Hey friends,

If you’re like me and love cycling, the warmer weather has demanded that you press that bike into service on the open roads.  Your indoor trainer, stationary bike, XC ski’s retro Tour De France DVD’s can all be put away.  Time to clean the face and hand marks off the front windows of your living room,  from the days longing for sunshine and dry roads. Ride n Smile season has arrived.  

When it comes to our favorite pass time, many of us are at varying levels of commitment to the bicycle, ranging from competitive to strictly recreational.  Whatever way you love the bike, the Commuter Challenge of Waterloo Region is worth knowing about this June 5th till June 11th, 2011.

The commuter challenge is a week long event that is held nationally for a week in June every year and encourages friendly competition between other cities and regions, friends and co workers.  This year’s commuter challenge is held June 5th till June 11th.  The whole idea of the commuter challenge is to leave your car at home and embrace alternate ways to get to work such as car pooling, walking,  city transit and of course cycling!

So why participate?  Well saving money on over the top gas prices is one obvious reason!  But you should also consider that you will be getting exercise, burning calories and reducing green house gas emissions.  Oh! did I mention prizes?  Yep, there are prizes!

A Great Easter Promotion

April 12 to 23rd

The Easter Season is a great time to get a bike, a trailer or even a trailer-bike.  Getting the little ones active is not only fun, but is also healthy.  It’s Spring – Let’s enjoy the Freedom of being outside as a family.

Kid’s Bikes

Kid’s Trailers

Kid’s Trailer Bikes

Kid’s Strollers

For each kid’s Bike, Kid’s Trailer, Kid’s Trailer Bike and Kid’s Stroller purchased

Receive a Helmet at Half Price (SAVE 50%)

Limit = 4 helmets per family

Other Great Easter Gifts:

Bells, Streamers, Horns, Training Wheels, Locks, Lights, Helmets and all sorts of fun cycling Accessories.  We even have lots of  Bikes for Adults.

The Details:

Come on in and talk to us.  We’ll make sure you have a safe and fun selection for your kid(s).  Go ahead and surprise them.  We’re usually right-on, as far as sizing goes.  But if we miss – no worries – bring it back with the intended rider after the fun of the surprise and we will make it right – no problem!

Hey all,

Now if you have been following our blog posts here at Brauns…IS Bicycles than you know we have been big on talking about how to keep cycling during the winter months.  You have a lot of great options this time of year to keep those legs and lungs in top shape. 

Bryan did a great post on studded tires and winter riding which would be one way to keep on the bike through the winter by literally keeping on the bike through the winter.

We have also had some great recent posts on trainers in general and some specific product information posts about fitness tools like the CycleOps Fluid2 trainer.   I think the big thing to keep in mind is just because we get some snow on the ground and the temperature dips doesn’t mean we have to go into hibernation mode inside like the rest of the animal kingdom.

In comes our awesome selection of GV Snowshoes here at the shop.  Yes snowshoes perhaps frequently overshadowed by skis, snowboards and, GT snow racers…

But! that doesn’t mean to say, they should be outdone.  Snowshoes are a great fitness tool without an indoor option (that I know about) so it forces you to shake those winter blues and hit your fitness goals in the wonderful outdoors.

We have been carrying GV snowshoes at the shop now for a few seasons and I have to say I am thoroughly impressed every year.

GV is a Canadian company based in Wendake, Quebec (Of course they’re Canadian! who knows snowshoeing better!?).  The rather impressive thing is that all GV shoes are actually made in Canada too!   GV snowshoes are actually made so tough, that they currently are under contract to produce snowshoes for the Canadian military.  Perhaps literally, a bulletproof product!

Snowshoes are a great fitness tool because like cross country skiing, you are able to get both legs and arms really moving with the addition of snowshoe poles  to your outdoor trek.

The folks at GV still make the handmade traditional wooden snow shoes or some of the newer lightweight aluminum and composite shoes.

And let’s not forget their is such a thing as to much biking… I know, I know I’m probably getting rotten vegetables thrown at me right now, but allow me to explain.  The typical bicycling off season is a great time to try different things for your exercise routine.  Cross training is frequently a good thing and allows you to add a little variety to your work out.

So maybe it’s time to spice up your work outs, give your legs some variety or get out with the family and have some fun in the snow?  GV makes that possible with great Canadian craftmanship, great value, great price and, most importantly,  great times!  See ya out there.

P

Hey everyone,

Hope you’re all enjoying the frosty mornings and cool evenings that have quickly crept up on us. For some people, the first signs of snow and ice are the end to the riding season… they pack their gear away, store their bike in their basement and wait for the snow to melt before they get back out there. 

For others, the winter season offers a unique and enjoyable experience in the area of winter riding. Many people commute year round, and this group comprises the majority of the winter category. The smaller portion continue to ride through the winter for personal enjoyment, with the smallest portion continuing to trail ride year round!

No matter which style of winter riding you choose to participate in there are many factors that need to be carefully considered before doing so, choices such as clothing, gloves, footwear, and hydration are all vital factors in enjoying your winter ride. More importantly though, is making sure that your bike is up to the challenge. There is various maintenance that should be performed during the winter season, and I will cover these aspects throughout the season as the weather dictates. For today… I am going to focus on Studded Tires!

Studded tires are just that, tires with metal studs (can be made from various steels, carbite, etc) mounted in them to incresase traction, handling and control during the winter season. Similar to the concept of snow tires on a car, they also utilize a softer rubber compound to enhance grip on ice and frozen surfaces.  Studded tires are available in both 26″ and 700c sizes with various profiles to ensure fitment on just about every ride. There are various different styles of studded tires, from full stud, to partial stud, and I will help to differentiate between them.

Full Studded Tires have a what is considered a full studded pattern where metal studs are found on both the running surface (center of the tire) and the shoulders (the edges of the tire). The studs on the shoulders are to provide grip when cornering and the running surface studs provide increased traction for accelerating and braking. These tires are designed for more extreme riding conditions, and typically utilize 260-300+ studs per tire to provide the ultimate traction abilities. An example of a full studded tire is the Schwable Ice Spiker Pro, which is a heavily studded tire design for trail and extreme use.  

Partial Studded tires consist of either running surface or shoulder studs. They are designed to be used on predominately ice and predominately pavement respectively. Partial studded tires offer benefits for riders whose roads are normally plowed and salted and those who are always fighting with a road less travelled. These tires can be used in pairs, as well as in split sets (one drive tire, one directional tire).

Shoulder studded tires are desgined for those who commute on roads that are well maintained. They have metal studs on the edges to provide traction while cornering, but not reduce rolling resistance while on plowed surfaces. These tires are best for city commuters whose road is normally well maintained.

The 700c Schwable Snow Stud Tire is a good example of this.

In contrast, the centre ridge studded tire is designed for those riders whose road consists of that which is normally covered in ice. It has cente ridge studs that provide excellent traction during acceleration and braking. An example of this is the Schwable Marathon Winter tire is a good example of this.

It is important to note that many other different styles and manufactuers of tires exist, and that those listed only represent a fraction of those available. Partially studded tires can be used in matching and staggered pairs to tailor your style of winter riding.

No matter what, do not forget to adjust to your riding conditions, obey the rules of the road and always wear a helmet.

Until next time…

Always consider that the ability of the rider, greatly outweighs the capability of the parts.

Bryan!

Hey Everyone!

It’s that time of year. The kids are back to school.  The days are starting to get shorter and the perfect time for riding is approaching us.  The mild temperatures of fall allow for excellent conditions no matter what riding style you enjoy.  The cooler temperatures and autumn breezes help to keep you cool and push your potential every ride!

This week’s post is going to be application specific and may relate to either you directly or someone you know who is unsure of the best upgrade for their rig. One question which is often posed to me in the shop is:

“I ride both on the road and on the community trails… although I find my knobby tires really slow on pavement I do not want to sacrifice the loss of traction I would experience on the trails for the gain in speed.  What should I do?”

Okay, well maybe the question isn’t quite this perfectly worded… but this is typically what I conclude after a short conversation with a customer in this dilemma. With my previous experience in tire selection, there is now no debate in answering this question! Companies such as Continental and Schwable have risen to the call of consumers and produced tires for these applications! They can be identified by many names such as: semi slicks, commuter tires, hybrid tires, cross tires, etc. I personally find “semi slick” to be the best definition as it describes the tread pattern of these tires perfectly. Tires such as the Continental Travel Contact and the Schwable Mararthon Cross are both designed with a raised centre ridge for less rolling resistance on hard packed surfaces and knobbed sections on the edges of the tire for better traction on lose terrain.

Differences between the two are minimal.  However, as a result of the variations in tread pattern, the Schwable would handle loose terrain. This is due to the traction ridges built into the drive ridges of the tread pattern. In contrast, the Continental tire would be better for higher percentage road use due to the solid centre ridge which would practically eliminate rolling resistance on the road.

The Schwable and the Continental both offer excellent traction for exploring the trails and will allow you to maximize your potential on the road when you are negotiating with only a single rig. It is a cost effective alternative to multiple wheel sets and does not force you to sacrifice speed for traction or vice versa.

The Schwable and Continental are available in both 700c and 26″ sizes which means there is sure to be one to help update your rig!
(26 x 1.75, and 700 x 38c and 700 x 37c respectively)

If you have any questions about either the Schwable or Continental be sure to drop by the shop or drop me a line and hopefully I can clear up and questions you may have.

Until next time,
Keep a grip so things don’t get away from you!

Bryan

According to the 570 News article from June 29, 2010  titled “Waterloo Explores Bike Parking“ local cyclists can have a part in helping to decide where a secure bicycle parking facility should be located and the format a map, outlining local bikeways, should be. You may complete the following short survey until August 15  https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/Q3DTD56%20  and help provide feedback on the two elements.  A public meeting will also be held in September to gather more information.

Take a few moments and fill out the survey!  Your feedback is important.

If you are planning on doing some cycling in the Niagara area and are looking for accommodations, take a look at this website(www.cycleandstayniagara.com) for cyclist friendly Bed and Breakfasts located along the Greater Niagara Circle Route. 

The Greater Niagara Circle Route is a trail system of over 140km of paved, off road trails and roadways.  The system includes the Welland Canals Trail which goes from St. Catharines on Lake Ontario to Port Colborne on Lake Erie .  The Friendship Trail goes between Port Colborne and Fort Erie.   From Fort Erie the Niagara River Recreation Trail follows the Niagara River, through the city of Niagara Falls, to Niagara-on-the-Lake . The Waterfront Trail follows Lakeshore Road from Niagara-on-the-Lake to St. Catharines.  

The Cycle and Stay Niagara website, http://www.cycleandstayniagara.com/  gives a list of Bed and Breakfasts located in towns along the Greater Niagara Circle Route including Niagara-On-The-Lake, Fort Erie, Port Colborne and Thorold.  There are also links to other helpful websites for this area such as the Bike Train ( http://www.biketrain.ca/ ), Niagara Green Belt ( http://www.niagaragreenbelt.com/ ), Tourism Niagara ( http://www.tourismniagara.com/ ) and Zoom Leisure ( http://www.zoomleisure.com/ ).

The Greater Niagara Circle Route is a family friendly route that offers riding for cyclists of all ages and levels and is suitable for families with trail-a-bikes or trailers.  Lots to see and do along the way!   If you are in the St. Catharines area take time to pop over to Port Dalhousie and take a walk through their quaint downtown and then to Lakeside Park.  While at the park take a ride on the wooden merry-go-round which was built in 1898 and restored in the 1970’s.  It still only costs 5 cents to ride.

This is one of my favorite routes to ride on!   Quiet trails, beautiful scenery and plenty of places to stop at along the way.     Have you biked here?  Have a favourite place to stop….eat….see?   We would love to hear from you.  Oh, and my favourite place to eat is Betty’s Restaurant in Chippawa, south of Niagara Falls.                                                

Effective in March of 2010 Google Maps have added cycling routes to their U.S.  maps.  For anyone heading to the States to do some biking this could be a really useful tool!! 

According to the article on The Official Google Blog, Google Maps features include as much bike trail data as possible, provide efficient routes, allow riders to customize their trip, make use of bike lanes, calculate rider-friendly routes that avoid big hills and customize the look of the map.  There are more than 12,000 miles of trails included in the biking directions and outlined directly on the map and also data on bike lanes and recommended streets for 150 cities across the United States.

I’m sure it’s only a matter of time until cycling routes in Canadian cities are also added. 

If anyone has tried this let us know how it worked for you!!

Kim