FreeFlow Bikes Blog

Just a few quick words about bike specific multi tools…

Personally speaking I don’t ever go too far on the bike without at least a 5mm Allen key as it is the most common size needed on bikes, although 4 and 6mm are fairly common too and because of this, more often than not I pick up a multi tool as a handy means of carrying all the tools I’m likely to need when hitting the trails.

A snapped chain is going to put a dampener on any ride unless you have  a chain tool which is handy for removing links from a snapped chain and allowing a quick link to be installed which should get you up and running… er  peddling again.

Example of a Quick Link

Other commonly needed tools are a spoke key for trailside spoke tensioning and ‘get me home wheel truing’, make sure it fits your spoke nipples before you set off. A Phillips head screw driver for adjusting mech limits is handy and a flat head can be useful for not only adjusting limit screws but also lightly prying or ‘persuading’ components. A T25 Torx key for disc brake bolts that shake themselves loose or get damaged in crashes is also useful.

Equally important as having the correct tools is knowing how to use them to carry out some basic repairs, do some homework before you need to rely on your tools to get you home!

Lezyne, Park Tool and Topeak all have multi tools which have all of the above features and sometimes even more, theres one to suit every budget, see bleow!

Lezyne carbon v10 multi-toolTopeak Alien iiTopeak Alien-ii

Park Tool mtb-3 Rescue-Tool

Topeak Alien-ii

Andy

Having never been in a skate park in my life I was to say very very nervous, a confined space and a lot of people nipping around not really looking where they are going, it can only really end in disaster..

My first experience was at the East Kilbride skate park one cold damp winter night after work, myself and a few of the guys from FreeFlow Bikes braved the weather when most were focusing on nothing more than getting home with the heating and the t.v on. I was borrowing a friend’s bike as it was my first time and didn’t have one of my own. We turned up to this surprisingly large industrial unit and rolled on it, noticing the clear signs warning NO SKATING IN THE HALL we hopped off our bikes. Once in the main hall the panic started, kids zipping past at 100mph on what I thought had died out in the 90s the micro scooter! Angry looking skaters going backwards hoping on and off boxes and rails, the cool guy BMXers chilling in the corner, every now and then one breaking off and doing an almost lap of domination making sure the others new they were still there, and all I could think was by god help these poor people when I crash, I don’t know if any of you have been involved in a 17st head on collision and 15mph or above………it isn’t pretty, well for the little guy.

First things first getting onto the track, could only be described as entering the motorway at peak time, roll roll roll waiiiit that was close, roll roll roll waiiit, roll roll roll roll ah him bigger!! And I’m on pedal pedal and I’m round up a ramp dodging kamikaze kids down the ramp dodging skaters and regroup, heart racing blood pumping and feeling alert. I soon realised that things where actually quiet organised and that the key was to pick a line and stick to it, after a few laps it was time for a new challenge, pedal from one end of the room and end up at the top of the half pipe, how hard can it be its not that high, famous last words. Andy had suggested I follow his line and keep up to his speed and I would make it no bother, so off we went pedalling like crazy, things where looking good until half way up my bottle crashed and so did my momentum. Andy looked back and must have thought what the hell with the look on my face, terror! As the bike rolled back I went to ground sliding down on my knees coming to a stop at the bottom and feeling pretty embarrassed. Kids still whizzing by me. But the only way is up and back on the bike I got determined to prove that that was a one off. Back to the start pedal pedal pedal and up I went stopping just short of wiping the rest of the guys out, at least I was up and street cred had been restored. Slight problem though getting up was done, now to get back down, it is a lot steeper going down than going up and going up was hard. After some coaching I went in at an angle and keeping my body position more off the back like DHing I was following my line I managed to navigate my way through the masses and reach the guys on the other side feeling pretty good. I had the bug.

First thing Monday morning I was on the hunt looking for a jump bike and there is a lot to choose from, Commencal, Lapierre, Mondraker and many more. I wanted something solid and eye catchy so I picked the Commencal Cromo 2010, an excellent bike with a very high spec, avid juicy brakes and very plush Marzocchi bomber forks this was the one for me. Just a few mods and it was perfect, DMR vault pedals (purple) and Troy Lee Designs grips (yellow).

Where to next? Back to EK or Unit 23. That was the question. Unit 23 I was maybe trying to sprint before I could crawl, a lot of guys who know exactly what they are doing and not leaving much room for error, after a few laps around the hall I decided this was not the place for practice and found myself a little corner to mess around in, watching some of the guys in there was remarkable, 360s, transfers, hoping the boxes and even one guy pulling a back flip, I was encouraged to try and try again, maybe not reaching that level but at least feeling confident enough to tackle the wall ride.

Currently we try and get a group together after work once or twice a week and head up to EK around 7.30pm for a few hours riding and we are always looking for more people to come along, from the very beginner to the most advanced we all started somewhere, advice and pointers are always welcome. We normally put a post up on our forum with dates and times so keep an eye out, or if you feel like going a night that has not been mentioned then feel free to pop up a post and see if anyone else is keen.

Commencal Cromo 2010

Colin
Sales and Marketing manager.

Email: web@freeflowbikes.com
Web: www.freeflowbikes.com
Forum: my.freeflowbikes.com
Blog: blog.freeflowbikes.com

Be Prepared, the motto of the Scouts. Really should be the motto for everything you do in life.

Yesterday I headed out on the road bike with my mate with the intention of racking up 30+ miles. I was on my 2012 Cube Agree GTC Pro Carbon Road bike and my mate was on his hardtail.

Everything went well for the first 14 miles then I got that unmistakable feel of riding on the rim. After stopping to evaluate the situation my instincts were correct, I had a puncture, my first in just under a year so can’t really complain. No big deal I thought, it’s only a puncture!

First we get one side of the tyre off the rim, so far so good, then we remove the inner tube and I clear the foreign object that was protruding from the tyre, while my mate Scott prepares the new spare inner tube. This is where it all goes Pete tong! Somehow the valve manages to pop off as Scott is putting a little air into the tube. After a quick look for the valve, like looking for a needle in a haystack, we decided to bin it and patch up the damaged tube. I took out my never used before gadget, my Topeak CO2 pump and added a little air into the tube and headed over to the large lake like puddle to establish where the hole was. After identifying where the hole was we patched it up and used the remaining CO2 canister to fill the tyre. At this point the vavle had seized, which I think was down to me filling the inner tube up too quickly and the CO2 freezing the valve.

We then packed up hoping that the unlocked valve would hold the pressure in the tube. All was well for the next 1/2 mile then that riding on the rim sensation came back, the tyre was flat again! That was the end of my cycle with only 14 miles done as I was out of CO2 and didn’t have a hand pump on me! I had to phone my wife to come and pick me up.

So the moral of the story is “BE PREPARED“.

Don’t get caught out like I did, check out our range of CO2 Cartridge Pumps, Floor/Track Pumps and Hand Pumps.

This week I was at my old haunt Inner DH trails on the DH bike that I have not been on as much as I would like to have been over the last year (not at all).

I was very pleased to find that the trails where not frozen or even wet.
It was possibly the driest I have seen them ever at this time of year.

As it was the first I had been Downhilling in over a year I plan’d on taking it easy and getting back in to it one step at a time well that was out the window as soon as I pulled the bike out the van.

Before I know it I was sat at the top of one of inners steepest run’s full of beans and thinking I was Danny Hart or something.

To say I got a bit of a shock when was faced with a trail that I thought I new and could float down like a champ was my first mistake.

Not only am I not Danny Hart but not even the rider I once was that paired with a trail that has been battered by a years worth of riders and some of the worst weather we have seen made it very challenging. Even the trail has somehow managed to get a lot steeper then I recall.

That said with a large amount of P.M.A. I picked my way down with a smile on my face. Not only did it test the skill’s but the mental state of mind too.

The out come was yet another sweet day on the trails and a small part of my confidence restored.

So yet again get off the couch and get back in the saddle no matter how long it has been get out and test the boundaries you will soon be back up to speed with a grin from ear to ear.

Hope to see you on the trails soon.

Stevie

Things look to be well on the up for marzocchi!!

Over the last few years (2008/2010) they have had their fair share of bad press.

Even though for many years before they where regarded as one of the best suspension manufacturers in the world.

Form around 1999 till 2007 You would not of found any other brand of fork on any of my bikes as I had the biggest crush possible on the brand.

Unfortunately that crush was put on a downward slope as the ever growing issues started for the brand.

Thankfully to my and many other riders delight they came back in 2011 with some of the sickest products in their day’s.

I was immedietly struck down with Green-eyed-monster syndrome and had to have a set and promtly edited my 2011 custome build to include a set of 888 RC3 EVO Ti forks.

And to say I was happy with them is a massive understatement.

First of all they the least amount of friction of any DH fork that I ever come across.

Secondly, it’s the lightest coil sprung DH fork there is (and I never thought I’d be saying that about a 888).

Thirdly, it’s proved to be one of the most reliable too.

And finally the oil bath RC3 damper combined with the adjustable air volume enables me to get the fork feeling exactly the way I want it to.

And looking at the 2012 line-up they are looking SWEET!!!

Be sure not to over look the brand on your 2012 build at any ride level as they are a very substantial and durable brand.

“The 888 has been reworked quite substantially using the feedback of Marzocchi’s World Cup riders. First off the rebound piston now uses shims – this is called V2 – which enables more accurate control and customisation of the rebound stroke. Secondly, the compression range has been modified to give a firmer, more ‘race-like’ feel to it. The EVO valve retains the shim damped high- and low-speed compression adjustment, as before.”

The 888 RC3 EVO TI V2 is available in white only.
It has 200mm of travel,
A 20mm axle,
Nickel-coated tapered aluminium stanchions,
Post-mount brake tabs for an 8in rotor
and titanium hardware throughout.

M-Forks_2012_38_01_4

Stevie Morris
Head Mechanic

It would not be the first time I have woke up on a Sunday morning had a peak out the window and been faced with a freezing cold frosty morning and jump straight back in to bed only to regret it for the rest of the week.

Thankfully this was not the case this time.

Me and a few friends took the plunge and headed for The Scottish Borders.

That is not to say I did not question my sanity once or twice on the drive down.

Only to get there and have one of the best rides I have had for a long time the trails where bone dry (Frosen Solid) and riding super quick “As brakes are no good on ice”

So go on get out and ride.

old skool DH

When we think of bikes in this day and age we think of front and rear suspension, light frames, quick release wheels and super light drive trains. But it hasn’t always been like that. So where did it all start?

In 1817 Baron Von Drais invented the walking machine, two wheels mounted to a wooden frame which you straddled and using your feet pushed yourself along the ground, it was more of a push and glide rather than a pedal.

In 1865 came the Velocipede or boneshaker, this was the first time pedals where applied to a bike, the pedals where mounted to the front wheel, The frame was made of wood and the tyres of metal, not the most comfortable of rides on a cobble street.

Five years later was to be a revelation for the bicycle and out came the famous High Wheel bicycle, known for its iconic over sized front wheel this was the first full metal bike, the pedals where still attached to the front wheel and manufactures soon realised that the bigger the wheel the further the bike would travel with one rotation however there was a few setbacks there was no adjustable seat post or varied crank lengths so your size of wheel all depended on your inside leg measurements. A revolutionary bike for its time there was one main set back, due to the rider sitting so high above the centre of gravity as soon as the bike hit a stone or crack in the road the rider was thrown face first to the road (if only troylee designs were around).

Over 100 years later and how bikes have advanced, even in the last 10 years bikes have went from strength to strength and with more and more people taking up the sport the industry has advanced on every level with many disciplines branching off from the traditional cross country style such as Downhill, enduro, all mountain, free riding, 4X, road, BMX and so on.

I wonder how Baron Von Drais would react if he was alive today seeing a bike such at the Mondraker foxy RR 2012 with its Stealth alloy frame, Fox float RP2 XV boost valve kashima coated rear shock, Formula RX brakes and a SRAM carbon crankset. Or the outstanding Cube Litening Super HPC SLT, sporting the most advanced gearing system the Shimano Di2 which electronically switches gears enabling a more smoother transition up and down gears, and made from carbon fibre this bike weighs only 6.3kg

Colin

Marketing and Sales Manager

the beast

Cubes Litening Super HPC SLT

Recent government statistics show that cyclists are 14 times more likely to be injured than car drivers – per mile travelled on British Roads.

Wearing a helmet will do absolutely nothing to prevent you from getting hit by a car. Sure, helmets might help you if you get hit, but your #1 goal should be to avoid getting hit in the first place.

Here are some simple tips to keeping yourself safe with riding on the roads.

1. Wear a reflective vest: High quality reflective gear makes you a lot more visible even in the day time, not just at night. Bike shops have vests for as little as £19.99 and jackets for as little as £59.99. Also when you hear a motorist approaching, straightening up into a vertical position will make your reflective gear more noticeable.
2. Get a rear light. If you’re riding at night, you absolutely should use a flashing red rear light. Statistics show that 60% of bike collisions are caused by cyclists riding at night without lights. You can buy a rear light for as little as £10.00 to £15.00
3. Get a mirror and use it. Especially when riding in urban areas with heavy congestion. A mirror will allow you to be able to see what is coming up behind you and allow you to move if necessary. In the 4 seconds you use to turn your head to see what is coming behind you not only could you hit something you could veer as your head moves? Recent studies showed that cyclists who used a mirror felt their paranoia was reduced significantly when using a bike mirror. If you’re not convinced, after you’ve used your mirror for a month, take it off your bike and ride around and notice how you keep glancing down to where your mirror was, and notice how unsafe you feel without it. Most stores will sell bike mirrors for as little as £14.99


Follow the above steps to help lower the risk of accidents