Omnium Bike Shop is far and away my favorite bike shop in the Twin Cities area, and last night I had the opportunity to go to their end-of-season party. I’d been invited before, but this year was my first chance to go. Primarily, this is an opportunity to catch up with friends and socialize under the auspices of drinking free beer (thanks, Lucid!). During the evening, they also run a live auction and give away a bunch of free schwag (and even things like wheelsets). I walked out of there with a pair of Sock Guy wool socks, a Banjo Brothers phone wallet, a t-shirt, and a new water bottle (which is good because all of mine have gone skanky).

Every time I’m there, I’m struck by how awesome their staff is — knowledgable, pleasant, and efficient. There’s nobody that comes across as douchey. And their store is laid out well — clean, easy to find stuff, and they stock the stuff that no one else does. Ever seen a Mavic iO/Comete wheelset hanging on the wall in a shop? Swing by.