Friday Photo - Santa Out for a Ride

Santa and a couple of his favorite elves out for a ride

All of us here at Circle City Bicycles wish you a merry Christmas, and hope that Santa was good to you. In the photo above you can see him out biking with two elves. Unfortunately, Santa is not as safety conscious as he should be. We're going to send a letter to the North Pole & recommend a trailer for the two elves and helmets for everyone.

Our photo comes from the Cycling Action Network in New Zealand. The weather is not so good for cycling in Indiana right now, but it's probably great in New Zealand.

Video Christmas Card from Team Sky

Here's a virtual Christmas card from Team Sky (Team of Chris Froome, Richie Porte and others). Riders Ian Stannard and Ben Swift provide the electrical power.

Friday Photo - 1915 Australian Bicycle Ride from Adelaide to Darwin

Think U.S. motorists are hostile to cyclists? (Photo courtesy of DailyMail.com)

Don't worry - The scene above was staged and the cyclist was in no danger. The photo is one of many taken by Edward Reichenback (also known as "Ryko") on his nearly 2,000 mile ride through the Australian Outback in 1914. He had a companion riding with him for the first half of the ride, but his friend had to retire after spraining his ankle. Ryko took a lot of photos during his trip, and after arriving in Darwin, sold copies of them. One of his photos shows him wading through a swamp while carrying his bike. Another shows his bike parked next to a giant termite mound. The government of Australia's Northern Territory suspected him of being a German spy during World War I, because of his suspicious travels and the fact he had a German name. Ryko was actually born in Australia and he was eventually cleared.

One Week Until Christmas - Are You Done Shopping Yet?

Christmas Gifts For Your Favorite Cyclist!

We know it can be hard to choose what to get for your friends and family during the holiday season. If you still have people on your list that love to ride their bicycle, you have come to the right place. Here are a few of our favorite gift ideas this holiday season.

Arkel Bags

Any cyclist will tell you - there can never be enough storage!

Arkel bags come in many shapes and sizes, including innovative ones that turn into backpacks or bags that have separate pouches for oddly shaped items like tent poles.

Check out our YouTube video about Arkel Bags HERE






Park Tool Chain Cleaner



The chain is one of the most often overlooked parts of the bicycle. Keeping your chain clean and lubed means less energy is lost during your pedal stroke. It also means a lower likelihood of getting your pants dirty on the commute to work!

Abus Locks


Theft is always a concern of the avid rider. If you know someone who rides a bike (no matter how expensive) and they DON'T have a lock, maybe you should get them one anyway.




Cycling Rear View Mirrors


Keep your friend or family member safe on the road! Having a rear view mirror on your glasses, helmet, or bar end is like having eyes in the back of your head!








Bike Tools


Every cyclist can use a muli-tool. Most cyclists would have use for the other tools we have in the shop. 








Last, but not least,

Nutrition Products


Cycling is great for your health, but it also uses energy from your body. Staying fueled up with proper nutrition is extremely important before, during and after rides.

Circle City Bicycles and Fitness

5506 Madison Ave.

Indianapolis, IN 46227

(317) 786-9244

ed@circlecitybicycles.com

www.circlecitybicycles.com

Bicycle Tire Chains for Riding in Snow

Slipnot chains are for cycling through snow

So far the winter has been mild, and let's hope it stays that way. However, if you are a diehard cyclist and want to be able to ride no matter what the weather is, you might want to look at Slipnot. They make bicycle tire chains in a wide variety of sizes. Prices range from $95 - $105 for a pair. We don't carry these, but you can order a pair at SlipnotTraction.com. Here's a video that shows a couple guys testing them out after a blizzard.

State Cycling Jerseys - Arizona, California, Indiana and MORE

One of our many state cycling jerseys

We have recently added a number of state jerseys to our website. These come from a variety of suppliers. Here are the jerseys we currently have available:

• Arizona
• California
• Hawaii
• Illinois
• Indiana
• New England
• New Mexico
• New York
• Texas

If you are looking for a state jersey that we don't have, send us an email at roy@circlecitybicycles.com or call us at (317) 786-9244 and we'll see if we can find one.for you.

Okay, I know that New England is not a state, but we include it here because you need to add together all all of New England to make a decent size state. Their combined area is still less than that of Kansas.

Friday Photo - The Treadmill Bicycle

Treadmill bicycle with optional dog walking attachment

This week's photo comes from The Bicycle Forest, inventors of the treadmill bicycle. While the treadmill bike is innovative, it is not particularly fast or efficient, as you can see in this video. Be sure to read their post about Reverend Lugio, who wanted to purchase five of these bicycles for his church in Kenya. Sensing that this was a scam, Bicycle Forest concocted a story that they had five bicycles, but one had the optional dog walking attachment shown above, and another one had the optional hot dog cart. The "Reverend" was undeterred, and still wanted all five as soon as possible.

New YouTube Video: Arkel Commuter and Touring Panniers

How Do You Carry Your Stuff While Riding?

Commuting, touring or just riding around town, panniers are one of the best ways to haul your stuff. Panniers attach to your front or rear racks so you don't have to wear a heavy, sweaty backpack to work or on your weekend group ride.







Arkel offers many different styles and features including a separate pouch for tent poles and the ability to change into a backpack.

Come in to Circle City Bicycles and let us help you find the best pannier for your needs!

Circle City Bicycles and Fitness

5506 Madison Ave.

Indianapolis, IN 46227

(317) 786-9244

ed@circlecitybicycles.com

www.circlecitybicycles.com

Trotify

Trotify makes your bicycle sound like a clopping horse (Photo courtesy of Geekologie)

At Circle City Bicycles we're always looking for new and innovative cycling accessories. Things that you probably won't find at most bike shops are frequently good products to sell through the Internet. We're not too sure about this one called Trotify. It attaches to your front wheel and makes your bike sound like a horse trotting (You need to provide the empty coconut shell halves). Here's a video that shows it in action.

Friday Photo - Upside Down Bicycle

The upside down bicycle

Here's an interesting bicycle. I can't figure what the advantage this design offers, but it is unique. My only complaint is that any rider of this bicycle should be wearing a helmet. It looks like you could land on your head pretty easily. To see this bike in action, check out this video.

B & O Trail

Tunnel on the B&O Trail (Photo courtesy of The Family Trail Ride)

The B&O Trail Association is trying to raise funds to extend the trail 16 miles westward from Brownsburg to North Salem. They are attempting to come up with $20,000. You can donate by visiting their crowdfunding site.