Are you going to be in New Orleans for Mardi Gras? Here’s a little teaser for our EXCLUSIVE Wallbike-Mardi-Gras-Brooks-saddle T-shirt.

When I say ‘exclusive’ I mean exclusive. If you come into the shop and buy a saddle during parade season (2/5-16) we’ll give you this limited-edition shirt for free. If you have already bought a Brooks saddle from us we will sell you a shirt for $25. If you haven’t bought a Brooks from us we would be glad to see you but you’ll have to get your Mardi Gras schwag at the parades.

The shirt will be colorful and cool. It will reference Mardi Gras completely. The screen printer is working on it now. He has promised a JPG mockup soon.

On Oprah’s website (You know Oprah, right?) there is a list of “100 Things That Are Getting Better.” At number 12, right between “Home Coffee Makers” and “Catching Bad Guys” is “Oak Street, New Orleans.” That’s right – the very same Oak Street that is home to Wallingford Bicycle Parts. Our Oak Street comes in above dads and marriage. Wow!

Oak Street getting better

UPS and USPS rates have gone up and we have had to raise our shipping costs. The $5 ‘under $20′ Priority Mail rate is now $6. The ‘over $100′ rate for UPS ground has gone from $9 to $10. The ‘$20-$100′ UPS ground rate is staying at $8.

We need a bookkeeper for the summer. Someone who has experience and familiarity with the principals of accounting. Location: Uptown, New Orleans. Contact us if interested.

Sorry, but we had to raise shipping again. We tried to absorb this year’s UPS increase but we are loosing too much.

The change? We moved the threshold for $9 shipping down from $150 to $100.

UPS insurance is free below $100. After the first $100 declared value UPS charge $0.65 per $100 with a $1.95 minimum. So, say, a typical saddle that might have a shipping rate of $7.85 jumps to $9.80 with insurance.

Now our continental U.S. UPS flat shipping rate schedule is
Value to $19.99 = $5 shipping
Value to $99.99 = $8 shipping
Value $100 and up = $9.00 shipping

AK/HI and International are sent by mail and are quoted on an individual basis. Orders to continental U.S post office boxes are charged at the UPS rate or actual cost, whichever is higher.

We don’t make these shipping changes lightly. We understand that consumers are senstive to add-on costs. We don’t make any money on shipping but we don’t want to loose too much, either.

Tags: shipping

It’s Jazz Fest time. (That’s the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival). I’ll be spending as much time there as I can. This means that on Friday, 4/24 and Thursday/Friday, 5/1-2, I’ll be at the Festival grounds all afternoon. I’ll be here in the morning and Brent will be here ’till 4:30, more or less. It shouldn’t be too disruptive but Jazz Fest is a distraction – Bill

UPDATE 5/6/09: Jazz Fest was great. I made it all seven days. If Theresa Anderson comes to your town with her one-woman show I can promise you will be entertained.

Tags: jazz fest