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November 24th, 2009
WE WILL BE CLOSED on THANKSGIVING, but will re-open early the following day at 8 a.m. for early shoppers. Avoid the mall madness by coming to OYLC for the cyclist on your gift list. We have great gift ideas for all types of cyclist or we offer gift certificates as well.
Here's your chance to win tickets to go see Russian Circles on December 11th! Head on over to F**k Gas to find out how to win tickets. The show starts at 8 p.m. and features two local bands... Young Widows and The Phantom Family Halo. Phantom Family Halo band member recently opened the Louisville Beer Store on Market street, stop by and check the new place out when you get a chance.
November 18th, 2009
New issues of Dirt Rag showed up today! The snow covered December issue features a Norco Jubei 1 review, lots of reader pics, and a chance to win a Surly Big Dummy.
TRAIL MAINTENANCE... scheduled for Waverly on Saturday Nov 21, 2009 at 9am. Meet at the main parking lot by the playground, tools and snacks will be provided and plans are set to ride afterwards if conditions allow.
Here's a cool tool from KY BIKE TRAILS. Now you don't have to question whether a trail will be worth the drive. A couple clicks and you can update the conditions of a trail for others to see. It is very easy to use and could be very use full if more people start to use it.
November 13th, 2009
Here's your chance to donate your old bike and receive $500 towards a new Ellsworth mountain bike or frame of your choice. All donated bikes go to the Trips For Kids organization, which helps kids discover the joy of mountain biking. TFK has opened the world of cycling to over 50,000 at-risk youth through mountain bike rides and Earn-A-Bike programs.
November 12th, 2009
With the holidays right around the corner we will be showcasing some great gifts in the next couple weeks for the cyclist on your list.
Pedro's vice whip has been one of the most innovative tools to come out in the past couple years, we love ours here at OYLC and strongly recommend it to any one doing at home repairs. The days of slipping chain whips are long gone! Come by and try ours out next time your here, this is a great item to add to the holiday wish list.
November 11th, 2009
Sorry for the lack of post lately, we've been out riding a ton before this nice weather goes away. My girlfriend is doing a college project where they have to make things out of cardboard, she found these photos on the internet where people had made bikes. We thought they were pretty awesome and they needed to be seen by some cyclist.
Some one put in a lot of work... notice the detail with all the bolts and pivots. How about the chain, any idea on how long it took to make it?
Here's something else to fill your daily web browsing routine, IF's Blog has some really cool bikes they've been posting up among random happenings around their shop that are pretty entertaining.
November 5th, 2009
Looks like plans are being finalized to turn Champions Park into a dog run park with a closed fence. We love dogs here at the shop but are bummed to see this facility limited to dogs when it is such a great cyclo cross venue. Hopefully there will be a new course that can hold events such as the USGP
With the changing future of Champions Park you better get out and ride the course a couple more times and get ready for Storm The Greens on December 6th.
Here's another teaser for New World Disorder 10: Dust and Bones. Show time is set for 7:30 this Friday night so make sure to be here for one of the best videos of all time!
After NWD 10 we will be showing Fit's new video STAY FIT. We'll push play at 9 p.m. and let the good times roll.
November 4th, 2009
Come out this Friday night for New World Disorder 10 Dust and Bones, could this be the best mountain bike film ever made? Get down to the shop at 7:30 and decide for yourself, we can guarantee you won't be disappointed and you'll have a good time.
Here's two wheel sets that we enjoy riding very much and now you can try them out for yourself. The first is a mountain bike set featuring Industry Nine hubs hand built to DT Swiss rims. They got put to the test this summer and surpassed expectations. Quick Engagement combined with very low drag make for a very enjoyable ride.
Next up is a DT Swiss 240 hub set hand laced to a Mavic Open Pro rim with DT Swiss Competition spokes. These wheels roll extremely fast thanks to DT's super smooth bearings. Come by and talk to us about taking one of these wheel sets out on a demo.
November 3rd, 2009
It gets dark at 6 p.m. now unfortunately, don' worry though we have a ton of lights for you to be seen and light the way.
NiteRider's very affordable Mi Newt mini USB is an extremely bright light. A friend let me borrow his to ride trails with and it did an amazing job, they also offer it with a helmet mount.
We have a bunch of new mountain bike videos to get you through the winter, also don't forget to come out for the NWD 10 premiere this firday.
Here's a new product in the shop, ESI Grips are extremely comfortable, grippy, and absorb shock very well. A friend of ours has been running these for a bit and loves em. Will try a pair out and let you know what you think or you can try a pair for your self.
October 29th, 2009
New bikes from Norco arrived yesterday, we have the Scorcher which is an entry level mountain bike at a very reasonable price.
The Santiago is your classic cruiser bike with 7 speed gearing and dual hand brakes. Stylish fenders are included and will keep you dry on the rainy days to come.
DT Swiss built the Mon Chasseral wheel set for the rider wanting a very light set of wheels. Climbs will now be a breeze with DT's light weight rim, double butted spokes, and light ratchet system hub that features sealed bearings that are extremely smooth.
Unlike the 80 year old eccentric principle used on standard quick releases, the RWS builds up clamping force by tightening a bolt connection with a lever. The lever can then be raised and rotated into any desired position. The clamping force of the RWS is up to 50 % higher than what can be achieved with a common quick release. This is not just safer, but also makes your wheel connection to the frame or fork firmer and therefore stiffer. This becomes particularly apparent with disc brakes.
3T Ergosum Pro Drop Handlebars are shallower than most bars, and the shape is better for smaller hands with a redesigned bend for easy adjustment of the handhold on brake hoods.
October 24th, 2009
TEE'S ARE IN!!!
Here's a shirt every one can relate to. No matter what type of bike you ride now, you must have a memory of coming home as a kid after pedaling through mud and water all day long.
We will be showing NWD 10: Dust and Bones on November 6th at 7:30. Check the trailer below and mark you ca lender for this awesome video.
October 22nd, 2009
USGP of cyclocross comes to Louisville this weekend. It looks like it could be a mud fest which will make things very interesting. Click this link to find out times of the races.
Go see this movie tonight! Race Across The Sky documents this years Leadville 100 and Lance's Victory. Click the link to watch the trailer and get out for the one night only viewing at Tinseltown or Stonybrook.
Kona's UTE showed up today and it was the test bike of the day, I think everyone who came through the door took it for a spin. The UTE features an aluminum frame to keep things light while carrying your kids, groceries, or even the kitchen sink.
Here's the light you need for night trail riding. The Pro 1200 is a 1200 lumen light that comes with everything you need... quick release battery, 8 step battery gauge, and handlebar/helmet mounts.
October 21st, 2009
PHOTO OF THE DAY: This is a customers downhill/freeride bike waiting for some new parts in the shop.
Kona bikes are being built up almost daily here at the shop! The Kula Deluxe pictured here is actually a O9' and are on sale right now along with all of the other 09' bikes. This bike has a ton of high end parts... Mavic Cross Trail wheels, Maxxis Ignitor tires, Rock Shox Reba SL, XT shifters, XT shadow rear derailluer, Shimano SLX cranks and hydraulic brakes. This is an awesome components group and they went together very nicely with the Scandium Kona frame.
Surly has some of the coolest frames available right now. The Pacer is a TIG welded steel frame with a 1-1/8" head tube and a brazed fork. This is an affordable option for some one wanting to assemble a road bike on a budget, the smooth ride of steel is just an added bonus! The Pacer is designed to accept up to 700x32 tires or 28's with fenders. Nine sizes are offered allowing for a perfect fit and a green color is an alternative to the bright silver bullet.
October 20th, 2009
Here's a new map tool the crew over at Bike Louisville have put together. Ride the City will allow you to enter your destination and give you a safe route to ride.
It looks like bike symbols are being painted on areas where you can stop at a light and it will now notice a cyclist is there and turn to green. The days of waiting forever are hopefully becoming a thing of the past.
This has been one of the most popular bikes we've sold this year. Surly's Cross Check is ready for just about anything you could imagine doing on a bike... light touring, commuting, or even single track riding. All types of riding will be very forgiving due to the steel frame set.
October 17th, 2009
What ever type of cycling you choose to do this weekend, we remind you to PAY ATTETION. The guy's mind in the video below is obviously on another planet. This has to be the most pain full crash I've even seen and he just gets up like it's no big deal.
October 16th, 2009
Want to ride to work with others in your area or help out a new commuter just getting started? Ticket to Ride has just launched a new bike pool registration tool to help. It connects you with a list of people near you who have similar commutes and destinations, and who are interested in cycling with another commuter! Register now.
October 14th, 2009
Today's cool new item comes from Kona bicycles. The Unit is a single speed steel 29er' frame and fork. If your wondering about the 29" craze this is an affordable way to try it out without any decrease in value. A mix of brand name parts are what you'll find on this sweet ride...Avid disc brakes, Maxxis Ignitor tires, and a FSA crank with bash gaurd make for the perfect single speed. The feature that we're impressed with most is the rear hub, it's a ss cassette instead of the usual freewheel found on most bikes. No longer do you have to deal with the high and low spots found in chains created by out of round freewheels!
Tension is created by a sliding rear drop out. You get to keep the ease of pulling your wheel out via a quick release but don't have to worry about it moving.
Mavic offers a tubualar rim called the Reflex and we built a set up today with these rasta colored nipples.
The Pearl Izumi rep came by today with the new line, there's a lot of good looking stuff out from PI this year. We'll have some warmer weather products coming in weekly, but if there's a special item your looking for let us know and we can order it for you. Click the link for their website or take a look at the new catalog next time you're in the shop.
October 10th, 2009
Fresh in this week are bikes from Kona and Fit. Kona's Jake the Snake is your best choice when it comes to cyclo cross Everything went together very well and the bikes rides awesome. It's hard to find so many name brands on a bike at this level, however Kona managed to accomplish the task very well.
Up front you have a Kona cockpit with Shimano 10sp 105 shifters.
FSA Gossamer cranks and a 105 shifter hold down the shifting in the front of the drive train.
Kona's Carbon fork with Kore brakes make for a nice set up.
Mavic wheels, Continental Speed King tires, a 105 derailleur keep things smooth and round up the awesome value that is Jake the Snake.
The Jake is perfect for any cyclocross rider or some one who wants to make their ride to work more fun. Come by and take these new bikes for a cruise around the phoenix hill obstacle course.
2010 Fit complete bikes are here! The Tech 1 is a entry level bike with very high end parts, it's not often that you see a bike look this good that comes with a price tag to match. All the bikes below come with sealed 3pc cranks, sealed cassette hub, 9/25 drive train, and integrated headsets.
The Park 2 is a little higher end bike compete with sealed hubs, 3 pc cranks, and Odyssey Twisted pedals.
The Trail 2 is ready for all the dirt jumps you can build or the local skate park. Red Alienation rims make this a very cool ride.
Fit's Tech 2.5 features a longer 20.75" top tube for taller riders and has removable brake mounts, Fit pc pedals, and a Fit plastic pivotal seat.
October 9th, 2009
Ray's Indoor Mountain Bike Park is scheduled to open the 17th. With all the nasty weather we have in our future this is one trip you must put on your ca lender. Ray and his crew have built a ton of new stuff to ride and you can see it in the video below. Anyone in on a OYLC trip to Cleveland?
October 7th, 2009
Don't forget the Brown County Breakdown is this weekend! You can still register online or sign in the day of, all proceeds go to the trails.
October 6th, 2009
Introducing the 2010 SRAM Force group! Force uses technology from Red for 2010... new unidirectional carbon cranks, wider skeletonized dual pivot design brakes, and the option of use with a BB30. Force now offers more features for the same affordable price.
It's hard to go wrong with brown leather accessories on a bike, All City offers their double straps in brown and we have them in stock.
Paul makes some of the coolest parts for your bike ever made. The Chain Keeper does exactly what the name states, it works with both single and 1x multi speed drive trains. The main advantage is that it will keep your chain on when hopping over barriers and will work with many chain lines and chain rings.
We showed you the dropout saver from wheels manufacturing a while ago which will replace most broken dropouts. This can definitely make you some friends when you have the answer to keep someone from walking. This multi tool comes with the dropout saver along with the usual allens, torx, and screwdrivers.
Here's an alternative to bar tape found on most bikes today. Viva cloth tape comes in a number of colors and is something a little different for your hands to hold on to.
Colder weather is coming and we have a full stock of winter gloves to keep your hands from falling off.
Last, but not least are these new bells we got in this week.
October 2nd, 2009
Don't forget about the fun run next weekend, this is the best of the rides so try and make it.
October 1st, 2009
It's pretty hard to find a bike better fit for carrying all your needs than the Long Haul Trucker. Throw all the bags, fenders, or racks on it you like and get out for the exploration of your life. Click here to check out Surly's new redesigned web site for more info.
Here's some more pictures from Interbike, click the BMX link at the top to see what the twenty inch world has in the works.
We've had so many people ask about colored spokes for moutain bikes, Wheelsmith is now offering sizes for mountain bike wheels in the colors below. Let us know if you want to give your bike a new look. I'm thinking these are going to go pretty quick when they become available.
The Ellsworth booth was probably the busiest of the show as you can see from this photo. Pictured here is the new Enlightenment, an all carbon hard tail frame that is available in 26 or 29.
The Enlightenment's dropout is easily swapped to convert your frame for single speed action.
This had to be the coolest looking bike at their booth, it's hard to go wrong with flames that look this good.
The Roots is Ellsworth cross bike that rides amazing and looks good as an added bonus.
I always like when companies do these cut away displays.
September 29th, 2009
INTERBIKE 2009:
I got back from Interbike this weekend and must say that I am very glad to be back in the great state of kentucky. More than three days in sin city can make you want to come home very fast, that and the fact that when i was pedaling at this wall it was 104 degrees! I have a couple things to show here on the site from the trip, the first is this photo showing that we are filming for a new Movement video. This project will take some time, but good things come to those who wait.
The second thing that we are very proud to announce is that we will now be carrying Kona bikes. Kona has a full line of really nice rides that are each unique in their own way, it's hard to think of a big bike brand that offers as many steel options as they do. Our first shipment of 2010 bikes are on the way and you can expect to see more bikes trickle in before winter.
The Kona Ute is the perfect bike to utilize the engine we're all born with. The 2010 model comes with front AND a rear disc brake with a mount that allows for hassle free access to your important saddle bags.
Kona's Jake the Snake is the best deal right out of the box for any cyclocross rider, perfect for the first timer or someone set on a US championship. The Snake comes with powerful Kore brakes, a carbon fork, Mavic wheels, and a 105 derailleur.
Here's two more cross rides from Kona. The Jake is a perfect entry level bike available in several sizes and now features a taller head tube for a more comfortable ride. Of course Kona made sure to offer a bike for the single speed crew, the major one has all the simplicity that is found in a 1x1 setup along with a carbon fork.
Instead of having all, how about doing all with the Abra Cadabra. This is the perfect bike for xc, all mountain, and technical descents. I've heard lots of talk about this bike and was pretty bummed about not making it out in time to give it a go at the dirt demo. All the buzz is probably due to the fact that it's a sub 30lbs bike that features Scandium tubing and four inches of travel with the capability to switch to six inches when such demands arise.
Imagine a mid-to-long travel bike that's designed to excel when it's climbing or pedaling really hard: nice linear rear travel with steeper head and seat angles and a more upright riding position.
Now imagine that same bike when it's going downwards, braking or hitting big bumps. Not ideal. Well, imagine that same bike with the ability to change its rear travel: more progressive, with softer suspension in the initial stages of travel. Not only that, imagine the travel on this bike could lengthen, while its geometry changed to slacker head and seat angles, with an improved wheel path.
The Magic Link is constantly reacting to all of the forces acting on it, and it's not like an on/off switch. It's never "stuck" in one mode. It just does what you need. Sometimes it is in-between modes, or cycling between modes, but there's no sudden feeling of change, such as an abrupt alteration of the bike's geometry. The rider is unaware of what's going on, just having fun, riding like a bat out of hell, up and down. That, friends, is magic.
Independant Fabrications brought out their newly built grass track bike. Grass track racing was popular throughout Europe in the 40's and 50's and was the motivation for creating this beautiful bike.
Here's the "join or die" paintwork located on the top tube, this is totally right up the rebel alley of IF and shows that they can make whatever kind of bike they wish.
Here's another bike from IF. This one matches the color of Co2 inflator's made by Genuine Innovations and was on display at their booth.
Here's another wild creation from a small builder. Vicious Cycle's Thunder Wing was designed for adventure races through Alaska and will take you where to other bike can.
The Groover is a four inch travel bike sporting a custom steel tubing front triangle and a Titus Racer X rear end.
Here's the Mambo Sun. It rolls on 650b wheels which is the happy middle of the 26" vs. 29" debate. It is also available in a Single Speed version.
We've sold a lot of the Crosscheck bikes form Surly this year. I ran into one of the guys recently and he said that he'd lost 40lbs due to riding it everyday.
Here's a bright red version of the De Rosa Neo Primato that we built up recently.
All City is releasing new track frame and complete bikes this fall and this candy red beauty is just one in their new line.
I was very excited about being able to get on a bike with Sram's new XX group and see how it felt. I was happy to feel the same strong clicks that are present with their shifters and love the idea of having an even wider range of gear ratios.
Here's an affordable hub upgrade that won't compromise performance. Sram's new hub set rolls on sealed bearings which is a huge advantage over the unsealed stock hubs that come on many entry level bikes or their competitors "after market" wheel sets. We're not saying there's anything wrong with that technology, but we do see a lot of riders who's hubs have came loose unknowingly continue to ride them resulting in damage to the hub.
The return to sender shifter are something we hope to see on time trial and triathlon bikes in the future. When you shift they snap back to their original position.
It's good to see some color options coming to the drive train world. Expect to see some good matching bikes coming out of here soon!
Here's the light weight mountain rim from Edge. I saw these on all the custom made bikes at the show.
Chrome had a cool booth with all of their bags and their new shoe line which we can get by the way.
I like the look of these flat fenders, especially these ones from Axiom which feature a reflective strip for the people who are bad at recharging their blinky lights.
The Belgium helmet maker, Lazer had all of their helmets on display. They have a model for almost every type of cycling and I can't start to tell you how much I like my 02 helmet.
September 22nd, 2009
Sorry for the lack of updates recently, we've had a ton of repair work in here and we are very appreciative of the continued support. Thanks to everyone who continues to bring repair work in for us.
We have got some new product in the shop, first is the B15 Swallow from Brooks.
Here's the solution to single speed converted mountain bikes. The White Industries ENO hub has an elliptical axle that rotates to tension your chain. Their freewheel is top of the line... they use a sealed bearing which makes for no high/low spots. It comes in the standard 16-22 sizes or like the one you see here with a 16/18 or 17/19 that you can switch the chain for different ratios.
Here's a new offering from Giro, the Lusso road glove is padded in all the right ares to keep your hands from going numb.
Also new in this week is this bright green helmet from Giro.
September 8th, 2009
The rain cleared out for the Mayor's bike ride this Labor Day and we were able to service a good number of bikes before they took off on the fourteen mile adventure. Click here to see some more images from the event.
September 3rd, 2009
If your looking for something to do this Labor Day, the Mayor's Bike Ride is a fun event.
We had a great turn out for the Mike Lennig’s ride. Thanks to all who came out.
NBL Grands are back in Louisville this weekend at Tom Sawyer park. The action starts this Friday and goes on until Sunday. World Champion and Olympic athlete Kyle Bennett stopped by the shop this week, here's a look into one of the worlds fastest racers.
Chris King makes a bmx hub that is as smooth as the one on your mountain bike.
Shimano DXR cranks with a King bottom bracket are the driving force of this sweet ride.
Here's a new light from Nite Rider, the Minewt Mini USB is a very light weight model with a three hour run time. It mounts to a handlebar or helmet and you can also charge it from your computer by using the including USB cable.
We are now stocking Speedplay pedals, come by and check out the various models.
We got a new order from King Cage this week. All of their water bottle cages are back in stock along with a new stem mount for people who don't have frame mounts.
We also got some of their Titanium tire levers. These are super light and take up no space in a jersey pocket.
Want to give your road bike a classic look, try this cloth bar tape from Velox.
With cross practice under way and the first race of the season less than twenty days away we have been getting the cross essentials back in stock...
The Challenge Grifo tire is a standard in the racing world, we will have tubular versions in as well as soon as they become available.
SRAM has several cranks that are perfect for cross, the S300 gives you enhanced tooth profiles for quicker shifting and more precision.
Keep the front end looking good with matching hoods and tape from Sram. These are also available in the popular white color way for cross.
Here's a tape that we saw on Sue Butler's bike last year at the USGP. Lizard Skins Durasoft Polymer tape provides plenty of grip even in wet conditions.
Tektro's Cr720 brake offers plenty of stopping power and mud clearance at an affordable price.
Last but not least, are the all important lubes to keep your bike moving properly. Dri Slide or tri flow are great for keep those cables moving freely for smooth shifting. Tire Glue is another must have for this season, we'll be stocking several brands so will have whatever one you prefer.
August 27th, 2009
Schwinntonation will be performing live at the BBC on Shelbyville road this Friday night at 7p.m. The crew from Chicago take various sounds that bicycles make and turn them into music. This will be an outdoor event with music, brews and food. Free bicycle lock-up if you want to ride your bike to BBC. Show your bike helmet and receive $3.00 BBC Beers all night! Click here for more info.
August 26th, 2009
I finished my new mountain bike this weekend and it rides better than I could've ever imagined. The frame is a hard tail Norco Fireball that climbs like a machine. I've had the bike built up for a couple weeks, but just recently was able to complete the project with new wheels. Come by the shop and take it for a spin or hit me up if your looking for someone to ride with.
I've been wanting to try the hub set from Industry Nine all summer long and was able to build them this weekend. I used DT Swiss XR 2.4d rims to keep things light and the white was a nice option to take advantage of. This was my first time building with Dt rims and I am very impressed with their continued quality. As far as the hubs go, simply amazed! They have many common features found on high end hubs ...sealed bearings, American made, and 3 degree/120 points of engagement. What sets them apart from most is the fact that there is little to no drag right out of the box, no lazy chain resting on the chain stay. I haven't give them a full test, but things are looking very promising.
Avid Elixer Cr brakes allow care free high speed runs into the corners, I've been using these for a couple months and they rule! A turn of the red barrel adjust the pad contact point kind of like a barrel adjuster on a set of v-brakes, they also feature the usual reach adjustment for the lever.
The Avid Matchmaker holds Avid levers, SRAM triggers, and RockShox® PushLocTM controls, all with one tidy, light clamp allowing for more handlebar space.
The new "nip-tuck" remote lock out feature on the Rock Shox Reba keeps the cable hidden in the spool for a clean look.
I went with the Shimano SLX crank set for the double service life provided by a steel middle chain ring. The same hollow tech technology used on the XT cranks is applied to the SLX, but they are a little more affordable and hardly weigh any more.
