Believe it or not, bicycles and how they work aren’t that big of a mystery. They  are a pretty wonderful machine with their equal parts grace, simplicity, and efficiency. They also continue to work for an amazing amount of time despite our best efforts to neglect and abuse them. That said, it’s astounding how much longer they work, better they ride, and easier they are to pedal when some pretty basic wrench work is done on them. Starting on Tuesday February 21st, Service Course Velo is going to offer some handy dandy bike repair classes. Why would a bike shop that specializes in doing repair work want to teach it’s customers how to do it themselves, you ask? Good question, and there are a few reasons that make up the answer, but it basically boils down to this. You’ll ride your bike more. That means you’ll be a happier person. Happier customers are never a bad thing.

“But I don’t want to work on my bike”, or “I don’t have time to”,and “that’s what the bike shop is for” you say. All true and valid points. But what if I told you that just knowing how your bike works and what is causing that funny noise or annoying click will save you time and money when you bring your bike in to get fixed? Repairs at the shop go faster when the customer has a pretty good idea of what is needed and as we all know, time is money. Plus, I never have to bug you with one of those annoying, “so when the bike was in the stand, I noticed that part XYZ is completely worn out and needs to be replaced. Oh yeah it’s expensive and I have to order it in, also” calls.

So here’s the details on the classes. There will be four of them, starting on February 21st. All of them are on Tuesday nights at 7:00pm. they will last approximately 1.5-2 hours. There will probably be some sort of refreshments, possibly of the adult nature if you are of qualifying age. There might even be snacks. Classes are $25, or $20 and a six pack. If you sign up for all four classes, I’ll throw one in on the house and you’ll only have to pay for three. Lastly, the class size is limited to ensure you get excellent, personal instruction, so you’ll need to sign up ASAP so the class isn’t full. To sign up, come in and press cold hard cash into my greasy palm. Or just give the shop a ring or shoot an email. Tomayto, tomahto.

February 21st. General repair. How to do all the daily stuff to keep your bike functioning at its best. From basics like tire pressure and lubing the chain to more advanced items such as shock  and fork adjustments. We’ll learn how to check over wear items like the drivetrain and brake pads for wear and determine if they need to be replaced and if so, how soon. Along with that, we’ll discuss what happens if wear items are let go too long and how very expensive it can ultimately be.

February 28th. Disc Brakes. Both mechanical and hydraulic. We’ll have a brief discussion on how they work and the benefits and disadvantages of each type and then we’ll dive into them. Checking for pad and rotor wear, truing rotors, proper adjustments, and bleeding the hydraulic brakes.

March 6th. Wheels. Road and mountain, disc brake and rim brake, all are welcome. You’ll learn how to adjust hubs so that your wheels roll smoothly. OF course we’ll go over how to check for proper spoke tension and you’ll learn how to true wheels.

March 13th. Shifters and Derailleurs. This is pretty straight forward, but you’ll learn how to fix your bike when you click the shifter and nothing happens. Or what happens isn’t supposed to happen. Either way, by then end of the night, you’ll know all about cable tension, limit screws, guide pulleys, B-tension, and pulleys. Plus a bunch more. If you ride a single speed, feel free to drop by and show us how you shift gears by getting off and walking.

Starting next Tuesday (that’s January 24th) Service Course Velo is going to be closed as I journey down to the southern California desert with my family to get a little R and R accomplished while the cold and wet finally set in up here. The shop will be shuttered until I get back on the 29th, but seeing as how that  is a Sunday and the shop wouldn’t be open anyway, you’ll have to wait until Monday to see my tan and rested face.

I’ll have phone and internet access the whole time the shop is closed, so if there is some sort of emergency that I need to deal with, shoot me an email or give me a ring. No promises on picking it up right away, but I’ll do my best to get back to you as quickly as possible. However, please remember that I am going to be on vacation and I will be taking advantage of the desert climate to get some serious training in. Like this.

See everybody when I get back. Cheers.

The first go round of ordering kits went well enough and it’s been a long enough time that I’ve been overcome with the desire to make another order. Of course, the fact that there has been a few of you out there harassing me at all of the cross races for another shot to don the spiffiest kit in all of OBRA land has helped me repress all the memories of the initial process and get off my lazy buns and do it all over again. Luckily, this time there isn’t any new design features or logos that are going to be on the kit, so that will cut down on the number of grey hairs I sprout and the amount of checks I cut to designers. This one will be easy. Although there is always rumors of a new kit design on the horizon, until I can get my wife to sign off on doing one that looks like this:

Service Course Velo kits will continue in the near future to look as classy and timeless as they do now. Be warned, however. I do have the sharpest of my graphic designer friends putting their electronic pencils and pens to digital paper to come up with at least a special edition kit that should surface some time in the year 2012, unless the Mayans were correct and we are all doomed. Either way, you are going to want to get yourself some of the original kit so you look and feel all swanky at this years races or the impending apocalypse, whichever happens first. (The way I race, most races feel like at least MY world is ending.)

Three things about the clothing before you scroll down and start your holiday perusing.

1. The clothing isn’t cheap. It’s not Assos or Rapha expensive, but you aren’t about to find it in the bargain bin at Performance, either. This is extremely high quality clothing and Service Course Velo is making ZERO money on these. The price you pay is the price Service Course Velo pays, plus a small amount to cover credit card fees and shipping. It costs what it does because it is such nice clothing. I decided when I first tripped down the primrose path of shop kits and custom clothing, that since I was going to be wearing the full kit darn near every time I ride, I better enjoy slipping it on. I want the kit to be the favorite pair of bib shorts in your closet and the jersey that you dig out of the dirty clothes because you are going for another ride and laundry hasn’t been done yet. So far, for me, the clothing has lived up to that billing.

2. The prices have gone up since last time. I wish I had a good and definitive answer about why, but I don’t. I know that the extra 10% or so isn’t a huge amount, but I wish it could be the other way and prices had dropped. So I’ll just say sorry and please know that I’m always looking for a way to make the clothing more affordable. If there was a switch in manufacturers, then there would be new artwork fees bump the prices up to what they are now and the sizing would be all different, as well.

3. You need to come buy and pay for the clothing you want before December 23rd. That’s two Fridays from now. I will be collecting the deposits and then placing the order the following Monday. The clothing will take 4 weeks or so to arrive, so it will be here in time for you to blow minds and eye sockets with the super sexy kit at the first races of the year. There will be no clothing ordered just to have at the shop.

Ascent Jersey. Full Zip. iPod/radio cord port. Silicon waist gripper. Vented side panels. Sleeves that don’t ride up and a super comfy collar. $90

Ascent bib shorts. Awesome chamois. Power lycra leg grippers(no sticky rubber). Mesh bib uppers for breathabilty. $120.

Arm Warmers. Lighter weight. Color matches the color bands on the jersey. (PRO) $30.

Knee warmers. Comfy. Not too heavy weight. Colors match the bands on the bib shorts. (Very PRO!) $35.

Breckenridge Jacket. Packable. Windproof. 2-way zipper. Heavier than a windshell, lighter than a thermal jacket. $100.

Breckenridge Vest. Same material as the jacket on the front and shoulders. Jersey fabric on the back. 3 pockets. 2 way zipper. $85.

Long Sleeve skinsuit. Super aero and cyclocross PRO. Not a thermal skinsuit. It will make you at least 18.6% faster. $150.

Anyhoo, here’s the clothing and their pricing. Please feel free to call, email or swing on by the shop if you have any questions. If you need to try on a size or two to make certain you get something that fits, let me know and I’ll see if I can at least borrow a piece that has already gone ou to another customer. I’ll even try and make certain it’s clean. (No promises)

Despite the outstanding fall weather the Rogue Valley has been enjoying, eventually winter will be here. One of the earliest harbingers of that happening is the time change where we all try to remember whether or not we are supposed to set our clocks back or forward an hour. The handy pneumonic device (silly little rhyme) Service Course Velo relies on is the time tested and trusty, “spring ahead and fall back“. Don’t forget to switch the clocks back an hour this weekend. Sure it means you’ll be getting home from work in the dark, but at least you get an extra hour of sleep this weekend. Of course, if you have kids and/or pets, just remember that they could care less about time changes and will still be waking you up way too early this Sunday morning.

What does the time change have to do with Service Course Velo and winter shop hours? Starting the Monday after the time change, Service Course Velo will be changing the business hours.  On Mondays, the shop will now be open by appointment only. Odds are good, if you swing by, I’ll be out on a ride. If you need some bike attention ASAP, feel free to give the shop a ring and I’ll grab the cellular device that is somewhat permanently attached to myself and arrange to meet you at the mothership. Also, arrangements can be made for me to pick up or deliver your bike on Mondays. The rest of the week, the hours will be full steam ahead and all systems go from 10am to 6pm, Tuesday through Saturday.

Cheers!

There’s a few samples of Belgian cyclocross goodness hanging out in the shop for little while and they’s really like someone to come in and show them around the Rogue Valley on a ride or two. Yup, Ridley X-Fire demo bikes are here. Swing by and throw a leg over one and see for yourself why 7 of the last 10 Cyclocross World Championships have been won on a Ridley.

Service Course Velo is proud to announce that there will be a weekly cyclocross  skills and fitness practice session starting up this Thursday, September 8th. The skinny is to meet up at the shop at 5:00pm and roll over to Fichtner-Mainwaring park at 5:30pm so we can practice getting on and off our bikes, hopping barriers, and chase each other around the park until about dusk. The practice sessions will be a bit more structured than the informal get togethers of years past, but will still be loads of fun. The first 20-30 minutes will be skills practice where we hone our mounts and dismounts that have grown rusty after a season on crits and mountain biking. Once we’ve warmed up and amused any innocent bystanders that might happen to watch us, we’ll practice some starts and even do some cornering drills. That should ensure we have a good sweat by then and are ready to play follow the leader for about 30 minutes of hot laps on an abbreviated course to simulate a little race type pace. If everyone has been good and shared well with the others, there might be a beer or two waiting back at the shop when we’re done.

As always, feel free to swing into the shop or call if you have any questions. The weekly practice sessions are open to any and all who want to come out and play. Just bring a functioning bike, a helmet, and the ability to have a good time.

Cyclocross season is coming fast upon us, even though with the warm weather and dusty trails, it seems like it’s a long way off. Even so, before you know it, we’ll all be carrying perfectly ridable bikes across freshly mowed soccer fields. Of course, those first few weeks back will still be warm and dry, even though cross is typically a winter and therefore, a wet sport. Those first few cross practices and races are always a struggle to keep hydrated when the mercury is still up above 80 degrees. Some riders will still use a water bottle and cage on their bike and uncomfortably deal with shouldering. Others will carry a hydration pack of some sort, looking like they have enough on their person to bivvy out in the woods should their 45 minute race turn pear shaped. The reality is that most of us will be fine and not risk and real dehydration in a short effort like cross if we’ve been properly hydrated before hand. Of course, while warming up before the race, you can carry a bottle, but then you have to scramble for the proper sized allen key to get it off your bike before the gun goes off.  It’s a bigger pain to deal with during the weekly cross practices most cycling communities have. If you leave your bottles and cages off for practice, you have no effective way to carry enough water to sneak in a few extra miles. If you leave your cages on, then they are digging into your side as you perfect your dismount and shouldering. It’s too bad there’s not a better way.

Oh yeah, there is. Vincero Designs has a nifty little system for attaching a water bottle (or two) to your bike and not have to deal with cages or velcro straps. How do they do it? Magnets. Rare earth magnets, actually. I’m not exactly certain what makes a magnet rare and I’m too lazy to wikipedia it, but I do know they’ve come up with an ingenious way of carry two full water bottles on a cross bike and not have a cage sticking up in your kidney or digging through the grass looking for the two cage bolts you just dropped.

Looks pretty sleek, donnit? But how does it work? Well, it uses magnets, remember? Here, check it out.

Here's what attaches to the bike. Pretty slick, eh?

See, it's just a tiny thing. But how does the bottle attach, you ask? Keep scrolling.

That little dot is one of the fancy rare earth magnets. The slot lines up with the mount doohickey.

Voila! Tab A into Slot B, only with badass rare earth magnets.

Yeah, but will it hold a bottle, you ask. Yup, it will. A set of theses bad mamma jammas just completed the most recent Honey Badger ride, and during sections where the washboard was rough enough to cause a seatbag failure and tenderize taints, the Vincero bottles were more than up to the task.

Their only downside is that the mounts are kinda spendy compared to a standard bottle cage and you have to use the special bottle. Not community college instead of ivy league expensive, but they are a bit pricier. Although they are right inline price wise with all of those fancy carbon cages that tend to launch water bottles with alarming frequency.

Swing by and check them out. Service Course Velo has them in stock and I have one mounted up on my cross bike if you want to play around with one.

While we’re on the subject of specialized equipment that for cyclocross that passed the Honey Badger test, let me introduce you to two new cyclocross clincher tires, the Clement LAS and PDX. Clement is a tire brand that goes way back to when 10 speed bikes had a total of 10 speeds and not just on the cassette, helmets were leather, and wool ruled. They went away in the late 80′s/early 90′s, but they are back. And just like during their glory years, they are doing some of the nicest cyclocross tires out there.

Clement LAS. Semislick tire for mixed terrain and fast rolling.

This is the LAS. The LAS is the airport designation for Los Vegas, home of the fast, dry, and grassy Cross Vegas race. This tires rolls super fast and the side knobs give good bite when you’ve got the bike heeled over in a turn. Where it differs from all of the other semislick tires out there is the cool little diamond shaped knobs. They get bigger and grabbier the closer they get to the side. This is one of the very few semislick tires that has good grip in gravel and at intermediate lean angles. It makes a perfect tire for dry cross races and for rides where you’ll be on as much pavement as dirt.

Clement PDX. Made for the mud.

This is the PDX. Yup, another airport code, this time for Portland, Oregon. Portland knows mud and they know cross. This baby is modelled after the Dugast Ryno. The Ryno is the de facto choice by every pro cross racer when the conditions turn sloppy. It doesn’t matter what brand sponsors a team, when the course gets slick and mucky, the pros run the Ryno. Of course, the Ryno is only available in tubulars and they cost $120 per tire. This tire is as close as you’ll get to the legendary Dugast Ryno in clincher form. And it costs a ton less.

As always, please give Service Course Velo a shout if you have any questions.

Cheers.

Cross season is rapidly approaching and Service Course Velo would like to extend a little offer to all the Veldrijden addicts out there.  Any customer who buys a new set of tubular cyclocross tires through Service Course Velo will be able to have them glued on at no charge. If you need tubular wheels, Service Course Velo will waive the labor charges for building you a set of wheels as well as the charge to glue the tires. If you want a pre-built set of wheels, Service Course Velo will waive the gluing labor charge if you buy the wheels through the shop. So basically, you are loosing money by not buying a new set of tubular tires and wheels. You can’t afford not to.

Tubulars are the way to go for cross. They are lighter, roll faster, and they have the ability to run crazy low pressures without pinch flatting. For most people though, the cost can be a bit prohibitive.  If you were to have a set of wheels built and tires glued by Service Course Velo, you would save over $100 off the regular price, thereby freeing you to spend that coin on Belgian beer and frites mit mayo. You might even finally be able to afford that lion of Flanders tattoo you’ve always wanted.

Service Course Velo will extend this limited offer to as many people that would like to take advantage but only for a limited time. The offer expires on Sunday, October 2nd, which coincidentally is the first race in the Cross Crusade series. If anyone is on the fence to the advantages of tubular tires, please feel free to come by and arrange to borrow a set to try out.

Cheers.

Earlier this year, Service Course Velo had a little ride that crossed over mostly gravel roads, some singletrack, and pavement called the Honey Badger. It wasn’t a race, but it wasn’t a easy-peasy group ride either. People showed up on mountain and road bikes and both worked well and both had their limitations. The smug ones were happy with their equipment choice and the covetous ones wanted what the other had. Either way, the Honey Badger didn’t care. Here’s a few pics I’ve stolen from some ot the folks that partook that day.

So as you can plainly see, it was a pretty good day. Ever since, people have been asking when would Service Course Velo do another Honey Badger ride? Well, kids, here’s your wish granted. There’s going to be another Honey Badger ride on the 21st of August and t’s a different route than the first Honey Badger. Since the Rogue Valley has finally decided to heat up, the route is up in the Greensprings area between Hwy 66 and Dead Indian Memorial Hwy. It’s an easier and shorter route, mostly because I’m fat and out of shape, but also the race season is pretty much over and it feels like most of us are looking forward to more civilized rides where we don’t try and rip the legs off each other. Also, there isn’t any organized aid stations on this Honey Badger, so to keep things from going quickly pear shaped should the day start to unravel, it’s a shorter, friendlier route.  There are couple of campgrounds along the way with water if you need to quench a thirst and if you don’t mind a short detour, there is a store and restaurant midway in case you absolutely need something deep fried.

The ride takes off from Greensprings Summit at 9:00 a.m. and we should be done around noon to 1:00 p.m.-ish. The official finish will be at the Greensprings Inn a mile or so from where we are parked to start the ride because they have lots of beer on tap, good food to eat, and plenty of tables for us to sit around and swap lies. If you are unfamiliar with where Greensprings Summit is, take Hwy 66 out of Ashland and stop when you get to the top of  a pass. The actual climb is about 9 miles long and there is plenty of parking on either side of the road.

If you want a route to download into your GPS so you don’t have to wait for my slow carcass to point the right way, go here. Just remember, the Honey Badger isn’t a race. If you finish “first”, the Honey Badger don’t care. Plus, you get to buy the first round. So feel fee to tear it up.

If anyone has any questions, comments, complaints or just wants to pitch a bitch, please feel free to call, email, or swing by the shop. And on that note, I’ll leave you with a couple of pics from the scouting ride for the Honey Badger Part Deux, G.S. Edition.

Now that the weather has turned for the better, there have been more bikes brought in to be consigned. I have a couple of new ones added to the Consignment Bikes page and also the Facebook page. Over the next couple of days, I’ll be putting a few more up, once they’ve been tuned up and photographed. Also, the consignment rates have been revised and more importantly to you, lowered. Swing by and check out the bikes and as always, feel free to call, email, or stop by if you have any questions.

Cheers.