Hey again folks!
It's a shame how all the excitement of Halloween just drops right off the very next day isn't it? Even though it's merely the morning after, if you're real Halloween fanatics like we are you probably don't even have that much candy left over! Thanksgiving is still weeks away, it's a dreary, dark and stormy day, and there just doesn't seem to be anything worth getting excited about...but fret not faithful reader...your bike is always there for you!
Far too many people pack their bikes away at the first scent of autumn in the air. Their poor bikes have to wait around unhappy and unused for months on end, but this doesn't have to be the way! As long as the roads and/or trails are relatively clear, you can ride your bike in total comfort all year long and even when those roads and trails are packed with snow and ice, you can keep right on riding in the comfort of your home!
Just a little drop in what you would consider to be ideal riding temperature can turn a blissful ride into full-on grimacing, shivery torture, but the apparel wizards at Bontrager have you covered! With a little
tweak here and there to what you would normally wear on a ride, you can keep on pedaling happy much much deeper into the year than you ever have before--not to mention look really cool while doing so!
Check this stuff out!
GRRRR! I'm a weird and scary Balaclava!
(Trust me I look much better on an actual human's head. And I'm super warm too!)
Windproof booties!
Thermal tights!
Men's and Women's Thermal Jerseys and Jackets!
Gloves for all seasons!
And that's just the tip of the iceberg as far as what Bontrager offers for cool, cold, wet and even FREEZING riding conditions. We're gonna just go ahead and say it right here right now: BONTRAGER IS THE BEST CYCLING CLOTHING MONEY CAN BUY. If you can dream up a piece of biking clothing, Bontrager probably already has it available. Quite literally from head to toe, Bontrager provides the very best in temperature regulation, the very best fit for the body position and movement of riding a bike, and best of all, they offer the very best warranty in the industry. Try any piece of Bontrager clothing for an entire month, use the heck out of it, see if it doesn't grow on you. If you aren't deeply in love with it after 30 days, we'll take it back in exchange for something else or even a full refund.
Check out Bontrager's full line by visiting that section of our website by clicking right HERE!
Now moving on to riding your bike in your house...what? You mean like an exercise bike? One of those weird butter churner looking things with the handles and the big noisy fan? Nope, we're talking about riding your actual street bike fast and hard yet uber-conveniently in the comfort and privacy of your very own home. You might be surprised at how many people have never heard of this practice, and even among those who have, almost nobody knows what to call the devices that enable you to do it. Most people say, "those things that let you ride your bike in your house". Well they're called "trainers". Pretty cool and simple right? Stop by our store, ask us about a "trainer" for your house and we'll know exactly what you're talking about, no worries.
This is a trainer:
and here is a bike in a trainer:
See how it doesn't take up all that much more room in your crib than your bike already does?
At the Madison Bicycle Shop we endorse CycleOps trainers because CycleOps trainers are simply awesome. They lift your rear wheel off the ground, holding it up securely by its axle. Then you tension a roller against your back tire, get in the saddle and pedal away! The overall feeling is very similar to actually riding on the street and you'll never lose the familiarity that you've built up with your bike (namely its saddle) over the warmer months. Plus, you can ride your bike while watching TV or reading a book. The tech level on trainers goes about as high as you can imagine. Some trainers can dial in your prescribed power output and take you along predetermined workouts and output levels. There are even software programs that you can link up to your trainer and go for virtual reality cyber rides. The cost of such setups can get into the thousands when you consider the flat screen monitors and computing power required, but you can also get rolling on a totally decent CycleOps trainer for as little as $160.
The difference between all the different types and price points of CycleOps trainers is basically the overall ride feel that the type of resistance on a particular trainer provides. There's fluid (the smoothest), wind, and magnetic resistance. Check out this video from CycleOps:
This year there's also the Silencer Direct Drive Mag trainer that gets rid of the use of your rear wheel all together for a super stable and whisper quiet ride!
No matter which model you choose, as long as you already like your bike, with a CycleOps trainer underneath you when the weather's real bad, you're gonna be a real happy biker.
Check out the indoor training section of our website right HERE!
Better yet, stop by our store today!
That's all for now folks! Happy Riding!
Madison Bicycle Shop
14 Kings Rd.
Madison, NJ 07940
(973) 377-6616
