April 2023

Are You Having a Tough Time Selling a Used Bike Right Now?

From SingleTracks.com

First, it was too hard to find a used bike to buy. Now, is it too easy?

By Matt Miller

In a recent story we wrote about the ongoing bike supply chain whiplash that has meant an oversupply of bikes at bike shops, leading to maybe the highest and most discounts on new bikes we’ve seen in a long time.

A lot of people have been getting brand new bikes for 25% off retail price, or more. Presumably, that means that some buyers are bypassing the used market entirely for a new bike and there is less interest in the used bike market. It also probably means that private sellers are facing the same issues as bike shops: a waning interest from new buyers and a smaller demand than a few years ago, and it might take longer for private sellers to find a new home for their old steed.

With that in mind, we want to hear from you if you’ve sold or attempted to sell a used bike recently.

Photo by Waldemar on Unsplash

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Silicon Valley’s Central Bikeway Could Be A Game Changer

From Patch.com

Santa Clara County residents could soon ride on the region’s first bicycle superhighway.

By Sonya Herrera,

Santa Clara County residents could soon ride on the region’s first bicycle superhighway.

The Santa Clara Valley Transportation Authority could approve construction of the Central Bikeway—a 10-mile stretch of protected bike lanes between San Jose and Santa Clara—as soon as next month. VTA’s bicycle advisory committee voted unanimously Wednesday to recommend the transit agency’s board approve the basic design for the project. The VTA board will consider the Central Bikeway on May 4.

“This is a really precedent-setting project,” VTA land-use planner Brent Pearse said during the meeting. “We’re going to use this when we work with cities (and) we’re going to use this when we work on future bike superhighways.”

VTA initially had about a dozen routes to choose from, and eventually narrowed the choice down to three. More than 1,400 residents gave their input on the best route for the superhighway, 30% of whom don’t currently ride a bicycle or only ride for recreation. Resident feedback was gathered through social media, surveys and VTA pop-ups at events like Viva Calle for almost two years.

VTA planners ultimately landed on the route dubbed The Shortliner, which goes from Penitencia Creek County Park past the Berryessa BART Station on Mabury Road, continuing on Taylor Street. The route turns north on Fourth Street and west on Hedding Street, finally turning on The Alameda and continuing north on El Camino Real. The Shortliner ends at Lawrence Expressway, about a mile and a half south of the Lawrence Caltrain station in Santa Clara.

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Gravel For Road Cyclists – Get Started Riding Off Road

Gravel riding is great fun, and if you’re a roadie wanting to make the transition to off-road cycling, this is the video for you! Conor and former road, cyclo-cross and mountain bike pro Oli Beckingsale take you through the basics of gravel cycling, from controlling your speed and managing grip to getting more technical and tackling gravel climbs and descents.

 

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CicLAvia—Mid City meets Pico Union presented by Metro

CicLAvia—Mid City meets Pico Union

Join us on Sunday, April 16 (rain or shine!), as we connect Mid City and Pico Union and transform them into public parks for the day. Jog, ride, bike, skate, run, walk, skateboard, spectate, and enjoy the route however you want. Our routes are welcoming to people of all ages and abilities! This CicLAvia event is presented by Metro and is in partnership with Accelerate Resilience L.A.

Be sure to join our email list and check back here soon so you don’t miss any event news and updates. Use the interactive digital map to plan which businesses, local gems, activities along the route, and Hubs to check out during the event on April 16th!

 

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Golden Streets – Heart of the Foothills

From 626GoldenStreets.com

626 Golden Streets in 6 Points

1. 626 Golden Streets is a free event! However at least a few dollars will offer you SGV treats and support local businesses along the route.

2. You get to decide where you start and finish. There is no right or wrong way to experience the event.

3. All forms of active transportation are permitted, including walking, biking, skating, jogging, ambling, and strolling. E-assist wheelchairs, bicycles, skateboards, etc. are also permitted, however all event participants (whether on standard or e-assist devices) shall ride in a safe and courteous manner, yielding to slower moving persons.

4. 626 Golden Streets is not a race. There are no finisher medals or awards. Only miles of smiles.

5. Share the road. Please stay right and exercise caution so everyone can have a safe, enjoyable day.

​6. Bring a reusable bottle, cup, or mug! There will be free water refill stations in each activity hub, as well as a ton of great businesses to purchase beverages from!

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Chaos & Cobbles In Hell! | Paris-Roubaix 2023 Highlights – Men

The 2023 edition of Paris-Roubaix follows a brutal 257km parcours, featuring 29 bone-shaking cobbled sectors, not least the 5-star rated Trouée d’Arenberg, Mons-en-Pévele and Carrefour de l’Arbre. Far rougher than those found in Flanders, these pavés make the “Hell of the North” the toughest one-day race on the pro calendar. Who will claim a historic victory in this truly iconic Monument?

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‘Cycling is my meditation.’ For the CEO of this health care startup, bike rides bring mental clarity

From Fortune.com

In our CEO wellness series, we ask executives about their day-to-day habits to gain insight into the tactics they use to minimize stress and maintain their well-being.

Adrian Aoun is founder and CEO of Forward, a startup aiming to be the first health care system to deliver high-quality health care to a billion people for free. Before founding Forward, Aoun was head of special projects for Larry Page at Google/Alphabet, where he founded one of the Alphabet companies, Sidewalk Labs.

Coffee or tea? And what do you put in it?
I’ve never been a big coffee guy, but a cup of tea every now and then is nice. Truthfully, I’m mostly just consuming industrial quantities of water constantly. The colder, the better.

What is your go-to breakfast?
If I’ve been cycling, a big morning glass of orange juice post-workout is a must. I usually skip breakfast unless I’m meeting friends on the weekend. If I do find myself somewhere for breakfast, I’m usually looking for whatever their closest equivalent is to a “grand slam,” if I’m going to do it, might as well do it right!

Tell us about your workout routine.
I work out almost every day. Occasionally it’s going for a run, but most often it’s cycling. I live in San Francisco, near the Golden Gate Bridge, so most days I bike up north into Marin and through the mountains.

How many hours do you sleep on a typical night?
The Slacks usually stop coming by 10 p.m. or so, and I’m up around 5 a.m. or 6 a.m. It often takes me a while to fall asleep, so I sometimes need to delve through Reddit or tech news on my phone to help calm down my brain and help me fall asleep.

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6 things to check when resurrecting your bicycle for riding this spring

From USAToday.com

By George Petras and Janet Loehrke

Here are a few simple steps to help even nervous mechanics get their bicycles roadworthy for exercise, commuting and plain old fun.

Looking to dust off your bicycle and get it back on the road after ignoring it all winter? Even for those who prefer riding to wrenching, it’s not that difficult, bike mechanics say.

Assuming you don’t have serious mechanical problems that a bike shop should handle, a few simple tools and some care will have you on two wheels in no time.

And if you’re one of many Americans who rediscovered bicycles during COVID-19, you’ll find that bike parts, and even new models, are much more available now. Things have changed since the pandemic-induced shortages of a few years ago.

“It’s a very different story today,” Stephen Frothingham, editor in chief for Bicycle Retailer & Industry News, told USA TODAY.

“The supply has caught up with the demand for most bikes. There’s an ample supply of just about any kind of bike you’re looking for.”

Bike shop mechanics remain busy, but the pace isn’t as frantic as before. “Right now, we have about 35 or 40 bikes out back for repair,” says Mike Hulett, owner of Broadway Cyclery in Bedford, Ohio. That’s down from about 60 in July 2020.

If you’re looking for a new bicycle, you can probably find one at a nearby dealer. But if you have a bike you want to repair or maintain yourself, you can do it!

Photo by Luca J on Unsplash

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The Secret To Winning Paris-Roubaix With Mitch Docker!

Paris Roubaix is a 250-kilometre test of strength, endurance & sheer willpower! A race that will push riders to their very limits and perhaps beyond. Mitch Docker is here to recon the course, meeting up with pro’s along to way to find out the secrets to riding & perhaps even winning this iconic race!

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Trek’s new Ballista and Velocis helmets are faster and airier than ever

From Cyclist.co.uk

by

The Ballista saves 5.4 watts, the Velocis offers 38% better airflow and Trek ditches Bontrager name for new helmets in multi-year rebranding plan

Hot on the heels of the launch of the new Émonda ALR, Trek has released the latest generations of its Ballista Mips and Velocis Mips top-tier helmets. Trek says both helmets have been designed around the needs of the Trek-Segafredo team, and included the team’s riders in the R&D process.

The Ballista is Trek’s aero helmet. This second generation is now a claimed 5.4 watts faster than the previous model. The Velocis sits as a performance all-rounder, with a larger focus on light weight and high ventilation, which Trek says is now 38% better than the last version.

Both helmets do not use WaveCel, Trek’s solution to mitigate rotational violence in a similar way to MIPS’ slip-plane liners, but conventional MIPS instead, and have achieved 5-star ratings in Virginia tech testing.

Image courtesy of Trek

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