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SAFE SUMMER CYCLING:
Hot summer cycling tips to help you stay safe bicycling in the
summer heat. You need to be prepared to keep your self safe. Summertime offers
many cycling dangers including the potential to suffer a heat stoke if not
prepared.
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Drink plenty
of water: when cycling you will lose a lot of moisture through
your skin. It is important to keep your body hydrated by drinking lots of
water, which can be stored in a bottle that clips neatly to your bicycle
frame.
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Keep the sun off your head:
wearing a bike helmet is essential for safety, but in the summer sun it also
helps provide shade.
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Take breaks: If you feel
you are getting too hot while cycling then stop. Make sure you pull over to
the side of the road safely, away from traffic.
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Be seen:
although it does not get dark until late in the summer, do not
get caught out without your lights.
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The 2010 Bikes are In Stock Now!
With the new decade comes some sweet new
machines. From the Giant Rapid and Dash series flat bar road bikes, to the all
new Schwinn Sierra lineup, and everything in between.
We are also pleased to announce that we have picked up the hot new
We The People line of bikes! These are some way-cool rides; stop in today
and check them out!
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Channel 4 Vote For the Best is back!
For 2 years in a row, Al Petri & Sons
has been voted by you, our friends and customers, as the Best Bike Shop in Detroit in the
annual WDIV Channel 4 Vote for the Best of
Detroit contest. Voting has begun for this year, and we are hoping that you will
help to make us the Best Bike Shop in Detroit for an unprecedented THIRD
straight year!
Please Click
HERE to
vote for us! As we enter our 65th year of serving the cycling
community of the Downriver Detroit area, we can't help but be honored by all of
those who have been a part of our success. Thank you Detroit!
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- How
should my bike fit?
- Where can I find
good info about maintaining my bike ?
- Why
should I buy from a professional bike shop instead of the local
big box store?
- Who
should I trust to service my bike?
- What is
the best way to fit a helmet to my head?
- When is
it time for a new bike chain?
To properly fit on most bikes you should be
tiptoed while sitting on the seat, touching the ground. You should
also have a slight bend in your knee at the down stroke of the
pedal. While standing over the top tube of the frame you should have
about 1" -2" of clearance between yourself and the top tube.
Lifestyle and cruiser bikes, especially the Giant Suede or the
Electra Townie, will fit quite differently. Come on in to the shop
and have one of our professionals fit you to your perfect bike!
Where can I find good
info about maintaining my bike?
How often should I lube my chain?
We Recommend lubing your chain every
two weeks to keep your bike rolling as it should.
What type of chain lube should I use on my chain?
You should use a PFTE, Teflon or Wax based lube.(DO NOT USE WD-40 or
3 IN 1 OIL! It will collect dirt and dust and corrode your chain and
cogs.) We recommend using ProLink for most bicycle applications. It
works AWESOME!
What is the average cost of bicycle tune-up?
There is no set cost for a tune-up. We recommend you bring your bike
in for an estimate to see what it needs. Our friendly, knowledgeable
staff will make sure that your bike is thoroughly inspected, and if
we see something in need of attention, we'll be sure to let you
know!
When is the best time for a bicycle tune-up?
We recommend bringing your bike in during the fall and winter months
so it is ready to go when it is warm outside. We are less busy with
service work during those months as well, so the turn-around time is
greatly reduced.
How often should I get a bicycle tune-up?
You should get a tune-up every year to keep your bike in tip-top
shape, especially if you ride it on a regular basis. For those bikes
that haven't seen any maintenance in awhile, it's best to get it
looked at BEFORE you have any serious problems.
How much air pressure should I put in my tires?
The proper air pressure is labeled on the side wall of your tire.
Always check the tire label before airing. Don't just guess, you may
put too much air and pop the tube. (tires will appear lower in the
winter time)
How often should I air my tires?
You should air your tires about once a week to ten days. Rubber is a
porous material and you will lose about 5 or more psi every week.
When purchasing a bicycle from us you will receive
lots of information about our bicycles from quality bicycle assembly
to great bicycle components. You will not receive the same
professional service at a department store. Our bikes are assembled
by expert mechanics, who have 30 plus years of bicycle assembly and
repair experience. Our trained staff will properly size you and help
you find a bike to suit your cycling needs. Here is link to a great
article you should read on buying a quality bicycle.
Buying a bike from a professional bike shop.
There are a lot of options for bicycle service,
especially in the internet age. It's easy to look up some basic
maintenance tasks on the internet and do them yourself. We offer the
tools and service manuals you will need in order to do your basic
maintenance. On the other hand, when you need the skill and
expertise that only a good shop can offer, we are the place to
visit. Our technicians have an average of 22 years in the bicycle
business. We know how bikes work, and we know how to fix them
properly. Don't trust your bike to anyone else!
Your helmet should fit snug all the way around and
you should have it about two finger widths above the eyebrows.
Straps should be properly adjusted right under your chin with a v
shape around the ears.
Always wear the helmet low in the front to protect the forehead.
Never wear the helmet tipped back to expose your forehead.
IMPORTANT: All fitting adjustments MUST be made with the
helmet in the proper position. Failure to do so will result in a
poor fit. This will allow the helmet to move out of position or come
off in an accident.
Always wear the helmet with the chin strap buckle fastened and the
strap pulled tight. Make sure the strap is well back against the
throat, NOT on the point of the chin. Straps worn on the point of
the chin increase the chance of the helmet coming off in an
accident.
The helmet fits correctly when it is held firmly but comfortably in
place by the interior fit pads and the fit system.
Check the fit. Grab the helmet with both hands and twist it to the
left and to the right. If the helmet fits correctly, the skin on the
forehead will move as the helmet moves. If it does not, the helmet
is too loose.
Check the straps. Grab the helmet with both hands and try to remove
it by rolling the helmet forward and backward as far as you can.
Make a serious effort. THIS IS IMPORTANT. If you can roll it off the
head completely in either direction, by rolling it forward so far
that it blocks your vision, or backward far enough to expose the
forehead, it doesn’t fit correctly.
Does the law require that I wear a helmet?
We strongly recommend that you wear a helmet each time you ride your
bike. Michigan law does not require you to wear a helmet. The Metro
parks do require that you do wear one when riding in their parks.
It might be time to replace a bike chain if
it begins slipping when you put pressure on the pedals. In other
words, if you push down on the pedal and the chain skips forward,
your chain is worn and needs to be replaced. Other indicators that
you need to replace your bike chain may be sloppy or slow shifting;
mis-shifts, in which the chain does not move into the gear you want
it to shift to; or dropping the chain – which occurs when the chain
skips off the front chainrings and lands either on the frame or off
the far side of the crankset.
But all those conditions can also be attributed to other problems.
The only surefire way to determine if it is time to replace your
bike chain is to use a chain gauge. A chain gauge is a tool that
comes in many different forms but measures the same thing. When your
chain has been used for a long time and has stretched out, the gap
between the rollers on the chain will grow larger. This will cause
the chain to be misaligned with the teeth on the gears. If your
chain gauge tells you that you should replace my bike chain, that
probably means my rear cassette and front chainrings also need to be
replaced. If the teeth on the cogs become pointy – like shark fins –
then the cogs are worn as well and should be replaced.
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