Just a friendly reminder …

Renaissance Bicycles will officially end its reign on December 31st, 2010.  Hence, all of the items listed in the Closeout Inventory will magically disappear, only to repair appear at some later date on eBay.  In other words, now is the last chance to take advantage of getting some of these probably-not-stocked-at-your-LBS items.

And again thanks for the dozens of emails, comments, and phone calls over the last couple of weeks.  It is a nice pat-on-the-back that (in some small way) we’ve helped turn the tide towards versatile, practical, and elegant bicycles.

Happy Holidays!

Of the countless blog posts we’ve written over the last three years, this is the one we never wanted to write:

If you ask any small business owner, they will tell you that times are tough – we are amid The Great Recession.  We, as a nation, experienced a long and unparalleled period of growth and prosperity, but we never considered that our “success” was due more to a long sequence of short-termed achievements rather than a solid foundation of cultivated hard work.  Now, mired in a stagnant economy, we don’t have the ability to bootstrap ourselves back to our “comfortable” levels of spending and consumption.  And it is this nebulous economy that has most small businesses in a bind.

Unfortunately, Renaissance Bicycles is no exception.

To make our situation that much more difficult, we now have the added responsibility of a (literally) growing family.  Moreover, while the business is an integral part our daily lives, childcare is much more than just an aside to our daily activities.  To put it plainly, we have to make an uncomfortable choice; either soldier-on with the hope of the business becoming more profitable very soon, or devote our attention to the best interest of our little clan.  For us, this decision is a no-brainer.  The Renaissance is over.

We have certainly made many sacrifices to create Renaissance Bicycles.  The personal and professional demands on the small business owner are too easily overlooked; the amount of personal investment (both in time and dollars), the single-minded dedication, and the myriad tasks needed to operate any small business are sometimes overwhelming.  Plus, to do this in a notoriously unprofitable industry make the challenge all the more daunting.

The upside to our current situation is that we’ve been able to remain (slightly) profitable since inception.  Unlike many huge corporations, our closing will not be a catastrophic tumble that involved bankruptcy, foreclosure, or financial ruin.  More likely is a slow fizzle into a footnote in the annals of cycling.

In the practical sense, for Renaissance Bicycles and its customers this means:

• We will no longer take on any new projects.
• We will complete our current projects.
• We will no longer source parts for customers.
• We will continue to be a small part of the cycling niche that we helped to promote.

Our website will soon be revised to reflect these changes.  We will sell off our current inventory of bikes, frames, and components.  We will also use our eBay store to purge many of the random little cycling bits that we’ve acquired over the last three years.  If there is something of interest that you might like to purchase from our inventory, please contact us with the specifics.

Of course, we would like to take a moment to thank all of the individuals that have made this venture possible.  We consider ourselves fortunate to have worked with so many pleasant and thoughtful people over the last few years.  Without the support of these customers, our little venture never would have lasted this long.

Likewise, we would like to appreciate our partners in the cycling industry.  Along with a long list of distributors and parts suppliers like Cane Creek, we would be remiss not to acknowledge the support we’ve received from Soma Fabrications, Velo Orange, and especially Rivendell Bicycle Works.  Thanks for believing in us.

And on some small scale, we hope that we have inspired cyclists to consider the possibilities of what the larger industry considers “outdated” bikes; techniques and processes that were once considered obsolete are slowly regaining their due respect.  Moreover, there is a groundswell of cyclists who value the uniqueness and craftsmanship of classically styled bikes, and their voices and buying power are slowly changing the industry.

So, it is with heartfelt gratitude to our supporters that we say goodbye and close our virtual doors.  And if we can leave you with one final sentiment, it is to support your local bike shop; they are your friends, neighbors, and fellow cyclists who embody the community and comradery that is cycling.

Thanks again,

– Bryan, Kyndra, Grayson, and Carina

Many moons ago, when Renaissance Bicycles was not much more than a glimmer in our wishful eye, we were the fortunate recipient of an unusual vintage French Velosolex:

Late 1970's Velosolex

Vintage. French. Rare. A late 1970's custom built 531 steel road bike with a Huret drivetrain.

7 Photos

Not long after listing the bike for sale, it was snapped up by a bike shop in California.  Normally, that is where the story ends.

However, much to our delight, we recently received a photo of the bike from it’s latest owner:

It’s safe to say that this bike has been reborn with a new attitude.  In fact, apart from the decals, you might think these were two different bikes.  Now, before you go all retrogrouchy about the provenance of the original bike … there is a story:

Read the rest of this entry »

One recurring theme in our frequent review of the cycling blogosphere is the amount of artwork created of, with, and about the bicycle. So about a year ago, we started a little online side project called The Bicycle is Art. Sadly, the project didn’t get much traction simply because it became too much of a task to search, write, and update the blog. In the daily triage that is small business, it fell by the wayside.

However, we didn’t give up.

Lately we’ve been playing with Tumblr, a simple online blogging platform perfect for re-blogging online photos, videos, and articles. Tumblr is easy to use and oriented towards simple aesthetics – exactly what we were looking for.

Hence, we are pleased to announce the rebirth of The Bicycle is Art:

The new format is simple, elegant, and easy to quickly peruse. And on the backend, we have created some clever (if we do say so ourselves) search tools to scour the Web for the latest bicycle related photography, film, sculpture, and events. Better yet, the new site has a user friendly Submit function that allows anyone to suggest links, videos, or happenings; just select a format (photo, video, link, etc.), type a title, and maybe add a few words.

As you might guess, The Bicycle is Art takes advantage of social media. Along with the website, there is a Twitter component and an RSS feed. Any questions or comments can be directed to thebicycleisart@gmail.com

All-in-all, we are pretty pleased. We hope you like it too.
http://theBicycleisArt.com →

It is no secret that Fall is here. In WNC, that means crisp evenings, a peak in colorful foliage, and an exodus of Floridians.

It also means that the peak of the annual cycling season has passed. Of course, this is a double edged sword for Renaissance Bicycles; we will have more time for afternoon rides, updating the website, and reading Bicycle Quarterly. You can guess the downside.

But the real question is:
[polldaddy poll=4006567]

Obviously, there is a not-so-hidden agenda in this Quiz; we want to know how you plan to spend your time before the cold sets in, and how we can motivate cyclists to keep riding through the upcoming months?

As always, you can write your thoughts in the Comments section below.

When thinking in terms of long-term business aspirations, we took it to the logical conclusion: Who will be our customer 50+ years from now?

Initially, we assumed that the retired racer-come-recreational cyclist would be our target market; after all, this makes up a decent amount of our current customers.  They have graduated (or maybe retired) from the racing scene, but still enjoy long memorable rides. They remain passionate and knowledgeable, but speed, performance, and wattage have been supplanted with comfort, exercise, and scenery.

But more to the point, what about the young urban hipster on his/her fixie? Is their involvement in cycling more of a flimsy social statement or fad? Or will they continue to appreciate the individuality and freedom afforded by the bicycle — regardless of the fashionable trends? Importantly, rather than ridicule from veteran cyclists, should they be groomed as the next wave of cycling enthusiasts?

Of course, only time will reveal the results; but we can’t help wondering aloud, “Will the fixie hipster be the future retrogrouch?”

We encourage and appreciate our customers and friends emailing us their technical questions about “renaissancing” their vintage bikes. Whether it is for an early 1960′s race bike, or a mid 1980′s off-roader, we are happy to provide our expertise.

But … there is a downside. We do our best to give thorough thoughtful answers, often providing links and relevant options. But, as our workday becomes more and more consumed by the Daily Business of Renaissance Bicycles, our efforts to answer these sometimes fall short. We simply don’t have the time to give a worthwhile answer, and too often these questions are relegated to the back-burner.

However, we suspect there are enough interested “renaissancers” out there to provide a proper community. Hence, we have created the “Renaissanced” Bicycle Google Group. This group is not intended for just our customers, but rather for anyone interested in reviving a classic bike with modern components. In other words, it is a place for comradery, assistance, and a shared interest in reviving classic bicycles. Likewise, it is not intended or restricted to one type / category / model of bicycle — everyone and everything is welcome.

So … without further fanfare, please join us online at the “Renaissance” Bicycle Group; bring your questions, your expertise, and your commentary.  We’d love to have you.

For quite a while now, we’ve been dreaming and scheming a design for our own “house” brand. We are not exactly sure where this is eventually lead (it may just die a quite death) but we thought it worthwhile enough to share:

If you take a look at the bikes we sell, you will conclude two things about our preferences:

1. A proclivity for classic lugged steel, traditional sized tubing, and “balanced” proportions.
2. Bikes with versatility are good.  Wide tires, fenders, racks, etc. are a positive things for non-competitive riders.

So naturally, these design elements are reflected in our little sketchbook:

And yes, these are a rough draft of the same bike.  We envision a do-all style cyclocross bike that can “Race on Sunday, Commute on Monday.”

But the other thing that cannot be conveyed in these unpolished drafts is the way we would like to go about building the bike.  In fact, anyone can produce concept drawings like these via BikeCAD (and please don’t hold us to any of the details, these are simply drafts), but what separates this bike from other worthwhile offerings is:

• High quality lugged steel — something of the Reynolds 853 or Columbus variety.
• A line of standard frame sizes. Custom options available upon request.
• Pricing that falls in the $1250 – $1500 range for frame + fork.
• Made right here in the U.S. of A. by a handful of selected craftsman.
• Reasonable production turn-around times. Ideally a month or less.

Basically, we are thinking of offering a sub $1500, standard frame sized, lugged steel, made in America ‘cross bike that can be used for commuting and light touring.  And although that sounds like somewhat of a stretch, no one (and let us know if we’re wrong) is doing it right now.  As per usual Renaissance Bicycles is looking to fill a niche in the Market.

But regardless of our day-dreaming, the real question is: Do you think people will be interested?

Sure we think our opinions are always spot on, but it’s good to hear the thoughts of others as well.  Tom Wyland, the curator of Bikes For The Rest Of Us, takes a moment to reflect on the current state of cycling for transportation in the following Guest Post:

You’re a typical American Bicyclist.  On your car is the latest Swedish roof rack to cradle your road bike as you drive it to your rail-trail or group ride.  Your carbon fiber rims with the skinniest of tires to carry you with a rumble to your maximum speed.  Brightly-colored spandex shows off your sponsors as you speed by dog walkers and runners.  Let’s not forget about the shoes that you selected from the wall-of-shoes at your local bike shop.  How else would you make those lollipop pedals go around?

Is this really as good as cycling gets in the US?  Why isn’t bicycling something I can do every day with my children or their grandmother?  Where are my dedicated bike facilities for pedaling to the store or to work or to dinner?  What about high-quality bikes with platform pedals, chain guards and fenders?   I want a shop in my town that sells Bikes For The Rest Of Us.  Putting together a transportation bike shouldn’t involve a Trans-Atlantic flight or bike-hacking or dredging bike tips from eccentric bike shops halfway across the country.   I just want to be able to walk into my LBS and buy a bell – a brass one – not one with Spiderman on the top that’s hanging next to the multi-colored bar-end streamers.

So will ranting in a blog bring alive my vision of transportation bicycles taking over the US?  No, but there are things everyone can do to make a difference:
Read the rest of this entry »

Recently we had the opportunity to discuss the philosophy, activities, and future plans of Renaissance Bicycles with Alan Barnard of EcoVelo.  And (in the small chance)  you haven’t heard of EcoVelo, then you should go ahead and plan on a daily visit from now on.  Alan brings together beautiful photography, current issues in transportation, and some of the most thoughtful product reviews.

As always, Alan was gracious, insightful, and willing to let us be us.  And without further adieu, here is the article:

http://www.ecovelo.info/2010/08/24/an-interview-with-bryan-luce-of-renaissance-bicycles/