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| Pete's Tip 'o' the Day: |
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The Mystery Noise
A common problem we're asked to solve is the 'mystery noise': the little click or creak that wasn't there last ride but has suddenly appeared now, or - even more frustrating - seems to come and go at random.
Many of you who've experienced this try to establish what the possible causes are before visiting us; we appreciate this effort very much as it helps to reduce not only wasted time looking for causes (and therefore your repair bill) but also your poor old mechanic's frustration levels. (Imagine your car mechanic's reaction if you said, "There's a bit of a creak... sometimes...but not at other times... Can you find it?")
There are several ways to try to figure out the possible cause of your bike's mystery noise. 1. Think about the actual sound: is it a single click, a series of clicks, or more of a creaking noise?
2. Think about what parts of the bike relate to this noise: does it go away when you stop pedaling? If it does, then try to work out if it's one click per pedal revolution (left, right, or both) or a series.
3. Is the noise coming from the front, middle, or rear of the bike? This can sometimes be difficult to ascertain with modern bikes as the large diameter frame tubes tend to resonate noises, making it difficult to pinpoint a source. (Please try anyway!) 4. Does the noise happen only when seated? Test this by pedaling both in and out of the seat. 5. Have you washed your bike recently? Excessive use of water, especially with high-pressure sprayers, can force moisture into your components and frame and cause unusual noises. 6. Have you had an accident recently? On more than one occasion, Pete's found the 'mystery noise' to be a cracked frame. Eeep! 7. Does the noise only occur in certain gears? Ride in various gears while keeping the load constant and see if the noise continues. 8. Are there any other associated issues? E.g. when the noise occurs, do your brakes rub on the rim/rotors, or do your gears slip? 9. Do any bearings feel rough? As bearings wear out, their tolerances increase, sometimes resulting in a creaky ride. 10. If you have a dual suspension bike, does the noise go away on the road? It could be pivot-related if the answer is "yes". 11. Does it only occur when climbing a steep hill at maximum effort? (This can be a tricky one to re-create at the shop because, as you know, Wright Street is pretty darn flat!) Finally: 12. Have you recently performed any home mechanics? While many of you are more than competent enough to do the basics, the question needs to be asked.
(You can tell us. We're like a doctor.) :-) We're always more than happy to try to solve these niggling and often very annoying noises, but any information that you, as the rider of the bike, can offer is always appreciated! | |
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Dear Subscriber,
It's Spring! Cast off the bone-chilling shackles of winter and fling aside your booties and long-fingered gloves...well, OK, we probably still need the gloves, and those toe covers are pretty handy... and I rode home the other day without my ear warmers and lived to regret it...Fine, then, it's not warm yet but after the craptacular injury-fest that was August, I'll take what I can get. And I did see a cherry blossom, damnit!
In actual news, we've got two new specials to help ring in the season, plus info on some upcoming events. And a big thumbs-up to Jayne Rutter, our BMCR DH queen, who only just missed out on qualifying for the World Cup, despite riding with a broken wrist. Yay, Jayne! (Maybe you can rest and let those bones knit now, huh?) |
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Ride of the Workyries |
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Ride to Work Day is on again! (Well, it's an annual thing, so, you know, that makes sense.) Last year, there were 29,000 registered riders taking place nation-wide, a staggering increase of almost 19,000 more than in 2006. Lordy!
Many e.newsletter readers already ride to work; why not consider encouraging a non-riding workmate to join you? Out of last year's riders, 26% were  riding to work for the first time and out of those first-timers, 27% were still riding 5 months later. Huzzah! Once your colleague agrees, test their lateral thinking with this conundrum: when quizzed on how they usually got to work, most R2W07 participants rode, many took a car, some took public transport, a few walked, and a minor batch nominated 'other'. Such as... what? What 'other' way can you get to work? Dog-sledding? Inch-worming? Mambo-ing? (Hmm. Note to self: consider launching Dance to Work Day in 2009. Or, for magicians, Levitate to Work Day! Now there's an idea with legs.)
So let's see if we can increase SA's representation from last year's 9%! The day is set ( Wednesday, October 15), the official website has all the info you need to register, or you can grab a flyer next time you're in the shop. |
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Better read than dead |
If you enjoy this e.newsletter, we can only assume you also like to read. For something still  bike-related but far less waffle-y, check out our Human Kinetics books! Serious Mountain Biking covers everything from technical manouvres and training programs to equipment selection and racing tactics. Have a look at these excerpts on cornering, finding your zone, the preparation phase and, uh, sand pits. Mastering Mountain Bike Skills focuses on improving your technique across all MTB disciplines, with unique photo sequences and slightly crazed advice from Mr. "Too Kewl for Skewl" Brian Lopes. Don't take our word for it: BMCR customer and MTB skill-buster  Stuart says the book is "...informative, humorous and mischievous, with easy-to-interpret photos and diagrams -- an ideal Fathers' Day present!" See what Stuart's on about with these bits on braking, wheelies, slippery conditions, and ' unnecessary roughness'.
Also worth checking out in-store are Gold Medal Nutrition 4th Edition, written by Sports Dietitians Australia founder Glenn Cardwell, and the world-famous Strength Training Anatomy 2nd Edition. As a bonus for September, you can get 'em all for 15% off! [Check out all of HK's cycling books here, also available through BMCR!**] ** Sadly, one of my favourites-Catastrophic Injuries in High School Sports-is no longer available. If only they'd released an illustrated version like I suggested... |
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The future's so bright... |
Welcome the sun back into your heart but not into your eyes with our blinding September special: 20% off all of our stocked BBB sunglasses! Lightweight, durable, and flexible, BBB sunnies also come with three sets of interchangeable shatter-proof polycarbonate lenses: smoke for sunny days, coloured for overcast days, and clear for evenings/tornados/photo shoots. 100% UV protection... and style!
Choose from the Winner, the Navigator 2 (twice as nice as Navigator 1, one presumes), or, for the glasses-bound among us, the Powerview. Each model offers a super-comfortable design with non-slip bits so they won't fly off your face at inopportune moments, plus an open frame design to help prevent fog build-up. Non-slip anti-fog or anti-slip non-fog. Either way's a winner! Or a Navigator 2. Or... you get the point, obviously. |
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Ride + raise money = :-) |
Attention roadies! For those of you who've opened this e.newsletter before Sunday September 7th (see? It pays to be on top of your Inbox), there's still time to register for the Guardian Insurance Father's Day Classic! CancerSA is raising funds for the fight against prostate cancer and is offering riders three different courses plus the chance to win up to $700 prize money. Check out the link above for registration info and more details. (Ten points to come up with a name to beat 'Team Pancreas'.)
Thanks to Malcolm from Event Strategies for the heads-up! |
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Race calendar follies |
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For those of you who catch up with us at the Adelaide MTB Club or Inside Line DH races, here's where BMCR will be for the rest of the race season:
If you're considering racing next year, why not come along and check it out? Don't forget to say 'hi' to Pete at the BMCR tent and then grab a cheese and chili kranski from Lia at Hans' German BBQ stand. Möchtest Du davon etwas vom sauerkraut? Ja, bitte!
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That's it for September, y'all. (Yappiest. E.news. Ever.) Keep riding, and stay safe.
Cheers!
Pete & Lia
Bio-Mechanics Cycles & Repairs | |
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