What's Going on with the Airline Cycles Community?
Hello AirLine Family -
Always start with the good news: Chris, his roommate Luke, and the fat-headed orange dog Brutus are all fine... but the bad news is that last Friday, they suffered a house fire, and despite the best efforts of many towns worth of first responders, their Colchester home was a total loss. As of last Friday night, they literally just had the clothes on their backs.
It is hard to ask for help, especially in such difficult financial times, but if you are in a position to contribute financially, Chris's sister set up a Go Fund Me at gofund.me/139123e6 to help get the boys back on their feet. We also have a donation jar set up at the shop if you prefer to help in person...
Regardless of your financial state, please take a moment to comment below, send Chris some words of encouragement, share a funny story, or thank him for the 30+ years of expert bike repair he has performed for the cyclists of Eastern Connecticut.
Thank you all! Without the wonderful community of support, a bike shop is just another retail store, and it is hard to imagine a better community than we are so lucky to have here in the AirLine Cycles/Sunshine Cycles family.
Chris, Luke & Bru after their house fire., organized by Patricia Conway
gofund.me
Hey, I'm Patti. Waving to everyone who remembers me from Colchester and int… Patricia Conway needs your support for Chris, Luke & Bru after their house fire.
If I learned one thing at the trade show last week, it is that the industry is being flooded with some really awful ebikes. So many names that I'd never heard of, with no warranty, poor designs, and no bike industry experience at all.
The whole experience made me so glad and proud to carry the Denago ebikes www.denago.com. They are well made, they ride great, and the customer service is outstanding. They are also really well priced, ranging from $1500 to $1900. We are fully stocked on the floor, and just got in another order! Stop by for a test ride today!
Know that the ebike rebate program coming this spring will be for bikes under $3000
AirLine Cycles strives to be the ultimate family friendly neighborhood bike shop… but that doesn’t mean we don’t race!
We are proud to sponsor the Stage 1 Cycling Team (which started at the first shop Brian worked in 25+ years ago), and on any given weekend we have racers tearing it up on the road, cyclocross, mountain bike, or fat bike race courses, and even the Eastern States Cup Enduro races. Our racers range from 6 to 60+, and compete in all categories from first timers right up through national level contenders!
Our team is focused on fun… but it is amazing how much having fun puts us up on the podium!
Check out the STAGE 1 Cycling & Muddy Mayhem Junior Team Facebook Pages to see what it is all about! Please take a look, Like and Follow us! We appreciate the support!
Who Rides What
Here's what some of the AirLine Cycles crew is riding this season
Between Giant, Liv, Norco, Cannondale, and Aventon, AirLine Cycles offers hundreds of different bicycle options; rather than scrolling through endless drop-down menus, stop by or give AirLine Cycles a call, and let our friendly staff help you decide what style bike is right for you! While many of our customers choose a great hybrid or gravel bike for cruising the AirLine Trail, here’s what some of the AirLine Cycles crew is riding this season:
Brian – Owner
“I’m mostly a mountain biker, and I LOVE riding the smooth flowing trails at Hurd State Park. I don’t do big drops or jumps (ever since my RedBull contract expired), but I love the big travel and control of my Norco Sight full suspension bikes. I also added a Norco Bigfoot fatbike to my stable, and really enjoyed getting out in the snow in the winter. My Giant TCX cyclocross bike is the perfect training tool for long AIrLine Trail gravel rides, and for CX racing in the fall.”
Jerett – Ace Mechanic
Jarrett rides the more aggressive trails in the area, and takes a few trips to downhill mountain bike parks in when he’s not turning wrenches. He’s loving his Giant Trance 2! It’s big enough travel for aggressive trails and drops, but still climbs really well! When he’s not on the Trance, his Giant TCX Advance SX carbon cyclocross bike is perfect for long gravel rides and even some road rides.
Kate – Licensed Massage Therapist and Casual Weekend Cruiser
Kate loves her Giant Roam 2 hybrid for cruising on the AirLine Trail. She test rode the Liv Rove, the women’s specific version of the Roam, as well, but actually found the geometry of the Roam to be a better fit. When asked what she liked best about her Roam, she said “The colors! It’s blue and yellow! I do love that bike though – very comfortable bike to ride, and I don’t fall off it as much as other bikes.” (You don’t need to be an expert or a pro racer at AirLine Cycles… we just love talking bikes to any kind of rider!)
Rob Stiles – STAGE 1/AirLine Cycling Club President
I love to ride and race in a variety of disciplines, events, and conditions, and Giant has really delivered on all aspects. For mountain, I ride a 2018 Giant XTC Advanced 29 1 (hardtail) and a 2018 Anthem Advanced Pro 29 1 (dual suspension). For cyclocross and gravel, I ride a 2018 Giant TCX Advanced Pro 2. I still train on the road frequently throughout the season and I occasionally compete in road events. When I do, the 2017 Giant TCR Advanced Pro 1 is my bike of choice. Right out of the box, the TCR weighed in just below 16 lbs. It’s comfortable yet plenty stiff. Finally, I was a reluctant latecomer to the fat bike party, but that all changed this past winter when I picked up an aluminum Fat Back Rhino. It’s become my go-to winter training and trail rig. The Fat Back has really inspired me to choose and stick tougher and lines than ever before. So yes, I have a lot of bikes, and I love them all. What better way to have a mid-life crisis? Come on out and ride with the AirLine/STAGE 1 crew and see for yourself.
David – Web Guru from WebLight Media
“My old school Surly Pugsley fat bike keeps winters fun, and I loved trying out cyclocross racing on my Jamis Nova this past fall. And I’ve been test riding lots of bikes. I’m looking for a carbon fiber full suspension bike, probably the Giant Trance.
Apollo – Trail Dog
“Ruff!” Translation – If I could, I’d be shredding it on a Trance Advanced 0 – Neon Yellow and Green… I dream of big air and screaming runs with the Maestro suspension system and I’d just float down those big rock washouts with the 140mm of rear suspension travel. I’d also have better turning control with the shorter chainstays and a longer toptube during my off-trail bushwhacking. I could catch a lot of squirrels with a tight radius like that… lot’s of ’em…
Brooks Nablo – Muddy Mayhem youth team coach and Eastern States Cup juniors official
When he’s not coaching the Stage 1 Muddy Mayhem junior team or officiating at a Eastern States Cup enduro event, Brooks can generally be found enjoying the local mountain bike trails with his family and other members of the infamous Haddam Neck Red Pedal Gang. He’s ripping a Giant XTC singlespeed most of the time, though he is often found commuting or training on a sweet new Giant TCR Advanced KOM edition road bike. His older son Hudson, aka the Savage, is the youngest member of the Stage 1 team. Despite being only eight, this kid regularly keeps up with the adult group rides, and more often than not puts them to shame by easily clearing tough climbs and soaring over drops on his Giant Trance Junior full suspension rig. Mom Maggie is loving her new Liv Embolden 1, and appreciates that the smooth full suspension keeps her comfortable and in control while keeping up with her crazy family. Younger brother Charlie is also ripping it up on a 20″ full suspension Fluid 2.2FS from Norco and amazing us all with what a six year old can accomplish on a nice bike!
WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY
Our East Hampton location is conveniently located in downtown East Hampton CT near the head of Connecticut’s famous Airline Trail. We pride ourselves in our customer service and local riders know us as the go-to local bike shop in the local areas of East Hampton, Marlborough, Hebron, Colchester, Portland, Middletown, Glastonbury, East Haddam, Moodus, and Salem Connecticut.
Looking for more information? Please get in touch!