Around Valentine's Day, many people think of their favorite combination as themselves and their significant other. But here at J&A, we LOVE to pair fitness with all sorts of fun activities and events.

Ride and shine with le Tour de Bean, a cycling event that will take you to Austin's best coffee shops, or help keep your run beautiful with The Trail Foundation. You can also take on a challenging ride for the delicious reward of Shiner Beer at the finish line of the Great Austin to Shiner Pedal, or G.H.A.S.P. Plan a summer of amazing races with the Texas Tri Series. Learn how to ride safely with the Au stin Cycle Camp, perform all necessary bike safety inspections at the mechanics corner and get all the gear that you'll need for both triathlon and bike events with the Rookie Package. You can find a combination to suit your fitness goals almost everywhere you look or stop in at J&A to discover a few more!

Ever wonder who helps keep the Trail around Lady Bird Lake looking great? The Trail Foundation (TTF) is a nonprofit that works with the city and community supporters to protect and enhance the 10-mile Trail. Our Trail sees 1.5 million visits a year, and as Austin grows so will the number of people who use this great resource. Click here to support TTF by becoming a member today. Also keep an eye out for the inaugural TTF/J&A fundraiser and party, to be held later this year.

Just when you think it couldn't get any better, we're combining coffee and cycling to bring you the inaugural le Tour de Bean. This social winter ride leaves from J&A and will make it's way to some of the best coffee shops in Austin. The ride starts at 8:30am, on February 27th. Don't worry if that's early for you to start riding - you'll be wide awake by the end! Get updates on Facebook and RSVP to Richelle Lopez at richellelopez@mac.com if you'd like to join.

If you like beer and bikes (who doesn't?!) the Great Austin to Shiner Pedal is the perfect ride for you. Participants will ride 100 miles through small towns and scenic byways to the historic Spoetzl Brewery in Shiner, Texas. When participants reach the brewery, delicious food from the Shiner Smoke House, a free tour of the brewery, live music by a few of Texas' hottest bands and, of course, BEER awaits! To learn more about the Great Houston/Austin to Shiner Pedal, click here.

If you feel like adding some variation to your routine before the GHASP, check out the Joe Six Pack Speed Challenge. After completing list of fun, physical tasks, you can join us at J&A on April 4th for the Feed-Bag/Shiner GHASP Registration party to claim your prize. You'll also have a chance to win tons of other great Shiner prizes and free entries to the Great Austin to Shiner Pedal.

Whether you're getting ready for your first triathlon or cycling event, The Rookie package is the best deal in town. The Rookie package includes everything you need to get started and keep going. For $999, you can get all of the following:

• Felt Z100 road bike
• Louis Garneau Multi Shoe
• Profile Design Triathlon Shorts or Pearl Izumi Cycling Shorts
• Profile Design Tri Top or Pearl Cycling Jersey
• Wellgo SPD pedals
• Lazer Helmet
• Flat repair kit & 2 tubes
• Race belt and easy laces (which can be replaced by a Cat-Eye cycling computer)
• 2 water bottles
• 2 bottle cages

The roads of Central Texas are bustling with the sounds of cars, trucks, SUV's, and the lovely hum of hubs, cogs, chains, and cranks that signal cycling hibernation is over and it's time to start thinking about the 2010 season. Whether you're a total road rookie or seasoned veteran, the simple fact is that as the number of vehicles and bicycles on the roads increase, so do your chances of being involved in an accident. Here are nine tips to help make this season a safe one.

Tip 1 - If you wouldn't do it in you car, don't do it on your bike We can talk forever about rules of the road, riding defensively, and the like. But the bottom line is that if you're about to do something on your bike you would never think of doing in your car, don't. I see cyclists blow through red lights and tempt their fate at four way stops. If you're trying to see how fast you can go, sign up for a race. Otherwise, set an example for everyone and follow the traffic laws. That's cooler than ending up in ICU.

Tip 2 - Carry identification in the event something happens, it's important for emergency personnel to know who you are and any existing medical conditions they may need to be aware of. That can be as easy as carrying a cell phone and programming an I.C.E. number (in case of emergency). There are also other options available including R oad I.D., an identification band that provides first responders a number to call for your pertinent medical history.

To continue reading Trey's tips, click here.

Trey Steele is a USA Cycling Certified Coach and Co Founder of Austin Cycle Camp, providing fitness camps and skills clinics to cyclists of all ability levels. To read more about Trey and Austin Cycle camp, click he re.

Even though the mechanics here at J&A are more than happy to work on your bikes, there are a few things that you can do at home to keep your bike in good working order.

Most importantly, keep proper air pressure in your tires. You should check your air pressure every day or every time you ride. If your tires have the right amount of air in them, not only will it be easier to ride, but you will get less flats and your tires will last a lot longer.

Every 3 or 4 rides is to keep your chain properly lubricated. Your chain will not only work better but your bike will run smoother and the life of your chain will be prolonged quite a bit.

Finally, the easiest way to make your bike last longer and look better is to keep it clean. Not everyone can use a hose and bucket at home, but anyone can at least wipe down the bike if it is just a little dirty. When you keep your bike clean, everything not only works better, but it will help lengthen the life of your drivetrain and help you to find any issues with your bike, whether it is finding a crack in your frame or simply keeping your hands clean when you have to change a flat. We suggest washing your bike at least once every couple of weeks under normal riding conditions and after every ride that is wet or muddy.

If all else fails bring your bike to us here at the shop and we would be happy to clean it. If you want we can show you some tips on how to clean your bike quickly without skipping over anything.