Nestled between the pastoral forests and cedar swamps of Connecticut lies a humble garage housing the Nutmeg Country Cycling Museum. Filled to the brim with Shimano M950 derailleurs, square taper bottom brackets, shellac, cotton bar tape, and a healthy dose of 80s sci-fi nostalgia, this is a hidden treasure trove of East Coast cycling ephemera. Today, have a long gander at the annals of the Museum; tomorrow we will delve into Troy and Ballz’s stable…

Troy and Jen (aka Ballz) have long lived in the beautiful corner of Connecticut that many have come to affectionately call Nutmeg Country. Propelled into the limelight by Ultraromance (aka Ron, Ronny, Big Janet, Poppi, LaRon, etc), this humble part of the Northeast has been an epicenter of cycling tastemaking for the better part of a decade.

When I first visited Nutmeg back in 2019, I was instructed by Ron that I would be staying at “The Museum.” Having no idea what that meant, I got on a train from NYC nonetheless. I was treated to the incredible hospitality of Troy and Ballz way back when and I can report they have not lost any of the aforementioned hospitality in the intervening years. I lamented not having time to properly document the garage – errrr, Museum – back in 2019, as a short time after my first visit a tree fell on the garage, damaging the roof and knocking everything off the walls. I worried I’d missed my chance to shoot the amazing space, but luckily it survived to be rebuilt. When I returned in the fall of 2024, I knew that I had to properly document the Museum.

When they bought the house, Troy very quickly realized that the garage was never going to house anything other than bikes. It originally had a dirt floor and 50 years of neglected cobwebs. Once all the cobwebs were removed and a new cement floor poured, the space was ready to become a dream bike shop space. Troy is a talented artist outside of bikes and his approach to building bikes is clearly something he holds dear. This passion is nurtured in the amazing space he has created in his garage. An artist’s studio, if you will.

The walls, shelves, and drawers are just brimming with parts, relics, and ephemera. Photographing the Museum was reminiscent of my trip to Blue Lug in Tokyo. Even in the small space, I would constantly notice new details or another amazing part hidden away. Just go look at the gallery; there are so many details to drool over. I tried not to look too closely, as my own parts bins were overflowing at the time, lest I found a dreamy derailleur to build a whole bike around.

Troy is obviously a very large Aliens fan, with many references to the infamous Caterpillar Powerloader, various Xenomorphs, and other memorabilia from the film peppered around the museum. You’ll have to wait until tomorrow to see his Powerloader-inspired Crust Clydesdale build.

Troy has a distinct style for his builds: fenders, square taper bottom brackets, triple cranks, front derailleurs, dynamo lights, and cloth bar tape finished off with MTB grips. Troy remarked to me about Ron taking him to French Fender Day at JP Weigle’s shop back in 2012 as a seminal moment that influenced his style of building bikes. With two Weigles in the stable (see tomorrow), these Northeastern treasures have found proper homes close to where they were made.

I know having my own shop for maintaining a large fleet of personal bikes has been crucial for my mental well-being. Everyone has their own style and aspirations for what that space might look like. I’ve been in awe of the space Troy has assembled in his garage. A true homage to Nutmeg Country and the aesthetic voyagers who pedal its pastoral byways.

Enjoy the gallery and let us know your favorite detail or dream bike part you find hiding in Troy’s garage.