How do I know if I need a new helmet?

How do I know if I need a new helmet?

Bicycle helmets save many lives every year, and while any helmet is better than nothing at all, there are some very good reasons to get a new helmet. Here’s a list of reasons to buy a new helmet.

1. Have you ever crashed with your current helmet?

Bicycle helmets are designed to protect well for one substantial impact. If you have had a crash during which you hit your head hard enough that you were glad you were wearing a helmet, than you should replace the helmet. Even if you can’t see any substantial damage to the helmet, the impact-absorbing ability of your helmet is compromised and there may be unseen cracks in the helmet shell.

2. Is your helmet more than 5 years old?

Even if you have never crashed with your helmet, you may still want to replace your helmet if it is over 5 years old. Studies have shown that the EPS foam used in most helmets today does not “break down” as quickly as many helmet companies claim, yet prolonged exposure to heat and/or sun can definitely reduce the foam’s ability to absorb impacts. Over the course of a helmet’s life countless minor impacts from dropping, rolling around the floor of your car, getting knocked around in your closet, bumping your head on small, low-hanging branches, etc. can cause micro-fractures in the foam and reduce the effectiveness of the helmet. Plus new technology is continually improving the fit and protection of helmets.  After 5 years of use, most helmets are generally in pretty rough shape. If you are one of the few who take extraordinarily good care of your helmet, or if you don’t really ride that much, your helmet might still be just fine.

3. Is your helmet uncomfortable?

If you can’t wait to take off your helmet when you ride, if it is too tight, or too loose, or too hot, or hurts your head after riding for a while, then a new helmet is a good idea.  The ideal helmet will fit well enough so that you don’t have to continually adjust it while you ride. You should not have to tighten the chin strap so much that it chokes you to keep it in place. Your helmet should be comfortable enough that you barely notice it while you are riding.  A really nice helmet can actually help keep you cool by channeling air over your head while you ride.

4. Is your helmet properly certified for bike riding?

Make sure the helmet you use has a sticker inside stating that it meets CPSC or ASTM standards for impact protection. If not, replace it with a helmet that does. Otherwise you may not be properly protected during a crash.

Even if your helmet is properly certified, fits well, and is still in good shape, you might want to consider a new helmet just because of improvements in style, comfort, and protection. Even in the past 5 years helmets in general have become lighter, with better ventilation, better padding, and better fit adjustment systems. Plus new advances such as Mips (Multi-directional Impact Protection System) have made them safer than ever. Check out a new helmet and see if you can improve the safety and enjoyment of your riding.

Bike Swap Primer

Every spring for the past 22 years Earl’s Cyclery has held their annual bike swap. If you are reading this blog, chances are you have heard of, bought or sold a bike at, or even volunteered at the Earl’s bike swap. If you haven’t, then you have definitely missed something. The organized chaos of the swap creates a carnival atmosphere, with hundreds of people milling around, ogling all the bikes, taking test rides, catching up with friends, even falling in love (there has been at least one verified account of a couple meeting at the swap.) In the 15 years I have been working the swap I have seen it grow from 200-300 bikes to almost 1000. Every year I look forward to seeing the dozens of ex-earl’s employees, longtime customers, friends and families of Earl’s employees, and other volunteers who come to help us put on this event. It is really like an annual reunion of folks associated with Earl’s in one way or another, and there is no way we would be able to do it without them.

It all starts on the Thursday morning before Swap weekend. The Vermont Tent Company shows up early in the morning to set up two giant tents in the parking lot. When we open at 10 there are already several people waiting to check in their bikes. Throughout the day we’ll see tons of kid’s bikes, mountain bikes, road bikes, hybrids, commuters, and more than a few recumbents, tandems, kid trailers, and car racks.  Everything is inspected and price recommendations are given. By the end of the day we will have checked over, priced, tagged, and packed into the tent over 400 bikes. Friday will be the same, usually ending with a flurry of last second arrivals as we try to shut things down for the night.

Ryan Dudley, "The Voice of the Swap"

On Saturday morning you can feel the tension in the air as volunteers are instructed on their duties, the check-out tent and sound system are set up, and the bikes are spread out and arranged for sale. Customers start lining up along the sidewalk in front of the store around 6am, and by the time we are ready to open the line stretches around the block. A little before 9am, Ryan Dudley, the voice of the Earl’s Bike Swap for about 10 years now, greets those waiting in line, thanks them for their patience and courtesy in advance, usually tells a bad joke or two, then pronounces the Swap open for business. The tents quickly fill with people excitedly scanning through the bikes, looking for the right bike, or at least the right price.  The time it takes for the first person to reach the checkout tent with a bike after we open the gates is usually about 45 seconds. After that there is a line to check out non-stop until about 2pm. In the first 5 hours last year we sold over 600 bikes. Like I said, organized chaos.

Here are a few tips for selling or buying bikes at the swap:

Selling a bike-

1.                   Make sure your bike is in good working order before you bring it to the swap. It’s a good idea to bring it to the shop at least a week before the swap to get it checked over if you have any concerns.

2.                   Clean your bike. The cleaner and shinier your bike looks, the better chance it will sell, and the better price you can get for it.

3.                   Replace worn or broken grips, bar tape, tires, saddle, brake pads, or pedals.

4.                   When setting a price, listen to the folks checking you in. They can tell you what you can reasonably expect to get for your bike. Then decide if you want to try for more, as long as you don’t mind if it doesn’t sell, or price it lower to make sure it goes.

5.                   Lights, mirrors, computers, and other accessories don’t add value. They can make a bike a little more desirable to the right person, but only if they are in good working order. If they don’t work, remove them.

Buying a bike-

1.                   Know what you are looking for before you come to the swap, or at least what kind of riding you want to do. Volunteers will be on hand to help you find the right bike, but the more you can tell them about what you want the easier it will be.

2.                   Get to the swap early. You don’t have to wait in line for hours to get a great deal, but you do want to arrive before noon on Saturday. More than half the bikes will be gone by the afternoon.

3.                   Come prepared to ride. There isn’t a ton of room to test ride, but just riding around the parking lot can help you decide if a bike is right for you.

4.                   Be prepared to spend a couple of hours. There are great deals to be had on great bikes, but you can expect to wait in line for at least 30 minutes to check out.

5.                   Bring cash or checks. We take credit cards, but the cash/check line moves faster!

The annual Earl’s bike swap is a great way to buy or sell a used bike. This year it will be on Saturday and Sunday May 3^rd and 4^th. Bring some friends and make a day of it!

Dirt Dilemma: 26”, 27.5”, or 29”?

Dirt Dilemma: 26”, 27.5”, or 29”?

By Richard Tom

What size wheel for your new mountain bike? Short answer: it depends. It comes down to you trying the different styles of bikes on dirt (our Duke of Earl test ride trail is a good place to start!). I tell our customers to not let the wheel size dictate what bike you choose. When evaluating a bike, take the bike as a whole, meaning, how the bike frame, components, and of course, wheel size, all contribute to how the bike feels to you. Whatever you like the best, you will ride the most and that is what it is all about

A perfect example of this is while at Interbike, the trade show for the cycling world, of which companies display and let the bike shop crowd demo bikes of almost every style and configuration. This past year, we rode some new 27.5” bike that were absolutely fantastic as well as some 27.5” bikes that were not that impressive. Historically, the same can be said about 29” bikes as well as 26” bikes.  Some bikes feel great, while others, not as much, no matter the wheel size, frame material, etc.

So what are the advantages and disadvantages of each wheel size?  Ever since the invention of the modern mountain bike, 26” wheels have ruled the roost.  The early pioneers like Joe Breeze, Tom Ritchey and Gary Fisher cobbled their first “Klunkers”, as they called them, from the frames and parts that were available at the time, this being 1930-ish cruisers like the Schwinn Excelsior. Guess what wheels fit these frames? 26”, and thus, the 26” wheel was the mountain bike standard for years. 

Fast forward to 2014.  26” wheels can be built almost bombproof and you still see them because of this on dirt jumpers as well as most downhill bikes. This now “smaller” wheel also (along with the frame geometry) gives these bikes a very darty and playful feel. If this may describe your riding style in the woods, maybe 26” is for you. Andrew, our service manager, just build up a new uber bike this winter. Out of all the bike he rode at Interbike , guess what felt best to him? A 26” wheeled Yeti SB66.

                                

                                                          26” Wheel Yeti SB66

The 27.5” wheel. This is the new kid on the block. What is up with this new size? Everyone is different. Thank goodness we are, or else we would all be riding the same bike and how boring would that be? The ability of a wheel with a larger diameter to rollover bumps more easily appeals to a lot of people, but the 29” wheel just never felt right for some. This is where the 27.5” makes sense. Also, it is pretty difficult to design a 29” wheeled bike with more than 150mm of travel and still have a quick handling bike as the chain stays have to really be elongated (for most full suspension designs) in order for the wheel to not hit the seat tube upon a  large compression.  A 27.5” for many will fit this combination of having a maneuverable bike, with a lot of suspension travel, as well as better obstacle roll over capabilities.  In fact, there are several downhill racing teams experimenting with 27.5” wheels this season. James S., Doug, and myself are looking forward to riding this newer wheel size this season.

                                              
                                                      

 27.5” Wheel Trek Remedy 9.9

The 29” wheel. Big wheels just roll over stuff, its plain and simple. 29” bikes have been out since the 90’s and arguably, revolutionized cross country style mountain bikes. Granted, some of these early 29” bikes handled like stagecoaches around tight corners but as everything does, this style of bike has evolved into the great handling bikes they are today.  As they say, “To each his own,”  as you should ride what you feel the best, but realistically, even a person of smaller stature can ride a 29” bike. If you follow World Cup mountain bike racing, many of the top women are generally relatively petite, standing around 5’1” to 5’ 4”. Guess what style of bike has dominated their racing field? 29” bikes.  29” bikes do have an edge with riding over roots, of which we have no shortage of here in Vermont. I am keeping my 29” bike and Tyler and Rick will be on new 29” bikes for this season.

                                                  

                                                          29” Wheel Giant Trance 29

So there you go.  All of us at Earl’s are riding different wheel sizes, brands and styles of bikes. There is no simple answer except to stop by and give the bikes a test ride and see what feels the best to you. Come in and touch base with any of our staff. We will set up the suspension for you and, if our trail is dry, you can take it for a ride on the Duke of Earl test ride trail. Until then, happy trails.

PS: Also here in Vermont, we are pretty lucky to have the great network of trails available to us. Check out the local mountain bike advocacy website of the Fellowship of the Wheel (http://www.fotwheel.org) . Get involved and join in on the fun of mountain biking, trail building, and land stewardship.