Continental Bike Shop presents the Spoken Wrench vol4 no4

Continental Bike Shop presents the Spoken Wrench vol4 no4March Madness Make the Snow Stop! Edition

This edition of the Spoken Wrench is brought to you by the letter “R,” you know, as in repair. Spring has sprung in Michigan, despite the snow, and what anyone may think. April is just around the corner, meaning that better riding weather, longer days, and longer repair turnarounds will follow close behind… We’ve tried, for as long as we’ve been here to convince people that winter, when you’re not thinking of riding, not thinking about your bike is really the best time to have it worked on. Despite our best efforts, no one seems to listen. So, spring is here, and so is the need for a repair, and, no, I’m sorry, you will have to leave your bike, and no, you can’t have it back tomorrow.

The Big Dummy is Here!

No, we’re not calling anyone names, the Big Dummy is Surly’s answer to some very high gas prices. Think you can’t commute because you’ve got too much stuff to bring with you? Surly has solved that problem. Using Xtracycle’s Freeradical frame as a starting point, the Big Dummy can carry a week’s worth of groceries, a surf board (not that you really need a surf board in Michigan), another bike, your friends, a sheepdog, or just the day’s stuff. There’s endless ways to use your Big Dummy. We’ve been using ours to get to and from lunch and everywhere else in Hazel Park.

Let Levi Ride!

In 2007 Astana ran afoul of the ASO (the people who own the Tour de France) and the UCI. For 2008, the new home of Levi Leipenheimer, and Alberto Contador, winner of the 2007 Tour, Astana hasn’t been invited to the 2008 Tour de France. If you think Levi should ride (since he’s the English speaker pushing hardest to get Astana onto the Tour) visit LetLeviRide.com and add your name to the petition. If you think that two years worth of doping scandals means that Astana shouldn’t ride, well, don’t sign the petition, and I can’t necessarily disagree with you.

April Fools!

Tuesday is April 1st. April Fools’ Day is here, and with it comes our annual sale. Spring is here, just ignore the snow, and get ready to ride. We’ll be open 8AM -7PM for the sale, so everyone has enough time to make it in. We will not be extending the sale to Wednesday, it’s a one day only event. We hope to see you there, and as always, bring a friend! Its always more fun to ride with company!

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It’s a mountain bike! No, It’s a Hybrid!

No, it’s both. It happens to be the 2008 Cannondale 29’er 4. 29’ers have been a hot topic of conversation for a while now, and we know why. If you really are planning on mountain biking, and yet you know you’re going to need to ride your bike on the road, a 29’er is the way to go. With larger wheels, you get better momentum, and with a quick change of the tire, you’ve got a very nicely equipped hybrid that can handle, literally, everything you might want to throw at it.

In the Navy!

Kevin’s keeping busy in the Navy, in Japan. In addition to being a Hospitalman, Kevin is part of the Auxiliary Security Forces (ASF). Here’s what the Navy says:

080317-N-4649C-022 YOKOSUKA, Japan (March 17, 2008) Hospitalman Kevin Martin, a native of Gregory, Mich., stationed at U.S. Naval Hospital Yokosuka, Japan, practices knee strikes as Grove Hill, Ala.-native Postal Clerk Seaman Apprentice Charles Motes, assigned to Fleet Industrial Supply Center (CFA) Yokosuka assists during auxiliary security force (ASF) training at Commander Fleet Activities Yokosuka. Sailors from various commands around Yokosuka make up the ASF team, which assists the CFA security force. U.S. Navy photo by Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Chantel M. Clayton (Released)