The Friday Connection

Are you moving a little slower today due to fabulous Thanksgiving grub? Or are you one of hundreds hitting the streets for Black Friday deals? I can assure you we were not brave enough to hit the streets . . . yet.

As the Holidays are upon as, and with winter weather is fast approaching our little town of Boise, the ever present thought of indoor training looms. I thought I would search out some indoor training programs on the web. Here are a few links to what I found.

Training4Cyclists.com

UltraCycling.com

bicycling.com



Do you know of some great indoor cycling resources that work for you? Send us an email at stpexperiment@gmail.com and we'll post 'em here.  

I'm off to get the battery replaced in the old heart rate monitor. I think this is going to be one of my best training buddies while cooped up inside this winter season.

Giving Thanks

From the STP Experiment family to yours, Happy Thanksgiving.

The Friday Connection: Tweed knickers + Mustaches

Imagine bicycle enthusiasts wearing tweed suits, riding vintage bicycles, and donning fake mustaches. Sounds fun. Wouldn't you like to see that?


NPR did a story on the first "Tweed Ride" in Washington D.C. There are some great photos from the event! The article states this kind of ride has been happening in such places as London, San Francisco, and Boston. Maybe Boise should have their very own Victorian Ride. What do you think?

We'd like to thank Michael B. for sending over the link to this fun story.

A Little Elbow Grease & a Pedal Wrench

You know that feeling of accomplishment you get when you conquer something especially tasking? That something you weren't quite sure you could do yourself? Today I had one of those moments and I conquered the pedal wrench, or rather, the pedals.

I'm all for having someone work on my bike so I don't have to, but I always have the guilty voice in my head saying, "You really should learn how to do this. You CAN do this." On Big Bike Friday (last Friday) I decided the time had come that I transfer my own pedals from the old steed to the new one. I bought a pedal wrench, the wrench that Ray said I should get, albeit a bit overpriced (if you ask me).


I tried on Friday, rather unsuccessfully, to remove the pedals of the mountain bike. I gave up. All I could think was, "Man, I bought a stinkin' wrench and everything! Argh!"

Today I was in the mood to give green machine a whirl. I decided I better suck it up and give the pedal installation another try. I did a little research online and wouldn't allow myself to give up when the pedal just wouldn't budge. Guess what? I won. I installed my own pedals and realized that pedal installation is pretty darn easy!

So, long story short, here's how you do it . . .

What you'll need:

*15mm pedal wrench (OR a crescent wrench, or a long-handled allen wrench)
*bike grease (I used Pedro's Syn Grease)
*bike stand (or you can turn the bike upside down so the seat and handlebars are supporting it, allowing you to move the wheels freely)
*paper towels/rag to wipe excess grease away

What you need to know:
Both pedals screw into the crank arm, but they are threaded differently. This means they will screw into the crank arm in different directions. The right pedal is threaded to tighten when turned clockwise and to loosen when turned counter-clockwise. The left pedal is turned counter-clockwise to tighten and clockwise to loosen.


Removal
As you can see in the photo above, you slide the pedal wrench between the crank arm and the pedal itself. I found it was easiest to align the pedals horizontally then I could get a bit of leverage by holding the pedal while I cranked it in the opposite direction. Sometimes they are buggers to loosen initially, but once they give, it is smooth sailing. If they are really stuck you can hammer the wrench a bit, you guessed it, with a hammer.

Installation
Due to the unique threading of each pedal they are labeled with either an L (left) or R (right) to aid in installation. Wipe off any old grease on the threads and apply new, fresh grease. This facilitates easier removal in the future. Then, just screw them in and tightened with the pedal wrench. Piece of cake. You'll be on your way to cruisin' in no time!

Hopefully you find this to be helpful. I recommend checking out YouTube if you're looking for additional resources on the subject. They have some great videos out there!

The Friday (13th) Connection

Happy Friday 13th, everyone!

Today has been a phenomenal day in so many ways. We took our second trip to REI this week (footage coming soon). It is always nice when you get to spend a little $ in the big house of Recreational Equipment Incorporated (REI). Every time we visit I am flabbergasted by the awesome customer service we receive. (Thank you to Ray and the nice blonde gentleman that helped us at checkout.)

Today was a major bike purchase. We got the chance to take the Randonee for a spin (HEAVEN—really, I am not kidding). That baby moves--it makes our mountain bikes look like they are standing still when we're huffing up the Greenbelt.

We also got a chance to test out the The Art of Storage's less expensive bicycle storage solution "the Michelangelo." See photo below.




(Keep in mind, no one pays us for our opinions . . . we just have them. )

I purchased this little baby in hopes that it would free up some room in my two bedroom apartment. Boy did it! I can't tell you how pleased I am with this unit and I have only had it for two hours. It took less than 20 minutes to assemble and has freed up some major room in my living room. (It would be great in a garage, too.)

If you're interested in learning more about this unit check it out at: http://www.rei.com/product/751324

Bicycle Themed Goodies

A few months ago my podmate (roommate at work and good buddy), Monique, sent me a link to a stellar bicycle dress she'd seen online. I liked what I saw so I started following Vital Industries, the dress makers, on Facebook. What I found is that they sell more than just dresses.



They were having a great sale a couple weeks ago and I ordered the t-shirt above. (I'm a sucker for cool t-shirts.) The whole transaction was pleasant, quick, and professional. They sent me a nice email to confirm the order and a handwritten "thank you" on the receipt. This might seem like standard procedure for all online transactions, but a little personalization can make the difference in customer service. And the t-shirt quality is fabulous. I can't wait to wear this baby on Friday!
Check out their site to see the other goodies they offer.

(P.S. We are not paid to plug Vital Industries—we just like 'em.)

A trip to the gym

One of my guilty pleasures is to watch missed episodes of The Biggest Loser on my iPhone while at the gym. Somehow it helps me push myself just a little harder. If they can do it—I can do it.

Tonight I headed over to Anytime Fitness to get my spin on. I climbed aboard a typical spinning cycle, indulging myself in an old episode of BL. As I watched Jillian & Bob yelling at contestants to pedal harder, faster on their stationary bikes it made me a bit envious. It is so much easier when someone is pushing you. I did my best to turn up the heat for myself, but . . . it doesn't compare. Being the podcast junkie that I am, it occurred to me that someone, somewhere, has to be producing spinning podcasts. At the very least there has to be a cd for sale.

As I searched Amazon.com I found a plethora of resources. There are books, DVDs, and CDs on the subject. In my search for podcasts I found Spinning Southward, Cadence Revolution, and Indoor Cycle Instructor. I wasn't sure where to begin first, but the best graphics won out. (This is why good graphic design is important. It does all the selling for you.) I am downloading the podcast now and I'll share my opinion of it later in the week. If you know of some good spinning resources send them on over to stpexperiment@gmail.com and we'll share them on the blog.

One other item I'd like to share from tonight's visit to the gym is an equipment tidbit. The gym has added a couple new spinning cycles. These babies come with screens and not your average t.v. watching screens. They are Expresso bikes and they simulate a bike ride. It is much like a video game. You see where you're going, you can see other riders on the road, and the handles move just like those on a real bike. And as the terrain changes so does your tension, which can be adjusted by your "gears" on the cycle. It was pretty fun. It definitely breaks up the monotony. If you find one at your gym give it a shot. You might like it.

Have you tried the Expresso bike? What are your thoughts? Shoot us an email and we'll share your thoughts with our readers!

The Friday Connection + 3-Day Weekends

Hello all! I was on vacation on Friday and missed posting the usual Friday Connection.
The weather man called for rain all weekend, but we lucked out and were honored with some awesome fall weather.

Today I finally had time to begin catching up on my reading. As I was perusing my issue of Bicycle Times I ran across mention of Danny MacAskill.

"Who?"

That's what I wondered. I immediately googled him. He is best described as a bicycle gymnast. Danny is a 23-year-old former bike mechanic turned demo/show rider from Edinburgh, United Kingdom. You have got to check out this video of him tricking out. You won't regret it.

Of course, the STP Experiment crew has no plans of such incredible stunts, but we can certainly appreciate Danny's talent and the cost for his medical insurance.

A Special Day

Today is a very special day.

It is Deb's birthday. (Help me wish her a well!)




In honor of the big day the lot of us traveled over to the local Mickey-D's (McDonald's) for a quick, and for some, a healthy lunch. The smiling faces behind the counter are familiar and several even know our names. (We regularly head over for morning coffees or afternoon snacks.) Only healthy ones, right?

After we grabbed lunch and stopped at a booth to stay awhile, a handful of employees came over and sang Happy Birthday to her. Yes, they really sang to her. Talk about customer service! One nice gentleman, who just happens to work there too, made a hand drawn napkin card to celebrate her day.

There's a lot to be said about the significant relationships we make throughout our lives. You never know when someone will positively impact you.

Happy Birthday, Debbie, who impacts so many!