Sunday, November 28, 2010

Store Hours Change



Starting December 1st, we are changing to our winter hours at both Cycle Works 
and will be closing at 6pm instead of 7pm. Sunday hours will stay the same.

Monday, November 22, 2010

Store model Yanni is all ready for this cold weather.

We got another order or bar mitts in, and they are going quick. Still have lots of the new Pearl Izumi winter gear along with Outdoor Research.

Saturday, November 20, 2010

Don't forget about the easy stuff

The 2 simplest things to do to keep your bike in the best running condition is keeping your drive train clean/lubricated and making sure your tires are inflated. Not sure how many bikes you can find on the trails whose tires are way too low on air, and their chain is super noisy. Here is what you need to do...

IMG_1190


Tire Pressure: If you have a floor pump at home with a tire gauge you already have the best tool. If you don't that is ok too, you can either stop and use one of ours whenever you are in the neighborhood or stop at the local gas station (remember if you have Presta values "the funny looking ones" you either need a pump that will work with those, or a presta adaptor). Unless your tire is really old and worn out you should be able to read a tire pressure recommendation on the sidewall. It's usually easiest to just bring pressure right in the middle of the recommendation. Once your tire is at the correct pressure you can squeeze the tire to see how hard the tire is, and use this feeling as a way to check your tire pressure before every ride. A low pressure not only will make your ride a lot more work, but you are also at higher risk for pinch flats.

Cleaning/Lubricating Chain: All you need for this job is a simple degreaser, chain lube, and some kind of brush. Below are favorites of a lot of us at the shop, the degreaser is new for us but is becoming a favorite as well. It's not as harsh as a lot of the degreasers available, there is a lot less waste and works awesome!  Finally some sort of brush like Park Tool's below. Dip brush in degreaser scrub the chain inside and out along with the crank, front chain rings, the cassette/gears in back and also the derailleurs. Let it sit for a couple of seconds and with just running water from a hose (NOT PRESSURIZED) rinse the degreaser off. Your drivetrain should be clean at this point, if not repeat. After clean and dried off, take your bottle of lube and drip down only the center of the chain while pedaling backwards so that you are able to cover entire length of chain. You only need to lubricate the center of the chain, any excess on the outside of chain will just build up with grime. With a rag or old tshirt, wipe the entire chain to get excess lube. Finally run through chain one more time with lube with a very light coat and you are done. One bottle of chain lube should last a long time. If you are flying through it either you are biking an insane amount of miles or applying way too much.

Bike Medicine: Purple Extreme and Golden Degreaser
Park Tools Brush

Friday, November 19, 2010

Dual Purpose

Black Friday fuel or awesome stocking stuffer? You decide

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We don't send too many emails, usually just about sales and events going on. So don't miss out! If you aren't already on the list, see side bar for signing up.

Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Good News!

2011 Giant Anthem X 29er's are on their way!

Lincoln CX Weekend


If you want to see some major talent this weekend make sure you stop out at the Lincoln CX Race and State Championship this coming Saturday and Sunday at Pioneers Park to cheer on your local riders.

Race Information and Schedule <LINK>

You have plenty of time

July 23 & 24th


Cervelo P3: Maybe your weapon of choice for Omaha Triathlon?

The remaining 2010 Cervélo P3's are $800 off, along with 20% off any other remaining 2010 Cervélo, Trek and Giant road models that are in stock.

Friday, November 12, 2010

Winter Bike Commuting with Kids

Continued commuting by bike during the winter pulling a trailer with a child in it can be seen as an impossible proposition for some riders, but we are here to help you climb the mountain, summit, and hike home.

Clothing:
Everyone involved must me dressed for success. Acquiring proper outdoor winter gear is what the fine folks at the Moose's Tooth do and for our purpose we will leave those questions to a visit with them at the store.

Bicycle and Trailer:
Preparing the bicycle for winter use usually involves having proper tread or ice tires put on the bike for extreme conditions. Maintaining the bike and having the shifting systems and braking systems in fully functioning form is very important. Like any other commute we start our ride with the ABC QUICK CHECK. The A is for Air. Do my tires have the proper inflation and are they holding air and is the tread in proper form? B is for Brakes! Are the brakes properly adjusted and can and will they stop the bike? C is for Chain or drive chain. Is the chain lubed and does the drive train appear to be clean and functional? Quick Check is ensuring that everything on the bike is in place and working. No loose bolts, racks, skewers, nuts etc. By going through the ABC Quick Check before riding you can ensure that you will have a fully operational bicycle each and every time you go out into the cold to commute.
If you are pulling a trailer, then it is important to check all of the quick releases and attachment points. The arm of the trailer to the axle should be checked at least weekly. Clean it out too while you are at it so that mice etc don't get to those cookies that junior dropped under the seat.

Warm, Warm, Warmer!
Keeping children warm and protected is the most important part! If you have a mechanical failure there has to be enough warmth regardless of how long it takes you to fix the bike or walk it somewhere. If you are going through the ABC QUICK CHECK then you shouldn't be as prone to these problems, but preparation is always key. An extra blanket or jacket in the trailer is a plus. Lining the bottom of the trailer with a thermal barrier is a good idea too. Damon and I usually use a therm-a-rest camping pad because it has a relatively high insulation value for the weight....and it is something that we already own...so use your resources as needed. Food and drinks are best to have with too. Cold winter mornings and windchill increase your need for caloric intake. Hot coffee, tea, and yummy high calorie cookies and baked goods are great to have on board. When our child was 8 months old, i would warm a dromedary bag and put it in the trailer as a kind of heater. I also built in an internal temperature monitor so that I would know exactly how warm it was inside the trailer.
Butch

To help illustrate what Butch wrote I shot some photos of Weston and I on our commute. This mornings ride was 34 and drizzly, but Weston was warm and comfortable enough to nap for most of the ride to his preschool.
Damon

Getting trailer ready, above is the sleeping pad wrapped in a blanket


A winter cover for a car seat. I like this b/c it zips around the legs like a sleeping bag


Rear flashing light with reflector and two small flashing lights on both sides of the trailer


Getting Weston ready

Filling a bottle with very hot tap water

All layered up and ready to go!

Wednesday, November 10, 2010

Cycle Works Free Mechanic's Class

Have you ever had the desire to learn how to work on your bicycle? If you have, then we have a wonderful educational opportunity to learn more about bicycle mechanics.

Tony Toth, Cycle Work's service manager, will be educating anyone that would like to attend on the basics of bicycle maintenance on November the 18th. If you are interested, then please send an email RSVP for the event on November 18th at 6pm to Tony's email address (tony@cycleworksusa.com).

This class will be held at the 27th and Vine location.

Enjoy.

Last week's Moose's Tooth fashion show



Our buddy Chris Jonak does some sweet video work doesn't he? But really, you should stop in at Moose's Tooth they have some of the sweetest gear this fall.

Tuesday, November 9, 2010

What's good this week

Store Sharrows

Alley Sharrows
We now carry the 2XU line of compression gear

Come's in a variety of forms for men and women. We will have at both locations

Even more Electra's are built up and ready to roll. Come take one for a spin over the new sharrows

We might have to let our new Saturday sales guy go, he's always laying around bothering the mechanics.


Sunday, November 7, 2010

Any day now...

We should be getting in our 2011 BMX bikes real soon. We are going to be stepping up what we carry this year making sure we stay stocked up on Redline, and Giant like always, but also will be carrying the Intense line as well.




And where else better to ride then your local park Star City BMX


Saturday, November 6, 2010

Indoor Training

We like to be the first ones to help you stay riding outside all year round no matter what the conditions. We also understand that not everyone likes to bike in the rain, snow or whatever the Midwest weather can throw at you. Others might not like the idea of paying the 6th grader down the block $10 an hour to watch their kids so they can ride their bike. So no matter what the reason you can't bike outside, indoor training is better then not riding at all.

Next step now is to decide what kind of training device you want to invest in. The most common and easiest to use is the rear wheel trainer. These turn your current bike into a stationary bike like ones you can find at the gym, but better because its your bike. Attach your bike, turn on the TV and go crazy. The other option that are less popular are rollers. This is because they require some skill to use and also require that you pay attention since you aren't attached to the trainer and are actually just balancing on the rollers. Adaptors are available to make rollers semi stationary.

So which one do you choose? Maybe you want both?
Trainers are better for building strength and endurance
Rollers are better for improving balance, pedal stroke and efficiency

Come try out either type at the shop to have any other questions answered, or check out the Cycle Ops site for more detailed information.

Rear Wheel Trainer Option


Roller Option (top) and with fork adapter (bottom)


Click on image to see different rear wheel options

2011 Giant XTC1





Are you ready for the loss of time?

Your ride home might be a little dark now with the time change. We have a full stock of front and rear lights that will help you stay safe from drivers rushing home for American Idol. Ask about the rechargeable lights that we carry. If you ride even on the really cold days of the year, these lights are less likely to freeze up like some of the AA/AAA battery ones can with freezing temps.

Commuter Gear: You have questions, we have the answer

Hard to catch on camera, but Bontrager's shoe covers now have fleece lining. 
Cover your shoes or wear them as slippers





Shop hours are still the same as summer but might be changing soon. Always feel free to call!
Vine 475.2453
Pioneers 486.0601

Friday, November 5, 2010

What's good at the shop this week


We are now stocking Electra bikes and are starting to see some on the sales floor



Ab machine "unicycle"  for that new years resolution

What the Cycle Works staff didn't already get their dirty little hands on... 
we still have Deller hats available. Sorry no more ear flaps versions at this time.

More and more winter gear is coming in each week, because we don't believe in an offseason