For some time now I have been itching to undertake a more significant destination ride. A few weeks ago I took some time off to ride from base camp in Doylestown, PA to Brooklyn for a few days of friends, food, music and most importantly, BIKE SHOPS. Cities I have not yet been to excluded, NYC, Brooklyn specifically, is the mecca of bike shops. While I was in town I made sure to stop by the three at the top of my list and happened to have my trusty K1000 on hand.
Deluxe Cycles
The first stop and quite possibly my favorite shop, Deluxe! This is the first time I've been to their new location, a larger room in the same building. Deluxe always has an incredible collection of old steel and I think it's so rad that a majority of the new bikes they carry are from companies building bikes right here in 'merica (Wraith, ///LOW, No. 22, Affinity, etc.). I love that there is always someone hanging around the shop excited to take time and chat.
Maglia Rosa NYC
Next stop Maglia Rosa! I first found out about this shop at the Philadelphia Bike Expo. The owner had Chris Bishop build a bike for him which was then painted by VeloColour. The bike was in the Bishop booth and absolutely stunning; I knew I had to check out the shop. Maglia Rosa is a really cool coffee shop (Nutella waffle highly recommended) with a few unique old builds hanging on the walls, the tiniest Bianchi I have ever seen and a very special collection of custom bikes from upper echelon builders like Seven and Festka. THERE'S A COLNAGO IN THE BATHROOM.
King Kog NYC
The final stop on my Brooklyn bike shop extravaganza was King Kog. Originally from Oakland, CA, King Kog had some of the wildest track frames and complete builds I have laid eyes on; Zipp trispokes, HED discs, Super Record, Phil Wood, AARN, bling from wall to wall. They also helped me out with a loose spoke that seemed to develop over the course of my journey and had the most pleasant Chihuahua watching the door.
Until Next Time NYC!