With all the bike shortages around, we want to let you know that we do have a great Selection of Brooklyn Bikes in stock now.

Come in for a test ride , while supplies last !!

Franklin 8 – Available in Black or Ivory – $750

Willow 3 internal gear – 4 Colours – $835

Bedford 8 – 3 Colours – $750

Roebling 9 – Black – $830 – arriving earl April 2022

Lorimer 9 – Ivory – $830 – arriving early April 2022

View all our Brooklyn Bikes in our Bike Catalogue.

These bikes are expected to sell out fast, so come in quick to avoid disappointment.

YOU MIGHT BE SURPRISED!

You wouldn’t believe how often we spot bikes locked incorrectly, or not locked at all!

Here’s our crash-course in how to lock it up, and lock it right to prevent against theft.

7 STEPS TO LOCKING YOUR BIKE CORRECTLY

1. Choose the right lock! The level of security you need depends on where you’re leaving your bike, and for how long.
2. Always lock your bike to something solid, and that your bike cannot be lifted over-top of. A thief can lift your bike right over a parking meter or pole without even touching your lock!
3. If possible, lock your bike in a well-lit, busy area with lots of pedestrian traffic. Eyes on the street go a long way to keep your bike safe!
4. Lock up your bike on the frame – NOT the seat post, NOT the front or back wheel!  The “triangle system” is a popular reference for choosing the best locking areas on your frame.
5. Using more than one lock can also be a great method, locking the wheels to the frame as well as the frame to your chosen post or object. Use accessory cables or anti-theft skewer sets to secure your wheels.
6. Get the tightest fit possible! The looser your lock is positioned, the easier it is for thieves to use their tools and saw or pry the lock open.
7. Position your lock off the ground with the combination set or keyhole facing down.

You’re Doing it Wrong

This pink bike is “locked” with an easy-to-snip accessory cable around the seat post

This blue bike was locked around the wrong part of the bike, but worse still, it wasn’t even locked to the bike post. It’s locked to nothing at all

This bike was locked through the wheel. So long, bike!

You’re Doing it Right!

This bike is locked with a solid chain and two U locks to a good solid object, using the correct fame points to ensure the security of the bike and wheels. The seat cover is a nice touch too You never know – there might be an expensive seat under there, and a seat cover is a great way to disguise it! Seats are stolen too.

This is a great example of how to best use your Bordo lock! Adding a cable or locking skewers to protect the front wheel would be a great addition, too.

Come by either our Stanley Park or Main Street location for a free lock consultation today!

Canadians like to camp, it’s no secret. From cottages to camping-oriented comedy to cottages to canoes, venturing into the great outdoors is a Canadian tradition. However, our love for camping as a nation can lead to problems – in the summer, many popular camping sites fill up, reserved and unreservable for the majority of the summer months. The only alternative is often to drive endlessly further afield, or to give up and go to city parks and beaches for the day.

There is, however, an alternative – Bike Camping!   Unlike car camping, bike camping is possible at numerous campsites throughout BC as most walk-in campsites are also bikeable and also usually less full than reservable campsites with parking spots. Also, unlike car camping, the journey is as much an enjoyable part of the experience as the destination – bike trips allow a slower pace, and full engagement with the sights, sounds, and smells of the beautiful outdoors.

There are many interesting, worthwhile, and accessible bikepacking and bike-camping sites and routes near Vancouver, a few of which will be mentioned here to help you dip your toes into bikepacking, or to inspire seasoned veterans this upcoming summer.

Saltspring Island

Saltspring Island is a beautiful Gulf Island a short ferry ride from Tsawwassen, which is easily accessible by bus and/or Skytrain. As a cyclist, the ferry ride is affordable, and you don’t have to wait in line with the other cars! You can ride through the picturesque landscape of rolling hills and Douglas firs, enjoy Saltspring’s bustling downtown near Fulford Harbour, dip into the many cultural experiences on offer, and enjoy the many hiking trails on the island. Saltspring Island has many beautiful B&Bs, if you prefer more of a bike glamping experience – however, some of the best summer accommodation on the island can be found at Ruckle Provincial Park, a beautiful waterfront park at the south end of Saltspring, 23 km from the Tsawwassen-Saltspring ferry ramp.

Summer views from Ruckle Park

This park features many walk-in campsites and only a smattering of vehicle campsites, making it a good bet for summer availability. If you’d rather not bike all the way across Saltspring Island to get there, BC Transit even runs a bus service which will get you much of the way there, or you can combine a stay at Ruckle Park with a longer trip to Vancouver Island and ride from the closer Victoria-Saltspring ferry terminal.

Sooke, Leechtown, and the Galloping Goose Trail

The Galloping Goose and Lochside trails in and around Victoria, on Vancouver Island, are terrific bits of cycling infrastructure. The Galloping Goose trail itself is particularly fine – built on an old rail right-of-way, it is flat enough for trains, smooth, and is even paved for a good amount of its interurban length. If you cycle its full 55km length, there are quite a few sights to see.

For much of its length, the Galloping Goose is a beautiful multi-use trail

From downtown Victoria, easily accessibly by bus from the Tsawwassen-Victoria ferry, it’s a short 15km ride to Langford, where there are many options to stop for a quick bite or a drink. After Langford, the trail riding starts in earnest – winding through forests, past beautiful ocean views, all the way to sleepy Sooke. if you don’t feel like riding the full length of the trail, there are many beautiful parks at a closer distance – Witty’s Lagoon and Matheson Lake are both particularly beautiful places to have a picnic or spend the day.

Once you are in Sooke, you can spend the day shopping, exploring the beach, or getting lunch, before heading back to Victoria by bike or by double-decker bus. For a longer trip, the Galloping Goose trail continues to the Sooke Potholes Park, a beautiful waterside park next to the Sooke River, which features innumerable places to swim.

Who wouldn’t fancy a swim at the Sooke Potholes?

Sooke Potholes Park has an excellent campground, with walk-in, non-reservable campsites which are perfect for bike campers. From here, you can continue further along the Galloping Goose trail to its terminus, where you’ll find Leechtown, an abandoned gold-mining town.

Ghostly thrills from the past in Leechtown

Kettle Valley Rail Trail

For a trip a bit farther afield, the Kettle Valley Rail Trail is part of a 650 km series of rail trails in BC’s interior. Much like the Galloping Goose, their heritage as railways make them easy rides, going through beautiful countryside away from busy roads and excessive hills. Go in the summer for some beautiful day trips or multi-day rides with easy access to delicious refreshments such as wine and summer fruits! Since these trails are so extensive and developed, there are also many tour operators who can guide you through a curated, well thought-out cycling experience.

The Kettle Valley Rail Trail

Galiano Island

Galiano Island is another gulf island easily accessible from Vancouver, perfect for an overnight trip or longer. There are numerous camping options on Galiano – Montague Harbour Marine Provincial Park is close to the ferry, and features reserveable and non-reserveable campsites, while Dionisio Point Provincial Park, at the extreme north end of the island, is walk-in only, and only accessible by boat or trail – perfect for a bike camping trip.

Beach riding at Montague Harbour

And of course, how could any discussion of a bike mechanic’s trip be complete without talking about his bike and gear? Kyle rides a beautiful green cyclocross/touring bike, kitted out for overnight camping with Ortlieb Front Roller panniers secured with ROK straps, various frame bags, a dynamo lighting system, and Panaracer Gravel King tires for good performance on and off-road

Kyle’s bike, set up for overnight bikepacking

If you’re interested in learning more, come down to Denman Bikes today! We’re always happy to share our bikepacking experience, or to help you outfit your bike to be your dream bikepacking machine!

We’re proud to announce that we will be involved in our local Swift Campout, a yearly bikepacking adventure organized by Swift Industries, a manfacturer of high-quality bike luggage. (Disclaimer: we sell their gear, but it really is that good – come check it out) Check out mechanic par excellence and glorious Swift Campout leader Kyle Mason’s page for further details!

Our Swift Campout – Vancouver Edition this year will be at the Nanaimo Lakes. You can take a bus or bike to Horseshoe bay, and after that it’s a short 30-40km ride to the campsite. The full GPS route can be found here.

Anyone is welcome to the ride – as you can see from this post about the 2017 Vancouver Swift campout, a wide variety of people attend. However, be prepared to camp, to pack in and pack out, to carry everything you will need on your bike, to fish, to swim, to enjoy the sun, and maybe even to pan for gold!

We hope to see you there!

Kona Bikes is one of the newest additions to the stable of bike brands we carry at Denman Bikes. Founded in Vancouver in 1988, they offer all sorts of bikes, from mountain bikes to e-bikes to road-bikes to cargo bikes and more.

In this post, we’ll be highlighting some of Kona’s most exciting offerings that we have in-store, listing why we like them and why you will too!

Kona Sutra

The Kona Sutra is Kona’s answer to a touring bike. And what an answer! It comes kitted out with all the goodies that make a modern touring bike a dependable, stable machine that will take you anywhere your legs can handle. It has a wide-range, 27 speed Shimano gear train; powerful mechanical TRP Spyre disc brakes; wide, comfortable drop bars to allow for switching between many hand positions; and all sorts of braze-ons all over the frame for compatiblity with almost any accessory you could wish.

Even better, the Sutra comes equipped with a Brooks saddle, renowned for their comfort even with ultra-long days in the saddle, as well as fenders and a rack right out of the box. Pair these with some high-quality bike luggage from Ortlieb or any of the other brands we sell and you’ll be ready to hit the road for an epic trip!

The Kona Sutra will get you into bikepacking and touring at $1899. Come down to Denman Bikes and try one today!

Kona Sutra LTD

The Kona Sutra LTD may appear to be just an upgraded version of the Sutra, but that’s only part of the picture. Whereas the Sutra is made for long days in the saddle, loaded touring, and general enjoyment of the scenery, the Sutra LTD is a bit more. As Kona says on its website for the Sutra LTD, it is what happened when a “bunch of mountain bikers dreamed up something wild: a drop bar bike that felt like a mountain bike and rode like a mountain bike.” As such, it has been very successful in this amorphous category of bike, being featured in Bikepacking 2017’s Gear of the Year, as well as receiving further plaudits.

So, what makes the Sutra LTD tick? As with the Sutra, it features wide drop bars, allowing for a variety of hand positions but plenty of control for more technical riding. It also features disc brakes, but these are in the form of Sram Rival hydraulic disk brakes for more power. The drivetrain does away with the front derailleur for simplicity, instead featuring a wide-range 11 speed cassette to give you the gear range you need. Finally, this bike is tubeless-ready, allowing you to have all of the advantages of tubeless tires: lower pressures, fewer flats, and lower weight!

The Kona Sutra LTD can be had for $2799. Come down to Denman Bikes and try it today!

Unit X

What is the Unit X, exactly? The Kona Unit started out as a single-speed suspensionless mountain bike, built for fun and simplicity. It was a simple bike, made for simple pleasures, ripping around on pavement or trails, and generally recapturing the fun of your first bike, or BMX.

The Unit X changes the formula by adding gears, although just in the form of a rear derailleur, which I’m sure we’ll all agree is pretty essential in some parts of Vancouver.

The Unit X has a 1×11 speed Sram NX drivetrain, SRAM Level T hydraulic disc brakes which offer power and modulation, tubeless-ready 27.5″ wheels and high-volume tires, and a sturdy 4130 chromoly frame compatible with dropper seatposts.

The Unit X sells for $1699. Come down to Denman Bikes and try one today – we guarantee you won’t leave without a smile on your face!

Honzo

The Honzo is the most mountain bike we sell, and it’s proved to be very popular. The Honzo was one of the first mountain bikes to adopt larger 29″ wheels, and helped spark a trend towards larger wheels on mountain bikes.

The Honzo features the same 1×11 SRAM drivetrain as the Unit X, Shimano hydraulic brakes, 29″ WTB wheels and tires, and comes with a TransX dropper seatpost right out of the box.

All this trail-riding goodness will cost you $1799. Come down and try one out at Denman Bikes today!

Dew City

The Dew City and its other Dew siblings are Kona’s value-oriented city do-it-all bike. Although they’re intended mostly for pavement riding, they are well-suited for light trail riding, especially those with higher-volume tires like the Dew, Dew Plus, Dew City, and Dr. Dew.

The Dew City has 700c wheels, v-brakes, and a 27-speed Shimano drivetrain. It’s available in a wide variety of sizes for all riders.

The Dew City is priced at an affordable $599. Come down to Denman Bikes and try one today!

Are you one who craves adventure? Interested in a long-distance cycling trip, or even one overseas? Cycling is one of the best ways to see a country – to quote a time-worn cliche, it turns the journey itself into the destination. Not for you the plane, harbinger of cold and flu, sausage-stuffed with passengers; the bus, with leaking lavatories, innumerable stops, and air conditioning always too hot or too cold; expensive car rental, with navigation of foreign insurance and road customs. On a bike, you’re never far away from a beautiful stop, and you never have to worry about parking.

However, there are a few things which will help maximize the fun in your overseas cycling adventure.

First, whether you’re taking a bus, train, or airplane, you are likely to have to pack your bike. Baggage handling can be hard on your bike, so make sure you pack it up well! Specialized bike containers are available for frequent travellers, but a low-cost option is often to purchase a used bicycle box from your local bike store and pack it up in that. Of course, your friendly local bike mechanic can do this for you, too! One of the myths surrounding shipping your bicycle by airplane is that your tires might explode as the pressure in the airplane’s cargo hold decreases. Since pressure at sea level is 14.7 psi, the maximum relative change in tire pressure is this – unless you’re running your tires at or higher than the maximum inflation for your tires, it’s unlikely that you’ll have any issues.

Other countries may also have different standards for bicycle components. A great example of this is tires – go to any bike store, and there are a dizzying array of different tire sizes available for differing standards over the years. Make sure you are aware of what components will be on offer in your destination country(ies), and carry spares if you are worried about availability of compatible parts, or if you’re going to be far away from places you can get your bike repaired!

Similarly, a good toolkit is very useful to have, along with some of the basic skills required to fix common bike issues. Good things to know how to do are to replace or repair tires and tubes, true wheels, replace brake and shifter cables and adjust the same, and replace chains. Of course, you can make it less likely that you’ll encounter some of these issues by having your bike tuned up and travel-prepped by a competent local mechanic. A suggested toolkit to take would be chain oil, a set of allen keys, tire levers, patches, spare tubes and/or tires, a pump, spare spokes, spoke wrenches, and standard wrenches as needed – of course, a multitool can substitute for many of these.

Aside from a toolkit, make sure your bike is kitted out with the equipment appropriate for your trip. A good helmet, lock, and lights are a must, as well as bags for carrying luggage. Ortlieb bags are one of the most well-regarded brands of bicycle luggage in the world, and we stock their full product line at Denman Bikes.

Finally, if you’re interested in doing a bicycle vacation over just a regular vacation, consider that many countries have a rich cycling heritage and may have better cycling infrastructure or a better attitude towards cycle tourists. That being said, locals are often happy to see cycle tourists wherever you might go!

I hope that this helps inspire your next bike trip, or to open your mind to the possibilities of overseas cycling. Happy riding!

One of the major perceived drawbacks of biking over automobile transportation is the lack of cargo carrying capacity. However, with the right setup, most would be surprised at how much a bicycle can help you carry.

Of course, not all of us can be the hero in the above picture, but luckily, there are all sorts of bicycle accessories that can help you carry what you need to where you need it to be.

A backpack is a useful cargo tool but the physical exertion inherent to cycling often leaves you sweaty, which in combination with wearing a backpack is sticky and uncomfortable. A key item in freeing yourself from the tyranny of the backpack is a rear rack, often colloquially known as a “rat-trap”.

Axiom Journey Rear Rack

These can have cargo strapped on them directly, with bungee cords, rope, or whatever is at hand, but are better combined with rack-mounted pannier bags or rack top bags. Pannier bags attach securely to a pannier, but can be removed and carried with a convenient handle. These are among the highest-capacity bicycle luggage items available, many featuring separate pockets. Some are even fully weatherproof to keep your stuff dry in the Vancouver wet. These range from the rugged to the urban chic.

Blackburn Wayside Backpack Pannier (L) and Basil Urban Fold Messenger Bag (R)

Rack top bags also attach to a rear rack, but to the top, rather than the side, of the rack. These generally have a lower capacity than pannier bags, but are less bulky.

Blackburn Barrier Rack Top Bag

Beyond this, many other options for hardcore bicycle storage exist – smaller handlebar bags which mount to your bars, seatpost bags which mount to your seatpost below your saddle, frame bags which mount within the main triangle of your frame, front panniers designed to mount onto a pannier rack attached to your bicycle’s front fork, and even specialized cargo bikes for carrying extremely heavy loads.

If you’re thinking of getting geared up for serious cargo carrying, come down to Denman Bikes and our experienced mechanics and salespeople will be happy to help you get set up with the best bicycle cargo system for your needs!

This could be you… adventure awaits

Wheels and tires are an often overlooked part of a bicycle. It’s common practice among bicycle manufacturers to offer better shifting and brakes on a bike at the expense of their bikes’ wheels; similarly, it’s all too easy to throw on the cheapest tires that fit, but the performance of your wheels and tires can greatly affect your ride and safety.

Wheels and tires in action

The most obvious aspect of tire performance is grip. In scientific terms, friction force between two surfaces depends on how the material of each of the surfaces interact and the force applied between the surfaces. Surprisingly, this leads to the conclusion that on a solid surface, that the width of the tire doesn’t affect grip! However, real-world conditions dictate that wide tires will generally grip better – surfaces such as sand, loose gravel, or dirt, which aren’t solid, require larger tires run at lower pressures to maintain grip as the force is applied over a larger area, leading to less potential for loss of grip.

Another important aspect of tire pressure is energy loss from tires. As many racers might point out, aerodynamic forces on tires provides drag – however, this is negligible in comparison to the drag from the rider and bicycle itself and also involves a number of complex interactions between the passing air and the system of bicycle components. In short, putting skinny tires on your bike to go faster may not give you the results you expect. The other way that tires absorb energy is by interactions with the road – as tires deform to go over bumps and recover their shape afterwards, energy is converted to heat and lost. Supple, wider tires run at lower pressure can help to reduce this type of energy loss. More on this subject, including empirical test results, can be found in the magazine Bicycle Quarterly.

Tire and wheel weight are also important aspects of bicycle performance. In comparison to the rest of the bicycle’s components, which resist forward motion with largely linear inertia, tires and wheels also have rotational inertia. In layman’s terms, wheel and tire weight have an outsized effect on how easy it is to accelerate your bike. Light tires and wheels will make your bike faster to accelerate, but this consideration must be balanced with the strength of wheels and the amount of flat protection you need.

Schwalbe Marathon Plus puncture protection – flat resistance comes at the cost of weight

The weight and inflation pressure of your tires are also important for other reasons – though it may not seem obvious, your tires are part of your suspension system. Heavier tires lead to worse suspension performance, especially with off-road, suspended bikes.

Finally, wheel size has important consequences for the performance of your bike. Broadly speaking, larger wheels will roll faster as they can pass over bumps and road irregularities more easily, but all things being equal, they are heavier, weaker, slower to accelerate, and offer worse handling. The opposite is true for smaller wheels.

So, what should you know about tires and wheels? They are a hugely important part of your bike’s performance, and are often overlooked. Wide, light, supple tires run at lower pressures and pumped up often will offer the best performance in real-world conditions for most people.

We at Denman Bikes are excited to announce that we now carry dynamo lighting systems!

What are dynamo lighting systems? Simply put, they use a small part of the power used to propel your bicycle forwards to power lights – no batteries are needed! In addition, these systems can power USB devices, so you can recharge your phone while you ride. Dynamo lights are widely used in Europe, where regulations such as the tongue-twisting German Straßenverkehrszulassungsordnung (abbreviated StVZO) requires dynamo lights on every bicycle and for these light to have beam patterns closer to those of car headlights. What this means is that their reflectors put light onto the road where you need it, as compared to the reflectors commonly found in North American lights, which spread light onto the road, into the sky, and onto nearby scenery, requiring the light itself to be higher-powered to be equally useful. Dynamo lights don’t just turn on when you ride, as well – a supercapacitor inside the lights powers the lights for some time when you come to a stop, as well.

The dynamo hubs we currently have stock in our web store are the Shutter Precision 8-Series and 8X-Series hubs. These hubs are compatible with both dynamo head and tail lights, have a high-polish anodized aluminum finish in a variety of different colours, have sealed cartridge bearings which require virtually no maintenance, and are compatible with rim brakes and 6-bolt and centerlock disc brakes.

Shutter Precision PL-8 hub for centerlock disc brake

Shutter Precision PD-8X 15mm thru-axle hub for disc brake

To complement these hubs, we have a number of compatible lights in stock from brands such as Supernova, Busch + Müller, Herrmans, and Spanninga, ranging from the basic to the deluxe.

Our highest-output light is the Supernova E3. This clocks in at 205 lumens for the single-LED version, or up to 640 lumens for the triple-LED off-road version. Both are sturdy, fully waterproof, and light, and will mount on your handlebar for ease of use.

Supernova E3 triple headlight

Another high powered light we sell is the Herrmans H-Black Pro. It is comparable to the Supernova single-LED light in power, but features 3 LEDs and a novel hemispherical lens.

Herrmans H-Black Pro

Finally. we stock the Busch + Müller Eyc T Senso Plus and Lumotec Classic T Senso Plus. What does all this terminology mean? Well, the “Senso” denotes that these lights have a lower-power daytime mode, which activates automatically depending on ambient light levels; the “Plus” denotes that they have a standlight, and will stay on for a while after you have come to a stop. The Classic T adds vintage styling to this package, complementing any retro build while still using modern power LED technology and a modern reflector.

Busch + Müller Eyc T Senso Plus

Busch + Müller Classic T Senso Plus

We currently stock two tail-lights, both by Spanninga: the Elips XDS, a large, bright, rack-mounted tail-light win an integrated reflector, and the NR 9 XDS, a tail-light which mounts on your rear fender and which features classic vintage chrome styling (perhaps a worthy complement to the Busch + Müller Classic T Senso Plus).

Spanninga Elips XDS

Spanninga NR 9 XDS

All in all, dynamo lighting systems provide a well-engineered, on-demand, battery-and-hassle free, and more environmentally friendly alternative to cheap battery-powered lighting. Whether you’re interested in them for safety, performance, to use on an upcoming bicycle odyssey, or if you just think they’re cool, come down and check them out today in our store at 2607 Main Street!

Many have heard of touring bikes, but few have heard of gravel touring. It’s not quite road touring; it’s not quite mountain biking; it’s not quite cyclocross; so then, what is it exactly?

Gravel touring has a long heritage, stretching back to prewar Europe. In those days, off-road riding was necessary as road networks weren’t as developed as they now are today – a straight road bike would soon run into problems. Bikes developed by some of the best-known French constructeurs such as Alex Singer and Rene Hersé were the original do-anything bikes, kitted out with many features to facilitate long-distance riding and enjoyment of the cycling experience while still being light, capable, high-performance machines.

Vintage gravel touring bike

Modern gravel bikes such as the Velo Orange Polyvalent draw directly from this rich heritage, while updating them with modern materials and conveniences. A recent build that we did for a customer features Velo Orange Grand Cru Drillium cranks – these feature many small drilled holes, which was a technique often used to lighten bike components and to add character.

Velo Orange Grand Cru Drillium cranks

This bike also has a 1″ threaded stem and curved front fork blades for added classic bike chic. Like many multipurpose bikes, it is capable of fitting wide tires – in combination with the smaller 650b wheelsize, halfway between a 700c road bike wheel and a 26″ mountain bike wheel, these wide tires offer better performance on rough surfaces and off-road with stronger, faster-rolling wheels than an equivalent 700c wheel, while being faster than a mountain bike wheel. In addition, higher-volume tires can decrease flats, about which more will be said in a future in-depth blog post on wheel size and tires.

The Velo Orange Polyvalent’s curved fork blades and 1″ quill stem

All these classic features are enhanced by the addition of modern bicycle technology. A 10sp rear indexed rear derailleur with road-style shifters makes shifting easy, predictable, and fast; modern polycarbonate fenders are light, durable, and corrosion-proof; an rear pannier rack made from modern aluminum alloys is light and strong; disc brakes provide powerful, predictable performance in all types of weather; clipless pedals provide a better connection to the road while their dual-sided design allows their use with regular shoes; and a modern Abus lock protects this beautiful and high-performance bike from theft.

So, what’s gravel touring? It’s biking, but more – more fun, more versatile, more go-anywhere. The sky – or the horizon is the limit.