The Cycling Gods

This was a perfect weekend to ride! I hope everyone had a chance to throw a leg over a bike on Sunday. It was nice to pull into the lot at betzwood and not be able to find a spot this late in the season. It's like spring was here...... Oh wait.... Its almost Thanksgiving. Business has been brisk at the shop for this time of the year. Still some bike sales and repairs coming in. The cycling gods are blessing us with this nice weather. They are providing us with a little more time to enjoy the sport we love. You know the cycling gods right? That voice that tells you to ride when your running late and feeling tired or makes you get off the couch in a rainstorm get in full kit and ride. That voice is the cycling gods. Listen to them.

Bike Safety - Pre-ride Checklist

The importance of the Pre Ride Checklist was presented again to me while returning to my Jeep after a Sunday morning ride last week. Coasting through the Betzwood parking lot I noticed 4 ladies inspecting the rear wheel of one of their bikes. I asked them if they needed some help and told them that I was a bicycle mechanic. One of them said " My god I'm so glad to here that"! They apparently had driven 45 minuets to get there and than another 45 minuets trying to fix a flat tire on one bike and the front brake on another. After addressing both of their issues in under 2 minuets and a brief chat with them they were on their way. I hope they enjoyed their ride as much as I enjoyed helping them make it happen! The moral you say ?  ............. Pre-ride Checklist.

Before each ride, perform a safety check of your bicycle. This only needs to take a minute or two, but will help prevent avoidable accidents.

• Check the tires for proper inflation (marked on the side of the tire). Check the tire treads for excessive wear or other damage, such as embedded glass or other objects.
• Check the brakes. Spin the wheels to check for rubbing and then apply the brakes to ensure they stop the bike smoothly and evenly. Check the brake pads for excessive wear.
• Check the cables and housing to make sure there is no fraying or splitting.
• Check the wheel quick release levers to ensure they are secure.
• Check for any loose parts or other mechanical problems.
• Do a slow-speed ride and inspect bicycle, brakes, and shifting before you leave your driveway.

Following these guidelines will go a long way to enjoying your bike rides and will often help you prevent unexpected incidents or a long walk home.

Single Speeding Off Road

I want to talk about The Surly Karate Monkey Single Speed 29er that I have been riding for the last six months. This bike is a beast. Chris King Hubs, Mavic Wheels, the bike it the real deal for sure.  The simplicity of the single speed is bliss. It's full rigid so it beats you up a bit in the rocks and stuff but it climes like a Billy Goat. If you ever want to get real strong on the bike this is how ya do it... let me tell ya! Ridding a single speed mountain bike is really not as hard as everyone thinks. You get funny looks for sure and the occasional " hey that guys riding a single speed " as you pass them on the tight technical single track. It's all about forward momentum and " Flow " . When you master the art of riding a single speed on a short steep clime or setting into pace on a long stone flat section there is nothing like it. The pinnacle for the seasoned cyclist I would say. Whats even more awesome is getting back on the road bike after riding the SS at Betzwood and the Wiss all summer. That's when you discover what it has done for you. I just met Matt Budd at a bicycle convention in Philly last weekend. Matt is a frame builder building some of ( in my opinion ) the sickest stuff. His favorite thing  right now is building up SS Cross bikes. I want one. I'm thinking of taking a trip up to see him in Boston to visit his shop. We have been talking about possibly offering his frames at the shop. I would be the only shop to offer his frames. Check him out http://www.buddbikes.com/ Stay tuned.