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Carson's Tech Tips

Friday, July 09, 2010

 

Bike Fitting Is Very Important

Once you've decided to purchase a new bike, the most important thing to do next is get a professional bike fit. Taking the time to get a bike fit will assure you endless hours of pleasure on your new bike. Here are several things that are a must when going for a bike fit.

Choose a time that suits your schedule. This is all about you so leave the spouse and kids at home.

If possible, make your fitting appointment on a day when it's nice and sunny outside for your test rides.

Bring your riding gear. Insideout Sports has most all pedals to use, but if you have something rare or old, make sure we have your pedal type.

Be realistic to yourself and determine a price range before going into the shop. The last thing you want is second guessing your nice new bike every time your credit card statement comes out.

Do a little research before going into the shop. This will help your comfort level when the technical talk starts. Cervelo for one, has an excellent website with tons of information to give you some what of an idea which bikes will suit your needs and budget.

Ride a couple bikes on various terrains for a good comparison of how each bike performs on up and down hills, turns, rough pavement, etc.

Don't over analyze. There are a lot of chooses on the market theses days. By the end of an hour to an hour and a half bike fit, you should know what bike will suit you needs. In most cases customers are upgrading from their original equipment, so you can't go wrong either way.

At Insideout Sports, we only sell the best brands of triathlon and road bikes. We are a specialty shop and we don't have to bother with all other types of bikes. This allows us to ride and race the same products that we would like to sell you. Our bike fits are only $75 and that fee will apply to the purchase of your new bike. When you buy a bike from us, you become a bike vip which entitles you store discounts and other store opportunities.

Please call us soon for a fit appointment!

Bob Nixon

 
 
 
Is Your Seat Post Slipping?
 
Have you ever thrown your leg over your saddle and felt like something was amiss? Now, I'm not talking about saddling up after a night of heavy drinking, this week's Tech Tip probably won't help you with that, I'm talking about a saddle that is too low. Saddle height is critical to your fit and performance on the bike. Over time, it is not uncommon for your seat post to slip.
 
First, you need to identify what your saddle height is, without this measurement, it may be difficult to know if and/or how much your post slipped. To find your saddle height, measure, in centimeters, the distance between two fixed points between the saddle and...whatever. It doesn't matter what the second point is as long as you measure the same two points every time. Most people measure from the top of the saddle (make sure it's from the same point every time! Use a seam or specific detail) to the top of the pedal axle when it is near the bottom of the stroke and at its furthest point from the saddle. Commit this number to memory or write it down somewhere! My saddle height is 97 cm for those of you keeping score at home.
 
Now make sure your saddle height is where you want it to be. Clean off the seat post above the collar. Get rid of any grease, road grime, sweat, energy drink, et cetera. Grab some vinyl electrical tape and cut about a 10 cm piece (IOS stickers work well too). Wrap the tape around the seat post nice and even. Leave about a millimeter or two of space between the tape and the highest point on the seat collar.
 
As part of your pre-ride routine, take a moment to glance at the space between the collar and the tape. If the space is gone, your post has slipped. Take the seat post out of the bike, clean it of any debris, reinsert the post to that magic saddle height you found earlier, and tighten everything back down.
 
There you go! You can now identify and correct a slipping seat post. Keep learning all these little tips and you'll run out of things to blame on the bike!
 
Send any Tech Tip comments or questions to carson@insideoutsports.com

By Greg Ellison Tech Superstar

Tech Tip: Brakes Making Noise?

Have your brakes begun to make an unusual noise, such as a grinding sound, when you apply your brakes on your road or triathlon bike? Assuming you have aluminum rims, there may be small bits of metal debris in your brake pads. In addition, the sidewalls of your rims may have become filthy from road debris. These conditions can accelerate wear on your rims. A simple solution, assuming you don't need new brake pads, is to simply clean out the debris from your brake pads and then clean off your rims with a clean rag and rubbing alcohol.

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For this procedure, you need to know how to remove and reinstall your wheels from your bicycle. For tools and supplies you need the following:

-Clean rags (like an old tshirt) or paper towels if rags are not available.

-Rubbing alcohol. It does not leave a residue on your rims and is relatively inexpensive.

-Pointing tool such as a scriber or scratch awl. This is used to pick out debris from the brake pads. The pointed edge of a screwdriver or razor blade (be careful!) may also work.

-Sandpaper or a flat metal file for resurfacing the brake pads.

1. Remove the wheels from your bicycle. It helps if you have your bike in a workstand but if one is not available, you can lay your bike on its side with the drive side facing up.

2. Inspect your brake pads. Do you see any small bits of metal debris embedded in the brake pads? You should remove these using your "pick" tool. Or, if the brake pads are worn down past the "grooves" or to the point where some of the metal holder is showing through, you should replace the brake pads with new ones.

3. Optional: Is there a shiny "glazed" surface to your brake pads? For quieter braking, it helps to "ruff" the surface up in this case. You can use a small bit of sandpaper or your flat metal file to accomplish this. Your goal is to gently resurface the brake pads so there is a dull finish to them.

4. Put some rubbing alcohol onto your rag and wipe down the braking surfaces of your rims. Start and end at the valve stem for a point of reference. Go around both sides of the rim a couple of times to get them good and clean.

5. Reinstall your wheels. Don't forget to tighten any quick releases (such as for your brakes) if you released them in the first step.

That's it! Go for a ride and try out your brakes. If you continue to hear unusual noises when you apply your brakes, it may be time for new brake pads, or you may need a toe-in or some other adjustment for your brake pads. Feel free to bring your bike by the shop for further assistance.

Extend Your Knowledge

Extend Your Knowledge

 

Valve extenders are a tiny item that cause so many problems in the tri community. As mechanic, almost all the tire inflation related problems I see on deep-dished wheels are due to valve extenders. A few helpful hints will eliminate most of these problems.

First of all, depending on the depth of your race wheels, you may be able to find an inner tube (if using clincher tires) with a valve stem long enough to not need an extender. DO THIS! No need to mess with the hassles extenders can present if you don't have to.

If you use tubular tires, however, valve extenders are a necessary evil. These pretty simple but important steps to follow will guarantee problem-free and leak-free usage:

  1. Tighten the Valve Core. Be sure to first tighten the removable valve core of your tube or tubular. This can be done with a small adjustable wrench or needle nose pliers. (If you want to get really fancy, you could use a 4.4mm spoke wrench.)
  2. Open the Valve. Turn the round, knurled valve nut all the way to the end, as far as it will go, then lightly crimp it. The crimp will deform the nut enough to prevent it from vibrating closed. (Once there is air in the tire, the pressure will keep the valve closed so you don't need to worry about tightening it.)
  3. Tape the Threads. Take about an inch to an inch and a half of Teflon plumber's tape and wrap it tightly around the threads of the valve where the extender threads onto the valve. This will create an air-tight seal. Be careful not to tape over the valve opening.
  4. Tighten the Extender. Thread the valve extender onto the valve by hand. Be careful, most of these extenders are made of thin aluminum and it is easy to cross-thread them. Lightly snug the extender with a pair of pliers, or, if you use Zipp extenders (which I prefer), use a 3mm Allen wrench in the valve opening to tighten.
  5. Done! That's it, you've installed the extender. No need to remove it or mess with it again.
It's also a good idea to go ahead and install the appropriate extender on your spares as well. This will reduce down time if you get a flat during the race. You won't have to deal with swapping the extender over to your new tube/tire, making sure you get a good seal, or handling small parts with adrenaline-fueled, shaky hands. Just for good measure, throw a spare valve extender in your saddle bag. It's small, light, and could save you some frustration.
 
Send any Tech Tip comments or questions to carson@insideoutsports.com
 
 
Carson Gentry
Service Manager
Inside-Out Sports
919.466.0101 x 20
www.insideoutsports.com