Get Connected

You can always tell a great bike shop by the techs who are outside making loops in the parking lot to check their work—popping wheelies, bouncing suspensions and pinching brakes. Almost everyone will sell you a helmet and a pack of protein goo for your next adventure, but here are some of the highlights of Santa Fe's local pedal peddlers:

Local Bike Shops

THE BROKEN SPOKE
1426 Cerrillos Road
992-3102

Experienced bike mechanics are on the job at the shop that has a small collection of used bikes and upward of 200 new ones hanging from the ceiling. The store recently honored by the National Bicycle Dealers Association sports a selection of panniers, helmets, hydration packs and other accessories. One wall is devoted to maps of the city's trails, the runs at Angel Fire Bike Park and the topography of the nearby Santa Fe National Forest.

MELLOW VELO
132 E Marcy St.
995-8356

Bike rentals at this downtown location regularly send out entire families of tourists on fat-tired Crushers—we know because they share our building. Three tiers of rental bikes mean you can spend as little as $20 a day to just get there and as much as $100 a day to try a late-model preium cycle. The shop owned by David Bell also caters to pros and commuters with sales and repairs.

SIRIUS CYCLES
2801 Rodeo Road, Ste. B-8
819-7311

The only bike shop on the Southside comes courtesy of Clemente McFarlane, whose service is also courteous in every way, by many accounts. The tiny store named for a star has the essential accessories, and also offers repairs and custom builds along with Chrome brand bags and a wide selection of Orbea, Felt and State Bicycle Co. inventory. Se habla español.

CHOICE CYCLE EXCHANGE
607 Cerrillos Road, Space A
780-5685

Española native Maria Archuleta Gabriele and her husband Peter opened the store in August that buys, sells and trades high-end, pre-owned road bikes. All you'll find here are frames, parts and complete bikes, plus a setup for photographing bikes for their Internet sales plan. No merch. No repairs.

NEW MEXICO BIKE N SPORT
524 W Cordova Road
820-0809

Loads of accessories and clothes complement oldschool repair and no-pressure high-information sales. This 21-year-old business stocks more gloves, gear and gadgets than almost any other store in town. Plus, four techs here have bike-fitting certification from Specialized. Quick tuneups and tire repairs can happen with the right timing.

ROB AND CHARLIE'S
1632 St. Michael's Drive
471-9119

Bike selection ranges from affordable and easy to exceptional and complicated, including BMX bikes and choices for kids. Pick up a set of valve covers in the shape of peace signs or eyeballs or a new Camelbak or just its bladder, if that's what you're seeking. The repair shop is always whirring. Don't hesitate to ask for advice about which mountain trails to hit up next.

Advocates

CHAINBREAKER COLLECTIVE
1515 5 th St.
989-3858

Learn how to refurbish a bike with this nonprofit advocacy group's Bicycle Resource Project or donate your spare parts for the cause of transportation equity.

SANTA FE SENIORS ON BIKES

These SOBs are road-cycling enthusiasts who meet on Thursdays for 30-mile rides grouped according to skill level, but they say you can "extend, or to turn around at any point along the way." Informal rides also leave weekly on Tuesdays from DeVargas Mall. A detailed schedule is posted at santafesobs.com

SANTA FE ROAD RIDERS

This road-cycling group holds weekly rides on Sundays in the Santa Fe area in three skill-level groups. The shortest, C rides, are in the 25- to 45-mile range with average speeds around 12 mph. groups.yahoo.com/neo/groups/sfroadriders/info SANTA FE FAT TIRE SOCIETY The local branch of the International Mountain Bicycling Association provides Twitter trail updates with the hashtag #sftrails. It's hosting festivities in conjunction with National Take Your Kid Mountain Biking Day on Oct. 4. The group meets monthly on the second Monday at 6 pm at REI. santafefattiresociety.org

Go!

GET CONNECTED

Most of the Santa Fe Trails city buses have bike racks intended to help riders make connections to further destinations. In an effort to encourage this kind of multimodal life, the city offers a free annual or monthly bus pass with the purchase of a bike or purchase of bike gear or by providing volunteer services in return for a bicycle from Broken Spoke, Chainbreaker Collective, Mellow Velo, Rob and Charlie's or Sirius Cycles. (With the purchase of $240 or more, an annual fee bus pass is provided. With the purchase of $20-$230, a monthly bus pass is provided.) Bring your original receipt to the Transit Administration Building located at 2931 Rufina, Monday through Friday, 8 am to 5 pm, 955-2010

GATHER ROUND

Commuter bikers and wannabes are invited to summit where regional transportation planners will strategize and share information. A keynote lecture is planned from city Councilor Joseph Maestas. 5 pm, Oct. 10 at the 500 Market St. in the Railyard.

NIGHT CRUISE

Illuminate your bike and join the G'Low-N-Slow 5-mile community bike cruise through the streets of downtown. The Oct. 10 festivities start at the Railyard's water tower where there will be bike decoration supplies, food trucks, a DJ, artists, booths and decoration supplies. The loop ride starts at 9 pm and will return to the Railyard for s'mores, hot chocolate and more. Registration is $20 (kids 12 and under ride for free), and the first 100 participants to sign up will receive a long sleeve, moisture-wicking technical tee. Visit RidgelineRacing.org for more information.

SOUND OFF

The Santa Fe Metropolitan Transportation Planning Organization is conducting a survey on addressing the transportation needs of the Santa Fe regional area over the next 25 years. English surveymonkey.com/s/GPK2G6B Spanish surveymonkey.com/s/D3YQSJL

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