Fitting a bike for kids: bike shop Upland

Our Ontario bike shop, near by Upland, just posted about how to select the right size bike for your kid. Today we explain how to adjust this bike for perfect fit.

Of course, kids' size has a tendency to change over time, as parents know. It is good to start with a bike that has a little room for their growth if possible, but kids should never ride an oversized bike as this can be dangerous. 

You can use these guidelines to adjust this bike as your kid gets taller. Ideally, you'll be able to adjust for your child's growth before the bike needs to be replaced. 

First, check standover height by having your child straddle the top bar of the bike. There should be 1-2"  of space between their crotch and the bar. 

Next, adjust seat height. Position the seat so your child can be in a comfortable, upright riding position. Their elbows should be able to slightly bend while their hands are on the grips. Allow a little flex in their knee when at the bottom of a pedal stroke. Knees should not be hyper-extended.

Come into our shop in Ontario for help selecting a quality bike that can safely stand up to your kids' tough riding and give them a little room for growth. 

Kids' bike sizes: bike shop near Chino Hills

Our bike shop near Chino Hills in Ontario has been sharing some of our secrets to great bike fit on our blog. Every style of bike has different fit guidelines. We started with mountain bikes, and today we are going to share how to adjust fit on a kid's bicycle.

Kids’ bikes are sized according to wheel size. You can look for a size according to general age guidelines, but it is their size, not age, that should determine your final selection. Wheel sizes are:

• 14"-  4 to 6 years 
• 16"- 5 to 8 years 
• 18-20"- 7- to 10-years
• 24"- 10 and up

After you find the correct sized bike for your child, you will need to adjust the standover height and seat position to their proportions. Our next post will describe how to do this. 
  

Come into our shop in Ontario for help selecting a quality bike that can safely stand up to your kids' tough riding and give them a little room for growth. 

How to fit a mountain bike (part 2)

One of the reasons to purchase your bike from a quality local bike shop like ours near Chino Hills, is that we know how to help you find the right bike, and adjust it to fit you perfectly  Having a bike that fits you properly is very important for getting the maximum fitness, performance, and comfort in your riding experience.
This is part 2 of our tips on fitting a mountain bike.  Individual riders may have different preferences according to the type of riding they do, but these are general guidelines. (Steps 1 and 2 are in our previous post)
3. Saddle height: When seated, your legs should be slightly bent at the bottom of a pedal stroke. If you can put both feet flat on the ground while seated, you should raise the seat.
4. Stem: Have someone hold the bike steady while you sit on the seat. If your arms are reaching, with elbows locked, you need to adjust the stem, or may need to have a bike shop replace your stem with one that has the right length and angle for your body.
5. Saddle position: Your saddle should be parallel to the ground, and your knee should be over the ball of your foot. When you pedal, your shin should be angled slightly forward.

Come into our shop, we would love to help you get the perfect fitting mountain bike. 

How to fit a mountain bike (part 1)

One of the reasons to purchase your bike from a quality local bike shop like ours in Ontario, is that we can help you find the right sized bike, and adjust it to fit you perfectly. Having a bike that fits you properly is very important for getting the maximum fitness, performance, and comfort in your riding experience.
Here are a few tips for how to find a mountain bike that fits you. These are general guidelines. Individual riders may have different preferences according to the type of riding they do.
1. Standover height: Straddling the top tube, lift the bike. On a hard tail, you should have at least 2” between the tires and the ground. Some mountain bikers prefer up to 5” of clearance. On a full suspension bike, 1” may be enough, as the height will be compressed when you are seated.
2. Reach: When seated, with your hands on the handlebars, you should have a relaxed, slight bend in your elbows.
See our next post for other aspects of fitting your mountain bike. Any time you purchase a bicycle from our shop, we are available to fit the bike for you.

Ontario bike shop First Look: 2013 Trek Fuel EX

The team at our bike shop in Ontario has been testing the new 2013 models from Trek. One of the bikes that has made a splash this year is the Trek Fuel EX. 
This trail bike is delivering a number of changes in 2013, really stepping up it's performance.
The 2013 Fuel has more travel now- 130mm rather than 120mm.
Other notable changes include those that have made the 2013 Fuel a much smoother, more responsive ride. Using a dual-chamber shock and fork, Trek has made this bike more capable than many bikes equipped with more travel.

2013 changes:

• 130 mm of travel from 120 mm in 2012
• new suspension kinematics- main pivot is moved forward for better pedaling performance
• Lower standover height
• 10mm shorter chainstays
• Frame weighs in at 3.9 lbs-5.4 lbs
• Fuel 9.9 complete bike is now 24.5 lbs
• Internal cable routing for all shifter cables and even the Rockshox Reverb post cable
• Fuel EX 5, 6, 7 weigh 2466 gram
• Fuel EX 9.9 weighs 1760 grams or 3.88 lbs

First Look at 2013 Trek 7.2 FX Fitness Bike by Roy Wallack

Roy Wallack is a cycling Enthusiast and Author of "Bike for Life:  How to Ride to 100,"  He reviewed four fitness bikes in a recent column for the Los Angeles Times.  Roy gave this overview of the entire fitness bike category:

If you're ready to ride a bike for fitness but not ready to hunch over like a Tour de France racer or tackle death-defying single-track trails in the mountains, a single-speed, bulbous-tire beach cruiser won't do. You need a "fitness bike," what the industry now calls the broad category that combines the large, fast-rolling 700-C wheels of road bikes, a tough multi-tread tire and the straight handlebars of a mountain bike. Formerly known as hybrids, these lightweight aluminum-frame bikes have become more refined, stylish and specialized; all work for commuting while sporting varying capabilities for pavement and mild dirt paths.

Roy Wallack gave this review of the 2013 Trek 7.2 FX Fitness Bike:

Trek 7.2 FX: The all-conditions performance fitness bike for road, trail and commuting comes with 24-speed Shimano Alivio drive-train, puncture-resistant tires and mountain-bike style V brakes.
Likes: Fast, quick and balanced on road and mild dirt paths. Like the Specialized, it has more of a leaned-over, high-performance position than the Electra or the Felt, plus just enough style (note the red accents) to feel hip. Fender mounts make it a worthy all-weather commuter. It's also available in a women's model with altered dimensions. The FX's higher-end models have disc brakes and better components. For more off-road capability, go to the Trek 8 Dual Sport bikes, which have a light suspension fork.
Dislikes: None.

First look at Bumstead's 2013 Trek lineup

The lovely, radically redesigned 2013 Trek Madone 6.2

We are very excited at our Ontario bike shop to introduce the 2013 bicycles that Trek has unveiled.

We trust Trek's bikes to be quality machines, counting on them to perform whether road or mountain built. But this year promises to be a memorable one for change of the Trek models we have grown to love. 

Trek's image for the past few years has been that of technology-focused design, and in 2013 they continue to showcase bikes with an eye towards cutting-edge technology. The 2013 lineup includes some of the most refined models yet, breaking through limits with weight and speed. These bikes are light, fast, and boldly designed.

Get in-depth highlights of the Trek 2013 models from Bicycle.com complete with a luscious gallery of pics. Watch our blog for our announcements about the new models we are stocking at our bike shop, near Chino Hills and Upland.

We are very excited to take these for test-spins, and hope you'll have the chance to come by and check them out.

Bad Place to Get a Bicycle Flat Tire! Video of Extreme Rides

As you are no doubt aware, cyclists around the globe are testing their skills and putting their lives on the line with stunts of daring while riding.  These might take place in the inner city, the local burbs, or in the remote wilderness.  The creativity is mind blowing, but the ability to see it up close and personal through the use of cameras mounted on helmets, frames, and on following vehicles makes for an exciting video experience.

We will be searching the web for the very best of these, and bringing them to you as we find them.  If you've seen a particularly great video of this genre, please pass it back to us and we'll share with our list.