Meet The Team Ride – January 28

Sunset Cycles Racing Team is looking to expand the universe’s quantity of pure awesomeness by sponsoring more bike racers. We are looking to grow our team significantly by adding racers in the mountain biking, cyclocross, and road racing disciplines (men and women) that are just as interested in having fun on their bikes as they are in being competitive.

The team will be holding a Meet The Team Ride on Saturday, January 28. The ride will leave at 9:00 AM from the Sunset Cycles location at 15320 NW Central Dr in Portland (Bethany), and will last about 2-3 hours depending on the weather. So come for a ride, meet our current team members and shop employees, and learn about the benefits of riding for Sunset Cycles.

For more information contact Sunset Cycles at 503-531-9254

Bike Fitting is Here!

Staffer, Joey was recently fitted on his road bike. He will be making some big changes to his set up to get it closer to the desired result, but keep in mind this is not always the case. John also fitted Ashley on her new bike and the changes were minor. Here is Joey’s report…

“Although I have been an avid cyclist for over a decade I have yet to receive a professional bike fitting. I have had a few amateur bike fittings by previous co-workers of mine but felt that each experience left something to be desired. That is why when my co-workers here at Sunset Cycles offered me the opportunity to receive a professional bike fitting I jumped at the chance.The bike fitting I would receive was going to be with Sunset Cycles newest employee John Forbes. Along with being an accomplished professional bike fitter, John has also competed at a high level in bicycle racing. From his own experience as a racer, he strongly feels that being properly fit to a bicycle allows him and others to ride at their fullest potential.

John utilizes two different types of fit systems: Wobble Naught and Specialized’s BG FIT. Since several of our employees are already familiar with the BG FIT system, John wanted to take the opportunity to show us how the Wobble Naught fit system works by performing a Wobble Naught fit on yours truly.John began my fitting by entering in an extensive amount of data regarding my physique.  Besides the obvious data (like my height, weight, age, etc.), John plugged in many other measurements into the Wobble Naught software program. Measurements were taken from my shoulders, arms, spine, legs, and feet.

After entering in all of the data into the Wobble Naught software John determined that I was a perfect candidate for a bike fit because I was currently riding a road bicycle that did not fit me properly. John presented my co-workers and I with a laundry list of reasons that my bike did not fit me properly.  First, my cleats were too far forward and misaligned. Second, my saddle was positioned too high and forward. Third, my handlebar was too narrow (40cm vs a 44cm) and angled down. Fourth, my stem was 10mm longer than it needed to be. Fifth, my shoe insoles were packed out and didn’t have a high enough arch for my foot.

At the end of the fitting John encouraged me to order in all of the necessary parts that would make my bike fit properly. Once the parts arrive and are installed I plan to take my road bike out for a spin to see how the fit works for me. The great thing is that John guarantees all of his fits and is willing to follow up with me (and all of his customers) to make sure I am happy with the end result. Stay tuned for an update regarding how my first ride goes after my new parts are installed.”

 If you have any fitting questions you can call the shop or e-mail John at John@sunsetcyclesnw.com. Also, stay tuned for a look at the revamped fitting program offered at the shop.

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Cycling For A Cure!

After years of failed New Years resolutions to get in shape, I have decided 2012 is going to be my year! For the next 5 months I’ll be riding all over Portland increasing my miles each week so that I can ride 100 miles in America’s Most Beautiful Bike Ride on June 3rd. Team in Training (TNT) is an endurance training program in support of The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society. The goal I share with this program is to raise money for research and patient support. Since 1988, there have been 540,000 participants who have raised over $1.2 billion!

My greatest source of inspiration for completing this century is my friend, TJ Reed. TJ was diagnosed with Chronic Myelomonocytic (CMML) in the summer of 2004, which then later progressed into Acute Myelomonocytic Leukemia (AMML). He received a stem cell transplant and fought his way to remission. After that first transplant, he had 6 healthy years. September 1st 2010, ironically the same date he had his first transplant 6 years earlier TJ experienced a recurrence. TJ underwent a second transplant with great results. He was told that he had 0% cancer in his blood and that the transplant was successful. Unfortunately he experienced another relapse. This time more aggressive than ever. He passed away July 6th, 2011. TJ was only 28 years old.

Please support me by contributing to the cause. My goal is to raise $3600 by May 1st. No amount is too small and every donation is 100% tax deductable. 75% of the money I earn goes directly to The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society to help save lives.

Follow my training progress here and on Sunset Cycles Facebook. Keep an eye out for raffles, contests and specials to help me reach my fundraising goals!

Donate directly online http://pages.teamintraining.org/oswim/ambbr12/sunsetcyclesashley

CHAINRINGS — Sunset Cycles Monthly Newsletter

IN THIS ISSUE:

RIDE LEADER NOTES – Have it Your Way
WRENCH BENCH – Chain Installation Trick
TURNING THE CRANKS – The Value of Variety
WASHCO RIDE OF THE MONTH – Roy Road Roller
GEARHEAD – Minoura iH-100
TEAM NOTES – An Open Casting Call
SHOP NEWS – Coloring Contest Results
SURVEY – Cross Training?

RIDE LEADER NOTES
Have it Your Way

by Roger Colwell

In challenging economic times, it’s important for every business to make their best effort to stand apart from their competition, focus on their strengths, and improve in areas where improvement is needed. The bicycle business is no exception…with plenty of choices on where to buy a bicycle, consumers can shop around, choosing online retailers or big box stores instead of locally-owned shops. Of course, there are risks inherent in that buying strategy, but they are options, nonetheless.

That’s why we’ve been constantly striving to treat all of our customers (and potential customers, whenever possible) with customized services that they’ll only find at a smaller shop. Frankly, we take no small measure of pride at Sunset Cycles in the individual attention we give to everyone who walks through the door.

And we’re always trying to raise the bar for the quality of service we provide. Along those lines, we’re very excited about the newest service we offer. For years, local cyclist John Forbes struggled to find the perfect fit on his racing bicycle. These struggles led him to an interest in the science and art of bicycle fitting, which eventually developed into a passion that he transformed into bicycle fitting expertise. When it comes to ensuring your position on the bike is just right, you might say that John is the Michelangelo of the MTB or the Renoir of the road bike.

John understands that each bicycle rider deserves customized, individual attention and solutions. It’s an attitude that fits well with the mission and approach of our entire staff.

Whether you’re in the market for a new bike to kick start your 2012 goals and resolutions, or if you just need your current ride position maximized for comfort and performance, I invite you to visit either of our two locations and discover how we can help you get ‘dialed in.’

Thanks for your continued support of “Beaverton’s Bike Shop.”

WRENCH BENCH
Chain Installation Trick

Installing a new chain on your bike is pretty straightforward. If you choose to go it alone (note that the mechanics at Sunset Cycles are more than happy to assist you!), here’s a handy trick that can save a bit of frustration.

Items needed: New chain, chain link remover/insertion tool, old spoke or heavy gauge wire.

Step 1: Remove old chain from bike with tool.
Step 2: Clean cassette and chainrings to give new chain a clean new home.
Step 3: Using old chain as a guide, determine proper length for new chain and thread onto bike.
Step 4: Using old spoke bent into a “C” shape, hook ends of chain together between pedals and rear hub, leaving three links dangling from each end. This is where you will insert the pin to close the chain.
Step 5: Insert pin to close the chain on the end links.
Step 6. Remove bent spoke, lubricate new chain as needed, and enjoy your ride!

Worst Day of the Year

Looking to get out and enjoy the great weather we have in February? You should go out to the Worst Day of the Year Ride. It’s on February 12, 2012.

• 4,000 riders
• Gigantic costume contest
• Easy, short, flat route (with a Challenge Option)
• 3 rest stops with belly-warming treats
• Huge finish line scratch-made hot soup and fresh-from-the-oven bread (included)
• Finishes at the Lucky Labrador Brew Pub
  (for a beer, perhaps)

Happy New Year

Sunset Cycles will be closed on January 1st and 2nd. Have a happy and safe New Years!

Merry Christmas

From Sunset Cycles

Movies for your Monday

Here are two great phenomenal videos that we have been watching at the shop. The first one is from Silvia Films featuring Matt Miles riding his Demo. It does not matter who he films it just looks FAST. It helps that Matt Miles is really really good rider with skill and style to spare.

Even if you hate the snow you still should watch this next video, besides it will help kill 5 minutes out of your Monday! The full film won tons of awards like “Best Documentary” , “Most Innovative Visual FX”, “Best Feature-Length Mountain Film” ect. Enjoy and let us know what you think!

Last Day for Special Orders

Friday the 16th.

Is the last day for Special orders on bikes. Let us know what you need this week so we can make sure to have it before Christmas.

Don’t make this guy work too hard around the holidays!

Errands by Bike

At Sunset Cycles our staff covers almost all types of riding. Everything from mountain, road, cyclocross, commuting, downhill ect. David is one of our newest employees at the Portland store  and covers the commuting category very well. He just did this write-up about doing errands by bike. If you have any questions on getting your bike set up with the stuff you need to make trips like his easy he is your guy. David can help get you set up with fenders, lights, racks and bags and everything else.

Errands by Bike

With the day off this past Friday and nice weather (sunny but cool), I decided it would be a good day for a bike ride. The only problem was I had a few errands that I really needed to get done before the weekend. It would have been easy to just blow off the bike ride and hop in the car but instead I grabbed the commuter bike and headed out.

Living near the shop in Bethany, I went down Kaiser to 143^rd and through Terra Linda to Saltzman. Then it was up the hill on Barnes to the credit union for my first stop. Hopping back on the bike, I finished off the hill to the Sunset Transit Center and turned my trip multi-modal, catching MAX and arriving at SW 10^th and Yamhill about 15 minutes later. With the bike safely locked up near the main Library, I had a brief visit with my dentist and then did a little holiday window-shopping before making the return trip, this time ending up at the Beaverton Transit Center. Taking Center Street to Hall, I was at New Seasons in a few minutes so I could pick up groceries to make lasagna (which was delicious by the way) and then headed for home. To get there, I went up Hocken to Jenkins to Murray before retracing my pedal strokes through Terra Linda.

The total trip was 23 miles (11 by bike and 12 by MAX) and with stops took 2 hours and 42 minutes. If you haven’t ridden in traffic much, fear not, the bike lanes on the busier streets make for a drama free ride. All in all, not a bad way to get a little exercise and still get things done.