BackPeddling

My favorite bike shop is BackPeddling in Guelph Ontario.

The owner is a guy named Clayton and he started BackPeddling 10 years ago.

BackPeddling is a huge store in an industrial area - the size of a warehouse.

The things you notice as you enter are the bicycles hanging all over the 40 foot walls and 6 long rows of bicycles from the front of the store almost to the rear. The rows are arranged logically with one being BMX and another being cruisers etc. There is a row of used bikes and a row of vintage.

On one side is the open air bike shop where you can watch and talk to the techs as they work. All around the outside is parts and accessories, lots and lots of them, and finally the back of the shop is bins of new and used parts. Tires, handlebars, racks, cables, seat posts, derailleurs and wheels.

The best feature of this great shop is the staff, starting with Clayton himself. They all know their stuff, their shop and bikes. Really helpful guys, interesting, and they make it a pleasure to drop in.

Clayton's selection of product is perfect as well. So many great ridable bikes for normal riders like you and I. Not so much of the usual emphasis on high end sport bikes.

If you love bikes and want to spend a fun afternoon head out to Clayton's shop in Guelph.

Cadence and Gears

Cadence - (The measure or beat of movement, as in dancing or marching). Or bike riding. When riding we pedal at a certain rate and that is our cadence. If you were riding a long distance in a serious type fashion you'd hit your cadence and stick to it. Shifting gears as your cadence slowed or as it quickened to help maintain that set pace. That is the joy and use of gears, you can pedal easily at your cadence while climbing slowly up a hill or while descending quickly down. Your rate of pedaling remains the same. So what happens when you don't have gears?

Many bicycles don't have changeable gearing. I rode one this afternoon, a 1946 CCM with coaster brakes. Coaster brakes are a brake in the rear hub that is activated when you pedal backwards. Remember pedaling backwards to stop when you were a kid? It was tough going pedaling up hill. Had to exert a lot of pressure on the pedals to keep moving. Pushing really hard like that can be hard on your knees, especially as we get older.

Fixies and single speeds also have no gear changing. A fixie is a fixed gear bike where the front chain wheel and pedals are directly connected to the rear sprocket, hub and wheel, so if you pedal backwards, you go backwards. You can't coast, if the bike is in motion, you are pedaling. Fixies are track bikes that are becoming very popular on the street. The fixies close cousin is the single speed. Riding a single speed, you can coast, there is a freewheel in the hub so you can pedal backwards without the rear wheel following the pedals. Both types of bikes have one gear.

A single gear bike makes it impossible for the rider to maintain a steady cadence. If you are going up hill you are pedaling slow and hard and down hill you are pedaling so fast your fillings are falling out. Fun, sure. A challenge, absolutely. People riding single speeds by choice are enjoying them, however gears just make it all easier and most would say more enjoyable. Give me gears and my cadence anytime.

The Bike Market

Just got back from the Toronto Fall Bike Sell off. Down at the CNE grounds. Interesting show with a constant stream of new bike owners rolling their new purchases out the doors. When you realize that most of those new bikes are worth between $800 and $1200 (sale price) there was a whole lot of cash walking out those doors! The bikes were upscale performance sport bikes, either mountain bikes or road bikes, few commuters and no cruisers or vintage, which seems strange to me. Looking around the streets of Toronto it seems to me that one of the most desired bikes is the commuter. Comfortable, upright position, fenders, racks, you know, sensible adult bikes to get us from A to B with our stuff. So, are the bike dealers missing the market? Obviously not seeing the number of bikes sold today. My bet is there is another market to be served. Us, commuters, the non or less competitive rider. And we are served by a few great shops - Curbside at 412 Bloor West in Toronto and The Bike Hounds in Hamilton at James North and Cannon. Two great shops with folks who really know bikes and are selling wonderful bicycles.

A Green Bike

Bought a green bike today, a 1959 Columbia Thunderbolt adult woman's bicycle. It's gorgeous as you can see with it's faux gas tank with a bell in it-you can just see the little white button which you push to sound the bell. It has a lovely light built onto the front fender that works. What an awesome bike. Can you imagine the joy this bike has given rise to through the years? I wonder how many girls have had the thrill of calling this bike their own.

Well it's mine now, and not being effeminate I now have to turn around and get this in the right hands. I have a few things I have to do to the bike to make it ready. Change the tires - the tires on it are too big and rub a bit. Clean it, just a touch of rust and dirt here and there, and find a rear reflector that suits.

This is one of the first really nice green bikes (turquoise counts, in my book) my company "agreenbike"has owned so I expect the next task is going to be to photograph this old girl thoroughly. I'll be looking to use her image on our web site and Facebook group and also for promotional purposes. Come spring this bike will find a new owner to make smile.

The Hill

When I last spent a lot of time on my bicycle, mountain bikes were not yet popular. I grew up in the age of mustangs, sissy bars, banana seats and then 10 speeds. The three speed Sturmey Archer shifter, fenders and chain guards were for squares. I didn't have many hills to climb. So it was a new experience yesterday when I rode up the Niagara Escarpment on a mountain bike. It was a long climb, maybe 5 or 6 kilometers and took about an hour. The thrill for me was using the low gears, I felt like I could climb straight up a cliff! Keep in mind that I'm not the light-weight athletic guy I was last time I rode a lot. Hauling 220lbs of 50 year old me up the escarpment would have meant getting off and pushing if I had been riding my 36 year old 10 speed. I guess I just really enjoyed the climb and the bike.

Bombing down the hill was a lot of fun as well and as I got close to the bottom again I took a Bruce Trail side path that led down through the woods to Gage Park. I had to walk the bike for that, portions were very steep, at some points the path was tilting 30 degrees to the right and muddy. I'm gaining a great new respect for the mountain bike side of this sport. I'm sure there are people who could of ridden that path, both uphill and down, and quickly! I want to do that too. So, it looks like I have a lot of learning and riding to do.

Winter and Work

We all got busy with work for a month and now we are back. Over the past month we have acquired a lot of bikes. We have a bunch of old rusty CCMs that are going to take a lot of work to get back on the road, they are going to be beautiful, well worth the effort. I'd love to be able to tap into decent parts for these bikes. John is really interested in "hot rodding" some older bikes, approaching their renewal like a hot rodder would create art out of an old car. I like that idea and look forward to making some really nice bikes this winter. We will also continue getting used bikes back in shape and back on the road. My biggest concern at the moment is trying to figure out a space to paint in the winter. Anyway, we are going to have a lot of nice bikes this spring.

Building on Excitement

Although our little group is less than a month old, the support from all corners has been fantastic and we would love to thank you all.

This only helps build on our enthusiasim. Don , John and I have great plans to move forward. We want to make A Green Bike a way of life not just a bicycle selling agent. We will promote cycling culture to the best of our ability. Interview interesting and facinating people who cycle or have cycling as an important part of there regime. We will also delve into new technologies, the ever expanding green movement... just to name a couple of things. The only thing to limit is our imagination.
We'd love to hear from you too. send us photos, stories and experiences. Your participation only makes our site stronger and of course entertaining.

Building Momentum

This past week was an important week for us at A Green Bike. The momentum is building. We are aquiring new inventory, we are selling a good number of pre loved restored bicycles to new homes.
We have also shot our first interviews and they will be transfered shortly to our sitess once we work the kinks out .
Our first interview was with a couple from Ohio who were in Toronto celebrating their 35 th wedding anniversary. They ride together all the time. They looked great .. much younger than their chronological ages . Another testiment to healty lifestyle.
We are working on frame building and painting too! Exciting stuff!
Look out here we come!

A Day Well Spent

There's something very gratifying about creating. Today a friend and I rebuilt a bike. This morning it was a rusted old bike, the brakes didn't work, nor did the gears. We repaired all that, removed rust, and added a chain guard. Now it's pretty and working perfectly, someone is really going to love this bike for years to come. My friend and I talked about nothing and everything, joked around, used power tools, even measured something (only once tho, none of that "measure twice cut once" for the likes of us). A day well spent.

Trail aBike

As I was cycling across town , I came across a young mother who had attached to her hybrid bike a trail a bike. For those of you who don't know what that is ,it is an after market attachent. It basically turns a regular bike into a tandem. It is designed for kids to pedal along with an adult.
It is joined to the bike via a clamp to the seat post of the parents bike and a universal joint on the trailer. By inserting a locking pin you can couple the two and it makes it easy to detach.
I used to have one for my kids. They really liked it. When they pedalled they really added to the forward motion. The harder they pedaled , the faster we went. It even made life simpler by going up hill.
We would climb Poplar Plain and then zoom down Russel Hill Road. We would do that over and over again. It was a lot of fun. The kids loved the speed of the decent and the s curves. Not so much the climbing
I would recommend the trail a bike to anybody who has young kids... it's a lot of fun especiall for taking a spin in the neighborhood or on the bike paths

Ottawa

I just got bak from a gig in Ottawa and boy do I want to go back there with my bike. It is a beautiful city to cycle and there were cyclists all over the place. I am also led to believet there his great cycling just out of town in the Gstineau's.
I was looking on in envy with the bike path along the canal. absolutely beautiful. I had aquick chat with a gentleman who was quadraplegic riding a hand cranked racing recumbant tricycle. Believe me you don't want to arm wrestles this guy.

Stopped in to a high end bike shop in the market area and drooled over some carbom fibre
Eclipse bicyckes. Even saw the Bixi rental bikes near the Parliament buildings. A bike rental that is self serve tres tres cool. Pay attention Toronto

DaVinci - the first bicycle God!

DaVinci drew this image in 1493. The first pedalled bicycle was built in 1839. Sigh

Hmm

Before anybody says I am a car hater that is just not so.If I had the dough Iwould own an Aston Martin. The reality is that I don't have the doaugh. Got rid of my vehicle in 2005 because for what I paid in cost and whatI received in return didn't jive. It came to about $12,000 plus all in.
For tune up , repairs etc $100 a year for my bike. I ride all year round. I live downtown so on days I can't ride I take transit.
Parking is free. Parking spot right out front of anywhere I go. Usually I beat traffic.
It is great exercise. I have lost a ton of weight, my cholesterol is down and my endurace is up.
I dress for the weather and it is not bad in rain or winter.It is how warm you get when you pedal

I would like to see some city workers have bikes rather than cars. I also think the same for all the parking cops too. Maybe if more counsellors at city hall cycled the pot holes in this town would suddenly fixed.....Just a thought

April Fools

The most common recumbent bike has you sitting back with your feet forward. This position is very efficient and comfortable. They are great bikes and I've wondered why there aren't more of them.

On April 1st 1934 the Union Cycliste International - governing body for bicycle racing - outlawed the use of recumbent bicycles (bents) in sanctioned bicycle races due to traditional bicycle makers lobbying the Union in order to protect their interests. During the previous year most cycling records had been beaten by riders on recumbent bikes.

It's about time to change the restrictions on bike design for racing. Established bicycle manufacturers and retailers would welcome the opportunity to bring new product to market. Let's go faster. Let's get more of these wonderful bikes on the road. Once recumbents are back in the mainstream racing scene the research and improvements will begin in earnest and all these improvements will trickle down to you and I.

Carumba

My major objective of this site is to be positive. But I have to speak out about the miserable condition of the roads in this city. In the last few months i have had at least a dozen flat tires, a destryed rear wheel and several moments were i thought I was going to drop my bike.
The amount of junck like glass and wire on the roads is appaling. The number of craters(not potholes) is iembarrassing.
I don't have a car so I don't pay a tax on gas but I sure pay enough in property tax to ensure that all the potholes should be filled
Drivers complain about how erratic cyclists on the road can be. I suggest they try riding on some of the main streets and see how bad the pot holes are and they would have a different view of what is happening. i am sure there are several car owners that have suffered suspension and tire damage from our roads
Urmas

Creation

18,19 years ago, when my kids were little I would build them both bikes every year. Just loved doing it. I loved the creativity and the looks on their faces as they took off on their inaugural rides.

I remember a tiny red bike for my son with drop bars turned around so the drops were up and the ends point away from him, covered in black foam. Mark, my son, came screaming down the hill on our street and wiped out and really scraped himself up. He was sobbing and clinging to me so hard, poor guy. Took about 15 minutes for him to go at it again. Mark had another I made for him, 20" wheels, all black, everybit. Looked so great it was stolen in short order. My daughter had a cute little pink one with an animal for a horn that she loved. I could tell the era of building for them was coming to an end when I built my daughter a real funky "Queen St" bike out of a 60's cruiser, a great paint job, truly cool. Alas, it was not cool to Gill. Dad made it. And so it goes....

Stay tuned for the agreenbike.com bikes! Soon coming!

Le Tour de France

Okay I admit it , I am hooked on the Tour deFrance. This epic stage race is in it's 96 th year. In the past years there have been numerous disqualifications because of positive dope tests. Last year and this year especial;ly the use of performance enhancing drugs seems to have been stemmed. Steroids and other chemical marvels have run ramant in track and field football and baseball too . Not an excuse just a reflection of our society and the pressure that atheletes put on themselves to win.

Todays stage in the Aps was amazing! the Schleck brothers for Saxo Bank road like giants as did Alberto Cantador for Astana. . Lance Armstrong shows that he still has gas left in those 37 year old legs. Remeber folks he has been out of the sport since 2005 and returned last spring. He is perforiming at an incredible level and has put his team first. There is a slight chance that he will make it to the podium. He is a very good time trialist. The Schlecks are not.
The Tour de France.. drama outstanding endurance and the scenery of the French country side all brought to your home. WHat's not to love?

All the best
Urmas

It's Fun For The Whole Family

When I was out this weekend for a ride, I was going up the Don Valley Bike paths.
It was great to see the number of families out cycling together.There were older couples going at their own pace. There were parents with there tweenie kids and then there were the parents with there little shavers.
The important part was that they were out moving and participating in activities together. They were enjoying one anothers company. Laughing and smiling and exploring the park systems that our city has to offer. They were not stuck in front of a television or computer screen . They were pro active.
Some of the kids were looking at butterflies, looking at snails or excitedly screaming at the surprise appearance of a Garter snake. This is good , inexpensive family time without the need to go to a theme park. Something kids do with ther folks and then do it with their kids when they are old enough. Creating fond memories

It's a good time in history to love bikes

I remember as a kid in the 60's my first two-wheeler was a red second hand standard bike with no chain guard, 20" wheels, conventional bars and seat. Every cycle of the crank the right crank would jump forward because the cotter pin wasn't tight enough. The cyclist's version of walking with a limp. But it did give me the open door to bike repair and ever since fixing that crank I've been right into the guts of my bikes, my kids bikes and my friend's bikes. There is something very satisfying about turning a bike with a problem into a bike working well.

My second bike, my first new one, was a gold department store Mustang look-alike, Banana seat, high handlebars, short sissy bar. I took my bike down to the park everyday and practiced going fast along the paved path, about 4' wide. There was one corner I remember to this day, a tight left hander that I had to lean well into, left knee almost touching the ground in order to make the turn. It was then that I learned about tire pressure, hard tires and I'd go fast but couldn't hold the corner, softer tires and I'd have a little slower top end speed but better traction on the turn.

Later I had a Raleigh Supercourse touring type 10 speed that taught me all about cadence. Finding it and keeping it mile after mile, I did a lot of distance on that bike. Doing track stands with brakes and weight tranfer.

But it seems to me that I missed the fun by a generation, BMX, Mountain Biking, and Cyclocross didn't really exist in my childhood that I knew of, and I'm pretty sure I would have smoked your ass if it did.

Cheers

Don

Climb Every Mountain

After watching the Tour de France and the first stage in the Alps I was inspired to do some climbing on my ride today. I managed to carry myself up the Bayview extension from River Street to Moore. I think I left my lungs on the side of the road somewhere. If you happen to find them , could you please return them to me?
I do not understand how those guys can climb steep mountain passes day after day. It is estimated that they burn eight to ten THOUSAND calories. The average person eats 1200 calories a day.
On my way back home I met a guy named Mike who was riding his mountain bike, towing a trailer full of his landscaping equipment. He was coming from Richmond hill and was headed to Simcoe Ontario. He was planning to make it to Hamilton tonight. Good luck Mike

All the best Urmas

And in the Beginning

Hi ! This the first blog of Bicycle Gods. A forum to talk about cycling.
This the first step in building up to a viable television/ web site about cycling
The beauty of cycling is that kids from three to hundred and three can participate.
It is great for commuting, staying in shape family outings and just plain fun.

We will follow any topic under the sun about cycling- health and enviroment. Whatever is on your mind.
This is also in partner ship with agreenbike.com which gives restored pre -loved bicycles a new home for a reasonable price.