Rays Preview

Thanks From a Fellow Touring Cyclist

It's always rewarding in this business when we get feedback from people
that stop in while on a cross country tour. Nick Cizek stopped in for
some emergency repairs and much appreciated advice from Russ Brown. Here
is the email Nick sent after reaching his goal.
Dear Russell Brown,
Thanks again for quickly fixing my bike and sending me off on my way free of charge last Thursday. You asked that all I do was send you an email telling you how my trip went. So here's what happened. First of all, I made it, in large part thanks to you. I told my friend to be at the Skylon Tower in Niagara Falls between 3:30 and 5:30 on Friday. I'd meet him there, and he'd pick me up and drive me back to Cleveland. Well, as you know, things got a little behind schedule right away when my bike got messed up and I had to go back to your shop and wait for it to open. I wanted to get about midway between Erie and Buffalo that day, but instead I only made it to the eastern side of Erie by about 7 that night. I took your advice and slept in the backyard of a church, and that was great. Right on the lake, with a nice view of the remaining light of the setting sun over the water. I think I'm going to use that idea much more often now. The only problem with sleeping that night was that I was nervous about the next day. I was supposed to get the majority of my riding done on Thursday since I had much less time on Friday to ride. Being less than halfway, I was worried that I wouldn't make it the next day, even though I had guaranteed my friend that I'd be there. I should add that I don't like electronics very much. I don't own a cell phone. So, any time I go somewhere on my bike, the only electrical things I have are my front and rear lights. No cell phone, no speedometer, not even a watch. So not being in Niagara at the proper time could have created somewhat of a mess. When I woke up Friday morning, it was still pitch black outside, and I figured it would be best to get on my way, figuring it was probably 4 or 5. Not long after I left, I saw a clock at a gas station that read 1:15, and for some reason I decided to just keep going. It ended up being some of the best, most memorable riding of my life. Over the next 6 hours or so, only a handful of cars passed me, so I had the road all to myself, and the temperature was great, and the wind was nonexistant, and I even saw 4 or 5 shooting stars. Anyway, I made it to Niagara with time to spare. I waited a few hours for my friend to get there. And the scenery was great all along the way. I almost always had water in sight, either from Lake Erie or the Niagara River, which I biked along on the Canadian side (I crossed into Canada in Buffalo). The only hitches were the breakdown that first morning, a rare Southwestern wind coming from the lake all day Thursday (I thought I was biking into a headwind, and my dad confirmed later on, saying that he checked the weather out of curiosity and noticed the unusual wind direction), which was rough, and a difficulty figuring out how to get into downtown Buffalo (I got stuck along the lakefront and was cut off from the city by a canal that had no way for me to bike across, and it actually cost me more than 2 hours of time, having biked in the wrong direction for quite a while and then needing to bike all the way back in order to get onto the mainland and into the city). And that wasn't pretty. Western Buffalo, if you've never been there, is a rather dismal place. OK then. I wrote about 50 times more than you probably wanted me to. I'm sure you didn't read all of this, but I hope you enjoyed whatever parts you did. I really appreciate your helping me out Thursday morning. Good luck with your riding in the future.
---Nick

Recent artical interview from Ohio Sports and Fitness

During a recent training session, I was asked by a newbie what she should look for when buying her first road bike. Her question brought me back six years to when I purchased my Cannondale R600, my trusty aluminum road bike with Shimano 105 components. § To answer that question, and several others regarding the purchase of a new bike, I turned to Jacob English, owner of Mountain Road Cycles, in Chagrin Falls and Chardon.
STACY RHEA: When buying your first road bike, what should the new rider keep in mind?
JACOB ENGLISH: When looking for a new bike, it is important to ask yourself the following questions:
What type of riding will I be doing?
Who will I be riding with and what styles of bikes are they riding?
Do I have any specific goals?
Do you have any injuries or positioning requirements?
These questions lay the groundwork for a sales associate to help you make the best choices. Don’t be overwhelmed by the amount of brands and styles to choose from. In general you and the sales associate will be able to narrow it down to two or three styles that fit your needs and budget.
Once you have narrowed down your choices, have the bike(s) fitted to you and go for a test ride. Although you may not understand the subtle differences between bikes, you will be able to tell what feels better, and what you like about each bike. Be prepared to purchase basic accessories that will enhance your riding experience (i.e. bike shorts, cycling tops, gloves and road shoes).
SR: What about components? Shifters? Crankset? What’s should a new rider be looking for in the components?
JE: For someone just getting into road cycling Shimano’s entry-level groups, Sora and Tiagra, offer shifting integrated into the brake levers and a wide range of gears.
If you are concerned about weight and performance take a step up to Shimano 105. The biggest difference you will notice with the 105s is in the shifters and crankset. Performance and durability are significantly better at this level.
For enthusiasts, Shimano Ultegra and Dura-Ace, SRAM Force and Red, and any Campagnolo components offer immaculate shifting, a big weight savings and precise adjustments.
It is also important to discuss the actual gearing choices. A triple-chainring crankset offers the widest range of gearing. A compact offers almost the same range but with better shifting performance. A traditional double-crankset is going to give you gears on the higher end for speed.
You can read the Rest of the artical here

2nd Single Speed Ride Tonight!!!!

Hey everyone,

Tonight is our 2nd single speed ride of the season. This time it will be at our other store, which is in Chardon. It will start at 6:00 at the shop. The ride should be roughly around 12-15 miles. We will be riding the Maple Highlands Trail to East Branch Reservoir, around the Reservoir and come back to the shop. Also, it does get darker earlier, so lights are an option. Hope to see you all there.