Why is he so good at Bike Tune-ups? (in our little Lakewood, CO Bike Shop)His dad said, "Russ, you're gonna wear that thing out!" He was 14 when he got his first BMX bike. He took it apart everyday to clean it and make sure everything was in good working order. I laugh everytime I hear that story now thinking back to when I first met him September 1st, 2004. I found out he was moving to Utah to teach photography at a college prep boarding school which really perked my attention because of what it said about his artistry and his character. And then I found out that he was working at a bike shop down the road from my apartment (this was when we both lived in Chicago- he was finishing up art school at Columbia College and I was dancing professionally with Gus Giordano Jazz Dance Chicago's second company). I took my neon orange Huffy down to his bike shop the next day, and as superficial as it sounds...he picked up my bicycle with one hand to put it in the repair stand and I was hooked! Ha! Russ got a job at a bike shop in Wisconsin when he was 15 years old. During summer breaks in college he came out to stay with a friend and worked as a mechanic at Turin Cyclery in downtown Denver. (Not knowing that a decade later he would own his own bike shop just outside of Denver in Lakewood, CO). Fast forward to when we both lived and taught at Wasatch Academy, the boarding school we ended up teaching at for eight years, in Utah. He taught black and white conventional photography, because it is all about the process. It's hands on and practical and empowering his students to physically create something. We bought a 1980 VW rabbit pickup that he converted to run on waste vegetable oil. We drove all around this country in that little truck, stopping along the way at diners and Taco Bells to fuel up with more vegetable oil. (Read more about our grease filtering system here!). Each repair he made on that cute little old truck was because he was willing to pick up a manual and figure it out. Also while at that boarding school he taught an experiential learning classes where the kids took bikes and created art on them as well as a project with photography, writing, and sculpture where students took a VW rabbit and converted it into a work of art/snowboarding feature for the school's snowboarding park. Check out the little video below of the final art showing. Even when we moved to Beijing China in 2013 he was taking abandoned bikes and combining them with parts from other bicycles to make one great working bike for our co-workers at the international school we were teaching at. Here's a link to a post from our blog about this while we lived in China. Also, in Beijing he began playing bike polo (kindof like the horse sport with a mallet and a ball, but on a bicycle). At bike polo is where he met the guy, David Wang, that ultimately taught Russ about the bamboo bicycle building process (Bamboo Bikes Beijing). So to make a long story short, Russ knows a lot about bikes. He loves them, he rides them and he wants to either teach you how to make your own bike out of bamboo (because you could totally do it!!!!) or he wants to get your bike to it's peak performance with the most affordable tune-up around in his little Lakewood, CO bike repair shop (CCBIKES). His tuneups are so affordable, not because his labor is worth less, but because he wants more existing bikes to be on the road as safe and efficient as they can be and doesn't believe that should cost you an arm and a leg.
Bring your bike in today, so he can make it ride like the wind! We've all heard about why we should do yoga and those in our little Lakewood, CO yoga community can attest to how they are sleeping better than ever, physically feeling stronger and more flexible than ever after bringing in a consistent yoga practice to their lives. But I'm excited about how arm balances and inversions can take that level of well being to the next level by adding in a sense of play and adventure into your practice and lives! The overall benefits of balancing on your arms and going upside down: Free Spirit -Sense of Adventure -Inner Child Conquer Challenges -Address fears -One step at a time (not rushing the process) Strength Building -Builds lean muscles which help the metabolism -Body areas that gain muscle are core, glutes, back, shoulders and arms Medicinal -Decompresses the spine -Improved Circulation -Boost digestion, metabolic and endocrine systems -Brings balance to the brain -Brings both a sense of joy and calm from the change in perspective and addressing of fears -Healthy blood flow/circulation through cells and pituitary pineal glands (Our health and vitality depend on proper functioning of the these 2 glands) -To rejuvenate thinking power. -To improve hemoglobin content in blood. Join us at CCYOGA in Lakewood, CO for an hour and a half of yoga fun at one of our uplifting Arm Balances & Inversions Workshop. Never tried before? No worries! This workshop is great for ALL LEVELS, and will teach new fliers basic arm balance & inversion entries and exits, and provide more experienced uplifters with new possibilities. Change your perspective, build focus, strength and freedom… See when the next arm balancing and inversions workshop is taking place HERE. PS- If you need your bicycle tune-up up head over to the bike service page for more information.
Isn't it crazy how some days you wake up and you feel like the whole world is working in your favor and other days it feels like the opposite? Well, I woke up this morning feeling the opposite, and before I new it the anxiousness had built up in a way that I'd worked my tummy into a tizzy. The tape recorder of negativity in my head was playing on repeat. "What do you think you're doing? Who are you to think that everyone should want to come to CCYOGA or CCBIKES? Most people just want a deal and then to move on. Yada yada yada...." I had a few errands that I needed run right away that I tried to fake my way through inauthentically hiding behind a mask that everything was fine. Once I made it to the yoga studio, I was tempted to launch immediately into emails and the to-do list. Instead, I sat down to meditate. Or rather as we talked about in our first "Being of Power" by Baron Baptiste book club meeting this last Sunday, "to sit in the S@%#" As I sat with my eyes closed, hands resting on my lap, I took 3 giant breaths with dramatic sighs out and decided to not try to change the tummy tizzy but to simply try not react to the thoughts that came up. I watched the thoughts until they slowed down and ultimately changed course. What started to flow in was, "I am fine. In fact I am more than fine. I chose to play this game and life is unfolding in incredible ways every day. I'm meeting incredible people every day. I love what I am doing to grow our business through sharing yoga. Russ loves what he does teaching people to make bamboo bikes and getting other people's bikes back on the road with tune-ups. We are a great team and have a great team of yoga teachers at Container Collective."
The next thing that popped into my head was bold and for a second I resisted and then decided to accept. "Life is always working out in my favor." And the last thought that really made me smile was. "I love when I interact with people from a place of love and abundance. I love having people come into our little Lakewood yoga studio and bike shop that value what we bring to each other's lives!" The negative thoughts are still trying to pop back up in my head, but thanks to the 10 minutes I took for meditation, I'm consciously choosing the positive ones. Today I am choosing to focus on celebrating the people in our community that bring and share their authentic selves with us. The ones that show up recognizing the day that they've had and are ready for the yoga classes to make that day better or even better! Or the ones that showed up ready to take their tuned-up bike for a ride to the park or the store, stoked that it brakes and shifts safely and with ease! We are thankful for our little yoga and bicycle community in Lakewood, CO! Why CCBIKES (Container Collective Bikes) in Lakewood, CO for your bicycle tune-up services.4/3/2016
Just imagine a quiet evening ride or a trip to a store on your flawless bicycle. How awesome and thrilling is that! Cycling is not only a reasonable means of transportation but, in many cases, the best suited for personal needs. Riding bikes is always fun and healthy however that fun could be short-lived when you find that your bike can no longer shift smoothly or you experience chain slip while pedaling. Chains wear out the connecting pins that hold the links together. This wear is often hard to see because it is hidden between the outer chain side plates. When this happens you should consider replacing the chain as soon as possible. While following a clear step by step guide on how to replace the chain could help you do it yourself, it highly recommended that you seek the services of a bicycle expert to do the tune-up. It is important to hire a professional bike care specialist to carry out the tune-up services in order to avoid personal injury and potential damage to your bicycle. This is where Container Collective Bikes tune-up services in Lakewood Colorado come in. We thrive in over 16 years experience in bicycle service and repairs within Lakewood, Colorado and the surroundings. Our basic and major bicycle tune-up services include:
Get your bike tuned up and serviced with Container Collective Bikes in Lakewood, Colorado!
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