Spot Check: Pearl Velo

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There are few things better in our little bike world than a great shop. As Caveman and I were rolling through Denver a couple weeks ago, we stumbled upon just one of those shops, Pearl Velo.

It was about 9am and we were riding to our hangover breakfast, when our kick-ass hosts pointed out a bike shop on the corner. The owner, Tyler, just happened to be opening the doors at the time. He told us to stop by for beers after we got our burritos and we were more than happy to comply. So after we watched the Chrome rig get a ticket, we checked out the shop.

This place is pretty alright. The one thing we noticed right away was that there were a ton of single speeds. Our kind of place. Caveman pulled out his camera and said “We should tell DC readers about this place”. So here are some of of Cave’s images to tell the story of a shop that welcomed our haggard corpses with open arms.

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4301 Tennyson St Denver, CO
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Tyler

I asked Tyler what his mission was for the shop was and his answer was top notch:

“This is my neighborhood shop, I live three blocks away. My daughter is now 6 years old and is growing up in a bike shop. That is crucial to me.”

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The shop has a lot of your basic urban needs. A lot of city gear with a heavy lean on cyclocross. All-City, Fairdale and Surly were the staples. It was early on a weekday morning, so we weren’t the most observant guys in the world. But we were soon informed that there was much more than just a bike shop here.

Tyler, along with two other friends have taken over a couple other shops in the building and formed what they call the “Tennyson Collective”. There was a story about friends drinking together one night and then all of the sudden it was formed. I didn’t take very good notes, so you will have to go ask them for the whole story. Basically, 3 friends joined forces to share a space where they can each live out their entrepreneurial dreams.

If you walk through the back door of Pearl Velo, you will see a mechanic’s area to the right and in front of you will be a clothing store called Berkley Supply. Eli, the owner, has plenty of gear to keep you well-kept and looking dapper off the bike. Lots of leather and flannel, utilitarian without being too hip.

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Looking from Berkley Supply into Pearl Velo
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Berkley Supply owner, Eli, reps our #occupy movement
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Hangovers hurt less on cold floors

Wandering around the back room, I notice a frame jig. Why the hell is there a frame jig in here? Well, come to find out the third piece of the collective is Josh and he makes frames. He sticks metal tubes together that become Avery County Cycles was the 2013 NAHBS Rookie of the Year. He wasn’t there to talk to but we will track him down in the future. The bikes I saw were a singlespeed CX bike and a touring bike. Both looked like something I would love to ride.

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frame builder fuel
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where the magic happens

I’m sure somebody will pipe up and say that some shop is better than this shop or that shop in Denver. But the truth of the matter is, this is where we ended up and these guys welcomed us like old friends, full beers, and awesome attitudes. So we felt the need to let you know. If you are ever in Denver, take a quick little jaunt south of the I-70 and check out Pearl Velo. They are drunkcyclists.

 

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About dirty biker

I am a fan of singletrack, singlespeeds, single women and single malt. Currently in Carbondale, CO Follow on Instagram @dirty_biker

11 Replies to “Spot Check: Pearl Velo”

  1. I got a question.

    Imma give up and throw away these Schwalbe Rocket Ron 29×2.25 tars.

    What’s a good 29er tubeless-ready tar for general-purpose use? You know, like just going for a ride, instead of fucking around for days, weeks and months trying to get a “Euro-spec, race-only” tar to last a whole ride with going down?

    PS— can’t go wider than the current 2.25″, they barely clear the chain stays as it is.

  2. Fer my 29-er i have been loving the Maxxis Ignitor.
    Decent weight (600 grams +or- ) good life span, even with riding to rides , rolls pretty well, an d pretty grippy in dry, loose , hardpack, rocky type shit. And priced right. Work great tubeless.
    No i don’t work for maxxis, just like that tire. I don’t know why the fuck Schwalbebebe be so popular now. Oh yea, we love to pay 100 dollars (canada) for tire that wear out really fast. I keep fergetting that.

  3. Mikey- I’ve always been a fan of WTB Exiwolfs…currently running them on my singlespeed and they are just starting to show wear after 3 solid seasons. Got Geax Saguaro’s on the Voodoo…again EXCELLENT life on them. Ran through a set of Bontrager tars in one year…good traction, but no life = no good to me.

  4. Thanks you guys— duly noted. I’ve never run Maxxis but I’ve had great luck with WTB.

    Disappointed with Schwalbe. They warrantied my first set and refused to replace the second, even with latex oozing out the center line of the tread all the way around both tars. They say they’re “worn out” after 600 miles. Weak sauce.

  5. And let’s see… since I run about 1000 miles per season, that would mean I need to buy two sets of $100 tars every season— four hundred dollars a year for rubber? Fuck that.

  6. Yep. Those tires are a one-and-done sort of deal. Great for people who don’t have to pay for their rubbers. Front Range geology eats wimpy tires. Soft compound, forget it. Thin sidewalls, blowouts. Less than 30psi, snake bite.

    Add the fact that most sealants use some sort of corrosive agent to keep that shit liquid, yet let it dry when exposed to air. Same reason one doesn’t use chemical based lubes on natural rubber condoms.

  7. I love how the Maxxis Ignitors ride, but I have had durability issues with them. On two tires I had nickle-quarter sized bubbles form only on one side of the tire. Maxxis refused to warranty them. Sealant damaging tires is b.s. I have Specialized, Conti, and one remaining Maxxis that have had sealant in them for a couple of years with no issues. Those tires were defective (and now they say their tires are sealant compatible…) I won’t buy another Maxxis. For the price they charge, they should have given me a blow job with them. I know the big S is hated in these parts, but Specialized The Captain and Ground Control tires have never let me down.

    Back to the issue at hand: That shop collective looks like a bad-assed place. I will hit them up if I am in need in the Denver area…