Bike Mechanic Takes His Mobile Shop on the Road

By Aimee Caruso 
Valley News Staff Writer Sunday, May 07, 2017

Todd Chewning of Cowbell Mobile Bike Shop looks over the tire of the bike he was tuning in Norwich, Vt., on May 3, 2017. (Valley News – Jennifer Hauck) Copyright Valley News. May not be reprinted or used online without permission. Send requests to permission@vnews.com.

West Lebanon — For more than two decades, bike mechanic Todd Chewning worked in brick-and-mortar stores, repairing and tuning up bicycles as customers brought them in. But last year, he did a 180. Now, he takes the shop to the customers. 

Continue reading “Bike Mechanic Takes His Mobile Shop on the Road”

Cowbell Mobile Bike Shop Makes House Calls With a Van

On The Move Published in Seven Days

By Kymelya Sari

Todd Chewning Photo: James Buck

People try to bring their bicycles to mechanic Todd Chewning’s residence all the time. They don’t have to do that. “I come to your house or your office and tune your bike up,” he tells them. 

A recent Burlington transplant from New Hampshire, Chewning, 48, is the owner of Cowbell Mobile Bike Shop. He works out of his white Ford Transit van, outfitted with a workbench, tools, and racks of bike parts and accessories. 

Continue reading “Cowbell Mobile Bike Shop Makes House Calls With a Van”

Community Bikes Project

Project fixes up, donates bikes to those in need

By KELLY BURCH

Valley News Correspondent

Community Bikes Project Fix It Party

LEBANON — With spring not too far off, Upper Valley residents are dusting off the bikes and preparing for evenings spent riding with friends or family. For many, biking is a way to feel free: Kids can pedal off for adventures with their friends, families can enjoy healthy fun together and adults who may not have access to a car can still get themselves to appointments or work.

Continue reading “Community Bikes Project”

2018.2 U.S. Cyclocross National Championships – Cowbell Style

By Jim Murphy and Elizabeth Clark

Our adventure to the 2018 CX Nats began weeks before, when we start to juggle the question of how to ship our bikes and equipment to/from Louisville safely and economically.   We opted to go with a special-purpose shipping box called AirCaddy, and travel with them as checked baggage on Southwest Airlines due to their reasonable flight costs and the fact the bikes would only cost $75.

The AirCaddy box packages the bikes very nicely, but what you end up with is something that resembles a 6-foot tall wedge of cheese to wheel around the airport.  This garners innumerous sideways glances and questions.

Continue reading “2018.2 U.S. Cyclocross National Championships – Cowbell Style”

IMAGE Magazine

Cowbell bike shop featured in image magazine business section. Written by Justine Kohr, this article talks about my idea of opening Cowbell mobile bike shop and servicing bikes at my clients convenience.

Sometimes when the sun is shining Todd will work outside on a bike.

 

Friendly expert care at your doorstep

Cowbell Mobile Bike Shop

 

Continue reading “IMAGE Magazine”

Cowbell bike shop in Burlington

2018 starts a new chapter for bike repair in Burlington Vermont, Cowbell has moved to Burlington and will be offering the same great services that the Upper Valley has enjoyed since I opened in 2016. Get your bike repaired at your location and at your convenience. It’s pretty easy, just contact me for a date and time and I’ll be there with a fully stocked van, I don’t have to use your garage if it’s raining either as all work is performed inside my outfitted Ford Transit van. Whether you are in downtown Burlington or live in Williston, Essex, Colchester, South Burlington or even Montpelier (if you have a little fleet) and yes I’ll still be servicing the Upper Valley.

mobile bike shopWhat does Cowbell have in common with BMW, Zippity, and now Tesla? Great services at your doorstep. Be the wellness director hero and book Cowbell to tune and maintain your employees bikes. This service is no charge to your company and we offer a discount if you round up five bikes or more. Fully insured and mechanically certificated Cowbell will get your bike rolling.

 

 

 

 

 

Earn-A-Bike

Earn-A-Bike at Cowbell bike shop has graduated 6 students so far in it’s first season and currently we have another 5 students in classes now. The goal of this program is to get youth interested in bike repair and to empower them to feel comfortable to ride and repair their bike. Upper Valley residents have been kind enough to donate bikes for this program and students have been really excited to take the classes and learn the skill needed to repair their bike. After a brief orientation we discussed mechanical skills and thread concepts.

flat tire Here is one student fixing a flat tube. On the students bikes we found punctures , pinch flats, broken rim strips and even a cliff bar wrapper in a tire. From there we move on to adjusting hubs and truing wheels.

wheel truing

 

Throughout the class students will adjust all components of the bike and have a working knowledge of derailleurs and brakes.

earn a bike

Most of the students taking EAB get the donated bike but a some fixed up their own bike and some gifting the bike to someone else. At the completion of class students get a lock and a Giro helmet.

 

 

USCX Nationals

Cowbell racingUS Cyclocross Nationals right here in New England. We had truly epic conditions with everything from dry grass, rain, mud, frozen ruts, then about 5 inches of snow.  #Cowbellracing had a good contingent with everyone loving the course with the difficult conditions.  Above is Masters racer Barney Brannen. By the end he was covered in some CT mud. Continue reading “USCX Nationals”