Gore recalls some RideOn brake cables

Gore recalls some RideOn brake cables: Gore is recalling some specific SKUs of its Gore RideOn brake cables. The company is asking retailers to immediately stop sales of the affected products. The company also is advising users to immediatly stop use of any Gore Low Friction brake or Professional brake cables that were installed using the Campagnolo-sized cable head. Cables installed with the Shimano-sized cable head are not affected by the recall.



Gore has received one report of a Campagnolo-compatible brake cable head that detached from the cable. No injury was reported as a result of the failure.



The recall does not affect shift cables or cables sold under the SRAM brand. It also does not affect any of Gore's Sealed Brake Cables or Extra Long Sealed Brake Cables.



How to identify affect cables:



The Low Friction Brake Cables are in a black box and the Profession Brake Cables are in a white box. Here are the affected part numbers: ROLFBREA, ROLFBREA-B, ROLFBREA-W, ROLFBREA-U, ROLFBREA-R, ROPRBREA-B, ROPRBREA-W, ROPRBREA-U, ROPRBREA-R



Gore has a retailer recall registration form on its website. Retailers are asked to complete the form to receive replacement cables.

Review by Jon S. from Yelp

- 1/12/12 by Jon S. from Yelp

I brought my road bike in recently for a tune-up and to buy some new accessories, and they were extremely helpful and knowledgeable, and they didn't try to sell me anything I didn't really want or need.  Good work.

Cold & Wet Outside, Warm & Dry Inside.

Love me some Chicago weather. Mmhmm. 37 degrees and raining in January. Most people don't like going outside in this stuff, much less ride their bike in it. I used to be one of those folks. That was before I had the right gear for the weather. I rode in cotton t-shirts and cheap "rain" gear that really didn't keep the rain out. And the cheap gear that did, was not breathable at all. I've used plastic garbage bags for rain kits. Kinda like a sauna on wheels. Plastic bags on the feet. Done that too. Yeah, it works better than nothing, but there is nothing that compares to having the right gear. Once you have some truly solid rain and cold weather apparel and outer wear, you will understand when you hear people say....

"There is no bad weather, just bad gear."


In the time before good gear, I was using Performance this and Pearl Izumi that. Now I ride in Gore Bike Wear Gore-Tex & Windstopper on the cold/wet days, and life is grand. No, it is freaking sweet. Like smiling while you ride your bike on days you used to dread freaking sweet. Smiling because you realize just how much a difference the right jacket and pants make. Then a bigger smile when you think that the gear you are wearing cost more then the bike you are riding in the winter. I've been using the Fusion jacket and pant from Gore Bike Wear for 5 years now, and it keeps getting better each year. Not that you will need new jackets from Gore that soon, I just love me some technical stuff, and like to try everything I can get my hands on.

I am not saying to go out and put yourself in the poor house on gear. But, if you ride when the weather turns to pewp, you owe it to yourself to pick up some pieces as you can. Not the pieces of pewp of course, but rather the articles of superb winter excellence. Perhaps a set of Gore-Tex socks to start. Or some City Overshoes. Windstopper gloves make a tremendous difference. The most spendy items of a cyclist's winter arsenal tend to be the jacket and pant. If you get cheap on this, you will be disappointed with the results. One $200 Gore-Tex jacket will outlast three $80 rain jackets, and actually keep you dry. If you have not had a chance to see a demo of Gore-Tex or Windstopper material, stop by our store and demand to! You can also check out Gore-Tex here, or Windstopper here.

Gore Bike Wear Fusion jacket & pant, Tool jacket, Tool gloves, City Overshoes, Sidi Diablo GTX, Bell Volt, Mission Workshop Vandal. Not pictured, Gore Bike Wear Xenon Sonic bibs & Windstopper tights.

Don't forget your helmet! Also, I always have my RoadID on my wrist whilst cruising on my bike. And to make sure the stuff I carry stays dry, a waterproof Mission Workshop Vandal. The harness system on the backpack is amazing. Make sure to get the optional waist strap.

Some days are cold, and some days are wet. But I have yet to find a day that I didn't want to ride my bike.

Thule/Chariot recalls bike trailers and kits

Thule/Chariot recalls bike trailers and kits: WASHINGTON, DC (BRAIN)—Thule Child Transport Systems is working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission to recall about 44,000 Chariot bike trailers and 70,000 trailer conversion kits.



The trailers' hitch mechanism can crank and break, causing the trailer to detach from the bike.



The company has received reports of 24 incidents worldwide, including three in the U.S. No injuries were reported.



The recall involves trailers with serial numbers from 1205-xxx to 0710-xxx, which represent manufacture dates between December 2005 and July 2010. The numbers are on the left side of the frame.



The recall also involves conversion kits used to convert a Chariot jog stroller into a bike trailer. The kits have the model number "20100503" on a label attached to the kits' aluminum tube, next to a warning label. Older conversion kits without the label are also being recalled. These can be identified by a release push button on the hitch arm.



The products were sold at speciality bike stores and elsewhere between December 2005 and August 2010. The trailers retailed for between $400 and $925. The conversion kits retailed for between $40 and $70.



The products were made in Canada.



Consumers should stop using the products immediately and contact Chariot Carriers for a free repair kit.



For more information: Contact Chariot Carriers at (800) 262-8651 between 10 a.m. and 6:30 p.m. ET Monday through Friday, or visit the firm’s website at www.chariotcarriers.com.

Hey You Big Stud. A Bit About Studded Tires

Some people use them, some people don't, and then there are the people who are curious about them, wondering what it would be like to have their own. The only way to know, is to try yourself. Until then, here is the low down on studded tires.

Winter time rolls around. And with it comes conditions that make cycling a bit more of a challenge. For the last 10 years I have used studded tires for winter commuting. Once temperatures plummet  below freezing and stay there. The tires go on...

This is the winter of the CX commuter. Last year I rode a 29er with a rigid fork, and the years prior an old steel Stumpjumper with 26 inch wheels. I have been able to use wide Nokian's 26 and 29 Gazza Extreme studded tires as well as the Nokian Hakkapelitta 700x40 240 studded tires.

Many studded tires. 26, 29 and 700c with different tread patterns. 

They are much heavier than my usual set of tires. Depending on the size of the tire,  and the amount of studs, you can expect the weight to go up 2 - 5 pounds. This year I added fenders and Nokian Hakkapelitta 700x40 240s to my bike, and it went up 5 pounds.

Also, this extra weight is all rotating mass. So it takes more to get the wheels going, and keep them moving. When you take them off in the spring and switch back to your regular tires you feel like a rocket. So expect a bit more effort to get around on them. Aside from weight, another draw back is that they make noise when there is no snow or ice on the pavement. I don't mind this, some may, but I kind of dig the buzzing noise it makes. Helps me keep a consistent cadence as well.

Oh yes. And they cost many dollars. I have had one set of Nokian Gazza Extreme 26 x 294 studs last me 7 years and when I sold them they still had lots of life left. The studs are replaceable. You will need to replace some, anticipate losing a few each season. Studded tires range from $50 to $120 per tire, depending on the manufactures choice of materials used on the tire.

Now that we are past the "draw backs", lets talk about the good stuff. Mainly, never ending up in a slushy ice puddle in the middle of traffic because of some black ice you didn't see at night. I will endure the extra effort needed or slowing my pace for 1000X more control and grip on ice.* If you want a confidence builder for winter riding, slap a couple of these puppies on and ride across ice in the park. You can actually skid without ending up like Bambi. Not bruising up my butt all winter is worth more than all the before mentioned draw backs and then some. Not that everyone is racer, but when you take the tires off in the spring, you are a rocket. I dig it.

What type of tire you use is up to the riding you do, and the conditions you plan on riding in. The wider tires stay on top of snow better, but have much more rolling resistance and weight. Tires with deep knobs dig well in snow off road or when it gets really nasty on the road. There are tires with loads of studs, and tires with just a couple rows of studs. Your needs and wants dictate which ones are right for you.

Which studded tire is right for you?

Fatter tires will stay on top of more snow and ice, while the narrower tires tend to dig down to the road surface. For the deeper snow the bigger tire tends to work better, but also adds much more weight and rolling resistance. If you opt for the more robust tire, you will also need to make sure your bike frame can handle the added girth. For most people the narrower tires will be the way to go. Unless you are going off road, in which case wider tires with fatter knobs reign supreme.

And for those like me who learn best from images, here are some sweet pictures to help out.

Wider tires have more surface area and float a bit in the snow.

Narrower tires dig right through the snow to the ground.

Digging through to the slippery road surface is fine when you have studded tires. But when you don't, you have more traction with a wider tire on snow, than a skinny tire on ice.

Tires with lots of studs at different air pressures. Always stud contact to the ground.

Tires with only outer studs are designed to roll without stud contact at higher air pressures and gain stud contact at lower pressures. You get to roll fast, but drop pressure to get grip when needed. Just be aware, that you do not always have stud contact to the ground. And that surprise patch of ice could bring you down.

We talked about tire size and how many studs you can handle. But do you really need them? That is up to you. I hear people talk smack about studded tires, but I say, to each their own, and don't knock them 'til you've truly knocked them. I will keep rolling on mine and enjoy keeping the rubber side down all winter.


* 800% of scientists agree.

Blackburn Airstick Longnek Evo, Dispelling the Myth.

Quiet your mind and imagine a land before time... Envision a herd of longnecks gracefully roaming an adolescent planet Earth, without fear they graze, sing songs, and raise their young uninterrupted for millenia. Legend has it that on one fate filled day the very threads of this peaceful existence were torn asunder. The great skies opened up, raining fire on these Jurassic giants. From their ashes... the Blackburn Airstick Longneck Evo was birthed.

Artists rendition of the Longneck Pumposaur herd.

Evolved to be compact enough to stow neatly in one's repair satchel without sacrificing it's unprecedented utility. Using it's retractable omnivorous pump head, whose tongue has a taste for either presta or schraeder valve types, and it's collapsing handle, the Longneck allows for greater leverage enhancing pumping ease. It also ensures limited angular stress placed on the valve stem itself, inspiring relief the rivals barely escaping death found in the bottomless bowels of a tar pit.

Unlike it's prehistoric predecessors, if this pump should prematurely perish, Blackburn offers a lifetime warranty that will secure it's species survival throughout any cataclysm. In conclusion we can reflect on the timeless wisdom of Dr. Ian Malcolm, that even in chaos, "life finds a way".

Steve E.'s Top Ten Winer Riding Don't s

Top Ten Winter Riding Don't s by Steve Evans

1. Don't try and ski behind the bus.
2. Don't use toast as a hand warmer.
3. Don't use Jello to flat proof your tires.
4. Don't use screws to make your own studded tires.
5. Don't fill your water bottle with gravy.
6. Don't use a very lazy cat as a scarf.
7. Don't fear the reaper.
8. Don't think about Napoleon's retreat from moscow.
9. Don't act like you are having too much fun, or everybody will want to do it.
10. Don't ask yourself, "What the hell am I doing?"