Gearing up for spring

During this blustery time of year, most of us take our yard equipment into the maintenance shop so that it will be ready for us in time for spring, but did you know that now is also the best time of year to bring your bike in for its yearly service?  Yes, now is the time to get those bikes out of the shed, and bring them in for a lube, a tune and maybe a new set of tires.

Bicycles are machines, the carry us on our way to work, and out for a day of fun, but bicycles still need to be cared for in the same manner as your mower or car.  Inspection of the frame, chain, wheels, brakes and shifting, should be checked at least once a year by a qualified technician for cracks, wear, and fraying, for your safety and for those around you. 

The chain connects the rear wheel to the pedals and usually has the most wear of all the components involving the drivetrain.  The chain constantly rubs against the cogs and chain-wheels as you pedal on your ride, and if not properly lubricated your chain will wear down quickly, becoming thin and eventually braking under pressure.  Yearly replacement of the chain is common and inexpensive, and will save you money by not having to replace more expensive components later.

The wheels of your bike are not only important for your bike to roll, but are also important for supporting your weight, and the spokes in your wheels need to be inspected for tension and the wheel for “True”, to preform this task. This is easily done by spinning your wheel to see if it moves in a side to side motion as it spins, if there is movement, then the wheel is considered to be out of true and is also probably rubbing on your brakes and adding friction as you ride.  Truing your wheels is done on a “Truing stand”, and takes a short period of time to make the corrections to them.

Your braking system is a lot like your cars, without them you can’t stop.  And proper maintenance is important for your safety.  For most of the brakes on today’s bikes are made up of a system of pads, cables and levers;

1)    Your brake pads are made of a rubber like material that is compressed against the wheel to cause friction and slowing you to a stop.  The pads can become hard and brittle with age, or they can become worn by use and do not have enough surface area to cause the friction needed to slow you properly.

2)    The brake cable is made up of steel wires that move within the cable housing and connects the brake pads and calipers to the brake lever.  The friction between the cable and the housing causes the cable to wear over time and can create rust and fraying of the cable, preventing the brake pads to freely release.

3)    Your brake levers connect your hand to the brake cable and one should be present for each set of brakes.  The levers are supposed to be free of cracks and arrant bends that are caused from being dropped or bumped.

Finally, adjusting your shifting system is like getting a tune up for your car.  The cables that actuate the shifting for the derailleur’s, has the same problems as the brake cables, fraying and rust accumulations in the housing will create a delay in the shifting and cause mis-shifts between gears. These cables should be replaced yearly to prevent more costly repairs by the cable braking inside the shifter.

A smooth and safe bicycle ride will always bring you a smile and a sense of accomplishment. In time, you will find that your smiles will get bigger, your rides longer, and your self esteem and fitness level will grow proportionally.  Getting a professional tune up is not only good for your bike but for you, because you are also a machine.

For the month of February, Carmichael Cycles is offering a discount on our Standard Tune-up which is normally $69.99, and will cover all of the adjustments and more that we discussed (sorry but parts and fitness not included).  Our coupon will be in the Inside Arden publication, found in most the newsstands around the Carmichael-Arden area, or at Inside Arden online.

Bring it on

After a winter spoiled by sunshine and decently warm afternoons, the weather forecasters are now becoming excited about a change in our weather, rain is now expected and it may last for the duration of the winter season, but that does not mean we have to change the amount of weekly riding that we do here in the golden state.

We take a lot for granted here in California, mild winters, lots of sunshine and the lack of snow throughout most of our state, however, we do pay for the privilege of this lifestyle, water rationing, air rationing, and a deteriorating infrastructure.  But fortunately for us who live in this grand state, when the rains do come, all it takes is a well made cycling slicker, and some wool socks to make it all manageable and comfortable enough for us to ride.  In fact as we all have seen, when the rains do not come as expected, we all have to deal with blistering cold temperatures that dip into the thirties, requiring us to layer clothing that can cause one to closely resemble Cartman, so what I am saying  is; “Bring on the rain, I’m ready”.

Riding in the rain is nothing more than a psychological block that can easily be overcome with a little preparedness and good clothing, I mean come on, we don't live in Minnesota, and those folks ride year round.

One - Get yourself a great cycling rain slicker.  Depending on the maker you should expect to pay anywhere from $100.00 to $300.00 for a well made one, look for underarm vent zippers, a water resistant chest pocket and rear pocket, top and bottom pull zippers on the front, and a shoulder blade vent flap.  Colors of Hi-Vis yellow or red with white reflective piping make you easily spotted in wet and dark situations, keeping you safer.  We keep two styles of slicker her at the shop, the Endura slicker at $99.00 and the Sugoi slicker at $180.00.

Two - Never underestimate the power of wool.  Socks made of wool will keep your feet happy and warm and for the most part dry, even with wet shoes.  A base layer made of wool will keep you warm and comfortable as you ride by helping to regulate your body heat while riding.   Of course you can take it a step further by including a wool jersey which will repel a light misting and fog.  Today’s wool products are not those scratchy and itchy garments of the past, Smartwool takes wool to a whole new level of comfort and ease of care.

Wool will cost you about $14.00 for socks from DeFeet, and $40.00 – $60.00 for base layers from Sugoi.  Wool jerseys run anywhere from $120.00 - $180.00 depending which manufacturer you go to but are easily found online for less.

Three – Get some fleece lined bib-tights or pants.  Not only will these garments keep you warm on those sub thirty degree days, they will also keep you warm on wet rides. 

 Most tights repel water that is splashed up from you front tire and on to your shins and keeping your body heat inside where it belongs.  We carry the Sugoi Pro Tights at $110.00 and the Sugoi Mid-Zero Bib-Tights at $140.00, here at Carmichael Cycles.

Yup, I am ready, because riding in the rain is a great way to stay on your bike.  Me? I prefer the wind in my face and the sound of the wheels as I glide into the turn, not the whirr of a trainer that goes nowhere.

Goals are for soccer

The New Year has begun and the time to make those pesky commitments is upon us.  We as humans are notorious for making promises to ourselves that defy our very nature, yet we try to accomplish these feats anyway.  The basis of this promise always seems to revolve around some type of self-improvement or in some cases, organizing our environment, either way with a failure rate of about 90%, it’s probably mentally unhealthy to even try to resolve anything that goes against our vary nature.

Here is a thought. Instead of psychologically impaling our self esteem by doing what we really do not want to do, how about we promise ourselves to do something fun, let’s say … visit the American River Parkway and see why it’s one of the great remaining parks in California, better yet let’s do it while we ride a bike.  The parkway has more than 65 miles of paved trail you can follow as you ride, and with bathrooms, picnic tables and drinking fountains located about every three to four miles; you can spend hours along the Sacramento River and its wonders.

The great thing about the trail is that you can take your time as you visit, there are never any lines to get in, and with every visit the park changes, flowers bloom, grasses grow and leaves change from green to brown, it’s a seasonal thing. Along with the vegetation, so do the critters that inhabit the parkway, the mornings are alive with creatures big and small, you can watch as the deer go from velvet, to antlers, as the year progresses.  In the evenings the owls search for field mice and birds flock to the trees for a nights rest, coyotes hunt as squirrels and rabbits return to their burrows to sleep.

The trail is also full of people, bike-commuters winding their way to work or home, joggers and walkers setting new goals, and cyclists looking for a car free environment.  The trail is a place you can feel safe, hear nature and get healthy in mind, and in body, and isn’t that what we all want, to be better, happier and healthier, to improve ourselves in some way.

We have enough goals in our lives; maybe we just take it a little easier on ourselves and start with a bike, a smile and a ride down a trail.