Ksyrium Elite S and Cosmic Elite S Road and Triathlon Wheelsets From Mavic

 

The Famous Ksyrium Elite: Lightweight and Reliable Performance

Road & triathlon wheel: Ksyrium Elite S

 

True to its precedent of offering the high end technlogies usually reserved for only top of the line models, the Ksyrium Elite S takes another step forward to achieve weight savings matched by only a few wheels. This performance is enhanced even more with new extra light Yksion Pro tyres.

 

Weight : 2060 grams (pair of wheel)

 

 

 
 

 

 

 

 

The Access to the Mavic Aerodynamic WTS For Road Racers and Triathletes

Road & triathlon wheel: Cosmic Elite S

 

Cosmic Elite S is designed for high speed addicts. Deep profile rim coupled with high efficiency hubs and excellent bearings quality. This Wheel-Tyre System of choice for all speed enthusiasts now comes with the lightweight low rolling resistance Yksion Comp tyres.

Weight : 2380 grams (pair of wheel)

We'd love to help you choose the best wheelset for your needs. Come in today!

Light It Up For The Most Fun and Safest Night Rides

Safer Night Riding Begins With Good Lighting

Modern high-end light systems offer enough brightness to give your riding companions sunburn (kidding!). And, they come in a wide variety of price points. But, how much light is needed for safe road or off-road riding? We have a wide assortment of bicycle lights for every purpose!

Light It Up

To illuminate the road or trail ahead for your own eyes, not just to be seen at night by others, 10 watts is a good starting point. In general, the greater the headlight's wattage, the brighter the light. There are also systems with yellow and white light, the latter being brighter at the same wattage.

Find The Right Features

Modern lighting systems are packed with features. There are twin- and single-beam headlight systems. There are different battery types (rechargeables are found on better lights). There are ingenious quick-release mounts so you can install and remove the light in a blink. Most lights offer high- and low-beam options like your car (use the high beam for downhills, pitch-black woods, high speed and intersections). There are even computerized light systems on which battery usage and light output is controlled via microchip.


Trail Torch

The ultimate trail setup is having one handlebar light and another on your helmet. The head-mounted light illuminates your field of vision and is especially handy for following bends in the trail because it moves with you as you turn to look (just don't look directly at friends when riding because you'll blind them for a few seconds). Meanwhile, the bar-mounted beam allows monitoring conditions directly in front of the bike for bumps, roots and trail irregularities.

Portable Power

High-watt light systems require large amounts of power so battery systems have gotten very sophisticated. In ascending order of cost, bicycle lighting systems use lead-acid batteries, Nickel-Cadmium (NiCad) batteries, and Nickel-Metal-Hydride (NiMH) batteries. NiCad batteries are lighter and less susceptible to power loss at high or low temperatures than lead-acid, and will last many more recharge cycles. NiMH batteries weigh 30% less than NiCad batteries and offer similar run-times and durability. Proper care and feeding of your battery must be followed to insure you get maximum battery life. Always follow the manufacturer's instructions regarding charging and use of any rechargeable battery.

Night Rides Can Be The Best Rides

Having a good light means you can ride safely at night, which is sometimes the best time to ride. It's after car-commuting hours so the roads are less busy. The sun's gone down, so it's often the most comfortable time of day, too. And, at night, off-road riding can be magical. The best way to decide on a lighting system is to come in and look at some to compare features and cost. Which one is best for you really depends on how and where you plan to use it and how much you'd like to spend. If you can answer these questions, we can help you pick the perfect light.

Getting A Seat That Fits — Do You Need A New Saddle?

Symptoms May Include Pain, Discomfort and Lowered Motivation To Ride

How comfortable a seat feels has a lot to do with where your sit bones (those bones you feel when sitting on a curb or bench) rest on the seat. Ideally, those bones will rest on the saddle's padding. If you've been using a seat for a while you can usually see indentations formed by the bones, which allows gauging whether or not the seat is appropriate for your anatomy.

It's hard to predict which seat will be right for a given rider. Sometimes a wider seat solves pain and other times the narrow ones do the trick. It's all a matter of which seat suits your body shape. For starters, the wider your pelvic anatomy, typically the wider you want the seat to be.

 

Modern Seats Offer Improved Comfort
Over the years, more amazing seats have been designed than probably any other bicycle component. And today, there's still a wide array of models to select from, some with fairly wild shapes. One feature shared by many of these seats is a cutaway in the saddle top designed to relieve pressure on sensitive tissues in the genital area. Our customers have found these saddle types to be particularly helpful for eliminating problems with numbness. There are also models that have softer sections in the center of the seat designed to work the same as the cutaway.

Another pressure-point eliminator is gel. Some seat makers use this in the sensitive areas to prevent pressure that causes pain and numbness.

Wear Cycling Clothing

When trying seats, be sure to do so wearing your cycling clothing because if you're wearing pants with seams in the crotch area, you'll feel the seams and won't be able to judge the seat comfort. Also, after putting on a new seat, it's best to re-check saddle height because the shape of the new one may be a little taller than the one you've been using. If a seat is too high or too low, you'll feel discomfort from the incorrect seat position and won't be able to feel whether the seat is an improvement or not. The easiest way to match seat height is to measure it before you remove your original seat. You'll then have the exact height to place the new seat and you won't have to experiment to find your optimum position.

Getting The Maximum Mileage From Your Cycling Shoes

"Cycling shoes last far longer than other sports shoes. If you take care of them well, they can last five or even ten years!"

For example, you must replace running shoes every six months (or sooner) because the materials inside the soles lose their ability to provide cushioning. Also, regular sneakers are in constant contact with the ground and the soles and uppers wear rapidly. 

Contrarily, if cared for, a quality pair of pedal pushers could last five or even ten years! 


These easy tips will help you get the most from your shoes:

• Maintaining the fit: We recommend wearing only cycling socks with your riding shoes because these thin socks won't stretch the shoes, which can ruin the snug fit so important for efficient pedaling.
• Walking: Shoes made for off-road use or touring sport lugged soles and recessed cleats that are made for easy walking. Road-specific shoes, however, are designed for optimum power transfer when pedaling. While these shoes may include heel and toe tabs for walking, it's best to walk as infrequently as possible. Walking flexes the soles and stretches the shoes. Over time, this changes the fit and the stiffness of the shoes, which decreases efficiency and comfort.
• Moisture: Water won't hurt cycling shoes as long as you dry them properly. To do this, as soon as you get home, extract any removable liners and stuff the shoes with newspaper, which will absorb the moisture and dry the shoes. Do not place the shoes by a heat source because this can damage them. If the shoes are really wet, replace the newspaper after a few hours (the first batch is probably saturated).
• Maintenance: While not much can go wrong with cycling shoes, we recommend checking the bolts that attach the cleats to the soles about monthly. If these loosen, the cleats can change position, which may cause knee pain. If you have a pair of shoes with buckles that ratchet, they may be attached with hardware. It's a good idea to regularly check that this hardware is tight, too.

 

 

Looking For A Bike To Cruise The Neighborhood With, Or Ride Around A Local Park?

The 2014 Fuji Barnebey Series Has An Excellent Design and Features For More Relaxing Rides

The 2014 Fuji Barnebey 1, 3, and 7  are all great choices for a relaxing ride around the neighborhood, to the coffee shop, or to a local park for a well-deserved spot of fresh air and exercise. The key to relaxation resides in the foot-forward frame design. By moving the crank position forward, your foot position moves forward as well. The end result is better control, a lower center of gravity and greater comfort. Plus, when you are ready to stop riding, simply place your feet right on the ground. It's that easy.

The 2014 Fuji Barnebey 1 features swept back handlebars and a spring saddle for comfort, a rear coaster brake makes slowing down a breeze and a lightweight alloy frame lets you steer easily as the road turns.

Specifications:

Main Frame: A1 alloy

Rear Triangle: A1 alloy

Fork: Elios 1

Crankset: Cruiser, 38T

Bottom Bracket: Cartridge

Pedals: FPD, platform w/ Kraton non-slip

Cassette: 20T

Chain: KMC Z-410

Wheelset: Alloy Rims 36H w/ alloy front hub, rear coaster brake

Tires: Vera Seaside, 26 x 2.10”, 30tpi

Brake Set: Coaster

Headset: Cruiser, threaded

Handlebar: Cruiser, sweep back

Stem: Cruiser, quill

Tape/Grip: Cruiser, kraton

Saddle: Cruiser, sprung

Seat Post: Cruiser, alloy

The Barnebey 3 features swept back handlebars and a spring saddle for comfort, a rear Shimano coaster brake makes slowing down a breeze and a lightweight alloy frame lets you steer easily as the road turns. 

The Barnebey 7 features swept back handlebars and a spring saddle for comfort, a 7-speed Shimano Revo shifter for slight changes in road grade,and a lightweight alloy frame lets you steer easily as the road turns.

Come in to Gotta Ride Bikes today to see all the incredible bikes we have in stock, including bikes from Fuji, Scott, and LOOK!

Five Easy Tips For Powerful Acceleration

Image: totalwomenscycling.com

Stay Steady When Accelerating To Be Quick and In Control

1. Firmly grip the handlebar drops slightly lower in the bend than normal (not quite halfway between the deepest part of the curve and the end of the bar).

2. Keep your elbows slightly bent to help you hold a straight line.

3. Pull evenly backward and down on the handlebar with every stroke.

4. Don't hold your breath -  a common mistake during sharp efforts, even among experienced riders.

5. Keep your head up - another frequent error in technique, because it feels natural for some reason to drop your chin

Cycling Advice: Shifting Tips For A Better Cycling Experience

Quick And Easy Tips To Improving Your Shifting and Extending The Life Of Your Drivetrain

It is extremely important to learn how to use all of the equipment on your bike so that you can use it properly and get the longest life out of your investment. The Drivetrain and shifting mechanisms are no exception.

An important rule to remember is to reduce your applied pressure on the pedals during shifts. As drivetrains have seen many improvements over the years, and have been designed to shift no matter how much pressure is put on the pedals. However, if you ease up on the pressure just a bit, the shifts will be smoother and your chain, cogs and chainrings will last longer.

Here are some more tips to help keep your drivetrain in great working order:

Keeping Your Drivetrain Clean:

Before we even get into proper shifting, it is important to make sure you keep your drivetrain clean and tuned up to extend the life of your drivetrain. We have chain cleaners for sale in the shop that can help get your chain clean and keep it that way.

Every six months or so, inspect your chain and measure to see if it has been stretching.

Pick a chain pin on the top side and measure to any pin 12 inches away. Links are exactly one-inch long, so you should be able to measure exactly 12 inches between two pins. If the measurement is 12 1/8 inch or longer, it's time to replace the chain.

(Check Your Cogs too!)

Remember: cogs wear out at about the same rate as the chain. If you put on a new chain, you will eventually run into skipping cogs - which is at best annoying and at worst dangerous!

Remember to keep the front rings and rear cogs clean. Stay on the lookout for a post about how to clean your chain and drivetrain!

On The Road Tips:

Shift Before Hills:

Even though the hardest place to put less pressure on your pedals is when you are struggling to get up a steep hill. Try changing gears before the steep part of the hill so you can make the shift with out stressing the chain and pedals.

Front Shifts:

Remember when you are shifting the front derailleur that the chainrings are significantly different in size! This means your derailleur has to work hard to move the chain from one to the other. If you can add some finesse to this shift, you are much more likely to get a clean, smooth shift. And, you'll eliminate problems associated with high pressure shifts such as having the chain come off.

There are three or four set spots (shift ramps/shift gates) on the chainrings to make it shift. The chain (while moving forward) needs to contact these ramps to be pulled up onto or down over the chainring. It is very important to hold the shift until the chain comes into contact with a shift ramp. When the chain is under load (meaning there is force on the pedals) this is the ony spot where the chain will shift. Ideally shifting should be done with little load on the chain. When the chain is under load the derailleur will just flex and laugh at you instead of making the shift happen. When there is no load on the chain the derailleur will be able to move it.

Getting Your Chain BACK On:

Usually, you can shift the chain right back on the chainring if it falls off. This is usually impossible when climbing a hill, as you will lose momentum and have to stop. However, any time you are riding and you can coast for a few seconds, you can almost always get the chain back on by gently pedaling and shifting the front derailleur to move the chain toward the ring.

(When a chain comes off repeatedly, something is wrong and you should have us take a look at the front derailleur adjustment.)