Trek Ride+ Electronic Assist Bikes

If you think you can't ride a bike for any reason, Trek Ride+ electric assist changes the game. Suddenly pulling a trailer or carrying heavier loads becomes doable. A sweat-free commute becomes a reality. And going up hills is as fun as going down. Ride+. It's your power, plus.
We just sold our first Ride+ bike this past week, and I can tell you (from personal experience now) that they work awesome! They have an easy-to use computer that allows you to easily set the amount of electronic assist - which makes a huge difference. I was riding it around the shop here and rode up our steep ramp. I was barely pedaling and the bike flew on up without any effort. The battery immediately goes into regenerative mode when the brakes are applied, and it can be manually switched to that mode during long descents and coasting. Trek makes four models (in men's and women's) with the ride+ technology: the 7200+, FX+, Valencia+, and the Transport+.  Sweet bikes.

Check Out the NEW 2011 Fuel EX!!

Cyclocross and Tubeless

Racing cyclocross this season?  Here's one of the best tips I think we can give you:  set your bike up tubeless.  Too many people pay gobs of money for a light-weight high-end wheelset hoping it will give them the competitive edge.  Don't get me wrong, I agree with that 100 percent.  The issue is when they then throw in heavy slime-filled tubes to prevent flats.  Half the time you'll end up with a flat anyway, and you've now added at least four ounces per wheel...that's a half a pound of rotational weight!  I've been in so many races where I watch rider after rider pull out to switch a wheel or fix a flat.  9 times out of 10 that ruins the race for you.  But not me...I haven't had a flat in a cyclocross race since switching, and I'm running about five years on my mountain bike without a flat.  Without a doubt, when done right, tubeless works!  

Most of the wheels you'd use in a cyclocross race will have to be converted to work right.  The Stan's No Tubes conversion kit is affordable and works great.  Last year I road the Bontrager RXL wheels with a Stan's kit and the Hutchinson Bulldog tubeless tires.  I never had any leaking issues or flats.  Some wheels come ready to go.  Mavic and Shimano have good tubeless options that only require a tubeless tire and a specific stem.  So if you haven't jumped on the tubeless bandwagon yet, at least look into it.  Talk to someone who uses it or call us up at the shoppe and talk to us about it.  Oh, and one more thing:  have a great cyclocross season!

OCLV HexSL

Trek is one of the last bike manufacturers to still manufacture bikes in the USA.  So what's the big deal?  What does it matter if your bike is made in the US or in China?  Quality!  Now the proof:  Trek's new 6-Series SSL is made up of the latest carbon fiber milestone:  OCLV HexSL.  The US government has designated raw HexSL fiber as a defense grade material, making it illegal to ship outside the NATO alliance. As the largest domestic manufacturer of bicycles, Trek is well equipped to manufacturer its new SSL in the States, and has already declared the new Madone 6 Series SSL platform will be built exclusively at Trek’s Waterloo, Wisconsin production facility.  “OCLV HexSL is really a game-changing material.  Before this material’s culmination we had to use two, sometimes three different layers of carbon to get the same strength and performance that we get from just one layer of OCLV HexSL.” (Chris Pomering - Trek Road Product Engineer)  OCLV HexSL exhibits the same stiffness as High Modulus carbon fiber, but provides over four times the strength and twice the elongation properties.  This allowed Trek to drop more than 100 grams from the previous 6-Series frame without compromising ride characteristics.  All I can say is I want one.  

Speed Concept Unveiled

After more than three years in the making, the Speed Concept line of triathlon bikes is here!  Trek unveiled the complete lineup of the Speed Concept on stage seven of the Tour of California.  They're making it available in three series:  the 2 (aluminum), 7 (TCT carbon), and 9 (OCLV carbon with Project One).  We have a couple of each on order...they should be here in a month or so.  I'm pretty excited to get my hands on this bike and build one up.  It's the most aerodynamic, it has the most integration technologies, and it's the most adjustable of any TT/tri bike on the market.  Keep up with our posts on Facebook to know when they get here.  Come in and see for yourself why it's the most advanced bicycle Trek has ever made.

“Trek thought of everything with this bike, just looking at the bike you can tell it’s fast. Everything is hidden; cables, fuel, flat repair…everything I need to put up the best bike split on the course.” 

-Chris Lieto:  Two-time Ironman champion

“We didn’t want to create a bike that was fast only in the wind tunnel under perfect conditions, w wanted a bike that had everything tucked neatly into the frame design that a rider needs to race an Ironman. Hidden brakes, fully-internal cable routing, electronics, storage for fuel and flat repair, and even the skewer profile all create zero additional drag and an unprecedented aerodynamic profile.”
- Tyler Pilger:  Trek road and tri product manager



“When I ride this bike, I feel like I’m cheating.  It just doesn’t seem fair to the rest of the field that I have this bike.”
-Julie Dibens:  World 70.3 champion 

May is Go By Bike Month!

Take a look at this website: 1world2wheels.org. Once you're in you can log your commuter miles and see what kind of impact commuting by bike has on your personal health and on the environment. Let's make a goal to rough the rainy weather and ride the bike to work a few times this week. If work is too far, ride to the grocery store or something...replace a short car ride with a bike ride. You'll be impressed with how good it feels to get out, pedal, and feel the wind in your hair. To get into biking you don't have to spend a bunch. Nice commuter models start out just under $400. You could save that much in gas in the first year or two. Go by bike!

Shimano Dyna-Sys

If you haven't taken a look at the new Shimano Dyna-sys XT and SLX systems, it's about time you did.  I've been doing a little homework lately, and I'm pretty impressed with the new changes - I'll for sure have it on my bike next year.  I've always ridden XT components for their affordability, durability, and performance.  I don't think you can beat it for the price, plus, if I smash a large ring on a ride I don't have to take out a second mortgage on my house to replace it.  For whatever reason, Shimano chose only to run XT and SLX with the new Dyna-Sys (I think they'll be unveiling a new electronic XTR soon...just a guess).  Anyway, the changes look like they'll really improve mountain bike shifting.  First, they chose to keep a triple crank upfront...good for those of us who like to climb steep, technical rides like Beus, Malan's, or the Indian trail.  The rings are now closer together for a faster, more seamless shift.  They also lessened the gap between each ring by making the small cog two teeth larger (24t) and the large ring two teeth smaller (42t).  The middle cassette rings have a smaller incremental change between each cog than previously for smoother shifting and less dramatic shifts, and comes in an 11-36 option.  The goal is to make it possible to ride on larger rings more frequently to lower overall chain tension and decrease impact on rear suspension systems.  You should get an overall longer lasting, better shifting drivetrain that improves full-suspension designs.  The chain is the first 10s designed specifically for mountain riding.  It sheds mud better and is more durable.  Another cool feature is that it's directional.  Right side outer plates are designed different from left inner plates for fast, smooth shifting front and rear.  All-in-all, I'm excited to get out on the new Dyna-Sys to give it a whirl.  We'll be getting product in soon...call us with questions.