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| Pete's Tip 'o' the Day: |
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Secrets from the Gear End
With the avalanche of road bikes we've seen lately, we've heard a common refrain: "My gears are noisy!" Upon investigation, we've discovered a common factor: riders with shifting issues. Yep, even some of the most hard-core, saddle-weary, Tour-following, isotonic-sculling roadies don't know what's causing that annoying rattle. (Besides half a kilo of caffeine pills stashed in a jersey pocket.) Thus we present...
BMCR's Picture Guide to the Stuff No-one Seems to Tell You About Your Shifters!
Secret #1. Is Your Chain Straight?
Did you know that bike gears aren't designed to run in extremes (e.g. innermost/outermost front and back cogs) simultaneously? "But why?" you cry. "Surely we're given every gear to use?" Not so. These combinations result in the chain being dragged diagonally across the cogs. This is bad in three ways: it's noisy, it increases wear, and it increases the chance of chain breakage. (Evidence below: big on back and front on the left, small on back and front on the right, bent and unhappy chains on both.)
Secret #2.
Know How To Trim.
Changing gears and hearing a persistent noise? You may not have trimmed correctly. Don't worry: it's easy! All you need to do is give a half-click to the left-hand levers; this click shifts the derailleur just a little and voila! No more noise!
Note: as you'll see in the pics below, the half-click is not the same as the full click you'd use to change a gear. Don't do the full click to trim! "Show me!" you say. Sure!
For those running Shimano:
a) trimming the big ring
(trimming half-click on the left, shifting full click for comparison on the right)
b) trimming the small ring
For those running Campag:
a) trimming the big ring
(again, trimming half-click on the left, shifting full click right)
b) trimming the small ring
And that's it! Amaze your road posse with your ninja-silent shifting. When people ask how you do it, just smile mysteriously. (And hope that no-one else in the group also gets this e.newsletter.) | |
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Dear Subscriber,
It's the holy grail of e.marketing: the one magical phrase which will bring a stampede of customers waving Visas and clamouring for merchandise. Books have been written on it. Forum users feverishly discuss it. Bloggers...er...blog about it. BMCR, however, has actually found it. Listen to the wind, and it will whisper it to you, too, gentle reader:
"Body-shaping underwear."
Never before has one product note struck such a chord with our subscribers. Within 48 hours of dissemination, all of our Bellwether knicks were gone! Well, almost all: it appears that this enchanting call-to-arms works only on men. Operant conditioning? Power of suggestion? The mention of actually getting served at Cibo without ridicule? You be the judge! (Best answer gets a slightly dinged copy of Mastering Mountain Biking Skills.)
In order to try and duplicate our success, we'd mention that our new products (locks, saddles, clothing) are all body-shaping, but the first two probably aren't ideal... Hmm. Back to the drawing board! Anyway, read on for those plus a new subscriber-only special, an update on one of our shop ambassadors, and, to the left, a secret lesson from Pete on fixes for mystery chain noises. Truly, he is the Bike Whisperer. Fear his mighty powers! |
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New in store |
In addition to their much-loved pannier and pack range, we're proud to now offer you a boatload of Vaude cycling clothing! Hurray! They're also 40% off the usual price! Double hurray! We weren't going to profile the  entire range this e.newsletter because we figured no-one would be wanting to read about rain jackets right now, but, looking at the weather this week, Mother Nature has made fools of us all. For the sake of your attention span, however, we'll start with pants. (You know where we are if you want to check out the jackets.) Perfect for touring, the lightweight 3/4 Bodman pants feature handy stash pockets, articulated knees (nothing worse than an inarticulate knee, I always  say) and a drawcord leg cuff to take you from mountain to market. For the ladies, the Cruise shorts are casually cut, stretchy, and stylish. Made with the kind of precision engineering and attention to detail that only Germans can provide, both models offer UV protection and a wicking finish, plus come with a silky separate inner short which can be whisked out when appropriate, or as a party trick. Vaude: for cyclists who'd rather not latte in lycra.
Going out to enjoy the Fringe events? Or heading to the pub to avoid the Fringe events? Either way, you need a bike lock you can rely on. Kryptonite offers the kind of  extreme protection which is usually spelled with lots of xs and shrieked by Pepsi Max ads. ("Exx treeeeme!") The press release even has 'MAX' in capitals; who are we to argue? Now in  stock: the Kryptoflex 1565 and Hardwire 2018 braided steel cable locks, which come with rotating lock heads and versatile mounting brackets, and the New York M-18NX steel shackle, which has a double deadbolt lock and makes thieves cry just by looking at it. Want a different model? Just let us know!
The recent long distance event rides have probably seen a few e.newsletter readers looking for a better quality  saddle. We say: Selle Italia (so good, the marketing department didn't have to bother coming up with a more imaginative name than 'Italy Saddles'). Innovative, world-renowned, and technologically advanced, S.I. saddles  are made from full-grain leather for ultimate comfort and maximum breathability. From the race-light Signo to the Lady and Diva saddles (which are actually properly designed for women; none of this 'cut-a-bit-out-and-stick-a-flower-on-it' nonsense), there's a quality seat for every tush and bank account. |
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Does Tasmania count as 'overseas'? |
 Big BMCR congrats to the Queen of the Rock Garden, Jayne Rutter, who placed seventh in Elite Women during the recent Australian MTB National DownHill series in Tasmania. Yay, Jayne!
Also crashing the Nats were fellow green BMCR machines, Joe "Greased Lightning" Mullan and Tony "Jayne's Husband" Rutter. Check out Jayne's sweet Commençal Mini DH above. Want one of your own? Just let us know! Want more pics of Jayne, O stalker? Check out her website!
[NB: BMCR does not condone stalking. Of our riders, anyway. Anyone else, go nuts.] |
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Special |
UV rays are like Paris Hilton; ubiquitous, damaging to the eyes, and turning up to everything regardless of whether they're  welcome or not. Shield your delicate retinas for cheap this March with 10% off all stocked Shimano sunglasses!
The photochromatic Galaxy and Equinox ("as used by Pete!") models are perfect for in-between weather as they react to UV light and adjust their darkness  accordingly. For those who like a one-piece lens, an adjustable nosepiece, and a colour scheme that cannot be ignored, the Antares is hard to beat, while the best-selling Zenith ups the ante with an "aggressive and organic" design (anyone else thinking of a peach wielding a pair of scissors? No? Just me, then) and typical Shimano comfort.
Finally, the collection is rounded out with the Solstice  and Pulsar models, which offer the same Shimano precision and quality at a lower price point. As a bonus, the Equinox, Zenith, and Solstice also come with different sets of lenses for different conditions. All models do, however, come with a travel box and a manual*.
*[One can only assume the manual is three words long: "Put on face." Or, possibly: "Not a hat."] |
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That's all for this month! Oh, and we'll be closed on Saturday March 7th for the long weekend, but will re-open on Tuesday the 10th. Hey, we've got to make up for Pete's 15-hour days somewhere. At least, until we get our P-Clone-4000 prototype up and running... So far, all it wants to do is sleep. (Lia: "Wake up! Now fix this seized pivot." Clone: "Wha? Eh. Zzzzz." Lia: "That's a bad clone! Bad! Clone!" Clone: no response. Lia: "Did you learn how to power yourself down? Oh, perfect." Pete: "I told you not to get the 4000 model." Lia: "Shut up and help me lift this thing into the incinerator.")
Keep riding, and stay safe. Cheers!
Pete & Lia
Bio-Mechanics Cycles & Repairs
Home of the Wright Street leaf litter | |
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