How to Save Money and Gas by Riding Your Bike.
Gas prices in some places are over $4 a gallon today. In Minnesota, where it’s currently $4.29 per gallon, we have the distinction of being the second highest prices in the country (only Hawaii is currently higher). How quickly we adjust – remember in 2008 when the gas prices were just tipping at $4 – old bikes were dusted off and getting tuned up so people could ride to and from work. Some stuck with it, but for others, gas prices dropped off and they resumed driving.
Gas prices getting you down? You don’t have to bike EVERYWHERE to save money on gas.
What if there was a practical way to go by bike and leave the car parked? There is – just think small. It doesn’t need to be some grand experiment to commute EVERY day to work. Your schedule with work, family, and more may be tight, or work may require a 30-40 mile round trip commute and going by bike isn’t a great option for you on a regular basis. On the other hand, trips to a grocery store, going out for dinner or drinks, or to visit friends can be easily accomplished by bike. For me, it’s 3 miles to the grocery store, coffee shop, hardware store and a handful of food options for a date night. If I need something more I can ride 5 miles one way for a ten mile trip.
When possible, I trade a trip in the car to one of these locations for a trip by bike. Over the course of a week, I find it easy to do 25 miles of riding, which is about the distance I can go on one gallon of gas. Currently that saves $4 per week – by the time I hit the Fourth of July holiday, I can take the 8 gallons I haven’t used and use them however I wish – whether to go out of town for the weekend or put the money saved to something else- by Labor day that number will be double.
Practical Steps
It just takes small changes to make cycling a part of your daily live. You’ll not only save money and gas, but you’ll enjoy it more!
For most of my trips, a messenger bag or backpack is more than enough to carry what I need, though the key to using your bike more is making it enjoyable, and as the weather heats up, getting the hot bag off your back is a great way to stay cool. Racks, bags, and trailers are great options to carry the load and make it easy to carry anywhere from 30-80 lbs of load.
Put a rack on your bike, grab a bag, put on a helmet and you are ready to go! If you bring a lock and lights, your bike will be secure and you can stay out after dark!
Consider some trips that you can swap the bike for the car and save:
- Grocery store – we’ve said it before, but this is an easy one for most people.
- Coffee – Biking and coffee just go together, but if you find that the ride has woken you up, we don’t blame you!
- Ice Cream – A cone at the neighborhood shop becomes almost guilt free when you had to work to get it!
- Farmer’s Market – With more local farmers markets springing up there’s no better way to be a true locavore!
- Take the kids to school – let’s face it, the family car/van isn’t always the most peaceful place during carpool, why not take it outside!
These are just a few ways to get on your bike and ride more. If you need a little help getting going, Erik‘s can give you the practical knowledge you need. The key is to do it in a way that works for you and will be an enjoyable ride.
We want to know – How do you incorporate the bike into your life beyond riding for recreation?
Get the Right Bike – Full-Suspension Mountain Bikes
How do you want to ride?
When you want to challenge harder lines, try more technical sections, or just plain be comfortable on a bike, you don’t have to look further than a full-suspension bike. A lot of rider’s assume that comfort is the deciding factor in full-suspension, but the reality is how much you can improve the control and handling of the bike. Acceleration and braking ONLY work when the tire is on the ground. To do that well, you’ve not only got to have tires with good traction for the terrain, but also a way to keep the wheel on the ground. On a bumpy trail, its possible to have one or both wheels in the air at the same time. With full-suspension bikes, the goal is to minimize the bounce and keep the rubber on the road so to speak. Suspension bikes differ in the amount of travel they have. Travel is a measurement of the path of the wheels – basically how much they move up and down.
How Much Suspension?
There are a number of options in the category of full-suspension bikes. While exact amounts differ, it’s easiest to break them into 4 categories. The first is 100 mm (4″) bikes: these are cross-country (XC) rigs tailor made for most Midwest trails. 4″bikes include the Epic from Specialized and are ideal for many riders who want a little more cushion but still a lot of efficiency. This is also the primary choice for those who race.
The next category is the 120 mm bikes (roughly 5″). These are best for all-around use. Not necessarily a racer, but like to go fast. Still, a rider on a 120mm bike (like the Camber from Specialized) doesn’t like to be limited in where they ride.
140 mm bikes (5.5″) are the top end for most riders in the Midwest, though as trail design becomes more technical, there is a home for these and more for riders who want it. 140 class bikes are the true jack of all trades. This is a bike for riders who like to travel for riding, but don’t want to invest in separate bikes for different terrain. Fully capable pedaling uphill and a blast on downhills, bikes in this category include the Stumpjumper FSR from Specialized.
The final category of bikes are those at 6″ of travel and more. If you’re looking for one of these bikes, you’ve typically had some time riding, you know how you ride and where you ride. There are tradeoffs for more travel like less efficiency climbing for a bigger smile descending. Erik’s stocks a few of these bikes such as the Stumpjumper FSR EVO models, but other models like the Enduro and Demo fall into this class as well.
Full-Suspension Mountain Bikes
The Stumpjumper is a classic in the mountain bike world, but the Stumpjumper FSR here is no antique!
Full-suspension bikes ride best when set up properly – knowing rider weight (dry weight plus gear on ride) is important to setting up the suspension to get the most out of it. There’s a lot of tuning that can be done to improve the handling, but before test riding any bike, make sure it’s set for you.
Rider Profile
Surface: Unimproved, trails can be made of dirt, gravel, rock or loose surface. Single track or wide open fire roads.
Riding Style: Riders who want to go faster, further or just to ride more comfortably.
Ride distance: Dependent more on rider ability and experience. A properly fit bike is the most important part in performance.
Extras: Suspension set up is key. The bike should squat slightly (what is called ‘sag’) when you sit on the saddle.
Fit Notes: Rider position differs from model to model, with bikes like the epic being more forward – as the suspension increases in travel, the rider position will generally become closer to vertical (though never straight up and down).
Examples: Specialized; (by travel from short to long) Epic, Camber, Stumpjumper FSR, Stumpjumper FSR EVO, Enduro, Status and Demo for men; Myka FSR and Rumor for women.
In the next installment we’ll discuss the place of “Fat” bikes in mountain biking.
TD Five Boro Bike Tour Report
Our entry today comes from Jason, Erik’s Director of Bicycle Purchasing. Jason recently returned from the TD Five Boro Bike Tour and gave this report:
Last weekend I was invited by Raleigh to attend the TD Five Boro Bike Tour in New York City. This ride is a Ciclovía type event. Roads normally off limits to bikes, or very bike unfriendly, are shut down for the exclusive use of riders. In this case some historic roads and bridges in the 5 boroughs of NYC. 32,000 fellow riders took to the streets to celebrate cycling with amazing freedom. While plenty of people saw it as a opportunity to push the pace, plenty of others were there to just enjoy the ride. (BTW Minneapolis has a version of open streets, check it out here: http://openstreetsmpls.com/ [Madison's version is called Ride the Drive])
We started off in Manhattan, heading up through Midtown to Central Park. With the recent events in Boston, security was a huge concern. The NYPD had a huge presence, with officers at every single intersection of the 45 miles. They employed just about every type of vehicle as well, from helicopters to bikes.
We crossed over to the Bronx briefly before heading down to the Queensboro bridge.
Then down though Queens and Brooklyn to the Verrazano Bridge. Not a bridge you would want to ride on normally, but a great view of Manhattan and the surrounding area.
The ride ended on Staten Island and a ferry trip back to Manhattan.
When the ride was over, Raleigh National Sales Manager and consummate Italian, George Simone led the group to Little Italy for the requisite pranzo/lunch. If you are in the area I can highly recommend La Mela.
During the day we met some interesting folks. Reflecting the nature of the city itself the riders were of extremely varied backgrounds. The group that stood out the most was 3 gentleman who had flown in from Australia just for this event. Quite a bit of flying, but it is a very special event. Of course these guys happened to be riding the aluminum version of the Raleigh Revenio, and were quite happy with their choice.
The roads may have been shut down, but the potholes and rough pavement of the city remained. I was very happy to have the use of the Revenio Carbon 4 for the weekend. The Revenio is an endurance road bike with the geometry and frame engineering to provide a comfortable ride and high performance. The 4 also uses Shimano Ultegra Di2 so shifting is extremely sharp. It served me well not only during the tour but in navigating the crazy Tetris of taxi and pedestrian traffic while checking out Manhattan bikes shops. A couple of the more interesting shops in town, NYC Velo and Chari & Co are worth a look. And you’ll want to rent a bike while you are there.
Have you considered traveling with your biking in mind? Erik’s staff has been all over the country riding and we get as excited as you do for the next big adventure. We can even get your bike working right and boxed for shipping in our service department. Whether it’s a day trip to a new trail or road or something across the country; from recreation to race, and from Alaska to Wyoming and everywhere in between.
What ride or rides do you have on your bucket list?
Get the Right Bike – Hardtail Mountain Bikes
The trail in front of you slips silently into the trees, and the temperature eases as you move deeper into the shade. Pockets of light zip by as you meet every new turn and rise in the trail. An owl, who was perched overhead a second ago moves silently away from you to search for a better hunting spot. The woods are painted in a myriad of colors depending on the season; mostly greens and browns, but peaks of showy purples, bright yellow and soft pinks display themselves hear and there, and if this is your first mountain bike, you just missed it all. Why? Well, for starters, your eyes are glued somewhere on the ribbon of dirt about 3 feet in front of you, and you are traveling at a pace that if you went slower, you would have to put a foot down. Relax – the first time mountain biking is like the first time in a big crowd. There’s a lot to see – so much that all you can do is focus on the section right in front of you. By the end of your first ride you feel more comfortable, by the end of your second or third ride, you notice that owl fly away.
How do you want to ride?
For mountain biking, like other styles, we want to start with how you will ride. Where you want to ride (what trails you know about already or are near you) as well as long-term goals (riding out west, mastering a skill, entering a race) and who you ride with are all important questions. If you are unsure, we’d love to talk mountain biking with you – we’d even like to welcome you on one of our Erik’s Rider’s Club Rides.
For most riders in general, a “hardtail” mountain bike is appropriate for your first bike, and for much of the trails in Minnesota and Wisconsin it’s the best all around choice. In the past there has been a debate about wheel size, but where we live and where hardtails are concerned, 29-inch wheels are the way to go. For a new rider especially, 29-inch wheels (also called a 29er) make it easier to clear obstacles such as logs or rocks in the trail, and lower the center of gravity of the rider relative to the bike which creates a more stable bike. The added benefit is as your confidence grows, it’s also a faster wheel allowing you to better keep up.
Hardtail Mountain Bikes
Many bikes will grow well with a rider’s abilities, but the Carve from Specialized is a standout among them.
Hardtail mountain bikes are so-called because of the rigid back end to the frame. Suspension is provided by a fork up front and proper tire pressure. These bikes are more simple in design than full suspension bikes, making them great for casual riders or even people looking for the lightest mountain bike possible. They are typically made of aluminum or carbon fiber, and are well-suited to trails without big drops or a highly technical design.
Rider Profile
Surface: Unimproved, trails can be made of dirt, gravel, rock or loose surface. Single track or wide open fire roads.
Riding Style: People who like to ride the trail, maybe go fast, not necessarily technical riders
Ride distance: Dependent more on rider ability and experience. A properly fit bike is the most important part in performance.
Extras: Suspension in the front smooths the trail and helps maintain control.
Fit Notes: Rider position is slightly bent, but more upright than a road bike is typically.
Examples: Specialized: Stumpjumper HT, Carve, Rockhopper, Hardrock for men and Fate, Jett and Myka HT for women. Raleigh: Talus, XXIX for men and Eva for women
Next time, we’ll go over full suspension bikes and how they differ. Later on we’ll cover specialty mountain bikes as well as some features that are unique to mountain bikes beyond suspension and knobby tires.
Get the Right Bike – Mountain Bikes and Why We Ride.
Where will the trail take you?
Mountain biking is the newest style of bicycling when compared to all things bike related, but even mountain biking has split into distinct styles in recent years. As residents of the Midwest, we don’t have “mountains” exactly, but we have plenty of elevation change to experience the ups and downs and roller-coaster thrills. Organizations like IMBA have done a great deal to support the growth and development of sustainable trails and biking opportunities in the US – this has led to an explosion of trails and experiences for every level of rider. In Wisconsin notable trails include Levis-Trow, Rock Lake in the Chequamegon National Forest and more; in Minnesota, Lebanon Hills in the Twin Cities, The Cuyuna Lakes MTB trails and the soon-to-be-open Spirit Mountain Flow Trail are a few of the many options available to mountain bikers.
Here, a rider tries out the Flow Trail at Spirit Mountain: Trails are designed for riders of all levels, and it only takes a little time on the trail to develop the skills for more technical areas. What better way to enjoy the outdoors?
Why We Ride
The reasons to mountain bike are many; trails are well clear of vehicle traffic, it’s fun to explore, greater chances to see wildlife, the varying challenge of trails, and on a hot day it’s cooler in the woods! Mountain biking is social in a way that road biking is not – because trails are typically narrow, you spend a lot of time single file – but the option is there for rest breaks to talk, grab a drink of water and enjoy the day. Mountain biking can be as casual or competitive as you desire, but you can always be challenged at a level you still feel comfortable with.
Being Prepared
One thing is for sure – when it comes to getting out and enjoying, getting out and getting home is the second part of the equation. Be prepared on the trail with food and water, as well as the essentials to get your bike going if you get a flat.
Items to Carry:
If you’re unsure on how to use any of the above, stop in one of our shops, or sign up for one of the Park Tool School classes we offer.
In the next installments, we will discuss why you ride and what mountain bike might be right for you. With many options available, you are sure find a bike that will allow you to get out and enjoy the dirt!
Fit Friday – Fit Impressions from an Erik’s Regional Road Team Racer
Erik’s is excited about our Regional Road Race Team this season. As part of this, we have 10 riders across Minnesota and Wisconsin who train and race hard all season long. Many of these riders have been into biking for a long time and have tried countless setups and adjustments to be comfortable on the bike. We have taken the time with each one of these riders to fit them this season to their Specialized Venge‘s, then we turned them loose on racing and training. Recently we asked how the fit was working for Marc Kermisch who is based out of Minneapolis – what follows is his response.
Team members talking before the Durand Road Race – Image Prenzlow Perspectives
As a precursor to my answers below, let me start by saying I have been dealing with muscle imbalances and tightness on my right side for years. It has been a constant struggle to deal with the issues, which ultimately result in knee pain in my right knee. Overall the BG Fit reconfirmed the issues that we needed to address and the final fit did a great job getting me into a comfortable position that continues to allow me to maximize performance while managing my body alignment issues.
1. What did you find interesting that the fit process revealed: I have had several fits over the past few years and the BG Fit process was simply great. It did several things for me. First, the pre-fit assessment confirmed many of the flexibility and inflexibility issues that I have. In addition, spending time with Greg just talking about the challenges that I have had, ways that I have tried to address them and what we can look for during the fit process was very helpful. It made the time on the bike and the observations that Greg made and the feedback that I could provide that much more valuable.
It was great to be able to see the results of the fit on the video screen immediately. My favorite part was being able to compare two different fit positions and see how they impacted my position. That was the best part in my mind, besides the insights that Greg provided along the way.
Finally, Greg was patient and took his time. We did two bikes in four hours and many other fitters have a mentality of getting you in and out of the process as fast as possible. Greg never rushed our time and we experimented several times to see what the result would be. Each experiment led to incremental improvements in the fit.
2. What change to your fit do you feel was significant? The most significant change was going to a 80MM stem from a 70MM stem on my other bikes. Over the past year I went from a 120 to a 75 to a 70 and now back to an 80 MM stem. In addition, we changed the seat out from my tried and true Fizik to the Specialized seat. On my time trial bike, this was a more significant change as I was always sliding during my TT efforts, and my new Romin EVO saddle is awesome. The last change was reducing the float on my Speedplay Zero cleats. This forced me to keep my legs in a more natural position. My feet naturally tended to have the heel turn in and would rub against the crank at times. During sprints, the high float would be very noticeable as I increase my effort and cadence. During sprints now I feel that I am not wasting energy.
3. How has that change affected your riding, training and racing so far. Overall, the fit has allowed me to push myself harder during training and remain comfortable for longer training and racing efforts. Pain I normally would start to experience in my right side or shoulders simply does not happen. Since the fit I have done short, hard crits to 7 hour training sessions. In both of those situations and pretty much everything in between, the fit has played a major part to maximizing my fitness, avoiding injury and staying comfortable on the bike.
I have many bikes and have dialed them in pretty well over the years. Switching to a new bike made me nervous, but the BG FIT took all my concerns and swept them away. Thanks for letting me have this experience with my new Venge.
What about those of us who don’t race?
These are the benefits we talk about time and time again with riders. Whatever your ability level or style of riding, a properly fit bike is the best upgrade you can make. The benefits are greater comfort and efficiency along with the ability to rider further, for longer, or even faster. What is stopping you from enjoying biking more?
Group Rides are go! Erik’s Rider’s Club
Spring arrived this past week in Minnesota and Wisconsin, and you may be itching to get your bike on the road or trail. While the mountain bike trails still need a little while to dry out, the roads and paths around Erik’s locations are in great riding condition. Erik’s Rider’s Club rides began this week and we have rides out of every shop! Whether you like speed, a casual ride after work, or a trip to the local mountain bike trails, we invite you to come along. There’s no cost to participate, though there are benefits to being a member. All we ask is you wear a helmet and sign a waiver.
Below is a map of ride start locations in the Minneapolis/Saint Paul Metro – for more detailed listings near you, click the image to see our rides in Eau Claire, Madison, Saint Cloud, and Rochester as well.
Click the Map for more information on Rider’s Club Rides and Membership information.
Joining Erik’s Rider’s Club is easy – just visit one of our stores and pick out a jersey – club membership is included and is a lifetime membership. Members receive 10% off in-stock clothing and accessories every day as well as exclusive Rider’s Club deals each month and discounts on Park Tool School classes.
Specialized Turbo E-Bike – New at Erik’s
This week, Erik’s staff went to Denver for the launch of Specialized’s new electric bike (eBike) offering, the Turbo. Aside from being tons of fun, the purpose of the Denver trip was to learn just how different this eBike is. In Specialized’s words, the goal was to create “a speed focused, high-tech urban bike that looks and performs like a fast bike should… and just happens to have a motor!” In the words of JJ, Erik’s Technical Sales and Service Trainer, “…it handles like a bike allowing me to navigate through traffic [while] passing cars.” The aim of the Turbo is to be different than other eBikes on the market – with speed, efficiency and style rolled into one.
So why are we so excited about an eBike? Many of us would love to park the car and ride to work but for various reasons it doesn’t fit in our schedule. Other riders love getting out but may have physical issues that prevent them from riding as fast as they would like to keep up with others (prostheses, asthma, fitness level). An eBike like the Turbo is a great answer for these reasons and more. With a top speed of 28 MPH, commuters can come into the office fresh and ready for the day, saving the workout for on the ride home. If you just need a boost to keep up with other riders, the Turbo’s pedal assist motor means less effort to achieve a given speed – you work less to keep up! Run time is 1 hour on full power mode, but when used in assist mode, mileage and time can be varied. The Turbo even has a regeneration mode that allows you to recover some of the energy back to the battery.
Erik’s Staff navigates Denver’s roads on the new Turbo from Specialized
You’ve probably noticed the capes by now. Even though we’re “adults”, no one complains about feeling like they’ve got super powers. Riding the Turbo in Denver, Erik’s staff had bike super powers. JJ said, “I do not remember ever hearing the motor, giving me the sense of still riding a bicycle. I really wanted to keep riding it and explore the rest of the city!” If you’re still skeptical about e-bikes, wait until you see the Turbo – they should be arriving in the next couple weeks. In the meantime we’d like to leave you with more pictures of people in capes.
Fit Friday – More to come!
We know we missed a Fit Friday article, but we wanted to note it’s for a good reason. We’ve been spending time in the fit studio as well as the editing room to wrap up some filming. We realize that a lot of people don’t understand what bike fitting is or how it can benefit them, so we broke it down and interviewed different riders on their fit experience (That’s also why we wrote the post on Sizing vs Fit). Shortly, we will be adding these videos to our website, but we wanted to share them here first.
Take a look, and enjoy. Even as we stare at what they say will be the last winter storm of the year, we can at least think of long rides to come.We’ll share more as we update the pages – in the meantime, get whatever miles you can in! See you on the road or trail.
New Store Locations Coming Soon – MN and WI
Stay tuned for more information on opening dates – we hope you’ll visit the staff at Whitefish Bay on your next ride!
If you haven’t heard the news already, we’re getting ready to add two new stores into the mix. The first, in Whitefish Bay just outside of Milwaukee, Wisconsin is a great location for us. With 3 stores currently in Madison, we found that a number of our customers were traveling to visit our stores from more than just within Madison. The store, which is just blocks from Lake Michigan is in a great community with great riding as well! We’re excited to bring our service and expertise to the Milwaukee area and plan to open later this summer.
The second addition, on Ford Parkway in Saint Paul, Minnesota will be located in the old Ray Busch union hall. Because of the recent change from the Ford Motors Plant closure, the Star Tribune and Line Media have both written articles. Located on the border of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, and right near the Mississippi River Parkway, the area is also home to some of the best bicycling in the Twin Cities! Currently, a late summer opening is planned. In both the Ford Parkway and Whitefish Bay Locations, we have some new design ideas planned to improve customer experience in the stores.
Please stay tuned for more information on opening dates for the stores.
