Events

The secret's out! All Banjo Brothers- and Minnehaha-brand items, including panniers, backpacks, small bags, and clothing items, are part of our SPOOKY 25%-off Sale now through Thursday, October 31 at Perennial Cycle. To celebrate the final day of these (so good they're spooky) deals, Banjo Brothers co-founders Mike and Eric will be stopping by the shop from 4–6 p.m. for treats and tricks in their best Banjo Brothers attire this Halloween. But first, here's a little introduction...

It all started one crisp morning in 2003, at a Minneapolis coffee shop where Mike and Eric famously decided to take the leap and start a new business all their own. They knew they wanted to go into business together and they had a name — The Banjo Brothers. The spark for just what that business would be was a trip to a local bike shop. Looking over the available bags, Mike and Eric knew they could put something together that would be both more affordable and of better quality that what they saw available: bags they'd be proud to stand behind. Today, we all know Banjo Bags to be just that. As they say: Tough. Practical. Affordable. When it comes to Banjo Brothers (and their sister-company Minnehaha Bag Co.) products, it's all about the value.

Beyond the bags, there's plenty more to love about the team behind them. Mike and Eric and the entire Banjo Brothers staff are great patrons of the Minneapolis cycling community, contributing to these (and many more) organizations & events this year:

Powderhorn 24

Almanzo 100

All City Chamionships

Track or Treat

Babes in Bikeland

Cirque du So Gay

Wellstone Bike Club

ScardeyCat

MPLS Bike Love

MPLS Bike Polo (Championships)

Open Streets MPLS

Brompton US Championship

Tiny Bikeshop Concerts

#30 Days of Biking

Dirty Benjamin

So, this coming Thursday, October 31, make Perennial Cycle a stop on your trick-or-treating to meet Mike & Eric, the faces behind locally-designed Banjo and Minnehaha bags. In addition to a chance to meet Banjo Mike and Banjo Eric, we'll be passing out treats & have activities for you and the family, PLUS a raffle with great prizes. Get your picture taken with Mike and Eric, enjoy some sweets, and grab a sweet deal on a bag or two. While you're here, enter to win one of these great prizes:

• A Perennial Cycle Winter Maintenance Membership
• One of two complete Standard Tune-Ups from Perennial Cycle
• One of 3 Banjo Brothers Musette Bags
• A Banjo Brothers Canvas Backpack
• One of 5 Banjo Brothers Phone Wallets

See you there!

As many of you already know, we're hosting the Pre-Race Sign-in for the Almanzo 100 this Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the shop, 3342 Hennepin Avenue South in Minneapolis. Weather permitting, packet pickup will be held outside behind the shop. Riders for the Almanzo 100 & the Royal 162 must exchange a signed release form in order to receive a packet. Ride over on two wheels if you can. A limited amount of parking is available in our lot, and there's ample on-street parking in the surrounding neighborhood.
There'll even be a special for Almanzo participants looking to stock up on last-minute supplies. Don't miss it! Speaking of last-minute supplies... here's a list we've put together combining Mr. Skogen's recommendations and a few of our own. See you on the Spring Valley, folks.

A supportive saddle, preferably one you've spent some miles breaking-in before race day

Remember, as Chris Skogen himself has said, "Anything can happen over the course of 100 miles." We might also add: On gravel. In Minnesota. In May. If you're a fan of CO₂ cartridges, bring them along.

At least one spare tube.

Don't forget your tire levers.

You'll need somewhere to put it all, especially if you're carrying more than a jersey pocket's worth of items. New for 2013, Banjo Brothers Frame Packs, available in two sizes (medium and small), are the perfect companion on a gravel ride. If you're hunting a bag that is easy to access while riding, Banjo's Top Tube Bag, Phone Pack, and Bar Top Bag are all excellent, compact ways to go as well.

A solid pair of shoes.

At least one of us is bringing along an extra pair of socks. ANYTHING can happen. Keep that in mind.

Hydration. We carry a number of unique solutions for helping you find places for your favorite water bottles. Minoura's dual-cage mount for saddles is a favorite of Almanzo riders. Not just for Brompton owners, the Two Fish Quick Cage is another great, temporary solution for squeezing in an extra bottle.

A patch kit: lighter and smaller than packing multiple spares.

Your multitool of choice. If it doesn't include a chain tool, consider bringing along a separate one just in case.

Tires that play well with gravel. For every Challenge Almanzo tire sold through race day, we're making a $10 donation towards keeping the Almanzo 100 free for everyone.

Sunscreen. Hopefully you figured this out on your training rides.

Carrying a pump — possibly even better flat protection than your tire.

Calories. Try your at co-op for the good stuff.

Roomier than a frame pack but still compact enough for a minimalist rider, Carradice's Zipped Roll and slightly larger Junior are both great options for the items you'll need to access when stopping along the way.

Blinky lights. One red, one white. Bookman has you covered.

A jersey with plenty of pockets, preferably dark in color.

p.s. If you cannot make it to Perennial Cycle on Saturday the 11th to pick up your packet, Chris has asked us to remind you that you'll be fine. You will be able to pick it up the night before the race in Spring Valley, or the morning of the race near the start/finish.

p.p.s. It'll be more fun if you pick it up on Saturday, though.

Registration for the Brompton US Championship • 2013 has been open almost a month now, and—as you can see above—the competition is all over the map. We are glad to see that many of the Minnesota-based competitors who took part in last year's race have chosen to return and that so many others from across the country have decided to make the trip to join us here in Minneapolis.

Many of you have told us you've already begun your training programs: ranging from getting out on your Brompton to practicing your Windsor.

If you don't yet see your home city city on the map, we have good news for you... there are still a handful of FREE T-shirts remaining when you use the special coupon code available at bromptonuschampionship.com.

We can't wait to see all of you at the starting line on June 23!

p.s. If you're not yet a Brompton owner, you might be interested to know that the wait time for special orders is just 5 weeks as of April 29, 2013. So, not only will your Brommie be here in time for race day, you'll even have time to get a bit of training in ahead of time.

If you've been reading about our upcoming Tiny Bike Shop Concert this Saturday (and the launch of the much-awaited Boda Boda from Yuba), you may be wondering—What's all the buzz about an Urban Bee Hive Tour? Why bees? A little context may be helpful. Kristy is the Owner, Co-Founder of the Community Bees on Bikes, Head Beekeeper, and Biker for the Beez Kneez. She does it all. And, she does it all by bike.

The Beez Kneez LLC was established in December 2010 as Minneapolis' first bicycle-powered honey distribution business. Kristy's background is in beekeeping, education, and farming and she's a graduate of our own University of Minnesota. We met Kristy through this year's Powderhorn 24, where we fell in love with her mission and her m.o. The mission of the Beez Kneez has two parts: To deliver the sweet people of Minneapolis local, raw and unprocessed honey in a sustainable manner, and to educate and raise awareness about the honeybee's vital role in our food system. After a moment or two of talking with Kristy, you'll see bees and bikes just make sense together:

• Beekeeping with bikes is lighter on the environment
• Minneapolis is one of the best cities in the nation for commuting by bike
• In the midst of health epidemics like diabetes, bicycles serve to promote a healthier lifestyle
• And, in the words of The Beez Kneez, "We love bees, bikes, riding bikes dressed like bees, and dressing our bikes like bees!"

As you can see from the map above, The Beez Kneez has hives just about everywhere you'd want to bike in the very center of Minneapolis. It's a true urban operation, and pedal-friendly at that. Hence, our Urban Bee Hive Tour by bike with you and yours. We hope to see you there. This will be a family-friendly, bee-friendly, cargo bike-friendly ride. So bring your bike, bring a friend, and get buzzing with us this Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

(Remember: each participant in our Urban Bee Hive Tour will receive two tickets with which to enter our Boda Boda giveaway, to take place at 8:15 p.m. following Saturday's Tiny Bike Shop Concert. Must be present to win. Stop into the shop between now and Saturday for details.)

This post has been brought to you by the letter B.

All Photos © The Beez Kneez. All Right Reserved.