# City Velo is Now Open in Denver!



## CityVelo

Hello Everyone,

We just wanted to introduce ourselves. We just opened up in the DU area in Denver, CO. We're excited to start sharing our knowledge(over 60yrs between the 3 of us), and getting people setup and on the road, and trail.

We're the proud dealer of some amazing lines...Colnago, Cyfac(the only dealer in the state!), Pinarello and Eddy Merckx. We're deciding on our Mountain Bike lines as we speak. 

Service Center is fully open and operational, and we're getting bikes in daily. Full professional fit system coming with "Real Time" Bio Feedback such as cadence/power out put. 

Check us out at:

www.city-velo.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/City-Velo/166781573365945
http://twitter.com/#!/City_Velo

Mention that you saw this posting, and get our Major Tune-up for the Standard price...$100 down to $70. You can see our service menu on the website.

Come in and say HI! We promise to not disappoint!

Ciao,

City Velo Staff


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## Mootsie

Where did you get all that experience? Who were you working for?


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## CityVelo

The 3 of us, as the full time employees, have a minimum of 20 years of experience each. Come on by and say Hi!


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## Mootsie

Are you legacy employees of the Spoke or were you wrenching somewhere else?


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## Steelman1

*Bike shop like no other in Denver*

I stopped in the other day to see how the new shop was coming along. The place is going to be great. Got to see the new Colnago M10 and the C59. Pics do not do these frames justice. Rolling art. I am excited to see the Cyfac frames in the flesh soon also as I have been eyeing them for quite some time. If you are looking at high end stuff this is the place to check out. I think it's great to have a high end shop in Denver that has a great product lineup and people that don't blow you negative attitude the minute you walk in the door :thumbsup:


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## CityVelo

Mootsie: We are "Life'rs" in this wonderful world of cycling that are lucky enough to have found each other, and are ready to bring our years of experience to Denver.

Steelman1: Thanks for the shout out. We're super excited for the Cyfac's to show up too. And dont worry, we'll have them all built up for you to ride! Did we mention a custom frame only takes 4-6 weeks...from FRANCE!


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## Mootsie

I guess I got my answer then.


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## wiz525

I'm confused why Mootsie's questions weren't answered? I'm hoping it's for legal reasons and not just "not wanting to say." The run-around isn't good...


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## Mootsie

I would love to stop by. I don't live too far from the DU area. I have and like high end bikes and all that goes with them. My local shop even moved to Golden (which is _not_ close to my house) so I am in need of good/close shop. I asked the questions because I was hoping that the new owners of the old Spoke might have come from somewhere with a good reputation. Now I am not so sure. I am willing to give folks a chance, but I wonder why the evasiveness. Ever since the car ran into the Spoke building a few years back, it seems doomed.


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## Sub5

The old Denver Spoke was doomed, but not because of a car accident! I live less than a mile from the old Denver Spoke/new City Velo but I drive my sick new Pinarello Dogma to Boulder to have it worked on by guys I trust.


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## enzo269

Just had my new Dogma built up by these guys.. They did a great job, fitted me professionally on the bike.. They were super cool and helpful.. They are very passionate about cycling and are very knowledgeable. I think they are going to do very well...


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## VeloVolpe

*The people behind the place*

Inquiring minds want to know, so here is what I have. Chandler Snyder is the head tech, and worked at The Spook  , but I don't believe he was there that long. He seems like a sharp guy, and a good human being (check out his twitter postings). Dennis Fresquez is the driving force at CityVelo, and suffered through the humiliation that was The Spook. He came on board after Dong self-distructed, and he has a very solid history in the bike biz, even if he can't pronounce "aluminum". I don't know the third person, but I believe that he/she is the money behind the operation. I know that it wasn't cheap to remain in that location, and in fact, there was much discussion about moving north of Cherry Creek, so the financing must be solid. If you are wise, you won't judge these guys by their previous associations with a shop that once was the toast of the town. They will soon be a force in a city with a lot of decent bike shops. I honestly have no clue why there is all of this mystery, except maybe to get you to come in and find out for yourselves?


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## buff biker

You need to check your facts too, VeloVolpe. 

1st off, Dong did not "self-distruct", he died from an anurism.
2nd he was the reason that the place was able to stay open as long as it did, despite terrible ownership.
3rd It is now owned by the old ownership's business partner, or at least the business name was registered by someone named Kieth Oneil. Public information that you can look up for yourself. I believe I met him at the store a year or two before they changed their name.

I do not know Chandler, but the few times I talked to Dennis, he did not seem very interested in helping an old customer of Dong's. I sure do miss him...


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## buff biker

This crap makes me mad. No one remember's that the spoke sponsored Alexi Grewal when he won the gold medal in Los Angeles,or that Greg Lemond once raced with spoke stickers on his forks? Dong has been gone for 4 years now and the store was never the same without him. I kept going because Todd Hunter was the best Campy mechanic I ever knew, and then they fired him! Dong made the Denver Spoke an international name in cycling, and the owner burned it to the ground the minute he died. What a waste.


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## VeloVolpe

It is obvious, buff biker, that you are a worshipper of Dong's, and that is as it should be. Bike gurus deserve adoration. However, stories of Dong's self-destructive behaviour are legendary, and I myself witnessed it on a couple of occasions. I'm sure that his life experiences (stuff we soft Americans can't begin to comprehend) drove him to excess, but we are all responsible for our actions, and I stand by my assertion that he "self-destructed". I am sorry for your loss. 
I too was disappointed by the direction that the once mighty Denver Spoke took over the years. I knew it's reputation long before I moved to Denver in 1988, and it was the first "landmark" that I visited when I arrived. That said, it is only fair to admit that it was in decline long before Dong passed. I'm sorry that Dennis was not able to get past your obvious admiration and serve you better. Lesser gurus are often insecure with regards to other's followers.
Thank you for adding Keith O'Neil's name to the discussion. I knew nothing about him before your reply.
Tailwind Wishes to you,
V.


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## buff biker

And your accersion is that Dong's "self-destruction" is why the store went bankrupt and changed it's name? That is pure revisionist history. I highly doubt that suffering from gout and using marijuanna to mitagate the pain qualify as "self-destructive" in any reasonable person's mind, but perhaps you knew him better than I did. The Dong I knew was a fellow veteran of the Vietnam War, an avid tennis player, and road his bike to work everyday. I am quite sure that the Spoke would be a thriving bike shop if he were still with us. As far as I know, the current owner has been involved in the Spoke for almost a decade. Does none of the responsibility lie with him? What about the Kramer family, what was their role? And Dennis has been there for 4 years. How are things different? I know that they have a big empty showroom. That's a new approach.
You seem like a good enough fellow, VeloVolpe, but I'm afraid you are a bit out of your depth on this one.


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## City Velo Denver

*Some light on City Velo*

Hello everyone and I hope this finds you all well..City Velo has leased the location that was the Denver Spoke and we are very excited to be in the space and to build a great bike shop that has been a shop for the last 40 years. Let me start by saying the Denver Spoke was a great store and has many great memories for myself as well as users on this forum and I'm sure countless others. I have been fortunate to work in a few shops in the Denver metro area as well as north boulder and golden over the last 18 years and have enjoyed every bit of it and have learned quite a bit from each store and my education continues each day. I would like to give you some information about City Velo and its plans to move forward. City Velo is owned by a small group of investors who had no previous ownership of the Spoke, The Denver Spoke was and will always be owned by a family and was passed on to their son. Dong was the GM for many years and was a fantastic leader of the store, when he passed I was hand picked by the family to help run the store along with the employees and son day to day. It was quite a honor for me to come to the Spoke and help continue the tradition. There are things that do not need to be said about how, why and what went wrong and what stayed the same...It is true I have been there for the last 4 years and the first 2 years of my employment we did quite well and showed growth and positive steps forward, then things none of the employees could control showed there hand and the slope got steeper and started to slip fast. There were many factors to the Denver Spoke closing and one thing snow balled into the other and just got bigger.

As far as inventory goes we are simply waiting for our vendors to receive stock and ship out to us what we have ordered, we will have demo's that you are all welcome to ride with various groups and wheel sets along with a SiCi size cycle that is a great tool for fitting and provides real time feedback, Which arrived today and is built I'm very excited about this. City Velo is much more than a name change we have the tools and support from vendors to build a great store and make it a community staple with your support. Give me a call, shoot me a email or come by and have a cup of coffee ( I'll buy )

Thank you.
Dennis


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## VeloVolpe

*Dongs and bongs*

Buff biker, I am sorry for the misunderstanding. I was referring to alcohol, and not medicinal marijuana. I actually liked Dong, and did a fair impression of "You buy this bike, you get laid, Bud!" My point in entering this thread was to name names and shed light. I am, however, pleased that it has also brought Dennis out of the shadows to his rightful place as captain of the ship.
Given what they've been through, I think it's fair to give CityVelo some time before making your decision. Even if they did try to play the secrecy game for a while.
V.


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## Melinda Sharshel

Dear Buff Biker,
We all remember the good things from the Spoke and it will hold a special place in many people's hearts. I respectfully remember Dong as well but it was 30 years ago that the the stories you tell happened and many other good things have happened in between then and now. Now, it's healthy to move forward to the present and embrace a beautiful new shop in Denver. My new Colnago is coming in soon and it does not replace the soul of my old Moots but damn, it's gonna be great. Let it go and ride for Zen.

From the girl on the thread, much love to the guys at City Velo and may you have a wonderful summer!


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## Boston3

buff biker said:


> This crap makes me mad. No one remember's that the spoke sponsored Alexi Grewal when he won the gold medal in Los Angeles,or that Greg Lemond once raced with spoke stickers on his forks? Dong has been gone for 4 years now and the store was never the same without him. I kept going because Todd Hunter was the best Campy mechanic I ever knew, and then they fired him! Dong made the Denver Spoke an international name in cycling, and the owner burned it to the ground the minute he died. What a waste.


I do remember the Denver Spoke's sponsoring Alexi Grewal (1984 Olympics) and Greg Lemond. In fact, it's thanks to this that I learned about the store (even though I was living in Switzerland). Then, when I came to the US (Denver) for a year in college in 1986 - as a young Swiss cyclist - I went to buy my bike parts to ... the Denver Spoke, obviously. I liked the store, and I'll never forget it.
Tonight (living in the US/East Coast again for more than a decade) I was wondering if the Denver Spoke was still there; Googled it, and found all these stories. Thanks for the news, guys (buff biker, VeloVolpe)! 
If I come to Denver and need a bike store, I'll definitely come to City Velo.


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