Mechanical

MECHANICAL

Wheel Upgrades?
Aside from the bicycle′s frame, the wheels have the greatest effect on how a bicycle will feel and handle. Upgrading to a lighter set of wheels will make your bike handle with greater agility and accelerate more easily. Add a set of deep-section aerodynamic wheels and you can expect to go faster, shaving seconds from each hard effort on flat land.

Crank length?
Just as frame size, saddle height and stem length should reflect the dimensions of the bicycle′s rider, crank length should be reflective of the rider′s leg length, that is, a rider with longer legs will require longer cranks. Relatively small changes in crank length will have an effect on the rider′s pedal stroke and power output. In the course of a complete fitting our trained fit professionals will address crank length as well as each of the other dimensions of bicycle fit.

Gearing?
We frequently get questions about what sort of gearing we recommend for road bikes. Because of the incredible diversity of terrain here in Los Angeles we are advocates for having a broad range of gears to allow you to ride comfortably everywhere you go. There′s nothing like exploring the diversity of rides that Southern California has to offer and there plenty of hilly roads to tackle. Many of the bikes we sell are equipped with compact gearing to give you extra low-end gearing for going uphill. When combined with a 12-25 cassette, you can tackle just about any hill � except maybe Fargo Street.

Hard Tail vs. Full Suspension
It used to be that cross-country riders rode full-suspension bikes exclusively and if you owned a full-suspension bike, you were obviously a downhiller. Those distinctions have been blurred. Hard tails are still the domain of cross-country riders who seek the very lightest rigs possible, but full-suspension bikes come in more flavors than you might think. From all-mountain bikes that can be pedaled uphill to lightweight rigs that can be raced cross-country, riders have more choices now to suit their riding strengths and preferences.