DIY Cycling » Gear

The Ultimate Commuter: Focus Urban 8

Frank — Sat, 05 Mar 2011 17:36:55 +0000

If you commute to work by bike, one of your main concerns is probably your appearance once you arrive. While you can brush off and forget sweat and messy hair, grease stains can ruin even the toughest pair of pants. While mud guards and other protection can do a pretty good job, the fact remains that derailleurs and chains are dirty, fragile and require lots of maintenance.

Focus Urban 8 Belt Drive

The solution? Bikes like the Focus Urban 8. With a clean, stripped-down look, the Focus Urban 8 packs in style along with features. Featuring an eight-speed internal hub, connected to a carbon belt, which requires little maintenance and no lubrication, the Focus Urban 8 simplifies your commuter ride to the max. Disc brakes are included to ensure you have complete control on your way.

While I could probably ramble on for a while about this, I’ll wait until I try one out. Take a look at the details at the Focus Urban 8 Official Site

If you’re looking to buy online, I have not yet been able to find a merchant that sells them. You can find other great Bikes by Focus online. Click Here to see what’s available.

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Pulling a Bike Trailer: Take Your Family Along for the Ride

Frank — Thu, 03 Mar 2011 02:46:45 +0000

Getting our Joyrider Ready for a Ride

If you are searching for a fun, interactive way to include your family in an exercise routine, a bike trailer may be the perfect solution. With your little ones securely in tow, you can benefit from a demanding bike ride outdoors while enjoying the fresh air.

As long as you can ride a bike, you can pull a trailer. The trailer provides additional resistance, creating a more effective workout than simply biking alone. Pulling a trailer is especially beneficial for your legs, helping to tone and shape (something every new mom can appreciate!). You are sure to incinerate calories while having fun.

Most bike trailers have a seating capacity for two children, with a standard weight limit of 100 pounds. Basically, any child from 1 to 5 years of age can ride. Children are safely buckled in with a 5 point harness. Be sure to find a helmet that properly fits, as childhood is the time to teach bike safety. We are currently using the Schwinn Joyrider Bicycle Trailer and Jogging Stroller, and love it.

Our boys love “go go going!” as our two year old says. They can literally ride as long as I can pedal, or until we switch the trailer to my husband’s bicycle. We purchased an additional coupler for less than $10. This allows for virtually seamless transfer of the trailer without taking the back wheels off to move the equipment. We often go to a local park with miles of paved trail, and spend the evening riding. Then the boys play while we recuperate from the ride.

The Chariot CX2 is top of the line in the bike trailer world. Sleek and stylish, it provides a smooth and effortless ride on 20’’ rear wheels and suspension system. Conversion kits are also available for the CX2 to convert it into a jogging stroller, cross country ski trailer, and hiker. Weather is no deterrent, as the CX2 comes standard with a 2-in-1 weather cover, providing sun and precipitation protection, as well as functioning as a bug guard. The spacious cabin comes with removable fleece liners, perfect for cold weather. In the summer, these are easily removed. The rear storage bag has specialized compartments for your wallet, cell phone, and keys. The fabric of the chassis is photo-luminescent for added visibility, and a strobe light kit is available for additional visibility. Basically, the Chariot CX2 is the best you can get.

A more affordable quality option is the Burley Bee trailer. A simple trailer, the Bee has standard features such as a 5 point mesh harness, washable mesh seat bottoms, a 2-in-1 weather and bug guard, reflective trim, and a safety flag. The Bee is lightweight and easy to move, at less than 20 pounds. It is perfect for the novice rider.

Pulling a bike trailer is an enjoyable way to exercise that involves your family. By getting your kids involved, you are teaching them a lifelong appreciation for exercising, specifically cycling, and encouraging them to be physically fit. Perhaps the most beneficial aspect they’ll acquire is a love of the outdoors. Be safe, and have fun!

The Awesome, Lightweight Mako Bike Tool

Frank — Fri, 28 Jan 2011 13:23:17 +0000

The mako bike tool is definitely one of the coolest looking bike tools that I’ve ever seen. This is probably one of the many reasons that it was a Best in Show winner at the latest Outdoor Retailer show. Attached to a reflective lanyard, The MAKO bike tool comes with 5 sizes of metric box wrenches, four 1/4″ driver bits, 2 spoke wrench sizes and even a bottle opener for your post-ride brew.

Although there are a few notable omissions (tire levers, chain tool), this ultra-compact lightweight tool definitely deserves a spot in your arsenal.

Made from aerospace titanium and weighting in at only 19 grams, you don’t have to worry about it adding any precious weight to your ride. What more could you ask for?

Get yours here: Mako Bike Tool, or check out the other innovative multi-tools by PocketToolX: Click Here

Would you carry one?

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Choosing a Cycling GPS

Frank — Sun, 29 Nov 2009 03:56:40 +0000

By Henrik Moltke

The entrance and explosion of personal GPS units has changed the way we navigate the world. Do you own one? Have you used one. Chances are you’ve at least seen one.

What, then, does this mean for athletes? What does it mean for cyclists?

Here’s what it means: Enhancement. Sport GPS units provide athletes with the opportunity for better benchmarking, tracking and enhancement. Using them adds flexibility and possibility to your cycling workout that you never had before. You can track elevation changes, speed, routes, cadence, heartrate and tons of other variables that can affect your training.

Which one, then, should you use?

This is an important question to answer, as there are many units available. Each unit offers different features making them better for different types of cyclists. I’ll give the most popular units an overview to help you determine which GPS is right for you.

Bike GPS

Here’s the rundown:

Garmin Edge 205

For the most basic of GPS monitoring, the Garmin Edge 205 measures your speed, distance, time, calories burned and altitude. It displays this data in real time on its screen as well as storing it for later review.

Garmin Edge 205

Features:

Easy to install – Snap to your ride and go.
High-sensitivity GPS receiver tracks your position even in tree cover and canyons, making it extremely reliable for distance and speed information.
Virtual Partner – Create a virtual partner to race against
Set courses to easily race against your previous workouts
Auto Pause – pauses the timer when you slow down or stop and resumes when you speed up again, so you can focus on your ride, not on starting and stopping your GPS.
Auto Lap – Automatically start timing on a new lap when you pass a certain location

Pros: Easy to use, basic functionality, Virtual Partners, Laps
Cons: No directions, on-screen maps
Who’s It For? All cyclists looking to up their training. This unit is especially perfect for a beginner
How Much? $170 new at Amazon

Garmin Edge 305

The Edge 305 isn’t that different from the 205, honestly. The biggest difference between the two is that the 305 comes with a wireless heart monitor and cadence sensor, which are invaluable for any serious training attempts.

Garmin Edge 305

Features:

Easy to install – Snap to your ride and go.
High-sensitivity GPS receiver tracks your position even in tree cover and canyons, making it extremely reliable for distance and speed information.
Virtual Partner – Create a virtual partner to race against
Set courses to easily race against your previous workouts
Auto Pause – pauses the timer when you slow down or stop and resumes when you speed up again, so you can focus on your ride, not on starting and stopping your GPS.
Auto Lap – Automatically start timing on a new lap when you pass a certain location
Heart Rate Monitor – Keep track of your heart rate and export this data for analysis
Cadence Monitor – Monitor your cadence with the self-calibrating cadence sensor

Pros: Heart and Cadence monitoring, Easy Install, Benchmarking
Cons: No Maps, Routing
Who’s It For? Serious cyclists and anyone looking to take their training to the next level.
How Much? $258.97 New at Amazon

Garmin Edge 605

The Garmin Edge 605 combines the computer data and tracking with advanced mapping and navigational capabilities. You don’t have to worry about where you’re at, when you can rely on the included base maps and additional maps to guide you. The screen is easy to read in sunlight, and the unit rugged. You can even add topographical maps for off-road riding.

Garmin Edge 605

Features:

Easy to install – Snap to your ride and go.
High-sensitivity GPS receiver tracks your position even in tree cover and canyons, making it extremely reliable for distance and speed information.
Virtual Partner – Create a virtual partner to race against
Set courses to easily race against your previous workouts
Auto Pause – pauses the timer when you slow down or stop and resumes when you speed up again, so you can focus on your ride, not on starting and stopping your GPS.
Auto Lap – Automatically start timing on a new lap when you pass a certain location
Heart Rate Monitor – Keep track of your heart rate and export this data for analysis
Cadence Monitor – Monitor your cadence with the self-calibrating cadence sensor
Advanced Mapping Capabilities
Turn-By-Turn Directions

Pros: Turn-By-Turn Directions, Easy to Use, Advanced Mapping
Cons: May be too feature intense for some riders
Who’s It For? Commuters, Day-Riders and Tourers. This GPS is perfect for anyone going on extended trips or riding in unknown territory.
How Much? $349 New at Amazon (Doesn’t include HR and Cadence Monitors)

Garmin Edge 705

The Garmin Edge 705, like the 605, measures your speed, distance, time, calories burned, altitude, climb and descent, and records this data for your review. Where it differs, is that it also includes a barometric altimeter to give the most accurate elevation readings. This unit is by far the most robust, giving you access to the most accurate ride-data available. You can also share this information wirelessly with other 705 users.

Garmin Edge 705

Features:

Easy to install – Snap to your ride and go.
High-sensitivity GPS receiver tracks your position even in tree cover and canyons, making it extremely reliable for distance and speed information.
Virtual Partner – Create a virtual partner to race against
Set courses to easily race against your previous workouts
Auto Pause – pauses the timer when you slow down or stop and resumes when you speed up again, so you can focus on your ride, not on starting and stopping your GPS.
Auto Lap – Automatically start timing on a new lap when you pass a certain location
Heart Rate Monitor – Keep track of your heart rate and export this data for analysis
Cadence Monitor – Monitor your cadence with the self-calibrating cadence sensor
Advanced Mapping Capabilities
Turn-By-Turn Directions
Accurate Elevation Change Readings with Barometric Altimeter
Share Ride Info Wirelessly
See Your Power Output with ANT+ Power Meters

Pros: High Accuracy, Robust Features
Cons: High Price, but you get what you pay for.
Who’s It For? This unit is definitely for serious riders. It’s perfect for race training and its rich features make it perfect for long rides and tours.
How Much? $479.95 New at Amazon