Bicycle Chef has temporarily closed until the business is transformed into Sacramento's first bike shop/microbrewery. Owner Christopher Davis-Murai, a longtime cyclist and chef, is currently hunting for a space where he can open a hybrid business that combines a full-service bike shop with a microbrewery and restaurant. The Land Park resident has been looking for a 4,000- to 6,000-square-foot building to lease or buy for several months. He put the entire contents of his East Sacramento shop into storage and closed the doors a month ago after being unable to find a space before the lease ran out at 3184 N St. Belgium and France have several bike shop/brew pubs. Davis-Murai has wanted to

A group of conscientious citizens joined hands for fifteen minutes in River Walk Park yesterday to send a clear and simple message: NO to offshore drilling. YES to clean energy. My dad and I closed Practical Cycle and pedaled over there to participate and offer a solution to America's destructive addiction to cheap oil. We brought two Pedego Electric Bikes and two Worksman Tricycles with us and gave out free test rides. We believe that riding a bike instead of driving can help America declare energy independence, stimulate, our economy, cut pollution, conserve resources for future generations, and prevent disasters like the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Ironically, there was a car

Yesterday, Practical Cycle delivered two Pedego Electric Bikes to the Hot Italian for the Velo and Vintage Fashion show tonight. We strapped the bikes to a Worksman Front Load Tricycle, which has an amazing one-quarter ton load capacity! I marveled at how maneuverable it was as I pedaled from Old Sacramento, down K Street (walking through the mall), past the convention center, and through Capitol Park to the Hot Italian in Midtown. It feels good to get things done with pedal power! No oil spill required!!!   For more information about the Velo and Vintage Fashion Show, check out this awesome Sacramento Press article: http://sacramentopress.com/headline/26426/Velo_and_Vintage_on_Second_Sat

In 2006, my dad was doored while riding his bike on 15th Street. He broke his shoulder pretty bad, and ended up with all sorts of plates and screws holding him together. Life gave us lemons!!! We made lemonade though, and Practical Cycle was funded in part by the settlement from that accident. So I took great pleasure in hand-squeezing 35 locally grown, organic lemons to make lemonade for our Grand Opening celebration, the first annual Ride for Earth. Then I loaded a cooler on the back of our old Worksman tricycle and hauled it about ten miles to Practical Cycle. I believe that sometimes life's most difficult challenges can help us grow the most. Whenever I feel like things couldn't poss

Practical Cycle is celebrating Earth Day its Grand Opening in Old Sacramento today. Tim Castleman and his son, Cassidy, are teaming up to sell, rent, and service electric and Made in USA bicycles and tricycles. After being shocked by the tragic events of 9/11, and inspired by a life threatening battle with prostate cancer, Tim set out to make a difference in the world. “I decided to put it all on the line and follow my heart, instead of just trying to survive.” "Practical Cycle is different than traditional bike shops,” says Cassidy, a 23 year-old business student and solar professional, “Our mission is to make cycling more practical for everyday people. No spandex… No funny shoes… No pro

Practical Cycle bike shop opened Thursday in Old Sacramento. On Friday, Tim Castleman and his son, Cassidy, were busy unloading a shipment of at least 35 Worksman bikes at the store at 114 J St. The grand opening will be held on April 22, Earth Day. But fans of Worksmans and electric bikes already have started stopping by to talk about their favorite rides, Cassidy said. The shop has bikes made in the United States for sale and for rent, as well as accessories. They include Pedego electric bikes and Worksman models such as cruisers and two-person side-by-side trikes. The Castlemans said they expect bike rentals to pick up as word gets out that Old Sacramento once again has a rental sho

Tim Castleman had a big response to the Sept. 11 attacks on the United States. He felt so sad, disappointed and angry that he changed his life. He started developing a hemp-based biofuel system and fought for legalization of hemp in Arizona to help end U.S. dependence on fossil fuels. He began a national "Drive 55" campaign to lower Americans' gas consumption and reduce carbon emissions — an effort turned into a documentary. And he organized two "Peace Trains" to Washington, D.C., to promote rail travel. "My interest in biofuels led me to understand the real problem isn't that we need another source of fuel. We need another source of energy," said Castleman, 51. "The real problem is we