Mountain bike riding without a first aid kit?

If you find yourself road cycling, touring, or mountain bike riding without a first aid kit, you may want to reevaluate the importance of certain items needed for your rides. No one likes having to stumble into the drug store after suffering a nasty spill, covered in road rash! Carrying a first aid kit is just as important as riding your bicycle with a cell phone, pump, spare tube, tire levers and patch kit.

This Life Line first aid kit is a good start for cycling.

It is a certainty that you will encounter an accident or a flat when biking. Be prepared. Basic kits like the 85 piece Life Line first aid kit will be your go-to when the going gets tough. Another excellent choice is the Brave Soldier crash pack, custom designed for road rash injuries. I always like to add a few extra items to my kits including hydrogen peroxide, extra gauze and saline solution. Make sure you consult your physician for follow up care after your bicycle accident. My personal recommendation is leave the scalpel at home, though!

S&S Coupler

Do you find yourself often traveling with your bike? You may want to consider choosing a tried and true solution to aid you in those traveling pains associated with bike shipping. If you fly with your bike, you are going to be penalized with oversize charges for the giant box you would be checking onto the plane. Financially speaking, in most cases you are better off renting a bike for a day or two. But, if you are like me, I would much rather ride my own dream machine then some boring rental bike!

This DeSalvo traveled through Istanbul.

S&S Couplers are a common name in the world of high-end bicycles. They provide a practical, space saving solution for transit without compromising the frame’s structural integrity. Couplers can be installed on most frames, but are most common on steel or titanium frames at the time of building, or as a retrofit by a qualified welder.  Essentially, the bike is broken down into two 26” triangles so that it can be packed into a case that is half of what it would be normally. The standard S&S cases are 26″ x 26″ x 10″ which totals to exactly the 62 inch limit.  The cases meet airline regulations for standard checked luggage, as of this post.

Bon Voyage!

Happy New Year!

I hope your holiday was swell. If you are like me, the baked goods and sweets are plentiful during family celebrations. But after a while, you start itching to move, get out of the living room and onto the bike.

Winter is an ideal time for riding your base miles. Keeping a steady and slow pace prepares your body for spring’s intense rides.

Try riding indoors on rollers, which can help your technique and form. Plus, it is a challenge to stay focused on the act of riding itself.

I like to stow a couple of sugar cookies in addition to my regular snack for extra fuel. How else do you think Santa makes it around the world in one night?

The Continental Gator skin is my standard issue on the majority of the road bicycles that I build at the Pro Cycle Works studio. It is phenomenal at contending with glass and road debris, yet maintains a supple, lively ride. Over the years this tire has evolved, starting with improved tread design to the most recent changes, a revised name. Originally, this hand made durable training tire was called the Ultra Gator skin. This tire is ideal for long distances when Caravan support is nowhere to be found.

However, don’t be fooled by the training tire category, its performance and pliable casing might surprise you. This tire has 3 layers of 180tpi of thread casing and Poly X technology, which is extremely dense fabric that helps prevent flats without affecting rolling resistance and minimal impact on rotating mass. The 700×23-folding version weighs in at a respectable at 230grams. This tire is offered in 700c-23-32mm, 27” and 26” options.

My personal favorite size is the 700x25c. Talk about an unbelievable ride with just a bit of cushion! Although you have a 30-gram weight penalty over the 700×23 Gator skin, one can easily justify the added comfort and reduced chance of pinch flats with this option. I prefer the tires at 100psi, but you can pump them all the way up to the max 120psi. This is a regularly stocked item at Pro Cycle Works, see for yourself.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=rVELTxKRoHA

Make sure you lock your bike. Half the benefit of having a lock is the deterrent factor.

I am currently rocking the OnGuard Bulldog Mini U-Lock.

OnGuard Bulldog Mini U-Lock

It’s small enough to carry around when you are riding one handed after picking up tacos. Plus, you can’t beat the price at 30 bucks.

Cheers,

Erik Vitela

Gowalla is a new, Austin based, social media company based on discovering new places and connecting with friends, of course. What better way to meet up with friends than on a bike?

Chris Wood from Sicola Martin put Gowalla in contact with me to help make this interesting idea a reality. Btw, he took my photo above, otherwise, I took the rest. Thanks, Chris.

The Details:

Gowalla wanted the bicycle to have minimal branding. No small task in the cycling world’s in your face advertising! That is why we decided on custom finishes.

Because a commuter needs a durable finish, I chose powdercoating instead of a wet paint option. Each bike was set up with a free wheel to ensure safe, downtown commuting. The rear hub will accommodate a track cog to allow the bike to ride in a “fixie” type manner and have the versatility to flip back to a free wheel.

For tires, I used a larger 700c x 30mm, to allow a plusher ride on downtown Austin’s unforgiving streets. I chose the legendary Selle Italia Turbo saddle to provide unbelievable comfort and style. Oury grips in white, head-up the front to give a smooth and reassuring grip.

The Velocity Deep-V white hoops with machined sidewalls are attached to the traditional high flange hubs, leaving a reliable wheelset that provides adequate braking on top of a bold statement.

The steel frame and fork are set up with rack and fender eyelets to allow this bike to be an ideal commuting rig or a versatile bicycle.

Co-founder Josh Williams commissioned these bikes for his staff as an unbelievable Christmas gift. This was the first time the Pro Cycle Works studio has ever felt like Santa’s Workshop!

I just signed up on Gowalla, so if you use them, throw a shout out.

Best,

-Erik Vitela

Insulated Coffee container

I recently had the opportunity to get my hands on the latest Klean Kanteen insulated 16 oz bottle with loop cap. First off, I am not one to drive and sip coffee and frankly, my commute is too short and I prefer enjoying my cup without any distractions.

The most attractive attribute to me is the fact that this bottle is BPA free, made of 18/8 stainless steel and there is no plastic in-sight to touch my beloved hot Ruta Maya coffee. I really like that the bottle is made with a wide mouth opening.  It’s nice knowing that I have the ability dip my biscotti with ease.

Klean Kanteen does offer a more traditional coffee-sipping lid, but it is made of plastic. The double-wall insulated stainless bottle does a great job keeping my coffee hot for more then enough time here in TX. According to the manufacturer, drinks will stay warm up to 6 hours. I would highly suggest this product to any one who needs a worthy container for their Java. Oh yeah, did I mention it fits in a standard bottle cage?!

Have you checked your chain lately? Manufacturers such as Shimano recommend replacing your chain once the wear reaches between 0.075 mm to 0.1 mm. Using a chain measuring gauge like this Rohloff Caliper 2 chain gauge, allows for fast and easy inspection.

By pressing the tool into the chain, the amount of wear is measured and displayed. Once wear has reached 0.1mm, it is time to replace it. By knowing the wear, you can maximize shifting quality and chain life.

I have seen more flats then I care to count working in the cycling industry, but this is a first! What are the odds you would roll over a nail on a ride? If you have been riding in Austin, I would say pretty good.  This nail clearly had the upper hand advantage  and  penetrated all the way through the DT RR 1.1. Needless to say,  the Continental Gator Skin tire was no match  for this framing nail.

Since the original Chris King hub-set, the benchmark has been set high. King hubs have always had a much more responsive free hub body mechanism than the competition. This is especially noticeable when you are riding and about to attack a hill, or when doing a low speed technical maneuver where modulation of power is critical.  Immediately, you notice the superior engagement of power delivery of King hubs.

Standard King hubs use a 72-tooth drive ring. This design has over 3 times the number of engagement points of a standard free hub body that uses 24 points of engagement!

This revised, road specific hub set weighs about 100 grams less then the standard road version. The front hub weighs 102 grams and the rear weighs in at 215 grams. Various hole configurations available to suit and even low spoke count options, which are ideal for building custom carbon wheels.

Window cut outs on the rear hub, none drive side flange, knocked the weight down further and provide an interesting aesthetic detail. Weight was dropped off of the R45 set by using a titanium ring drive with 45 points of engagement vs. the standard 72. This is still much more response then the 24-point engagement.

Because of the reduced number of engagements, the hub dramatically quiets down. The “angry Bee sound” that has long been synonymous with King hubs is now gone with the past. Lower drag seals that reduce friction while protecting the bearings are now also being used. This minor update may sound ridiculous to some, but others take it very seriously in the world of watts competition.  I can’t wait to get the first ride on them!

Cheers,

Erik Vitela