By Tom Jow — During the first couple of rides this season my brakes let me know it was time for inspection. The loud grinding and screeching was a telltale sign. They are easy to neglect because they self adjust, never letting on that they are wearing out until it is too late It is […]

The post Brake Pad Replacement appeared first on Cycling West - Cycling Utah.

La Bicicleta Vieja (The Old Bicycle) is a documentary about Don Rafa, a bicycle mechanic with a small shop in the Mission District in San Francisco.  The short film (9 minutes, Spanish with English Subtitles) tells the story of Rafael Macias (Don Rafa) and how he came to fix bicycles in his small shop. Sadly, […]

The post Video: La Bicicleta Vieja (The Old Bicycle) – A Documentary appeared first on Cycling West - Cycling Utah.

By Tom Jow — During the first couple rides on my mountain bike this year the brakes felt different. They sounded different too. I noticed that under light to moderate pressure they felt a little rough. Under moderate to heavy pressure not only did they feel rougher, but they were also making a loud grinding […]

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By Tom Jow — I can still remember when one of my co-workers at Wild Rose installed his first set of hydraulic disc brakes on his mountain bike. Honestly, they seemed so complex at the time. It was difficult to see the benefits beyond the challenges. There were few frames and forks designed for the […]

The post Anatomy of a Disc Brake appeared first on Cycling West - Cycling Utah.

By Tom Jow — Last month while I was searching for some new tires on the internet I found something new. A tire pressure recommendation chart. It was not a surprise to me that the chart existed. What surprised me was how much I have been overinflating my road bike tires all these years. Not […]

The post Find Your Optimal Tire Pressure for Comfort and Efficiency appeared first on Cycling West - Cycling Utah.

By Tom Jow — The rider that has not had a crash may never think to replace their helmet. The rider that has crashed yet did not hit their head may also find little reason to purchase a new one. However, bicycle helmets, like many types of gear that are exposed to extreme hot and […]

The post Helmets Don’t Last Forever – Is it Time to Replace Yours? appeared first on Cycling West - Cycling Utah.

By Tom Jow — A couple of months ago I met some friends for a mountain bike ride. As we are about to set out from the car one of them says, “I forgot my helmet. I guess I will just ride slow on the downhill.” This was an up and back down trail we […]

The post A Helmet is More than a Brain Bucket appeared first on Cycling West - Cycling Utah.

By Tom Jow — One of the things I like most about having the bike experience I do is helping friends with their questions. Recently a couple friends have asked about what new bike they should purchase. During the interview process, I discovered that each of them like the uphills as much as the downhill. […]

The post Long Live Cross-country Bikes! appeared first on Cycling West - Cycling Utah.

By Tom Jow — If you have been shopping for a bike anytime during the last few years, you know that during Covid it was nearly impossible to purchase one, new or used. How things have changed in just a couple of years. New bikes seem to be quite available now, with many manufacturers already […]

The post A Guide to Buying a Used Bike appeared first on Cycling West - Cycling Utah.

By Erik Ramirez — The beauty of a mass-produced mountain bike has little to do with the nature of the construction, or the build. Most of our mountain bike frames and hardware are built elsewhere on the planet. Much is produced by machines. Frames still require quite a bit of human involvement. Beautiful lines are […]

The post Beauty in Age appeared first on Cycling West - Cycling Utah.

By Tom Jow — Last month during my trip to Oakridge, Oregon I noticed my brake performance beginning to deteriorate. Specifically, my rear brake lever was feeling soft and pulling almost to the bar. In addition, both brakes just did not feel as strong as they did when they were new a couple of months […]

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By Tom Jow — As we enter the month of August, the riding season is just about halfway over. Some riders started early in the year and have ridden thousands of miles. Others have waited patiently (others impatiently) for the trails to dry and are now in the prime of their season. No matter which […]

The post Mid-Season Bike Maintenance for a Smooth and Safe Ride appeared first on Cycling West - Cycling Utah.

By Tom Jow — If you are reading this, you probably ride a bike. Therefore, you likely already have pedals, unless you’re doing the toddler Strider thing. So, what more could I possibly tell you about pedals? What if I told you that switching from flats to clips, or vice-versa might improve your riding? Or […]

The post Clip-in Pedals or Flats? Is One Better? appeared first on Cycling West - Cycling Utah.

By Eric Ramirez — Brushing off the Dust Living in the Intermountain West it’s common to pull your bike down from the proverbial rafters in the spring and find that it doesn’t work quite right. As the cold and snowy days of winter rolled into town, your bike went into hibernation, usually with little prep […]

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By Tom Jow — When shopping for a new bike, it is easy to get caught up in the excitement of the latest and greatest. What’s that new suspension system and how much travel does it have? How many gears does that new electronic shifting set have? How many watts will that new aerodynamic wheelset save? […]

The post There is More to Grips Than Color appeared first on Cycling West - Cycling Utah.

By Eric Ramirez — You might think that the most representative connection you have to your bike is the saddle and handlebars. But, without forward motion that connection makes the bike more like your favorite arm-chair. No, the key connection to your bicycle is the pedals; as you drive them forward the gears and chain give […]

The post Drivetrain Wear appeared first on Cycling West - Cycling Utah.

By Tom Jow — By the time you read this, we will be well into the winter season. Snow came early this year and if you are like me, your summer bike gear is all but put away. But before we hang up the bike, we should clean it and perform some essential annual service. Why […]

The post Put It Away Clean appeared first on Cycling West - Cycling Utah.

By Erica Tingey — For many mountain bikers, winter has arrived. While some four-season-climate dwellers extend their riding season with frequent trips to warmer biomes, others take a break for a few months (absence makes the heart grow fonder, after all). If you fall in the latter category, we highly suggest taking a half hour to […]

The post Tips for Storing Your Bike for Winter appeared first on Cycling West - Cycling Utah.

By Christine Dern and Rae Sutherland — So, you’ve ridden around on an old bike that has been in the garage for 10 years. Or, you jumped on your friend’s bike that’s way too big for you and attempted to hit the trails but maybe it feels more like the trails are hitting you. Maybe you […]

The post 5 Things to Consider When Buying Your First Real Mountain Bike appeared first on Cycling West - Cycling Utah.

By Tom Jow — While on a riding trip last month a friend had a derailleur cable break near the end of that day’s ride. It was no big deal because we were at the top of the downhill back to the car, and I had a new one back at camp. Even if we didn’t […]

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