Hickory & Tweed was named Best Bicycle Shop in the County in 2009 & 2010 by the readers of Westchester Magazine. We are proud to carry the best brands in the business - Bikes from Cannondale, Cervelo, and Specialized.

Are 29er's the Future of Mountain Biking? We have demos available in both full suspension and hard tail, so come on in. Read more below.

29ers: The Future of Mountain Biking?

If you spend any time at all reading about mountain bikes on the internet, you're sure to come across people discussing 29'ers. These big wheeled bikes have taken the cross-country mountain bike world by storm, offering a whole slew of advantages. For years mountain bikes used 26" wheels. There wasn't any reason for this other than that the original mountain bikers used repurposed beach cruisers to go down trails. Then, a few years ago, a few people started revisiting this and came up with a new standard; 29".

The 29" wheel has the same diameter as a road wheel (700cc) but uses a much wider, larger volume, knobby tire. This new wheel size offers a few advantages. First, because the tire hits obstacles at a lower angle, it clears them with less effort. Second, because it has a greater contact area with the ground the tire gets more traction. Third, the tire holds speed better since its a larger rotating mass. Finally, since the tire is a larger volume, it can absorb a bigger bump that its 26" bretheren.

Specialized – A Passion for Riding and Innovation

Long before Specialized discovered dirt, they had a passion for pavement. Thankfully they didn’t stop innovating back in 1981 with the original Stumpjumper – the first mountain bike that riders could find at their local bike shops – which now resides in the Smithsonian Institute. Specialized Bicycles, founded by Mike Sinyard in Morgan Hill, CA, designs and manufactures a complete line of high-performance bicycles and components, including its Body Geometry line of medically proven cycling accessories and it’s women specific bikes. Specialized is a company of devout cyclists whose goal is to create cutting edge, functional and technically advanced products that provide a performance benefit for cycling enthusiasts. Fantastic women’s bikes for on and off-road. Specialized pays attention to the fine differences - a completely different palette of colors and graphics and ergonomic frame geometry configured for the female body, light components, comfortable seat and extraordinary designs.

A 29er might be a great compliment to your bike collection. (Yes, you can collect bicycles!) and we highly recommend trying one out. ! Here's a video from Specialized about them. Check it out.

Check out their complete line of bikes, clothing, helmets and accessories at www.specialized.com

Cannondale — Machines Built to Expect the Unexpected
Cannondale engineers know that if they can build a machine worthy of World Cup DH podiums – they can accomplish everything in between. Cannondale is based in Cannondale, CT and manufactured in Bedford, PA, USA so the engineers grew up riding hard-trails through rock-garden riddled singletrack and this translates to bikes that can handle any terrain. From complicated carbon fiber monocoque design to welded aluminum – Cannondale engineers work in tandem with their professional riders to develop products that are specifically optimized for their demands. Packed with proven technology, Cannondale bikes are ideal for everything from quick laps around the park to long steady efforts. If precision, strength, speed and amplitude define your ride, come in and let us show you Cannondale's 2010 bikes.

In their words, "For us at Cannondale, it's building, testing, and rebuilding; making it better in the process, never settling for "good enough". It is knowing it, verses guessing it and using the world's greatest athletes to prove it. It's having such high standards and expectations in how we want product to perform that we are relentless in our pursuit.

It's not about superflous welds or fancy etchings, it's about performance, innovation, superior product. Does it contribute to the ride? Does it do what we want it to do? When we step back and look at our work, the answer is easy...it does, and we feel it everyday, knowing you'll feel it too."

The hot new bike from Cannondale this season is the Super Six EVO, the world's lightest production frame, 695 grams.Weight, Stiffness, Compliance, and Aerodynamics - these four factors are the cornerstones of cycling efficiency.But more important than any individual attribute is striking a balance between these competing elements, bringing out the maximum benefits of each attribute in such a way that no one element dominates the others.Cannondale has found that the truest expression of efficiency is a ride that disappears beneath you and simply becomes an extension of your body. That's the majic; what separates the merely good from the truly great. This bike is the distilled sum of everything Cannondale's learned up to this point.

Check out their complete line of bikes, clothing and accessories at www.cannondale.com

Hot bikes from Cervelo
We're celebrating our 2nd year with Cervelo Bicyles! And what a year it's been! Lots of customers discovering new levels of bicycling performance with Cervelo. July 1, 2011 we will have Cervelo's newly released bike the S5 in our store.

Cervelo - Better Performance Through Better Engineering Cervelo Cycles saw the light of day in 1995 when 2 engineers, Phil White and Gerard Vroomen, decided to take the work they had been doing on developing faster Time Trial bikes to market. Already involved in bicycle and Human Powered Vechicle design since 1986 the turning point came when a top-ranked Italian pro cyclist approached Gerard to design the fastest possible Time Trial bike for him. Within 2 years they had won triathlons, time trial nationals in Germany & Canada, participated in the Triathlon & Cycling World's, and raced the Olympic Time Trial in Atlanta.

The mission was simple; "To help our customers win races". It is safe to say they accomplished that, with the Team CSC ranked #1 in the world and the P3 being the winningest triathlon bike model in Ironman history (over 30 victories). In 2009 Cervelo will become the first bike manufacturer in the modern era to have its own cycling team at the highest levels of racing. It will be led by 2008 Tour de France winner Carlos Sastre and sprint star Thor Hushovd.

Cervalo SA is the world's largest manufacturer of time trial and triathlon bikes, as determined in industry counts including decisive wins for the past four years at the prestigious Kona bike count. The winner of the 2008 Tour de France, Carlos Sastre, did so on a Cervelo. At the Beijing Olympics Cervelo bikes were riddden by over 40 remarkable athletes resulting in 3 Gold, 5 Silver and 2 Bronze medals - a record. They make the world's most aerodynamic time trial bike, the P4 - 20% more aero than the P3, a long time benchmark frame in aerodynamics, ride quallity and weight. Their R series of rod bikes including the flagship R3-SL represent some of the lightest stiffest bikes on the market. And the S series combines the ride qualities of the road bikes with the aerodynamic advantages of the TT bikes. Come in and check out these beautiful bikes.

For more information, go to Cervelo's website www.cervelo.com.

Let Hickory & Tweed build the ultimate bike to fit YOU!

Want to build your dream bike? Give us a call and we'll be happy to help you pick out the components that are right for you, whether your goal is to ride across town, or just faster than your friends.

Can't find a bike that fits you? While most people can be comfortably fit on a stock frame, others need (or want) a bike specifically fit for them. For those people we offer custom frames hand built by Carl Strong out of Bozeman, Montana. Carl has been building frames practically forever. Check him out at www.strongframes.com Custom fits are by appointment only so please call or email us in advance for an appointment.

Don't know what you want? Try a demo!
Hickory & Tweed has a full line of full suspension demo bikes with the latest technology from Cannondale, Specialized, and Cervelo for you to try on your favorite trails.

If you're thinking about a custom bike, call us at 914-273-3397 or contact us via email at bino@hickoryandtweed.com

Helmets The Tweed carries a full line of helmets from Giro. Go to Giro's site to view them http://www.giro.com.

Looking for a Good Bike Mechanic?
Our Service Deparment offers Bike service from standard tuning to race prep. Check out the Service page on our web site. Feel free to ask us any questions regarding inspecting your bike. We are here to help. 914 273-3397

Bino Cummings, who has been part of the Tweed family for years and an outdoor enthusiast manages the Bike Shop. Bino studied bicycle mechanics at Barnet Bicycle Institute (BBI) in Colorado Springs, CO, the world famous training ground for bike mechanics, and is a certified Comprehensive Bicycle Mechanic. Whether it’s the latest equipment or techniques and procedures for bike maintenance and repair, Bino is the person to talk to. Bino also attended the Serotta International Cycling Institute (SICI) and is certified in Advanced Bicycle Fit. Custom fits are done by appointment only, so please call us in advance.

Bino Cummings

The Bike Shop Crew

Jacob Perlmutter, Bike Sales and Service
  Jacob grew up in Chappaqua, NY and began bicycle touring in middle school.  Before finishing high school, he had ridden across the country unsupported.  He went on to lead bicycle tours for teens in the Northeast.  When he's not tuning bikes in the shop, he is volunteering on a local ambulance as an EMT, and persuing a Paramedic certificate.
 
Bill Lowitz, Bike Sales and Service, Ski Sales and Service
  Bill started skiing at Stratton at the age of three, and has been skiing there ever since.  Bill was captain of both the Rye High School ski team and the Saint Michaels College ski team.  After college he moved to Utah for a season, where he descovered telemark and backcountry skiing.
  Bill started cycling in high school to train for ski racing, which he kept up in college.  Currently he rides both road and mountain bikes, competing in various events in both disciplines.  This is Bill's second tour at Hickory and Tweed between stints on Wall Street.
 

Billy Lowitz

Skip and his awesome bike team - Bino, Billy and Jacob – enjoy riding together and you can find them at the events that the Tweed sponsors. Join us for Friday Night RAW (Ride After Work) road rides from our store on Fridays, weather permitting. Call us for details. 914 273 -3397.

Planning a ride? Here's What Else You May Need.Once you have a bike that fits and is tuned, it’s time to gather the other essentials for a safe and enjoyable ride.

Helmet:Specialized and Giro bicycle helmets are made with In-mold Composite Sub Frame covered with a thin plastic outer shell and large vents to keep your head cool. Helmets come in many colors and if you ride at night, we recommend, light and bright colors, which are best for visibility. Fit is the most important consideration in selecting a helmet. Find one that fits snugly out of the box (not tight, just snug) and fine-tune the fit by adjusting the straps and adding pads where necessary to take up any space between the helmet and your head. Once crushed, the inner composite sub frame does not recover, which is why helmets must always be replaced after a crash.

Frame pump: The Road Morph or the Master Blaster DX frame pumps are essential for emergencies on the road and trail. A speedier solution are co2 cartridge pumps, such as the Ultraflate Plus from Genuine Innovations - they can fill a tire in seconds, where a hand pump can take minutes!

Basic Tools for the Road and Trail: For the most common breakdown, a flat tire, carry a spare tube and tire levers (to easily remove the tire) and a patch kit for repairing a tube or if you have a second flat. A chain tool will allow you to fix a broken or damaged chain. And, a mini-tool (some include chain tools) with 4, 5 and 6mm Allen wrenches and screwdrivers will allow you to adjust most of the bike's bolts. And, always carry some cash for food and a cell phone to call someone in case of a problem that you can't fix.

Floor pump: For everyday use you'll want a Joe Blow Pro floor pump. It'll make filling your tires faster and easier and will save wear and tear on your frame pump. This pump is extremely durable, which is why you’ll find it in all of our garages!

Cyclo-computer: One of the joys of cycling is being able to cover lots of ground and a Garmin Edge 705, the ultimate cyclo-computer, can tell you how far, how fast and how long you've ridden. Several Garmin models have extra functions such as heart rate, cadence (how fast you're pedaling), altitude, and temperature, but the Edge 705 has actual street and topographical maps and will give you directions so you’ll never be lost again.

Vehicle rack: The trails or roads you bike aren't always riding distance away, so you may want a Thule rack designed to safely carry your bike no matter what type or style of car, truck or van you drive. Thule has racks and cargo carriers to fit your needs and your sports. Let us help you find the right rack for you.

Hydration system: Camelbak hydration systems are a great option for quenching your thirst while riding. Insulation keeps your beverage of choice cooler (or warmer) longer and the drinking tube makes sipping more convenient. The capacity on larger systems is almost twice as much as you can carry in two large water bottles and the hydration pack provides a place to stash food, ID, small tools, keys and more.

Eyewear: Protect your eyes with sunglasses designed for cycling. It's not just glare you have to be concerned about on the road or trail; airborne debris kicked up from other bikes or passing vehicles can be hazardous, too. Oakley shades provide increased safety, including UV protection so your eye will be less fatigued at the end of a long day and slightly higher brow coverage for when you're bent over. We also carry eyewear from Specialized, featuring NXT lenses, a photochromatic lense that changes color depending on the ambient light conditions.

Lock: Bike security is important. Get a good lock from Kryptonite and use it correctly to prevent bike theft.

Socks: Even something as simple as socks can enhance your riding if they're specifically made for cycling. Pearl Izumi socks are designed to provide comfort for logging the miles on your new bike.

We can suggest other great accessories and help prioritize your purchases.

Let Us Help
Let our expert service department perform required maintenance to ensure a safe and fun ride. Feel free to ask us any questions regarding inspecting your bike for maintenance and safety. We're here to help! Check out our Services page for details on tune ups and race prep.

Got Kids?

Now you can take them with you on those family rides.

Burley’s Solo and D’Lite trailers attach to virtually any bike and are a great way for the whole family to ride together. The tow behind trailers can carry one or two children and up to 100 lbs. For younger kids, we carry the Limo Child Seat by CoPilot that also attaches on the back of most bikes and provides a smooth ride for kids up to 40 lbs. We also offer the Adams Trail-a-bike, which converts your adult bike into a tandem, allowing your child to go on longer rides with you, while still being active.

As gas prices keep rising commuters turn to bikes

Dust off your old one or buy new wheels

The high price of gas is good for biking – people across the country are dusting off their old two-wheelers -- or buying new ones -- to cope with rising fuel prices.

''People are riding bicycles a lot more often, and it's due to a mixture of things, but escalating gas prices is one of them,'' said Bill Nesper, spokesman for the Washington. D.C.-based League of American Bicyclists. ''We're seeing a spike in the number of calls we're getting from people wanting tips on bicycle commuting,'' he said. Nesper said he expects a record number of people will be pedaling this year. There's almost nowhere for the numbers to go but up: The group says less than one-half of 1 percent of Americans ride a bike to work. The League of American Bicyclists promotes Bike-to-Work Day.

Support environmentally friendly transportation and fight global warming and high gas prices by bicycling. Pollution-free, affordable and a healthy way to get around. An enjoyable way to make a positive difference, plus, you'll arrive refreshed and ready to take on the day!

We can convert your current bike into a commuter with the addition of a rack, panniers, lights, and any other equipment you might need.

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* Hickory & Tweed is a registered trademark of Hickory & Tweed, Inc. Armonk, NY