TALES: I was wrong, and DC’s better than ever

A new coat
The paint chronicles continue, but Revolution Cycles, where I bought the Bike in Tampa, was awesome, with complete follow through.

So, after stripping my bike, spending more than 20 hours on a plane, sleeping for three hours, and riding DC buses and trains for another two hours, I walked into Georgetown’s Bicycle Pro Shop this morning with my baby whose flesh had been shedding on me. They’d told me to bring in, but I did not anticipate the luck I’d have at showing up while an actual Cannondale rep was in the store to evaluate the faulty paint. “Roberts,” (who explained to me that this was indeed his first name) changed my whole attitude about “corporate think,” and gave me yet another reason to love one of the best American-built bikes on the market: he opened the ’07 catalog and asked which color I wanted, letting me know they needed a week or two to build it! You can see the one I went with pictured on the left. If you want to see the rest of their 2007 lineup, do so here. I was wrong to doubt, and won’t make that mistake again.

The Shop
While I was in the Bicycle Pro Shop, I obviously had to buy some stuff and just look around. I’ll tell you that George (the roadie), Greg (the mountain biker & wrench) and Tony (the manager) were completely awesome and helpful in every way. These are all guys who ride seriously, and I highly recommend them if you need a C’dale or Specialized set of wheels in the area. Greg was extremely helpful with info for discount tools (that I'll pass on when I find the notes).

The city
While I waited an hour for a Metro bus, I noticed a big change since I’d left three years ago: every bus now has a bike rack on front. I talked a bit with a guy waiting with me who pulled up on an older, fat tire Trek who said every bus in the system’s now got a rack. We shared stories about Durango rides (my hometown and a favorite destination of his) before he was off. Incidentally for those who’ve never been to D.C., check out the Metro for all transport – it’s cheap, convenient and you’re never looking for parking!

Floyd Landis: What MTBers may not know
Did you know Landis started out on MTBs? I picked up this local gratis rag called “Spokes” that apparently covered him as a local boy years ago as he topped 24-hour race charts. Known for riding wheelies, they recounted a race where his front rim taco’d , so he removed the front wheel and actually finished the race – passing competitors – riding on the rear wheel alone! The publication’s not online, but I’ll try to get a copy of the article. There’s definitely some history behind this AFP photo of Landis popping one on his victory lap.