Category Archives: Cycling

February Bike Repairs and It’s Not Always What You Think It It

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I just had to mention a few things about my recent bike repairs. First of all, bike season is just around the corner (for those of us in the Midwest) and this is an excellent time to get your bike in shape.

I’ve had a few things that have needed repairs since the end of the 2010 riding season but held off until now. I didn’t want my bike in the shop while there was still good riding weather, then there was the Christmas rush but now is a great time for repairs.

I went to my local bike shop (Mikes Bike Shop in Palatine IL) and there was 2 people working there, me and one other customer. It was totally one on one and we had plenty of time to go over the repairs that I needed, some other things that I was interested and in a very comfortable setting. So much nicer than peak season when the LBSs are  crowded and everyone is in a hurry.

So my first point here is if you need any repairs or tune up stuff done, this is an excellent time to do it.

Now getting to one of my actual repairs. I had a really bad handlebar shake that started towards the end of the riding season and proceeded to get even worse as time went on. If I let go of the handle bars for a moment it would shake so bad I could hardly control the bike and had to grab the handlebars again for control.

I checked the front wheel and it looked just fine. I also checked the stem and made sure things were tightened up. When I talked to the bike mechanic at Mikes he did a quick adjustment to the stem and checked it out. It still had the shake so I left it for them to look at.

OK, here’s the part that I was just not expecting. The shake in the front was due to problems with the back wheel! They trued the back wheel and it fixed the problem completely. It made complete sense after I thought about it and after I shook the back of the bike and saw how that effected the handlebars.

I’m sure most bike mechanics are aware of things like this and probably many of you out there reading this too but this one just surprised me a little – being my second point – It’s not always what you think it is. 🙂

Later, Rob.

Fall Riding Season, Bike Ride Clothing, etc.

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Sorry for the long delay in blog posts. I have been out there riding but just haven’t had a lot of blogging time.

Anyway, I just had an excellent ride today (29 miles) and since it’s getting colder here in the Chicagoland area, I had to refer to my bike clothing hints on the Bike Weather Clothing page on this site.

I put together that page a few years ago and found it handy to remember what bike clothing to wear in what kind of weather. Now, this is just a guide or a summary and it will vary of course for each person but it works perfect for me though (since I wrote it!) 🙂

As for myself, I seem to be able to handle cooler weather better than a lot of people. For example, it was in the 50s today and I was mostly comfortable with shorts and a t-shirt (while riding) although I did bring a jacket and wore it occasionally too. I still see a lot of other people bundled up like I might be in the middle of winter though.

One of the things that I did not mention in my original article though was that the speed that you ride will also make a significant difference in how warm you want to dress for your rides.

Riding is a little cooler than other outdoor activities because of the wind (which is a great benefit in the summer) but your body temperature will be higher if you are really pushing yourself for speed and a good workout (which I have been doing more of lately).

For example, I used to ride at a leisurely average of around 12mph, which is a nice comfortable, relaxing touring ride speed (for me anyway) and I would probably keep a light jacket on for the whole ride in this weather. Recently, however, since I have been trying to get a better workout, my average speeds are around 14mph to 15mph and I worked up a sweat with the jacket and had to loose it a couple of times.

Since this is very “in between” weather, there are times that the jacket was comfortable and other times that it was too warm. This is where my fairly new rack/trunk style bike bag came in really handy. My jacket fits in the bag pretty easily and it’s easy to get it in and out so I was able to alternate between my t-shirt only and jacket easily with just a brief stop.

Well, I guess that’s about it for my blurb about cool weather riding and how to dress. Most of you probably already know what works best for you but, if you are like me, you may not get it just right or may need some hints and reminders, or even some clothing or equipment upgrades, when the weather first starts changing.

Later, Rob.

Bike Computer Stats – Average Speed, Mileage, What is Yours?

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I just finished a nice ride tonight (17 miles) and I was thinking about what a geek I am when it comes to certain stats and things like my bike computer stats (I actually am a programmer by day so I do pretty much quality as a geek).

Anyway, I always reset my bike odometer at the beginning of each riding season and I keep track of the total miles that I ride, my average speeds, fastest speeds, etc.

I usually do about 1,000 to 2,000 miles per riding season (not bad for an old guy :-)). Most of my rides are usually from 11 to 20 miles although I do take some longer trips occasionally.

I am not a racer or competitive rider so on my normal touring style rides I usually average about 12 mph or so although recently I have been pushing myself a little more to get more exercise and I am a little faster now that we are well into riding season. When I push myself a little, like tonight, I just did 17 miles at an average speed of 14.1 mph.

This isn’t going to break any speed records or anything (unless there are some geriatric records that I could crack! 🙂 ) but it’s fun to go fast and it’s really great exercise (which also means it’s a lot of work too).

I just did a search for the average tour de france speed and the first site that came up said: “Fastest average tour: just less than 25 mph” so I think that my 14mph is at least respectable.

I know some of the new bike computers and bike GPS unitshave download options but my bike computer is not that fancy so I have to update my spreadsheet with my stats after each ride.

Also, speaking of bike computer stats, I just cracked the 1,000 mile mark on my bike computer tonight. I now have 1,012 miles for this season (so far)!

Although this is a bike blog and not really a forum, I do have this setup for easy comments and I am always curious what kinds of bike computer stats other people have based on their riding styles.

Anyway, if anyone out there would like to post their stats, please feel free to drop a line.

Thanks, Rob

Lance Armstrong Black “28” Jersey Tribute

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OK, I just can’t pass this one up! I saw the story about Lance Armstrong and the Radio Shack Team’s attempt to wear the black jerseys with the number “28” to signify the 28 million people living with cancer today on the news last night and I knew that I had to write something about this.

I understand the need for organization and rules for events like this but I really wish that they could have given him a break on this one. I don’t know if Lance had tried to go through the proper channels or procedures first but if he did and was denied then I can see the reason to go for some publicity in this way.

Lance Armstrong Black 28 Jersey

Lance Armstrong Black 28 Jersey

Well, perhaps more of the story will come out soon but I saw a CNN story that quoted Lance as saying “Today, we’re riding for every one of the 28 million people all over the world whose lives and families are affected by this disease…” and I am totally in on that one!

I know that Lance and the organizations that he is affiliated with has made considerable donations to the fight against cancer. Even a portion of the sales from the Indoor Cycle exercise bike that I have been recommending on this site for quite some time now, the Livestrong LS9.9IC, goes towards the fight against cancer.

Anyway, I just wanted to join in and mention that we, at about-bicycles.com, support the Black 28 Jersey Tribute and are proud to display our Jerseys on this site!

The Love of Bike Riding and Magazine Article

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I was asked to co-write  a magazine article for a new start-up magazine, “Way of the Wilds” on the Fox River Trail (which is a pretty easy subject for me to write about since I have ridden the FRT so many times and have had some very memorable experiences on it) and as I was writing my part of the article, it occurred to me that some of what I was writing was sounding very familiar to me.

I started the article with a brief description of some of the benefits of bike riding and it turns out that a little over a year ago I wrote an article that was all about the love of bike riding and I went back to look at the web page article and it all came back to me. I remembered that I did put some effort into that article and it does express my feelings on the subject very well.

The web page article has an unusual theme and is mostly called “Bike Riding Nirvana“.  I was hoping that the article did not get totally lost on the Internet due to the unusual title and I checked Google for the underlying theme “the love of bike riding” and I don’t think that it got totally lost on the Internet since it comes up in the #1 position for that search term!

 Anyway, I did want to mention that web page and I think it’s always nice to consider some of the joys of cycling.

As for the new article, in the hard copy magazine, that will probably not be published until August or September so I’ll save more of the details on that one for after it comes out. Besides, I’m still just on the first draft for now.

Performance Bike Sale This Weekend (10% off)

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I was just checking the bike product and bike sales pages on this site and discovered that Performance Bike has a really good sale going on right now and through Sunday 6/13.

Sorry that I am just now getting to this notification. I’m not sure how long the sale has been on but it is ending after this weekend.

The prices that I have posted on the bikes for sale on this site (through Performance Bike) DO NOT include the 10% off and the prices at Performance Bike do not show the 10% off until you add the bike to your shopping basket.

So if you are in the market for bike accessories or even bikes that can be purchased online (Fuji, GT,  Schwinn, etc.) this would be a good time to check the prices at Performance Bike.

New Indoor Cycle / Spinning Bike Reviews

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I was just doing some work on the exercise bike pages on this site and completed a few reviews on some of the mid-range and inexpensive indoor cycle / spinning bikes available online.

I have had the Livestrong Exercise Bike out on the site for quite a while and I really do think that this is one of the best indoor cycles out there, in addition to the fact that purchasing this bike helps with the fight against cancer, but until now I did not have any information on inexpensive or mid range indoor cycles.

Well I just added the ProForm 290 SPX review (for a mid-range indoor cycle) and the Spinner® Sport review (for a low cost indoor cycle / spinning bike).

I had a little background info on Proform bikes, from discussions with my friend who was the marketing manager for Smooth Fitness and I recently reviewed the Spinner Sport bike at a local fitness shop.

Both of these exercise bikes, being indoor cycle trainers, are great choices for serious workouts and indoor training and are much more affordable than the Livestrong bike.

Next, I’ll be getting back to the regular bike reviews (since it’s outdoor riding season now) and I will be adding some more low cost and mid-range bike reviews to the bike review section of the site. Initially, I have started with reviews of some of the higher end bikes that are available online, but I want to have more choices in the regular bike categories also.

The “Need for Speed” and the Fuji SL1

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I’ve been doing a lot of bike reviews and comparisons recently (online and at local shops) and I also just took a break and went out for a nice little 23 mile ride. I was feeling pretty good and was averaging a pretty good speed for my ride (and really enjoying it) and I started thinking about that old line in the Top Gun movie when Maverick was saying “I feel the need… ” and Goose joined in with “…the need for speed”!

Sometimes it just feels great to push yourself a little and enjoy the exhilaration and speed.

Well, I also just wrote up a review on the Fuji SL1 Bikes (which I reviewed at Performance Bike recently and also researched online). So, with this in mind, I just had to add that line to the top of my review at the Fuji SL1 Review page. 

I wanted to photoshop a picture of Tom Cruise racing the jet on his motorcycle and turn the motorcycle into a racing bike too, but I was a little concerned that Paramount (or whoever owns the copyrights) might see my photoshopped photo and sue me or something.

Oh well, that would have been cool 🙂 So much for keeping this site legit.

Anyway, I do really think that the Fuji SL1 models are great bikes too, but you can read all about at the page link above if you are interested.

2009, 2010 Hybrid Bikes on Sale

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I just visited quite a few bike shops in our area (Performance, REI, Village Cycle, Dicks, etc.) to see what was new for this year (or on sale from 2009) and to review the latest hybrids that they are selling.

I got distracted with the 2009 bikes on sale a little more so than checking into all of the latest 2010 models. As usual, since this is a transition period and bike shops are still trying to move last years models out, so the prices for last years models (brand new of course) are excellent right now.

Of course, I’ve included some of my favorites (and the favorites of some of the more knowledgeable bike shop people that I ran into) on our Hybrid and Comfort Bikes page.

Since Performance Bike is so big, I think that they probably had the best selection of 2009 bikes on sale (like plenty of Fuji bikes) but REIalso had a few 2009 bikes on sale and their 2010 prices were pretty reasonable too. If you really like a bike at REI and can wait, they have good sales pretty often and the bikes will most likely be reduced when they have a sale.

Dicks Sporting Goods mostly had a lot of mid range and lower end bikes but that had a couple of good brands (K2, and Schwinn) too. I also hit a Wal-Mart and Sports Authority too. These stores were all had pretty comparable bike but Dicks and Sports Authority were the best for having a large selection on display and easily available to review. The sales people at these stores are generally not that knowledgeable about bikes and bike brands. I found that the sales people at REI and especially at Performance Bike to be very helpful. 

One of our local shops, Village Cycle, deals mostly with Trek bikes (which you can not buy online) but I found that they also had a good selection of Raleigh bikes on display.

It was a slow day at the bike shop and I really had a good opportunity to review a lot of Raleigh bikes and compare them to the other more common bike store brands.  I know that you can buy Raleigh bikes online at REI but neither of the 2 REI  stores that I visited had any on display. I asked about this and the guy at the second store said that one of the larger stores by us (but further away for me) has them or you can order them online and have them delivered to the store but the do not keep them on display.

I haven’t had a chance to write up my reviews on the Raleigh bikes yet but I can tell you that these are really nice bikes and some are also very stylish. One thing that is very obvious, aside from the quality components, is that Raleigh bikes (especially the hybrids and comfort bikes) have really nice seats!  

I believe that the best deals going on right now though are on Fuji Bikes(mostly at Performance Bike). These are excellent bikes with high quality components. I think one of the reasons that they are not perceived as the high end bikes that they are is because they used to sell their bikes through mass market (“Big Box”) stores instead of exclusively at bike shops. They have changed that marketing approach, but one of the best things is that you can still order this bikes online too.

I’m still working on some more bike reviews, but check out my 2009 and 2010 picks at the Hybrid and Comfort Bikes Link above.

Bicycle Trailers and Kids Trailer Bikes

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Child Bike Seat
Child Bike Seat

I was just doing some updates on the Kids Bikes page on this website and realized how lucky new parents are as far as all the options available now to bring your kids (of various ages) with you on your bike rides!

Our kids are older now but when they were young we had a Bike Child Seat that attached to the back of our bikes and I don’t think that bike trailers were even all that popular back then (at least I don’t remember seeing nearly as many as I do out on the trails these days).

The Bike Child Seat did actually work very well for us and it was really nice to be able to get out and ride and bring the kids with us (at different times) but I think I would have really liked having the all of the other options that are available now back then too.

One thing that I found a little confusing is the two terms used for trailers that you attach to the back of your bike since they sound so similar.

There are Bike Trailers, which are the 2 wheel trailers that attach to the back of your bike…

bike trailer

Bike Trailer

and then there are Trailer Bikes, which also attach to the back of your bike but are the one wheel attachments, with pedals that basically turn your bike into a tandem for you and your kid.
trailer bike, kids tandem bike

Trailer Bike

Once you get used to the terms, it’s not confusing at all but it helps to get that right when you are looking for information or resources for one of these kinds of bike trailers.
 
At any rate, there are some really nice options and there are a ton of these things available on the internet now too. Our “Kids Bike” page (above) has some links for high quality trailers and also less expensive versions if you are in the market for one of these.
 
I also just talked to a lady at a bike store recently that was telling me that she uses her kids Bike Trailer for extra storage space for her bike trips to the store. I think that I have also seem people out on the bike paths with stuff (not kids) in their bike trailers too. I believe that I’ve even seen dogs in them too. Sometimes I just don’t have my camera handy when I need it! 🙂
 
I think that this would be a real benefit to getting a Bike Trailer for your kids since you can use it for the kids when they are young and then use it for storage on trips after they outgrow the bike trailer.
 
Anyway, there’s no excuses for you new parents out there now to get out on the trail and enjoy some riding and quality family time!  🙂