English
NORCO NEWS
DECEMBER 2009
DECEMBER 2009
Bike commuting in the winter is something that everyone cringes even thinking about. It can be wet, cold, pretty much miserable. There are some people out there though that have picked the right clothes, the right gear and the right bikes for the job. It is incredible what a little bit of preparation and perseverance will achieve.
Over the fall edition of Vancouver's Bike to Work Week Norco head office employees commuted nearly 1100km over a total of 60 trips. For being a week that was wet, near freezing, and extremely dark. I would say that is pretty good. In fact, it was good enough to win as the top organization of 25-100 people through the VACC.
Thank You to everyone that participated in Bike to Work Week. We'll see you on the road leading up to the next Bike To Work Week in May 2010. It may be winter, but we all still love our bikes.
The latest addition to the Norco family of Greater Vancouver bike shops is Different Bikes' fourth location in Burnaby!
If you are familiar with the area you may recognize the location as the former Sharpey's Cycles. And if you drop in, you'll recognize the faces too. Different Bikes has been fortunate enough to retain the skilled and experienced staff from Sharpey's, including the Jimi and Jordie, who will now be part of the Different Bikes team running the newest shop.
Check out the Different Bikes Website for more information on all four of their stores.
If you are familiar with the area you may recognize the location as the former Sharpey's Cycles. And if you drop in, you'll recognize the faces too. Different Bikes has been fortunate enough to retain the skilled and experienced staff from Sharpey's, including the Jimi and Jordie, who will now be part of the Different Bikes team running the newest shop.
Check out the Different Bikes Website for more information on all four of their stores.
Have you opened the latest issue of Bike Magazine? If you have you probably noticed a review of the 2009 Norco Shore 1. If you didn't, don't worry as the review is now posted online. Have a look, it could be your next ride.
bikemag.com
bikemag.com
As winter rolls in, shorter days get me dreaming about dryer times, longer rides and distant adventures. The damp, cold weather gives me time to scout around on the internet, check out trip reports and photos, get onto TopoMap Canada and USA and find back routes from A to B. When I find a new, intriguing destination, I put it onto my dream list. From this ever-extending list, I always have way more places to go, and rides to check out than I ever have in time off to do them all, but that's OK, some will just have to wait and sit on the back burner for another time. I'm not giving up on them yet.
I heard a really good quote the other day. It was by Andrew Krynen - a rider in the Baja 1000 out of the film 'Road to Baja' (found on Chainslayer.com). He said 'You know you can live your life every day - get in your car and drive to work, and… life is pretty boring. When you reach out and look for that adventure and go do it, it's a pretty good feeling. And I don't think a lot of people put that time and effort into chasing that adventure in their life like they should.' He goes on to mention 'Trips can mean a lot to some people as a 'goal perspective'. You have certain things in your life that you want to achieve, that you want to do and you want to experience. For me, those are the experiences that I remember in life.'
This really struck home to me. Over the years I have been playing in the back country here in BC, down into the States and beyond as much as I can. I have been fortunate to have had the time and family support (thanks to my wife) to allow me to go do some pretty amazing trips. I've seen some fabulous country and been able to ride in places many people just dream of. Gathering a few good buddies for these excursions always seems to be the easy part and scraping together the funds seems to happen. Working through the logistics and all the other details is half the fun of these trips anyway.
I'm not going to call it my 'bucket list' or anything as I don't feel I'm anywhere near close to feeling pressured to get these trips in, but I'll continue to tear shots out of magazines, or make a mental note to go Google some location. I'll also continue to throw out ideas to my fellow explorers on new trip ideas - so far they have been as keen as I am. We seem to have a pretty good ratio of making it happen once the seed has been planted.
So, as I sign off here for the last e-news of the season, I'll challenge you all. How many times have you said 'man, I've always wanted to do that'? How many times have you followed through and done it? With 2010 just around the corner I challenge you all to make at least one of those adventures or dreams come true.
Steak Sauce
I heard a really good quote the other day. It was by Andrew Krynen - a rider in the Baja 1000 out of the film 'Road to Baja' (found on Chainslayer.com). He said 'You know you can live your life every day - get in your car and drive to work, and… life is pretty boring. When you reach out and look for that adventure and go do it, it's a pretty good feeling. And I don't think a lot of people put that time and effort into chasing that adventure in their life like they should.' He goes on to mention 'Trips can mean a lot to some people as a 'goal perspective'. You have certain things in your life that you want to achieve, that you want to do and you want to experience. For me, those are the experiences that I remember in life.'
This really struck home to me. Over the years I have been playing in the back country here in BC, down into the States and beyond as much as I can. I have been fortunate to have had the time and family support (thanks to my wife) to allow me to go do some pretty amazing trips. I've seen some fabulous country and been able to ride in places many people just dream of. Gathering a few good buddies for these excursions always seems to be the easy part and scraping together the funds seems to happen. Working through the logistics and all the other details is half the fun of these trips anyway.
I'm not going to call it my 'bucket list' or anything as I don't feel I'm anywhere near close to feeling pressured to get these trips in, but I'll continue to tear shots out of magazines, or make a mental note to go Google some location. I'll also continue to throw out ideas to my fellow explorers on new trip ideas - so far they have been as keen as I am. We seem to have a pretty good ratio of making it happen once the seed has been planted.
So, as I sign off here for the last e-news of the season, I'll challenge you all. How many times have you said 'man, I've always wanted to do that'? How many times have you followed through and done it? With 2010 just around the corner I challenge you all to make at least one of those adventures or dreams come true.
Steak Sauce
One of the great things about living in British Columbia Canada is that there is a 12 month window for Mountain Biking. There really is no time of the year that you can't throw a leg over a bike and hit the trails. Sure it may be wet, and it may not be all that warm but with a little bit of perseverance and preparation, it is rare to find a day that riding isn't an option.
For me, the hardest part about riding in the winter is knowing when to stop. Unfortunately, living in an area that sees perpetual rain between the months of October and March, the trails can get a little bit soggy. Being so, it is easy to forget the fact that getting wet and cold is not the only downfall to riding in such conditions. The other negative is the abuse that the trail takes. All trails can and will take some abuse, but some can take more than others.
When riding in the wet winter months it is best to stick to trails that are not subject to flooding, avoid low lying areas and keep to harder packed trails rather than true forest floor. The best wet-weather trails actually have a camber to allow for drainage. By sticking to appropriate areas for riding, the trails will last longer, require less maintenance and provide you with a better ride experience. In addition to saving the trail you will stay dryer while riding faster and smoother than on the alternative. Remember, the trails are made to be ridden, but sometimes they need to rest. Instead of hitting your favorite loamy trail, try something a little different, and save the others for a dryer day.
Dustan
For me, the hardest part about riding in the winter is knowing when to stop. Unfortunately, living in an area that sees perpetual rain between the months of October and March, the trails can get a little bit soggy. Being so, it is easy to forget the fact that getting wet and cold is not the only downfall to riding in such conditions. The other negative is the abuse that the trail takes. All trails can and will take some abuse, but some can take more than others.
When riding in the wet winter months it is best to stick to trails that are not subject to flooding, avoid low lying areas and keep to harder packed trails rather than true forest floor. The best wet-weather trails actually have a camber to allow for drainage. By sticking to appropriate areas for riding, the trails will last longer, require less maintenance and provide you with a better ride experience. In addition to saving the trail you will stay dryer while riding faster and smoother than on the alternative. Remember, the trails are made to be ridden, but sometimes they need to rest. Instead of hitting your favorite loamy trail, try something a little different, and save the others for a dryer day.
Dustan
A loose headset is one of the easiest repairs that can be done to a bicycle. The only thing easier is messing it up.
The first step to tightening your headset is loosening the stem. This is done usually with either a 4mm or 5mm allen key. Loosen off the stem bolts until the handlebars will move relative to the front wheel.
The second step is the beginning of determining why the headset is loose. The tightening process may be as simple as tightening a bolt, but it could also be a little more complicated. What you will need to do is take a 5mm allen key and remove the top cap of the headset. This is the vertically positioned bolt on top of the stem.
Once this bolt is removed there should be a minimum of 2mm and a maximum of 5mm between the top of the stem and the steertube. The stem should extend higher than the steertube of which it attaches to. If the steertube extends beyond the top of the stem you will need to install an additional spacer above or below the stem.
Correct Headset Spacing
Incorrect Headset Spacing
Once the spacing has been corrected or confirmed, you may start tightening the headset. The next step is to tighten the topcap to the desired tension. Tightening the topcap is preloading the headset bearings and needs to be completed while the stem is loose. As you tighten this top bolt, you will find that the steering will eventually tighten up and bind. There is a happy medium between a knocking in the front end and this binding stage that needs to be achieved. If there is play in the headset moving back and forth, continue to tighten. If the steering is too-tight and does not turn smoothly, loosen off the top cap and re-tighten the stem..
The last step of tightening a headset is to tighten the stem. Before doing so you must align the cockpit with the front wheels. The easiest way to do this is to straddle the bike and line up the stem with the front wheel. When this is aligned you can move on to tighten the stem bolts. Be sure to notice the torque rating for the stem as over-tightening could cause damage.
Voila, you just fixed it!
Dustan
The first step to tightening your headset is loosening the stem. This is done usually with either a 4mm or 5mm allen key. Loosen off the stem bolts until the handlebars will move relative to the front wheel.
The second step is the beginning of determining why the headset is loose. The tightening process may be as simple as tightening a bolt, but it could also be a little more complicated. What you will need to do is take a 5mm allen key and remove the top cap of the headset. This is the vertically positioned bolt on top of the stem.
Once this bolt is removed there should be a minimum of 2mm and a maximum of 5mm between the top of the stem and the steertube. The stem should extend higher than the steertube of which it attaches to. If the steertube extends beyond the top of the stem you will need to install an additional spacer above or below the stem.
Correct Headset Spacing
Incorrect Headset Spacing
Once the spacing has been corrected or confirmed, you may start tightening the headset. The next step is to tighten the topcap to the desired tension. Tightening the topcap is preloading the headset bearings and needs to be completed while the stem is loose. As you tighten this top bolt, you will find that the steering will eventually tighten up and bind. There is a happy medium between a knocking in the front end and this binding stage that needs to be achieved. If there is play in the headset moving back and forth, continue to tighten. If the steering is too-tight and does not turn smoothly, loosen off the top cap and re-tighten the stem..
The last step of tightening a headset is to tighten the stem. Before doing so you must align the cockpit with the front wheels. The easiest way to do this is to straddle the bike and line up the stem with the front wheel. When this is aligned you can move on to tighten the stem bolts. Be sure to notice the torque rating for the stem as over-tightening could cause damage.
Voila, you just fixed it!
Dustan