Kindred Cycles

the other day I was taking a beautiful Saturday  and was riding down Penn in the district when I noticed what I thought was a new bike shop called Kindred Cycles, so I stopped to check it out. Let me give you my first thoughts before we get into any details. The shop is beautiful if a little small, still it is a well thought out space and I managed to find everything you might need in a glance. I also liked that the mechanical area is right in the middle of the shop. Part of my favorite thing when I go to a bike shop is to watch and talk to the bike mechanics. (you can learn a lot that way)

You can see when I was there there were still unpacking and getting set up. The two who were there when I came in Aaron and Katharine were happy to talk to me and proud to show off the shop (Rightly so). This is a great local shop in a good location. Penn Ave through the strip district is main artery for cyclist.

So now lets get down to the nuts and bolts of the shop.

Bikes an’at
Kindred Cycles offers a varied selection of bikes:

• Kona
• Fairdale
• Breezer bikes
• Brompton
• Tern folding cycles

I for one have already fallen in love with the “Fairdale Parser” in Blood Orange (of course). The selection is very good for a shop this size and I would be surprised if you couldn't find a bike that fits your needs here. They also stock a full range of accessories from Brooks Saddles to helmets, gloves, chains, tubes and just about everything you could need. From their Facebook page I see they also have DZR shoes and Ortleib Outdoor equipment.  I also have no doubt that they can get you whatever you need as well.  With the growth in cycling in pittsburgh I believe that a shop like kindred cycles is just what the Strip district needs.

Events
The event page on their website says simply “Just you wait... We’re gonna do lots of fun stuff. Keep Posted.” I’m very excited about this. I feel that the local bike shops should be the epicenter of group rides.

Read this as EPIC Center (but that is a thought for another day)

So I hope that Kindred Cycles organizes some great group rides. I don’t know how many rides I will be able to get to but the more rides there are in and around town the better chance I have of making it to some of them. As I have said many times before Pittsburgh has an exceptional bike community and I have no doubt that all the group rides are one of the main reasons that our bike community is as awesome as it is.

Service
What’s a bike shop with out a wall of park tools and the lingering scent of chain lube?

Sad, Very Sad.

Kindred Cycles is not a sad shop. In fact one of things I like the best about the shop is that the service area is right in the middle of the shop so you can watch the work as it is happening. From what I saw as I watched Katharine work on a bike, and what little I know of bike mechanics. It is clear to me that I was watching experience in action. I’m no schlub when it comes to fixing my bike, and I can usually manage most tasks. What I can’t do it is make it look easy.

She made it look easy.

It is about now that I would talk about Aaron and Katharine and what great people they are and how the shop has a great vibe and a friendly environment. Do I really need to do that? Its a local Bike shop, Of course Aaron and Katharine (and everybody else there) Love bicycles and love riding.

They opened a Local Bike Shop!

And as far as the great vibe and friendly environment... Its a Local Bike Shop! Maybe I have been lucky in my experiences with Local Bike Shops in and around Pittsburgh but I have yet to be at one that wasn't run by people who loved bikes and deeply believed that this world would be a better place if everyone rode a bicycle. So yes I found the people at Kindred Cycles to be friendly and I found the shop to be a welcoming place.

I’m sure you will as well. If you’re down in the strip stop by and welcome them. Tell them “Fatguy Sent you”.

Planet Bike Cascadia Fenders

Question:
What do you get when you start with might just be the greatest bike ever made (that would be the All-City Macho Man Disc) and you add some slick white fenders?

Answer:
Eventually you get big bag of Awesome wrapped and a bag made from baby unicorns!

Did you catch it. "Eventually" I'll get to that but first lets get to the data, since I'm all about the Data.
 bought the Planet Bike Cascadia Fenders in White from Thick Bikes for 50.99 (Minus my Bike Pittsburgh discount ) I got the fenders as well as instructions and all the mounting hardware I would need. I figured it would be a breeze.

I had two issues while putting the front fender on. First the geometry of the Macho Man meant when I got the fender on and adjusted the metal support posts where so long as to need an inch cut off of each to keep them from hitting the frame.

The Posts after I removed about 1 1/4" off of each. Of all the tools I thought I would need to install a fender on my bike, a hack saw wasn't on that list. I will say that as difficult as the posts were to cut I got give it to them for quality.  The other  item that I found annoying was the Disc brake on the front tire was / is in the way of the support posts and I had to work around it. It worked fine so I'm happy but I did have to try it several times to get it right

The rear fender went on without much fuss and I have to just say this again  "DAMN THAT'S SEXY!!!" There is one thing I am currently wondering about. With the front fender I wont to see where the J-bar from the bike racks on our buses end up. A fender is no good if it means I can't put my bike on the bus. If it is a problem I am pretty sure I can figure something out.

It took about an hour for me to put the Fenders on the bike, and if I had to do it again I might make it simple on myself and take the Bike to Thick and get the fenders put on. Right now I'm pretty sure I have the fenders on right but I would of let them do I would be Completely Sure the fenders are on right.

FitBit Review

55,875 125,831
That's how many steps I have taken in the week I have been wearing the Fitbit Flex. I picked it up last Friday Jan 10, 2014 and here it is the following Saturday Jan 24, 2014. I feel that I have worn it long enough to give it a fair review. Before I get into the review lets just give you a few stats and information on the device.

Fitbit Flex
Cost: 99$
Colors: Black/Slate/Lime/Pink (standard)
Bands also available in Teal/Tangerine/Navy
Purchased at: Best Buy but widely available
http://www.fitbit.com/store

Of course I Got the Tangerine Band so add 30$ to my bill for the extra pack of bands. (I could of ordered just the band I wanted online for 15 bucks but I'm just an instant gratification kind of person.)

Note:
I also linked my FitBit Account with an App/website called MyFitnesspal. This is an App/Website that makes tracking the foods you eat really simple to do. It also helped to educate me as to what I’m actually putting in my cake hole. (is cake hole one word or two?) Also like the fitbit I found that knowing that I was going to record everything helped me to make some changes (I still went to Quaker Steak Buffet but I know I ate much less than I would usually. Between the fitbit and the App I feel like I am making a conscious change for what might be the first time. If you have a smartphone and are even a little serious about making a real change in your eating habits I would recommend giving Myfittnesspal a try.

Setup
Setup was a breeze. The Flex comes with a wireless Dongle that allows your computer to read the sensors in the wrist band. I also Got a small use charging cable that so far I have only had to use to charge the sensor when I took it out of the box and after a week I am at half a charge (so far the charge has lasted about 10 days). After it was fully charged I followed the setup on the fitbit site and after 10 min I was good to go. The website says the fitbit is waterproof and you can shower with it. Which I have done with no problem.

The fitbit dashboard sets up some starting goals and since I signed up with Facebook it let me know who of my friends were also Fitbit users. This added a social side of the fitness tracking that I did not expect but I found very helpful. Seeing how many steps my friends had taken over the week helped me to know I wasn't alone in this, it also added a bit of competition. I would be lying if I didn't admit to finding myself trying to get extra walking in knowing that my friends were going to see how much or how little I walked each day.

10,000 Steps
That's the goal that Fitbit starts you out at. You can easily change that goal but I decided before I went changing things I would see just how reasonable of a goal this would be for me.  Lets see:

• Saturday 3604 steps
• Sunday 6561 steps
• Monday 10236 steps
• Tuesday 8534 steps
• Wednesday 9358 steps
• Thurdays 9555 steps
• Friday 8027 steps

You can find my FitBit Profile here:
http://www.fitbit.com/user/2C4LRC
You can find Myfitnesspal profile here:
http://www.myfitnesspal.com/user/terryb953/status

I have made almost all of my information public to everyone. I don't have much to hide. You should be able to see how far I have walked each day, what I ate, and when the weather improves, I will add my other outdoor activities (biking and whatnot)

So for me I think that 10,000 steps is a good starting goal, My day isn't particularly active and the one day I managed to get over 10,000 steps was one that I had to do a bit of extra walking around but I could also see that I could have easily gotten to my goal with just a little bit of extra work. When I can make this goal for a week straight I will up it by 2500 steps and see what happens. I have noticed that I have been more active since I started wearing the Flex. and just after a week of wearing I have noticed that I am moving around easier. After trying to take 10,000 steps on Monday I was sore and my knees ached, but by Friday I found that I was able to walk around easily and felt more comfortable walking than I had in the past. I am hoping this continues.

Readout
I purchased the Flex instead of the Force for a couple of reasons. First was price, the Flex was 99$ and the Force was 129$. For the extra 30 bucks you got a nice OLED readout that acted as a watch as well as giving you all kinds of nifty information. As much as I am a closet watch whore I didn't really want another watch. I have a watch I really like and several times I have not bought a new watch because I wasn't gonna stop wearing my Black and Orange G-Shock. I knew that the Flex used a line of 5 lights as a readout and I was a little leery about what kind of information I could get with just 5 little lights. Turns out the answer is “A lot” I know how close I am to my goal (each light is 1/5 of your goal and the lights blink faster as you approach each level.), and I can see about how many steps I have taken. I can see if the band is in Sleep mode or not and if the tracker needs recharged. For a row of 5 little lights I’m calling that one a win. Also something I found out that I must of somehow missed the first time. When you reach your goal the FitBit goes just a little crazy. lighting up, blinking and buzzing. It’s a nice feeling.

Sleep Tracking
One of the other things the Flex offers is Sleep tracking. You tell it (with a series of Taps on the tracker) when you go to bed and when you get up. (it has an alarm function but more on that later) the Flex will track how many times you get up during the night and how many restless periods you have while you are sleeping. While I don’t know about the restless periods I found the number of times you were awake to be accurate. at least twice it knew I was awake at night even when I didn't actually get out of bed, just woke up and stayed in bed before falling back asleep. Being a data junkie I love this kind of data. I don’t know what would happen if you don’t put the Flex into sleep mode at night. (I do know you can log your sleep manually on the fitbit site.)

Silent alarm
You can set up alarms on your flex through the website that will cause your band to vibrate until you tap it off. I was doubtful that it would be able to wake me in the mornings but it worked well enough that I am going to turn off the alarm I have on my phone and rely on the Flex to get me moving in the morning.  This is probably the one function of the Wristband I found most surprising and the one function I think I like the best.

Online Dashboard
Everything has a social aspect anymore. Sometimes I agree with this, sometimes I don’t agree or find the social side just a little silly. In this case I agree wholeheartedly. When you first sign up over at Fitbit.com you can sign up with Facebook and it will tell you which of your friends are also using the FitBit. I only had a couple but it was enough to get me moving and see how I stacked up against the others I knew. It didn't take long for me to find a few other people on the fitbit forums to friend.

Accuracy
I have wondered just how accurate the Fitbit (and all the other Fitness Trackers) is and over the last week I have had time to look at the data and think long and hard about this.

Is the Fitbit accurate? I have no idea,
Is the Fitbit consistent? I believe so.

What I mean by this is I have no idea if I have taken 10,000 steps when it says I have. What I do believe is that I have been twice as active on days when it reads 10,000 than on the days when it read 5,000. I also believe that knowing how active I am is more important than knowing how many steps I have taken. Looking at each days readout I can see when my active times are (heading to work and heading home) and when my inactive times are (after lunch and from 7pm to bed). I'm not sure what I’m going to do with this information but observing will change the outcome.

again I point you to the Hawthorne effect

*** One of things I believe is that things like this will help you lose weight and get into better shape if you are looking to lose weight and get into better shape. They are NOT some kind of magical item that will change you without work. What they do is to make you more aware of how active you are and encourage you to become more active. They act as a reminder when you are going out to lunch, so that maybe you want to skip the buffet or at least hold back a little.

I am reminded of my rules for cycling, Rule 9 You can do so much more than you think you can.

So if you’re trying to shed those pounds, get out and be a little more active or just want to see how active you are during the day then the Fitbit Flex, Force or any of the other Fitness Trackers out there is something to consider.

Or just pick up a 5$ Pedometer, I have had my share and perhaps its just my Gadget love but they never really did for me.

Tangle Bag - Review

The other day I was window shopping at Thick Bikes, Window shopping was all I could really afford after buying my new baby (All City Macho Man Disc) when I saw a smaller version of the Macho Man with a beautiful frame bag.

“Its a good thing I like Ramen Noodles” I thought since that is what i’ll be eating for the next week.  I tracked Chris down and asked him about the bag.  It was the Tangle Bag from Revelate Design. After trying the medium bag it was clear that I needed the large bag. So I ordered one from Thick Bikes and picked it up on Saturday. I got to admit it does add to the already huge amount of sexy this bike has.

Let me tell you first why I wanted a bag like this one. I keep everything I need for my bike in a backpack that I carry around with me wherever I go. I’m so sick of the backpack. It isn’t comfortable, and it makes my back sweaty. After I got the bag mounted on my bike I began to transfer the stuff from my backpack to my new bag.

2 patch kits
4 tire levers
My D-Lock
1 Spare Tube
2 mini tools
Wallet
Phone
Keys
2 Tattoo Magazines

I still had room to add the items that are missing from this list (but that is another story). This made me very happy. So happy in fact that I didn’t notice what is going to be a bit of a downside. The bag, as nice as it is, takes up the same space as where the bars of a bike rack will go. (at least where the bars of most bike racks mounted on most cars go.)

I am classing this as a minor setback.

My bike doesn't spend much time on a bike rack like the ones on the backs of cars. If anything it spends most of its rack time on a Bus. With the bus bike rack I have no problems at all. So while taking the bag off and putting it back on when I have to is a pain, it isn't much of one. However if your bike spends a lot of time on the back of your car you may want to consider your options before purchasing a bag like this one.

[EDIT]
I was asked on Google+ "How does it do when pedaling? Looks like it may rub some on legs?" And I thought this was a good question. The answer is that the bag is very slim and I haven't had any trouble with it rubbing. Here are a couple of pics showing what I have in the bag and what it looks like from above.

Here is the bag showing the colorful inside (which makes things easier to find when the light isn't the best) as well as what I found inside it.

Here is a photo of the bag (with all the items replaced inside) from above. you can see that it is just a bit wider than the top tube. Im thinking that I will be able to put quite a bit of stuff in the bag before it will bulge outward to any degree.

[END EDIT]

Specs - from the Revelate Website
Price:  $70.00

Weight:  9 oz

Volume:
Small - 225 cubic inches
Medium - 275 cubic inches
Large - 350 cubic inches

Color Choices: Black

Features:
-Dimension Polyant Xpac 400 Denier Fabric
-840 denier ballistics fabric around tube sections
-Down tube section padded with closed cell foam
-Beefy construction
- all attachment points bartacked, reinforced top velcro flaps .
-White & yellow interior so you can see your stuff
-#8 YKK water resistant main zipper
-Left side flat pocket w/ #5 water resistant zipper
-Adjustable webbing attachments with low profile cam lock buckles.
-strap keepers
- Hydration tube / battery wire port near the front of bag.
- Gas tank compatible
-Fits lots of different bikes!

Last Note
All in all I am very pleased with the bag and I am glad I bought it. In the end I bought the Tangle Bag in order to stop wearing my backpack. As it turns out I have kept on wearing the backpack and have ended up simply carrying more stuff. I have to wonder if this is just a personal problem or if it is the nature of the beast. I think I now have a better understanding for my friends with so much stuff packed in their panniers.

Review - Planetbike Superflash Turbo

Awhile back whilst riding to work I managed to lose my rear flasher that I had clipped onto my backpack. The light must of slipped off the strap it was clipped to because when I got to work my backpack was lightless. As it was my plan to do some serious night riding I was concerned. So after work I stopped at my favorite local bike shop - Thick Bikes and was determined to get a cheap blinker and be on my way. I wasn't going to spend a lot of money to have the light end up in pieces on the street after sliding of the strap like the last one.

That's not what happened.

After tooling into the shop (Indoor bike parking!) and talking to Chris (the owner) for a little while. I looked at the different blinky lights. I noticed that one of the lights was so bright it could only be described as offensively bright. At 34$ this was more than I wanted to spend  considering what happened to the last one.

This is where having a local bike shop really pays off. I told Chris what happened to my last one, I showed him where I had it attached to my backpack and he showed me how to keep that from happening. Try doing that with an online store.

The light I bought is the Planet Bike Superflash Turbo. The light retailed at thick bikes for $33.99 + tax (which is also the price on the planetbike website at the time of this writing) and comes with a battery and several different options for mounting. Here are the specs from the website

• One Watt Power LED plus 2 red LEDs for visibility up to 1 mile
• New attention-grabbing Turbo flash pattern
• Turbo flash mode is highly visible, even in daylight
• Ultra compact vertical design is weatherproof, lightweight and durable
• Includes bike mounts and clip mount for multiple mounting options
• Soft-touch power switch accesses flashing or steady mode for up to 100 hours of run time on two AAA batteries
• weighs 75 grams with batteries

The website also claims this to be the best taillight in the world.  I don't know about best in the world but it is the best one I have used to date. (did I mention offensively bright) The price was a little more than I expected it is worth every penny. I noticed that I could see the light from the blinky bouncing off the walls of buildings as I rode down the street, and when you are on a bike at night you need everything you can get to be more visible. So if you're looking for a new rear blinky or even if you aren't check out the superflash turbo. I think you will be surprised at how bright this little light is.

Now for how Chris secured the light to my backpack. one word. ziptie.

After clipping the light to the strap he ziptied the clip closed around the body of the light. You might also notice that ziptie lays between the lower LED lights so it doesn't block the light from either of them.

Genius!

I have had several of my friends ask me why I prefer to have the rear blinky on my back instead of on the bike. Actually I would prefer to have lights on both the bike and my backpack but at the rate I manage to break them I usually only have one blinky. That being said, if I only have one light I would prefer it on my backpack for several reasons.  First reason, if the light is on my backpack it is higher up and, hopefully, more visible. Second reason, being the multi modal person that I am i find myself walking to bus stop in the dark, on morning that I don't take my bike. When walking in the dark the 3/8 mile to the bus stop I feel more visible with that blinky letting drivers know I'm there on the side of the road. Third and final reason, I just feel better knowing when I lock my bike up that the lights and cyclometer go with me. so not having the light attached to the bike is just one less thing I have to take off the bike when I lock it up.

I hope you will give this blinky a gander and if you are in Pittsburgh I hope you will give Thick Bikes a visit.

Lube me up

I’m gonna get up on my soapbox and preach at ya for minute.

Lets understand something before I start. Lubing your chain is just one of those things you should know how to do and should be doing if you own a bike. I believe that having a well lube chain, well adjusted gears and the right tire pressure are the three biggest things you can do to make sure you get the most out of your bike. Well adjusted gears and Tire Pressure are topics for another day. Today I’m going to talk about Lube in general and my favorite lube in particular.

I can’t think of anything sadder than the sight and sound of a rusty chain on a bike. I see it all the time at the group rides I go on, or that sad looking bike in the garage of someone I have talked into going on a ride and it makes me crazy. I can tell just by looking that they aren’t going to have fun on this ride and I will be hard pressed to get them out on their bike again.

Sure lubing your chain isn’t something you think of. Its neither cool nor sexy, but is just one of those things. I try to remember and still I end up doing it when I realize that it’s my chain making that noise. Still it something you can do easily. Lube that chain up and show it a little love. believe me it will love you back.

Ok preachy part is over and now a word from our Sponsor*
*Rock-n-Roll Lube is not really a sponsor

Review of Rock-n-Roll Gold

I started using this lube by accident. I was using several different kinds of bottled lube (Pro-link and Finish Line) as well as an aerosol can of lube that I got from performance bikes but I can't find the can and I can't remember the brand name. I knew that it was time to clean and lube my chain and I was out riding. (yeah that loud clicking noise my chain made was my first clue) I stopped by Thick Bikes and Chris recommended Rock-n-Roll Gold -”The King of Lubes” it says so right there on the bottle. I have come to trust the guys down at Thick, so I bought a bottle and took it home.

That was over a year ago and I am still using it (not the same bottle). I have also recommended it to my friends who have started riding and I would recommend it (am recommending it) to you now. I like the simplicity of the Rock-n-Roll lube.  Here are the instructions on their website (and on the side of the bottle)

• Shake well and apply a stream of lube to the chain at the cassette.
• Do not drip the lube on like you would oil. This is not oil!
• Get the chain really wet, this stuff cleans and lubes all in one.
• Freewheel the chain backwards for about 5 seconds...no less.
• Wipe off all the excess lube...
• all of it, wipe the chain as clean as it will get.
• That's it go ride...

This is all I have to do. With the other lubes I alway ran my chain through a cleaner with a degreaser in it first, let the chain dry then applied the lube. Not difficult but time consuming and messy. (you cannot believe the mess I can make with a chain cleaner). I am always surprised at just how much gunk ends up on the rag as I wipe the chain dry at the end. I find that I use about a quarter of the small 4oz bottle each time I clean my chain. So my minimal mathmatical skills say I get about 4 lubes per bottle.

All in all the Rock-n-Roll Gold lube is quick and easy to use and I find that I am more willing to lube the chain knowing I won't have to break out the chain cleaner and add the water and degreaser to it and try and get it clipped onto the chain and run the chain through it while sending water and dirt and gunk everywhere. Maybe this year I can even end up lubing my chain before it starts to complain.

Infini Wukong Light - Review

Last night I stopped at Thick Bikes on the Southside (My Local Bike Shop). My goal was to say hi and get some air in my tires (they felt a little soft) and as I was talking with them I saw them unpacking a bunch of these little lights. When I saw that they had one in orange I knew it was destiny. What I found out after buying one was that it was also a heck of a handy light, but first the details.

Wukong light made by Infini
Model - I-203R
Cost - 12.99

Size - 100×64×14 mm
Weight - 9.5gm (without batteries)
Run Time - 120 hours constant 240 hours flashing
Battery - CR2032 X 2

The body is made of a pliable silicon that allows to easily mount the light just about anywhere, and just as easily remove it. The lights are very bright and come in white (front) and red (rear). While this light falls into the "Be Seen" camp it was bright enough that I would feel ok using it as my only headlight in a pinch. After I mounted it on my handlebars I realized that what it was perfect for. I had my main headlight on constant and the little Wukong set on flashing.  I have never liked setting my only front light to flashing but having one set on constant and one set on flashing worked well for me.

Later in the evening when I was faced with a 3 mile ride from the bus stop to my house in the rain on a dark road. I pointed the Wukong down directly in front of my tire and put it on constant as well. this allowed me to see what right in front of me as well as what was coming up.

Overall I am very impressed with little light. What I had picked up because I wanted a new orange trinket on my bike has turned into something I keep on my bike.

Just Ride

The book Just Ride: A Radically Practical Guide to Riding Your Bike arrived on my door step last night and since I was busy building the Ghost bike for the Hit and Run here close to home I have only been able to read thru about half of it. You can expect a more complete review in the future. Here however are some thoughts I have on this book.

1. Grant Petersen comes across as preachy, arrogant, and elitist.
2. The things I agree with him I really agree with.
3. The things I disagree with him, I REALLY disagree with.

I understand what he is trying to say, The idea of the "Unracer" and the idea that modern bicycle racing has affected how we view bikes. This is true, however the book goes in the exact opposite direction, discarding most if not all that is "Racer" in an attempt to define "Unracer" This is something I just don't agree with. I am by no means a racer, My bikes are not racing bikes, and I have desire to be part of the peleton. I do find that there are many things I can gain from the modern bike tech that has made it's way down from the rarefied air of the high tech, super light racing circuit.

He argues in his book that when we drive cars (which I don't do) we don't drive racing cars around but he fails to realize that many of the advancements in our cars which make them more efficient, safer, and better handling came from those very race cars.

That being said, I am really enjoying the book and have learned several things from it.

Toe Clips

These are the toe clips I picked up today at Thick bikes, which is without a doubt my favorite bike shop. The price for these bad boys was really good to, about 23 bucks installed (Bazinga!!) Still I had a feeling that these clips would be trouble.

I remember my last foray into something similar Shimano Clipless Pedals and road shoes. Yeah I was riding with geek warp factor of 10+ (at least in my own mind) as this was before I got to know the great people that make up the cycling community here in Pittsburgh. I also remember how after a month of "Getting Used" to the clipless pedals and trying to learn to walk in those freaky shoes, I still managed to fall over at stop signs about once every two days.

Not Pretty

So it was with great foreboding I tried out these pedals. I found that things weren't as bad as I thought they would be. I ended up taking the straps off for now as I am wearing my giant leather shoes to keep the cold out and they kept catching on the strap. without the strap they worked just as I hoped they would and I found that I was able to slip my boat like feet (size 13 wide) in and out with only a little trouble.  I am sure it will get better with practice.

One thing I noticed almost at once was the difference having my feet even nominally attached to the pedals made. Even now as I sit and type this I feel a tightness in the backs of my thighs that I do not normally get from riding my bike. I take this to mean that I am also pulling on the up stroke now as well.

All in all my first impression of these pedals is a good one. I give them a solid BUY if you are looking to move from platform pedals to something a little more functional and either don't want to go all in and go Clipless or like myself you simply lack some interior wiring that allows you to use clipless pedals with comfort.

Review - Spin Doctor Essential Repair Stand

I picked up this bike stand at Performance Bikes today was planning on doing a review.

Notice the word Planning

When I went to put it together none of the bolts needed to assemble the bike were in the box.

I know that I may just be the unlucky one who ended up getting screwed but I just can't recommend something when I can't even put it together without a trip to the hardware store.