Six Pillars Eagle Man Ride

Andrea and I rode in the Six Pillars Character Counts Eagleman 56 Mile bike ride over the weekend, in Cambridge MD. Amazingly, the weather held out for us and we remained dry for the entire ride. In fact, those few hours that we were on the bikes, may have been the only dry hours of the whole weekend.

It was a great ride, with beautiful scenery and near perfect temperatures. Teh event was extremely well run, and the only disappointment was the lack of participants. The size of the race paled in comparison to the Seagull Century, with only about 150-200 riders. Still, I recommend it to anyone as a good start to the cycling season or as a first event for new cyclists. The course was nice and flat, with little to no hills. The only challenging parts came from the long roads close to the water, where the wind posed an issue and made things slightly tougher.

Andrea and I certainly didn't set any land speed records while we were out there, but we had a great time.

I managed to snap a bunch of shots while we were riding. I'll just post a couple of of them here for you to view, but you can check out the rest at the link below.

-JB

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Gear Deal - Bike Nashbar

Nashbar.com is having a "Closeout King" sale right now. If you need any cycling gear you might be able to find some great bargains. It is basically just a bunch of random stuff that they've thrown on sale. The list includes all sorts of products. I saw some cranksets, some shoes, a helmet. If you take the time to sift through the list you might find some gems. Here are 2 that caught my eye:



Adidas Women's Sport Jersey for only $13.98 (Normally $50!)








Men's Carbon Nashbar Jersey for only $19.99 (Normally $69.99)



For those savvy shoppers who want to compare prices, head over to Performance Bike and see what they've got that compares. It just so happens that they are offering 10% off (today only... sorry for the late notice) with coupon code 564.
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Spring Time Tune Up

Spring is almost in the air and for many of us that means finally being able to dust off the old bike and getting back out there. It also means it is prime time to get that bike to a shop and have it looked at. Most bike shops recommend a minimum of 1 tune up a year, where others even go so far as to call for 2. Either way, get it in the shop now, so you can be back on the road and enjoying your bike that much sooner.

I found a couple of good resources regarding bike tune ups. The first details how to find a good place for a tune up and what is normally involved. They list typical pricing, and possible repairs that may arise during the regular inspection process. If you are going into the shop, you might as well know what you can expect when you get there.

The second is actually a site that may help you take the bull by the horns and do your own tune up. They offer tips on how to service virtually every part of your bike. This may not be the best option, but it sure could save you some money, and I don't know too many people who aren't trying to do that right now. In the very least, bookmark this site for future reference, so the next time your bike starts acting funny, or making strange noises, you will be able to diagnose the problem.

So get that bike back into tip top shape. Your bike will thank you for it later with smoother rides and a longer life in general.

Happy Riding...
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