10/30/2024
We have news, and an invitation. We announced here about a year ago that Hubbub Bicycles had moved. After some time of settling in, getting the shop further organized and running efficiently, we want to welcome you to our new location.
The pandemic was, as everyone knows, a real gut-punch to so many businesses, and bike shops were no exception. Many have closed, some are just hanging on, and others found a way to slog through the mire and come up for air.
Fortunately, and especially because of our abilities to develop unique solutions and special adaptations, often fabricating those things we were unable to find, and navigating challenges to source parts, we are still here!
Our new location in Commerce Park of Beachwood – 23632 Mercantile Rd, suite F – is more convenient than ever. It’s where we wanted to be 28 years ago!
Some very important things have stayed the same – our commitment to great service, and the finest components and accessories for example. Some things have had to change, such as the selection of one-off custom bikes you were accustomed to seeing roll out of our workshop.
Over the past few years we’ve spent countless hours discussing the bike industry and our relationship to it. We never have fit the mould of a traditional “sell what’s hot” bike shop and, as we’ve watched the prices of production bikes reach astronomical levels, made up with frames and parts that are almost immediately obsolete, mostly targeted toward a racing market, we keep asking ourselves, “Is that the direction we want to go? Is that what it takes for us to, in good conscience, continue helping our customers to draw the most joy from their cycling experiences? Is that how we can best continue trying to ensure our customers squeeze the most value out of their fine bicycles over many seasons?”
The answers for us kept coming up, “not really,” and while we can (as easily as anyone) still build a racing machine with electronic shifting and all the bells and whistles that you see on a Tour de France bike, we just aren’t hearing that this is what many of our clients want or need these days.
Fewer people seem to want to ride on the road now. Wider tires, a more comfortable position, and options for fenders and lights have become desireable. We believe that cyclists want to truly “recreate” on their bikes, or use them for commuting and transportation. We are beginning to see an entirely new generation of people who are less inclined to drive, and more inclined to ride or take public transportation.
Gravel riding is the “new” adventure sport, and bike packing has grown considerably too. Countless of the bikes we created over the years were intended for this and, now that the industry is making appropriate parts… We’re all for it!
This brings us to where we are today. While we find new partners for creating custom designs, as in the past, we are also embracing solutions such as Black Mountain Cycles Mod Zero - a frameset that is affordable and adaptable to most terrains – road, gravel, and paths. It has proper geometry, and we’re building it up with what we believe are outstanding components, offering wide tire clearance, disc brakes, and loads of options for bottles, racks, fenders, and lights.
In addition to the Mod Zero, we are rebuilding our showroom of parts, lights, bells, and other accessories as we “gear-up” for the holiday season and beyond.
That invitation we alluded to above? Please join us Saturday, November 16 between 1pm & 5pm.
Enjoy a drink and some appetizers. Bring a helmet if you like to ride our Mod Zero. Check out the shop for some ideas for the holidays, and make an appointment for service or a fitting.
If you can’t make it for our “open house” on November 16, check out our online store and come to see us when you can.
We look forward to seeing you!
Diane & Brian
PS - If you like podcasts, and all-things-bicycling, and haven't heard The Outspoken Cyclist, give her a listen!
