Shopcast

We're kicking off the official start of summer (a few days late, perhaps...) with a handful of new columns and new contributor. Our newest Shopcast contributor and recently-hired Brand Manager, Martha Garcés, is a graphic designer and friend of folding bikes who's been a Perennial Cycle fan since she moved to Minneapolis 4 years ago. She agonized over the color choices for her own custom Brompton, enjoys interior design, food & graphic design blogs, and posts her personal projects and photography at marthaandtom.com, a blog she shares with her husband Tom.

Today, Martha will be introducing our newest column... Bags! Bags! Bags! This new biweekly column is inspired by Perennial Cycle's special focus on commuter and utility biking and our broad selection of bags in all shapes & sizes. We'll be highlighting a new bag or group of bags in each post, and we'll often include a coupon (watch for this week's special deal in the post that follow...). Martha's first Bags! Bags! Bags! will be up next.

We ended the weekend with coat-tails flying at the Brompton US Championship • 2012. Thank you to all who helped make this event a race to remember: Open Streets Minneapolis, Brompton Bicycles Ltd, Best-dressed judge John Meegan and everyone at Top Shelf, Aaron from Minneapolis Musette for his scintillating play-by-play commentary, Mayor RT Rybak, Brooks, Twin Six, Schwalbe, Banjo Brothers, and Nutcase.

Most of all, thank you to this year's participants and to those who helped cheer the racers on as we kicked-off Open Streets 2012 in style. Read on for the race results and links to the coverage of the race around the web.

Women's Division:

• 1st Place — Susan Todzy
• 2nd Place — Megan Turak
• 3rd Place — Sophie Breen
• Best-Dressed — Susan Todzy

Men's Division:

• 1st Place — Wallace Alexander
• 2nd Place — Pedro Becquer
• 3rd Place — Spencer Morse
• Best-Dressed — Spencer Morse

Championship coverage around the web:

• Top finishers Wallace and Pedro neck-and-neck in the Pioneer Press
• Participant Mark Skoine in his homemade Union-Jack helmet in the Pioneer Press 
• Chris Eidem shares a break-down of the race from the rider's perspective on his blog "Fat Boy Biking"
• Read *near* all-around-champion Spencer Morse's race recap at his blog "Why I Ride"
• Cycle Twin Cities put together a great recap of the event earlier this week, including video and photos
• Urban Velo's Scott Klocksin sums up the race with a video of the starting sprint and brief commentary
• See more pictures and add your own in the shop's BUSC2012 Flickr group
• Watch the shop staff's pre-race Brompton alley cat here

Photos by Perennial Cycle staff Martha Garcés & Kat McCarthy © Perennial Cycle, 2012

We couldn't be more excited to be just days away from the Brompton US Championship 2012, to be held this Sunday, June 10 in Minneapolis. You've read the basics in our previous post on the event—now for the nitty-gritty details of the weekend's festivities.

Saturday, June 9 — Let's Party!

Whether you're racing Sunday or not, you're invited to enjoy music, food & drink at our Registration and Packet pick-up Party at Perennial Cycle from 5:30–8:30pm. What to bring: cash if you'd like to dine with us, your bike (Brompton or otherwise!), and a friend. All are welcome. 

MUSIC:

Our own Jon Nielsen will be playing from 7–8 p.m.

NOSH:

Potter's Pasties food truck will be selling pasties from 5:30–8 p.m. with traditional, chicken, vegetarian Thai, pulled pork and sausage pasties and sides. Potter's will also keep you hydrated with a variety of sodas, water, ginger-mint limeade, and Vietnamese coffees. For details, view the menu here.

We'll be serving ice cream, donated by Banjo Bros., between 6–8 p.m.

ACTIVITIES:

• Fold to the Death in a Folding Duel — Challenge a fellow party-goer to a folding duel on stage.
• Time your fastest fold on stage
• Hop in the Photo Booth for a chance to get your picture taken with a limited edition tri-coloured Jubilee Brompton, designed in celebration of Her Majesty the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee, or a limited edition Vic Lee inspired Brompton.

PRIZES & DEALS:

• Raffle prizes include Nutcase Union-Jack helmets, men's and women's Twin Six apparel, Walz caps, and other cycling accessories. There will be multiple opportunities to get your name in the hat throughout the evening.
• Perennial Cycle will be offering free registration for Sunday's event to anyone who buys an in-stock Brompton at the party.

POST-PARTY PUB-RIDE:

Following Saturday's party, we'll be heading out on a pub-ride as a group to Merlin's Rest, so don't forget to bring your Brompton, your folding friends, or your preferred bike or trike to ride with us. Sales Manager Greg Neis will be leading the ride.

Sunday, June 10 — Brompton US Championship • 2012

If you haven't already registered, there's still time to get a chance at the top prize—a trip to England to compete in the Brompton World Championship—at perennialcycle.com. All are welcome to spectate and cheer the participants on.

TIMING:

8:30–9:40 a.m. Pre-race Check-in at W 34th Street and Lyndale Ave S. Tea and Scones by A Baker's Wife provided for all registered participants.

10 a.m. - sharp - Participants will start the race with a Le Mans running start to their folded Bromptons, unfold as fast as they can, and head into the first lap of six. A UCI (International Cycling Union) representative will be present to officiate the competition. 

11 a.m. Folding Competition, open to participants and spectators alike. Race participants may partake in the Folding Competition free of charge. For $5, others may have a chance to get their names in the bracket. A prize will awarded to the fastest folder.

11:30 a.m. Awards Presentation with representatives from Perennial Cycle and John McConaghay of Brompton.

AWARDS:

Best Dressed — John Meegan of Top Shelf will judge the sartorial elegance of all of the Championship's entrants and award a custom-made shirt, created with up to 30 measurements to guarantee the perfect fit, to one man and one woman with impeccable style.

Fastest Fold — The folder with most finesse will go home with a set of Schwalbe 16x1¼ Kojaks for his or her Brompton.

3rd Place, Men's/Women's Divisions — One men's and one women's Twin Six Jersey

2nd Place, Men's/Women's Divisions — One men's and one women's Brooks B-17 Saddle (B-17 & B-17S)

1st Place, Men's & Women's Champion — A trip to the Brompton World Championship in England for the first place finishers in the men's and women's divisions

OPEN STREETS!

All registered participants and guests are encouraged to participate in the Open Streets Minneapolis event following the race. Lyndale will be open to cyclists, pedestrians, and other non-motorized modes of transport through 4 p.m. Sunday.

The DETAILS:

Date:  June 10th, 2012

Time: Registration 8:30 - 9:40am, Race at 10am
Dress Code: All participants must wear a jacket, collared shirt and tie.
Helmets are a must and lycra is banned (or at least all lycra must be covered up)

Where:  34th and Lyndale in Minneapolis, MN

Prizes: Win a trip to England to the Brompton World Championship!
More Prizes: There will be special awards given for a Best Dressed man and Best Dressed Woman as well as for the fastest fold.

Pre-registration Party: Saturday night (June 9th) with Fabulous Food and entertainment. Pre-registration begins at 5pm and food/Party is from 6-8. Then a fun urban ride to Merlin's Rest for a pint and a couple Pig-in-a-Jars.

Perennial Cycle is sponsoring the Brompton US Championship Race! This is definitely one of the funnest races ever and for that reason this race is growing in popularity in a big way.

Brompton Bicycle and Perennial Cycle have teamed up with Open Streets Minneapolis to bring even more bikie-ness to an already great day of cycling culture in the city that is ranked #1 for its cycle friendly atmosphere.

Brompton Folding Competition Fun: