Category Archives: Cycling

GPS Mapping Software Purchases and REI Sale

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I have a couple of loosely related topics that I wanted to mention today.

First off, I just purchased the major mapping software for my new Garmin Edge 800 Bike Computer. This is actually one of the reasons why I bought the more expensive high-end model rather than one of the less expensive models.

After my purchase of the Edge 800, I realized that the touch-screen is an excellent feature 100 and I am really glad that I got the touch-screen model. It is really nice to be able to swipe the screen while riding to switch between the various screens.

Garmin Mapping Software Purchases

Garmin Mapping Software ~ for cycling

Getting back to the mapping software, I bought the 2012 version of City Navigator, the TOPO maps (for the Great Lakes region, which is the area where I live) and I even purchased a copy of Rails-to-Trails for our area.

I got the Rails-to-Trails maps directly from the Garmin site and that was a download so I already have that on on my GPS unit. It looks like this software actually has all the major bike trails in our area. I have already been on most of the trails that are close to me but I can’t wait to check this out when I am further away and close to some trails that I have not been on. You can also use the free Garmin Basecamp software to browse the bike trails that are loaded on to the GPS unit. This feature looks like it will be great for planning bike trips.

I bought the City Navigator software from Amazon because they had the latest 2012 version. This software is sold on a micro SD card which I have not received yet. I am looking forward to getting this software for the points of interest that it comes with as well as being able to see local roads (the base map that the units come with only shows major highways and it pretty limited).

I am not sure if the TOPO maps are going to be as useful for my own particular style of riding but I really wanted to check this out to see exactly what it does have. I bought the TOPO maps from REI and was able to use my REI annual rebate on the purchase along with getting 20% off.

REI Sale, until April 15th 2012

REI 20% Off Sale, until April 15th 2012

This, of course, leads me right to the next topic which is the sale that REI is having right now. REI is currently having one of their major sales that will be going on until April 15th. They are offering 20% off of one item (online or at the stores). They also just gave out their annual dividend which is a rebate that they give REI Members on anything that you buy at the store. This is actually a good deal even though there is a one-time fee of $20 (which is a lifetime membership).

There are some limitations on the 20% off deal but I was still able to use it on the Garmin software. It does say that GPS devices are exclueded but apparently not GPS software. Bike are also excluded except for  REI store brand Novara Bikes which are actually pretty nice bikes (much nicer than the big box store bikes).

At any rate, the 20% off deal is nice (and I took advantage of that one) so if you’re looking for some cycling products (or other outdoor stuff) you have until April 15th for this one.

One final note, I just did a major face-lift on the Bicycle GPS page on our website. I had originally posted this page many years ago (before bike GPS computers were even sold at many places and still very primitive) and although I have updated the page each year, there was some pretty out of date stuff that I needed to clean up. I have also checked all the links for the latest GPS products and deals so this page can be helpful when you’re looking for Bike GPS Computers or related products.

About-Bicycles Page and Blog Posts on Facebook

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About-Bicycles.com is Goin Social!

Yep, I finally launched the About-Bicycles.com business page on Facebook so for the many of you that have subscribed to this blog you now have another way to get our updates and read these blog posts.

The About-Bicycles Facebook Page.

The About-Bicycles Facebook Page.

Here’s a link to the new About-Bicycles Facebook page. This page is new so we really don’t have much content out there just yet, but there will be soon.

Also, if I did the setup correctly, these blog posts should automatically be posted to the About-Bicycles Facebook page so if you choose to Follow About-Bicycles on Facebook, you can get our blog posts right there in Facebook instead of visiting us here on our website ~ of course, you are always welcome to come out here as often as you like too :-).

I have also setup this blog to be tweeted via our Twitter account About_Bicycles.

So come on out to the  About-Bicycles Facebook page and “Like” us and Follow Us! Let’s get social!

2012 Bicycles ~ Reviews and For Sale Online

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I have noticed recently that quite a few of the major bike brands have their 2012 bikes out and for sale online. This is great news for anyone getting the jump on spring and looking for a new bike right now. Not only do you have the latest and greatest 2012 bikes coming out, there are still previous year models in stock and marked down quite a bit from last year.

Cannondale Quick Hybrid

There is a large selection of 2012 Cannondale and GT bikes available at REI, for example, and Performance Bike has a good selection of 2011 bikes marked down along with some of the 2012 models.

Our Online Bikes Store page is a quick and easy way to find which online merchants are selling what brands and easy links to browse which models are currently available.

If you are looking for some high-end mountain bikes I see that Hucknroll.com has some 2012 Rocky Mountain, Santa Cruz, and Salsa, Bikes for sale as well as pretty good selection of Yeti bikes.

Normally this would be the time of year when a lot of people are looking into indoor cycling and indoor training but for those of us in the Chicagoland area and in the mid-west we are getting some unexpected 50+ degree days here at the end of January! I was just out and rode a very comfortable 11 miles today. 🙂

For links to the latest 2012 models for sale online or reviews on this years’ models, see our Online Bikes Store page, our Bikes Online page or our Best Buy Bikes page for our best buy bikes and recommendations.

I can’t believe that this warm weather will last, but still… it won’t be long now! 🙂

Our Free 2012 Bike Calendar in Available – PDF and Excel formats

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I just completed creating the 2012 Bike Calendar from about-bicycles.com. This calendar includes scenic bike trail photos (from Illinois and Wisconsin), cycling events (that are posted for 2012) and is designed to fit each month, with the photo on top and the calendar grid underneath, on one standard 8.5 x 11 piece of paper when printed (12 pages total).

2012 Bike Calendar

2012 Bike Calendar

You can find the PDF and Excel versions of the calendar at 2012 Bike Trail and Cycling Events Calendar.

I realize that we now have numerous calendar programs available to us online, on our personal computers and electronic devices and that at many B&M businesses also give you free calendars in different formats.

I have a couple of different calendars that I use (hard-copy and PC versions) but I like having the printed version, with a nice scenic photo and with the holidays and cycling events (as well as my own personal updates) to hang on the wall above my desk, for easy reference, so I use this one also myself (of course!).

The 2012 Bike Calendar Photos

Most of the photos have been contributed by Dale Kiffel who rides a lot of bike trails each year (some with me), has a nice DSLR and has a good eye for scenic photos. Dale has had quite a few photos featured on Brant Miller’s weather photos on our NBC station, has had 3 photos published in the Winnipeg Free Press and has a number of photos on this site. The remaining (3) calendar photos  were taken by me.

I tried to match the photos with the typical weather (Chicago area) for each month as much as possible.

The 2012 Bike Calendar Cycling Events

Since I am more familiar with and more involved in local (Chicagoland area) cycling events, the events on the 2012 Bike Calendar are mostly from the Chicagoland area although there are some cycling events from other parts of the country.

We also have a Cycling Events Page where we post information and links on cycling events.

If you have 2012 cycling events that you would like posted on the calendar or on our cycling events page, please go to the Cycling Events Page and send your information to me via the email address listed on that page.

Customizing the Calendar

The PDF version of the 2012 Bike Calendar is designed to be the easiest to view, download and/or print. You will not be able to modify your copy of this version though unless you have the Adobe software that allows you to modify PDFs (Acrobat).

If you would like to customize the calendar, then the Excel version will be the best choice although this version may be more difficult to use if you are not somewhat proficient with MS Excel. You can customize the Excel version and “Save As” a PDF for a more easy to use version.

Bike Rider Gift Ideas and Cyclist Gift Shop

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Yep, it is that time of year again and time for our annual Bike Rider Gift Ideas and Cyclist Gift updates.

When you are looking for gifts for bike riders you can simply go to Amazon or any other large internet website and browse their cycling products – or – you can get ideas from those of us who have spent countless hours riding, have ridden thousands of miles and have used and researched numerous cycling products.

Some of the most popular gifts for cyclists are often Bike Electronic items such as Bike Computers (magnet transmitter or GPS based),  Heart Rate monitors, Helmet Cams and Bike Lights.

The big news for 2011 is that GPS Based Bike Computers have come WAY down in price from where they were last year or even at the beginning of the summer. Last year, the high-end Garmin units (like the Edge 705) were selling for $700 to $800. This year you can get these units for $400 to $450 and you can get the more basic units for even less.

I was going to post the other cyclist gift ideas in this blog entry (as I did last year) but since there are so many gift ideas and online resources, I have decided to post a separate web page for Cycling Gifts and Resources this year.

For more excellent gift ideas and resources see our new Bike Rider, Cyclist Gift Ideas page.

Schwinn 150, Schwinn 250 AC Power Included and Knee Care

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I hope the subject for this post is not too confusing but I wanted to address both subjects that I discussed with a visitor to our site in some recent emails.

The first subject relates to Schwinn AC Adapters. The first email that I received was an inquiry about whether or not the new Schwinn 250 Recumbent Exercise Bike came with the AC Power adapter.

AC Adapters on Schwinn Exercise Bikes

AC Adapters on Schwinn Exercise Bikes

I discovered that we did not specify this on our Schwinn 250 review pages and also that it was not even specified on the Amazon page or most other pages when I searched for this model.

Well, I finally did confirm (via the owner and assembly manuals) that the AC Adapter is included with the New Schwinn 250 Recumbent.   

This question then made me wonder if the AC Adapters were included on the other mid-range and high-end Schwinn Exercise Bikes so I checked all of the “40” and “50” series models and found that the AC adapter (or power cord) is included on all of these models.

I have since updated our Schwinn Exercise Bike Review pages to include this information. See the Schwinn 140, and NEW Schwinn 150, Uprights and the  Schwinn 240 and the NEW Schwinn 250 Recumbents for the updates and/or for the reviews and additional information.

Knee Care, Knee Problems and Cycling – on Bikes and Exercise Bikes

The second subject included in this article has to do with taking care of your knees while cycling. This includes cycling on outdoor bikes or on exercise bikes.

The woman that had asked me about the AC Adapters had also just mentioned that she was planning a “non-weight bearing exercise regimen” that was necessary for her bad knee.

I have had some minor knee problems myself,  in the past, and have also had cycling friends that have occasionally had knee problems and I have looked into this subject before.

What I had found was that, if you have knee problems and need to reduce the the strain on your knee(s) while cycling, you should ride in lower gears (outdoor bikes) or at lower resistance levels (exercise bikes) at a faster pace (higher rpms).

So I just passed this information on as an “FYI” and was happy to get an email reply stating “That’s exactly what my Physical Therapist said!!”.

Thank you for your nice replies and for the updates.

 Rob

Don’t Miss the 2012 Tour of Elk Grove! – Chicago Cycling Events

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Chicago Area (and midwest) cyclists don’t miss the 2012 Tour of Elk Grove! (like I just did with he 2011 Tour of Elk Grove).

I live in the Chicago area (Palatine) and I just saw the Tour of Elk Grove on CSN last night. I was actually not aware that Elk Grove even had this event until last night and I am so disappointed that I missed it last month!

Therefore, I wanted to be sure to get the word out for this event for next year (and I will definitely be there!)

According to the Daily Herald, The 2012 Tour of Elk Grove is planned for August 3-5, 2012.

Also, if you missed this year’s event, there is one more airing on CSN tomorrow, Oct 1, 2011 at 1:00.

OK, I have been known to joke around about my rides calling them the “Tour de this” or “Tour of that” (with respect to the Tour de France). For example, I have done the “Tour de Paul Douglas Forest Preserve” (TDPD) and the “Tour de Fox River” (TDFR) many times now! 

The Tour of Elk Grove however, is no joke! This is a major international event, sponsored by AlexianBrothers Hospital,  that also supports a number of worthy charitable organizations. They also have a very informative and well organized website at www.tourofelkgrove.com.

Unlike le Tour de France, The Tour of Elk Grove (TOEG) has a men’s and a women’s race. The winner of the men’s 2011 TOEG was Luis Amaran of Cuba and the winner of the women’s 2011 TOEG was Canadian Leah Kirchmann.

The professional men’s 3 day race is recognised by the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale, based in Switzerland) and the TOEG is 1 of only 6 cycling races in the US to be sanctioned by the UCI.

There are also entry level races so if you are a racer  be sure to sign up before the entry level races are full. There is even a big wheel race for the kids (I didn’t check up on status of that one but that could be fun too).  And, of course, if you are into racing and would like to train for the TOEG, check out the Tour de France Indoor Cycle.

In my opinion, if cycling keeps gaining in popularity in Chicago, the Tour of Elk Grove could become as popular in the Chicagoland area as the famous Bike The Drive event (which will be held on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago on May 27, 2012 starting at 5:30am).

The TOEG has a major sponsor (Alexian Brothers Hospital) and as I mentioned, supports a number of charities, so hopefully the village of Elk Grove will continue to support this event and it will continue to be sponsored and to grow each year.

New Bike Tires – Bontrager vs Continental

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As I mentioned in my last post, I just bought and installed new bike tires yesterday and was going to put a little information out here on the latest tire experience.

Before I get into my bike tire installation disaster, let me update you on the brands and misc. stats that I have on the tires that I have had on my Trek 1500 road bike so far.

Keep in mind that I usually put a lot of miles on my bike tires before I change them (they are usually bald or damaged before I change them (I guess I like to get my moneys worth)).

Old Bontrager Race Light with 4,907 miles

I don’t actually remember what brand the original tires were that came on the bike new (I didn’t write it down!) but I do have the dates and miles. The original tires that came on my bike lasted for 2 years and 3 months and made it 3,719 miles.

The next set of tires that I bought for my bike were Bontrager Race Light Hard Case – 700x28c. These tires cost me $80 for the pair (back in July, 2008), lasted for 3 years and 2 months and made it 4,907 miles!

I don’t think that I ever had a flat with these tires. There is writing on the tires that says “Triple Puncture Protection” and I guess it was legit!

The reason that I just changed these tires is because they were basically falling apart (some of the rubber was comming off and you could see the material underneath!) and I am planning a fairly long bike trip up to the 400 Trail in Wisconsin next week.

FYI: If you are wondering how I know all this specific information, it’s because I am kind of a data junkie in some ways (like with my bike stuff). I have kept my bike mileage records and stats since about 1997 (now in a spreadsheet) and I have the receipts for all of my bike parts and accessories which are also now in a spreadsheet. (I think that I included some of my bike computer stats on our Bike Computers page too). Damaged Bontrager Bike Tire

OK, back to the new tires. When I went to my LBS (Mike’s Bike Shop, in Palatine), I looked at a few different brands and The Continental Ultra Sport– 700x25c were quite a bit cheaper than the other brands that I looked at and the guys in the bike shop told me that they had better experiences with Continental tires than with Bontrager (so they kind of talked me into them).

So I bought the Continental Ultra Sport Tires for $48 a pair and went home to put them on my bike. I hate changing tires but I managed to get the front tire on pretty fast and easy (that was a relief). Then I moved on to the back tire.

I got the old one off with no problem and got a good start on installing the new tire. This is where the disaster begins. I must have spent 30 to 45 minutes trying to get this tire on the rim and my hands and thumbs were so sore I thought that I might be doing permanent damage! I even resorted to trying some dull tools (like they say not to) to try to get the tire on. Still no luck.

So out of total frustration, I took the partially installed tire back to the bike shop to see if these experienced bike mechanics had some tricks or better tools to get difficult tires on with.

Well, they told me that they do not use tools to install the new tires (it’s just done by hand) but some are just way more difficult than others. I have changed many tires over the years and have always been able to get the job done (until now).

The other thing that they mentioned was the the combination of Bontrager rims (which I have on my Trek) and Continental tires can be a very difficult combination. Now they tell me! (don’t get me wrong about Mike’s Bike Shop because I have gone there for years and they have always been really helpful).

Well, the guy at the LBS struggled quite a bit but he was more experienced than I was and was able to get the new tire installed after a while but it was not easy for him either.

Well, I can’t give you the stats on the Continental Tires yet, of course, but I’m sure I’ll keep my records and spreadsheets and might be able to blog about how long they lasted when I finally get around to a new set (if I still have the same bike).

As I was writing this blog post, I just discovered that we do not have a “Bike Tires (or tubes)” page on this site. I am going to have to change that. I do know that there is a good selection of tires and tubes online at Performance Bike and I have some good links there from our Bike Accessories and Equipment page.

 

Bike Ride Weather Tip – Rain or No Rain?

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I have written very similar articles on this topic before but what I have discovered (before and just recently) is a simple and very handy Bike Riding Weather Check Tip.

This is most useful for checking weather status just before a ride and on a questionable day. What I have recommended in the past (and is still valid) is to simply to check the weather radar just before your ride if you think that you may get rain during your ride.

Weather Radar

Check Weather Radar for Rain

Personally, I don’t mind a little sprinkle of rain while I am on my ride but I don’t really like getting caught in a total downpour where you have to cover you electronics and wring out your cloths after your ride.

There are a number of weather radar sites and some are better than others so you need to find the one that is best for your particular area and you will want the animated radar loop so you can see what is coming. I use the Fox version the most (myfoxchicago.com for my area) and also the Chicago Tribune version. (I don’t like to post links to these since they seem to change a lot).

If it is more convienent to check the TV rather than a PC weather radar site, you can always check the local listing on The Weather Channel but you’ll need to wait for the local forecast to cycle through.

So basically the process is very simple. If you see a huge yellow, green or red mass heading toward where you are going to ride you can check the radar loop times and the direction of the precipitation to see if you will have enough time to get your ride in or not.

This has helped me numerous time to plan a ride when the weather looked very questionable. Most of the time it will look like rain (and the general forecast will say some percentage chance of rain for the day) but the weather radar will confirm that there is usually enough time to get a ride in (or not, of course).

Hourly Weather Forecast

Weather.com Hourly Forcast

An Even Easier Way To Check for Rain:

OK, so now here is the latest update to this process that I have recently discovered (from a friend of mine).

The Weather Channel Website now has an Hourly Forcast, including percentage chance of rain, based on your zip code. Actually you can break it down even further but I think hourly is sufficient for the most part.

This is even more convenient than checking the weather radar loop (although, if the weather is questionable, I will usually check both).

Unfortunately, the photo on the right is for a beautiful sunny day and there is really no need to check (and I need to finish this to get out there for a ride!!! 🙂 )

What you will want to check, regarding rain, is the percentage for “Precip” for each hour (just under the hourly temperatures).

I have ridden when the percentages are in the 60s but I guess that each person and each situation will have a different tolerance level regarding the chance of rain. If I know that I will never be more than a few miles away, I can handle a much higher risk than if I am planning a ride where I may end up hours away from shelter or from my starting point.

If you are planning a long ride and may get caught in the rain, check out the rain gear (via our merchant links) at our Bike Clothing Page.

So anyway, I have found the procedures above to be very helpful and I hope that you may find this information helpful too (if you are not already aware of this).

The Excitment of le Tour de France!

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I am not a racer so I have typically not been overly interested in le Tour de France. Well, this year I started watching the race early on and have now realized what I have been missing!

I had to write a post here to all the other cyclists and bike riders out there, that may be missing out on this, to check out the TDF whenever you get the opportunity. I am fully involved in le Tour de France this year and, being a biker (bike rider or cyclist if you prefer), I find the race and the entire event captivating and really exciting.

BTW: The Tour de France is being broadcast this year throughout the day on Versus and the end will also be broadcast on NBC.

It doesn’t matter what kind of cycling you are into (road biking, mountain biking, touring, trail riding, BMX, etc.), if you are really into riding, the TDF will have something to interest you.

Whether it is the overall speed that these guys are riding at, the twists and turns of the mountain passes, the individual and team strategies, the scenery, the wild and crazy fans, the crashes, or the total excitement of the finish of each stage, there is bound to be something to keep your interest once you get into it.

These riders are often averaging around 25-30mph on flat ground or going up the mountains and sometimes up to 60mph or more going down the mountains(!!! ) (I am American so I am more familiar with mph although, since this is a European event, they often give the speed in kph) but it’s not all just about the speed anyway (although I think that I have been inspired by the TDF lately and my own rides have been much faster than usual 🙂 ) there is also the bike handling and strategy (conserving energy until you really need it, etc.).

If you are new to biking then the speeds that these guys ride at will make much more sense when you monitor your own ride stats with your Cycle Computer. If you don’t already have one, this is an essential piece of equipment (and a lot of  fun too).

I must admit that I did not even know all of the basics about the TDF until this year. Well, Wikipedia has done pretty well at explaining the various jerseys that are won and worn, the various competitions, the history behind the TDF  and quite a bit more if you want to take the time to read all of it.

Briefly (since Wikipedia has so much information that you need to filter through it), the Yellow Jersey is worn by the general classification leader and is awarded at the end of each day to the rider with the lowest overall time, the Green Jersey is awarded to the rider with the most points which are earned by winning various events within each stage and Polka Dot Jersey(red and white)  is awarded to the king of the mountain (the best climber). There are other jerseys too and quite a bit more on the jerseys but I’ll have to refer you to the Wikipedia article for all of the details.

After contenplating the difficulty of the le Tour de France, it just blows me away that Lance Armstrong was able to win this race 7 times! The significance of the 7 stars on the seat of the Livestrong LS28iC Limited Edition Indoor Cycle  just can’t be overstated or overlooked.

Well, we have another exciting stage of le Tour in the Alps again today so for those of you that might have been missing this, there is plenty more excitement to catch today and the rest of the week.

Very exciting and very inspirational!