Celebrate Mothers Day with Pats605 Cyclery

Spoil That Special Mom in Your Life With a New Crusier & Recieve a FREE Basket with Purchase
Can you imagine how excited and surprised your Mom or Wife would be if you got her one of these styling bicycles for Mother's day?  Beach Cruisers are all the rage, easy to use, provide exercise and fun, and can even save their cost in gas.

Once you buy a cruiser, it's time to accessorize it for fun and to enhance every part of the experience.  Try some fun bells, baskets, basket liners and you'll also need a helmet and a pump.  The super fat tires are very low psi, so they need to be pumped up once in a while.

Bike shop Downey: Top ten bike wrecks- #5 Red Light of Death

Our bike shop Santa Fe Springs is running a series on our blog exposing the top ten situations that cause bike wrecks, from Bicyclesafe.com.

Wreck #5: Red Light of Death

You stop to the right of a car at a red light or stop sign. They can't see you. When the light turns green, you proceed, and then they turn right, hitting you.
This can happen with any size of vehicle, but this scenario is especially dangerous when it's a bus or other large vehicle that you're stopping next to. An Austin cyclist was killed in 1994 when he stopped to the right of a semi, and it turned right. He was crushed under its wheels.

 

How to avoid this wreck: Don't stop in a vehicle's blindspot.
Simply stop behind a car, instead of to the right of it, as per the diagram below. See how visible this cyclist will be on all sides? The care behind them will see them directly in front.

Bike shop Downey: Top ten bike wrecks- #4 The Wrong Way Wreck

Our bike shop Downey is running a series of posts exposing the top ten scenarios of bike wrecks. More info on Bicyclesafe.com.

#4 The Wrong Way Wreck
You are riding the wrong way, against traffic. A car makes a right turn from a side street, driveway, or parking lot, right into you. They didn't see you because they were looking for traffic only on their left, not on their right. They don't expect someone coming at them from the wrong direction.

Or, you could be hit by a car on the same road coming at you from straight ahead of you. Riding towards cars gives them less response time.

How to avoid this wreck:

Don't ride against traffic. Ride with traffic, in the same direction.

Riding against traffic may seem like a good idea because you can see the cars that are passing you, but it's not. For more explanation about why, check out the Bicyclesafe.com website.

Bike shop Downey: Top ten bike wrecks- #3 The Crosswalk Slam

Our bike shop Downey is running this series of posts about most common wrecks from Bicyclesafe.com.
#3 The Crosswalk Slam
You're riding on the sidewalk, and enter a crosswalk. A car makes a right turn, right into you.
Drivers will not expect bikes in the crosswalk, and it's hard for them to see you when turning from one street to another, so this is a very easy way for you to get hit.  One study showed that sidewalk-riding was twice as dangerous as road riding, and another study said it's even more dangerous than that.

How to avoid this wreck:

1. Get a headlight. If you're riding at night, a headlight is absolutely essential. It's required by law, anyway.

2. Slow down. Slow down enough that you're able to stop completely if necessary.

3. Don't ride on the sidewalks.  Crossing between sidewalks is a fairly dangerous maneuver. If you do it on the left-hand side of the street, you risk getting slammed as per the diagram. If you do it on the right-hand side of the street, you risk getting slammed by a car behind you that's turning right.  Sidewalk riding also makes you vulnerable to cars pulling out of parking lots or driveways.

Bike shop Santa Fe Springs: Top ten bike wrecks- #2 The Door Prize

Our bike shop Santa Fe Springs is running a series of blogs exposing the top ten situations that cause bike wrecks, drawing from Bicyclesafe.com.
The #2 most common bike wreck? The Door Prize
A driver opens his door right in front of you.  If you don't have time to stop, you'll slam into it. 
This kind of crash is more common than you might think:  It's the second-most common car-bike crash in Toronto,and the #1 crash Santa Barbara. Bicyclesafe.com has made a list of cyclists killed by running into open car doors.

How to avoid this wreck:

Ride to the left! Ride far enough to the left that you won't run into any door that's opened unexpectedly. Riding to the left will help you avoid several of the top wrecks.

Bike shop Downey: Top ten bike wrecks- #1 The Right Cross

Our bike shop Downey is running a series of blog posts exposing the top ten situations that cause bike wrecks, drawing from Bicyclesafe.com.
We begin with the number one most common bike wreck: The Right CrossIt goes like this: a vehicle is pulling out of a side street, parking lot, or driveway on the right.  Notice this collision can happen two ways:  1.) you are in front of the car and the car hits you, or 2.) the car pulls out in front of you and you slam into it.
How to avoid this wreck:
1. Get a headlight. A good headlight is essential at night, but can increase your visibility in the day as well.
2. Get the driver's attention. Catch their eye, ring your bell, wave, whatever it takes.
3. Slow down. Stop if necessary.
4. Ride further to the left. Many riders feel safer riding towards the right shoulder of the road, but moving further to the left can actually prevent many of the most common bike wrecks. The "B" line in the diagram above is the safest place to ride.

Bike shop Downey: Avoiding bike wrecks

As owners of bike shop Downey, there is nothing we hate more than to hear about a cyclist in our community getting injured or killed in an accident.
When you come into our shop, we'll make sure you find a helmet that you like, and that fits, because we know wearing one reduces cycling head injuries by 85%.  But while helmets can help you survive an accident, they cannot prevent one.
We will outfit you with good lights and a reliable bicycle, but those things are not enough either.
Sadly, most of the accidents that happen are not caused by cyclists breaking traffic laws, but by motorists who are not being careful and aware enough of bicycles. So following the law, while encouraged, cannot necessarily prevent all accidents either.
The thing that statistically reduces risk of accidents is defensive cycling- not putting yourself in the position where a driver's failures could take your life. Austin cyclist Michael Bluejay has done a lot of research and put together this excellent website Bicyclesafe.com. He has generously made the info available for free use, so we will be sharing parts of it in our series top ten bike wrecks in the next couple weeks.

Mountain bike Los Angeles: Why full suspension

When people to our shop looking for a mountain bike in Los Angeles, many are undecided about what kind of suspension they need. Previously, we posted about some of the reasons our customers choose hardtail bikes, and today we will talk about the benefits of full suspension.
Full suspension brings unparalleled comfort, as well as traction, and control. There is nothing smoother, and these bikes are designed to blaze up hills, through rough terrain, without sacrificing that smoothness and control. For this reason, they tend to be the preference for technical trail riders. They don't sacrifice much speed for this smoothness, and their comfort on rocky hillsides really is unsurpassed. Not only are they more comfortable, but the control and superior traction of full suspension allows you to cut through crazy terrain that mountain bikers back in the day would have considered unrideable.
With all the advancements full suspension models have seen in the past ten years, their popularity has skyrocketed. They are now almost as light as rear suspension models. The advent of rear suspension lockout mechanisms made these bikes competitive on uphill climbs, and since then we have seen their popularity explode, even in the pro ranks where historically hardtail ruled due to their feather weight. Now the weight difference is small, so many riders are choosing full suspension for its other benefits. If comfort, control, and traction are important to you, consider our full suspension at Pat’s 605 Cyclery in Los Angeles.

Mountain bike Los Angeles: Why hardtail

When people come to us looking for a mountain bike in Los Angeles, one of their first questions is “which kind of suspension is right for me?”

Today we will talk about the benefits of a hardtail bike. Watch our blog for an upcoming post about full suspension.
A hardtail is a bike with a rigid frame and front suspension only. They were the standard for competitive mountain biking in the 1990's, but some of that has changed with advancement of full suspension technology. People choose hardtail bikes because they are light-weight, economical, and efficient pedalers. They require less maintenance than full-suspension models.
Dirt-jumpers tend to choose from our hardtail models which are fast pedaling and tough enough to withstand daredevil jumps. These bikes also do well for off-road trails, single track, and racing. While full-suspension has seen mounting popularity, hardtail is still preferred by many racers and experienced off-road cyclists who love a light, responsive, no-nonsense ride. Hardtails are great for beginners who want to learn the feel of different terrain and they tend to be less expensive. However, even if you are looking for a budget bike, always look for one with good quality components. A cheap big box store bike will not hold up well to mountain biking, so look for a basic, good-quality hardtail at a local specialty shop where your money will go further.
And, if you’re in the market for a top-notch hardtail with all the latest, best-quality components, we sell those too. :)
We offer several models of Trek hardtails at Pat’s 605 Cyclery in Los Angeles. You can find descriptions and prices on our main website www.pats605cyclery.com

Bike Shop Los Angeles on Mountain bike evolution

Mountain biking began as a niche hobby. The first bikes were scrapped together from other bike parts, and were basically a modified upright, heavy, balloon tire cruiser. This picture is a prototype of the first special purpose mountain bike designed by Joe Breeze in 1977, from the Museum of Mountain Bike Art and Technology.
Mountain biking has evolved into a popular competitive sport with international championships.
Today’s mountain bikes are light-weight machines with high-tech outfitting. Many variations of the sport have emerged, including crosscountry, endurance riding, single track, technical trail, downhill, and dirt-jumping. Each of these has brought new styles of mountain bike.
If you are new to mountain biking, come into our bike shop Los Angeles and we will help you find the right style of bike for your purposes. All our mountain bikes are made with quality components that will survive tough riding, bringing you years of adventure, unlike what you will find from a large general retail store. Check out the models we have on our website, in a range of styles, options, and prices.