Wednesday, December 16, 2015

Buying the Correct Tube for your Bicycle



There are a lot of different variations of bicycle tube.  Quick primer on getting the right tubes for your bicycle.


  • Wheel size (20", 26", 700" etc)
  • Tire diameter 
  • Valve stem type Presta or Schrader
  • Length of valve stem
If your bicycle has deep profile rims you may need a longer valve stem tube.  If you can measure the valve stem of your old tube.

The proper size tube is purchased to fit the Tire.  The width of the tire is the second number as in 26 x 1.75 or 700x25.  Tubes will usually fit a range of tires sizes.  For  example, Many 26" tubes will fit tires from 1.75 inches wide all the way up to 2.125.


Inner Tube Thickness

Most standard inner tubes are .9mm thick.  Super light or ultralight tubes will be between .6 and .76mm thick and are usually 20 to 40% lighter.

I always buy a couple of tubes so I have a spare or three around to carry in my pack.

Check out the hundreds of different tubes we have available at Zbikenut on eBay


Bicycle Rick

Check out our Seatpost Installation Tips

Seat Post Sizing and Installation Tips

Click to watch the short 1 minute video--Thanks




I always put a little grease on the inside of the seat tube on the bicycle before installing my seatposts.  This keeps your seatpost from rusting into the frame.  If you live in a humid region your seatpost can rust solidly into your frame in as little as a year.

Always be sure to have the minimum insertion level inside your frame.

The size of your seatpost will usually be etched on your seatpost just below the minimum insertion line on the post.

XLC is a very large international brand that specializes in good quality parts at excellent prices.

Enjoy the Ride,

Bicycle Rick

Monday, December 14, 2015

My New Pedals Do Not Spin Freely!

Bicycle pedals are one of the most commonly replaced items on a bicycle.  They take a lot of abuse as all of our weight is often on them.  Another reason they are so often replaced is many department store bikes come with very low quality pedals that fail with relatively little use.

I am partial to aluminum pedals that have a one piece body and cage.  The weak link in many pedals is where the cage mounts to the body.  If the screws or rivets loosen the pedal often will break.  This design makes the cage and body one piece and very durable.



Check out our Pedal Combo Kits and check our our huge selection of  Zbikenut Pedals

Do Not Readjust the Pedals

Usually when you first get pedals with a one piece body the factory will have adjusted the bearing so they are gritty and do not spin loosely.  Within the first 50 miles the pedal bearings will loosen up significantly.  If you adjust them before installation so they are smooth after about 50 miles they will become sloppy and need to be readjusted.

Thanks,
Bicycle Rick





Sunday, December 13, 2015

How to Save Money on MAP priced Bicycle items

MAP stands for Minimum Advertized Pricing.  It is being used by a several bicycle parts manufacturers and in many other industries.  Bicycle retailers and mail order guys cannot advertize these companies parts for less than stated or the Manufacturer will suspend selling to the dealer. Park Tool, Serfas, Lizard Skin, and many other manufacturers are setting and then enforcing MAP pricing.

 HOWEVER the retailer can still sell it to you for any amount.  

 Most MAP policies also state that the dealer may not put “Make Offer” or “Call for Price” or “Too Low to Print” in their listing or advertisement.


How to Get a Better Price Strategy
So any expensive item that you are looking to purchase that is MAP priced you will probably be able to get a better price by either making an offer, emailing for a better price, or calling for a better price.  In my experience you will not get a better price on a MAP item unless the retail cost of the item is over $25 or $30 or the item is very small and light to ship. 


Bicycle Rick