways out but there is no way I will remember to post this in April. A fellow Bellinghamster is helping to organize this, I think, maybe she is just involved in the event and I promised to post this. Besides the work they do is vital in serving our world community. If you live in Western Washington and are looking to do a sponsored ride, this should be it, the Skagit Valley is beautiful and all the supported rides out of Seattle are old news.

“The SWAN Century and Family Fun Rides are sponsored non-competitive bicycle rides through the scenic rolling hills of Skagit Valley, benefiting SWAN (Serving Women Across Nations) a local humanitarian organization dedicated to serving the needs of women and children in developing countries.Entry fees from the ride go to educate children and provide microcredit (small loans to women) in Kenya and Bolivia. Visit www.swanforhumanity.org to view pictures and learn more. SWAN is a 501 c 3 organization. SWAN's volunteer staff insures that all proceeds from the "SWAN Century and Family Fun Ride" get to the people in need. “

Just got the new shipment of Ruben's in. This new batch includes rack mount brazeons as well as an extra set of water bottle mounts. We brought back the Oil Rig paint job as well as two new colors, Raw with gloss clearcoat and a chrome fork and Curry with matching fork. We also got better pricing from our factory on these so we are passing the savings down. Rubens are now $499 for frame and fork!

Checkout the new Rubens Here

Traitor Cycles will be throwing some support the way of the Sadie Hawkins Style ride which is to benefit the Chicago Women's Health Center, the longest operating women’s health collective in the US.  The prize?  Since it is a couples ride, his and hers, his and his or hers and hers Luggernaut framesets that will be getting their own custom paint job.  Go support awesome things and the good work of people in the community.

"Thought You Knew Project has returned for 2010, this year with two calendars worth of Ladies Pinups and Men’s Superheroes, all doing their best for the Chicago Women’s Health Center.  The proceeds from the sales of both Calendars go directly to CWHC, the only collectively run women’s health center in the country. CWHC has been a provider of affordable health care and health education to women for over 30 years

This year, TyK will get a preview at the Sadie Hawkins Style Ride on November 14^th, with an after party hosted by Cobra Lounge. Please see the chicagosadiehawkins.info website for more info.

The Gala-Gallery Launch will take place on Friday, November 20^th at Mars Gallery, at 1139 W Fulton Market. Koval Liquors will provide a tasting table, there will be complimentary beer by Half Acre Brewery, coffee from Star Lounge, as well as complimentary wine and cocktails from 5pm-11pm."

Thanks to the tireless work of Ryan at GoMeansGo crew, Seattle gets yet another stellar bicycle event. This will be showing for 2 weeks beginning the first of the month, show you support for DIY bike culture even if it isn't your scene. Ryan's events are inclusive and meant for all to be a part of.

Last year I came to visit my friends in Bellingham about this time of month, I walk in the door and a group of employees for Transition Bikes gather shoulder to shoulder take a look at me and are like "Well?" I had no idea what was going on and what sort of reaction they were looking for until someone pointed out they were all rocking sweet moustaches for the month of Stachetober. Well here we are a year later, I am someplace I'd not have thought myself to be and rocking the facial hair just like my friends were last year during that visit. Without further ado, Traitor Cycles Stachetober 2009. 

Kevin Owner

Joe in Sales

Carl in Shipping