A Mysterious Door

Guys, there's some for real Alice and Wonderland wrong-sized-door foolishness going on in the shop this week...

We've tunneled into an alternate Bicycle Revolutions universe and before long the shop is going to have a whole new look, but what will it be? ANY GUESSES? What should we do with the mystery room? And what on earth is in there that the ginger bullet so enthralled with in this pic?

Comment below and maybe if you have an awesome enough idea we'll cry and beg the contractors to make it happen. All you can eat taco nook!

New in the Shop: Chrome Knurled Welded Bags

Chrome Industries has just released a new line of bags called the Knurled Welded line. Of the four bags in the line, two are two strap packs and two mount to your bike racks. These bags were designed to be all-weather commuting bags, and Chrome managed to find a way to make them even more waterproof than their other bags which is fairly impressive.

So what exactly does "knurled welded" mean? Well in regular waterproof bags the seams are always the weak link. You can't sew something without punching little holes in it, and little holes aren't exactly great at keeping water from getting places. Chrome and most other bag companies have found clever ways to make the seams all but completely waterproof anyhow, but the knurled welded approach is different. Waterproof fabric is always made of some sort of melt-able material. Knowing that, think about a grilled cheese sandwich. How many times have you tried to peel one of those open after it's been cooked and the cheese is all melty? It isn't coming undone, at all. That thing is fused closed, and no matter how hard you wish you could reposition the slice of tomato in there it's not going anywhere. If you think about it, Grilled Cheese Science makes the perfect waterproof seam and that's exactly what Chrome has done with these bags. Not only did they cook and fuse the seams together like a good old fashioned grilled cheese, they made them slightly textured (or knurled) so they can't pull apart even when a lot of lateral force is applied. Smart and smarter. Add a roll-top and you've got a bag you could fill with iPhones and throw in a river without concern. Ok maybe some concern just because, you know, they might sink.

The attachment system for the rear rack was really straightforward and only minimally fussy to install. Once I got it on there it didn't rattle at all and getting the bag on is really easy but also visibly quite secure. Slap it on and it will silently and securely carry your stuff wherever you go. The tote designed to sit on your front rack is even easier, you just clip it in place with two quick release buckles and you're done. No sweat.

We've got all four bags in store so you can investigate the pretty clever rack attachment system in person. Chrome does it again. Seriously, what crazy utilitarian thing will they make next?

Winter Bike Maintanence Tips and Tricks

We've had quite a winter so far here in Philadelphia, and our bikes being covered in salt and unidentifiable crust is evidence. Sand, salt, ice, snow, grime and the ever present usual Philly filth is on every single road in the city. While we might think the cold in our face is the worst part, our bikes would definitely disagree. Our bikes are a valuable tool and if you treat them right in the winter months you can save yourself some costly repairs in the spring.

 - Clean your bike -
This may sound like no-brainer mixed with nuisance. It is incredibly important to keep all the moving parts clean and free of debris so they don't wear out quicker, but who wants to clean their bike every time they use it? The trick to remembering and actually doing it is making it easy on yourself. It may not be glamorous, but just leave a rag inside your door. You'll get to wipe off your bike before you get all comfortable and don't feel like it, plus it's way easier than cleaning it once everything has dried and crusted up. A damp rag is enough for light daily cleaning, and for a deeper clean we stock Green Fizz and Bike Lust which are both made specifically for cleaning and polishing up your whole bike.
Important places to clean up: Brakes, around the bottom bracket, under the headset and anywhere else that looks particularly gross that day.

- Lubricate your chain -
The chain is the unsung hero of your bike. It's not exciting, but it literally is the singular most important part when it comes to turning your efforts into forward motion. They get super dirty in wet, grimy conditions which is terrible for not only the chain but the entire drive train. Luckily for you, cleaning and lubing chains is easy and when done right isn't even very messy.
How to: Lean your bike against a wall. Pour any biodegradable degreaser onto a rag and hold it around your chain with one hand and pedal backwards with the other hand to run the chain through the rag. Now that the loose grit is gone, it's time to lube it. We sell various chain lubes here at the shop such as T9 and Chainj which are inexpensive and are made specifically for bike chains (WD-40 may seem like a decent alternative but it's designed to be more of a solvent than lubricant). The aerosol T9 even has the added benefit of preventing corrosion when sprayed into your frame and other steel parts. To apply lube, drip it onto your chain while pedaling backwards with your right hand. Now wipe the excess off and you're done! This will keep the moving parts working better longer for sure and only takes 10-15 minutes max. We recommend doing this once a week for daily commuters.

- Put thicker, tougher tires on -
This is good for two reasons; if you ride in gross conditions you'll have more control, and tougher tires will less likely strand you with a flat tire you'll have to freeze your fingers to fix. If you have more control you're less likely to fall and hurt yourself or damage your bike, and if you don't have to worry about flat tires as much you'll be more likely to ride your bike often and with confidence.

- A note about full fenders -
Ok, so this isn't really bike maintenance BUT full fenders have a number of maintenance related benefits so it seemed fitting to include them. If you use full fenders (generally $45 and up here at the shop), you have less cleaning to do on your bike because the fenders not only keep you dry and clean, but they keep your bike mostly dry and clean, too. They catch the road grossness before it even gets on your bike which saves you time cleaning and makes riding less messy all around.

Your bike does a lot for you and is a piece of equipment you've likely invested hundreds of dollars in. By doing these small but important things throughout the winter it will thank you for sure.

Limited Edition Chrome Bags in stock!

Chrome has released their newest limited edition bags and we're lucky enough to be on the list of exclusive shops that got them! Not only did we get two of everyone's favorite Citizen messenger in their Reflective Camo 2nd Issue fabric, but we also got the Barrage, their new two strap bag which is some serious business.

The new camo fabric is overlaid with a glass bead print which reflects light from up to 100' away so it's built in visibility when you need it. All these bags are made in the USA, are super tough and guaranteed for life. The new Barrage is a waterproof, rolltop bag with a built in external cargo net for transporting those things that either too big or too gross to put inside your bag. What a good idea right?

Come in a check them out! We can even show you how cool the reflective print looks by shining some of our high power bike headlights at them.

Meet the New Shop Cat!

As most of you know, for years we had our much loved shop cat George reigning supreme over all shop activities. Sadly, earlier this fall he very suddenly went to the great bike shop in the sky and has been really missed. For a while we all hemmed and hawed over adopting a new cat to take over shop management, and finally a few weeks ago this little dude appeared at a local adoption center. He is an orange tabby, just like George, and mysteriously has a little something strange going on with his left eye... also just like George.

It was meant to be, and this past Monday he made his shop debut! His name is still up for debate, but hopefully he'll pick one soon. He's still learning the lay of the land, but the things we know about him so far are:
- He's ridiculously cute
- He likes meowing super loud
- Kitty treats are his jam
- He likes being pet far too much to pose for any silly blog pictures

If you want to see the rest of him just stop in and ask for "He Whose Name Has Not Been Decided", most of us will jump at any excuse to pet him anyways. Let's show him being a shop cat means infinite friends and free pets all day!

Abus Locks are in!

Locks. They're those incredibly important but unglamorous things that keep our bikes from becoming someone else's bikes. Here at the shop we keep only the best of the best, we don't want anyone's bike getting jacked because the lock they bought from us wasn't strong enough. Most of the time that has meant Kryptonite all the way, but this week we started carrying a new (to us) legit lock brand; Abus.

For the sake of comparison I got the tech specs for the ever popular Kryptonite Evo Mini and the fancy new Abus U-Lock 40 and did a little compare and contrast.

Abus U-Lock 40 - $65
14mm shackle
980g
4 keys
Double bolted into the lock body

Kryptonite Evolution Mini - $60
13mm shackle
980g
3 keys
Single bolted into the lock body
*
Dust cover to protect keyhole
Optional $2000 Anti-Theft Guarantee (one free year of registration, up to 3 for $15)

The Abus has a 14mm shackle which double bolts into the lock body. This means you would need to cut the lock twice to remove it. That's twice as much work, and I don't think bike thieves are about doing more work than they have to. Even though the Abus has a thicker shackle, it weighs in at exactly the same as the Evo Mini; a manageable 980g. The Evo Mini has a dust cover to keep rain and grime out of the locking mechanism and also comes with a $2000 Anti-Theft Guarantee (details in links above). Both have soft plastic all over to keep your paint looking good and can fit around a parking meter which seemingly quadruples your bike lockup options in the city.

I'd call it a draw. Both are strong, conveniently sized and reasonably priced. Use either and the thief scoping the street for easy bike-stealing prey will not want to make an attempt at your bike.

We have a few other Abus locks in stock also, so feel free to come in and pick our brains about them. Isn't it nice having lots of good options?

Surly Straggler vs. Cross-Check breakdown

Everyone is freaking about about the Surly Straggler and we're lucky enough to have them. "It's a Cross-Check with disc brakes!" But it's not. It's a different bike that can still do all the same crazy stuff as a Cross-Check and then some.

It's fairly well accepted general opinion that the Surly Cross-Check is one of the raddest, most versatile bikes on the market. You can use it for just about anything. Riding it on single track with fat knobbies, throwing studded tires and full fenders on it to make it the ultimate foul weather commuter, turning it single speed and using it as your trusted townie or even light touring, the Cross-Check can do it. It can fit a wide variety of tire widths and uses common sizes for all the parts making it really easy to switch things around. Basically it's a really good Jack-of-all-trades, and everyone I've ever met that has one loves it and claims to never want to sell it ever. So of course, when word got out that the Straggler was pretty much a disc brake Cross-Check, the cycling world collectively messed itself.

 So yes, the Straggler has and can do all of the things everyone loves about the Cross-Check, but it definitely has a few new tricks up its sleeve beyond the obvious addition of disc brakes. For one, the build kit on the complete bikes are totally different, the only things they actually have in common are the headset, 700c wheels and the range 11-32t on the cassette. The Straggler has 10 speed integrated shifters as opposed to the Cross-Check's standard 9 speed bar end shifters, and it also has slightly nicer derailleurs. It comes with the new Surly Knard 41 tires which are notably wider than the 700x35 Kenda Slant 6s that come on the Cross-Check. The Straggler seems like it's kitted out to tear up some dirty, gravely, disaster roads and trails. Only when you get those wheels covered in slimy mud, fear not for your ability to stop. Thank you disc brakes.

"The frame though, besides the disc brake jawns that's just a Cross-Check frame right?" Well, almost. The geometry of both frames is extremely similar but there are a few numbers that don't match up, just barely. The differences are minor but added together they make for a bike with a slightly longer wheelbase and reach. The Straggler should feel pretty much the same fit-wise, but will ride a little more smoothly. The tweaks in geometry manage to keep the stand over height and bottom bracket clearance the same even with fatter tires. A quick glance at the bottom bracket drop numbers side by side may make you think log hopping would be a whole 2mm harder, but really it's a smart way to compensate for the fatter tires. Surly messed with things just enough to keep the gnar factor high so you can still really rip.

There you go. Surly seems to maybe have actually succeeded in taking everyone's favorite the Cross-Check and made it a bit more fun. And how can I not mention the insane color choice? Thank you Surly, everyone loves glitter whether they admit it or not.