Yesterday my 13-year-old granddaughter came into the shop and found the new Daisy model of the Phat Cruisers that the mechanics had just assembled. She took it out for a test ride on the trail. After her first ride, she rode through the door and did one of those curtsy dismounts that are only possible on traditional women’s frames. It was only a minute or so until she went back outside to do it again.
Helen doesn’t need another bicycle. She has a one-year-old Rockhopper that is lighter, has more nimble handling and has better gearing for her neighborhood. But I was reminded once again that bicycles are not just about going somewhere. They are there to take your imagination for a ride.

This has been a tough year for most folks. We all need to re-discover the simple joy of living. Now, as always, all kinds of bicycles can do that for most people on most days! Come by the store to play with our cruisers, unicycles, tandems, comfort bikes mountain bikes, and speed machines. Take them outside. Let them take you for a ride.
–Kay

There are a lot of reasons to commute on a bike.  Maybe you want to show the other guys at the office that you can handle the weather or maybe you want to show that cute girl in your sustainable agriculture class that you care about your carbon foot print.  I myself ride to work for one simple reason: its fun.  Not having to pay for gas helps and there is always the added bonus of not feeling bad about eating that 2,500 calorie lunch.

I am a bit spoiled having a shower and not having to be in at six in the morning.  Though with a bit of planning there are ways around some of these obstacles.  Instead of a shower, you can clean up pretty well with a diluted bottle of rubbing alcohol and a towel.  As far as time is concerned, it may not be as consuming as you foresee.  With the added time of suiting up, riding in and changing my alarm goes off thirty minutes earlier.

The reality is with a bit of planning and the right equipment commuting can be a great experience.  Here at the shop we have guys that have made a real dedication to life on two wheels and can help you figure out how to do the same.  No matter if this is going to be your primary means of transportation, just a fair weathered adventure, looking for a new bike or tweaking a current one come in and we will get you set up.  Some of the most memorable and stress relieving rides can be riding home after a busy day.

Specialized Live 1 $599

The Ironman season is upon us. This doesn’t mean born-again weapons developers are flying low and fast over the shop every day in HyperTainium suits. It means the fit-looking guy at the office is returning from this week off knowing that he’s practically a real-life superhero. Ironman length triathlons are a superhuman feat, no one can argue that. 2.4 mile swim, 112 mile bike and a full 26.2 mile marathon, all in one sitting.

What drives people to do this? Odds are good it has something to do with the massive sense of accomplishment at crossing the finish line after all that. This immense feat is proof that the body is capable of much more than the average person tasks it with from day to day. It’s proof that our limitations are based mostly on our own motivation and willpower. For some it’s simply a reason to get up early, tie on some old running shoes and step out the front door despite rain or cold, when most are still asleep.

The Silverman in Henderson, Nevada is a unique example of the event. Instead of the 2,500 participants that most Ironmans can attract, the Silverman brings in about 200 of the most determined that are willing to take on the challenging course. 10,502 ft of elevation gain give this course the distinction of the most difficult in the country.

One competitor in this race you might already know. Nic, our co-owner not only completed this craziness, but after 11 hours, 44 minutes and 20 seconds he finished second in his age group and 17th overall. Not only that, he competed the 112 mile bike ride in 5 hours and 50 minutes, good for the 3rd best bike leg overall and by far the best bike leg in his age group.

Nic with Baden, after nearly 12 hours of exertion.

So if you need some help improving the bike leg of your tri, or if you just need some advice about any portion of the event, we have an in-house expert who knows more than any catalog or website or forum in the world.

If we’re talking about racing, we should probably mention our sales guy, Dean. He’s a velodrome sprinter who recently won his second consecutive Elite National Championship and is currently traveling back and forth from the shop to Europe, representing the USA at the Pro Six Days in Holland. You might be used to seeing him in a T-shirt, helping people with bikes, but when he lands in Europe, this relatively mild-mannered guy turns into this:

So if you’re thinking about racing or even riding on the velodrome or on the road, come talk with either him or Aaron, our resident big guy. Aaron’s a former junior national champion on the track and a national team member, so he’s been around the block a few times as well.

Add these guys to our well known pro and semi-pro downhill racers (Eric and Jose), and cross country and ultra-endurance racers (Tim and Nic), and even downhill pixie racers (Lee and Aaron) and we’ve got all the bases covered.

The left leg on this fork is showing a heavy mix of corrosion and wear. Our regular fork service (Clean & Lube) costs 50 bucks, and if done regularly will keep this type of wear from happening. Unfortunately, this particular fork is beyond repair, and will need a new $240 CSU unit (steerer, crown and upper stanchions). Fox reccomends that all forks be serviced every 50 hours of ride time, or sooner if ridden in poor conditions (wet, freezing temps, etc.).

Rear suspension is pretty much the same story. With regular service it will last many years, but if neglected things will get expensive. Fox reccommends a standard Air Sleeve Service every 30 to 50 hours of riding. 40 bucks and you’re back on the trail.

And that’s where you should be. On the trail.

We just got a brand new Garmin Edge 605 for the shop last week, and that thing is addictive. Want to know what your altitude is? Want to know exactly how steep the hill is? Check the computer. What’s your heading? Look at the computer. Speed? Computer. Distance travelled? Computer. It has more attractive features than a room full of supermodels. We’re using it to map rides from the shop which will eventually appear on this very website. No more confusing directions, no more unfolding blanket sized sheets of paper to find the trail we told you about. Simple. Awesome. It’s the future.

Been looking for aluminum rotors? Pulling your hair out every time you see a big fat BACKORDERED next to the BUY NOW button? Then now’s the time to ditch that website and come support your local bike nerds. We have 4 and 6 inch alloy rotors from Scrub sitting in our display case like diamond encrusted puppies crawling all over each other for your attention. You have to see it to believe it.

Ever seen one of those crazy-light 7 pound road bikes with the carbon chainrings and drilled out handlebars? The type of bike that only appears at industry shows and bike-dork websites? Those things are cool, but completely unrideable. Racers may dig light stuff, but those of us who have to buy our own gear also want equipment that won’t fold in half ten feet from the start line, or the trailhead, or the coffee shop. Here at Criterium, we’re not too focused on the 7 pound road bike, but we do have our own two-wheeled unicorn. It’s called The Durable Sub Twenty Pound Full Suspension Mountain Bike. And thanks to Specialized’s new S-Works Epic (you know, the one that Sauser smashed everyone to win the World Championships on) we have another crack at it.

This chunk of sweetness came out of the box at 22.8 pounds. At 4 inches of suspension travel front and rear, that’s almost unheard of. So the mission now is to see how light we can take it without compromising the ride quality or the durability. When we’re finished, this bike should be able to withstand something like the Leadville 100 without any mechanical failure or discomfort to the rider. We’ll keep you updated on the bike’s progress. Last time we tried this we got a Cannondale Scalpel Team down to 20.08 lbs, so we’re aiming to beat that this time. Top Gear Two Wheeled Edition. Stay tuned.

Maybe we should keep the TV theme going and start a Pimp My Globe contest. Or maybe we already started. Guess you’ll just have to come to the shop and see.

In other non TV-related news, our humble website is in the midst of its own Winter Overhaul Special. The old site at www.criterium-bicycles.com has been shut down, and this is now our main home. If you check to the right, you’ll notice some new bits. Under the Navigation section, we have connection pages to our rental rates, a list of current sweet deals, a description of our fitting services and a new rides section. This is all still under construction, so keep checking back. The Rides section in particular has a long way to go.

So that’s all for today from our snow cave here on the Santa Fe Trail. Stay warm, keep the coffee hot and the music loud.

It’s summer 2008, the Olympics are but a few commercials away and this season’s already turning into a great one. Belgian Tom Boonen once again rode to victory at Paris-Roubaix on his Specialized S-Works Roubaix SL, and Swiss rider Christophe Sauser won the World Cross Country Mountain Bike Championships on his Specialized S-Works Epic. To celebrate, Specialized and Criterium are running a great sale. Between now and July 27th with the purchase of a qualifying Specialized bike, you’ll receive a credit good toward any Specialized equipment. Depending on the bike, this may include helmets, shoes, jerseys, shorts or socks.

Anyone have a triathlon coming up? Because we have some new Specialized Transitions that need riders. These things are really something to behold. Super-aero carbon tubing, hidden custom brake calipers, these things have the works. The S-Works version is a must see. It’s like a rolling jewel case / weapon of the future. And hot off the presses; did you catch who won Stage 4 at the Tour today? If you guessed Gerolstiener’s Stephen Schumacher the gold star is yours. Did you happen to see what bike he rode? Come see the Tour-TT winning Transition today.

Speaking of jewelry… Campy track rings now in stock! 47t through 51t at the one time only price of $67. These babies usually retail for $100 each and when these are gone, they’re back to normal prices.

Jon Elder’s Pearl Of Wisdom for Monday: “Rubber Side Down.”

As the days get shorter and colder, many people put their bikes away and head to the slopes rather than braving the cold temperatures.  This can be one way to avoid burning out, but it doesn’t help get you ready physically for your next cycling seson.

If you want to ride better next season the key is to continue riding  and crosstraining but to tone the pace down.  Most racers are under the mistaken idea that if you are going out to ride you have to ride hard, pushing your heart rate up above your lactic threshold and really pushing your body to the limit.  This couldn’t be farther from the truth.  If you want to avoid the winter burnout, bundle up and ride to enjoy the ride.  It really helps to remember why it is that you started riding, that it’s fun.

The miles you put on in the winter should be base miles, so your heart rate should be around 60-65% of your max rather than 70-80%.  These are just miles to maintain your fitness and keep your legs used to the rigors of cycling without tearing them up.  By keeping the effort lower, you also will have more opportunity to look around and enjoy the scenery rather than putting your head down and hammering.  In addition, if you bring a buddy along, that pace will allow you to enjoy a conversation during the ride.

Good crosstraining can be added to your training to really get you ready for the season.  Add in some weight training and cross country skiing, snowshoeing, or running to round out your training improving both strength and cardiovascular performance.  But don’t totally neglect your bike.  There are plenty of opportunities to get outside, or get good workouts in on the indoor trainer.