Update & Impressions, Mellow Johnny's Bike Shop

Contrary to popular opinion, I have not been hiking the Appalachian Trail or driving up and down the Argentinian coast visiting with a Dear, Dear Friend. I'm in Texas on business. And no, Texas is not a person and "on business" is not a euphemism for immoral or illegal activity.

I stopped by Mellow Johnny's bike shop today. Pheweeeee, what a sweet bike shop. Love or hate Lance, call him a cancer or yearn to wear a yellow bracelet in the hope that his mojo will wear off, he knows how to run a slick business operation. It's a great shop. I liked the DeRosas and the Bianchis, along with all the one-offs and unusual bikes. The memorabilia, including a lot of Lance teammate material, was lovely to look at too. I'm not so sure about the Trektacular SelTrektion of an eclTrektic series of bikes manuTrektured by a ubiquitous American bike company under a variety of brand names... guess I'm not much of a Trek guy. But the other stuff was hot. Pretty much everything seemed to be selling at or near manufacturer's recommended price, except for some clothing items (it is peak season in a super ultra premium shop so no shock there, but the stuff wasn't marked up either, which did surprise me). The two nicest bikes in the shop that weren't one-offs or exotics were a steel Bianchi Dolomitti which combined modern and retro features in a balance that was ridiculously pleasing to the eye, and a Swobo Baxter. What a frickin' nice bike. If I lived in D.C. and needed a townie bike, I'd be all over the Baxter. It's great looking, has nice components, fat but fast looking tires, and a great retro green color. I hefted it and kept tapping different parts of its butted tubing, gripped the brakes, swiveled the handlebars, petted the saddle. . . Niiiice. Beautiful bike. Nicely done, Stevil (and Sky?) and crew. And that Bianchi... I *yearned* to ride it. Not many bikes make me feel that way but I got a crush on that frickin' Dolomitti. It was pleasing to look at, and its triple butted steel tubing felt like scandium when tapped. Bet it rides nice, and I bet it's just as pleasing to leave in a corner of your livingroom and just look at it.

Jaw Droppingly "just right": Bianchi Dolomitti

Like a Reverse Facebook Photo:

Better Looking in Person Swobo Baxter

One of the staffers chatted with me a bit and elicited the fact I was traveling and just stopping in to get a few trinkets. He invited me to join the crew for the basement studio spin class. The studio is a state of the art, wired for power, sound and video workout space with virtual reality trainers and all sorts of bikes and techy goodies. I can't even describe the gear geekery emanating from the basement. "Oh yeah, those are some of Lance's bikes leaning on that wall." So I'm there looking at an amazing array of Lance and shop bikes and training gear and chatting with former DC Tri and DCMTB guys and here's the conversation.

Staffer: You should stop by for the spin class at 6:00 AM.

Me: I dunno.

Staffer: It's really not fair to call it a spin class. It's not really like spinning at all.

Me: I'm not sure about my schedule in the AM. It's pretty tight.

Staffer: Kevin Livingston leads the class.

Me: Kevin... WTF?

Staffer: Y'know, Lance's old teammate? He coaches and consults. He's friends with Lance and Lance invited him in to do this. It's kind of not like any spin class you've ever done.

Me: Okay. I hate to say this but I've been laid up for most of the spring. I'm totally unfit. That class would kill me right now. Seriously. You don't want that.

Staffer: Yeah, I just about pass out occasionally. It's pretty insane.

Random Racer Chick (who reminded me of Mega-Deau) Who Was Just Passing By: I totally passed out a couple weeks ago in the class and fell off the bike. It was really embarassing. [Giggle].

Me: Next time I'm in town I'll make time for it. And make sure I'm peaking first...

Other notes: great selection of bike-related fashion and hipster gear, from Swobo and Rapha to Hincapie and non-descript Mellow Johnny's label stuff. Good selection of bikes from barebones commuters to shoot-the-moon racers. Not as much stock as you'd expect, but good stuff up and down the line. Beautiful shop jerseys, the same stuff you see Lance practicing in, except it's not Livestrong (they sell that stuff too) it's Mellow Johnny's or Juan Pelota Cafe gear. Whoever is their fashion buyer is smart, with classic, timeless tastes. Very nice. It's a sweet high end local bike shop, just candy to a cyclist. And you can get a decent espresso ristretto at the Juan Pelota Cafe within the shop. Awesome.

Like I say, love Lance or hate him, he's a force of nature to be reckoned with and his shop reflects that. It's a first rate operation.