As we approach our Five Year Anniversary on February 7, we'd like to say thank you for your continued support of Jack & Adam's Bicycles. Although our location has changed and a few faces have changed, our mission remains the same and that is to provide unmatched customer service, industry knowledge and a wide selection of your favorite cycling and triathlon gear. We look forward to the next five years and hope to see you in the store or at the races sometime soon!

Debuting the weekend of the Austin Marathon is the J&A Green Team Re-Cycling. The Green Team is a recycling campaign geared towards keeping bicycles and everything bicycle related out of the landfills.

By creating this team, we're extending our green efforts at events into our daily activities at the shop. You can be part of it too by tossing your tubes and tires into one of the bins which will be located outside of the store. We'll have bins for other items as well and the contents will go to recycling centers, the Yellow Bike Project and other organizations that use discarded bike parts.

As you probably already know, the Austin Marathon is fast approaching! This premiere marathon in the heart of the Lone Star State is a can't miss event. Although the half marathon is almost at capacity, you can still sign up for the full 26.2 miles.

The action happens on Sunday, February 15th. If you're not running it, then come listen to one of the 40 bands along the course and cheer on your favorite athletes. Or better yet, sign up as a volunteer; a race this size needs a lot of support!

This month's Featured Product can't be found at the store, but we thought it was a really cool tool for you iPhone users.

The Tri Calculator was developed here in Austin by Glenda Adams, one of Jack & Adam's customers. TriCalc lets you calculate running, cycling, and swimming times/distances/paces, and can track the total estimated time for a race. Simply put in your distance & pace for each sport, and your times and total time will automatically show up. Or if you have goal times, you can figure out what pace you need in order to reach those goals.

Other apps that are offered include Race Pace, RunCalc, games and toys.

Group riding provides cyclists with enjoyment, exercise, training, support from other cyclists, and safety. Knowing some basic guidelines of riding in a group will make the ride more enjoyable and safer for everyone involved.

* Obey all traffic laws.

* Operate bike in such a manner as to not offend motorists, pedestrians, etc.

* Wear a helmet for safety & as a good model for children.

* Ride single file except in areas where it is safe to ride side by side.

* When riding in a pack, look at "shoulder level" of cyclists in front of you. This allows you to see what is occurring ahead of you & further up the road than just the cyclists in front of you. Fixing your gaze on the back tire of the person in front of you doesn't give you enough time to react should the entire group slow down.

* It is the responsibility of the lead rider to notify the cyclist behind them of approaching issues by saying, "Jogger Up, Cyclist Up" or whatever potential danger is approaching. It is the responsibility of each cyclist to pass the caution back to the person behind.

* Hand signals, instead of words, are used to warn riders of potential danger on the roadway. In a pack, oftentimes, the only cyclist who has enough visual warning is the front cyclist. Therefore, it is the responsibility of the lead rider to warn the cyclists behind them. If the lead cyclist (or the cyclist in front of you) shakes their hand to the right, that means there's a pothole, branch or some obstacle to the right. Shaking of the left hand means there is an obstacle to the left. If the lead rider puts their hand behind their posterior, that means to follow right behind them as there might be obstacles on both sides. If the lead cyclist puts their right hand down with the flat of the hand facing you, that means the lead cyclist is slowing down or coming to a stop.

* Avoid slowing down abruptly or making any other sudden moves.

*Ask experienced riders questions when you're not sure what is occurring.

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You can join the J&A group ride every Sunday at 8:30AM starting & finishing at the shop.

This task sounds really easy (but isn't always) and is one of the bike maintenance projects that most will attempt at one time or another. Reasons for removing pedals include traveling for an event, in which your pedals need to be removed, buying new pedals, and just general bike care.

Tools & Supplies Needed:
Pedal wrench - a normal adjustable wrench will work, but a pedal wrench will help you protect the pedal and provide more leverage for stubborn pedals.

Grease - used to re-grease the pedal threads if dry.

Set of allen wrenches - some pedals are not compatible with pedal wrenches and require the use of a 5,6, or 8 mm allen wrench from the inside tip of the spindle.

TIPS
The 1st thing to know is that the left pedal is reverse threaded. This means that the right one is "righty tighty" and "lefty loosy". The left one is opposite. Viewing from atop the bike, both pedals thread in the direction the bike moves forward. This design is to prevent the pedals from coming off as you pedal forward.

The second thing to know is that pedals are right and left specific. They are usually marked with a small R or L.

Leave the wheels on the bike. This stabilizes the bike for stubborn pedals.

If you ever notice that the threads are dry, add a little grease. I usually do this once every 6 months and on every set of new pedals I buy.

STEPS
The best position for taking pedals off is to stand over the bike with the crank arm that has the pedal you are taking off facing straight forward. Attach the pedal wrench so that it is facing straight back. Hold on to the reverse side crank arm with your free hand and press down on the wrench. This is the easiest way to remove pedals.

To replace, always use your fingers to start the threading process to prevent stripping the pedal threads. When tightening, make sure that both pedals are snug. They do not need to be so tight that you may have trouble removing.

If you are ever in doubt, just swing by the shop and we can provide this service free of charge.