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Hi Dan,
Here is the Salem Cycle cycling newsletter - I hope you like it. In this edition you will find:
Be Green, Save Green - Filling up your tank 3-4 times = A New Bike
Did you get your Tax Stimulus check? Check Here to see our ideas on how to use it and save money, too!
We still have a lot of mens and womens aparrel on sale for up to 50% off! All In-Stock Full Suspension bikes are 10% - 20% off! Have you seen our new womens section with bikes, grips, helmets, saddles, clothing and more all designed especially for women. Also a good place to find gift ideas for Mom.
Group rides - Learn how to ride in a group or join us for one.
Reasons to Ride- More than 40 reasons to ride your bike.
Bicycle Advocacy- Celebrate Bike To Work Month's 52nd anniversary.
Repair and Maintenance- Four simple steps to a happy bike.
We will do our best to include articles relevant to you and your lifestyle. If you have any article suggestions or sections you would like to see included please let us know.
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How To Ride In A Group
Salem Cycle has group rides listed here
Don't overlap wheels. If you get between two riders, slowly back out by coasting or sitting up to let your body catch some wind. This will slow you down without having to use the brakes. It also signals the rider behind that you are slowing. Riders behind you can't see you touch the brakes but they will see you sit up. Remember, if you brake in the pack, then everyone has to brake accordingly.
Don't ride centered on the wheel in front of you. You may ride close to the rider in front of you if that rider is steady, but always stay a few inches to one side. This will help you avoid colliding with that rider if he or she is forced to decelerate suddenly.
Don't change position in the group. If you must change position, before you move to either side, make sure another rider is not overlapping you. Don't move abruptly. It is better to hit a hole than to swerve and cause a crash. If you are smooth and steady then everyone else will feel safer and riders near you may be able to react and avoid crashing. When cornering hold your line so other riders can follow through and maintain speed. Learn how to corner properly so the group does not get slowed very much.
Don't ride the brakes. When you brake everyone behind you also must brake. This is normal if you come to a turn or stoplight, but if you are the only one braking then the group also has to brake and the rhythm is broken. Keep your hands near the brakes so you can brake if necessary but do so gradually. Never brake hard.
Use caution when standing. When you stand to accelerate or climb the bike tends to hesitate. A rider behind you will not expect this and may touch your wheel and fall. Practice getting out of the saddle as one leg starts a down stroke and the bike is much less likely to hesitate and cause problems for riders behind you.
Be aware. Always pay attention to the road and what vehicles around you are doing. Watch the road in front of you and as far ahead as you can see. There may be potholes or road grates that are hazardous. The lead rider should call out and identify these but may not do so. You must look out for yourself! Following riders should call out approaching cars. At unmarked intersections lead riders should warn of oncoming traffic.
Do not run stop signs or red lights!
Protect yourself.
If you find yourself in a dangerous situation in a group, you should immediately start to work your way out. Don't ride in the middle of the pack unless you know the riders with you and are confident they are safe. Until you are experienced stay out of the main group and ride near the back. The safest places are the front or the back. The back is best because until you get the necessary experience you can observe the better riders and learn how to handle the bike. If other riders get too close either move away or ask them to move. When passing a rider closely inform them you are there by saying, "On your left" or "On your right" as the case may be.
By following the above rules everyone should have a safe and enjoyable ride.
*Be Prepared. Always bring at least 1 full water bottle, although I recommend 2 and plan on drinking at least 1 bottle per hour of riding. Make sure you bring a spare tube and the tools to change a flat, even if you need help changing the flat it is good to have the right tube for you bike. |
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"The bicycle is the most efficient machine ever created: Converting calories into gas, a bicycle gets the equivalent of three thousand miles per gallon." ~Bill Strickland, The Quotable Cyclist
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- Bicycles Increase Mobility For Those Who Don't Have Access To Motor Transport.
- Bikes Increase Mobility For Those Who Don't Qualify To Drive A Car.
- Bicycles Increase Mobility For Those Who Can't Afford Motor Transport.
- Bikes Increase Mobility For Those Who Don't Want To Drive Motor Vehicles.
- There Are 28 Miles Of Bike Trails In The City of Seattle.
- Bicycling Is The Most Efficient Form Of Transportation Ever Invented.
- You Get Exercise From Bicycling
- Save Travel Money By Biking
- Reduce Stress
- Biking Is Therapeutic For The Mind & Spirit
- Cycling Is Therapeutic For The Body
- Your Commute Will Be The Best Part Of Your Day Instead Of The Worst Part Of Your Day.
- Cycling Improves Self-Esteem
- Save On The Membership To A Health Club, Get Your Exercise Bicycling To Work
- Cycling Is Low Impact On The Body
- Cycling Is Low Impact On The Environment
- Bicycling In Your Neighborhood Is A Great Way To Meet Your Neighbors
- Camaraderie of Cyclists Makes It A Great Way To Meet A Nice Stranger With A Similar Interest
- Bicyclist Can Ignore the Traffic Reports
- Feel the Self-satisfaction Of Biking Past A Traffic Jam In The Bike Lane.
- Predictable Commute Time
- Easier Parking
- Cheaper Parking
- Leaving Your Car At Home Provide A Parking Space For Someone Less Fortunate
- If You Are Lazy, Your Bicycle Provides Door-To-Door Transport (You Don't Have To Walk Across A Vast Parking Lot)
- Reduce Demand For Parking Lots
- Reduce Energy Consumption (see below)
- Reduce Air Pollution -- Bicyclist Emit Few Gases
- Reduce Water Pollution -- Bikes Don't Drip Brake Fluid, Anti-Freeze, Transmission Fluid, Etc.
- Reduce Noise Pollution -- Even Without A Muffler Bikes Are Quiet
- Reduces Road Wear -- Even If Cyclist Feel Like They Have The Weight Of The World On Their Shoulders.
- A four mile bicycle trip keeps about 15 pounds of pollutants out of the air we breathe.
- 40% Of All Trips In The U.S. Are Within Two Miles Of Home.
- Prevent and protest the sanctioned murder (homicide by motor-vehicle) of responsible citizens.
- Bikes Small Profile Reduce Congestion
- Motor Vehicle Emissions Cause More Than Half Of The Northwest's Air Pollution.
- Reduce Need To Lay Additional Asphalt And Concrete
- Easier to Vary Your Route By Bicycle
- Bicycling Improves Cardio-Vascular Health
- Better muscle tone, bone mass improvement, clearer skin
- Healthier People Have Lower Health Care Expenses
- New bicycle commuters can expect to lose 13 pounds their first year of bicycle commuting.
- The Exercise Increase Your Productivity At Work
- Increased Bike Uses Generates Bike Facilities Which Increase Property Values
- Bicycling Gives You More Fresh Air Than A Sauna And You Can Still Sweat And Clean Your Pores
- Bike Commuting Is A License To Dress Weird And Still Feel Smug
- Urban Cycling Keeps You Humble
- Biking Is Virtually Life Long Activity
- Bicycling Can Be Enjoyed In A Wide Variety Of Topography
- Cycling Can Be Enjoyed In A Wide Variety Of Climates
- Bicycles Are A Great Means To See The World
- Bicycling is cool.
- Biking Is Fun.
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"Get a bicycle. You will not regret it if you live." ~Mark Twain
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May is National Bike Month
Celebrating 50 Years!
Bike-to-Work Week is May 14-18, 2007
Bike-to-Work Day is May 18, 2007
When Bike Month was started in 1956, the idea of more than $5 billion set aside in a federal transportation bill for bicycling was impossible to imagine. Now 50 years later
, SAFETEA-LU sets aside just that amount and Bike Month is celebrated by hundreds of thousands of people across the United States.
So in commemoration of this special event, held each May, the League of American Bicyclists has thought of:
50 ways to celebrate Bike Month:
1. Track community miles.
2. Decorate a cake or cookies with a bicycle theme.
3. Ride with your child to school.
4. Go to a bicycle festival.
5. Try a new type of cycling such as Cyclocross racing.
6. Make a CD of
songs with the word bicycle in the title or band name.
7. Become a League Cycling Instructor.
8. Visit the bike museum in Buffalo, NY.
9. Do your first century (100 miles on a bike).
10. Give a progressive dinner or murder mystery game on a bike.
11. Join your local bicycle club.
12. Join your local advocacy group. www.massbike.org
13. Join the Bike League!
www.bikeleague.org
14. Do a chalk drawing in front of your house wishing a happy birthday to bicycling.
15. Take a League education class.
16. Throw a Bike Fest.
17. Wear
spandex to your next board meeting.
18. Write your congressman about the importance of bicycling.
19. Plan a
cycling vacation.
20. Organize a neighborhood bike parade.
21. Submit a photo of you on your first bike to the League.
22. Commute to work on a
bike!
23. Rent a book on the history of bicycling from your local library.
24. Organize a group to clean the local bike trail.
25. Work with your state DOT to clean the shoulders of a great riding road.
26. Visit the Bicycling Hall of Fame in Somerville, NJ.
27. Visit the Bicycle Museum of Ohio in New Bremen.
28. Attend a local cycling race.
29. Purchase a Share the Road license plate in your state, if available.
30. Participate in IMBA's Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day in October
31. Attach a playing card to your bike wheel and ride around like you did when you were a kid.
32. Be inspired by a faster rider than you.
33. Take a family ride on a local trail.
34. Attend a Mayor's Bicycle Advisory Committee Meeting in your town.
35. Put on a bike rodeo in your kid's school.
36. Invite your mayor to sign the Bicycle Friendly Community action plan.
37. Rent a
classic bicycling movie and have a screening.
38. Ask your employer to install bike racks at your workplace.
39. Write a letter to the editor of your local paper on the virtues of bicycling.
40. Attend your
first bike race.
41. Invite your local official to ride with you on your next outing.
42. Go to a "Bike Town" event.
43. Write a "thank you" letter to your local advocacy group for the work they do.
44. Start your own local advocacy group if you have no one to write to.
45. Buy the new League jersey and wear it everywhere.
46. Ask your employer to provide showers at work.
47. Download the Bike Month Organizers Kit from the www.bikeleague.org and plan your own event.
48. Ride a different bike then usual: try a tandem, a tricycle or a unicycle.
49. Teach a child to ride a bicycle or sign them up for a League kids' course.
50. Start planning for Bike Month 2008!
Source: www.bikeleague.org/programs/bikemonth/
, the official site of the League of American Bicyclists, 1612 K Street NW, Suite 800, Washington, DC 2006. 202-822-1333, bikeleague@bikeleague.org |
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FOUR EASY STEPS TO A
CLEAN AND HAPPY BIKE
For many people cleaning a bicycle is on scale with a trip to the dentist. But cleaning a bike is one of the quickest ways to improve its ride and feel.
There are four steps to follow when cleaning your bike. Degrease, Clean, Polish and lubricate.
DEGREASE - Apply a small amount of a degreaser, such as Finish Line Speed Clean directly to the part to be cleaned. Scrub the bare metal parts of your drivetrain (chain, cassette, chainrings, etc.) Use caution with any citrus degreaser around rubber and plastic. After degreasing, rinse with water.
CLEAN - Spray Finish Line Super Bike Wash over the entire bike. Using a different brush, clean all aspects of the bike. Bio Cleaner is safe to use everywhere, so use it liberally. After cleaning, rinse with water and dry.
POLISH - Apply Pedro's Bike Lust to frame. Buff with soft cloth. Bike Lust will reduce the appearance of scratches and provide UV protection to your frame.
LUBRICATE - choosing a lubricant that is appropriate for your riding conditions, lubricate the chain of your bicycle. Some lubricants require removing excess lube so read the directions of the bottle before applying. Try Prolink Chain Lube,
Finish Line Teflon Plus Dry Lube, Triflow Teflon Chain Lube, or any of the other great lubes available at Salem Cycle.
Lazy or just too busy, try Finish Line Metro Lube for a simple One-Step chain cleaner and lubricant. Or for another option check out the
Finish Line Shoop Chain Cleaner
By following these four easy steps you can ensure that your bike is clean, lubricated and fast. To clean yourself up afterwards or during you bike cleanup try Citra-Wipes. |
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