A little history of Logan bike shops.

People that have been around cycling in Logan for some time often comment that there has been a shop at the Joyride Bikes location forever. That's only partly correct, so I thought I'd type up some of the history of bike shops in Logan. I'm sure I'll miss some things but one thing that has been consistent is that there has always been a strong passion for cycling among the shop owners.

The location of most of the shops people are referring to is actually just a bit north of Joyride Bikes current location at what is now Mackley Designer Portraiture. The first shop I remember being there when I young was Aardvark Cycles. I remember seeing a mountain bike in there that was the typical for the time: bullhorn bars, rigid fork and thumb shifters except that it had a 26" front wheel and a 20" back wheel. We get lucky and get Janet out on rides with us sometimes.

The next shop to move into that location was Pursuit Cycles. Weston Allen was the owner and also made his own frames. They were all painted black and neon green, 80s style-which is cool again. For a small price he would strip your bike and paint it to match the team colors. I recall going in there and hanging out. Weston and Dave were about the coolest guys ever because they knew about bikes. They would give me old team tires so I could get use out of them to finish them off. Cameron worked there and now is back in Logan after being in St. George for many years. Paul Witteker worked there and now runs a CrossFit gym in Smithfield. I eventually bought my first bike from Weston, a Miyata 714, I wanted a 912 but they were sold out. A friend bought that from me and now I hear it is styling under a hipster in Sugarhouse. I also remember meeting a very tall John Hernandez on a group ride who went up the hill out of Richmond really fast and is still doing that today.

I'm pretty sure that Pursuit Cycles then became Adventure Sports. A different Dave owned that and Ron Stagg turned a wrench there for some time. Ron also spent time at Sunrise prior and later at Al's. Adventure also expanded into climbing and the location became a climbing gym for several years. Here the time line gets a little shifted as we move further north. I recall Psycle Path being around for a short period. There also used to be a shop up on 400 North that was not long lived. Further north on Main was the Bike and Lock Shop. Lots of Fuji road bikes in there. Rod managed The Sportsman for a long time. Remember when Panasonic made bicycles?

Moving back Downtown was Sunrise which has been in the same location for 35+ years. Al's used to be over on 100 West before they built their building out north.

Ed at EK Ekcessories owned the building at 565 North Main where he has come full circle from starting EK Ekcessories to buying the building back to open a factory EK store at the same location. In the mean time that location was Guido's Cycle and Sport which I managed for about a year. Marilyn, who is now at Al's, ran Guido's where Brian Jeppson was her service manager. Marilyn left Guido's for Al's and I took over as manager and Brian Jeppson moved to Cedar City where he has been doing a great job with Cedar Cycles for, what, 13+ years now?

I managed Guido's-I know weird name-people always wanted a large pepperoni special, and worked with Joel Peterson who worked with me at Sunrise Cyclery for a few years prior and with Steve Johnson. Joel later went to Al's where he finished up his time in the industry prior to opening his own small shop for a stint. Steve went on to work at Al's for a time and rejoin me when I went back to Sunrise Cyclery. While at Guido's I hired a great guy named Justin who is now the Midwest sales rep for Raleigh Bicycles. I still see other people from the Guido's crew at races. I left Guido's and shortly thereafter Adventure Sports bought out Guido's making that the second bike shop in that location.

I got my start in the industry at Sunrise Cyclery and worked there off and on for many years. I started as a mechanic and then sales, eventually managing it with my friend Jared. At Sunrise I worked with Brandon who now runs a shop in Park City. I met Josh Felt who is one of the best wrenches I've ever met. He would later go to Al's and then help me for a time after I bought Joyride Bikes. Kyle Isaacs started there as the bottom man on the pole and has since gone on to own a very successful shop, SBR Sports in Orem, UT. Many other faces came and went over the years at Sunrise. Scott went from Sunrise to Al's. Todd became an industry rep for Specialized then to Fuji Bicycles and now with a company that distributes LED lights. Paul Vaslet now writes mortgage loans here in town and has a company that makes some cool changing tents. One noteworthy co-worker was Jim Clonts. Jim was a very exacting and skilled mechanic who quickly grew his own following which would form the basis of Joyride Bikes which opened in the back of Great Harvest a long time ago.

After Guido's I was out of the industry for a time. I came back with the intention of buying Sunrise Cyclery. After that not working out I was back to finish my formal education. I sold drugs, legally for Johnson & Johnson, took 90 days to realize it wasn't for me and I planned to go back to school to get even smarter. That's when Jim and Michelle Clonts called me. After seven hard years of building Joyride Bikes into a successful business they were ready to move on and I became owner of Joyride Bikes.

It's been a fast-moving, merry-go-round. Sunrise Cyclery ended up with three employees owning bike shops throughout Utah. Several people became semi-lifers with 10+ years in shops and some working at 2-3 shops in Logan. Many other great guys and gals made their ways through college while spreading the love of two wheels.

So there is a multi-directional and convoluted wander through the history of Logan bike shops according to myself. Please feel free to comment any details the reader may remember. It's been great meeting these friends, sharing their love of life and the experience on two wheels. Sometimes we lead sometimes we follow, but it's always better to have great friends to share the journey with.

Some cyclocross results...

CX season is well under way with only four race days left in the season. In my opinion this is one of the most demanding forms of racing a person can choose to participate in. Ups and plenty of downs. Crashes, bad starts, bad sprints, and plenty of tough competition. It's been said and I'll repeat, this is not a sport for the weak.

The Utah State Championships were just held and many on the Joyride Bikes Team had a great showing. The season has seen us with lots of top-tens and some tough showings. Beth has been fighting in the women's A's, Dan had ridden tough in the men's A's with a really hard crash, Brad B. has been a machine in the B's with a full schedule-that's why Brad has always been fast. Robert Hamlin has been awesome in the 45 masters... fair warning to anyone who plans to keep up with him. Brian has come on very strong in the single speed after several-year absence from racing 'cross. Brian H. is the Energizer Bunny. He'll ride five hours, climb 6000' and do it again the next day. He consistently doubles up on race day and always pushes himself. Local powerhouse Johnny B. has been where he usually is-at the front. Myself has had one good showing in Idaho and one in the 35+ masters in Utah, the rest-not so good. Graysen has been on the podium of every junior race he's entered this season.

John Burton is our 2010/11 2nd place in single speed (these guys are fast!). Congrats out to all the team for a strong showing so far. For the rest of you enjoy this photo montage that should convince anyone that bike racing is not easy.

http://www.pdxcross.com/galleries/barton-park-last-cross-crusade-race-of-the-season/

Why do we sell what we sell?

Trek, Specialized, Cannondale, Giant, Scott, Felt, Bianchi, Intense, Santa Cruz, Kona, Yeti, Serotta, Pinarello... the list goes on. And on.

All of us here at Joyride Bikes are riders first. Some of us race, some commute, some just cruise. We sell what we, as riders, want to ride. In Kory's 15+ years as in industry person and Brian's 12+ along with everyone else in the store we have seen, ridden and sold it all. There is a difference. A Pinarello does things in a unique way that other brands do not. While a Bianchi may have some similarities, neither is a Trek. Roast beef ==> prime rib ==> filet mignon==>?? For those that are omnivores, can you tell the difference? Both will satiate the palate but they do it in a different way. (For those of other dietary preferences I'll leave you to your own analogy.)

I'll elaborate some, my personal experience sums to 70+ nice bikes I have personally owned. Titanium, carbon fiber, steel, aluminum, mixed construction and all have been Ultegra or Dura Ace, SRAM Red, Rival or Force and Campagnolo Chorus to Record. That doesn't even begin to count the bikes I've demoed and otherwise learned about. The includes the big brands and many that most have never heard of. I've ridden about every wheelset out there. I'm certainly not stating this to indicate that I am the end-all when it comes to bicycle expertise. Just that I can take my expertise and adapt it to help you find the very best bike for your needs. That is really what Joyride Bikes is about.

Value is another thing we take seriously here at Joyride Bikes. We pay for our stuff too and appreciate getting the best bike for our dollar. We look at the variety of components and weigh the overall package of fit, ride quality and performance to help guide people to the best bike they can find. Not all carbon fiber is the same. Fit does vary tremendously among brands. We'll help you sort and figure it out.

The next time we are asked by a customer is a Pinarello is really as nice as brand 'X', we'll have an answer for that customer. The answer will be 'yes' and if desired there is an accompanying explanation to go along with it. How much time have you got?

Yes, we 29.

We get it. We have for a long time. We don't wax evangelical about the virtues of 29er wheels and consider anything else a kids bike but we have owned, ridden and compared 29er bikes for the better part of 10 years.

There is a movement to push 29er bikes into the establishment with most every manufacturer offering a bike. Even some than openly criticized the notion of wagon wheels only a few years ago have now jumped in and their marketing departments try to convince us they were on board all along. No longer the domain of single speeders and pariahs with Unabomber-like beards. There is a 29er for all.

We offer Felt Racing with some of the most solid values in twenty-nine inch bikes starting at $599.99. Others have sold $599.99 bikes before but they were fairly junky. The Felt beats everything we've seen close to that price-from anybody. Rocky Mountain offers 29ers in every variety, those that have tried have liked. GT has some monster-truck chrome-moly, rigid fork monsters that are just fun. Ride it to school. Ride it to work. Ride the trails and take it to Cape Horn if you want to. Scott takes the light and fast approach to their 29er as usual. Intense has a sweet VPP Spider 29. Serotta, Salsa and Niner have made their way out our doors with 29ers.

So the next time someone asks your opinion as their bike expert, suggest they come down and check out some of our offerings in the big-wheel category and find out what all the fuss is about.

Ventures are here!

So what do we do in the Wintertime? Funny when we get that question. One of the things that makes living in Cache Valley is the variety of outdoor activities we have to pick from. The cold and dark takes away from cycling but opens up new sports that make us better athletes and improves our fitness in ways that a single sport simply cannot.

We've quitely offered Venture Snowboards for a couple of seasons now. Venture was a brand that was easy to believe in: local manufacturing-they do everything in house in Silverton, Colorado; a green ethos that germinated way before the recent fad of companies being environmentally conscientious; they are a small company, Klem and Lisa own the brand. Everything is done by them and their crew in house. A tight knit crew and they ride and manufacture the stuff they want to ride. A good outcome is a foregone conclusion when the you want to ride the best and own your own company.

We're proud to shout out and bring to Cache Valley the best splitboards, and solids, on the market. I've owned, ridden and demoed about everything. The Venture boards stand apart and just like the way a truly dialed mountain bike does, makes every ride more enjoyable and opens up new terrain. Snowboarders can now split and tour almost as fast as skiers and enjoy the flow of riding sideways down our local inbound and outbound terrain. So for those that see the madness in why we choose the brands we do, come in and check out the craftsmanship and design that stokes our fires the other five months out of the year. If anyone is so inclined talk to Kory about a demo and start to discover where your own two legs can take you this Winter.

Yes, it is cyclocross season..

The season has already begun for many and a couple of local racers already have a couple of races under their belts. The Utah series officially starts next Saturday, Oct. 2nd. Many from the Joyride crew are planning a pilgrimage to Victor, ID for Moosecross on the 2nd as well. I heard it was a great time last year and a great way to go gently into the CX pool. Join us for that if you can.

Practices are in full swing and happening on Tuesdays at 6:00 at the Cache County Fairgrounds. About an hour long and a great way to have a fun workout.

We have our largest CX team roster ever at 23 racers and growing! Finally, the new skinsuits are here and looking sharp, just begging to get dirty.

It's better to be lucky than good.

I did it. I won a major award. We had the chance to attend Dealer Camp at Deer Valley last month and ride some of the future goodness we'll be offering in the store this next season. We also got to check out some of the other brands we don't carry-always on the lookout for the best for us to ride.

As part of the Dealer Camp there was a drawing for a pretty nice and serious prize. I managed to win somehow, no skill required, and scored a sweet new 2011 Fox Talas 180. This is a waay nice fork and should find a happy home on my new Slayer with a grin attached to me while riding it. It's about an $1100.00 fork! I was pretty stoked about that obviously.

I also checked out some cool new bike goods. I rode a couple of Ibis bikes, the cyclocross Hakkalugi as well as a Mojo SL. I'm a fan of DW and SDL (short dual link) bikes such as Intense that we offer. The Mojo was fast with a fairly firm feel and lot's of anti-squat. Made me think that someone unaccustomed to full suspension or just wanting a firm feel to the back of the bike would be really happy on one of those bikes. Checked out some road and CX offerings from Blue. Jonathan Page's influence is doing good things for those bikes. One of the pure speed machines I rode was the new Scott Scale carbon 29er. Think a full carbon 29er ready to rip at under #21. The frame is under 949 grams. That's more than likely lighter than the road frame you are on. Crazy. Demoed the new SRAM 2 X 10 in a couple of variations and one was on a Transition Covert. That bike descended great. Climbing you had to stay seated and smooth to make it work but the SRAM and Rockshox goodies are taking performance up in a serious way.

All in all a great day and a fun way to call what I did work. Like I said, it's better to be lucky than good.

Be careful out there!

As I write this I'm thinking of two cyclists I have known for a long time. Both of these individuals are experienced riders with thousands of miles and hundreds on hours on the saddle. Both of them were recently hit by cars and made trips to the hospital. I wish both of them a full and speedy recovery.

This thought along with the passing of Laurent Fignon has me in a somber mood. Each year there are thousands of bicycle/automobile accidents. The exact number is unknown because these accidents are very under reported. Some of the accidents result in serious injury and death.

We all know the rules and the risks. We all ride and eventually settle into a comfort zone and feeling of security. As motorists we feel rushed and don't fully comprehend the constant changing landscape of risks. Lack of attention on either end result in accidents. As riders, let's be hyper vigilant. Help those in your pack. That might include not running a light or shooting a gap that may tempt others to do the same. For those driving, get off the phone. Pay attention to the task and responsibility at hand.

With schools back in and the University at full swing, the chance for conflict is greater than ever. In the end we are all people who ultimately want to go home safely after our ride at the end of the day.

Here's a link that has some common ideas to help safety: http://bicyclesafe.com/

Be careful out there riding and driving. The person riding the bike will lose in a collision with a car and is probably a friend of mine.

He will be missed..

On a sad note today one of the giants of cycling has passed away. The article on Cycling News tells:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/laurent-fignon-remembered

He was one of the first I remember growing up watching. His distinct style and flair did nothing to cover how fiercely competitive he was. Even recently in the 2010 Tour he criticized Contador and Schleck for being too friendly with one another. Fignon's nature demanded that in the greatest sporting event in the world, the one who would be champion must be aggressive and take the victory from all challengers.

Fignon was the last French winner of the Tour de France and one of the true champions of his generation. My own jingoism wants to trump the spirit of American athletes but Fignon resides at the level of Jalabert, Hinault and other great French cyclists who demonstrate the true character of champions and gives us something to admire.

In his battle with cancer and his desire to live he truly showed us that he was not the man that lost the Tour de France by 8 seconds. He was the Champion that won the Tour de France twice.

A word on tires...

I've often been telling people for the past few years that the tire pressures I prefer are lower than what is perpetuated by the common wisdom of the masses. When I tell a person 110 psi max for their weight when they have been running 130 psi for years often results in an expression that says that I just grew a unicorn horn on top of my head. Here's the reasoning behind my tire pressure evolution.

I used to be a high pressure guy. I rode best when I weighed about 150 pounds and I would pump up my road tires 120-130 psi for all rides. It felt faster. If some was good then more must be awesome. I went happily skipping down the road and sliding through corners relying on sheer skill and courage to try and ride like the racers of the time. When I made the jump to tubulars, man, 140 psi became easy and knew guys who ran 160+. That's on road-not track tubulars.

Years later I noticed that tire side wall recommended pressures seemed to be climbing. Some even went as high as 140 psi for a clincher. It was like a tire psi cold war. On roads that were rough enough I noticed a unpleasant feeling of bouncing rather than rolling across the surface. I tried all the major and most of the smaller brands of tires. I compared Vittoria EVO CX to KS tires. Conti GP4000s to regular Grand Prix. Vredestein, Michelin, Challenge, etc.

I started riding with less pressure. It felt good. I got feedback from people running 25c rather than 23c tires. Anyone heavy enough to exert more forces than the average person on the tire came back with positive comments. I spoke with some of the smart people at Vittoria and Continental at trade shows to get their opinions. Almost universally they said all of their in-house people ran much lower pressures that what was on the sidewalls. Most of the employees run about 100 psi I was told. I started doing this myself. I liked it. I started telling others.

Companies started to validate what myself and many other cyclists were discovering. Mavic states that if their wheels are run at >130 psi they won't warranty the product. Now, rim companies are taking cues from mountain bike influence and widening the rim bed to accommodate a wider tire contact patch which improves ride quality. The age of running 18, 19 and 21c tires are gone. It's not even more aero according to some companies testing. The tire feels like the casing is working to soften the ride and absorb road imperfections. The tire feels like it's putting down a much more solid footprint when leaning into a corner. Flats are diminished. I'd be hard pressed to have anyone convince me that a 25c tire is much slower than a 23c tire in real-world conditions.

Just for reference here is a chart that Michelin has been publishing for a few years regarding tire pressure. Take a look and do some experimenting and see if this works well for you. If your experience has led you to a different outcome than mine, do what works best for you. Just making a small point here that what works for Jack will not always work for Jill and tire pressure is an easy way to potentially improve performance on your next ride.

TDF SRAM Red LTE

Yep, the gorgeous and limited edition SRAM Red group that features yellow highlights to celebrate their second TDF win a in as many years is available to us. I don't know how long SRAM will offer the group or how many will be available. The black and yellow finish is really sharp. More details can be seen at cycling news here:

http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/tour-tech-sram-delivers-special-red-lte-groups

Pricing is $2400.00. Anyone wanting one of these groups can contact me at the shop.

Tour de France

It was a great event this time around. Contador demonstrated he was the strongest rider as well as developing his persona as an individual and maturity as a racer. He's even learning diplomacy with praise for Armstrong and calm in the wake of the 'mechanical' that Schleck suffered. He still has a long way to go to attain the image of one of favorite TDF Champions of all time, Miguel Indurain, but it should be fun to watch. Maybe when he loses the Shooter McGavin Pistol Salute he can become the real deal.

One note: that without winning a single stage of the TDF, Contador is the first Maillot Jaune wearer to top the podium in Paris in this manner in a very long time. I don't recall the last time that happened? The first one to tell me gets a free goodie from the shop.

Cavendish. One word brings an image to my mind of the best pure sprinter we may have seen in 20 years. He just gets it done. Handles the pressure and crosses the line first. Team mates rely on him, the competition guns for him, he ends up isolated and still he wins. No Saeco train but more like McEwen with his stealth but a top speed that bests just about any of his cohorts from the last 15 years. Not the long-drag out sprint of Pettachi or maybe quite the savvy of Zabel, but man it's a blast watching the guy. He wins going away and recently, with class. I'm becoming a fan and look forward to cheering for him often.

Lance. It's done. His career is over and due to some unlucky events his Tour was as well-way before it got started. I noticed for the first time that the fire in his belly seemed to be a smolder rather than an energy that could push him through his trials. Too much easy living? Who knows, but he was gracious to concede that the Tour now belongs to another generation. Love him or hate him, his influence will leave a lasting legacy that was the genesis for many people becoming cyclists.

I had fun watching the Tour. Phil and Paul making the racing entertaining while we watch heros become immortal. I've also enjoyed noticing more road cyclists out this year. Maybe it's the nice effect I remember when I watched Becker and Lendl during the French Open and for weeks afterward the tennis courts would be full. Through all of this, I think that watching the pros is a blast and allows us to arm-chair coach and dream. What really makes cycling come alive for us though are the miles and hours we spend on the bike. Tarmac, trails, gravel roads-it doesn't matter; the effort, experience and companionship we store away is what makes us smile. We get restless when we've been away. We relish the thought of watching the sun crest a new dawn while we follow a ribbon of pavement through cool fields of alfalfa. I bet if you really asked each pro, that's what they love too. Feels like it's getting time to ride.

Jens Voigt: Classic hardman, says it like it is and hard not to admire.

For anyone who wasn't already a Voigt fan you will be now.

http://www.bicycling.com/tour-de-france/tour-features/saying-no-sag-wagon

The French are winning Stages!

So far it's been a crazy Tour. Crashes, DQs, and lots of aggressive racing. Cavendish has done HTC proud with a trio on fantastic stage wins. The Pyrennes should bring out the real shake down for the GC duel.

For today and tomorrow's TdF stage sale the featured item will be a Di2 demo group. This group spent about 300 miles on my demo Serotta Meivici AE and is in perfect condition. The demo/sale price is $2800.00. A lot yes, but a far cry less than the $4800.00 regular price for a complete group. Anyone who has ridden around me on a road bike has heard me ramble about how good this stuff is. Good riding!

Come 'cross with us!

Come out and take a fun spin race at the Hyde Park City celebrations Cyclocross Race. A great time for all-beginners, kids & families to experienced competitors. Free race entry. Any mountain or 'cross bike will do. Registration at 11:30 AM with the kids race at 12:00 Noon and men/women at 12:30 PM. 40 minutes plus for the race time. Lion's Park, Hyde Park, UT. See you there!

Finally!

Cavendish has picked up his first stage win of this years Tour today. He rode great and his team rode great. So on Friday, July 9th, all Scott bikes will be on sale for 25% off. 20% off 2010 models. The blog TdF sale must be mentioned for this price. Check out the great photo from Cycling News!

Congrats to Thor!

Well we don't sell some of Thor's equipment but we are the area dealer for Castelli. Anyone coming in and mentioning the TDF sale today can pick up any Castelli item in stock for 30% off.

Tour de France Sale

Tour de France Sale

Here's how the sale will work. Follow the Tour de France with us and pursue the Maillot Jaune with some of the same equipment being used by the Worlds' best racers. For each day check with us to see who won and on what equipment. The days certain wheels, tires, clothing, bikes and equipment win; we'll have that equipment on sale. Expect 25-50% off some of the hottest equipment going. It's kind of a Bike Race Fantasy for Equipment. If Zipp wheels win today they'll be on sale today and tomorrow for 25% off! Allez!

Come ride with us!

Come out and join us for a great demo ride Wednesday, July 7th, anytime from around 4:30 pm till 8:30 pm. Green Canyon, North Logan, UT. There will be fun, food and riding! The food is from Rocky Mountain, the fun will be provided by you and the riding will be on some of the new 2011 and 2010 Rocky Mountain bikes. The demo bikes will include the redesigned 2011 Rocky Mountain Slayer and the popular Altitude 29er. No cost to participate. Bring your gear, shoes and pedals. Helmets are mandatory. Minors will require a guardian signature. Ride anything from great cross, to XC to trail bikes from one of the best in the industry! I'm told anyone who shows up riding a Rocky Mountain bike gets a free t-shirt!