Flat Protection – Tough Tires, Liners & Sealant

by: Bob Bryant on February 14th, 2013, posted in: Articles, Stuff We Like, Tech

We sell a hand selected mix of tires. We like to go as fast as anyone else, but durability and NOT getting flat tires is our priority. With this in mind, we carry tires from Kenda & Schwalbe and we are testing Rubena tires. A decent middle-of-the-road Kenda tire sells for $18-$25 – more if we upgrade to the K-Shield variety with a built in liner material. The toughest tires, also with a built in liner shielf,  are Schwalbes, Marathon & Marathon Plus. These start at $39.95. If you have basic tires on your bike – we can add tire liners, a protective belt placed between the tire & tube (approx $9 per liner + labor).

We are big fans of tube sealant. This is 4 fl. oz. of  green goop that goes into each one of your tubes. The idea is that if you run over a thorn, staple or nail, the sealant seals the hole before your tire goes flat (we’ve tested this and have seen it work). We love Flat Attack (approx $5 + labor per tire). We can apply sealant to your existing Schraeder valve tubes or order new Presta tubes with sealant already in them. We do have customers that use Thorn Proof Tubes with good success, but they feel heavy and slow you down.  Check out this Flat Attack video for more information.

Wald Giant Delivery

by: Bob Bryant on February 6th, 2013, posted in: Stuff We Like, Tech

We love Wald baskets. They are made in the USA and offer great utility for the cost. You can carry a bag, purse, briefcase, laptop case, groceries &  more. They come in many different sizes  on up to the pictured Giant Delivery.

We also offer quick release baskets where the mount stays on the bike and the basket turns into market basket for shopping.

Bike pictured is a customized Sun Drifter 7 owned & ridden around town by our customer Jeff. 

Ridekick Trailer Arrives

by: Bob Bryant on March 9th, 2012, posted in: Bikes For Sale, Electric, Tech

We have just become a dealer for Ridekick electric trailers. The 43-pound trailer houses the electric motor, charger and batteries. The electric motor in the trailer drives the trailer wheel via chain, which pushes the bike. The batteries can be charged onboard or easily removed for recharging (takes 4-6 hours). I can carry my laptop case, a book or two and my lunch or perhaps a bag or two of groceries inside the lockable trailer.

The range is reported to be 12-15 miles. My commute is just shy of 8 miles round trip and my experience thus far suggest I can make it, but I top off the charge at the shop for demo use. The hills around PT really suck up the charge faster as compared to flat terrain and I’m not a lightweight. The batteries are basic, affordable and user-friendly lead-acid. Lighter,  longer range and pricier Lithium Ion batteries are coming soon.

I’m impressed with the design, assembly, and ease of everything so far. I set up a new comfort bike to be my demo tow bike (KHS Town & Country) and it seems ideal. I chose a longer, less hilly route home — though there is still nearly a very long climb. The biggest problem I had was having to shift into my large chainring too often (faster cruising speed). The handling of the trailer is really very good with no negative traits from the pusher trailer.

Stop by and see the new Ridekick today. We’ll shoot a Ridekick video soon.
Update 3/10/12: The trailer did great in the rain this morning – but need a full rear fender on the  KHS T&C (currently has a QR fender). I took a more direct route, and tried to conserve power – made it to and from work in 6/10 of a charge. Also rode in coffee shop pal, David’s, Zenn eCar. He gave me a lesson on how to take care of ebike & eCar batteries.
It occurred to me yesterday while riding home that I’m no longer using my small chainring up front. The Ridekick has me using my mid-range gears on the climbs and large chainring up front on the flats.