Pandemic and the Cycling industry.

 As the 2020 season winds down and all the bike shops are preparing for 2021,  I thought I would take a moment and answer some of the questions about the Bicycle industry that I am asked every day. Here are the answers as they apply to Goose Creek Cycle and to the industry as a whole.

Question #1:  I'm looking for a kids bike / entry level mountain bike/ hybrid.  Do you have any in stock and if I order one will I get it by Christmas.

If you have asked this question of your local bike shop you probably know by now that most models of most bikes under $1000 are hard to come by.  It is not that these bikes are not being made,   it is that they are being snatched up as soon as them become available.   Most manufacturers are working off long backorder list.   Different manufactures are handling this differently, but suffice to say most bikes never hit the manufacturers physical inventory.  As soon as they come into the warehouse they are sorted and shipped to shops to fill existing orders.   Much the same is true for the local bike shops.  Most of us are working off of some system of either specific orders or interest lists.  Which means that if a bike becomes available at all, it doesn't last long.

Because of long lead times and uncertain availability we at Goose Creek have stopped taking down payments on bicycle orders.  You may still order a specific bike and wait for it,  but what most people are doing is going on what we call "the list"   We are keeping a list of customers who are looking for a specific type of bike, their size and approximate price range.  Whenever we get a bike in we start down the list and start contacting customers for whom the bike is a close match.   We do our best not to have multiple customers "racing" for the same bike and give preference to people who have been on the list longer.     Most bikes are gone in a matter of days.

Question #2:  Do you have any Bikes in stock?

Yes.    Although still somewhat hit or miss,  there are some categories of bike that still have reasonable availability.   We got lucky and took a huge shipment of single speed beach cruisers, so we have those in stock.  Also Road Bike and Full Suspension Mountain bike and e-bike inventories are still holding.  So while you may be a little more limited than normal there are still good options out there.

Question #3:   So whats the hang up?   Are the manufactures not making bikes or is demand really that high?

There is no simple answer here,  but the reality is that is is a little of both with the added complication that while there are lots of bicycle manufacturers there are a relative few component manufactures.  Shimano in particular may have bitten off more than it can chew.   Almost every major bicycle manufacturer around the world uses at least some Shimano components on their bikes, and their components are found everywhere from the big box stores to the Tour de France.    Bike shops are also clamoring for service parts to handle increased repair loads.   So we are hitting Shimano from all sides.   What this means for bike manufactures is that even if they can ramp up their frame production they may not be able to find enough components to hang on the frame.

    Remember also that they have multiple parts manufactures that they depend on. So even if they can get Shimano components or substitute SRAM,  they still have similar issues with all the other components on the bikes.  Small manufacturers like Industry Nine are still running months behind even in December.   We are seeing tube and tire shortages as most of the rubber products are made by the two big tire companies Cheng Shin Tire (CST / Maxxis)  and Kenda.  In short both manufacturers and shops are fighting sourcing issues,  and the only solution seems to be place and order and wait.  

Question #4: When will it get back to normal?

Short answer is that we don't know,  but reading the writing on the wall, even with Covid vaccines  in place 2021 looks to be more of the same.   Many models of bikes are already sold out through 2021.   For example multiple Models in Specialized lines are already listed as "oversold"  which means the company has already take orders more bikes than they plan on producing in 2021.  If you walked into my shop today and asked to order a Stumpjumper, unless you got lucky and I happened to have already ordered it earlier in the year, the bike you ordered would be at a minimum into 2022 before they were able to ship it to us.  

So keep the rubber side down and get a few more miles out of that bike you are riding.  We are not out of the woods yet.  

Tour De Social Distancing Day Five Final Results

Stage 10 : Ford Factory Sprint

1. Nick Williams 4:04  15pts
2. Casey Abston  4:05  12pts
3. John Maggard 4:00 10pts
4. Sam Cole  4:24 9pts
5. Bennett Keefer  4:32  8pts
6. Jeremy Belcher 4:38  7pts
7. DJ Zach Whiddon 4:41 6pts
8. Jon Kindig 4:50  5pts
9. Graeme Gardiner 4:51 4pts
10 Gerardo Ceballos 7:11 3pts

Stage 11:  N Osage going South

1. Casey Abston 3:53  14pts
1. Nick Williams 3:53 14pts
3. Sam COle 4:13 9pts
4. DJ Zach Whiddon 4:14  8pts
5. Bennett Keefer  4:25 7pts
6. Jeremy Belcher 4:34  6pts
7. Graeme Gardiner 4:35  5pts
8 Gerardo Ceballos  4:41 4pts
8. Jon Kindig  4:41  4pts
10 John Maggard  4:53   2pts
11. Jeff Rash 5:16  1pt


FINAL RESULTS  (low score dropped, riders completing 4 or more stages, Men and Women Separated)

Men
 

1	Casey Abston	204
2	Nick williams	191
3	Sam Cole	144
4	John Maggard	122
5	Graeme Gardiner (SS)	121
6	D.J. Zach Whiddon	111
7	Gerardo Ceballos	103
8	Jeremy Belcher	100
9	Jeff Boyd	99
10	Bennett Keefer	99
11	Jacob Holtegrew	77
12	Curtis Tolson	61
13	Steve Eastman	60
14	Kevin Clark	34
15	Jon Kindig	23

 Women

Blair Boden 33 Michelle Passi 33

    The following people but competed less than 4 stages so did not qualify for the overall standings.

James Kraus	68
Tobias Lee	53
Ben Wilson	43
Jeff Moulton	38
Alex Kopp	26
Phil Gardner	24
Ben King	20
David Durkee	17
fritz Games	17
kyle Schwedler	15
Patrick Donovan	15
Trevor Williamson	15
Andy Niblett	11
Kirk Johnson	10
chris Harrison	9
Jeff George	9
John Hayden	8
Chelsea Stengel	7
David Goewey DuBou	7
Amir Piracha	6
Meredith Sierpina	6
Angela Leet	5
Jeff Bauer	5
Leslie Selden	5
Phil Mattingly	5
Andrew Henckel	4
Evon Rajewich	4
joe fuller	4
Angela Ford	3
Bob Latter	3
Bill Dolan	2
Brittany Maggard	2
Charles Frank	1
David Williams	1
David Fielding	1
Jeff Rash	1

Tour de Social Distancing Day 4 Results

Stage 7 Rive Road:Indian Hills to Glenview 2.2

1. Casey Abston 4:47  23pts
1. Nick Williams 4:47  23pts
3. Sam Cole  5:17 18pts
4. Graeme Gardener (SS) 5:21 17pts
5. Jeremy Belcher 5:24 16pt
6. DJ Zach Whiddon  5:26 15pts
7. Gerardo Ceballos  5:40 14 pts
8. Bennett Keefer 5:41  13pts
9. Jeff Boyd    5:49  12pts
10. Phil Gardner 6:14   11pts
11.  Chris Harrison 6:17  10pts
12. Michelle Passi   6:21  9pts
13. Alex Kopp  6:34  8pts
14.  Andy Niblett 6:41  7pts
15. Meredith Sierpina  7:03  6pts
16.  Angela Leet  7:31  5pts
17. Steve Eastman  7:41  4pts
18.  Angelica Ford 7:44 3pts
19. Phil Mattingly 8:05 2pts
20. Blair Boden   8:08  1pt

Stage 8 Lewis and Clark End to End 2.5mi

1. Casey Abston 7:12 24pts
1. Nick Williams  7:12 24pts
3. Sam Cole 7:42 19pts
4. Graeme Gardiner (SS) 8:07 18pts
5. Gerardo Ceballos  8:11  17pts
6. Jeremy Belcher 8:30 16pts
7. Jeff Boyd  8:47 15pts
8. DJ Zach Whiddon 9:05 14pts
9. Michelle  Passi  9:22 13pts
10.  Steve Eastman 9:46 12pts
11.  Alex Kopp 10:06  11pts
12. Kirk Johnson 10:16 10pts
13. Blair Boden 10:22 9pts
14. Phil Gardner 10:32 8pts
15. Bennett Keefer 10:42 7pts
16. Jeff George  11:24 6pts
17. Leslie Selden  11:26 5pts
18.  Andy Niblett 11:46 4pt
19. Phil Mattingly 12:01 3pts
20. Amir Piracha 13:38 2pt
21.  Bob Latter    1pt

Stage 9: Old Salem Climb 0.32mi

1. Casey Abston  35sec  22pts
2. Nick Williams 37sec  19pts
3. Bennett Keefer 43sec  17pts
4. Jeremy Belcher 45sec 16pts
4. Graeme Gardiner 45sec 16pts
6. DJ Zach Whiddon 49sec 14pts
7.  Steve Eastman 50sec  13pts
7.  Sam Cole  50sec     12pts
9. Gerardo Ceballos  51pts  11pts
10. Jeff Boyd   58pts   10pts
11. Blair Boden  1:02  9pts
12. Michelle Passi 1:11 8pts
13. Alex Kopp 1:14 7pts
14. Phil Gardiner 1:15 6pts
14. Leslie Selden  1:15 6pts
16. Amir Piracha  1:23 4pts
17. Jeff George   1:24  3pts
18.  Bob Latter  1:31 2pts
19 David Fielding  1:50  1pts


Overall Standings after Day 4

name	Total
Casey Abston	181
Nick williams	174
Sam Cole	135
Graeme Gardiner (SS)	116
John Maggard	110
Gerardo Ceballos	99
Jeff Boyd	99
D.J. Zach Whiddon	98
Jeremy Belcher	87
Bennett Keefer	84
Jacob Holtegrew	77
James Kraus	68
Curtis Tolson	61
Steve Eastman	60
Tobias Lee	53
Ben Wilson	43
Jeff Moulton	38
Kevin Clark	34
Blair Boden	33
michelle Passi	33
Alex Kopp	26
Phil Gardner	24
Ben King	20
David Durkee	17
fritz Games	17
kyle Schwedler	15
Patrick Donovan	15
Trevor Williamson	15
Jon Kindig	14
Andy Niblett	11
Kirk Johnson	10
chris Harrison	9
Jeff George	9
John Hayden	8
Chelsea Stengel	7
David Goewey DuBou	7
Amir Piracha	6
Meredith Sierpina	6
Angela Leet	5
Jeff Bauer	5
Leslie Selden	5
Phil Mattingly	5
Andrew Henckel	4
Evon Rajewich	4
joe fuller	4
Angela Ford	3
Bob Latter	3
Bill Dolan	2
Brittany Maggard	2
Charles Frank	1
David Williams	1
David Fielding	1

Day 3 Results Stages 5 & 6

Stage 5 Beckley Parking - rollers- Shelbyville parking

1. Casey Abston 3:07  17pts
2. John Maggard 3:10 14pts
3. Nick Williams  3:14 12 pts
4. Sam Cole   3:23  11pts
5.  D.J Zach Whiddon  3:43 10pts
6. Graeme Gardiner 3:46 9pts
7. Gerardo Ceballos 3:57  8pt
8.  Jon Kindig    4:04  7 pts
9. Kyle Schwedler  4:10  6 pts
10. Jeff Boyd    4:25 5pts
11.  Steve Eastman  4:33 4pts
12 Bennett Keefer   4:45 3pts
13 Blair Boden  5:16 2pts
14 Michelle Passi (strava glitch) 1pt

Stage 6  Echo Trail Southboud

1. Casey Abston   5:29  17pts
2. Nick Williams  5:30 14pts
3. John Maggard 5:31  12pts
4. Jeff Boyd 6:34 11pts
5 Sam Cole  6:37  10 pts
6. Kyle Schwedler  6:47 9 pts
6. Graeme Gardiner6:47 9pts
8. Jon Kindig   6:48 7pts
9. Gerardo Ceballos  7:04 6pts
10 Bennett Keefer 7:18 5pts
11.  Steve Eastman  7:27  4pts
12. Michelle Passi   8:20  3pts
13. Blair Boden  8:43 2 pts
14 Dj Zach Whiddon 8:56 1pt

Overall standings after Day 3

name	Total
Casey Abston	112
John Maggard	110
Nick williams	108
Sam Cole	86
Jacob Holtegrew	77
James Kraus	68
Graeme Gardiner (SS)	65
Jeff Boyd	62
Curtis Tolson	61
Gerardo Ceballos	57
D.J. Zach Whiddon	55
Tobias Lee	53
Bennett Keefer	47
Ben Wilson	43
Jeremy Belcher	39
Jeff Moulton	38
Kevin Clark	34
Steve Eastman	31
Ben King	20
David Durkee	17
fritz Games	17
Trevor Williamson	15
Patrick Donovan	15
kyle Schwedler	15
Blair Boden	14
Jon Kindig	14
John Hayden	8
David Goewey DuBou	7
Chelsea Stengel	7
Jeff Bauer	5
Andrew Henckel	4
joe fuller	4
Evon Rajewich	4
michelle Passi	4
Brittany Maggard	2
Bill Dolan	2
Charles Frank	1
David Williams	1

Day 2 Stages 2-4 results

Stage 2 Mayo Climb

1. James Kraus  1:27    24pts
2. Casey Abston 1:36 21pts
2. Jeff Moulton   1:36 21pts
4 John Maggard  1:36 18 pts
5. Jacob Holtegrew 1:41 17pts
6. Sam Cole  1:42        16pts
6. Tobias Lee  1:42    16 pts
8. Nick Williams  1:46 14pts
9 Ben Williams  1:52  13pts
10. Gerardo Ceballos 2:03  12pts
11.  Jeff Boyd  2:04  11pts
12.  Bennett Keefer  2:04   10pts
13.  Jeremy Belcher   2:08   9 pts
14. Curtis Tolson   2:09    8 pts
15.  Kevin Clarks   2:10   7pts
16.  Graeme Gardiner (SS) 2:13  6pts
17.  D.J. Zach Whiddon   2:19 5pts
18.  Steve Eastman  2:29  4 pts
19 Fritz Games   2:45    3pts
20. Blair Boden  3:21    2pts
21. David Williams    3:42  1 pt


Stage 3 Covered Bridge- eagle way to sleepy hollow

1. Casey Abston   6:41   26pts
2. Nick Williams 6:42    23pts
3. James Kraus   6:43     21pts
3.  Jacob Holtegrew  6:43   21pts
5  John Maggard     6:47   19pts
6 Curtis Tolson     6:51    18pts
7 Tobias Lee     7:19    17pts
8.  Jeff Moulton   7:32   16pts
9. Sam Cole      7:33   15pts
10.  Graeme Gardiner (SS) 7:53 14pts
11.  Ben Wilson  7:56   13pts
12.  Jeff Boyd   8:11   12 pts
13. Jeremy Belcher   8:22   11pts
14.  D.J. Zach Whiddon  8:23  10pts
15.  Fritz Games  8:27    9 pts
16. Bennett Keefer    8:31    8 pts
17  Gerardo Ceballos   8:33  7 pts
18.  Kevin Clark    8:36     6pts
19. Trevor Williamson   9:10   5pts
20. Steve Eastman    9:15  4pts
20. Joe Fuller        9:15     4pts
22 Patrick Donovan    10:03   2pts
23. Blair Boden     10:50   1 pt


Stage 4 Sleepy hollow

1. Casey Abston  3:01   28pts
2. John Maggard  3:02   25pts
3. James Kraus   3:04    23 pts
4. Jacob Holtgrewe  3:04  22pts
5. Tobias Lee      3:19   21pts
6. Nick Williams  3:20   20pts
7. Jeremy Belcher   3:34  19pts
8 Sam Cole   3:36     18pts
9.  Ben Wilson   3:48   17pts
10.  Curtis Tolson   3:55    16 pts
11.  Graeme Gardiner (SS) 4:00   15pts
12. DJ Zach Whiddon   4:05   14pts
13. Patrick Donovan   4:07   13 pts
13.  Gerardo Ceballos   4:07  13pts
15. Bennett Keefer      4:12 11pts
16.  Trevor Williamson  4:15   10pts
17.  Jeff Boyd   4:20     9pts
18.  Kevin Clark   4:27   8pts
19.  Chelsea Stengel  4:44  7pts
20.  Steve Eastman  4:55   6pts
21. Fritz Games 4:56  5pts
22  Evon Rajewich  5:14   4 pts
23. Jeff Moulton   5:29    3pts
24.  Bill Dolan    5:31   2pts
25  Blair Boden   5:48   1pt

Overall standings after Day2

name  Total John Maggard 84 Nick williams 82 Casey Abston 78 Jacob Holtegrew 77 James Kraus 68 Sam Cole 65 Curtis Tolson 61 Tobias Lee 53 Graeme Gardiner (SS) 47 Jeff Boyd 46 D.J. Zach Whiddon 44 Gerardo Ceballos 43 Ben Wilson 43 Bennett Keefer 39 Jeremy Belcher 39 Jeff Moulton 38 Kevin Clark 34 Steve Eastman 23 Ben King 20 David Durkee 17 fritz Games 17 Trevor Williamson 15 Patrick Donovan 15 Blair Boden 10 John Hayden 8 David Goewey DuBou 7 Chelsea Stengel 7 Jeff Bauer 5 Andrew Henckel 4 joe fuller 4 Evon Rajewich 4 Brittany Maggard 2 Bill Dolan 2 Charles Frank 1 David Williams 1

Tour De Social Distancing Stage 1 results

Result are all together.  Can be broken down however you want to.   For prizing purposed i am only splitting them into Men and Women

Stage 1:  Cherokee Extended

1. Nick Williams   9:00      25 points
2. John Maggard    9:03       22 points
3. Ben King           9:29       20 points
4. Curtis Tolson     9:37      19 points
5. Jacob Holtegrew 9:56     18 points
6. David Durkee     10:03   17 points
7.  Sam Cole           10:20    16 points
8. D.J. Zach Whiddon 10:29 15points
9. Jeff Boyd            10:44      14 points
10. Kevin Clark      10:48      13 point
11.  Graeme Gardiner  (SS)  10:49   12points
12. Gerardo Ceballos   11:03  11 points
13.  Bennett Keefer     11:16   10 points
14.  Steve Eastman    11:54     9 points
15.  John Hayden       12:07     8 points
16.  David Goewey Dubou  12:57   7 points
17.   Blair Boden     13:14     6 points
18   Jeff Bauer       13:17      5 points
19   Andrew Henckel   14:05   4 points
20.  Casey Abston       14:23     3 points
21  Brittany Maggard  14:30     2 points
22. Charles Frank        20:42     1 point


Congrats to everyone.    Nick Williams, John Maggard, Ben King, Blair Boden, and Brittany Maggard have all had credits put on their accounts at GCC.    In this case I happen to know everyone on the podium,  but in future if we don't know you or the employee working doesn't know you personally, we may ask you to verify your identity by showing us your Strava account.   After the first rider completes 4 stages, store credits and or prizes will be awarded to both daily winners and current overall leaders.

Social Distancing Stage Race. Rules, Course descriptions and more.

Welcome to this years Social Distancing Stage race.  

 Yes we are serious, yes there will be prizes, there might even be some bragging rights.   No there is no entry fee.  

11 stages over the course of 5 days.   

Each stage is simply a Strava segment that must be completed ON A BICYCLE on the day that it is scheduled.    On days that multiple stages are scheduled,  the stages are close together so they could all reasonably be completed over the course of 1 ride.  

The rules of this race are junior to both the rules of the road and any and all changing guidance from the CDC or any other federal, state or local governing bodies.  In other words obey the law and ride safely.  Strava segments are on open and unsupervised roads,  by competing in this stage race you agree that your safety is your own responsibility and you absolve the event organizers of any liability for your own personal injury, death, or damage to property that may result from competing in this race.  

Results for the stage will determined by the "Todays Leaderboard" on the Strava ap.   Result will be collected sometime after sunset each day.   If you finish a segment after sunset there is a possibility that your ride will not be scored.

You must complete a minimum of 4 of the 11 stages to be counted in the final score.  Riders completing all 11 stages will be scored based on their top 10 scoring stages (i.e. lowest score will be thrown out.) Both daily and overall prizes will be awarded via sanitary drive through pickup.

Points:   Point system is roughly based on the old NORBA system for you old guys.   Roughly speaking the more people you beat the more points you get.  The higher the point value of the stage the more points you can get and the more people who ride the segment that day (even if it is by mistake)  the more points you get.   Examples will be at the bottom for those of you who really care.

Ride Requirements:  You may ride each segment as many times as you want on the day.   So if someone beats your time you can go back and try again.  Your ride must be on an bicycle without a motor,  during daylight hours, wearing a helmet, and the segment must be part of a larger ride that is at least 5 miles long.   In other words you can't drive to the segment and ride just the segment and go home.  Your total ride will be examined at the time of scoring.   Honor system in effect.  If you take more that one ride to complete all of the segments,  each ride must meet the ride requirements separately.  Because of social distancing you may ride with no more than 3 other people.  Drafting is allowed if you can do it from 6 feet away.   And as always, snot rockets remain uncool.

Already this is too complicated.   Just ride the segments below  on the days listed and we will let you know  how you did.


Opening Time Trial - Friday March 27,  2020
Stage 1 "Cherokee Extended" 3.76 miles   Point value:20
      Scope this one out if you don't know it, there are turns.   This starts on Beargrass Rd. in Cherokee park,  Links into the Scenic Loop, and finishes out Park Bountry rd.

Day 2:  A day for the climbers:  Sat March 28, 2020

Stage 2:  "Mayo Climb"  0.38miles   Point Value: 10
         This climb starts from Rose Island road and heads up Mayo

Stage 3:  "Covered Bridge- Eagle Way to Sleepy hollow"  2.61 miles, Point value: 10
      we recommend taking Locke lane from Mayo to Covered bridge, but whatever is fine.  Segment starts at Eagle Way which is close to Locke Ln and then climbs all the way to Sleepy Hollow.

Stage 4:  "Sleepy Hollow"  0.96 miles  Point Value: 10 
 This climbs from the bottom of Sleepy Hollow towards Nortons Common.

Day 3: Transition day Sun March 29, 2020

Stage 5:  "Beckley Parking-rollers-Shelbyville parking" 1.25miles  point value: 10
 Note that this is not on the Louisville Loop but parallel to it.   It starts under the interstate on Beckley Creek Parkway and then merges with Blue Heron rd up to the parking lot.

Stage 6:  "Echo Trail Southbound"   2.58 miles  Point value:15
Gillians Rd to Echo trail.  All of it.

Day 4: The Leg Tenderizer day Mon March 30, 2020

Stage 7:  "Rive Road: Indian Hills trail to Glenview Ave" 2.2 miles Point Value: 10
     Name kind of has all details except that it is supposed to be River Road

Stage 8:  "Lewis & Clark End to End   2.49 miles  Point Value: 10
       The whole bike path over the foot bridge from KY to IN

Stage 9:  "Old Salem Climb" 0.32 miles   Point Value :10
     take 2 lefts after crossing bridge and you will land on Old Salem Rd.  You will know the climb when you see it.  

Day 5:  A day for sprinters   Tues March 31, 2020

Stage 10:  "Ford Factory Sprint"  1.87 miles  point value : 15
     Basically this is Chamberlain Ln past Ford

Stage 11:  "N Osage going South" 1.77 miles  point value:10
    The last hurrah as you head back into town and perhaps to Goose Creek Cycle.   Pat yourself on the back...



How the points really work:
Winner gets full points.
Second Place get three points less than first.
Third place gets 2 points less than second
Each rider after this gets 1 point less than the person before until all points are awarded.
If there are enough riders to exhaust all the points each subsequent rider will not only get a point but give a point to each rider who beat him.   This the more riders,  the more points the winner gets.

Example:    10 point race with 7 riders

Place         Points
1st              10
2nd             7
3rd              5
4th              4
5th              3
6th              2
7th              1


If 2 more riders finish the points would change as follows

Place         Points

1st              12

2nd             9

3rd              7

4th              6

5th              5

6th              4

7th              3

8th              2

9th              1

Specialized Eliminating Womens models

For those of you paying attention,  there has been a gradual movement in the bike industry moving away from men and women specific bikes and products to unisex products.   In the 2020 model year we are seeing Specialized finally put a nail in the coffin of the gender split and all but eliminate their line of women's bikes. 

To understand what is going on with the shift lets take a look back at the history of gender specific bikes.  I wasn't around in the early 1900's so I don't have any pictures that I have the rights to,  but if you look back pretty much as far as you care to you can see that almost as long as bikes have been made there have been women's bikes with the top tubes dropping drastically lower than the men's versions.  This is what we think of as a traditional woman's bike.   This low top tube allowed woman to ride bikes without the frame of the bike pushing their dresses up to inappropriate levels.

As we reached the mid- late 1900's our cultures across the world began to shift and it was more common so see women out and about in pants, shorts and even Spandex.   Despite the fact that less and less women ride in dresses the drop bar remained as a tradition, but two other shifts began to occur.   First men, especially older men found that getting off and on the women's bikes was much easier,  and those who had long ago learned so swallow their pride hopped on bright pink women's bikes and rode off into the sunset.

The industry took note,  and by the early 2000's manufacturers had started to produce "Step-thru" bikes with more neutral colors marketed at casual riders both men and women.  While most consumers still considered these to be "women's" bikes but the shift had started.

Meanwhile on the high end the big manufactures were producing women's specific bikes without the drop bar.   "Compact Geometries" dropped the top tube from the traditional men's parallel to the ground top tubes, so men's and women's top tubes met somewhere in the middle.  Most large manufactures had (and still have) a men's and women's version of their bikes.  The women's versions are typically geared towards petite women and are often not even made in larger sizes.  Usually these models are the same as the men's with the exception of color, saddle and handlebar width.  But on the very high end there are subtle geometry differences based on the idea that the average woman has proportionally longer femurs etc. etc. etc.

Meanwhile at Goose Creek Cycle and bike shops around the world we have gotten better and better at fitting people to their specific bike,   and have spent a lot of time convincing women that it really is okay to ride a men's bike if it feels and fits better.  

At long last the crew at Specialized, being the data junkies that they are,  have looked at the data from 10's  of thousands of bike fits and realized what many of us have kind of understood for a long time.  People are all really different and have different body types.    So with most of the measurements that matter for fit, leg length, arm length, torso length etc,  If you pick two random people of the same height, you will have measurable differences but those differences are not significantly linked to gender.  You will just have to fit them to bikes based on the body they have.

But wait!  Men and women are actually different!!

Ok you got us there are real differences between men's and women's bodies but they are isolated to specific areas.  So yes saddle women's and men's specific saddles and clothing will remain.  And if you look closely and model lines even if the bikes are not men's and women's specific you will see some nods to the fact that the bikes are designed for both.  The biggest example is this.  Because women are on average shorter than men, and women on average have wider sit bones than men,  you will see wider saddles speced on some of the smaller bikes.  This allows the bikes to fit more people more closely and allows bike shop staff to swap saddles around between bikes to fit customers more closely without having to stock as wide a range of aftermarket saddles. 

So welcome to the new age of bike fitting where we are fitting you as an individual and letting you have the experience you want without having to be bothered in the back of your mind if the bike you really like was designed for the other gender. 

Converting a Hardtail to Full suspension

Hi all.   Wanted to start off by saying this was a joke.   It was designed to allow me to ride a bike to failure and document the process.  What we created was actually functional.   We never rode it to complete failure because the other components on the bike were so bad that they failed before the frame did.  

Either way... WE DO NOT ACTUALLY RECOMEND THIS!   Following this procedure can lead to injury or even death.   But we had a lot of fun risking our lives. 

Anyway the concepts was based on the old soft tails which basically used the natural flex of the chain stays and put a bumper or small shock into the seat stays which allowed a small amount of movement in the rear triangle.    We used a little more movement and a lot less bumper and this was the result.    Hope you enjoy.

Grand opening, rides, parties etc etc

Ok,   so this has gotten confusing what with the KYMBA fundraiser,  rain and all the things that are messing with our plans.   At any rate here is what the Goose Creek Cycle schedule looks like for the next couple weeks.

Right now:  LaGrange fully open,   Westpost Rd location soft open with short staff, and short hours
Tues Feb 20:    First shipment of Specialized bikes set to arrive (let the building commence)
Sat  Feb 24:  KYMBA fundraiser  (this was going to be our grand opening but we didn't want to    conflict with these guys so we gave them a bike instead and moved our opening)
Sun Feb25:  1 PM easy no drop 25mi road ride from Wesport rd location followed by first peek at fully open shop
Mon Feb 26:   First day of fully open Westport Rd location open 10-7
Sat Feb 3:  Afternoon-early evening Grand Opening Party Ride and Party full details to follow
Sunday Feb 4:    1pm Shop ride 25-30mi road

Westport Road Location is now "Openish"

Hey all it has been a little slower getting the new shop open than I expected,  but I am officially changing the new Westport Road Shop status from "coming soonish" to "openish".  


Am I going to be blown away by how awesome it is?    Probably not,  but if you are close enough to the Goose Creek Gang to have ended up here,  you will get it.   We still have a lot of inventory to bring in and still a bit of work to do on the building,  but we are plugging away at it and making progress every day.   So while we are not doing any major advertising campaigns,  we are slowly getting the word out to our existing customers and friends.  


What will I find at the new shop?


Service area up and running -  We have our service area set up and ready for use and have done the first few repairs.  So although we are a little sparse on in stock service parts I am still confidant that we can get about 90% of repairs done within 24 hours.



Bikes-   There are about 10 bikes on the floor right now, so not a great selection but we still have the ability to pull bikes from the other shop or grab them from a local warehouse.  So as a deal until March,  I will give 10% off any bike I can't get in and built within 72 hours. 



Stuff -  Stuff is rolling in quickly,   You would be surprised as how many service parts there are that don't even make it to the floor,  they just live in the basement until we need them.   Its rolling in and  you will find new stuff every day.



When is the Grand Opening?    - Not 100% sure,  but we are hoping sometime early to mid March we will have a Grand Opening for the Westport Rd. store in conjunction with the 10 year aniversary of the original La Grange  Store.


Is the La Grange Store going to remain open?


YES.   This is not a move it is an expansion.  The LaGrange store is open and with the help of Kyle actually looks better and runs more efficiently than it ever has before. 



Where is the new shop located?



10210 Westport Rd
louisville, Ky 40241
Just inside the Gene Snydor, across from Home Depot


So to all of you who have been with us all these years.  Thank you so much for sticking with us.  This is the next step in what has been a wild ride,  and we are excited to have you with us.

Skateboarding in La Grange

Let me preface this by saying that people in general are highly annoying,  and also easily annoyed.   This makes it a wonder that we are able to be around each other at all.  We hate bikes who slow us down when we are in our cars,  we hate cars that honk at us when we are on our bikes.  We hate when kids haul their basketball goal out into the middle of the road. Unless they are our kids,  then we hate people who drive too fast in the neighborhood.  Any event that causes a backup in traffic is just really annoying and should be held elsewhere,  unless we are attending the event,  and then we are just mad at the other drivers going to the event because if they knew how to drive in the first place everything would be fine.

Which brings me to skateboarders here in La Grange,  but no one likes them anyway,  because they are all punk kids,  high on drugs,  and out generally to cause trouble...  Unless they are your kids.

So lets take a step back and look for a second.  I won't deny that there are some people out there who are just jerks,  but the vast majority of people who annoy us on a day to day basis are just people going about their lives.  There are truly some bad drivers out there,  but most of the stupid stuff you see is just a moment of inattention or small mistake from someone who is otherwise a good driver.  Admit it,  you have spaced out and gotten confused about who's turn it is to go at a four way stop before too.   While we are at it,  I will bet when you were a kid you did at least 6 things that you are not real proud of today.

Which again brings me to our skateboarders.  And this time lets look a little closer and see more than just punks who haven't figured out how to properly wear pants yet. 

Where do skateboarders come from?  If you go to almost every 10 year old kids house you will find an array of sports related toys.  These range from Nerf Footballs, to bikes, skateboards, baseball bats and gloves,  plastic bowling pins,   whatever.   If you take his video game away for long enough,  he will actually play with this stuff, and given enough time he will start to develop favorites.  What sports a will gravitate to is influenced by any number of things.  They are influenced by parents, peers, siblings, natural abilities, availability of equipment and probably a few other things I'm missing.  I won't break all these down for you because if you stop to think about them, you will probably be able to figure them out by yourself.

I will point out though that there are a small handful of sports that are dominated by young athletes, usually because the sport is so hard on the body that by the time you turn 20 you are pretty much done.  Skateboarding may be second only to women's gymnastics in this regard.   This means that by the time a skateboarder enters the "adult world" and has kids and a full time job,  they have left their skateboarding for behind.    I can count on one hand the number of parents that I know who skateboard with their kids.   All of them are in the skateboard industry in some manner.

Another way to say this is there is not typically a huge amount of parental support for skateboarders.   I am not implying that skateboarders are neglected by their parents,  although that may be the case in some circumstances, I am just pointing out that this is a sport that is picked up, practiced and perfected on their own time.   It is a stark contrast to team sports where parents are typically bringing the kids to a specific field/court/gym at a specific time and usually watching the competition.  There are no coaches in skateboarding.

If you put ten kids in a downtown area with no parents or adults around,  8 of them will do something stupid.

(totally made up statistic,  I admit that)

Everyone with me so far?   Here is where I am going to lose you.

I would argue that if you take those same 10 kids and involve them with a sport like skateboarding where they are trying to perfect as physical skill,  the stupid things they do will tend more towards pushing the limits of their sport, and less toward drugs and petty crime.

Providing a public place (like a skatepark)  and or simply not banishing them from every spot which lends itself to skateboarding,  keeps this group closer to where people are.   The closer they are to people the more likely they are not to do things that could get them in trouble.

What I have seen in the last few years that I have been working with our local skateboarders is that they have pockets of support for what they do,  and broad resistance to what they do.   I have had grown adults tell me they are scared because young teenagers are hanging out around their work skateboarding (seriously 13-15 year old kids who are actually quite nice if you talk to them).   I have seen police officers run kids off from skating in the street but then not be quite sure if it is legal for them to skate in the street or not.  (locally there is a debate if they are "skateboards"  which are legal in the street as long as they yield to motor vehicles, or "Toy Vehicles" which are not legal in the street except in crosswalks,  upon last check it hasn't been tested in the courts so there is no president).   And for liability reasons they are run off from most private property like parking lots. For safety reasons they are run off of public property like sidewalks and parks.

What I see for the most part is a sport which has had to insert itself into places where it is not wanted.   Only at the really high end (think X-games)  is it really accepted.   We all want to watch it on TV but we don't want them in our back yard.    It is one of the few sports where there is next to no development program but somehow the talent emerges.

Imagine what would happen if we supported these kids.

Am I suggesting that we spend millions of dollars building skate parks,  and let them skate all over our personal property and in our buildings?  No.   There are legitimate reasons that they can't skate everywhere all the time.   What I am asking is that when you see them, take a closer look.   If we treat them all like they are bad kids,   the good kids will start to drop off because they don't like being considered bad,  or worse may start to conform to the image we created for them. 

On the other hand,  I have seen a lot of positive growth when Church groups,  parents,  and even sometimes older kids, help create and steer the younger kids to places where they can skate, be welcomed and develop their skills.

So sorry for the round about way of getting there,  but if you want to ignore all the rambling,  I guess what I am saying is that seeing a young kid do a" kick-flip off a three stair" is a heck of a lot more impressive than watching him play X-box,  so we ought to encourage rather than discourage him.

And yes,  THANK YOU to the City of LaGrange for not closing the park,  I know my kids are happy to be able to skate for a while before they come to work,  and I know a lot of other kids feel the same way. 

Fat Bike Rentals at Goose Creek (can deliver to Louisville)

Hey all,  it is Fat bike season so we have added a couple of Fat Bikes to our rental fleet.  If you have ever wondered what the fat bike thing is all about this is a good way to try it without having to commit to a purchase. 

KHS 4seasons 500 just in from a ride.

Here at Goose Creek we really love fat bikes this time of year for a number of reasons.

#1  Fat bikes are always fun to ride so this time of year is no different.

#2 As the temperatures drop mountain biking in general becomes a better idea because the woods will offer some shelter from the wind,  and slower speeds with more effort keep you warmer.

#3 Help preserve the trails.   In the winter most of the plants are dormant or dead which means they are not sucking up the water like they do in the summer.   This means the trails stay wet and muddy more than they do in the summer.   On the other side of this coin,  when the temperatures drop enough all this water freezes and you can again ride the trails without doing damage.    Fat bikes give you a wider range of ride time because they float over snowy trails,   have better traction on wet leaves,  and do less damage to the trail if you do hit that occasional section of mud.

#4   The off season is all about maintaining fitness and avoiding burnout.  Trainers can get deadly boring,  a fat bike is a great way to keep interest up with a fun new toy that doesn't break the bank.

This year we will be renting KHS 4 seasons fat bikes.  Give us a little warning and we can have one ready for you. 

Rental rates are offered on a daily, weekly, or mothly rate.

1 day - picked up and returned within one business day $35 (add time for $10/day)
1 week -  $65 (additional weeks may be added for $20/week)

Discouts for blog followers

Ok,  so I totally get that there at only about 6 of you who pay attention to my babble on this blog,  so if you are one of the elite few,  I am going to make it worth your while.

From here on it,  if I review a product,  or have to personally buy a product in one of my adventures  (like my current Ironman quest)   I will give 25% off that product for 7 days following my blog post about it if you are buying in store and mention the blog.   If the item is in stock, it is 25% off the tagged price,   if we have to special order,  it is 25% off MSRP pricing.   This discount doesn't combine with other promotions.

At the bottom of each post I will have in parenthesis what items will be on sale.  How specific I am depends on how I am feeling at the moment.  For instance if I buy a cable lock I might put (cable lock) at the bottom of the page which means all cable locks will be on sale.  Or I might be less specific and say (locks) which means all locks of any type will be on sale.      Another example is if I review the KHS Four Seasons 2000 Fat bike, I might put (Four Seasons 2000) which means only that model is on sale.   Or I might put (Four Seasons)   which means any model of the four seasons bikes would be on sale.  If I am feeling particularly feisty,  I might put (bikes) which would mean any bike would be on sale.  

No mater how you slice it,  if you watch the blog you will find some deals.    So enjoy my blather and get some cool swag.  

New sport new gear.

As I start out on this new triathlon adventure I am having to look at some some of my gear in a new light.   Those of you who know me know I am a cheapskate.  When it comes to my gear I ride it to the bitter end.   I won't throw a tire out until you can see fabric or the sidewall blows out.   I have been known to put all the little chain installation scraps from the shop together and make a new chain for my fixie.  Given the choice of the product that matches my bike and the one on sale,  I get the one on sale.

That being said,  as one who has spent endless hours on a bike,  I understand what quality can mean to a ride.   If you put junk components on your bike,  it will ride like junk.   Together these two qualities have left me with the general view that usually your best bet is to ride component groups 1 to 2 years old.   If you always chase the latest and greatest, you will pay a premium and often get the components before the bugs have really been worked out.   For example if you were the first to jump on SRAMs road components you got the version that didn't have a trim-click.  2 years later, prices came way down and you had a trim click.  If (like I did)  you jumped on the XX1 bandwagon when it first came out,  you got to ride a fully dialed system that changed the industry.   Of course now the prices of your replacement rings and drivers have come down to about half the original price and they are every bit as good and more available.

As I start in with triathlon gear,  I am finding that I already have a lot of the gear I need.  The increased use of said gear will hopefully give me the chance to wear some of that gear out and buy the gear I want.

For example as much as I like to taunt my wife with the fact that I have been wearing the same swim suit since high school,  I have to wonder how many more trips to the pool this piece of history is going to survive before I suddenly discover that it has completely disintegrated.  I recently heard a preacher on the radio suggest that God never intended men to wear Speedos,  and after some time at the pool I tend to agree with him.  I am guessing that there is probably some happy medium

that will allow for a little more speed and a little less "oh!" but that is a bridge I will have to cross when I need a new swim suit.

Until that time comes however I am starting my assembly of new gear a little slower.  So while no one can steal my swimsuit while I am swiming,  my valuble flannel shirt and the keys to my 94 Ford Explorer remain unprotected in my locker.  So purchase #1 for the new venture was a combination lock.  While significant,  I'm sure this won't be the only purchase I will have to make as I wind my way toward the Ironman,  so I have decided to have a "feel my pain" sale at the shop for those of you who follow my blog.  I'll post the details later but basically if you mention the blog,  anything I have to buy will be on sale at the shop for a week after I post it up here.  So for the next week all locks will be 25% off if you mention this post.

Congrats to the 7 of you who actually read my ramblings.  You get to keep your stuff safe for discout prices.

Ironman Louisville 2016

Ok,Ironman Louisville 2015 is safely behind us. As usual the Goose Creek Cycle team experienced the race from the sidelines. As bike shop guys we experience the race a little differently from those of you who were racing or cheering on your friends and family members.

The Shop rats (Lane, Levi and Cam) set up their annual "lemonade" stand in the Goose Creek tent while the mechanics nervously check split times of the bikes we built or serviced going into the race.  While we like to see our riders do well,  the main thing we are looking for on our little electronic devices is even split times.    We are equally happy with a rider who's average pace is 14MPH at every split as with a rider whose pace is a solid 22MPH.  What we are looking for is the dreaded "Long Split".   The Long Split is that one where there was clearly a problem.   A suddenly drop from a 20MPH pace to a 10MPH pace screams mechanical problem.   And mechanical problem means either a crash,  or we made a mistake. 

This year we continued our clean streak.  To date, none of the bikes (at least that we know of) that we have either built for or serviced going into the race have had any major mechanical problems.  We like to think that this is a testament to the almost neurotic testing and retesting we do on bikes especially when someone has flown half way across the country or world to get here for this one ride. 

But something new happened at the 2015 Louisville Ironman.   This year the Shop Rats moms showed up and put their heads together and issued a challenge.   In past,  I had actually been forbidden from doing this race on account of the time it would take to train for it.   But now with the kids in school and a little extra time in the margins of our lives there is a possibility of getting back back to racing.  

Now keep in mind,  I am not a triathlete.  I have done one sprint triathlon.  If you look back far enough into history you will see that I have a background in 24 hour mountain bike racing,  so the distance here is maybe not as daunting as it might otherwise be,  but lately my focus has been on light commuting, beer drinking and snack cakes.  So with the exception of the fact that my extra layer of blubber helps me float a little better in the swim,  I am singularly unprepared for an Ironman.  

Truth be told,  I probably wont actually do it,  but I am putting this post up on the shop blog just so there is a public record that I said I would so now maybe I will have to.   I have a year,  so I am starting with baby steps.   Baby step one was to take a bunch of steroids to try to get rid of this terrible case of Poison Ivy I contracted clearing trails at Briar Hill.  Steroids can only help right?   Also,  and mainly because I was told that the chlorine would help dry up my poison ivy,  I got in the local pool for 20 minutes this morning before work.

So there you have it.   Day 1 training:  Don't drown for 20 minutes.  Mission Accomplished.

No Pro Family rides

Starting in March 2015 there will be a series of what we are calling NoPro rides. Generally these are 40-60 minute rides at a casual pace. Perfect for pulling kids in a trailer or just getting your heart rate up in the morning. Incidentally, If you are doing the Humana Vitality thing, I have also designed them so that if you run Strava they will just perfectly meet your daily exercise requirements. To Start with these will be out and back rides on the Bike Path, starting from the public library in LaGrange, but I am also working on putting together some neighborhood loops that will be safe even for little riders and relatively free of hills. The first of these rides is on Wednesday March 4th at 8:30am

These rides will continue EVERY Wednesday at 8:30am unless raining and until it gets too cold as fall turns to winter.

Bike,Trailer and Trailer Bike rental Special deal on Trailer rental for this ride. For $2 and a little advance notice I can bring a trailer or trailer bike for you to ride for the ride. If you don't have a bike, you can rent a hybrid for $5 for the morning. (please note that these are special rate for this ride only, weekly or long term rental rates are available)

Yes the Rumors are true.. Goose Creek Cycle has reopened in La Grange

After a year hiatus I have moved back to Oldham county and have reopened the bike shop. A big thanks to those of you who have welcomed me back and helped me move all my stuff back in. It is taking me longer than expected to sift through all the inventory and get it back on the shelf, but we are getting there and shipments of new inventory are coming through the door as fast as I can handle them. The shop is open for service and repair, and the inventory is back up to a level that I am pretty confident we have most everything you might need. Until I get me family settled and everything in the shop organized the way we like them we are doing short hours. That Look like this... M,T,W,T,F: 10a-2p Odd numbered Saturdays 10-4 Even Numbered Saturdays Closed We will have late weekday hours soon. Also the old phone number has been turned off, so all phone calls can be directed to my cell phone 502-938-0004

Review of Echowell U9 cycle computer

With a little more time on our hands here we are reinstating our product "Thrash Test". The idea of a Thrash Test is to use a product to the end of its natural life and let you know how far they made it as well as quality and use ratings along the way. We also combine with this customer feedback, so by looking at how many we have sold and how many came back to us with complaints, we can get an idea of general quality and durability, beyond the few we Thrash Test. So here we go with the Echo U9 computer review.  (Review will periodically be updated as we get further into the Thrash test) Background: This product in one that we brought into the shop along with its big brother the U12 as a way to replace the Sigma computers which we were have a lot of problems with and complaints about.  The Echo computers were offered as a value item and compared to the CatEye computers which tended to have similar features, at a higher price.

We very quickly realized that most customers were not interested in the U12 version because the added features were not really worth the extra money,  so we sold off the rest of our U12 computers at the U9 price and thereafter only stock the U9.  After selling in the neighborhood of 50 or these with no complaints coming back from customers,  we decided that it might be time to pull one off the shelf and Thrash Test it. 

Features:
the 9 in U9 stands for 9 functions.
Current Speed
Average Speed
Maximum Speed
Trip Distance
Odometer
Riding Time
Speed Pacer
12/24 Hours Clock
CO2 Saving

Most people really only care about the first six.  The slightly less expensive u6 doesn't include max speed which most people like to know.  The more expensive U12 includes total CO2 saving, auto scan and total ride time which people generally don't care about,  so the U9 really is the sweet spot of the U series computers.

For those of you wondering what the CO2 saving thing is,  the computer figures that the average car produces 0.17g of CO2 emissions per Kilometer. It uses this number to tell you how much CO2 you would have produced if you had driven instead of ridden.    Because the computer has no way to input the actual emissions of your car this number is a neat idea, but wildly inaccurate and largely useless. 

Setup and Installation:
This is a wired computer and sets up relatively easily.  In other words, we did not notice anything that was either more difficult or especially time saving in the installation of this computer compared to others we have done.  The U9 does get points for using rubber band mounts rather than zip ties which allow the mount to be moved around if needed without having to waste or find new zip ties. 

Setting the computer was relatively easy,  most common tire sizes are listed in the instructions,  so there was no measuring needed.   All and all by following the instructions it took less than 20 minutes the install and set the computer.  If you have never installed a computer before you may wish to allow 45 min to an hour.  Usually the trickiest part is wrapping the wire around the brake cable so that you use enough wire so there is not slack,  but there is enough slack so that the sensor can reach the spoke magnet.

Ease of use:
Once the computer is installed.  There is only one button to push.  Pushing this button will scroll you through the different bits of data, like distance, max speed etc.  Current speed will always be displayed,  and the other information is displayed in smaller numbers below.

Overall First Impression:   After installing one of these on a commuter and putting about 50 miles on it,  we are happy with how it works.  It is easy to see, and does what it says it will do.  As of yet there are no real surprises for the good or the bad.


Pricing:
 MSRP for the U9 is $25 but pricing will vary dramatically especially online.   The variation is due to a relatively lax pricing policy.   Other brands like Cat Eye and Sigma are very strict with pricing control which means you will find most retail stores and online stores have them priced about the same.  The companies do this so that shops can compete with online retailers.  It has always been our opinion that you can expect to pay a premium at a shop because you will have a shop guy to help you pick out and install your computer.   If you are shopping online, doing the research yourself, and installing it yourself,  you should be able to save a little cash, and with Echowell,  you can.  Remember,  higher price doesn't necessarily mean better quality,  sometimes it is just price control and hype. 

Recommendation?

So far we like this computer and our customers seem to feel the same way.  It is a great value and does all the basic things that most people want out of a cycle computer.   We will put a couple thousand miles on it and see how it fares,  but so far it is a good choice,  especially if you are the type of person who likes to buy parts online and save yourself some cash by doing it yourself.