The Bike Route Blog
86 years young!
Marv Gibbs has kept young on his Cannondale pedal assist road bike. Riding 130 miles a week has ranked him number 2 in the nation on registered Cannondale E-Bike riders.
E-Bikes
E-Bikes are more popular now then ever. People of all ages are getting them for transportation or just wanting to be out biking longer and farther then they normally would. Batteries are mostly Lithium Ion and very reliable. We are seeing thousands of companies that make them. Some companies are here today and gone tomorrow. If you are considering buying one, here are a few tips to help you not get taken or stuck with a electric bike that can not be fixed.
First do some research on the company that makes the E-Bike. Make sure they have good reviews on customer service and have parts available. We have seen numerous companies that sell the E-Bike and offer zero customer service. No return e-mails or phone service. This is a big red flag for the future.
Be careful buying any used E-Bike! You could be buying someone else's problems. The batteries can be overcharged and the distance can diminish greatly. You may have enough charge to run around the block, but not enough to go on that long ride. On average batteries should get any where from 20-60 miles. Each manufacturer usually will give you a window of how long the battery will last. If you did buy a bike with a bad battery, the average battery could cost any where from $400-$600.
Check what the warranty is on the E-Bike you are looking at. Most shop quality E-Bikes come with 1-2 year warranty on parts, some have lifetime on the frame. I have seen E-Bikes online have 1 month warranty on everything. This is not uncommon.
Test ride...Test ride... Test ride. Bikes on line may look cool, but do not ride like you envisioned. If the bike is more leaned over then you would like, sometimes we can raise the handle bars. The problem could be the length of the cables. The electrical wires can not be extended. They are normally custom length to the bike. I have seen several online bikes that people have purchased to low and not capable to raise higher.
Lastly, I have worked on some fancy new E-Bikes that have specific parts made just for them. Be Leary of these. You are bound to the mercy of the manufacturer to continue to make the parts that not even an aftermarket part would replace. Companies that do this are Mercedes, BMW, Porsche, Jeep.... These are car manufacturers that want a fancy E-Bike made for them like no other. This then leads to repair problems down the road.
With all this said, do not get discouraged. E-Bikes are fun and very reliable. Just pick a bike shop that has already done the research in the companies. If you can't find a Bike shop that has what your looking for, then do your research and pick a large online company. Not every company on line is bad . There are some good ones. You just have to do the leg work and find them. I would recommend having a bike shop put the E-Bike together. We have customers ship the bike right to us. That way we can catch anything that is wrong and make sure the bike is put together correctly. All these online companies say the bike is ready to ride. That is not true. Gears have limit screws and brakes need to be aligned. We assemble all E-Bikes and E-Trikes.
Good Luck and Happy Riding!
Summer maintenance
Welcome to the wet Florida summer! This is the time of year that you should be switching to the wet lube on your chain. It is thicker than our winter lube. It will not wash off as easily in the rain and will help keep your chain from rusting in the extreme humidity.
Bicycle shortage continues
Here we are and it doesn't seem like things are getting any better with the supply of new bikes and parts. By the time containers are loaded with parts they start the journey to the rest of the world. After a month they make it to their destination, but they may be sitting off shore for months until they can be unloaded. Once they are unloaded the next problem is the shortage of truck drivers and rail cars to move product from the port. This has been going on for the last year and a half.
Now the bicycle service parts that were available have been depleted. They are now allocating parts to the new bicycles that have carried over to the next model year.
Bicycle Seats
Bicycle seats can make or break a ride. You can go from the most enjoyable ride to "Get me off this torture device!".
We feel your pain, so we've come up with some solutions that may solve the problem. We have picked from many seat companies that offer a buy and try guarantee. We can help you narrow your search down and you take it home to try it.
GoodR Polarized Glasses
We just received our first shipment of polarized sport sunglasses. They are fashionable and stay in place while doing strenuous exercise. Come in and check out the fun colors. The best part is they are only $25-$35!
Electra Cafe Moto Go
Go as fast as you want. Go as far as you want. Go like a bat out of hell. Highly stylized from top to bottom, this limited edition cafe racer-inspired ride takes e-bikes to the next level. The Café Moto Go! is powered by a Bosch Performance Speed motor and can reach top assisted speeds of 28 mph and hydraulic disc brakes capable of handling all that power. Additionally, the drivetrain uses the Gates Carbon Belt Drive system that is nearly maintenance free, exceptionally smooth and virtually silent while shifting
Cannondale Treadwell
For under $1,000, reconnect with the joy of riding while also tracking your stats with the Cannondale Treadwell bicycle.
When designers at Cannondale sat down to build a new breed of fitness/commuter bike, their goal was to reconnecting riders with the happiness and freedom of being a kid on a bike. They also wanted to build a bike with design aesthetics and features to appeal to millennials: connectivity and the seamless integration of technology.
Enter the Treadwell. Whether you call it a fitness bike, neighborhood cruiser, or daily driver, the Cannondale Treadwell is retro without being gimmicky, delightfully efficient, and a whole lot of fun to ride.
MIPS
Cycling helmets are designed to protect riders from head injuries, but with brands constantly competing to create the best bike helmet, other factors also come in to play: comfort, aerodynamics and breathability being key opportunities for competition. Helmets only last 5-7 years and maybe less in hot climates and need to be replaced after any accident. When replacing your helmet you might want to consider a MIPS system. It is molded into the helmet to further slow down the inertia to the brain in a crash. They started making the MIPS system in motorcycle helmets and now this technology is available bicycle helmets. It is a great system that works and if your not familiar with it, the video below will answer all your questions.
Specialized being the innovator that they are has gone one step further and developed a device called "ANGI". ANGI connects with your phone and in the event of a crash will message your selected contacts that you were in a crash and send them your GPS coordinates. Great for people that ride alone on road or off.
Cycling Glasses
We have a new sunglass that has been selling very well. For $10 you get cool style, shatter proof, Uv protection.... They wrap around your face and have smaller sizes. Great for all sports or work.
- Polycarbonate construction provides light weight and all-day comfort.
- Incredibly light, all-around impact protection.
- Soft, flexible nosepiece and rubber temples provide extra comfort.
- Full frame spectacle weighing less than one ounce.
Life in your 90's
Enjoying life and being healthy after turning 90 is an achievement in itself, but Betty Cox, now 91, didn’t want to stop there. Together with her husband Graham, 86, she bought a tandem bicycle, so they could still enjoy their life-long passion. And after just one season of riding, they managed to clock up astonishing 1,000 miles. Video
Electrified Road Bike
Dennis wanted to go farther and stay on his bike longer. With several modes of assistance he can do that.
Update- The Copenhagen wheel is no longer being produced. It seems that they have turned towards electric scooters.
Second Update- Copenhagen Wheel had over 5,000 miles on it and was going strong until the app stopped working. Unfortunately Copenhagen wheel company is not supporting the app!