This week's Topics:

1. Wednesday Wrides: Talk like a Pirate, windbreakers, time changes
2. Interbike & Fall Sale on in-stock select Specialized models save up to $1,100.00!
3. Ridge Trail Cruz Sept 20th
4. Save the date! October 4th: Demo Day at Passion with Specialized
5. ROMP Pumpkin Ride and Annual Picnic Saturday October 25th


1. Wednesday Wrides: Talk like a Pirate, windbreakers, time changes

Ahoy ye landlubbers! We are losing 10 to 12 minutes of evening daylight each week this month. Garrrh! Our last weekday ride will be October 15th with the launch time for the Regular ride at 5pm, at which point we will howl at the moon, and switch to irregularly scheduled weekend rides. Sunset is at 7:12pm this Wednesday 09/17/08. Twilight ends and darkness falls shortly after 7:41.

This week the weather gal sez "Cooler evenings are here, mateys!" so before ye shiver yer timbers, we suggest you make landfall with long sleeves and a tricorn hat to cover your damp head. It's time to get tough, aye, laugh at the ocean mists and practice talking like a pirate! Friday is "International Talk Like a Pirate Day" and we approve this Aaarrr message! And David is bringing pulled pork, no doubt cooked in a pit on a sandy beach on a seculded island, so for sure you're gonna want to stay for the food and grog! If ye lack a tricorn hat, we allow a backwards ballcap as a fair substitute, me hearty!

P. L. E. A. S. E. . . . P. U. T. . . . L. I. G. H. T. S. . . . O. N ! ! ! !

Please remember to put a light on your handlebar and have a blinky ready for the ride back to the shop! CA vehicle code requires it. Don't get caught out on the streets in the dark! Also, a reminder that we need to be super conscientious about stopping at stop signs and lights, yielding to pedestrians, and operating our bikes predictably and responsibly while on the roads. While we are not the only cyclists out there we are certainly the biggest group and the easiest place to lodge complaints. Let's be safe and kind out there.

For all the details about what makes each group unique, please refer to this webpage. If your questions aren't answered there, you can also email us for info at info@passiontrailbikes.com.

There will be the usual variety of rides on the twisty narrow singletrack that makes Waterdog famous. All rides start pedaling from the shop: Passion Trail Bikes, 415 Old County Road, Belmont, CA 94002 650-620-9798

The EARLY ride will go out at 5:30 PM.
The FBG or Fat Bottomed Girl ride will go out at 5:40 PM.
The WHITE SOCKS ride will go out at 5:40 PM.
The RIDICULOUS ride will go out at 5:45 PM.
The REGULAR ride will go out at 5:45 PM.
The STRAGGLERS ride goes out at 6:00 PM.

All groups will meet back here at Passion Trail Bikes right around dark for the usual story telling & beverage enjoyment. We will have stuff for the BBQ along with some carbo laden side dish, chips and fatty snacks and EANABS to pair up with the Devil's Canyon Brewery's Full Boar Scotch Ale, Silicon Blonde Ale, and Backpack Babe Root Beer. We will hang out until about 10pm, so come on down, even if you can't make the ride! Passion Parties are better with YOU in the mix!

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2. Interbike & fall Sale on select in-stock Specialized models -- save up to $1,100.00!

Charles is getting ready to take off for Interbike next week, where manufacturers will be showing all the new product for 2009. This is that awkward time of year when we get all starry-eyed over NEW! SHINY! product, even though a lot of it is not really available yet. Pictures in magazines, one-off samples on the trade show floor... what is vapor ware and what is for real??? We don't know. We do know that we need to make space so that once product starts to ship we have parking spaces and some cash to pay for it. Out with the new, in with the newest!

If you've been jonesin' for something that's been in the store for a while and you're weren't sure you could talk yourself into paying full price for it, or maybe your just biologically allergic to paying retail, whatever the itch, we have some stuff on sale that will look real good in your bike rack when you load up on your way to Waterdog, Skeggs, Pacifica, Demo, UC, Downieville or Northstar. And all with our famous PTB new-grease build, custom fitting, all that. Ahhhh. Sometimes scratching feels so good!

2008 Specialized SX Trail 1 -- a DH/Freeride bike with a burly frame and a whole lot of travel. Size medium.
Was $3500, now $2800, you save over 20% and keep $700 in your pocket.

2008 Specialized SX Trail 2 -- like the one above but with a much fancier component spec. Size medium.
Was $5100, now $4000, you save over 20% and keep a whopping $1100 in your pocket. Cool!

2007 Specialized Stumpjumper S-works Carbon frame An awesome lightweight XC frame, includes AFR rear shock with Flow Control valve. Size large.
Was $3000, now $2000 you save 33% and keep $1000 in your pocket.

These are close out prices for these specific bikes only. Keep in mind that many of our manufacturers are raising their prices for 2009, so don't be kicking yourself around Christmas time that you missed out on a great deal back in the day...

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3. Ridge Trail Cruz Sept 20th

The third annual Ridge Trail Cruz, a super fun ride and hike to benefit the multi-use Bay Area Ridge Trail, will be coming up on September 20th. Riders can join the "Cruz a thon" and raise funds for each mile they ride to benefit the Ridge Trail. We hope to gather a group of customers for this fun and supported event up on Skyline. For more info, and to register, please visit the Ridge Trail website.

Mountain Bike Rides: Two bike rides are offered. Both are challenging and have a mix of fire roads and singletrack riding. Please choose your ride based on your conditioning, experience, and skill level. Arrive 9:15 a.m.
Intermediate ~15 miles/~1500 feet of climbing. Out-and-back route with moderately technical section of trail (possible to skip)
Advanced ~18 miles/~2500 feet of climbing. Loop route with long 1300 foot climb and challenging techinical sections
Bonus loop for bikers: Available to both bike rides, this loop continues along the Ridge Trail and loops through nearby preserves, adding ~10 miles and ~1000 feet of climbing. You do not need to sign up for this, but may decide the day of the Cruz to continue.

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4. Save the date! October 4th: Demo Day at Passion with Specialized


Specialized will be coming back from Interbike with a trailer full of new 2009 bikes, which will begin touring the western US, but not before we get our hands on them! We are honored to be able to get the cream of the crop here for you to test ride right after the trade show. We will be having Enduros, Stumpjumpers, Epics, Safire and SX Trails for you to test ride.

The Demo Day rides will launch at 9am 11am and 1pm, and as usual we will have food, beverages, and good times. We will be scheduling test rides in advance, so drop Daniel an email at daniel@passiontrailbikes.comto let him know what size bike you ride, which model you want to test and at what time.

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5. ROMP Pumpkin Ride and Annual Picnic Saturday October 25th

Every year ROMP hosts an awesome fun ride from Purisima Open Space Preserve on Skyline Blvd, down to Half Moon Bay and back. Back, loaded down with pumpkins! They have a great time tying, taping, packaging, and otherwise affixing pumpkins, many, many pounds of pumpkins, to their bikes and haulking them back up Purisima Creek Road. If you are proud of your climbing abilities this is NOT an event to be missed. Winner of the largest haul takes home a prize. Picnic and fun times after the ride. There are some great shots from the previous Pumpkin rides up on the ROMP photo page

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To contact us, email us at info@passiontrailbikes.com, or call the shop at 650-620-9798.
Happy Trails, the PTB crew
Charles, Patty, Berry, John, Bret, Sterling, Daryl, Daniel, Peter, Reba and Buster