If you haven't visited the Kickstand Cyclery lately, there's been a lot to catch up with. The webcomic took a hiatus of several years starting in 2013, but for the better part of a year now, Yehuda Moon & the Kickstand Cyclery has been running regular updates, with new strips posted nearly every weekday.
Earlier this year, the comic's creators Rick Smith and Brian Griggs put up a Kickstarter effort to fund a Vol. 6 of the Kickstand Comics collection, along with a re-release of Vol. 5 which was a difficult book to find. Volumes 1-6 are now available for purchase on the website, either individually for those who just need to complete a collection, or bundled together in a whole set which can save some money. Or people can just read the entire series on the website (I like having the books, though).
A lot has happened at the fictional bike shop since the strip returned. One story line that Smith and Griggs brought back is the one involving Fred, the former owner of the Kickstand Cyclery, who was killed by a hit-and-run driver. Readers familiar with the strip probably know that Fred has been a ghost from the strip's beginning, visible only to Yehuda and Joe. That's a little detail that wasn't necessarily obvious from the start, but was revealed through clues over time. Recent strips reveal a breakthrough in the case that had gone cold for several years - but I won't reveal the big surprise. It's definitely worth following.
![]()
![]()
 |
| A re-released Vol. 5, and the new Vol. 6 - now available. |
A lot has happened at the fictional bike shop since the strip returned. One story line that Smith and Griggs brought back is the one involving Fred, the former owner of the Kickstand Cyclery, who was killed by a hit-and-run driver. Readers familiar with the strip probably know that Fred has been a ghost from the strip's beginning, visible only to Yehuda and Joe. That's a little detail that wasn't necessarily obvious from the start, but was revealed through clues over time. Recent strips reveal a breakthrough in the case that had gone cold for several years - but I won't reveal the big surprise. It's definitely worth following.
 |
| A breakthrough that re-opens a cold case. |
Though maybe not exactly a "breakthrough" of the same sort, something else that happened while the Kickstand Cyclery was temporarily "closed" was the introduction of fat bikes. As always, Yehuda and Joe have a wry observation:
And while there are some bike-culture debates that may never get settled, you can always count on a funny and unique take on the debate at the Kickstand:
The great thing about the Kickstand Cyclery, and Joe, Yehuda, Thistle, and the other characters who spend their days there, is that people all over the country could almost swear the shop is based on a bike shop they know. The characters reflect people that any obsessed cyclist can relate to, and the conversations and debates are ones we all hear and engage in. Depending on how you look at it, the Kickstand is not based on any real bike shop, and at the same time, it's based on many of the real bike shops that we all frequent.
It's nice to see it running again - and if you haven't paid the shop a visit lately, get on over there. You'll be glad you did.