Goldstream Sports Ski

September 2007, Volume 2

There is a smell in the air around fairbanks. It kinda smells like snow. Now, there has not been any evidence of this yet, but the weather reports keep mentioning it in the hills, and it wont be too long until it hits the valley. Now, don't get upset, we have had a most amazing summer - and summer is just filler, right?

So, winter is around the corner, and in order to make way for all the skis coming in we have started our expansion project. Goldstream Sports is expanding the building by 36 feet, that means doubling the retail space! We are also hoping that Joel will let us put in the indoor bike track that we have been begging for. I'll let you know how the begging works out.

Our head mechanic Tyson has finished here for the summer and has moved to Anchorage to focus on his training to become a world class skier. Good luck to Tyson and Davya for their winter season at UAA.

We have a great article by Douglas Yates in this newsletter, we appreciate his efforts in working on bicycle advocacy on all of our behalf.

Equinox Marathon

Congratulations to all of the Equinox Marathon runners. Special congratulations to Matias Saari who finally won the race after being bridesmaid twice, and to Shelley Johnson for winning the Women's division. Anyone who enters this race is a winner in my books, and anyone who finishes - that is instant Super Hero status.

Personally I am brimming with pride - a good friend of mine, Leukemia survivor and proud new father Andrew Roberts, who not only survived Leukemia, he trained really hard and came 60th in his very first marathon! I know there are a lot of great stories out there, this is just one of them. Great Job Andy, and all of the runners wearing purple in this year's race!

Skis on their way!

Our shipment of skis and accessories is a couple of weeks away. We are very excited and are making room for the new stock. We will let you know when our Salomon and Madshus skis arrive.

Sale Item - Bikes, Packs, Racks, Clothing 10-40% off

All of our full suspension bikes and most 29ers are 20% off. That means huge savings on the Gary Fisher Caliber and Super caliber, as well as the full Trek EX line, and the Gary Fisher Paragon and X-Calibers. Take 20% off all of the Madones in stock as well.

Our bike racks and packs are 15% off. That includes the Interchange system where packs easily snap on and off the rack for easy attachment and removal, The packs include panniers, grocery bags and trunk packs. This is a great way to carry your school books or groceries without a bulky backpack .

All of our bike clothing is a smoking 40% off. Get ready for your spinning class and get some shorts and jerseys so you can be cool and comfortable while cycling the calories away.

Tech Tip: winterize your bike

Don't deny it, it is going to get cold and icy here soon. So, it is time to start preparing your bike for the winter. There are two frames of mind about bikes and winter. The first is to hang up the bike and wait until spring. The other is to keep on pedaling no matter the temperature.

Both are great ideas. If you decide to hang up the bike for the season, make sure you look after it and keep it in a dry place where it cannot rust or knocked around.

But, you are a cold weather rider, here are a few tips to get your bike in order for the colder months:

Studded tires are a good idea if you plan to ride during the winter on the pavement. They give extra grip on the icy surface. Both road and mountain bike tires are available with various stud counts. Off-road riding will require good tread, and while studs are not required, a good nobbly tire with large surface area is the best option.

Tire pressure varies with the different tire types. Studded tires should be at a relatively high pressure: 40 to 50PSI on-road, and off-road you will want to reduce this to around 20 to 30PSI.

Winterizing the bike is important for a safe and comfortable ride. There are a few different things you can do to a bike to prepare it for the cold temperatures. Gluing tires to one side of the rim will make sure that the tires stay firmly in place and not rotate on the rim and rip off the air valve. This is most important on bikes that are being moved from a warm temperature to a cold temperature which causes the metal and rubber to contract at different rates, and that can break the seal from the rim and the tire.

Here are a few other things you can do:

Change out grease in the hubs and head-set to a winter grease.
Change to a rigid front fork, as most shocks are filled with oil, and the rubber o-ring can split.
Swap the clip-in pedal to a platform pedal if you are going to be wearing winter boots.

Goldstream sports can winterize your bike for you, saving you the hassle. Come in and talk to one of our bike specialists.

Dispelling assumptions about bike paths, FCC advocates for safety and effectiveness

By Douglas Yates

Two years ago, the Fairbanks Cycle Club recognized that bicycling in Fairbanks needed to emphasize its voice with transportation planners and the general public. The population of Fairbanks is growing, road improvement funding is increasing, and cycling is attracting more riders to Interior roads and trails.

Local trends are matched by the national experience, but without someone dedicated to the issues bike riders often end up reacting rather than leading. As a cyclist with some public policy experience and an interest in building greater awareness for the benefits that come with cycling, I was asked to act as FCC's public advocate.

Since the club’s formation over 25 years ago, it has mainly been involved in organizing races and touring events. It has also held mechanical clinics as well as an annual bike swap, both aimed at putting more people on safe bicycles. In past years, the club has also helped with expenses for people traveling to races Outside. This past season club volunteers organized a slate of youth training races, primarily designed to get kids fully acquainted with safe cycling while building competitive spirit.

As to planning roads to accommodate safer cycling, the Fairbanks Cycle Club supports the state’s legal acknowledgment (Alaska Administrative Code, 13.02.400) that bicycles are vehicles. In this regard, bicycles have as much claim on the roadway as automobiles. However, planners for the state and federal highway system, and most of the general public, mistakenly assume that separated bike paths offer greater safety than wider roads. National studies consistently show that more bike injuries occur on bike paths than on roadways.

From the public’s vantage it’s easy to assume sidewalks and bike paths are viable options for cyclists, but looks can be deceiving. Experienced cyclists shun bike paths and sidewalks for several reasons. Chiefly, the surfaces are often in need of more repair than the adjacent roadway, and sight lines associated with driveways and curb cuts create collision hazards. These realities reduce the effectiveness of bicycles and limit personal enjoyment.

With daily exceptions, Fairbanks exhibits a healthy acceptance of bicycles. While we agree that everyone traveling public roadways should do so by observing forbearance, courtesy and legal ordinance, it bears repeating that bicycles may be legally operated on the roadway.

The soon-to-be finished bike path along the Parks Highway, between Sheep Creek Rd. and the Old Nenana Highway, highlights how bike paths fail to address the needs of experienced bike users. The approximately six-mile-long route is a combination of an attached and separated bike path. It will attract many different users: walkers, runners, 4-wheelers, snowmachiners, skiers and bicyclists. Not to mention kids with dogs and skateboards. Its route crosses numerous business and residential driveways. As in other locations, conflicts between users and automobile access make bike paths a magnet for accidents and resulting injuries.

As a consequence, veteran cyclists, intent on their destination, are likely to avoid the path and ride in the margin of the roadway. When someone complains that cyclists must be arrogant, thickheaded or have a death wish, you’ll be armed with a response that dispels these assumptions.

Riding safely on the roads

This summer has been one for raised awareness for bicycling safely alongside automobiles. With tragic accidents every year in Alaska and across the world, cycling in urban areas is becoming increasingly dangerous. That is why we have to take the initiative to ride as safely as we can. That means following a few simple rules:

Wear bright colors and ride with the traffic. Riding against the traffic is both highly dangerous and against the law. If you are in an accident while riding on the wrong side of the road, your insurance company will most likely not pay your bills, and you could be in some serious trouble.

Wear a helmet at all times, even if it is just to ride down the road to the store.

Make sure when you ride at night, especially at dusk or dawn, that you can be easily seen. This means having reflectors on the bike and your clothing, and also having a bright front lamp and red (flashing or not) rear light.

Follow the traffic laws and do not run red lights or cross roads without first looking both ways. It is not always the car driver's fault in car/bike accidents. There have been some serious accidents, and very close calls that could have been prevented had the bicycle rider been more aware.

Coming into the cold months, this is much more important. Cars cannot stop very quickly when the roads are icy, and thus will often run through an orange light rather than skid through the intersection.

Be aware, and set a good example for others to follow, especially the kids, they are the future and lets keep it bright for them.

Fairbanks Cycling Club elects new board

Recently the Fairbanks Cycling Club had its annual meeting and potluck. A few topics were discussed such as Who will be the new Doug, and where is the club going. A great bunch of people showed up and the entire board has been replaced. This is the first time in the club's history.

The New Board is:

President: Gary Lutz

Vice Pres: Steve Clautice

Secretary: Michelle Kissleman

Treasurer: Pete Wilda

October Calendar of Events

6	Junior Nordic Ski Registration	Randy Middle School	11am
13	Two-St Station Cookie Chal	Patty Center	10am
19-21	ADMA Symposium	Pioneer Park

To subscribe to this newsletter via e-mail, send an empty message to newsletter-subscribe@goldstreamsports.com.

Site Navigation