DavidVibert said:

I picked up mine from red beard over the week me and all my stuff was there.The print quality on the winter bibs and winter jersey were kind of lacking, unfortunately tbh.

AndrewJohnson said:

Any chance we will get the order in before May 15th so I can rock it in Italy?

For those who have been wondering, here is a long overdue explanation for “what’s the deal with the shop sponsor and kit order.” 

For those who don’t have time to read further, here is the TLDR: We are finalizing an agreement with a new shop sponsor: Hilltop Bicycles. This has delayed our clothing order. Look for a Slack poll in next few days to weigh in on whether to open an order ASAP or wait to get sponsor correct kit. 

I want to apologize as I had fully expected that the shop sponsor issue would have been finalized a long time ago. I don’t think that anyone on the board expected this to be such a drawn out process.

First some context. As you know the pandemic has created an outsized demand for bikes and supply chain issues have constrained products. Bike shops have struggled to get products and several local shops have closed their doors. RedBeard, our shop sponsor since 2015, faced with the bike shortage and a struggle to get mechanics shifted focus to become a boutique fit shop with limited hours. While they have been good to us and we still encourage members to support them, they are no longer able to meet our needs for bike repair and bike purchases.

Finding a new shop sponsor has been much more challenging given the supply chain issues. Every shop owner and industry insider we spoke to said the same thing: Bike shops are struggling to fill orders, have limited incentive to give discounts, and don’t currently see much value in sponsoring a club. And those were the shops that took the time to discuss sponsorship with us. 

Nevertheless, the club has successfully come to an agreement with Hilltop Bicycles to become our sponsor going forward. I have been eagerly waiting to make an official announcement for about a month now. Why the delay if there is an agreement?  The issue is that Hilltop Bicycles is owned by Specialized and therefore all contracts have to be approved by corporate. So while HB Williamsburg manager Sebastian Giraldo has agreed and believes that the contract will be approved, we are discovering how slowly the corporate side of things moves. Its probably fair to say that our sponsorship may not be their top priority, and I can’t really blame them. 

An unintended consequence of the corporate delay is that the board paused the Kit order a few times with the belief that a sponsor announcement would be imminent. We wanted new kit to be sponsor correct to minimize the need to buy additional kit. Had we known it would take as long as it has we would have opened the store months ago. We goofed on that one for sure. In the next few days we will post a poll on Slack to decide whether to open the store ASAP or wait until the contract is signed.

We expect the relationship with Hilltop Bicycles will be mutually beneficial. A major benefit will be the increased availability of bikes and equipment. If you are considering buying a Specialized bike in the near future I would recommend that you order one now as the discount (15% off all Specialized bikes and gear) will likely be official by the time you get the bike. If you do want to speak with them, please speak to Sebastian in Williamsburg. Once the sponsorship is official it will apply to all Hilltop locations. 

In the meantime, RedBeard has committed to continuing to offer members club discounts until the end of June on any in stock items. I encourage members to email them or drop in during their Saturday store hours. This is a good time to stock up on items that may not be offered in a Specialized shop. In addition, their discounts will often be better than those you will find elsewhere. Most importantly, it is good to support Kasia and Ilya who have supported the club for so long. 

Thanks for hanging in there, and once again sorry for the delay in communications - we really thought things were going to be official some time ago.

Size Guide Size chart points to a very form fit. If there is any question or doubt, the recommendation is to size up.

Product Catalog – All product descriptions here.

Please order from a desktop or laptop computer. These are custom orders with many important details that are better viewed on a large screen.

Order Instructions

1. Click Store Link  https://custom2.champ-sys.com/teamstore/?kissenajune2022
2. Click thumbnail image of product you want (Jersey for example)
3. Select the style of that product you would like (images shown on this window are stock, not your design)
4. Enter preferences, sizes and quantities for that product (you will see your design associated again on this window)
5. Click Checkout
6. Login if you have ordered in the past
7. Sign Up if this is your first order
8. Pay from PayPal landing page using your Credit Card or PayPal account. Watch for a confirmation email/receipt from PayPal momentarily
9. Please double check your order details for accuracy, there are no returns on custom garments. You can access your account and review order details anytime after you order, log on here