The Redbeard Blog / DUMBO

Redbeard Bikes is excited to host an evening with Shannon Galpin, author of "Mountain to Mountain: A Journey of Adventure and Activism for the Women of Afghanistan." The book comes out from St. Martin's Press this Tuesday!

When: Friday, 9/19, 6-9pm
Where: Redbeard Bikes, 69 Jay Street

In 2006, Shannon founded Mountain 2 Mountain, a nonprofit that works with women and girls in conflict zones. She is focused on supporting Afghan women who want to ride bikes.

Shannon is also the producer of "Afghan Cycles," the Let Media documentary about the Afghan National Women’s Cycling Team (due to premier in 2015.

Shannon will speak about her experiences in Afghanistan, show bits of "Afghan Cycles," and sign copies of her memoir, "Mountain to Mountain."

We met Shannon this summer, when she spoke at the Liv/Giant 2015 product launch. We found her story incredibly compelling, so we were honored when she asked us to host a book launch party for her.

The event is free and open to the public; this is your only chance to see Shannon in New York City (aside from the Harvard Club).

Check out this video where she speaks about her work. Liv/Giant donated 50 bicycles to the Afghan Women's Cycling Team.

Cycling giant Marianne Vos praised Shannon's memoir: "[Shannon Galpin] utilizes her unique position as a western woman to immerse herself in Afghan culture. She had the courage to leave everything behind and use the bike to as a tool to lead a physical and political movement - a way towards freedom for the women of Afghanistan."

Last night we learned that Michelle, one of our customers, was killed in a DWI car-on-car collision on Eastern Parkway a few weeks ago. She was a passenger; her bright orange Brompton was in the trunk. Her friend came into the shop to tell us.

We have no words left. We hear your stories all the time, of close calls on NYC streets, we see the damage to your bicycles, your person, your psyche, but no one has ever come into our shop and said, "Michelle is dead."

Michelle, we feel lucky to have known you. We will remember you bright, happy, excited, the gal who took her Brompton to Cuba.

We must keep fighting for Vision Zero.

Ride with us on Saturday, August 30th, to show our support of the Afghan Women's Cycling Team, and to celebrate the human right to ride a bike!

Watch the trailer for "Afghan Cycles" to hear the team's inspiring story.

Meet at Redbeard Bikes in DUMBO, Brooklyn, at 7:30 AM to fill our tires & water bottles & get to know each other a bit. The ride gets rolling at 8 AM and returns to the shop by 11 AM.

Why the sea? Because the sea is freedom.

Our route will take us along the Brooklyn Navy Yard, down Vanderbilt, through Prospect Park, through the quiet streets of Victorian Ditmas Park, Midwood and south Brooklyn, until we reach the sea. Why the sea? Because the sea is freedom.

We'll return by a slightly different way, north on Ocean Parkway.

Riders of all levels are welcome. This is a no-drop ride; we will rest at reds. Children under 18 must be accompanied by an adult.

Don't live in New York? Folks all over the world are organizing Global Solidarity Rides, too. Check out the list here. If there's no ride in your city -- make one!

Liv/giant and Mountain2Mountain are sponsors of the Afghan Women's Cycling Team and their bid for the 2020 Olympics.

Ride details can also be found on BikeNYC.org.

The shop will be closing at 4pm on Sunday, July 13, and will remain closed through Wednesday, July 16.

We will be back to regular hours on Thursday, July 17.

We'll be out in California test-riding the newest bicycles from Giant. Follow us on Instagram (@redbeardbikes) for updates from the field!

We've got all hands on deck this week to finish all tune-ups before the trip! If there's anything you need, give us a call at (718) 858-2453 or visit the shop.

My phone autocorrects "GW" to "Gwyneth," so according to my texts, on Sunday I crossed Gwyneth twice!

I've been talking to people about Gwyneth a lot lately, in the context of our Sunday morning shop ride, which goes over the George Washington Bridge, and up River Road. The bridge is a roadblock for a lot of people, with good reason. Pedestrians and cyclists in both directions share a narrow path. Sometimes there are dogs, and strollers. There are two blind spots on the bridge, and a hairpin turn on the entrance ramp on the Manhattan side. I honestly find it a bit nerve-wracking to get over the river, especially clipped in.

But the reward is tremendous. On the other side, River Road winds along through the woods along the Hudson. There are very few cars, and many, many cyclists. After hundreds of Prospect Park laps, the hills of River Road are new and welcome. The birds sing as you get your heart rate up!

If you've never crossed Gwyneth, we encourage you to join our shop ride (Sundays, 7:15 AM). We leave early to beat the West Side Greenway crowds.

If you prefer, you can walk up the bridge ramp - ain't no shame in it! (By the way, clipless pedals are not required. We'll talk about why they're helpful in a future post.)

Once we're off the bridge, you will find yourself relaxing and smiling - guaranteed. You will even forgive the occasional chipmunk that darts out into the road, grazing your wheel. It's THAT nice out there.

And speaking of being brave: our friend, author Patty Chang Angker, still has a few spots left in her Some Nerve retreat on July 26-27. Patty recently overcame her fear of riding a bike, and did the Five Boro Bike Tour and the Discover Hudson Valley ride (both held by Bike New York). Check it out! If this wasn't busy season, I'd go in a heartbeat.