to be closed on Monday is a pretty standard bike shop convention

thank goodness the journey is the destination...

the other day I took a ride on my new used Trek road bike... pedaled out to Old Town Alexandria

years ago I did a stint over at Big Wheel Bikes in Old Town
which makes Old Town a part of me... just as big wheel bikes is a part of me
even if I was the red headed step child in Sendar's eyes... I am still part of the Big Wheel Family

when I worked at Big Wheel Bikes I worked with a guy named Bennett
Bennett is still over at Big Wheel so I like to get over there to catch up with him from time to time
Bennett is a colorful character who always has a story to tell
all sorts of stories about bikes and people... stories from the past and from the present
if you spend enough time in "the clubhouse" you will get to see a colorful cast of characters that Bennett has collected over the years

Big Wheel Bikes in Old Town Alexandria has its own identify
and well... Bennett is a big part of that Big Wheel Identity
there is some good and some bad... the shop is definitely more Mom and Pop than "Hello My Name Is"

Big Wheel Bikes... you know the store... come on... the store looks like it is made out of YELLOW LEGO BRICKS!
YOU CAN SEE THE SHOP WHEN YOU LAND AT NATIONAL AIRPORT

Washington National Airport... it was already named after a president
some of us do not use the name change... it is either DCA or National
... but seldom would I refer to it as Reagan Airport

sorry... was drifting off track as I was also trying to fill this space along side these images of Velocity Bicycle Cooperative


back to Bennett and the story...
thought while I was out doing an unexpected uninvited pop in on Bennett I would also drop in and say hey to Christian and check out Velo City Coop... excuse me... that is Velocity Bicycle Cooperative
with an accent on the "e"
sorry... I do not know the keyboard shortcut


I ride out and pop in on Bennett... my timing is perfect... Bennett is about to order some lunch... I am hungry and have yet to have lunch
we order some Thai soup and then ride our bikes over to get it
catching up along the way

back at the store we continue to catch up as we eat
all the while my day is slipping away
I still want to stop by Velocity Bicycle Cooperative before I ride back into the city and pick up the kids from school

Bennett and I wind things up agreeing that we will meet for a mountain bike ride the following week
I roll around the corner just a stone's throw away from Big Wheel and I am at Velocity Bicycle Cooperative

well... go figure
I ride out there on a Monday
sure... I knew the risk... I know the old school
conventions of the bicycle store.... CLOSED ON MONDAY and OPEN LATE ON THURSDAY
well... I rang the bell
but I did not pound on the door
nor did I call

being cell phone-less calling was not a viable option

I just snapped a few photos then threw my leg over my bike

realizing it was just as well
as I did not have time for anything more than Hello and Goodbye

had to get home to knock a few things out before picking up the kids

oh shit... I took a shot from every angle
it is a flat symmetrical structure
and well

I am a basic center the image sort of point and shoot camera guy
I usually like all of the area rather than cropping things out and being artsy

although I still want to snap a nice shot

not sure if I made good use of the lighting
it was appreciated
yet... it was rushed

yes... I snapped a handful of shots.... but I shot them quickly

digital photography lends itself well to the Gatling gun method

film was far more demanding
the economics of it all dictated things to a certain extent

if not dictated... at least guided it a bit

Velocity Bicycle Cooperative

http://velocitycoop.org/

I will need to plot my course for a special trip to Velocity Bicycle Cooperative
catching up with Bennett was great
in fact I am going to try and ride up and have him show me some legal dirt trails in downtown Alexandria

I am very curious
legal trails

Old Town is such an interesting place
there is a uniqueness to it
a quirkiness
somehow even with a Gap and whatever else... Old Town has its identity it is not Anywhere USA

it is Old Town Alexandria
a quirky little place with some history and personality

oh man... so many images
not sure if I can make up anything more to fill this void


let me see...
the Big Wheel shop looked good
the space was well used

nice lay out with some nice bikes
there were no 29ers and only one cyclocross bike
but I guess that is just my bike interests and not the center of the market

a wide range of urban bikes and then what looked like a good collection of high end road bikes
I am sure there were a few solid mountain bikes...
Big Wheel has sold Kona and Rocky Mountain in the past and for years there carried some nice Marin moun
tain bikes

with no one at Velocity Bicycle Cooperative I was on my way home
got on the Mount Vernon Trail and then cut across downtown by taking the 14th Street Bridge often I like stay on the Mount Vernon Trail past Roosevelt Island and then on to K
ey Bridge into Georgetown
but I knew I was running short on time
the Thai soup and conversation with Bennett has sapped up all my time
had to get back into the city and pick my kids up from school

I will have to contact Christian and see when would be a good time then get a proper introduction to the shop and maybe have Christian show me a good place to get a good lunch
really... that Thai Chicken Galanga soup done Thai Hot was amazing sure I was sweating and my nose was running but I loved it

got home
grabbed a shower then grabbed the kids
when we got home
the boys and I took our black dog Brutus across the street for a hike
he did the old loop
a loop we used to walk multiple times to try and give him some exercise is not the maximum of what he can do

Big Wheel Bikes
http://www.bigwheelbikes.com/


okay.... it looks like I have filled the void

time to publish and post