Continental Bike Shop presents the Spoken Wrench vol3 no9

Continental Bike Shop presents the Spoken Wrench vol3 no9
November, I don’t even eat turkey Edition

This edition of the Spoken Wrench is brought to you by the letter “N.” This time of year the letter ‘N’ is usually accompanied by something that goes along the lines of ‘night riding’ or one of the many light companies whose names begin with ‘N.’ Since Nite Hawk was in the last issue, this time the spotlight is on Nitto. For very nicely made vintage looking parts, Nitto is the way to go. Need a mustache bar? They make it. Need a quill stem of a length other than the one on your bike? They’ve got that too. They also make some nifty other parts and whatnot, but if you want to know more, you’ll have to come in and ask.

Bianchi’s Day at the Races
It’s strange to see a pro peloton devoid of celeste, especially considering Bianchi’s long race heritage. But for the 2007 pro tours, there was no Bianchi team. Liquigas had become the Cannondale pro team. In 2007, Cannondale sponsored two pro teams, both of which made it to the Tour de France. For 2008, Liquigas will continue to race on Cannondales. Barloworld, on the other hand, will be racing for Bianchi. Now that’s cycling irony if I’ve ever seen it. To read more about Bianchi’s partnership with Barloworld, check out this article on Bianchi.com. I wonder how much red and celeste can possibly clash.

A Tandem for Town
Or a Townie Tandem? Well, not exactly Townie per se, but a tandem with the cranks out in front of the bottom bracket. (The thing that makes a Townie and all its knock-offs a Townie and all its knock-offs.) Yes, right, back to the tandem. For 2008, Sun has introduced the Brickell, a super low stand over tandem with easy to adjust stems, handlebars and seat heights, its great for new tandem riders. If you’re looking for a fun, leisurely ride, the Sun Brickell has definitely got it.

Get ‘em While They’re Hot!
Arguably, the nicest child trailer out is the Burley d’lite, its lightweight, easy to attach to a bike, features that nifty little helmet pocket, and is generally a niiiice trailer. Well, we certainly think so, and obviously they’ve never been inexpensive trailers. But for 2008, they’ve gotten a little more expensive, to the tune of $90 over what they were in 2007, for a whopping $550 price tag. Now, since we’re not to crazy about that price hike, and Burley’s got a number of 2007 trailers still floating around, we think now might be the perfect time to get one. All 2007 d’lite trailers will be $430, (save $120 if you get it now, instead of in May), and layaways are our friend this time of year. If you’d like to reserve your Burley d’lite, drop us a line, and a little deposit so we know how many to get. They’ll be arriving sometime in early December, just in time to wrap and put under the tree.

New Bianchi’s
2008 brings a bit of change to the Bianchi line. Gone are a lot of their steel frames, with the noted exceptions of the Volpe, Pista, and San Jose, and in are the Nirone, with carbon fork and seat stays, and new T-Tube carbon frames. We’ve seen a few of the new Bianchis, both steel and aluminum frames, and we’re quite impressed. So, come out and test ride a few and let us know what you’ve got to say. We’ll have more on each of the new frames as we ride them. Look for a special edition of the Spoken Wrench full of reviews.

Repair classes
Its that time of year. It’s always some time of the year… but this time I’m specifically talking about that winter tradition around here, repair classes. We’re wondering if there’s enough interest to hold them again this winter, beginning mid to late January. If its something you’re interested in, please drop us a note, or leave a comment, and we’ll get you on the list. Repair classes cover everything in the Big Blue Book of Bike Repair from Park. Hubs, cones, tire changes, brake and derailleur adjustment are just some of the topics covered.

Shoes for Spinning
Lake makes some wonderful winter shoes (which we have in regular and wide widths for your cold weather perusal) but they also make spinning shoes, and we’re stocking the I/O-1. They’re light weight shoes with Vibram soles, and plenty of super-Velcro to make sure they stay the heck on. They come in white or grey, and they run a little small. Smallishness aside, they are quite comfy, and certainly walk-able enough to get you from the locker room to your spinning class, or from the couch to your trainer.

Speaking of Shoes…
We’ve got some Sidi Winter boots on sale for $199. We’re happy to say they’re quite warm and will certainly less expensive than their brand-spanking new counterparts, which go for $299. So, maybe there should be winter shoes in your future.

Holiday Layaways
A bike can be awfully hard to hide, especially in a small space. And bikes do make such popular presents… So we thought it was time to remind everyone that we do holiday layaways. And we will be open on Christmas Eve, if you need to wait until the last possible moment to pick your bike up, (or your trainer, Burley d’lite, rollers, Assos clothing… et cetera.) We’ve also got bikes starting at $250, that are really worth riding, and make the stuff you find at department stores look like pond-scum. So, if you know of someone who would really like a new bike, but doesn’t think they can afford one, point them towards us. We’re happy to work out layaway programs.