If you are looking to do some body work now to improve your cycling performance later you should consider doing an exercise known as a squat.  Your legs are used heavily on a bike to spin the pedals and propel the bike and strengthening them will make a big difference in how fast and long you can ride.  A squat is a body weight exercise that requires no gym visit or special equipment and can be done anytime and anywhere with as many repetitions as you want.    

Plan to attend the Chicagoland Winter Bike Swap, February 12, 2023, 9:30am to 2pm at the Kane County Fair Grounds, St. Charles, IL.

A bike swap is an in-person event that celebrates bike culture.  People with bikes and parts to sell set up tables with their merchandise to allow people who are interested in used bikes or components and accessories to browse and negotiate a deal.  Vendors at bike swaps include bike shops trying to liquidate inventory, both new and used, and individuals who have lots of bike related items they no longer need.  If there is a bike swap near you, it is a fun way to soak up cycling culture and find items at a bargain.

If you love to ride ebikes but are hesitant to ride more in the city for commuting or errands because of the challenges that bikes entail: they are bulky, don’t always integrate seamlessly with other forms of transportation such as buses or trains, aren’t always welcome in offices, and there is a risk of theft if you leave them outside regardless of how many locks you use.  One solution is a folding ebike, and there are good reasons to consider one.

If you're still riding around with the basic pedals that came with your bike it is time to make an upgrade.  Pedals that come on new bikes are generally designed to meet a low price point and do not take into consideration your unique riding style and requirements.  Due to their constant movement and force placed on them pedals wear out quickly.  Bike pedals come in a variety of shapes, styles, and sizes and are easy to upgrade so knowing why and when to do this is worth investigating.

​If you're in the market for a new electric bike, or ebike as it is known, and have done a little research or talked to friends and family, it is easy to be overwhelmed with the options.  There are so many styles and each one might be a good choice for someone for different reasons. Prices range from $500 for a kit to over $15,000 or more for a premium ebike.  Since it is such a big purchase and there are so many options, you’ll want to do your due diligence.  What do you need to think about to select the perfect ebike for you?

Riding a bike is a great activity for most children.  If you are a cyclist yourself you know there are many benefits from riding a bike for yourself and the environment.  By making sure a child has a bike that fits, is safe to ride, and they have great places to ride you are getting them started right on a lifetime of fun and memories.  We’ve put together some tips to assure the bike you buy for them is a good choice for wherever they are at this phase in their life.

Bike lights have two purposes: to see where you are going and to be seen by others.  There is a misconception that if you ride a bike in the city you do not need bright lights because there is ambient lighting from street and car lights which allows you to see and be seen.  While any small powered bike light is better than nothing, a bright light will improve your safety by extending your ability to be seen from a greater distant and providing better illumination of the road.    

​Now that ebikes are becoming more popular,  people are enjoying them for getting around and with good reason.  They are a clean, efficient means of mobility for commuting, recreation, and fitness and are safe when used as they were designed.   But unfortunately along with increase usage there has been a corresponding increase in incidents due to the battery.  There have been increasing reports of ebike battery fires.  If you own an ebike, or are considering purchasing one, it is a good idea to be aware of best battery safety practices to ensure maximum safety, utility and life of your new ebike and it’s battery.

There is a lot of innovation in the electric bike (ebike) space right now.  Significant investments are being made by companies in diverse industries as well as individual inventors around the world to improve ebike designs.  While two-wheel transportation has evolved steadily over the past 100 years, the pace of innovation has sped up exponentially as a result of the addition of a motor and battery to a bike.  The electrical components on an ebike and the refinement of these creates new opportunities for features not possible before.  Following is some of the  technology we’ve noticed available in leading edge ebikes today and might be common in the future plus social trends indicating acceptance of ebikes. 

Even though it is fun and practical to ride an ebike for recreation and transportation, no one likes to ride in the rain.  Sometimes you have no choice.  You might be out riding and a shower rolls in or a mist turns into something more, catching you off guard.  Or you find you just need to get somewhere and your ebike is the best choice, weather be damned, so you just roll out.  You can ride an ebike in the rain, but there are some steps you can take before, during, and after your ride to make a ride in the rain safe and enjoyable.