05/06/08 to 05/10/08    -  Loose Spokes Celebrates Mother's Day

                                                                                                                                                        

03/26/08    -  Spring Speciale            Bianchi "Brillante"

 

Bianchi bicycles once again boasts one of the best bicycles of the Spring Season as we begin to really experience the already high price of gasoline to get to and from places. This is a commuter bike. It is made specifically with the commuter in mind so if you need to get around town and to and from places conveniently and with all the amenities that make commuting by bicycle fun then this bike is for you.


This is your new car, complete with our Pro Service Agreement for only $599.99!

In many ways it is "old fashioned" or "retro looking" but let’s face it, the bicycle is not a fashion statement and yet it can be. Two weeks ago the Loose Spokes General Manager and CEO were in Grand Rapids on our way to Lansing for the Midwest Rep Assoc. Winter Show. While having coffee at a local restaurant and within a half hour we saw 4 separate individuals on their way somewhere on their bicycles. 

Up the hill they went with their fenders, rear racks locks and lighting, on their way to work, to play, to the store, to the library, to the post office, to a doctor's appointment, who knows where but on their way somewhere by bicycle.

We are seeing more and more wise people who truly do want to make an impact on our environment and who are in fact doing something for their own fitness and saving a lot of wasted dollars on gasoline in the SUV like so many millions do just to get around town. 

Come in and See the Bianchi "Brilante" - a new modern twist on something as old as the bicycle itself. State of the art equipment, aluminum tubing and excellent component package make up this bike stock with:

Ride this bike and tell us what you think.  The "Brilante" is as suitable for the serious athlete as it is for the novice. We have them in all the sizes and they are ready to save you money. 

All you will need is a good lock and the motivation to truly grab hold of your piece of sustainable transportation.

                                                                                                                                                       

03/03/08    -  The Loose Spokes Juniors have graduated! 

The first and only USCF sponsored cycling club in our City in over 20 years was formed last month and is known as "Lake Effect Cycle Club". The club can now be seen as a registered USCF Club on the official USA Cycling website.

Open enrollment is going on now through April 15, 2008.  The club's first meeting took place on February 21 and Sponsorship opportunities were presented to the group of enthusiastic attendees.  Food and refreshments were provided at the one hour meeting and the atmosphere was one of great interest and many positive ideas for the upcoming year.

There is something in the club for everyone, regardless of ability level and specific cycling interest.  The club will host several Summer Long training rides including a weekly Time Trial and membership will have the opportunity to enter USCF sanctioned events with a title sponsor behind them.  The club will have members who are interested in bicycle racing and bicycle touring.

The racing side of the club will address the needs of the Triathlete, the Mountain Biker and the Road Cyclist.  The club also plans on several events with  the bicycle tourist in mind.  You are invited to join the ranks of the membership now.  Bring an interested friend along and get started in a full year of Club benefits.

Click onto the link below or check the Clubs/Events button above to navigate to the Club site for more information on the club.  Download an application and get signed up now as the cycling season unfolds.  Your membership dollars will be well spent on area wide cycling opportunities including local benefit and charity rides, fitness and training rides for the athlete along with cycling advocacy events.

Leadership positions are also open for those who would like a role in rider development, training rides and more.  We are looking for a person to offer their skills at photography and a journalist to document the club's activities and events for future news stories.  Let us know by completing the brief bio on the enrollment form how you see yourself in the "Lake Effect Cycle Club"!

                                                                                                                                                        

01/01/08    -  January Bike of the Month            Fuji "Team RC Pro"

"Team RC" pro custom road bike. This bike is an absolutely outstanding deal $3699.99! Check it out!

The National Championship winning “Team RC” frame is full carbon not aluminum lugged; avoiding where most other manufacturer’s carbon with aluminum lugs frames crack and fail at critical areas of construction. Fuji's C7 Carbon has never had one warranty issue since its debut in 2001, not one failure due to stress cracks or other problems, which allows Fuji to offer a lifetime warranty on their carbon frames. (Picture doesn't represent actual components)


This very special bike will come with a price tag of just $3,699.99 and will include our trademark Pro Service Agreement. We build a lot of custom bikes each year and most are far more expensive than the production bikes but this is the best value bike we have put together in a long while. We built this with a Dura Ace component kit. Yes, the entire kit! Not last year's one model down front derailleur, not some other guy's brakes, not two steps down in the bottom bracket. This is a full "Dura Ace" bike! In addition, the wheelset is custom built with Mavic Open Pro rims, stainless steel spokes and Ultegra hubset. Hurry, there is only one. Why not have a one of a kind custom bike for less than what everyone else is riding for more? Come see one of us now before Spring as this one will roll out the door quick!

Specs:

VS the Competition:

For those of you who know us, it’s not like us to compare our brands or products with our competitor's labels. We generally feel that all bike shops have great bikes but we could not help but to share a few of these facts with you on this particular bike. We took the time to compare this Fuji Team RC with some of the others in the market. Without discrediting the fine bikes from Trek we pulled some information off their corporate website to discover the following:

Compare this with the Trek "Madone 6.5 stock bike. This is their  "Dura Ace" bike with the "Ultegra" front derailleur and shift kit.  This bike sells for as much as $5829.99.  The only other one Trek has even remotely close to the Fuji "Team RC" in price is the "Madone 5.2" stock bike with a suggested retail of $3659.99.  The "5.2" has the "Ultegra/105 mix" component package.  Both these frames have the same OCLV technology that the Trek Corporation has been using now for many years with the aluminum lugs at the stress points...often times cracks and fails at these same stress points. Even though the company reportedly reinforced and re-engineered these stress areas this past year it is still the OCLV technology. 

When you look hard at the bikes mentioned above we are certain you will see the value clearly!  Our custom Fuji "Team RC" is  a bike with state of the art technology using carbon inserts at the bottom bracket with a special heat treating and bonding process that utilizes carbon instead of a dissimilar material.  This is the primary reason there are no reported failures with this frame even though Fuji offers their lifetime warranty on this frameset. 

When you couple that with the full "Dura Ace" kit as opposed to your choice with Trek of either the "Dura Ace/Ultegra" mix or the "Ultegra/105" mix that they use on their OCLV carbon frames you will see the value is in the custom built Fuji. 

You put a set of Mavic Ksyrium SE wheels on this Fuji Team RC bike and you will still save money over the Trek or other production bikes. In addition, shedding the bike down to 15 lbs. easily! 

                                                                                                                                                        

11/26/07    -  December Bike of the Month     Bianchi Pista "Fixed Gear"

The Bianchi "Pista"  For over 120 years Bianchi has been building some of the finest road bikes in the world.  The Bianchi brand is synonymous with excellence and passion. There is no other bicycle built that exemplifies that more than the Bianchi "Pista" (peestah). There is nothing in the cycling world that quite matches the "Pista"in elegance and simplicity. This bike will more than satisfy the master of the velodrome as a fixed gear track bike it is also the favorite in every major city in the world to the bike messenger community who appreciate its no frills and quickness.

Yes, a lot of production bicycle builders have single speed fixed gear bikes and most are quite nice. We stock a couple different ones but when you look at the Bianchi you will immediately notice the 1960's vintage look inasmuch as the artwork and details are of that of the many track champions over the years.

The challenge of riding a track bike or fixed gear bike is that there is of course, no coasting, not even around corners or when braking.  This means that it is not a bicycle for the novice.  Riding a fixed gear bike requires a great deal of cycling skill and the ability to "feel the circle".  Proper pedaling technique is taught by using a track bike.  There is no forgiveness in the circle of the crank, your legs will go around the chainrings in exactly the same circle as they should.  Your leg muscles will learn a circular pedaling memory that will stay with you all season long when you use your fixed gear bike on the rollers.

There is no better way to perfect your pedaling technique than to ride the rollers on a track bike. The nice thing about the Pista is its traditional horizontal dropouts with chain adjustment bolts for maintaining the exact tension on the chain, essential for energy transformation from the foot up front all the way to the fixed cog in the back.  There is no slop or loss of energy.

The frame is made of the Deddaccia brand of some of the finest chromium molybdenum (chro moly) tubing money can buy.  Bianchi engineered double butted, heat treated and light weight, this chro mo frameset takes the edge off the poor road conditions for the commuter or the messenger.

Heavily used in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles and every other major metropolitan area I can think of, the Bianchi "Pista" is a favorite of the commuter.  For those of us who ride to and from work everyday this is the perfect bike. 

With a "flip-flop" hub one can install either another fixed gear or for commuting a single speed freewheel to allow coasting in another gear ratio giving the bike two basic gears by simply flipping the rear wheel around. All this for only $650.00!

Come in soon for a test ride or a demonstration. Come see the latest in bicycle fashion statements by taking a hard look at the Bianchi "Pista".  Built for speed, built for function, built to last!