Of Bicycles & Broccoli

Does seeing all of those other cyclists on the road make you want to dust off that old Columbia your father gave you in eighth grade? Do yourself a favor and treat yourself to new wheels at Mystic Cycle Centre, and to sound advice from experienced staff and shop owners Rob Kapell and Rick Ely.

One thing is clear here – One Mystic Cycle Centre equals all things bicycle.

Going into its 20th year of business and the fifth in its 10,000-square-foot space on Route 1 at 25 Stonington Road, the shop stocks bikes for adults and children, plus large selections of helmets, shoes, clothing and accessories.

“We’ve taken the New England bike shop and turned it into something you’d find in Southern California,” co-owner Kapell said.  

The shop grew from its busting-at-the-seams place farther west on Route 1, a former car dealership where bike mechanics made repairs in the old dealership garage, which meant they roasted in the summer and froze in the winter. Between their off-site storage and the smaller shop (now renovated into a doughnut shop), Mystic Cycle Centre tripled its space and the staff now enjoys the comforts of a climate-controlled environment.

Bicycles for adults range from about $300 to whatever your heart desires; some people invest $15,000 or more to build the bike of their dreams. The store offers a policy of 30 days to like your bike, which means if you don’t like it after a month, you get a full credit toward another bike. For kids’ bikes, they offer a trade up within two years, in which they apply half of the original bike price to the bigger bike. The shop also offers discounts to members of local bike clubs and it rents bikes and accessories.    

Cyclists also can get on-the-spot flat repair and pick up a few energy bars at the same time. Also, while you’re there, say hello to shop-dog Martha. She’s getting older and has a little trouble getting up these days, but she warms up to the human touch just like a puppy.

In the spirit of this healthy-living thing and now that we’ve had a few days of seasonally appropriate weather amid seven weeks of rain, ride over to one of the area’s farmers’ markets, now in full swing. You’ll find fresh berries, broccoli, spinach, garlic, eggs, cheese, seafood, potatoes, flowers, plants, herbs and more, along with any number of goods offered in various towns on different days.

The markets offer a unique venue for cool gifts, whether you choose local maple syrup or homemade strawberry-rhubarb jam. I just found a new favorite at Stonington’s Farmers’ Market … handmade goat’s milk soap wrapped in sheep’s wool. The wool acts as a loofa, and as you use the soap, it reduces to a disk – kind of like what you’d put under a sofa leg to keep from scratching the floor. These Woolly Soaps are from Lebanon’s Oak Leaf Dairy and come in dozens of fragrances, including Cool Water, Sea Breeze, Summer Splash, Simply Spring, Raspberry Vanilla, Almond Blossom, Gardenia, Patchouli Citrus Spice and Dude (for young men).

Who knew exfoliating could be so full of innovation and options.

Here are the markets in Westerly, Pawcatuck, Stonington, Mystic and Groton:

• Westerly-Pawcatuck Farmers’ Market – Thursdays 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., 85 Main St., just past The Bridge restaurant;
• Stonington Farmers’ Market – Saturdays 9 a.m. to noon near the town fishing pier in the borough;
• Mystic Farmers’ Market – Tuesdays 2 to 6 p.m., Quiambaug Firehouse, 50 Old Stonington Road;
• Mystic-Denison Farmers’ Market – Sundays noon to 3 p.m., 120 Pequotsepos Road, across from the Denison Pequotsepos Nature Center;
• Groton Farmers’ Market – Wednesdays 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Groton Shopping Plaza next to the Post Office on Route 1.