May Updates

First thing first, if you are interested in a 2016 Trek Farley you have until May 9th to pre-order with a 10% discount! The prices on our website reflect the MSRP, not the price with the 10% discount. This is a fantastic opportunity to be one of the first with a new 2016 Trek Farley product- and the only time you'll find yourself purchasing 2016 product at a discount for the rest of the year! Fatbikes are great for riding all-year round. We're still selling fatbikes and it's May!

Curious to know what's so special about them? Well, you can stop in and rent a fatbike for 4 hours for $25.00. You can't beat that!

We attended the 25th Annual Decorah Time Trials on April 25th and had a fantastic time! We greatly appreciated the time off to spend with our friends. The weather turned out great, the trails were super awesome, and Josie placed 3rd in the women's category! Wow!

We are having great success with our weekly women's rides, so we wanted to extend the fun to the guys, too! On the first Sunday of the month (weather permitting, of course) stop by the shop and join us for our Co-Ed/Co-Led mountain bike rides! These rides are for anyone to join, however we emphasize this is a casual pace, no-drop ride. We will go the pace that works with the newest rider who joins, and there will be stops along the way for catch-up time/breaks. Travis leads the guys while Josie leads the FWD- we will all meet at a specified location at the end of the ride route. From there we'll head back to the shop to drop off any potential rental bikes and then head over to Good Times (or another eatery of choice) for post ride eats/beverages. We hope you can join us!

Start: As close to 5 p.m. as possible
End: ?- but likely close to 7ish or so.
Where: Decorah Bicycles parking lot
What to ride: A mountain bike. If you are in need of a bike we will offer special pricing on our mountain bike rentals ONLY for FWD and DB specified rides. You can rent a fatbike or a 29'er for $15.00 (original price- $25.00)

This rate applies for our Sunday FWD and Co-ed/Co-led rides or scheduled FWD rides.

On May 3rd we had our first Co-Ed/Co-Led ride and had a grand time! We were able to lead a person out on the trails for their first dirt ride on their new mountain bike. It was a great experience to have a group of riders, all varying in experience, giving a positive and encouraging environment for a new rider to explore in. Really, we've all been there at one point or another- and a positive group experience can really open doors for everyone to learn something from someone- be a new skill or perception.

In the event of a rain date, the ride will be postponed to the following Sunday. This will happen until we have held our Co-Ed/Co-Led ride for the month.

For all other Sundays, so long as weather cooperates and there are interested persons, Travis will lead a ride for the guys! Start time is the same as the FWD rides- 5 p.m. We hope you can join us!

May is Bike Month and we are doing something super special to promote those who ride but for a local group who helps to maintain our awesome mountain bike trails.

From now until end of day May 31st we will be doing a fundraiser to raise money for DHPT (Decorah Human Powered Trails)

Donate $5.00 and you will receive a raffle ticket that will put you into a drawing for 3 fantastic prizes!

Grand Prize- $500.00 gift certificate to Decorah Bicycles
Second Prize- Silver level tune-up valued at $79
Third Prize- A helmet valued at $40 and a pair of SockGuy socks of your choosing!

Enter as many times as you like, there is no limit on how many tickets you purchase.

All money is donated to DHPT

Goal amount- $500 or MORE!

You've likely seen us posting a photo of a really awesome Decorah-themed jersey on our Facebook and website. The jersey was designed by locals Bob and Sandy Bishop, to simply bring together and celebrate cycling and what makes our town shine!

You have the opportunity to pre-order a Decorah jersey to ensure you have your size when they come in. They will be priced at $89.99 and will fit similar to our Luther College jersey (Still worried? Stop on in and try a Luther jersey on!)

You can see a selection of sizes on our website.

This is the perfect gift for someone who loves riding bikes, and the colors will be excellent for the hot day rides that you'll encounter during the summer months. Want to represent Decorah during your ride, race, or cycling-related event? We will have you covered! (RAGBRAI, anyone?)

Calling everyone who has purchased a bike from us!

Would you like to have your bike (purchased from Decorah Bicycles)
featured on our Facebook page? Yeah? AWESOME!

Send an email to Josie- josie@decorahbicycles.com

Whatever information you want to give: name, bike, area where you took the photo
(Take a photo on your next bike ride!)

Bikes will be featured as emails come in!

The Ins and Outs of Chamois Cream

Chamois cream, it seems just about as mythical as padded shorts, both of which struck fear into my heart as a budding bike rider. Do people really use those things? What are they for? Will I look and/or feel silly?
Well, after time in the saddle you eventually learn that having both of these products will aid you and your comfort on the bike exponentially.

Shorts or liners with chamois are great, it turns into something akin to Captain Planet calling forth the additional powers from his friends when you put chamois cream into the equation.

There are MANY types of chamois creams and all-purpose balms out there.

At our shop we carry products from Chamois Butt'r:
The Original Chamois Butt'r, Chamois Butt'r For Her, and Eurostyle
Chamois Butt'r products are paraben and gluten free. They also do not test on animals.

We have sample packets available of each for $.99
Tubes of Original Chamois Butt'r and Butt'r For Her are available for $17.99
You can also get a box of 10 packets for $10.99

Why For Her?
"Chamois Butt'r For Her utilizes aloe vera, green tea leaf extract, tea tree oil, shea butter & lavender oil for their natrually occurring beneficial properties. There are no artificial colors or fragrances."



Eurostyle we have available in sample packets for $.99 or in a tub for $19.95
Eurostyle has witch hazel and menthol, which will provide a cooling/tingling sensation when applied. Some people like this, others look for products without. It's all personal preference. 







We have a Chamois Butt'r Go Stick available for $14.99- Use this for areas similar to the Body Glide products. It's best used on areas other than the chamois.

We also carry Body Glide, a 3 pack of pocket size balm for $1.99 available in both original and For Her formulas. This is more for runners or those in contact sports and used on areas were straps and fabrics would contact your skin and cause friction/blisters.
They are formulated to not be wet or oily. The Body Glide products do not have petroleum or parabens.
Made with natural ingredients, they do not have animal products nor do they do animal testing of their products. They are also neoprene safe and water resistant. 

 
What is the purpose of these products? Help eliminate friction!
Think about it, if you spend hours doing a physical activity (swimming, hiking, running, even working!) you will find that over the day (especially when temps are high) you will experience friction. Don't think you're safe in the winter months! Friction can happen any time of year, in any temperature.

Just about any physical activity or sport done over long periods of time can cause skin irritation. Particularly when weather is hot and humid.

Apply the cream or balm to areas that have regular contact. It's pretty self explanatory! Some products also say you can apply directly to the chamois liner, however most people say just apply it to yourself.
Use liberal amounts as the cream will be absorbed while you ride. Sample packets on extremely long rides are helpful to re-application if you under-applied.

The Chamois Butt'r website says: "Apply Chamois Butt’r Original liberally to skin and chamois before each ride. May be applied to any skin areas that rub together or against clothing."

Per the question on where to apply-
"Fifty percent of the riders we talk to put Chamois Butt’r on the pad of their shorts and fifty percent put it directly on their skin."

They suggest to put 1/6 to 1/3 oz of Chamois Butt'r on your skin or pad of shorts before you put the shorts on.

What you choose to use is based on personal preference. As stated before, there are many different types of chamois creams out there. If we do not have a particular product in stock, but you would like to inquire on if we can order it for you- let us know!

No sport or activity is enjoyable if you have to deal with skin irritation due to friction. Even tho the products sound a little strange, maybe even foreign, we can help you understand them. That's our job! We want you to be happy and comfortable regardless of what you're doing- running, hiking, or biking!

Information on the Quick Release Skewer Recall

There is a lot of talk going on about Trek and Quick Release skewers on disk brake models of bikes. We want to let you know that this is a problem not limited to Trek, but one that affects the entire bike industry and brands that chose that particular skewer.
So far, Trek is the only bike company to issue a recall for select models of disc brake equipped bikes sold over the past 15 years.

If you have a bike that you believe is affected, please contact us and we will assist you by replacing your quick release skewer (we will have replacement skewers available starting Friday, April 24th.)

Trek will also provide each owner who participates in the recall with a $20.00 coupon that is redeemable by December 31, 2015 towards any Bontrager or Trek merchandise. There is no cash value on the coupon- Trek encourages you to use the full coupon amount on a purchase.

Here are a couple articles to check out pertaining to the recall.

Article on Single Track World

Article on Bicycling.com

Video from Trek on proper wheel removal/installation with a quick release without washers

Video from Trek on proper wheel removal/installation with a quick release with washers

If you have any questions on your bike, feel free to give us a call. 

If your bike is NOT a disc brake version then you do not need to worry.

If you have a disc brake bike WITHOUT a quick release you do not need to worry.

If your bike uses a thru axel, you do not need to worry.


If you take your front wheel in/out, it's important to double check that you have the skewer tightened down properly.

If you have any questions on how to properly tighten your skewer, please feel to have us show you!

Additional information can be found here:

TrekBikes.com

An Update on FWD!

FWD will have a designated Women's Sunday ride that allows all riders from beginner to experienced to come out and enjoy our local trails. We want to encourage comradery and create a healthy and positive environment for those new to our mountain bike trail system and for those who simply want to go for a ride with rad women!

The FWD Sunday Off-Road ride starts at 5 p.m.
Please arrive 10-15 minutes early.
Plan for approximately 2 hours of riding.
Ride will be casual pace with regular breaks throughout.
We leave no rider behind- our focus is on fun, not fast.

This is a great opportunity to be led on a ride in a positive, supportive group setting as our trails can be challenging in some areas.
As always- "When in doubt, walk it out."

If you would like the option of having a led ride with a couple of your friends or solo, contact Josie by filling out the form below with dates/times during the week that work best and we'll schedule a ride!
This is a great opportunity to have a ride personalized just for you-
A scheduled ride will allow for more one-on-one time to ask questions, practice spots, and have fun! It's a great way to be introduced to the trails gradually and eliminate the "fear factor" associated with mountain biking.

We will provide a fatbike or mountain bike and helmet for you at the FWD price of $15.00 for the Sunday ride or any scheduled ride with Josie.

To schedule a personalized ride, click here!

If you are interested in joining FWD email Josie at: josie@decorahbicycles.com
Join FWD on Facebook!

Learn About The 2016 Trek Farleys!

For next year, the Farley is all-new!

In addition to new lightweight carbon models, a new rigid carbon fork, and more tire clearance to accommodate 5” wide tires or the new 27.5 x 4” wheel system, the all-new Farley is more versatile than ever before!

The wheelbase can be easily adjusted with Trek’s exclusive Stranglehold dropout for capable 26˝ x 5˝ tires or the fast 27.5˝ x 4˝ system. 

Along with all-new technical features, there are also more models in the lineup for next year: 3 alloy models, 2 carbon models, and one carbon frameset. 

The capable, versatile, all-new Farley is the benchmark that all fat bikes will be judged against.

We are accepting pre-orders on the 2016 line! From April 9th-May 9th you can receive 10% off of your 2016 Trek Farley pre-order! 

Click the name of the bike to be directed to our website for additional information!

Trek Farley 5

 Farley 5- $1799
26x4.7" Bontrager Barbegazi Team Issue tubeless ready tires. 197mm thru axle rear end.

Trek Farley 7

 

Farley 7- $2399
Carbon fork w/150mm spacing, 26x4.7" Bontrager Barbegazi tires, SRAM 1x11 drivetrain.

Trek Farley 9

 Farley 9- $3299
Upgraded RaceFace/X1 1x11 drivetrain, Rock Shox Bluto suspension fork, 27.5x3.8" tires, clearance for 26x5" tires, upgraded Jackalope TLR rims, Avid Guide RS brakes.

Trek Farley 9.6

Trek Farley 9.6- $2999
Trek Charcoal color, carbon frame/fork, SRAM GX1 1x11 drivetrain, Jackalope 27.5" wheels, Bontrager Hodag 27.5"x3.8" tires, Avid DB3 hydraulic brakes.

Trek Farley 9.8

 Farley 9.8- $4899
Carbon frame, bars, seatpost, saddle rails, crank, fork/steerer tube, and Trek Wampa carbon rims. 27.5x3.8" tires, with clearance for 26x5" tires.

Trek Farley 24 

 Farley 24- $1099
Sealed bearing hubs, 24x4" tires, Shimano 1x9 drivetrain, Tektro hydraulic disc brakes.