Are your Bicycle Tires Tired?

Are your Tires Tired?

by Kayceebikes

People often ask: “How do I know when my tires are worn out?” Good question!
It is easier to see a mountain bike’s knobby off-road tires showing wear. The knobs get smaller and rounder. Traction is not as good as it used to be. You may be getting a lot of flat tires.
It is more difficult to judge wear on a smooth, slick road tire that has no tread whatsoever, even when new. However, a newer road tire will have a distinctly rounded profile, looking much like the top half of a circle. When the tire begins to wear, it loses its round profile, and begins to resemble the top half of a hexagon, with a flat midsection. As with mountain bike tires, if you begin to get more flats on your road tires, or if traction becomes an issue, it may be time to replace them.
With any tire, if the sidewall has cracks or is quite brittle to the touch, it is preferable to replace the tire than to risk a blowout on the road or trail.
If the inner tube does not hold air, it is not usually necessary to replace the tire (unless it is gashed or slashed, risking a bulge in the inner tube through the tire). You simply need to patch or replace the tube. The size of tube and tire is usually embossed onto the tire’s sidewall. Designations such as 26 X 1.95 or 700c X 23 refer to the diameter and width of the tire (and the inner tube). You must know the size in order to purchase a replacement tube. You must also know the valve type. For bicycle tubes, there are two different valve types used, and they are not interchangeable. The fatter valve (Schrader) looks just like the valve on your car tires. The skinnier valve (Presta) has a metal valve stem that unscrews at the end.

Keeping your tires and tubes in good shape and properly inflated is worth a little time and expense. It will definitely add to your riding enjoyment.

Please visit http://stores.ebay.com/Bike-Boutique

Confused About Road Bike Components?

Confused About Road Bike Components?
by Kayceebikes
In the last few years, the popularity of road biking has soared. Lots of people have been fascinated by Lance Armstrong’s success at the Tour de France. Perhaps we’re all getting a little older, and we long for the fun of cruising without the technical demands of off-road riding. Maybe everybody already has a mountain bike! In any event, many people these days are looking to purchase a road bike. And, many of them are looking puzzled. Purchasing a road bike is a process that involves both head and heart. The frame material and geometry, the quality of the wheelset and the components, even the color of the bike all contribute to your enjoyment and satisfaction in riding it. Many factors affect how the bike fits and feels and performs under you. Let’s talk about components. Components (also known as “group sets” or “gruppos”) are the various pieces that form the shifting and braking system on the bike. Even though two road bikes may look essentially the same, identical frames equipped with different component groups can differ greatly in price. For example, Bianchi is one of very few bike manufacturers that offers both Shimano and Campagnolo conponents on its different models. In 2005, Bianchi used the same cromoly steel frame and carbon fork on four different bikes! However, each bike is equipped with different components and different wheels. The retail prices range from about $1,200 to $1,800. The difference in price results from the differences in components and wheels. Let’s try to sort out the differences in components alone, and forget about wheels for the moment.... There are two major manufacturers of road components, Shimano (Japanese), Campagnolo (Italian). Just this year, SRAM, formerly only a manufacturer of mountain bike components, developed its own road components as well. SRAM's new groups are called Force and Rival, and they will start appearing as original equipment on bikes very soon, on a few 2006 models. However, SRAM will be used more extensively on 2007 biek models. So, for the moment, let's limit our discussion to the big two, Shimano and Campagnolo ("Campy"). We'll touch briefly on SRAM components later.
Shimano is better known, because it also manufactures mountain bike components. However, Campagnolo actually invented many of the component designs (such as the moving parallelogram used universally on rear derailleurs) that have been refined over the years since the 1930s. Both manufacturers produce high-quality components.Both Shimano and Campy have several levels of componentry. Here are the levels, arranged from least expensive to most:
SHIMANO2200Sora Tiagra 105Ultegra Dura-Ace
CAMPAGNOLOXenonMirageVeloceCentaurChorusRecord
Each group set comes with a 9 or 10-speed rear cog set, and a choice of traditional double or compact double or even triple front chainrings to provide a total of 18 to 30 gears. For 2007, all Campy groupsets will have 10-speed cogsets. Why does Campy Record cost about three times as much as Shimano 105? In general, better components cost more because they are lighter in weight, made from more exotic materials to more exacting standards, finished more elegantly, and are smoother and more precise and crisp-feeling. You bought your mountain bike based on what suited your riding style and frequency, and your budget. Even though you knew that Shimano XTR would outperform Shimano Alivio, you may have found Alivio to be adequate for your riding style. Alivio has served you well. Likewise, decide on a road bike budget, and check out how much “bang for the buck” you can get. Watch for component mixing. Most people look first at the rear derailleur. But check all the components (shift/brake levers, front derailleur, brakes, cranks, bottom bracket) in addition to the rear derailleur when comparing one bike to another. Some manufacturers mix components on a bike. The less visible parts, such as the front derailleur or bottom bracket, may be a step below the level of the rear derailleur. Sometimes bike manufacturers will use a different brand crankset (such as Ritchey, TruVativ or FSA) with an otherwise all-Shimano or Campy group set. This is not necessarily a bad thing, but if you’re not familiar with a brand, ask a lot of questions. If you want an opinion as to why an Ultegra-equipped bike might be the best choice for you, ask the question at your local bike shop. Why should you consider a Campy-equipped bike? There are pros and cons, and a good shop will discuss them with you and make unbiased recommendations. Take the time to evaluate what you need in a road bike. Get expert advice. Make sure you test ride different bikes equipped wtih different components so that you can compare for yourself what performs and feels better for you, within your bike-buying budget.
Note, Campagnolo has changed its crank/bottom bracket configurations for 2007, eliminating the old square taper press fit set-up (which Shimano abandoned about three years ago on its upper-end groupsets). The result is a bulletproof integrated crank and bottom bracket, featuring lighter weight, greater stiffness, and simply fool-proof installation. If you haven't tried Campy, this is a great time to give it a second look.
SRAM's two new groupsets, Force and Rival, are intended to compete against Shimano's Dura Ace and Ultegra groups (or roughly, Campagnolo's Record and Chorus groups). SRAM has been producing high-quality mountain bike components for many years. With the more recent popularity of road biking, a road component group from SRAM is a natural progression. SRAM did not enter the market until its groupsets were totally developed, and thoroughly tweaked and tested. Initial reviews ahve been generally very good. The shifting mechanism is different from both Shimano and Campy, and for those accustomed to Shimano or Campy, there is a bit of a learning curve with SRAM's single lever shifting for both up and down shifts. However, the new shift mechanism becomes quite intuitive quite quickly. For those who have never ridden road bikes, there would be nothing to re-learn. No triple chainring set-ups are available with SRAM, but a regular double 53-39 and compact doubles (50-36 and 50-34) will afford a wide range of gearing. There is no "trimming" or micro-adjusting of the SRAM front derailleur on the fly, so its initial adjustment and set-up must be very precise. Since roadies value both tradition and technology, it will be interesting to watch how the SRAM groups are received. In any event, it is great to have an additional choice in component manufacturers.
Please visit my ebay store called the Bike Boutique for killer road bike deals!

How Much Does The Bicycle Weigh?

How Much Does it Weigh?

by Kayceebikes

There is tremendous interest in road bikes right now. Many people think that the most important question is “How much does this bike weigh?” We feel that we need to comment on this aspect of road bike performance, a factor that we feel is important, but maybe overrated.

Lots of people are currently considering buying their first road bike ever, after years of mountain biking. Everyone has heard stories about the extremely lightweight road bikes that are currently being used by pro racers. Actually, the governing body of pro cycling, the UCI (International Cyclists Union) has set a minimum weight of 14.99 pounds for a race-legal road bike. We would wager that virtually all major bike manufacturers have the capability of building bikes that are even lighter than 15 pounds. Do you really want or need a bike that light?

Most road bikes sold in the U.S. cost less than $2,000. To mountain bikers accustomed to MTB price tags that are somewhat lower, sticker shock is the first reaction. It should be noted that both road and mountain bikes can exhibit incredible levels of engineering sophistication. Space-age materials and manufacturing methods yield wonderful performance enhancements, but this all comes at a price to the bike rider. On MTBs, we have seen improvements in suspension, frame designs and disc braking systems, and these improvements have trickled down into lower-priced bikes. On road bikes, the most obvious improvements are seen in better components, that are lighter in weight and that stay in adjustment; and in the creative use of carbon (even on entry-level bikes) for frames and forks, and every other part and component. (Carbon is light, stiff yet shock-absorbing, and very strong.) Finally, wheels are faster to accelerate and roll because of improved alloys, new aerodynamic construction designs, and fantastically efficient hubs.

When looking for your first road bike, try to be realistic. On average, a $600 to $900 bike will not weigh 15 pounds. It may weigh 19 to 23 pounds, but it will still be quite fast (certainly faster than your mountain bike), offer good handling, and be decked out with Shimano or Campagnolo components that will last years with proper care and maintenance. What is the difference between a $700 bike and a $3,000 bike? They may look the same, but there are many differences. On a high-end bike, expect to get components that are even lighter, stronger and more beautiful. The superior quality of the machining and finish of higher-end components make them worry-free. They work like a dream, and even require less effort to operate. There may be smatterings of carbon, titanium, magnesium or other exotic materials that enhance performance and extend the life of the components.

The bike frame will be lighter, and will probably have a more performance-oriented geometry. It will certainly have a more sophisticated construction. Features like triple butting on steel and aluminum frames, the combining of materials (such as a frame consisting of a high-grade aluminum main triangle bonded to a carbon rear triangle, with a carbon fork), sophisticated carbon lay-ups or monocoque (one-piece) carbon construction, versatile scandium alloys, or nearly-indestructible titanium tubes may be found on a high-end bike.

If you’re not racing, do you need such a bike? Of course not. All things being equal, will you enjoy owning and riding a $3,000 bike more than a $700 bike? Absolutely. Assuming you can afford it, wouldn’t you rather be driving a Porsche than a Kia? Both cars will probably get you down the road, at least for a while. One will be far more enjoyable to drive. Whether we’re talking about bikes or cars, performance considerations are important, but so are the intangible emotional elements that reflect pride of ownership, tradition and quality. We've never heard anyone complain that their bike is too good.

In relation to these factors, the weight of the bike alone should be less of a consideration. The overall “feel” of a certain bike may make it better for you than a model that is lighter in weight.

The best way to lose weight on a bike is to get out there and ride it. Soon, you’ll be putting less weight on your bike, and that’s what really matters!

Please visit http://stores.ebay.com/Bike-Boutique

Buying a Bike is Like Buying a Computer

I DON’T THINK I’M NOT SURE, BUT THEN AGAIN, MAYBE I JUST DON’T KNOW WHAT TO THINK, PERHAPS (OR NOT)

by Kayceebikes

Some cyclists are incredibly avid, riding every day, rolling thousands of miles a year, while others are happy tooling down their local paved bike path. Still others are weekend warriors only, who love the sport, but wish they could find more time to ride.

For some people, coming into a bike shop is a totally random and unintended event. In fact, for everybody there's a first time to enter abike shop. So why did they stop in today? Well, various reasons. Some may be waiting for a take-out order from the restaurant next door. For others, it will obviously be a while before the DMV now serving no. 034 will get around to serving 067. A tire rotation and oil change take at least 20 minutes, so the bike shop looks like a fun place to kill some time.

Sometimes people want to be left alone to browse in this new world of cycling, to look at sleek road racing bikes, the likes of which they’ve never seen before, or mountain bikes with disc brakes (what will they think of next?). Some look at the price tags in disbelief, remarking that some bikes cost more than their motorized cousins.

Anyway, on a recent autumn Sunday, the weather wasn’t very good for biking. It was cold, damp, rainy-bordering-on-sleety, dark, dank and ugly. I decided to get a friend who teaches computer skills to grade schoolers to accompany me in a quest for a new laptop computer. All in all, we visited three big computer/electronics stores, trying to intelligently compare prices, user support and service, extended warranties, Centrino vs. Pentium, mega this, RAM that, giga here and read-write there. We ended the afternoon not buying anything, but with a new understanding of how some people must feel when they come into a bike store for the first time. In a word: confused.

I drew one powerful conclusion: I will not buy a computer from a store where no one was available to help, or where the store’s personnel were impatient, and unable (or unwilling) to answer questions. In one store, we couldn’t even figure out the prices. Neither could the people who worked there.

Any way, there is a point to all this rambling. I have gained a positive new perspective on the uninitiated bike shopper as a result of my own negative experience as a laptop shopper. Buy your bike from a shop where the personnel seem tounderstand that people need intelligent answers to intelligent questions about bicycles, not a bunch of techno-babble. Go in and spend some time before you spend money on a bike!

When you walk into a bike shop and see dozens of different bikes all through the store, you may feel as confused as I felt looking at an array of twenty different laptops. Why do two seemingly similar-looking bikes (or laptops) differ in price by hundreds of dollars? What justifies the price difference? What can this bike (laptop) do better than another one? How do I find one that fits me and my needs? Will this bike (laptop) keep up with me as my skills improve? Does it make sense to buy a less expensive bike (laptop) now and upgrade later, or get something a bit better from the start?

My conclusion was simple. When setting out to buy something as expensive and seemingly complicated as a bike or computer, learn as much as you can, narrow down which model or models fit your budget and would serve your needs now and in the future, and get the best bike or computer you can within those parameters.

If you have to choose between buying a bike or buying a computer, well....I'd buy the bike!

Please visit www.ranchbikes.com & http://stores.ebay.com/Bike-Boutique

What Do I Need to Know to Buy a Bike?

How to Buy a Bike

by Kayceebikes

Here are some general thoughts on shopping for a bike:

1. First, give some thought to what kind of riding you want to do, your level of experience, and your overall approach to cycling. Why do you want to ride? For fitness? Just for fun? Casually, or seriously? Where do you want to ride? Street, bike trail or off-road? How frequently do you plan to ride? The more you know what you want, the easier it will be to work with your local bike store to select a bicycle which will best suit your needs.

2. Find a good professional servicing bicycle dealer in your area. Many of the best belong to the National Bicycle Dealers Association, and display the NBDA membership sticker in their windows. Tell the professionals there what your desires are, and let them advise you on appropriate bicycles for your needs. Pick a store where you are comfortable, where you are treated with respect, and where they listen to you. Professional bicycle retailers can fit you properly to a bike, assemble it professionally, and give you the kind of advice and continuing service you need to ride safely and comfortably. Beware of retailers who do not have on-site service departments, or do not offer these kinds of services. They may not meet your needs.

3. At most bike stores, you'll probably be seeing these kinds of bicycles:

-- Mountain bikes. These are rugged bikes for off-road use, but many people ride them on pavement as well. Mountain bikes feature fat knobby tires for comfort and traction on dirt, flat or riser bars for a more upright seating position, and low gears for easier hill climbing. Most mountain bikes have suspension for increased shock absorption. Do you need suspension? It depends on how and where you plan to ride.

-- Road bikes. These are meant only for pavement riding, and are built for speed. They have narrower tires and drop bars for a more aerodynamic position. They are strong, yet very lightweight, but they won't go everywhere. Some road bikes are set up with a geometry that is more conducive to racing; others are more relaxed for a more relaxed riding position. The latter are intended to be more comfortable when speed is not the primary consideration.

-- Hybrid bikes. These are a cross between mountain bikes and road bikes -- for the rider who wants to do a little of everything. Hybrids generally have treaded tires which are narrower than mountain bike tires but wider than road bike tires, flat bars, and higher gearing than mountain bikes. They're not as fast as road bikes on pavement, nor as rugged as mountain bikes off road. They're good for commuting, and offer a compromise between speed and comfort that appeals to a lot of people.

-- Cruisers. One-speed or multi-speed, cruisers are for the casual rider who wants to, well, cruise. They appeal to those who favor the retro look, or who just want a flashy bike that gets attention and doesn't need much maintenance.

-- Juvenile bikes. These come in many varieties, from one-speed cruisers, to performance BMX bikes, to multi-speed mountain and road bikes.

-- Comfort bikes. These are normally modified mountain or hybrids with more upright riding positions, softer saddles and lower gearing. They’re built for, as the name implies, comfort. A lighter alternative to the cruiser bike.

-- Recumbents/tandems/electric assist bikes. There are numerous "niche" types of bicycles available today. Recumbents allow people to ride in a "recliner-chair" position with feet forward. Tandems allow two riders on a bike. Also, a number of companies are offering bicycles with electric-assist motors.

4. The size of the bicycle is critical for comfortable riding. Work with your retailer to determine the proper size for you. Some bicycle models have eight or more sizes! The length of your inseam determines the correct frame size, in terms of stand-over height. The reach to the bars is also critical for comfort. Ask your bicycle dealer to recommend a proper fit for you based on the kind of riding you'll be doing. Many bikes have adjustable stems so that reach can be modified. What's comfortable for one style of rider may not be for another. Fit is the most important consideration for comfort and security!

5. Buy what you like. Feel good about what you're buying, how it looks, how it rides. Ask to take a test ride to compare bikes. If you haven't ridden a dealer-quality bicycle before, be prepared to be surprised at the exceptional value and quality available today. We also advise that if you're in doubt, buy the slightly better bike. There's a lot of value in bicycles these days, and a little more money spent can equal significantly improved performance and resale value.

6. Ask the bike store for advice on things you may not understand, such as quick-release operation, shifting, braking, maintenance, etc. If you want to find other local cyclists in your area to ride with, ask the shop for reference to clubs or organized rides. Be sure to receive an owner's manual with the bicycle, and read it. Owner's manuals contain valuable information to help make your experience safer and more fun.

7. Ask for advice on other equipment you may need or want. Buy a helmet first, and wear it. There are many other products (both equipment and clothing) that can enhance your riding experience. There are numerous books and magazines available to help you educate yourself about the nuances of cycling.

8. Have fun! Don't hesitate to ask your bike retailer if you have problems or questions. If you're not receiving the kind of service you want, look for another retailer. There are perhaps 6,000 bike stores in the United States, and the vast majority serve their customers with dedication and flair. When you find one, that store can be your greatest ally for enjoying the cycling experience.

Please visit: www.ranchbikes.com & http://stores.ebay.com/Bike-Boutique