CYCLING HELP HINTS
6.07: When Threading Cables Through Frames and Aero Bars with Tight Curves, Run the Wire Through First, then Thread the Outer Cable Casing through Over the Wire. This Will Help Feed It Around the Tight Corners.
6.07: Tired of Bugs in your Face While Night Riding in Bug Infested Areas, Drawn in Because you Have a Bright High Intense Light? Mount a Smaller Light Lower, Maybe even on the Fork Closer to the Ground. This Will Draw Bugs Lower Instead.
7.07: When Out For Long Rides and Using Performance / Energy Type Drinks, Carry One Bottle With Fresh Water also. That way if yo Need to Wash Something Off, or Run Some Over Your Head, You Have That Too. If you Need or Want More Energy Product, Carry Some Hammer Gel Style Product in Packets in Your Bag For that. Happy Trails!
7.07: Sick of Sweat in the Eyes on these Hot Days? Get a Halo Headband. Sold at Most Top Cycling Stores, and on the Web. For about $12, Worn like a headband in either Tie Behind or Over the head, These Channel Sweat Past The Eyes to Keep your Eyees Sweat / Sting Free. A True Wonder, and Very Good Investment. Another Sweat/Headband that works is the Tunnel Vision Sweat Gutr's Headband, "Built to Last". Let Us Know If You Can't Find Them. More to Follow...
9/07:
A Good Rack Is a Must! If You Need To Carry Clothes and Food, Get A Frame Mountable Rack. These are Much Stronger and More Stable than Clip on Style Racks. Topeak Makes Some Nice Racks that Incorporate Quick Release Bags and Panniers that can Just Unclick Slide off When You Reach Your Destination. Quick and Easy, No Fuss, No Straps Etc. to Undo. Really Nice and Easy....
10/07:
We Will Be Commuters All Year Round Here. Even In Our North Country Winters. Bringing you Hints and Ideas To Keep You Riding and Happy....
10/07:
Tires - A Good Pair That is Capable of Decent Pressure and Tread for Traction is a Necessity. Tires Like the Panaracer Pasela TG, Soma New Express, and Everwear, Have Excellent Tread Patterns and Are Capable of Higher Pressures for Larger Framed Riders, that Help to Keep you From Flats More Often. A Good Heavy Duty Tube, Maybe Even a Thorn Proof Will Do Wonders to Prevent Flats. More to Follow...
 
12/07:
Ready For Winter?!?
- In The Cold North Tundra, Or Anywhere Else You Get A Real Winter, Like the Midwest North, Mountain Areas, New England North, Or Anywhere Else Winters are Real. You Need Studded Tires. I needed to Get Another Bike Ready For a Friend. He was Short of Funds, With the Holidays Coming, And Was On A Budget. If You Read Many Of the Forums, You'll Come To A Conclusion That Its Not to Easy to Convert An 27" Wheeled Bike to Modern 700c Snow Tires. And If you Do, It Will Be Pretty Tough To Shoe Horn Anything Over a 35mm Snow Tire Into The Frame.....Well It Can Be Done. We Started Out With a 90's DiamondBack Override 700c Hybred Commuter Style Bike. He Had Soma 45mm Full Fenders Front And Back with Same Year Stock Dia Comp Cantilever Brakes. We Took Off the 27" Panaracer Tired Wheels. Purchased a set Of 700c X 27mm Rimmed Wheels, Then Purchased a Set of 700 X 40 - 100 Stud Kenda Klondikes. We purchased, just to note, Thorn Proof Tubes to Make These Wheels Bomb Proof. The New 700 X 40 Kenda's Fit Right Into The Set - up. The Old Dia Comp's had a Slotted Shoe Arm, So They Were Easily Adjusted Down about 3-4mm to Accept The 700c's Rim From The Larger 27inch Rimmed Wheels. In Fact....Being 700c's are 622 ERD Vs. 630 ERD for 27 Inch....We Even Had A Bit More Room Than Thought. We Adjusted The RearSoma Fender To Sit Higher Over The New 700c Wheels, and The Front WAs Fine As Is. My Buddy Went Out On a Test Ride.....And Was Grinning Like a Child with His First Bike! It Was Great! After A Few Weks Commuting in 2 - 22 degree Smowy, Icy Slick Roads, and Being Able Now to Accelerate on Ice When Needed....He Wonders How He Ever Rode Without! The Kenda's Are Excellent! At around 100 Studs They Don't Have Studs Located To Much Over The Side Edges, So Cornering he's Cautious....But Has Not Slid Over Yet On Glare, Black Ice. He Keeps His Air Pressure at About 60lbs however To Give A Little Extra Traction. Kenda's Can Be Pumped to 85 lbs PSI, With Recommended 50-85 lbs In The Kenda Guidelines For These Tires. In Loose and 4-5" Snow, Hardpack, and Ice...They Cruises Like a Siberian Cat. Nice. |
COMMUTER LOG 07'
7/07:
A Good Light For the Front is Very Important if Riding at Night. The Cygo Rover w/16 Watts Wide and 10W Narrow Is Working Well and Offers Substatial Light in Night Time Commuting. If you Need One, email us at: info@pelotonwheels.com - We can set you up for $84 on this Light. About $15 Less than Others Will Do. A good Light will Treat You Right, and is sooo Important.
7/07:
Like your Bike Wheels, or Did You Pay alot For them? - Get Yourself a Good Set of Locking Skewers So You Keep Them. Its Good Peace Of Mind. There are Some Made From Delta, Sunlite, Pin-Head and a Few More that seem To Work Well. The Quick Releases on Standard Sets Are Nice, But so Easy For Someone to Rid You of Your Fine Custom Wheels, Quickly. Locking Skewers Only Set You Back about $15-$39. A good Investment. We are offering the Sunlite Lock and Roll Skewer Set which Includes Locking Skewers and Seapost Clamp, and comes with Its Own Hand Tool To Lock and Unlock Allen Head Style Tool. The Locking Tool Is Very Cool in That It Can Be Repaired and Head Can Be Replaced if It Ever Wears Out. And Its a Different Size Than Standard Allen Heads, So It Would Be Difficult For Anyone But You to Unlock it. Its Nice Stuff at Only $19.95. Want Some? Email: info@pelotonwheels.com
7/07:
Make Your Commute Easier and Lighter! One Great Way to do This is to Keep Your ( In Summertime ) Pants and Nice Shoes or Boots at Work. Along with any Snack or 12 Pack of Water or Beverages of Choice. All Store at Your Job in a Locker, Closet or Whatever. It Will Lighten your Daily Load to Work, and All You Need to Carry Is Stuff For the Ride.
8/07:
Another Good and Safety Assist Item you may Well Need...Is a Rear View Mirror. In those Places Where the Road Is Narrow and Cars Can Get Close, You Need or May Want to see them Coming. For Around $10 - $20 you can Get Them That Mount on Your Glasses, Helmet, Bars or Bar Ends. Happy Riding!
8/07:
Lights Are Needed at Night. We Cannont Stress that Enough. Also, you may Want to Consider Carrying a Light, Cheap Battery Operated LED Backup in Your Pack For the Times Your Good, Re-Chargable or Battery Operated Bar Light Loses its Charge. Sometimes Rides Get Longer than You Thought, Or Your Just Not Sure How Much Charge you Have. Be Safe!
10/07:
Rainy Days Are the Norm This Fall It Seems. A Helmet with a Visor and Good set of Clear Lens Riding Glasses Seem To Work Well For Most to Keep Your Vision Clearer. More to Follow....
3/08:
The Kenda Klondikes carried me through the winter in flying colors. Very stable on ice, including black ice, and many different snow depths and road conditions that a northern state winter can throw at you. The wear of the studs seems to be little at all, and should last a few more winters. I'm sure the above avaerage snow depth of the 07' winter helped in that regard, and kept the studs off the tar a major majority of the time. Now I'm just about ready to service the snow wheel set-up, and hand them for the summer. Then get my warm weather wheel set ready for some welcome dry and warmer commutes. I want the 80's - 90's!!
4/08:
New Maps 08' !
I have my new 08' Twin Cities Bike Trail Map. Its on nicer waterproof, and more tear resistant paper this year. The ridinf possibilities are endless. As are the trails and miles waiting for me to log on, and into. I will be adding some detail of my journeys this summer riding season, as well as my commutes. Stay tuned. Happy, Happy Trails !!
( Sorry, it was a long, long winter! ) |
