Category Archives: Bike Accessories

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.

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!  🙂
 

New Combination Cable Bike Lock

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When I purchased my new Topeak bike bag a week or so ago, I also picked up a simple, combination cable bike lock.

Cable Bike Lock

Simple Combination Cable Bike Lock

As I mentioned in the bike security section of the Bicycle Locks page on this site, cable locks are not all that secure by themselves and are not nearly as good as a heavy duty U-Lock style bike lock.

So why get this kind of minimum security bike lock? Well, the answer is quite simple. I rarely leave my bike in a high risk area or unattended for any length of time and I just like the convenience of a simple light weight cable lock.

Generally, the only times that I need the lock is for a quick run into a store or maybe a restaurant and I usually leave my bike pretty much in site also.

So this kind of lock will work for my own particular needs but if you are looking for higher security please check in the the U-Locks on the Bicycle Locks page. I also have some other blog posts on the subject is you want to search the blog for “locks”.

Comments? Talk amongst yourselves… (or here…)

Topeak RX Trunk Bag – with Fold-Out Panniers

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I have made my bike bag decision and I am sticking with the Topeak RX Trunk Bag DXP (with the fold-out panniers) that I purchased at REI yesterday. 

I like the size and I love the Topeak QuickTrack™ system to attach and remove the bag.

Topeak RX Trunk Bag Expanded

I was a little undecided about whether or not I wanted to stick with the more compact Topeak “RX” Trunk bag or if I wanted to move up to the larger Topeak “MTX”  bike bag.

For my purposes, I am sticking with the smaller (“RX”) version. I like to keep my bike bag permanently on my bike and for 95% of my riding, I only carry a few items with me. The other 5% of the time I bring some extra things for longer trips (a camera and camcorder, some tools, lunch and maybe a light jacket) and I believe that the RX Trunk bag, with the fold-out panniers should be able to handle this.

Actually, I was not really interested in the fold out panniers until I started to look into them and checked them out in the store. You lose most of the space in the 2 side compartments but with the extra space that you get when you fold out the panniers (or side pockets), I think that it is well worth it.

For those who prefer more space (for touring, longer trips, commuting, etc.), I would recommend the larger Topeak Trunk Bags (the “MTX” is a pretty good size trunk bag that has the fold out pannier option) and/or full size panniers.

If you are not familiar with the Topeak QuickTrack™ system, it is a patented mounting system that allows you to quickly and easily attach and detach the bike bag from the bike rack.

Topeak RX Trunk Bag Closed/Compacted

By lining up the rail on the bottom of the bag with the rail in the bike rack you slide the bag onto the rack until it clicks into place. To remove the bag you just press the yellow clip. It really does work quite well. No more messing around with Velcro straps.

Note: You do have to have a Topeak QuickTrack bike rack if you are going to use a Topeak bike bag but the racks are no more expensive than other brands and can also be used with bike bags from other manufacturers.

Since this bag is brand new, I don’t have any first hand experiences with it yet, but I know I will, in time, and I’ll be sure to update the about-bicycles blog or website pages with my experiences.

I am pretty particular about bike bags and I have learned quite a bit in the process of searching for this one so I have updated the Bike Bags Page on this site with the latest information.

OK, so I am a little partial to Topeak now and I have also favored REI a little too, but having preferences and making honest and helpful (hopefully) recommendations are part of what this site is about. 🙂

I’m sure I will have more on this topic soon, but that’s it for now.

Bike Bag Decisions and In-Decisions

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I am in the process of updating my bike bag and it has been quite a process due to the bike that I ride and my own in-decisions on which bag I want.

For many years I have just used a handlebar bag attached to the back of my seat. I don’t have a lot of space on my handlebars and it fits behind the seat and allows me to carry at least a small number of items that I need.

This year I had decided to finally get a rack and trunk bag setup which I had been looking into for quite some time now (although I will be updating this page very soon, see Bicycle Bags on this site for some good information and online resources for bike bags)

My own particular needs are primarily to have a fairly compact bag to carry some essential items on everyday rides but also be capable of handling larger loads for longer trips (or even utility rides to the store, etc. for small to medium sized items).

I had decided on a trunk and rack system, but the bike that I ride is a racing bike (Trek 1500) and therefore is not designed for luggage racks. 🙁 My bike does not have the threaded holes in the frame that allow you to easily attach a bike rack.

After talking to a guy at my local bike shop, I found out that I can attach a bike rack to the back of my (racing style) bike by using rubber coated clamps. It’s not the ultimate setup but I’ve tried it (2 times now (more on that later)) and it does work! One hint for a better fit and to avoid scratching the frame is to cut up an old inner tube and use it between the clamp and the frame.

OK, so yesterday I finally bought a frame (Bike Planet brand) and a very nice trunk bag (Cannondale Bobby Cargo Bag ($65)). This is a very nice trunk bag with a good amount of space, multiple compartments, a bungee cord on the top, a water resistant zipper and Velcro straps to attach to the rack.

I also looked at Topeak Bags but I didn’t really like the idea that you had to have a Topeak rack (with their “Quick Track” system) in order to use one of their bags (they do not have any other way to attach to the frame (like with Velcro)). So I didn’t go with Topeak.

After installing the frame on my bike and enjoying my new purchase, I started having second thoughts about the Topeak Quick Track setup. In addition to the convenience of the Quick Track system, I had found that there are a lot of really well designed Topeak bags out there and I had a lot more choices if I used their rack.

It turned out that the Topeak rack was no more expensive than other racks but allowed me to use Topeak Quick Track bags or any other bags whereas if you get another kind of rack you can use pretty much any other bag except for Topeak bags.

So I changed my mind and decided to go with the Topeak rack. This meant uninstalling and returning my first rack and buying and installing the Topeak rack. 🙁 This was quite a job for me due to the limitations of my racking bike (described above). So much for changing my mind!

Well, I’m going to have to wrap this up, but the story isn’t really quite over yet so I will be doing some more updates in the next few days.

Anyway, I found that there was a GREAT selection of Topeak bags out there once I got the Topeak rack. I ended up returning my original Cannondale bag and going to REI and getting a Topeak RX Trunk Bag DXP which I really like.

This trunk bag has fold out panniers in the side compartments. I wasn’t sure if I wanted that at first, but I am sold on it now!

My only concern now is if the Topeak RX Trunk Bag DXP is the size that I really want. Keep in mind that this is a pretty compact bag and not made for very large loads. It does expand and allow you to carry quite a bit of stuff but the “MTX” version of this bag is much bigger and only about 1 lb heavier so right now I am still undecided as to whether to stick with my 2nd purchase or trade up for the larger version.

Well, I am set on the Topeak rack and bags so now my final decision comes down to which size to get (or stick with).

More very soon…

Cool Springtime Bike Riding

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I just took a really nice bike ride and it is in the mid 40s here in Chicagoland. It reminded me of bike riding with the air conditioning on (maybe a little too high even 🙂 )

I was also thinking about those really hot and humid bike rides that I would take in the summer and how I would wish that it was really cool like it is now so I guess it’s just a matter of appreciating what you have and enjoying life as you live it. OK, maybe that’s a little heavy but it’s true and I did have a great ride too (almost up to 100 miles on my odometer for this year already!)

A couple of things that I wanted to mention regarding this kind of cool bike riding weather is that it is really important to dress properly for the weather that you’ll be riding in. I know that that sounds pretty basic but just putting on the right cloths before you hop on the bike can make a huge difference between a great ride and an uncomfortable ride

Sometimes I forget at what temperature I wear jeans and when to switch over to shorts or when I need gloves and when I don’t so I usually refer to the article that I wrote on this a year or so ago. I wrote the “How to Dress for Bike Rides in Any Weather” article as a very general guide but I actually find it very handy in the transitional seasons.

Like I said, I’m a jeans and jacket kind of rider but I could actually use a much better riding jacket and maybe even some rain gear. Oh yea, since it is spring, don’t forget to bring along some kind of protection for all those bike electronics that you might be carrying around (bike computers, cell phones, GPS, cameras, etc.). I wrote about that in the “how to dress…” page that I referenced above also.

Well, I hope you enjoy those springtime rides!

2010 Bike GPS Updates

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The 2010 biking season has definitely begun here in Chicago now and I have spent many hours reviewing the latest cycling GPS units again this year.

I am considering a new bike GPS unit for this year and I think I pretty much know what I personally would get but in the process I have also reviewed quite a few biking and handheld GPS units in order to keep my Bicycle GPS page  up to date.

As I have mentioned, I have spent hours researching this subject. There is a lot of good information, comparisons and videos on the Garmin site and I have also reviewed countless entries in Bike Forums and reviews on other websites.

What I have found is that the Edge series is probably still the most popular cycling computers although some bikers do not really need the bike specific functions and still go with the hiking and handheld models like the Etrex series, GPSMAP 60csx or the Oregon or Dakota series.

Even though you know you are in the market for a cycling GPS unit, there are still some additional decisions that will need to be made. You need to consider if the mapping and advanced navigation options are important to you or if you would rather keep the costs down and are primarily interested in  the workout and training data. Also, if you are a mountain biker, you may have other requirements and priorities.

If you are primarilary interested in the training and workout data and would like to keep the costs down, the most popular units are the Edge 205 and Edge 305 units. The main differences between the 205 and 305 is that the 305 has barometric altimeter, heart rate and cadence where as the 205 does not.

If you are looking for a higher end unit with more navigation and mapping options then you will probably be more interested in the Edge 605 and Edge 705 series. The main differences between the 605 and 705 is that the 705 has barometric altimeter, heart rate and cadence (and a few other options)  where as the 605 does not.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this post, Garmin EDge 705I pretty much know what I would want (for my particular riding style and preferences) and I would choose the Edge 705. Even though I am really not that big on the heart rate and cadence attachments, I would like the barometric altimeter and you can also get the 705 bundled with Street Maps SD card which I would want and have to buy separately anyway.

As for the handheld and mountain biking GPS units, the GPSMAP 60CSxm eTrex Vista HCx, eTrex Legend HCx and the Oregon and Dakota units seem to be the most popular. The Oregon and Dakota are a little more expensive but they have the touch screen capabilities.

As you can see from this post, selecting a bike GPS unit can be a complicated process. Even though I have a good idea about what I would choose, I am also trying to keep the GPS page on this website up to date and help to simplify the process as much as possible for those who do not have the hours to spend researching bike GPS options.

I have just updated the original Bicycle GPS page , on this site, with the latest 2010 information and links so this page has some good current information and links for places to buy these units online.

I hope this helps a little bit for now. I am not done with my research for this year yet, but I did want to share what I have discovered so far.

Bike Speedometer Batteries

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Sorry for the delay in blog posts. I had actually hoped to be doing more rides and updates but the weather has not been that good for riding and I’ve had a few other things going on too.

Anyway, I had some interesting events before my ride today and wanted to pass on some useful (I think) information.

It’s been in the 40s in the Chicago area and even though it was pretty cold it really was a nice day for a ride if you are dressed well for it. Well, I got all prepared and dressed properly, hopped on my bike and found that my speedometer was not working! Damn!

So I worked out a beautiful plan to swing by our Walgreens, which has a connecting bike path to it, on my bike, get the batteries, change them outside and be on my way.

Here’s the useful information that I wanted to pass on. I have a Vetta wireless bike computer and I have already discovered that the speedometer will stop working when the transmitter battery OR the battery in the main bike computer are weak, even though the bike computer battery is still strong enough to  power the main display screen. So if you are not getting a signal, it could be the battery in the transmitter OR the main unit. I am only familiar with my own wireless computer but this could be the case with other manufacturers also.

OK, back to the story… I decided to try the battery in the transmitter first. So I locked my bike and went in to Walgreens and got a battery for the transmitter. Went out to my bike and ended up turning the transmitter cap the wrong way (duh! It says which way for open and close right on it!). Well, I ended up stripping the plastic cap on the transmitter and then was not able to get it off after that (oh well, accidents happen).

So I need to ride back home and work on that so I go to unlock my bike and the lock will not open!!! (so much for my beautiful plan). So I had to call my wife to drive over to Walgreens to pick me up. I asked her to bring my sheet metal cutters to cut the lock cable. Well, that worked just fine. It was so easy to cut that lock cable! (I am going to add another reply to my blog entry on bike locks about that one later).

Fortunately, I had a cadence sensor for this bike computer, that I no longer use and that had the exact same cap that I could use as a replacement for the one that I stripped. I managed to drill the cap off of the speedometer sensor and replaced it with the new cap.

Now, I get to step two. I checked the speedometer, with the new transmitter battery, and it still did not work. It turned out that it was exactly what I explained above. The problem was with the main bike computer battery even though all of the functions (time, odometer, settings, etc.) still worked just fine.

Well, I headed up to Walgreens and got a new battery for the main computer unit, changed it, reset the wheel size, odometer, time, etc., and everything worked just fine!

I finally got my ride in and it was a really nice ride. I did 17 miles and  saw 3 more deer on the Paul Douglas bike path today.

Bike Trail Videos and Equipment

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I have been considering enhancing my bike trail pages with some camcorder videos and have been looking into what is already out on the internet and what kind of equipment people have been using.

What I’ve found is there are some really good videos out there but they usually involve really cool mountain bike trails and often BMX or freestyle riders doing some good bikerobatics  (I just made that term up).  Anyway, there is nothing wrong with that and they can be very entertaining.

The only thing is that I only found a few videos of trails in the Chicago area and they were on different sites with differing quality and styles. So I still hope to find some time to do some video enhancements of the trail pages on this site soon.

Bike Helmet Cam

Bike Helmet Cam

In the process I was considering my equipment and what other people out there use. What I found is that a lot of riders use “Helmet Cams”.  There are also handlebar camcorder clips and a lot of home made camcorder and camera clips and gadgets out there.

The handlebar camera/camcorder clips that you buy have a typical handlebar attachment on one end and the standard camera tripod screw attachment on the other.  I have not tried attaching a camcorder to a handlebar clip but I would think that you would get a lot of vibration in the video that way and the vibration and bumps from the road/trail might be pretty hard on the camcorder.

I don’t currently have a page on the website dedicated to cycling photo and video equipment but I have found the Amazon and REI have good selections of equipment to choose from. You can get some easy links to these websites and other cycling websites on my Bike Accessory page.

So it looks like you can go all the way and get a helmet cam made specifically for the cycling videos (if you plan to do a lot of cycling videos), purchase a handlebar camcoder/camera clip for your bike or even put together something on your own (probably a little risky for the camera and your own saftey).

I’m not sure how I’m going to proceed with this. I do still have a pretty old video of the Sparta Bike Trail that I used to generate the photos on that page (handheld and often as I was riding) so maybe I’ll experiment with that one and see how it comes out.

I am really dying to get out to some new trails and get some new trail photos too but I have found that the photos look better after things get a little greener and the trees have more leaves on them. That should be real soon now!

New Bike Lock Info

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I just did some additional research on bike locks and really learned a lot in the process. Personally I have always just used a couple of different cable style locks. One with a key and one with a combination.

These locks are really convienent but I just found out that they are probably the least secure and that the U-Lock styles are much more secure and can still be pretty convienent also.

I’ve already written quite a bit about this on the Bicycle Locks Page (here)  so I’m not going to repeat all of that here but if you’re in the market for bike locks you might want to at least check the basic bike security info that I wrote up from my research.

I don’t think that I included the brand names on the bike lock page (I’ll have to update that when I get a chance) but I discovered that a couple of the good brands out there are Kryptonite, OnGuard, Thule and Masterlock.

It really is important to use a lot of common sense when it comes to bike security and you should lock your bike (to something) and remove the removable items even if you leave your bike unattended for a short amount of time.