Old Man Winter is coming; be ready.

Well it has been a whirl wind summer, with lots of ups and very few downs. Our dear friend Joel is in another country climbing a mountain that has never been climbed with our local superhero Mark Jenkins. Pedar and I are holding down the fort....okay so Pedar is holding down the fort and I am trying not to get in his way. 

Speaking of Pedar, I had one of the best night rides of my entire life with him and Dan the Man from Cross Country Connection the other night.  It was an Giant Anthem ride, no offense to those of you who ride other bikes, we just prefer the superior suspension of the Maestro rear suspension.  (I learned product placement from the Biggest Loser.)  On the ride I had the pleasure of following Pedar's track.  I was moving out, thinking to myself, "Wow self, you are keeping up with Pedar."  Then, he turned to me and smiled, and like the moment in Christmas Vacation when Clark takes off down the ski hill on the sled with the new non caloric silicon kitchen lube,....poof, he was gone.  It is always awesome to see someone who is the master of his craft at work.  Thanks for that Pedar.

Which leads me to the purpose of this post....riding your bike in the winter.  We are about to be hit by a huge snowstorm.  Epic.  Ski people rejoice, it is your season.  For the rest of us, we will have to find ways to keep our bicycles functional in and on the road. 

This is not the way.  BUT, if you have to keep your bicycle outside in the winter, by all means, keep it lubed.  I recommend two very solid types of lubrication, both available at the Pedal House.  1. Tri-Flo.  It kicks booty and is highly effective.  2. Finish Line wet lube.  It is a little thicker but it is a fantastic lubrication that I use on my personal bicycles.  Either way you have a winner.  If these options are not for you, just make sure that you have a Teflon based lubrication in the winter to help keep the rust away, and for goodness sake, don't use WD-40.  It isn't a lube, it is a cleaner.  It will actually do the opposite for your bicycle.

When lubing your chain, start by adding small amounts of lubrication to each link on your chain.  Lube doesn't need to be on the outside plates, just the bushings.  After it sits for 15 or 20 minutes, wipe it down so that it doesn't collect dirt and grime. 

Also, keeping your bicycle clean helps it run better in tough conditions.  Use dish soap and water; scrub it down with soft brushes, (available at the Pedal House) and hose it down.  Don't use high pressure wands from the car wash as they can mess with pivots and bearings.  Be patient and clean it like you would a five month old baby. 

For more maintenance tips come to the clinics hosted by the Pedal House.  November 3rd, there is a free Tire Changing Clinic, and on November 17th, we have a Basic Maintenance Clinic for those of you who need a nice, comfortable environment to learn the basics about bicycle care and maintenance.  This two hour clinic is $35, and includes a question and answer section to help new riders get personalized instruction on his/her bicycles. 

Summer is here, and for me that can only mean one thing; the Wisconsin State Cow Chip Throwing Contest!  That is right, but since it doesn't start until September, well after our summer is off and running, I guess we will have to find something to do around here.  Well, here are a couple of things we have going on locally.

First off, this weekend there is the Dead Dog Classic road race.  Below is a video I found on Youtube highlighting the 2010 race.  This weekend you can see riders blasting through our Wyoming scenery like the long ago buffalo our ancestors chased....kind of.



And don't forget about the Tuesday night race series, the Laramie Mountain Bike Series, held in the most beautiful place in the world, Happy Jack recreation area. 

We also have the Laramie Enduro coming up.  Another video I found from the Youtubers gives us an inside look at the race.

 

The Tour de Wyoming is also on the horizon.  It is going to be supported by the Pedal House this year, so all you riders will finally have Joel's mechanical expertise to keep you on the road. 

So get out there and support your favorite local races and tours.  And thanks to all the Youtube people who put together these videos. 

Big Brothers & Big Sisters

I was originally an Elementary Education teacher.  That was my degree.  I couldn't get in the door of any of the local elementary schools in our community so I dragged my feet out to the Cathedral Home with wild ideas about how abnormal the kids were.  I thought that I would see kids who were crazy, drooling, spitting, incoherent psychopaths with missing teeth, and instead I found out that my dream job was actually working with treatment kids...and here is the kicker...they are all so eerily normal.  Granted I did find the toothless psychopaths, but we are not talking about the people it takes to work with treatment kids...(joking of course.)

I started as an English Teacher, but quickly grew bored of the curriculum filled with rules that aren't followed anywhere but the classroom.  I did, however, fall in love with the kids because they were so real.  They wouldn't accept anything but the truth from a teacher, and they even challenged the facts found in the truth.  It was fantastic because it made me focus in on the things I love about life, and I wanted to share that love for life with the kids.  My love for life has always, as long as I can remember, been most intense when in the saddle of a bicycle.  So, we started working on bikes, and to make sure it looked somewhat like English, we started writing about our process.  Now, some nine years later, and thanks to a plethora of people, there is a Vocational Education Program based entirely on the concept of fixing bicycles.  It is a dream job.

Well this past Saturday I was able to share the fruits of the Vocational labor (of too many people to mention) with the local community.  The Cathedral Home Advanced Bicycle Mechanics class, in conjunction with the Pedal House, held a 2 Hour Basic Maintenance class for the Big Brothers Big Sisters organization here in Laramie.

As you can see, the snow cut back on our participation, but the kids and Bigs that did show up were AWESOME!  Not to mention how fantastic my advanced kids were in helping assist with the instruction.

Overall, I think it was a big success.  David, Michael, Dezarae, and Katie learned how to service a couple of parts on their bicycles.  My advance class was able to demonstrate their knowledge in a real world setting while meeting Wyoming and California Vocational State Learning Standards, and I was able to enjoy the company of both groups.  It was a pretty good day.





So to everyone at the Cathedral Home, and everyone at Big Brothers and Big Sisters, thanks for sharing your life with kids.  And to all the young people who have been in both programs, thank you for sharing your life with us.  Until next time, Happy Trails from the Pedal House. 

Trainer Time Again.

Well for the last couple of days we have been able to sit in a saddle and be outside with the wind in our faces. I even saw a few people brave enough to ride Roger's Canyon road out at the end of Ninth Street, braving the mild weather and the viscous dogs that run wild and unkept by the residents of our rural and rugged outskirts of town. So what do you do when a dog chases you? a good old fashioned water bottle squirt to the face. And for all of you who would wear a Camel Back on a road ride, pedal faster.

But none of us could pedal fast enough to get away from old man winter. But, if you have the itch that only cycling can scratch, then you need penicillin. If you can't afford penicillin, then you might need to find other means to satisfy your cycling psoriasis. Spin classes are one way to go. It is like a stationary Tour de France, and if you have a Calvin and Hobbs style imagination then you can always come in first.

But if you are like me, then you might need to set something up a little closer to home.

I hate riding a trainer, but it is a great way to kill an hour and keep a few miles on your legs.

As you can see, I am posted in front of the old boob tube, and I don't watch all of the race videos to motivate me. Instead I have created a little game called sitcom sprints. I watch the program and spin comfortably, but during the commercials I sprint...okay two minute sprints would kill me, so I just go hard for two minutes. (Notice Pedar's rollers tucked neatly away by the door.)

Speaking of commercials, I decided that sometimes I needed to channel surf but had a hard time keeping the remote close, so I made this remote caddy from some old cloth scraps I had laying around from my frame pad fixie days. Pretty snazzy, I know. If you have a good way to fight cabin fever....besides skiing, let me know, I would love to hear about it. Thanks, and as always, happy trails from the Pedal House.

The Pedal House Cabin Fever/"Thank You" to our Customers Party.

I am just going to say it; "I love the Pedal House." Thanks to the P-House I have learned a thing or two about business, community, and of course I have become a better mechanic due to the teaching of Joel "the Master" Charles, and Pedar "Shock Therapy" Enger. So, in keeping with the custom of my people, I wanted to thank those of you who helped us be THE bicycle shop in the region. But How?

Well, after a brain storm session of epic proportion, Jessica and I decided, let's try to kill all of the brain cells that store the knowledge I have gained, by drinking in celebration of our customers; PARTY TIME. As you can see, an eclectic group of Pedal House aficionados were in attendance. It was a high class affair. So if you missed the party, you missed our thanks too, so let me say it here; Thank you very much for supporting the Pedal House, and we hope we can continue to help keep you on your bicycle.

By the way, when the majority of the customers left, and we were down to the seedier side of the Pedal House, it got kind of grimy. All I can say is, can you remember high sch...I mean college? We can, thanks to Pedar the Tank!

Winter Commuting Ideas

Two days ago I was riding around with my best pal Jeff when I realized that riding in the snow takes some considerable preparation. It wasn't until my tires slipped out from under me sending me crashing to the ground that I remembered that my helmet was still sitting on the couch where I left it. Unharmed, I vowed to remember it when I ride my bike, especially in the winter. As I laid there, Jeff looking at me curiously, I thought that it might be nice to try a video blog to help the emerging winter warriors get safely from point A, to point B on a bicycle. So here is my first attempt at Video Blogging;

Though, It seems to be of better quality on youtube. Enjoy, and I hope it was helpful information.

What to buy?

SO,...with the big Holiday just around the corner, I thought it might be a good idea to post a few gift ideas for that special cyclist in your life. The first thing you have to ask yourself is; "What type of cyclist am I buying for?" Sure you have Roadies, Mountain Bikers, Commuters, BMXers, Fixie Riders, Utility Riders, Touring Riders, Recumbent Riders, Or Cruiser Riders. It can be really intimidating when you start trying to figure all this out. But it isn't really all that hard if you break them down into the following three groups;


1. Emerging Cyclist. A person who fits into this category can ride any of the above styles of bikes. This type of rider is just getting into riding a bike, and to be honest, maybe they are trying it out but won't stick with it. The goal here should be to get them something that will make their lives easier to increase the chances of them becoming a full time cyclist. If you have a cyclist who has decided to start riding to work, even when it is cold and wet, the first gift that comes to my mind is Fenders. The likelihood of riding is increased greatly when you can stay dry. Planet Bike makes some great full coverage fenders for all types of bicycles that don't break the bank. Don't forget lights for the front and rear, or a good wind jacket.


For someone getting into mountain biking I would recommend a new bike! But if you don't have the funds for something that big, you can always get them a Big Air "CO2" contraption. (It is actually filled with Propane.) They are nice to have during mosquito season, and most Mountain bikers won't buy them for themselves for some reason.

A good gift for a begginer into any type of cycling is the good old fashioned cycling sock.
2. Intermediate Cyclist. This type of cyclist is usually a seasonal cyclist with many interests, like snowshoeing, climbing, backpacking, and/or rafting. They have a genuine desire to be outside, truly enjoy cycling, but aren't in the saddle every day. This is where it gets tricky. These guys and gals know good gear when they see it. And they probably have enough experience to know what they like. T-Shirts and Sweatshirts from your favorite local shop always hit home with this group. Consider it something to wear in the off season so they still feel connected to their bikes. A trail bell is also a creative way to spice up the handlebar, and help keep the cyclist in question safe. Simple tools are always nice, and so are helmets and water bottles.
3. Hard Core! This is by far the toughest group to shop for. They usually have everything they need. The key here is to look at their stuff, and try to find something that needs replaced. Tires on their favorite bicycle are usually a good place to start. Just copy down all of the information on the sidewall, (the side of the tire) and take it to your local bike shop. Inner tubes are another great item, because if you ride enough, you will go through them. The same sidewall information will be pertinent. And don't forget about the good old fashionedgift certificate for a Tune-Up. Even if they always care for their own bicycles, it is sometimes nice to let someone else do the dirty work. Cycling clothing is always a good idea, as long as you have access to the items they currently have and can check the size and styles they like. Roadies go through cycling hats like crazy, and they are always in need of a new hat to soak up their sweat.
No matter what type of cyclist you are buying for, it is always helpful to know a few things. Make sure you know what type of cyclist you are buying for. If you can take a picture of her/his bicycle to help with sizing and specifics for buying. It will help save time when talking to the trained professionals at your local bicycle shop. ...And yeah, he is one of the best mechanics I have ever worked with,...Happy Holidays from the Pedal House.