I have had so many positive comments lately about the new website, the blog, and the KGS experience I would have a long list indeed. We work for you and want to make cycling your Fountain of Youth! Keep those comments, questions and challenges coming. Thank you so much for your appreciation of our work.

Feature Article – Don’t Let Precipitation Rain on Your Parade

In South Texas, we experience a rainy season in the Fall that can overwhelm folks that are used to riding in dry conditions every day. We are quite spoiled, really, as many other locations have rain all the time and people are much more used to the things one needs to do in order to have great rides. I thought that I would outline some of the issues that challenge riders who brave the elements so you can be better prepared next time.

Visibility – It is more important than ever to be vigilant about your lane position and to keep very aware of your surroundings. I am a big proponent of claiming the lane and you are much more visible to cars when out in the road, forcing them to slow down rather than buzz you.

Traction – Wet roads are slick but of beware damp roads, especially if there has been no rain for awhile. The oil on the roads repels water and creates a surface that is as slick as ice. Don’t be afraid, but do stay aware of your lessened traction and anticipate direction changes, cornering, etc. If you are claiming your lane you are less likely to be startled by a car buzzing you and that flinching is what could cause a crash. Lowering your tire pressure helps.

Braking – Wet rims are useless in stopping. What happens is, you apply the brakes and first the rims need to be dried, and then you can stop. Just anticipate this and know that for a few seconds, nothing will happen. If you start your braking earlier, you will stop when you need to. Be careful not to use too much front brake as you could wash out that front wheel causing a quick crash.

Balance – Keep your weight on the pedals! The same thing applies when riding in the rain as does on descending and sharp cornering. If you are accelerating or coasting with most of your weight on the pedals, the bike will be much more stable than if you sit down hard on the saddle and do a handlebar death grip.

Flats – It’s a fact that you get more flats in the rain. Bring extra tubes and CO2 containers. You may not need them but odds are somebody will. If you claim your lane you are riding in a cleaner part of the road. Also if you lower your tire pressure that helps too.

Drafting – If you draft someone closely, you will get a mouthful of gritty road water. It doesn’t hurt to remember to stay a little to the left or the right, so your shoulder gets the brunt of the gunk instead of your face. You may find that glasses are useless too.

Keeping dry – Proper clothing is very important. Don’t overdress as you stand a good chance of overheating and that is not fun.

Fenders – This is last but not least on the list. SKS makes RaceBlade fenders that snap onto your road bike in minutes, no tools. They not only keep you from getting a sand and water shower down your shorts, but really protect the bike. Your friends will love you as you don’t splash them as much. You will get splashed by your friends. They will all want to stay on your wheel and let you do the work.

If all else fails, ride your trainer or rollers! I don’t plan on going out in the rain, but once I get rained on I usually have a fantastic ride. The cleanup on the bike is a little more involved, but that is what makes life interesting. Many folks have a rain bike and that is a nice thing if you can justify it.

In the end, hot, cold, wet, dry, we can find great ways to enjoy cycling. I hope you continue to challenge yourself and make the best of every riding opportunity.

Until next time,

Kevin

President

KGS Bikes

Hi Kevin,

I just got my new Tacx Fortius Virtual Reality trainer. The problem is, it doesn’t work. I hooked my laptop up to the trainer and then installed the software but it just doesn’t work. I have an HP laptop, isn’t that a good brand?

Erin

Dear Erin,

Thanks so much for writing. The problem is not so much the brand of your laptop but the fact that most laptops use a video card that is built into the motherboard. This uses what is called shared memory and can cause big problems with the Fortius.

Here is the computer spec from Tacx. Note that they say you must have a separate video card, which is what the “no shared memory” statement means.

Processor: minimum Pentium IV (3.0 Ghz)

Memory: 1024 MB for XP, 2056 MB for Vista

Hard disc space: 850 MB

Graphics card: DirectX9 compatible 3D card with 256 MB of memory (not shared) GeForce FX or equivalent

Sound card: DirectSound compatible

Various: 1 free USB port; DVD player (for use of Real Life Video & ErgoVideo only)

OS: Windows XP SP2 or Vista SP1 (32 bit)

Recommended internet connection: 2 MB downstream and 500 KB upstream (only for Multiplayer)

Let me know if your computer has all these requirements met and I will gladly help support you to get your trainer working perfectly. The fact is, Tacx VR trainers are pretty high tech machines and they do place a demand on computers. Once they are up and running, however, they tend to run very well.

Thanks,

Kevin

——————-

Hi Kevin,

I ordered some new Zipp wheels from a discounter online. I got a great price but when I received the wheels and mounted the tires, they won’t hold air. I have put six tubes in the back wheel and after I get about 100 PSI of pressure in the tube, it goes flat.

I was so excited, the tires mounted so easily I didn’t even need tire levers so could I have a bad batch of tubes?

Mike

Hi Mike,

It is always hard to diagnose things like this but I got a clue that I think will tell us the problem. Clincher wheels need what is called a rim strip in most cases to cover the holes in the rim that are drilled to install the spokes. Many discounters don’t include a rim strip and if you were in a hurry to get on the road, you may not have noticed if there was a rim strip or not. The fact that you have had six flats before getting out of the garage and you said the tires were very easy to mount makes me believe that you don’t have a rim strip installed. If you see spoke holes you don’t have a rim strip. Also the thickness of the rim strip will significantly change how easy the tire is to mount. Vittoria makes the thinnest ones, btw.

Thanks,

Kevin

Kevin Recommends

We only recommend products, services or companies that we have actually tried or worked with personally. A recommendation, like a reputation, is very important and we do not take this responsibility lightly. The following links are to our friends at the Cooper Aerobics Center in Dallas. Dr. Kenneth Cooper is considered “The Father of Aerobics” and has put together a group of world class companies that have a direct impact on us as cyclists and as professional people:

Cooper Complete – We have arranged for 10% off anything you buy from Cooper Complete if you put “KGS” in the coupon link and then “recalculate”.

Cooper Clinic - The world renowned Cooper Clinic is starting to create medical exams and services aimed at professional adults who ride bicycles.

Cooper Fitness Center – The Cooper Fitness Center has a special strength training introductory program for cyclists.

These links are to our frame builders and other providers that make KGS Bikes the premiere custom bicycle studio in the world:

Co-Motion Cycles – We’ve long enjoyed a reputation for building tandems that simply handle better.

Guru Bikes – Our approach is based on combining the best of both worlds: cutting edge technology delivered by hand and with an old school attention-to-detail.

Kirklee Bicycles – KirkLee is an up and coming great framebuilder from Austin. We are very excited about the quality and performance they bring and are proud to offer KirkLee frames as part of our KGS custom bicycle options.

Parlee Cycles – Simply put, PARLEE frames are the best built and best riding carbon fiber frames available today, at any price. They are functional works of art.

Red Licorice Events – The “Sweet and Twisted” team that promotes Austin’s best athletic events. KGS Bikes is an ongoing sponsor of triathlons produced by our friends Erin and Leilani and we are thrilled with the relationship.

River Place Country Club – This is our Austin address where we can meet in person to define your custom bike. We arranged with the folks at River Place CC to rent space on an as needed basis to offer a quiet focused environment to determine your ultimate bicycle position and then design a custom bike around that position. The New York Times describes cycling as “the new golf” and River Place CC recognizes that they can offer more than golf to the active lifestyle advocate.

Sem Custom Paint – Dave Sem is the best extreme detail painter in the world.

Serotta – Only Serottas have the extensive engineering of our proprietary Colorado Concept tubing design. It’s the foundation behind the unique ride of each and every Serotta.

Source Endurance – They are teaming with us to provide physiological testing, data analysis, training consultation and long-term coaching. They have two state-of-the art labs, one in Austin and one in San Marcus. We are proud to recommend them and invite you to check them out.

Tacx – Home of the Fortius Virtual Reality trainer. This is the trainer component of our “Ultimate Spin Bike”. Tacx also makes many other fine products. KGS Bikes is an Authorized Tacx Testing Center.

Topolino Technology – Our wheels embody this ethic: A fundamental redesign of wheel construction to take advantage of extraordinary materials with amazing properties, yielding a wheelset that performs like no other.

Zinn Cycles – For more than a quarter of a century, Zinn Cycles have been working to make cycling more enjoyable for customers, and that commitment remains at the heart of everything they do.

About KGS Bikes and Kevin

KGS Bikes is known around the world as the premiere custom bicycle studio. Kevin Saunders, President, has over 25 years experience in bicycle fitting and design of custom bicycles. He also has a broad knowledge of anatomy, structural engineering and industrial design. KGS Bikes creates custom bicycles with the best components available and uses framebuilders such as Co-Motion, Guru, KirkLee, Parlee, Serotta and Zinn. Visit kgsbikes.com for more information, including beautiful photography of the bikes carefully created for their owners. Don’t forget to find us on Facebook, twitter and at your next event to photograph your bike position and post it on Facebook and Flickr for you to share with your friends.

Please feel free to forward this newsletter to your friends! We appreciate your time and interest.

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