The Broken Spoke

https://thebrokenspoke.com/2023/02/14/thank-you/

thank you…! it is with so much gratitude that i am officially announcing my semi-retirement…! i want to thank everyone who has helped make the broken spoke an absolute success over the past twenty years&…

register today for a chance to win a free tune-up from yours truly...!

We 💙 our Ride 4 Youth volunteers! Check out Lois Boulware Learning Community students from Carver College of Medicine modeling this year's Ride 4 Youth t-shirt!

If you register before midnight tomorrow night (Wednesday night), you will be eligible to win a free bike tune-up at The Broken Spoke in Iowa City. *If you have already registered for Ride 4 Youth, your name will automatically be entered into the hat!

Everyone who registers will receive a free Ride 4 Youth t-shirt and a free meal at our post-ride celebration with live music at Terry Trueblood from 11am-2pm on Sunday, October 9th!

Don't miss out...register here:
https://uiccomstores.org/event/ride-4-youth-2022/

one of the best rides of the year...!

Ride 4 Youth Ride 4 Youth is a charity bike ride that supports United Action for Youth. The ride is hosted by the students of the Boulware Learning Community in the Carver College of Medicine at the University of Iowa in partnership with UAY and our presenting sponsors: United Iowa Financial and Java House. The....

https://thebrokenspoke.com/2022/08/03/update/

update… with no notice & without any regard of allowing previously stated access to the parking lot…the current situation has changed & parking on gilbert street is still maybe a possibility&…

as of today...the building's parking lot can still be accessed from folks coming from the south via maiden lane...conveniently pictured intersecting with gilbert street...!

coming from the north...?
iowa city civil engineer ethan yoder has approved parking on gilbert street...
https://littlevillagemag.com/section-of-s-gilbert-street-will-be-closed-to-traffic-until-mid-august/

Section of S Gilbert Street will be closed to traffic until mid-August - Little Village A short but busy section of S Gilbert Street will be closed to traffic for almost a month starting next week to “facilitate the reconstruction of the CRANDIC railroad crossing and street pavement repair,” the Iowa City Public Works Department [...]Read More...

https://www.thegazette.com/business/gallop-courier-delivers-by-bike

Gallop Courier delivers, by bicycle Business offers delivery by cargo bike throughout Iowa City

just did a sweet fork swap for a sweet titanium mountain bike...!
https://thebrokenspoke.com/2022/06/25/prest-o-change-o/

full admission of guilt from the defendant...judge rules not guilty anyway...cool...

https://www.charlescitypress.com/front/2022/04/28/judge-rules-driver-not-guilty-before-bengtson-death-trial-goes-to-jury/

woof...!

Ambassadogs Of Kona! Visit the post for more.

just updated the used bikes page on thebrokenspoke.com...
take a look-see & make an appointment to take one for a test ride...!
https://thebrokenspoke.com/used-bikes-for-sale/

Used Bikes A current inventory of used bikes at the shop. All used bikes are fully repaired before being sold & come with a month of free adjustments. We’re pretty picky with what we sell for used, …

happy holidays...!
the shop will be closed until january seventh...
be well everyone...!

lazy chill saturday in the sun...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3gsWt7ey6bo

& just like that...december fifteenth destroys the former record holder of november twenty-second for riding to the shop shirtless...🚲❄🚲❄🚲🤨

https://www.outsideonline.com/outdoor-adventure/biking/bike-lane-obstruction/

Zen and the Art of Ignoring a Bike Lane Obstruction There’s the pathological response, and there’s the reasonable one

a wonderful holiday gift package arrived from kona today...-=D

my point of 'nobody _gets_ their bike stolen because that puts the blame on the victim & everyone should change their vernacular to 'some jackass stole my bike...'' wasn't conveyed...but this is still a very good in-depth article...
thanks to adria for taking the time...!

So, 'some jackass' stole your bike? Welcome to Iowa City. - Little Village Robert Henderson bikes to get around Iowa City. It’s his main transportation. He works at Carlos O’Kelly’s cooking, washing dishes and bussing tables. He locks his bicycle behind the building by the dumpster. There’s a locked gate, too, just in case. But one night after finishing his shift, ...

React and share if you share Bart’s pledge.

Bike Iowa City Ambassador Program - Bike Iowa City The Bike Iowa City Ambassadors program will highlight innovative, creative, community-minded people who are enthusiastic about cycling in the Iowa City area. Johnson County residents (or those who spend the majority of their time here) will share their passion for cycling in our community by showcas...

The Broken Spoke is proud to support the 9th Annual Ride 4 Youth that benefits United Action for Youth (UAY)! UAY supports over 2,500 local youth each year and this ride helps them deliver a range of mental health services and programs that promote social and emotional wellbeing in young people, young parents and their families. Given what we have all been through this past 18 months, their services are more important than ever.

You can show support by registering today at www.ride4youth.org. Ride 4 Youth kicks off with an out-door, in-person celebration THIS Sunday, September 26th! There will be food, music, and free Ride 4 Youth swag. The first 200 riders who sign up will get a free Ride 4 Youth t-shirt and a free drink at Big Grove. Come on out and support a good cause!

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Ride any five days!

Ride 4 Youth kicks off this weekend! Our kick off celebration is from 8-11am this Sunday (9/29) and riders can ride that same day or anytime between 9/29-10/3. The kick off celebration will take place outside the MERF building on the UI campus and this is where riders can pick up their t-shirts, swag, and enjoy some food/beverages provided by Java House.

yes...i will install a golf ball onto the end of your kickstand if you ask nicely...-=D

was half an hour late to the shop today...but when an altercation with a harassing motorist ends with them being issued a $460 ticket...it's worth it & that's at least a small victory for cyclists...

hopefully this guy will think twice next time before incessantly honking & tailgating & then passing & jamming on the brakes while swerving in front of a cyclist that 'wasn't riding on the shoulder' 'where they are required to ride...'

when the art gallery rolls by right in front of your shop...🥰😍😘

The Broken Spoke updated their business hours.

What's making this cyclist's tail wag? Go to our website to find out: http://thebrokenspoke.com/

What's going on here? O__O Go to our website to check out the third in our eight part series of bicycle safety posts: http://thebrokenspoke.com/

there's no safer place to ride than where motorists will see you...
now if only iowa city would implement all of them properly in the center of the lane like on gilbert street...

Peter Flax, among others, claims sharrows are worthless because they don’t have legal effect and nobody knows what they mean. Why is he so threatened by these simple stencils that he has to tweet about them?

“Sharrows are complete BS, literally extending no new rights or protection. Drivers don't understand them, or if they understand them it makes them think they don't have to share the road elsewhere.

“Sharrows are purely performative, a way of using signs and paint to do nothing.”

https://twitter.com/pflax1/status/1364605092343685122

(If that link fails try right-click/open in new incognito or private window)

What Flaxulence! He is completely wrong, of course. Sharrows are reminders that the law allows bicyclists to use the full lane which a cyclist can demonstrate for emphasis by... using the full lane.

Sharrows encourage people on bikes to position themselves where their conspicuousness to others, in all directions, and vantage to potential hazards ahead, are maximized.

What Flax doesn’t get is that it’s not the sharrow itself but the cyclist’s assertive lane positioning, which is encouraged by the sharrows, that improves motorist attitude and behavior towards the cyclist. Seeing the rider take a clear and predictable position is appreciated by motorists, as countless riders all over the USA attest.

The positioning encouraged by sharrows greatly improves the safety and comfort of cycling in traffic. Many riders find it to be transformational when they adopt it. That’s not nothing. That’s something. Really something.

regrettably...the shop will be closed today as we say goodbye to maggie...the best 'not-a-dog' that has ever been...

Click through to our website to check out the second in our eight part series of bicycle safety posts, including a link to the DI article that inspired it and the rest of this picture! http://thebrokenspoke.com/

Michael always says if he could tell every cyclist one piece of advice that would benefit the most, it would be "raise your saddle!" Your knee should be ever so slightly bent at the bottom of a pedal stroke with the ball of the foot over the pedal spindle. You should not be able to put your feet flat on the ground while in the saddle.

We are back in the shop for 2021 as of yesterday! Hours for this month and February are Thursday 12:30-6, Friday 12:30-6, and Saturday 12:30-5, still curbside only. We're willing to work around those hours if need be, just call, message, or email us and let us know what you need. We will be happy to help!

We were recently interviewed for a Daily Iowan article on the new bike boxes in Iowa City, which inspired our own series of posts. Click through to our website to check out the first, including a link to the DI article and the rest of this picture! http://thebrokenspoke.com/

Happy holidays, folks! We will continue to be open as usual tomorrow, Tuesday, and Wednesday, then closed for the remainder of the year. January plans soon to be finalized... ❄

Check out Michael's pro technique in action!

Buddy system!

happy thanksgiving to everyone that keeps the broken spoke pedaling along...your support is greatly appreciated year after year...!

Time to winterize your bicycle! We have studded tires, cleaning supplies, fenders, covers, Bar Mitts, and more. You and your bike will both last longer protected from the elements. ❄️☄️🚲🧡

Happy Halloween! Be safe out there. 🎃

Not only is the current workload of the shop close to ideal, it allows time for previously neglected tasks: