Happy New Year 2017

I hope this new year will be as fragrant as roses, as bright as the sun, as colorful as the rainbow
and as cheerful as the lark. Happy New Year to all!

Merry Christmas 2016

May you be blessed with success in everything that you do and don't forget to share your blessings to others and your loved ones, Merry Christmas and a happy New Year too!

Cycling: How To Fix Noisy Bike Brakes

There will be a time the brakes in your bike will make a loud, screeching, and annoying sound that will make you cringe. It may also fail to stop your bike which can lead to accidents, so it is really important to fix it immediately. If they are rim or disc brakes and they are giving an awfully noisy sound then there's probably something wrong with them. Noisy breaks are often caused by vibrations.

Watch the clip above to fix noisy, squeaking brakes.

Important tips to maintain your brakes:
- clean the rims and brake pads.
- Toe your brake pads in.
- Check Caliper and pivot bolts for tightness.

For disc brakes, check discs if they are bend if they are straighten them up or replace them. Make sure the brake pads are not worn. Make sure disc pads are free from oil.

Best Gifts for Kids Who Wants to Ride a Bike

If your kid is asking for a bike then why not, it will help your kids love riding as  much as you do. It's a good exercise and it will keep them alert and attentive. Also, learning how to ride a bicycle is one of life’s milestones. It's a rite-of-passage and an introduction to their independence.


1. Early Rider Childrens No Pedal 14" Evo Balance Bike - Early Rider is an award-winning bicycle maker for kids based in Britain. The Early Rider Childrens Evo Balance Bike Classic is their flagship wooden bike. It has a low centre of gravity to make it stable so that it's easier for kids to handle the bike. It weighs 9.37lbs( 4.25kgs) and it is designed with two levels of steering, restricted and unrestricted. It is one of the coolest balance bike in the market.

- Suggested age 2 - 5 yr

Early Rider Childrens Evo Balance Bike $100.00



2. Cruzee UltraLite Balance Bike - balance bike is a good alternative to tricycles and training wheels for your kids to learn how to ride a bicycle. This bike is made of rust-free anodized aluminum. It is very light one of the lightest bike in the world, weighing only 4.4 lbs(2kgs) which is great for kids. Kids will learn how to balance, steer, and it will develop their motor skills.


- Suggested age 1.5 to 5 yr

Cruzee UltraLite Balance Bike $159.99



3. WOOM BIKES USA Balance Bike - this balance bicycle has an amazing geometrical design. It is made from lightweight AL-6061 aluminum tubes and optimized for simple balancing, which is supported by an upright seating position and a steering lock limiter. It only weighs 7lbs (3.6kg). It is also equipped with high quality v-brakes for easy and effortless braking.


- Suggested age 18 mths-4 years
WOOM BIKES USA Balance Bike $199.00


4. Micro G-bike Chopper Balance Bike - the beach-style handlebars makes it easier for kids steer and it limits the steering radius that provides more stability for young kids. It weighs 5.4 lbs (4.45kgs)

- Suggested age 2 to 5yr

Micro G-bike Chopper Balance Bike $129.99


5. Dynacraft Magna Starburst Girl's Bike - this one is great for your little princess. It has a BMX frame that is decorated with vibrant pink and purple flowers with a matching hot pink seat, grips, pedals and training wheels. It has a "star Burst" decal. It's a great value for its price since this is only a training bike and they will eventually outgrow it.


- Suggested age 3 to 5yr
Dynacraft Magna Starburst Girl's Bike $50.24



Other bikes to consider:

Best Electric Bike Batteries

If you have an electric bike its lifeblood is the electric batteries, it is the most important components of an electric bike. If you have a crappy batteries, your bike will give you a headache. Battery technology is evolving rapidly, so it’s hard to know what type of battery is best.

Here’s a guide to battery types for electric bikes:

Lead-acid Electric Bike Batteries or SLA - these batteries are sealed in a hard plastic case and can be turned in any orientation safely without leaking acid which makes them good for ebike use. They are cheap and easy to recycle. Lead acid batteries also has high power output unlike Lithium batteries that generally don’t like to handle too much current.

The downside for this is they are usually large and heavy, that limits where you can place them on your ebikes. They are also sensitive to bad treatment, and have a short lifespan about less than 200 cycles.

Since SLAs are heavy, it's advisable to mount your batteries as low as possible to keep the center of gravity of the ebike lower towards the ground. This will significantly improve your bike's handling.

Lithium Electric Bike Batteries - the best advantage of lithium batteries is their small size, you can fit them almost anywhere in your ebike frame and they are lightweight. Since they are small you can fit 2 or 3 mid to large capacity lithium batteries in your bike that can give you more range.

Lithium batteries that are designed specially for ebikes often come with specific bicycle mounting points that makes them very easy to attach to the bike frame, seat post or rear rack.

The big disadvantage of these batteries is the cost, they are much more expensive than lead acid batteries. Prices vary depending on the voltage and capacity of the lithium battery, but standard ebikes usually have lithium batteries starting in the $400 range. Another disadvantage is they are easy target for thieves since they are small and has a high price tags in the black market.

Types of lithium bike batteries includes:

Lithium Iron Phosphate (LiFePO4) - most expensive lithium batteries, they last longer than others and also the safest.

Lithium Manganese Oxide (LiMn2O4) and Lithium Nickel Manganese Cobalt Oxide (LiNiMnCoO2) - LiMn2O4  and LiNiMnCoO2 batteries fall into the mid range of lithium batteries in terms of size, weight, safety, lifespan and cost.

RC Lithium Polymer batteries (RC LiPo) - thase are the smallest, cheapest, lightest and most powerful lithium batteries. Unfortunately, they don't last long and can explode if not handled correctly.

Nickel-cadmium (NiCd) Electric Bike Batteries - type of rechargeable battery using nickel oxide hydroxide and metallic cadmium as electrodes. They have more capacity than lead-acid battery. However, nickel- cadmium is expensive and cadmium is a pollutant and hard to recycle which is bad for the environment. 

Nickel-metal Hydride (NiMh) Electric Bike Batteries - they are more efficient than NiCd batteries and more expensive.

Happy Halloween 2016

This Halloween the most popular mask
is the Donald Trump mask.
And the best part?
With a mouth full of candy and some makeup
you will sound and look just like him.

Bicycle Shop Owner Turned Mayor Normal, Illinois

Normal, Illinois mayor Chris Koos is not just a mayor he's also a small business owner. He owns Vitesse Cycle Shop and Often Running, retail specialty stores in Uptown Normal. According to him being the mayor may technically be a part-time job. He's the only mayor in the United States who runs a bicycle shop just a few blocks from city hall. He said politics in the local level is more about service than politics. He has been in the cycling business for 36 years and he's the mayor of the town Since 2003.

Being a mayor and running a small business is something he enjoys, along with being able to say he's something no other mayor is.

"I'm the only Normal mayor in the United States"


ABC Breaking News | Latest News Videos

How to Choose the Best E-Bike For you?

E-bike or electric bicycle, or sometimes referred to as booster bike, is a bicycle with an integrated electric motor which can be used for propulsion. There are huge variety of e-bikes that are available in the market today. There are e-bikes that only have a small motor to assist the rider's pedal-power like pedelecs to somewhat more powerful e-bikes that has a larger motor and looks like a moped but all of them retain the ability to be pedaled by the rider and are therefore not electric motorcycles.

E-bikes use rechargeable batteries and the lighter varieties can travel up to 25 to 32 km/h (16 to 20 mph), depending on the laws of the country in which they are sold, while the more high-powered varieties can often do in excess of 45 km/h (28 mph).

E-bikes are not only great for the environment since it lessen the usage of petroleum products they also make your commute to the office easier and sweat-free.

Before you start shopping around for a new e-bike, and spending thousand of dollars on a bike. Here are the questions that you should answer first:

1. What it is for? Daily commute to work or casual riding since if you'll be using it for your daily commute you need a more sturdy E-bike.

2. How far do you plan on traveling with it? since if you'll only use it for 10-20 miles, most e-bikes are capable. But for longer travel you'll need more assistance and larger batteries.


3. What type of terrain will you be traveling on? If you will only travel on flat terrain it will need less power, torque and cost. Hilly terrain may require you to pedal more and it will need more power.

5. How fast do you need to go? 15-20 mph is already fast for a bike.

6. How much weight can you deal with? Weight is really an important factor in owning an electric bike they may or may not fit in your lifestyle since they tend to be heavier than regular bikes.

7. What's your budget? A bigger budget means you can opt to have more power, sturdier bike, better batteries, longer life and lighter weight. If you have a smaller budget it will limit your choices. Electric bikes can cost anywhere from $499 to $2000 above. Is it worth investing in top-of-the-line LiFePo4 batteries since they last longer.


GoCycle G3 - it is an electric bike that is compact, fold-able, modern and not cluttered since it doesn't have cables, chains, gears or pinion. This bike is great for short city commute and in crowded streets since it has smaller frame that's easy to maneuver through cars. It is impressively nimble and its electric assistance will help propel you up to 15 mph.  It is equipped with lights, automatic gears and you can control the amount of power using a phone app.
Electric folding bike design, GoCycle G3 black with base pack gift flight $5,060.00





E-GO BIKE 26" New Matt Black Electric Bicycle Mountain 48v500w Lithium Battery City Ebike $1,099.00

• Strong driving force 500W Motor
• Max Speed: 20 mph Shimano External 7 Speed gear
• PAS: 9 Level Speed Assistant Battery: Samsung 48V 10AH
• Bicycle Weight : 55 LBS Max loading 260 LBS
• Frame Material: Aluminum Alloy Mechanical disc brake

 

GenZe e101 Sport e-Bike $1,499.00

• Twist and go, pedal assist or traditional analog operation
• 36V, 8.7 AH Samsung battery; 36V, 250W brushless rear hub motor; 20mph on throttle mode
• LCD display with speed, distance, time and diagnostics
• Dual disc brakes, 7-speed Shimano thumb shifter
• Aluminum frame with 26"x1.75" wheels, 46lbs total weight

Best Biking City In the U.S.: Chicago

Chicago bags the top spot for the most bike-friendly city in United States, according to Bicycling magazine. In 2014 ranking Chicago was in the 2nd spot while New York is on top, New York slid to number 4.

According to Bicycling Magazine editor-in-chief Bill Strickland Chicago was awarded the top spot because it has emphasized building infrastructure that separates cyclists from motorists. "Awareness of infrastructure, through separated bike lanes, is the next thing that needs to happen to really change cycling and what it means to live in an urban area," he said. He also lauded Chicago for increasing their Divvy bike share program into poor areas of the city.



San Francisco took the 2nd spot followed by Portland, OR. Here’s the Bicycling magazine’s top ten ranking for 2016:

1.     Chicago
2.     San Francisco
3.     Portland, OR
4.     New York
5.     Seattle
6.     Minneapolis
7.     Austin
8.     Cambridge, MA
9.     Washington, D.C.
10.     Boulder, CO

However, some of cyclist in Chicago feels that the city don't deserve it since their bike lanes "are often clogged with illegally parked vehicles, torn up for utility work, or dangerously obstructed by construction projects." There's also a cycling accident that killed four cyclist.    




24" Roadmaster Granite Peak Boys Mountain Bike $99.10

Schwinn Men's Wayfare Hybrid Bike, $209.99

Soondar® Water Resistant Cool 20 LED Bicycle Bike Cycling Wheel Light Safety Light Spoke Light Lamp Lightweight Accessory $9.99

Philadelphia Naked Bike Ride September 10, 2016

Thousand of naked participants are expected to take part and ride their bike around the street of downtown Philadelphia for the 8th year Philadelphia Naked Bike Ride that will be held on September 10, 2016.

The Philadelphia naked bike ride is to promote the importance of fuel conscious consumption, positive body image, and cycling advocacy. People are encouraged to join. The event has a "bare as you dare" dress code, but you don't have to ride naked if you don't feel like it.

For more information on the bike ride check out their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/pnbrfan/


Past photos of their ride:


 

Check out more photos here




26" wheel Roadmaster Granite Peak Men's Mountain Bike $97.64

Taotronics Bike Phone Mount Bicycle Holder, Universal Cradle Clamp for iOS Android Smartphone GPS other Devices $13.99

Razor High Roller BMX/Freestyle Bike, 20-Inch $89.99
   
Stowabike 26" MTB V2 Folding Dual Suspension 18 Speed Gears Mountain Bike $159.99

Ultra X folding bike Superlight weight Carbon

Ultra X just weighs 18.75 lb (8.5 kg) it is made mostly from carbon fiber.

The Allen Sports Ultra X Superlight Carbon bike is one of the best superlight carbon folding bikes in the market today. The bike is designed very well since the hinges and the locking mechanisms are all incorporated in it. And when it comes to folding bikes, they  are mostly heavy not the Ultra X since it only weighs 18.75 lb (8.5 kg). It is one of the lightest folding bike in the market today.

The frame, fork, seat post, handlebar, stem, rims, crankset and saddle are all made of carbon fiber that's the reason why it is so light.  It also features 451 wheels, and an SRAM X9 20-speed drivetrain (with a Shimano front derailleur) which gives you a smooth, responsive ride. It is the ultimate folding bicycle for city commuting or long distance rides. The 20 Speeds gives its rider a wide gear range designed for high speeds on flat terrain, climbing hills and everything else. Taking on sharp corners and avoiding road potholes is easy with this bike.


Allen Sports Ultra X Superlight Carbon 20 Speed Folding Bicycle, Carbon, 12-Inch/One Size $3,199.99 SALE

SPECIFICATION:

Frame: Carbon Fiber
Forks: Carbon Fiber
Front Derailleur: Shimano
Back Derailleur: Sram X9 10 Speed
Rims: Alexrims Carbon
Crank Set: FSA Carbon
Speed: 20
Tires: 20" x 1-1/8"
Wheel Size: 451MM
Shifters: Sram X9 Trigger
Weight: 18.75 LB / 8.5 KGs
Folded Dimensions: 85cm x 35cm x 70cm

Allen Sports Ultra X Superlight Carbon Owner's Manual

Brazilian cyclist test positive disqualified from Olympics

Brazilian cyclist Kleber Da Silva Ramos have been disqualified after failing a drugs test before the road race, the Olympic doping body has said. He has now accepted a suspension.

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He tested positive for EPO CERA in the week before the Rio Olympics road race, he already accepted his suspension on a voluntary basis. He tested positive on July 31 but still took part in the Rio Olympics road race even-though he didn't finish the race.

He was provisionally suspended by the UCI 6 days after the race and the Anti-doping Division of the Court of Arbitration for Sport said that he voluntarily accepted his suspension without the need of a hearing.

It means that he is officially disqualified from the Olympic Games and the sanction is now referred to the UCI.

The the athlete is currently with Brazilian Pro-Continental team Funvic Brasilinvest-São José dos Campos team; his most notable result was when he won a stage of the Tour de San Luis in 2015.

A Chinese swimmer, Xinyi Chen, has also been disqualified from the Olympics and provisionally suspended. She tested positive with specified substance hydrochlorothiazide.

Giantex 20" Folding Bike 6 Speed Bicycle

Giantex 20" Folding Bike 6 Speed Bicycle is another budget friendly folding bicycle at only $119.99. It has an steel frame so it's a little heavy and it is equipped with Shimano 6-Speed Derailleur & Freewheel. Its weight capacity is 220lbs.

If you are on a budget and looking for a decent folding bike for city commute this is a good buy. It fits easily in the trunk of a car and it's easy to assemble. It has a height adjustable handlebars and seat.

It comes with an instruction booklet but it doesn't contain the assembly steps, watch the video below to help you assemble the folding bike:



Again, this is good only for roads or simple trails it's not made for rugged trails it's not a Merceds Benz.


Color: Silver
Frame: Steel Frame,20"*13",30*34*100,50.8*31.8*38.1
Weight Capacity: 220lbs
Tire: 20"*1.75"
Shimano 6-Speed Derailleur & Freewheel


Giantex 20" Folding Bike 6 Speed Bicycle Storage Silver School Sports Shimano$119.99
ARDTZ50GSBT,RD-TZ50(Shimano)
ASIN: B0197VBZOM

14 lbs Carbon Fiber Folding Bike

 

I like folding bikes since they are so convenient to travel with, you can store it easily in your small car or you can easily fold it when you're in a bus or train. However, most of folding bikes are heavy. Well, not anymore since bike manufacturer are now making carbon fiber folding bike like the Hummingbird Carbon Fiber folding Bike.


 

The Hummingbird Carbon Fiber folding Bike weigh only 6.5kg or about 14lbs it's just like carrying four pineapples according to them. They use carbon fiber to make the bike lighter than alloy and it absorbs shock vibrations better for a smoother and better riding experience.

The Hummingbird Bike weighs only 6.5 kg and comes in two specs: single speed and 5-speed.

Hummingbird Bike Company has partnered with Prodrive to manufacture their bike. Prodrive is a world-leading motorsport and technology business. They operate in the motorsport, automotive, aerospace, defense and marine sectors and now they will do bicycles.

Cheapest Carbon Fiber Bicycle

To those like me that don't have much money to buy ultra expensive carbon fiber bicycle cheap carbon bicycle is the only option to go. Cheap carbon bicycle is also becoming
a trend as more and more cyclist are opting to go for carbon fiber. Why not? carbon fiber is incredibly strong (10x stronger than steel. ) and light, something that most road cyclists are aiming for. Unfortunately,  carbon fiber is difficult to manufacture that's why it's expensive.

Here are some of the Cheapest Carbon Fiber Bicycle:

BEIOU 2016 700C Road Bike

Parts that are made of carbon fiber includes the Frame, Fork, Drop Bar, and Seatpost. The materials used is Toray T800-M40 carbon fiber. It is ultralight at only 18.3 pounds. This bike is manufactured in China by BEIOU® Zhejiang Composite Manufacture Co., Ltd. and cost only $1,139.00

BEIOU 2016 700C Road Bike $1,139.00

BEIOU 2016 Carbon Comfortable Bicycles 700C Road Bike LTWOO

The part that is made of carbon fiber is the Unibody frame. It has a glossy finish and equipt with LTWOO Rear switch 20S Speed Control System. It weighs only 8.5 pounds.

BEIOU 2016 Carbon Comfortable Bicycles 700C Road Bike LTWOO SRAM Brake $999.00

BEIOU Toray T700 Carbon Fiber Mountain Bike

This bike is also from China and manufactured by BEIOU. It has carbon fiber hard tail and Shimano parts. It is very light at 26.2 pounds, you'll be impress specially considering the price. Carbon frame handle bar and seatpost with 27 speed. It has Roton X5 wheelset and Novatec hubs.

BEIOU Toray T700 Carbon Fiber Mountain Bike $859.00

BEIOU® Carbon Fiber Mountain Bike Hardtail MTB 10.65 kg SHIMANO M610 DEORE 30 Speed Ultralight Frame RT 26 $1,259.00

Kestrel Talon Road Shimano 105 Bicycle Carbon Fiber 2016

It combines 800K and 700K carbon fibers, like any other carbon fiber bike it is lightweight and stiff about 26 pounds.  The handle bars and the front and rear derailers are Shimano 105.

Kestrel Talon Road Shimano 105 Bicycle Carbon Fiber 2016 $1,119.20

Tommaso Corvo Carbon Road Bike, Shimano 105 5800, 11 Speed, Italian Racing Bike

The frame of this bicycle is made from Ultralight Monocoque Compact Carbon that weights only 2 pounds. It has full Shimano 105 5800 groupset and lightweight and durable Shimano R010 wheels. The frame and fork are made of full carbon fiber and it weighs 18.1 pounds. It's great for riding on the road, uphill and downhill.

Tommaso Corvo Carbon Road Bike, Shimano 105 $1,649.99

Diamondback Bicycles 2014 Century 3 Road Bike with 700c Wheels

This bike has a Carbon EPG Endurance Road Frame with ATT Technology, fork is also carbon fiber with alloy crown and tapered 1.5 alloy steerer. It is stiff, fast, light and very easy and quick to shift going up and down hills.

Diamondback Bicycles 2014 Century 3 Road Bike with 700c Wheels $1,581.65

World Naked Bike Ride 2016 Buffalo upstate New York

More Pictures HERE *from the source

The World Naked Bike Ride 2016 Buffalo upstate New York July 9, 2016. It was a successful ride with an estimated 300 participants wearing just underwear or body paint and some are completely naked.

They really had a naked bike ride by my job today though pic.twitter.com/mAfjhc2ZVq

— Madison Trammell ™ (@Madiswagg_21) July 10, 2016

The ride was about promoting people-powered transportation "bring awareness to oil addiction and the negative impacts of car culture. Our naked bodies will symbolize the vulnerability of cyclists on the roads. Come "as bare as you dare" to the Buffalo Underwear/Naked Ride and help us promote our vision of a cleaner, safer, body-positive world."

The participants started at the corner of North and Franklin at 7 p.m., and the ride officially got underway at Days Park around 8 p.m.

Xiaomi Smart Electric Foldable Bicycle $450

 

Xiaomi is a Chinese tech company that is known for offering specs-heavy devices at affordable rates. They also have ventured to other products like drones, rice cookers, air purifiers, Blood pressure monitor, webcam, Action Camera like Go Pro, Smart Scale, and Water Purifier. Now, they have a new product that is non-mobile device: an electric folding smart bicycle.

The folding smart bicycle premiers as part of Xiaomi's Mi Ecosystem, the QiCycle bike will let get you up to 45 kilometers on a fully charged battery while slight pedaling, and comes complete with its own companion app.

With the help of the companion app, the rider will be able to monitor distance, speed, GPS location, and calories burned. It also features an IDbike Torque Measurement Method that employs sensors to optimize your energy output. This means that once you’ve set your desired speed, the bike will tell you how hard you need to pedal. This means that you don't need to overexert yourself when it is not needed, since you are riding an electric bike.

The Xiaomi QiCycle bike comes in a Shimano Nexus three-speed gear hub, has both front and rear lights built into the frame, and can easily be folded to half its size. It only weighs 14.5kg which is easy to carry on buses, trains etc.

Xiaomi partnered with iRiding, a Taiwanese startup for this product line. This is iRiding  second product. Their first bicycle was the $3000 Qicycle R1 that was released back in March.

The Mi Qicycle is quite cheaper at 2999 yuan ($450.) It has a 250W, 36V motor and 20 Panasonic lithium-ion batteries that will assist the rider in pedaling for about 45km (nearly 28 miles) on a single charge.

It also has different modes like Fitness, Power-Saving, Balanced and Extra Power.

The QiCycle bike is being crowdfunded inside Xiamoi’s Mi Home app, which means that it won’t be released until they reached the quota of number of buyers. Unfortunately, the Mi Qicycle is currently only available in China.


Highlights:
IDbike Torque Measurement Method (TMM) intelligently measures the torque you apply and adjusts power based on your pedaling
- Companion smartphone app displays in-depth info: bike status, GPS navigation, ride stats
- 250W, 36V high speed motor
- Panasonic 18650 20 x 2900mAh lithium-ion battery cells (same battery used by Tesla) with self-developed Battery Management System (BMS) that lets you go 45km on a single charge
- Shimano Nexus 3-speed hub
- Foldable and compactly lean at 14.5 kg
- Provides real-time stats: speed, distance, power, dynamic power, calories consumed