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.

Continental Bike Shop presents the Spoken Wrench vol3 no8

Continental Bike Shop presents the Spoken Wrench vol3 no8
Post-Interbike! 6″ Crescent Wrench

There’s only one industry trade show left: Interbike. We’ve got a love hate relationship with it, in large part because it’s hosted in Las Vegas. And well, Vegas isn’t our idea of a good place to have a bike show, but it’s always been there, and at the rate we’re going it will always be there. The good thing is that we get to ride all the new bikes and try out the new stuff, and all that jazz before we order it. You know, to make sure we actually like what they’ve got to offer.

Tip of the Ice-Berg: Interbike Style!
In John’s Post-Vegas fuzziness, he’s only coming up with a few of the things he’s seen. The rest are momentarily lost to that “What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas” thing. And we don’t want to ask. And the rest, well, I can’t read his notes, and neither can he. When the translation is done, we’ll let you know.

• Mobiky: So a few issues back, I mentioned that there was a new folding bike in town, and whet everyone’s whistle, and then told you nothing about it. Well, here it is: We’re now Mobiky dealers. You might have seen them at Sharper Image, you might not have, but they’re great folders. They told in seconds, feature a 3 speed internal hub, with a double/idler gear like the DaVinci tandems, so the small wheels aren’t a penalty. They roll when you’re done, and stand on their own. (great for leaning on if you’ve got a bad knee…) They unfold in another three seconds. If you dawdle.
• New DaVinci Tandem: DaVinci has a new tandem for 2008, the Grand Junction. At around $2850, it’s the least expensive tandem DaVinci has ever offered. John rode the prototype in Vegas, and it ROCKED. I mean ROCKED hard core. With Shimano equipment and the same tube set as her more expensive cousins, the Grand Junction is just that, grand, and IPS makes this one sweet deal. The bike comes in two colors, red or blue, and three sizes: small, medium and large/small. We’ve got six bikes on order. If you want to get in line, $500 covers your spot in line and tandem clinic. And while this is the ‘entry level’ DaVinci, there’s nothing entry level about it.
• Lake Shoes: We’re constantly in search of a better winter shoe, which means we’re constantly in search of the next winter shoe from Lake. No one does warm comfortable winter cycling shoes like them, and we’re happy to say they’ve gotten even better than before. With a segmented upper so it lays better and a Vibram sole so it lasts for near forever, the Lake MX Z302 is probably the best we’ve ever seen. And for those who prefer to do their winter riding indoors or at a spinning class. We have the Lake I/O (indoor/outdoor) 1. At just around $100, these shoes are great for recreational riding and spinning. The I/O1 features two Velcro straps, non-marking Vibram soles, and a super breathable mesh upper.

Unicycle.com
Unicycles are growing in popularity, who would have ever thought of downhill racing on a unicycle? Well, not me, but someone did, and we’ve been seeing more and more of them. So, in honor of the growing demand for a better selection of unicycles, we’ve become a Unicycle.com dealer. Anything they’ve got on their website, we can get. We aren’t going to stock anything right now, but we’re certainly hoping to connect more people with the perfect unicycle. And those strange parts they are sometimes in need of. So, if unicycles are your passion, or you’d like them to become your passion, check out unicycles.com and we’ll get you whatever it is you’re looking for. (They’ve got instructional videos and whatnot, for those of us who have never had the guts to actually try riding one.)

Nite Hawk is Here!
Its officially fall. And the weather is beautiful, if a little chilly. And its getting darker ever earlier. Just because its dark, doesn’t mean you’ve got to stop riding though. It does mean that you’ve got to be prepared. One great way to be ready is a Nite Hawk Phoenix Helmet Mount system. They feature a one touch power button, 4 hour charge time, helmet and handlebar mount, and it only weighs a pound. Most other lights like this weigh a lot more. The Nite Hawk battery fits nicely Velcroed on to the frame, or in a jersey/jacket pocket. They usually retail for $149 (139.00 + 10.00 shipping from the manufacturer) but we’ve got them for $100! We’ve got a bunch, but they won’t last long. If you’ve got to have one, give us a call and a deposit and we’ll put your name on one and set aside for you.

Continental Bike Shop presents the Spoken Wrench vol3 no2a

Continental Bike Shop presents the Spoken Wrench vol3 no2a
March 2007a

This edition of the Spoken Wrench is brought to you by the letter “I” for Independent Fabrications, makers of some cool rides; inner tubes (not just for swimming…), don’t forget to stock up today. The last thing you want is your ride canceled because you’ve got a flat… And finally, index shifting, the best thing since sliced bread, maybe even better than sliced bread.

We know you love the Spoken Wrench so much that we’re sending out a supplement this month. Mostly because I need to clarify the terms of the sale…

April Fools Day Sale!
No April Fools Day Sale on April 1! It’s Sunday, and we’re closed… April Fools!

It’s that time of year again, when the weather in Michigan LIES about what season it really is, and we all long for the warmth that summer promises… everyone but me. That means its time for our annual April Fools Day Sale! This year, bring cash and save more. The credit card monster is eating us alive. Minimum 8% off on credit card purchases and 10% off cash purchases. See, bring cash, save money. Everything that’s not a bike is fair game for the sale. If it’s a bike and its already on sale, well, it’s still on sale. (And there are lots of them on sale. About 30 models. Believe me, I counted). Here are the ever so important hours that we’ll be open. Three days means that we’re not getting up as early as we have previous years…

Procrastination…
If necessity is the mother of invention, then procrastination is the mother of disappointment. Last week we estimated two to three days for your repair. This week, we’re up to, well a week. Nice weather in Michigan is notoriously hard to come by, so before it gets any warmer and you lose any more riding days, bring your bike in, but remember, it’s going to be about a week.

It Takes Two to Tango… err Tandem
Let’s take a moment to mourn the passing of the Burley Tandem division. Now, onto happier news, they still make the best darn child trailers around, and to make sure tandems are still affordable, we’ll be stocking KHS tandems. They start at $900 (we don’t have any of those yet, but we will. I’ve got a feeling it’ll be in the newsletter when it happens) and we’ve got two right now, a 26’ and 700c variety, priced at $1400 and $1500 respectively. We’ve also got a Cannondale cruiser tandem, (26’ mountain tandem without the beefy disc brakes…), the only American made tandem we like for under $2000. We should also be seeing the new 07 Cannondale Road tandem soon. We’ll keep you posted.

Welcome! (Properly, This time)
We’d like to welcome Jason Stortz, formerly of Bike USA, as the newest member of our staff, he’ll usually be found in the back wrenching, but he’s a man of many talents, so you’ll see him on the floor a bit too. Jason’s a mountain guy with a love of Trek (don’t worry, we’ll fix him he mentioned something about Cannondale…), but he says he’ll ride anything with two wheels. He’s been doing something bike related for 6 years, with a little vacation in there somewhere. So, everyone, say Hi to Jason when you meet him and let him feel the love!

Feedback!
I admit, I’m greedy. I want to know what you think of the Spoken Wrench. It’s been so long since I did it on a regular basis, that I need to know what’s going on. So if there’s something you want to see more of, less of, or even none off (as long as it’s not none of my humor, that’s not possible) let me know! Hit reply and let the comments flow!