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The Start Haus celebration Demo Day and Stunt Show went off without a hitch this past weekend.  Bikes were demoed, prizes given away, hot dogs consumed, and Jeff Lenosky put on a killer show. Here are some pictures taken by Sierra Sun reporter and sports editor Sylas Wright- thanks again Sy!

Start Haus is hosting a trail build day in conjunction with Truckee Trails Foundation on June 13.  This is a great way to have fun, meet new riders, and give back to the mountain biking community.  Lunch will be provided as well as refreshments after the build.

Come on down to the shop and sign up!   Or sign up with Kevin Starr at kevintruckeetrails@gmail.com

For the 2015 season, Giant introduced a new bike to the trail mountain category.  The Stance differs from the Giant Trance on a couple different levels: first and foremost, the Stance has a different suspension platform called Flexpoint.  Flexpoint is a single pivot derivative that relies on the seat-stays flexing a bit to allow for the 4.7 inches of travel that the Stance offers.  The Flexpoint suspension platform on the Stance is both inexpensive for Giant to manufacture and doesn't require Giant to pony up for any expensive patents.  The Trance trail bike differs in that it features Giant's renowned Maestro suspension, which is a floating pivot point design, and costs quite a bit more to both manufacture and to sell than Flexpoint.

The Stance is offered in three models, the Stance 0, Stance 1, and Stance 2.  As with all Giant products, the higher the number the less expensive the bike. The Stance 2 comes in at an incredibly low $1470, the Stance 1 at $1905, and the Stance 0

June 6th, 2015 head down to Start Haus for our huge Demo Day / Grand Opening party extravaganza!  Free food from Zander's Spirits next door to the shop, free demo rides, and 2 awesome stunt shows from acclaimed pro rider Jeff Lenosky.  If you plan on doing a free demo ride, please bring a valid drivers license, credit card, and a helmet. 

Here is the skinny:

First 50 customers get a free Giant water bottle.

All bikes on June 6th are 10% OFF, and all accessories are 10% OFF!

Enter our free raffle to win awesome prizes like free tickets to Northstar bike park, bike gear, and more- grand prize is a brand new Giant Cruiser Bike!

9AM- Shop opens as normal

10AM- Group Demo Ride/ Free donuts at Zander's next door to the shop

11AM- Stunt show with Jeff Lenosky

12PM- free hot dogs from Zander's Spirits.

2PM- Stunt show with Jeff Lenosky

3PM- Group Demo Ride

4PM- Raffle and prize giveaways

Dust off your old bikes and bring em down to Start Haus for our first ever Bike Consignment Sale!  Happening Memorial Weekend 2015 (May 23 and 24th) we'll sell your old bike and give you 80% of the sold value in store credit.

Bring in your bikes now until 12pm on May 23rd 2015 and we'll get your bikes priced and ready to sell for you!  Apply that credit to a new bike, new gear, or our summer ski sale!

Accepting all categories of bikes from mountain, road, cruiser, townie, kids, and Women's.  Our only rule is the bikes be is safe, rideable condition.  We reserve the right to turn away bikes that don't meet our criteria for condition, age, or quality.  Simply put, we just don't want your rusty Huffy or spent burner bikes!

Once the sale ends, sale value will be totaled and you will be notified by email if your bike sold.  Store credit in the form of Start Haus gift cards will be available to pick up starting June 1st 2015.  All unsold bikes need to be claimed and picked up no

Come on in and check out the progress-  We have displays set up and items stocked on the sales floor.  We're still putting the finishing touches on the room, but you're welcome to stop by and see what its all about.  Almost finished!

With our opening quickly approaching, things are really coming together.  Lots of retail displays to set up, flooring to finish, and bikes to build!  Stay tuned- soft opening in the works...

Start Haus is slowly shedding its skin and growing a bike shop. The transformation has begun!  Over the next few weeks, Start Haus will completely build out our ski room into a Giant Partner Retail Store.

It’s an exciting time in the Start Haus company history. As many of you know we made the decision to become a bike retailer and will transition to a full line Giant Bicycles dealer in the spring.  We are incredibly excited to be partnered with Giant; there’s no denying they make an exceptional product at some of the best prices in the industry.  We also feel they make a tremendous mountain bike for the Tahoe area.  If you haven’t already, take a look at the Reign and Trance models.

The Reign is an aggressive all-mountain machine with over six inches of travel that can take on the toughest Tahoe trails while still descending like a billy-goat thanks to the versatile Maestro suspension.

The Trance is an all-arounder that climbs like a beast and doesn’t give an inch on descents.  With 5.5 inches of travel the Trance is a great choice for all but the most aggressive of riders that will handle just about everything the Tahoe area can throw at it.

If you are looking

One of the bikes everybody is talking about for 2015, Giant or otherwise, is definitely the new Giant Reign 27.5. Updated for the coming year, the Reign got the tweener 27.5 or 650B wheel size, 160 mm of travel, front and rear, and new geometry that epitomizes the modern all-mountain, enduro-inspired genre.

Jared, a Start Haus sales person and resident paddle sports guru, has spent the fall on a new Reign 27.5, and his experiences have reflected the glowing reviews bike magazines and websites have been posting up. He came from a 26 inch wheeled Trail bike with shorter travel.

"I wanted more travel without compromising on pedaling too much on longer rides," Jared said. "I wanted to be able to hit bigger stuff and go faster, and I don't need to race uphill."

The Reign didn't disappoint, not giving up ground on the uphill, thanks to the efficient Maestro suspension design. "There's almost zero bob," he said. On longer climbs, Jared flips both the

While the new Giant Reign 27.5 is getting all the attention for 2015, the Giant Trance 27.5 is still getting some love (Bike Magazine tester Vernon Felton picked it for his dream build here), and for good reason. Web Editor Greyson has been riding a 2015 Giant Trance 27.5 since the beginning of October over a wide range of Tahoe Trails.

In its second year in the 27.5-wheeled iteration, the Trance takes a middle-of-the-road approach to not only wheel size (between 26 and 29 inch wheel) but also in suspension travel (140 mm, or 5.5 inches, front and rear) and a good all-around trail riding geometry. All that adds up to a balanced ride that strikes a compromise between uphill and downhill ability.

The Maestro suspension is plush and active through pedaling and braking, absorbing square-edge hits, stutters and g-outs without complaint or weird feedback. Pedaling is efficient, but dialing the rear shock for long climbs makes it feel a little snappier - either way, the Maestro suspension gives

Giant and LIV are hosting 2 demo days this weekend, the perfect chance to try out 2015 Giant and LIV mountain bikes and road bikes before they're in stock at the Start Haus next spring!

The Giant and LIV (Giant's women's bicycle line) demo fleets will be at Spooner Lake on Saturday, September 20th from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and at Sky Tavern on Mt. Rose above Reno on Sunday, from noon to 4 p.m.

We're extremely excited to go and check out the new bikes for 2015 that we'll be bringing into the Start Haus next spring, and we hope you join us.

Saturday:
Spooner Lake - park entrance fees apply.
Hours: 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sunday:
Sky Tavern, Mt. Rose.
Hours: Noon to 4 p.m.

More info here.