News

  1. Thank You!

    Storefront

    Wrapping up 2016 brings me to a thankful place. A year ago the shop was getting close to a name change that left a lot of unknowns and concerns about the upcoming season at Perennial Cycle. No matter how sure I was about the name change being the right thing to do, it's hard to whack nearly 25 years of branding off the shelf and not have some concerns about the transition.

    Well, the new sign went up last week and this nearly finalizes the transition away from Calhoun Cycle and onto our newer, better Perennial Cycle. All I can say is Thank You!! The transition has gone very well and the grumbling trolls moved on quickly while the supporters of the name change continue to show their support by joining our customer base. We all really appreciate the support. It's a fun place to work and thanks to our customers, we get to keep our jobs : )

    You have all shown me that hope is a reasonable feeling to have. I cannot thank you enough for that.

    Storefront

  2. Calhoun Cycle is now Perennial Cycle

    PerennialBlogPost

    Calhoun Cycle is proud to announce that we are changing our name to Perennial Cycle.

    The name Calhoun Cycle was inherited decades ago when it originated as Calhoun Cycle Cellar, a modest bike rental shop with a cigar box for a cash register. Over the years the name Calhoun Cycle has served us well. To our cycling commuter customers we love so dearly, it has come to represent our goals for the bicycle as a pragmatic and sustainable means of alternative daily transportation. Given these goals, we have found the ethics of Calhoun Cycle at odds with the unethical history of the Calhoun name. We can no longer turn a blind eye to the history and heritage of Mr. John C. Calhoun, and feel an undeniable need to separate ourselves from that history.

    The name Calhoun represents a shameful past of institutional racism perceived as a “positive good”, and the misguided cultural colonialism of renaming a lake after an undeserving man. We cannot go back and change our past, but we can learn from it and from our mistakes, and attempt to right our wrongs.

    Therefore, we are consciously removing Calhoun from our company name and have chosen the new name Perennial Cycle to best represent our values. When something is perennial it is enduring, it is sustainable and it lives in an unending cycle. Perennial is the flora that surrounds us, which we depend on for our own sustainable existence. And like the tulips, crocus, and basque flowers pushing their way up through the snow, nothing gives us more pleasure in the Minnesota springtime than to also see our robust perennial cycling community bloom to life once again.

    We thank you all for your support over the years we’ve spent together, and for supporting us in our strategic decision to bury Calhoun.

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  3. Brompton BLACK EDITION - Coming April 2015

    Brompton Black Edition 2015 in Berry Crush

    We are now accepting pre-orders for the Brompton Black Edition 2015.

    Announced today, Brompton's new Black Edition 2015 collection features Brompton folding bikes with all black key components for the first time. The arrival of the limited edition —just 5,000 Black Edition bikes will ship to dealers worldwide this spring— comes with much anticipation after years of interest in the possibility of an all-black Brompton. Brompton Black Edition bikes are only available in select customizable options, based around five main frame colors: Black, White, Lime Green, Berry Crush and Lagoon Blue. We've ordered a great group of S2L, S6L, M2L, M6L, and H6L bikes for you to choose from. And, as per usual, we are happy to help you personalize the bike of your choice prior to shipping or riding home. See the complete selection of bikes available for shipment beginning April 2015 here.

    Customize your Black Edition bike spec at Perennial Cycle:

    • HANDLEBARS: H, M, S Types
    • GEARING: All bikes shipped from Brompton with 2 and 6 speed standard ratio drivetrains. We have developed a custom black anodized Brompton chainring and guard in-house to allow you to change your order to match your preferred gearing choice, including 7% reduced on all 2-speeds and 12% reduced on all 6-speeds. This option is available for just $60 with the purchase of a new bike and as a spare part for $99.97 at PerennialCycle.com. For information about Brompton's gear ranges and ratios, click here.
    • VERSION: All Black Editions will be assembled at the Brompton factory with Brompton's Black L-version mudguards. If you'd like to add a Brompton or Nitto rack to your bike prior to shipping to your door (or taking it home for our local customers), we're happy to make that happen. When ordering online, simply select the rack of your choice under the "rear luggage" option, or choose none to stick with mudguards only.
    • COLORS: Frame extremities including the stem riser, rear triangle, and front fork are black on all Black Edition bikes. Mainframe options are Black*, White*, Berry Crush, Lime Green and Lagoon Blue. As with standard Brompton orders, *Black and White frames are surcharge free colors. Base prices for each bike available for pre-order are listed at PerennialCycle.comThere is no surcharge on Black Edition bikes, all are priced at standard 2015 pricing.
    • SEATPOST: choice is available as usual – standard, extended and telescopic all in black, of course! We have ordered bikes with both standard and telescopic seatposts to accommodate riders of all heights and offer the most compact fold. If you'd prefer an extended post, please contact us.
    • SADDLES: All Brompton Black Edition bikes come with a standard Brompton rail saddle with special edition black rails. If you'd like to add a Brooks saddle to your order, we recommend the Black B17 Special for men or the Black Team Pro S Special for women. Both feature hand-pounded copper rivets and saddle bag loops. Several saddle choices are offered in each bike listing. If you don't find the saddle you'd like in the drop-down menu, simply add it to your cart as a separate item.
    • LIGHTING: Black Edition bikes are assembled with reflectors only, but as the bikes all include standard Brompton front wheels with silver rims and spokes, we can easily change out the front wheel to help you upgrade the bike of your choice to dynamo lighting. We are offering 3 packages with Black Edition bikes:
      • Brompton's standard Shimano set-up with a B&M Lyt in front and a Brompton light in rear
      • Brompton's standard SON set-up with a B&M Cyo in front and a Brompton light in rear.
      • A special SON XS Black Edition dynamo package including a SON XS front wheel with a black and silver SON XS for Brompton hub — built with silver straight-pull spokes by expert SON wheelbuilders, a Black anodized Edelux II headlight, and a black SON taillight, installed for $675.00.
    • QUESTIONS? For more information, please call 612-827-8000.

    colors

    Black Edition components:

    The following components are supplied in black as part of the Brompton Black Edition bike:

    • Handlebars
    • Headset
    • Crankset
    • Pedals
    • Seatpost
    • Saddle rails (Brompton standard rail saddle)
    • Pentaclip
    • Fenders
    • Hinge clamps
    • Brake levers
    • Brake calipers

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  4. Carradice Harris Tweed City Folder for Brompton

    Caaradice, Harris Tweed & Brompton

    Carradice of Nelson bike bags have long been the standard among randonnuer riders around the globe. Being 100% reliable and intensely durable are essential features in that cycling arena. Carradice has proven itself to be one of the most dependable brands through the test of time (and very hard use).

    Carradice of Nelson

    Perennial Cycle has been importing Carradice from England for nearly 20 years and were the first in North America to import the Brompton specific Carrradice City Folder (see a 2008 Shopcast post HERE). When Carradice introduced the Stockport City Folder for Bromptons (including S bar types) we were quick to bring them across the pond and introduce them to North America.

    Carradice Originals City Folder, Stockport and City Folder in Harris Tweed Edition
    Carradice Originals City Folder, Stockport City Folder and the new Harris Tweed Edition City Folder

    This past fall Carradice introduced their Harris Tweed bags and we fell in love with the look that tweed added to an already iconic design. Now Carradice has added a Harris Tweed City Folder and Perennial Cycle purchased the first production run (obviously we’re a bit excited about this bag). The Harris Tweed bags add tweed flaps onto the waterproof cotton duck, so the bags are just as weatherproof as the non-tweed models.
    Here are some pictures of the Tweed City Folder: