A Cyclocross Bike Gets Customized

Addie, a Ben's customer, came in to Ben's looking for a bike to do long rides with her husband.  She wanted to get on the Glacial-Drumlin trail, do the Door County Century, and do long, leisurely rides.

"My husband bought me a hybrid five years ago," she said. "But it was too heavy and that grandma seat just wasn't comfortable."


We suggested she try out the Milwaukee Bicycle Company cyclocross bike. A lot of our customers have been customizing the bike and using it for touring.


"It reminds me of the comfort of riding a bike as a kid," she said while getting an initial fit from professional fit guru Brett Meinke.


Addie said she appreciated being able to customize the bike as well as getting a fit from Brett. She said she was glad as well to buy a product made in Wisconsin.


Even though she already has a carbon-fiber road bike, she said the weight difference was minimal.



Addie is scheduled to return for a final fit with Brett where he will trim the steer tube, adjust the saddle position, and change out the stem.

Addie's Milwaukee Bicycle Company cyclocross bike. Steel beauty. 

Mr. Zielinski Rides to City Hall

For the first time, Tony Zielinski, Milwaukee alderman for the Bay View neighborhood, rode to City Hall today on his bike.

It was chilly and rainy, and those who rode with him wore rain jackets, long shorts, and gloves.

But Zielinski showed up ready for the commute with shorts, a cut-off t-shirt, and a string bag on his back. He also wore a reflective vest and helmet for safety.

Ben's Cycle helped Zielinski choose a bike, helmet, and vest. The shop is running an in-store special this week of 20 percent off all helmets and lights.

Zielinski sponsored and won approval for a bill  in City Council this spring creating the Milwaukee Bike Safety Awareness Week.

Jeff Polenske, City Engineer for Milwaukee, and Jake Newborn of the Wisconsin Bike Federation joined Zielinski on the ride along with several Bay View residents.

Active Pursuit blogger Tom Held also joined the ride and wrote up his experience.

WISN Television ran a story with Polenske about bike safety and classes offered for city residents.

MBC Racers Score Podiums in Camrock WORS race

MBC Race Team rider Chip Way wins his
Citizen age group at Camrock WORS

Milwaukee Bicycle Company Racing Team rider Chip Way continued his impressive start to the WORS season. 

Way has now won the last two Citizen 45-54 age groups, at Crystal Lake and Camrock. At Camrock, he finished 13th of 199 starters in the Citizen class. 

"This is my first year so I wanted to get as much experience early on as I could," Way said.

Way plans to upgrade and start riding in the Sport class in his next race.

Comp rider Ron Knutkowski is now two for two in WORS podiums. 

On a tough, technical course at Camrock with a lot of climbing, Knutkowski was second in the 35-39 Comp age group and 10th overall of 67.

He previously finished fifth at the WORS opener in Iola. 

"I hope I can continue that trend," he said.  "(I'm) starting to feel fast again."

Comp riders Chad Tucker finished fifth in his age group (35-39) and Rick Walls finished ninth in his age group (40-44).

Walls also finished eighth in Comp age group at Crystal Lake. 

Victoria Pink, racing in the Sport class, won her age group at Crystal Lake as well. 

At Camrock, Citizen racers Sam Adams finished 14th and William Bayley finished 17th in their 35-39 age group. 

Milwaukee Bicycle Company Racing Team is based out of Ben's Cycles in Milwaukee. We ride mostly mountain bike and cyclocross and race on Milwaukee Bicycle Company bikes. 

Teresa Craze is Tackling the Pewaukee Triathlon With the Help of Ben's Cycles

Teresa Craze, 25, is determined to complete her first triathlon in July. 

Teresa hasn't been riding much in the last 10 years, although she's been doing spin classes once a week. So Ben's helped her find a Specialized Dolce for the triathlon. 

"The crew at Ben's Cycle really hooked me up," she said. "Paul and Mike gave me a great cycling 101 course when I went in to pick up the Specialized Dolce I'm renting. I can't stress enough how much of a beginner I am. They had to teach me very basics, such as how to shift up and down, and how to remove and re-attach the wheel to get the bike to fit in my car."

She describes herself as "super non-athlete" and has never really done much in the way of sports. But when her company PKWARE offered to pay for a triathlon and created a work group to train, she decided to make it her personal challenge. 

She will compete in the Pewaukee Tri, a sprint distance event, on July 13. She'll swim a quarter mile, ride 17 miles, and finish with a 5k run. 

For Teresa, the goal is all about getting active, enjoying Milwaukee's trails, learning to ride a road bike, and participating in a really cool athletic event.

"I think it will be a good way to find my sport,: she said. "I always thought cycling looked like something I could get into. Training for a triathlon on a really nice road bike would give me the discipline to figure out if it is a sport I want to invest in."

She moved to Milwaukee nearly two years ago and noticed the trails and parks along Milwaukee's lakefront. 

"I felt it was such a waste for me not to go out and be active on them. I ran a couple 5ks last summer for the first time ever, which was kind of a big deal for me." 

She now participates in summer kickball and volleyball rec leagues in Milwaukee just to have fun.

Teresa is following a sprint triathlon training plan, but she's realistic about her results.

"This race is with myself," she said. "I'm going to do the best I can on the day of the triathlon. I don't quite know what that is yet. I'll be happy with myself for finishing."

Teresa will be updating us on a regular basis on her training progress. We'll also try to get photos of her at the triathlon and report on her success! 

We're excited to be a part of Teresa's efforts and determination to make cycling and fitness a part of her life. 

We Need Help With Our Helmet Hair. Please.

We at Ben's Cycle/ Milwaukee Bicycle Company are all about looking good.

I mean, look at us...

And we are all about riding our bikes. And sometimes when we ride to a destination - like a date or meeting - we still want to look good. That includes our hair.

Yes, our hair.

We fully admit to vanity, and we - at least those of us who still have hair - treasure its luster, shape, and style. 

At the same time, we always wear our bike helmets for safety. We want to ride safely, but we each have our particular hair challenges.

Maybe one of us has hair like Bon Jovi in the 80s...














Maybe one of us has hair like Troy's....

It's possible one of us is still living with a mullet...

One of us tries to be hip...

And one of us has just given up trying to do anything with his hair...

In all seriousness, we have a problem to solve: How can we wear a helmet, ride to a destination, and still have awesome hair when we arrive? 

Do we add product after the ride?

Do we bring a portable hair dryer? 

We at Ben's are all about solving the impediments people face in riding their bikes more. While most businesses will never have the kinds of awesome hair we have at the shop, most non-bald people are deeply concerned about this. Some people we know DON'T RIDE just because of their hair. 

That's not okay. 

So we are brave enough to admit it. We're opening up a discussion on hair and bike helmets. How can we maintain our awesome hair and still be safe by wearing a helmet? 

Help us, Internet Answers? Solutions?

Tom Boonen Wins Second Stage of Belgian Tour on Specialized Venge

Tom Boonen, the famed rider for the Omega Pharma-Quickstep team, won a second consecutive stage of the Tour of Belgium today as reported in cyclingnews.com 

Boonen was aboard his Specialized Venge, profiled here during the Tour of California.

Boonen, who has been world champion several times, has now won stages this year on three different Specialized bikes, the Roubaix, Tarmac, and the Venge.

Stop in at Ben's Cycles to test ride these incredible Specialized bikes, designed to give riders a huge advantage in aerodynamics and power efficiency.

Too Old to Ride? Jim Marx Destroys That Excuse

The gray-haired man who passed you on the Oak Leaf Trail? The same guy bombing down the gravity trails at The Rock? The same guy who rolls his mountain bike through the singletrack at the Kettles?

His name is Jim Marx. And we at Ben's Cycles were pleased he chose a Milwaukee Bicycle Company cyclocross frame as his road bike.

Marx is almost 70, yet he rides a bike every day. This morning, for example, he was out on the Alpha Trails at The Rock and rode a double black (or really, really hard) section of the downhill. 

Marx has been putting a lot of miles on bicycles in Wisconsin for the last 40 years. 

He started with the Wisconsin chapter of the National Mountain Bike Patrol in 2006, but since then has helped expand the bike patrol to non-mountain biking events, including triathlons, marathons, adventure triathlons, and the Wisconsin Cycling Association cyclocross series. 
 
 Last weekend, he patched up a member of the Milwaukee Bicycle Company racing team at a mountain bike event at Emma Carlin after a hard crash. He's a first responder on a bike.

He bought his Milwaukee Bicycle Company cyclocross frame 18 months ago and built it up over the winter in 2012.

His first ride on the MBC? A 450-tour across central Florida. He was 68 years old. 
 
"I built up the cross frame as a touring bike," he says. He put on front and rear racks, built up high-quality wheels with White hubs, and put wider tires on the rims. 

He bought a second MBC bike for his wife last year for a 40th anniversary gift. Since his wife has some challenges lifting her leg over a regular frame, Marx said Vince at Ben's helped design a frame that met her needs. 

"The Milwaukee gave me the opportunity to have a more pliable steel frame that felt good under me," Marx says. "I like the quality of the MBC. The cross frame worked really well for me."

Milwaukee Bicycle Company frames and forks are manufactured in Waterford, Wisconsin and sold through Ben's Cycles in Milwaukee. Customers at Ben's are able to customize paint, components, and styles. 

This is the first in a series of Milwaukee Bicycle Company customer profiles. If you have an MBC with an interesting story, contact us!

Downer Party is Here Again!

It's that time again!

Ben's Cycle is hosting the annual Downer Classic party as the Tour of America's Dairyland comes to the East Side for the 45th edition of the Great Downer Bike Race.

The Ben's Super Prime has become legendary, as pro racers push their speed to the limit to win the lap prize that has been between $5-7,000!

Your ticket to the party, a bargain at $25, funds the prime. Plus, the party is a ridiculously good time. 

Watch an incredible race, support the Super Prime, eat and drink your fill!

Bike Safety Awareness Week in Milwaukee

Bike Safety Awareness Week in Milwaukee is the first week of June. Ben's wants all cyclists to be safe, so we're offering 20 percent off lights and helmets between June 1 and June 7 at the store. Mention "bike safety" at the counter for your discount!

The Rock Bike Park Hosts Rad Events!

The Rock, located in Franklin at the intersections of 76th Street, Hwy. 36, and Rawson, is hosting some awesome events, which we at Ben's/Milwaukee Bicycle Company happily and proudly support.

Bikefest
   On May 31, kids and bikers of all ages can learn about safe biking and spend some time learning to ride on the skills course. 
   This is a free bike safety event sponsored by Wheaton Franciscan and the Midwest Orthopedic Specialty Hospital in Franklin. 
    Riders will get a free bike fit and safety check, provided by Ben's Cycle. In addition, they will learn rules of safe riding, ride on a skills course, get free injury assessments from a certified trainer from MOSH, and learn about bike fitness and health from Wheaton Franciscan. 
    Learn more and register at http://www.rockcomplex.com/event/bikefest/ 

Wednesday Night Mountain Bike Races
    Once again, The Rock is hosting the Wednesday night race series. Ben's Cycle/Milwaukee Bicycle Company will provide weekly prizes!
    The first race is June 4. 

Dirt Farm
    New to cycling and need some bike skills? Dirt Farm is a five-week program that focuses on teaching first-timers and beginners the skills they need to safely ride. 
    You'll learn fundamentals, bike handling skills, and riding techniques. 
    Plus there are programs for the gravity park and BMX racing! 
    Learn more at http://www.rockcomplex.com/bike-parks/dirt-farm/

Milwaukee Bicycle Company Racing Team Continues Success

Two Milwaukee Bicycle Company racers earned age group medals in Rhinelander, the second stop of WORS.

Citizen racer Chip Way, pictured below, won his age group and placed 10th overall!

Victoria Pink also won her age group in the Sport division and placed 8th overall for the women!

Rick Walls, racing in the tough Comp division, finished 8th in his age group and 27th overall.

WORS is the largest mountain bike series in the U.S. The third stop in the series is the Battle of Camrock at the Camrock 3 County Park in Rockdale, WI.

WORS has several divisions so that everyone can race. Beginning racers start in Citizen, move up to Sport for more challenging and longer events. The next step is Comp, meant for regional-level riders. The top riders race Elite and Pro events.

Several MBC racers will be heading to the Wisconsin Endurance Mountain Bike Series (WEMS) event next weekend at the Southern Kettle Moraine Emma Carlin state park.