Hands-Free Shifting

A while back we shared the magic of our internal 8-speed hubs. Well, we're equal opportunity wheel builders. Say hello to our 2-speed friends, the Sturmey-Archer Kickback and the SRAM Automatix.

Both hubs give the rider one extra gear, both are internal, both are practically zero maintenance, and best of all, both are hands-free.

How's that? Yup, hands-free. No shifter or cable of any kind. See, we told you these things are magic.

Sturmey Archer Kickback

The Sturmey Archer works, as its name describes, by a backpedal of a 1/4 turn. The kickback action of the crank arms and the chain toggle the hub into the other gear. If you're in first you'll shift into second and vice versa. The second gear is about 1/3 higher than the first. That means you'd use it on flat or downhill rides and would spin the pedals less often, but have to exert more force to do so.

SRAM Automatix

The Sturmey is easy, but the SRAM is truly effortless.

Hear me out: you hop on your bike and begin down the street. Your bike is easy to pedal which is good because you're coming from a dead stop. As you increase speed however your legs are spinning faster and faster. Then intuitively, as you exceed 11mph, the hub shifts into a higher gear to reduce your cadence and increase your speed. Your legs have slowed down but your bike has sped up.

Of course the opposite is also true: once your speed dips below 11mph the hub automatically shifts into the lower gear. Automatix!

These 2-speeds provide a little boost after a long day. For those with moderate to easy hills they're just the thing.

Build one up for yourself.

 

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Exclusive: Put A Ring On It

Grip Rings are a brand new way to build grips, for any handlebar type, in any length and in any color pattern. Let that sink in for a minute. Any length, any pattern.

How many patterns, you ask? Well, a standard seven ring grip has over 35 million possibilities. Is that enough?

Made of soft silicon rubber, the rings come in 12 vibrant colors and install in minutes. The nested design allows each ring to lock in place with every other to prevent any slipping or rotation. A simple expander plug caps the bar and you're done.

With these rings you can bring out any color detail on your bike. Design your set here.

Grip Rings are available exclusively at Mission Bicycle.

 

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Top 5 Bicycle Songs

We asked around the shop for the best bike songs and made a list of tunes with significant and specific bike references. Then we gave bonus points for absurdity and whimsy and picked our top five. Enjoy.

5. Daisy Bell by Harry Dacre: This 120 year old song tells the story of penny-less courtship. Among other virtues, Daisy will "look sweet on the seat of a bicycle built for two." This song holds the unique distinctions of being the first song ever sung by a computer way back in 1961, then again by the infamous HAL in Kubrick's 2001: A Space Odyssey, and today if you ask Siri to sing, "Daisy Bell" comes out. Go ahead, ask her.

4. The Bike Song by Mark Ronson & The Business Intl: This 2010 tune from Brit Mark Ronson is catchy and loaded with riding. The video features an absurd introduction complete with a transformer bike, gratuitous slow-motion and anthropomorphous bikes that foil a bike thief. It's groovy in a campy British way. See it here.

3. Scraper Bike by Trunk Boiz: "What is this? What do we have here? Handlebars? I don't even have to steer. Scraper bike, oh so hype." And oh they are, oh so hype. If you've never seen a scraper bike crew you're missing out. From Oakland, our neighbor across the bay, this YouTube sensation is a DIY triumph and can serve as your introduction. To hear the song click below, for more about the riders click here.

2. Bike by Pink Floyd: Bike is a classic psychedelic love song. Frontman Syd Barrett sings, "I'll give you anything, everything if you want things," except for the bike that opens the song. That he admits, is borrowed. Sorry. The tune ends with a circus of bike sounds manipulated into abstraction. Hear it here.

1. Bicycle Race by Queen: So this was an obvious choice right? Over the top as always, Queen have long had a crowd favorite with this spirited tribute to the bike. With poetic lines like, "Hey man Jaws was never my scene and I don't like Star Wars" it's no wonder why. But...

Have you ever seen the original video? Close the door, lock the kids up and whatever you do, don't watch it at work. We repeat, it's NSFW. To set your expectations for what's in store consider this: "Bicycle Race" was originally released as a single along with the song, "Fat Bottomed Girls." Yup.

 

Hey Bay Area, want more bikes and beats? The Bicycle Music Festival is coming up next weekend, Saturday, June 23rd. Add your voice to the next chorus of best bicycle songs.

 

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Better Than Bungee

A flat tire doesn't have to be an annoying event. It can be an opportunity to tie your shoes, meet a stranger and procure an awesome bungee.

Punctured bicycle tubes make great helpers. Take your next flat, split that circle into a line, and use it to tie whatever you need onto your body or bike. 

If you're diligent about pumping up your tires and don't get flats often, just stop by your local bike shop. They've got a whole box of spent tubes and should be happy to give you one or two. Circle of life.

 

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Oversimplified: When to Replace Your Brake Pads

Brake pads are easy to overlook. They don't need much attention, but check in on them once in a while for wear and tear. When they're ready to be replaced, don't put it off. While going is more fun, stopping is pretty useful.

"How will I know when it's time," you say? Glad you asked.

Brake pads have notches that indicate how much life is left in the pad.

Some brakes will just need a new pad that slides into the existing metal shoe, while others will need the pad and shoe combo replaced.

Your local bike shop can take care of the details, but it's up to you watch the pads and bring your bike in. Expect to pay anywhere from $8-$20 per brake for a set of replacement pads, and an additional $7-$15 in total labor. On your next descent you'll be glad you did.

 

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So That's How That Works

Many things seem similar, but are in fact different: frogs and toads, raisins and Craisins®, water and vodka. So please, stop drowning toads in Vodka. 

There's similar confusion surrounding bicycle tube valves. Most bikes have one of two valve types, either Schrader or Presta. The difference is easy to overlook... until you need to pump one up.

Schrader (left) and Presta (right) tubes side by side.

Schrader valves are short and stocky, like you see on car tires. The valve has a central pin that lets air in or out. Schrader valves are more common and ubiquitous on certain styles of bike like BMX, beach cruisers and kids' bikes.

Presta valves are long and skinny, and can be found on nearly all contemporary road bikes, as well as on a handful of other styles. Presta valves are smaller in diameter so the opening needed in the rim is smaller. This helps fortify the rim at the valve hole, which is often the weakest point. On wider rims this isn't an issue, but on thin street rims it can be.

An open Presta valve. Click to embiggen.

To inflate a Presta valve, unscrew the tip of the stem by turning the valve head. Once open, give it a tap with your finger to make sure you can hear air coming out. Attach your pump and get to work. Remember to close the valve fully when inflated.

An adapter is available if you find your Presta tubes flat with only an old-fashioned Schrader pump on hand. The adapter screws directly onto the open valve stem and in an instant provides the right diameter for a Schrader pump.

If you find yourself with Schrader valves and a fancy Presta-only pump... well, you're out of luck.

P.S. Tubes always come with a little plastic cap that covers the valve tip. Try to hold on to it for your Schrader valves, it will help keep debris out. Don't worry about losing it on your Presta valve however; the threaded tip is protection enough.

 

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From Humble Origins...

The humble leg strap just got a promotion.

Introducing the trouser strap. It's classy. English classy.

In addition to being beautiful, these Brooks leather straps are effortless. A thin band coils the strap around your pants. No Velcro, no snap, no nothing. Just straighten it out then slap it on.

Keep your pants free and clean of the chain in style here.

P.S. We're looking for a few resident creative geniuses. Are you a writer, designer or videographer interested in working with us? Please click here.

 

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Help! Seeking Resident Creative Geniuses

Mission Bicycle Company is looking for several resident creative geniuses. Please read on for more info.

Resident Designer

You are a freelance graphic designer whose style is clean, elegant and minimal. You like simple bold graphics and icons. You are comfortable and fluent working with photography as an integral element of design. You appreciate that we marry form and function on beautiful bicycles everyday and you'd like to develop an ongoing relationship with a company that has such a high regard for aesthetics.

We are a small company that is growing quickly. We frequently need to produce beautiful materials like spoke cards, icons, event signage and graphics for both web and print. We'll provide the content, but we'd love to hear your ideas. Click here for some examples of past work.

Our preference is to establish a budget for each project in advance but we're willing to consider compensating at hourly rates as well.

Please send a link to your portfolio to kristin@missionbicycle.com

Resident Writer

You are a bicycle rider and captivating storyteller. If you've got the power of the pen and are familiar with navigating San Francisco by bicycle we'd love to meet you. We produce weekly and daily web content and are gearing up to expand our output. We need folks who are familiar with cycling in SF and know how to speak (write) directly to other cyclists of all levels.

You would be working directly with our staff on a freelance basis to produce original and beautiful content. One week we may send you out to document an SF ride by capturing unique details and reporting back about what treasures await our readers. The next week we may be producing a product email or maintenance demo. We'll provide the content, but we'd love to hear your ideas.

Photography experience and a personal camera are a huge plus but not required. Click here for some examples of what we have in mind.

If this sounds like fun and you've got the chops, please send a writing sample to kai@missionbicycle.com.

Resident Videographer

You live in the city and are great at editing short videos. You have your own equipment and a keen eye for beautiful and interesting shots. Your flexible schedule allows enough time to give us a hand with producing short videos in the shop and around the city. Ideally you're a bike rider and already have an understanding of how to translate the joys and community of cycling onto film.

To start with:

  • How To Video (How to crash when you have to)
  • Product Videos (This is a Palmy lock, here's how to use it)
  • Component Videos (What's a sealed cartridge bearing headset and why should I care?)
  • Mission Bicycle Events (Festivals, rides, in-store events and more)
  • And of course, beautiful bikes and beautiful bike riding shots

If all goes well we might even send you to a few of our vendors and manufacturers to tell the story of our components. We have all kinds of ideas and are interested in hearing yours. You can see recent work here and here.

Please send a link of your work to jefferson@missionbicycle.com

 

P.S. - Want to give us a call with a few questions? Please don't. We're busy, that's why we need help. Thanks for understanding and thank you for your interest.

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Our Top Ten Bike Blogs

We are bike obsessed. When not building bikes, riding bikes or talking about bikes, we are looking at bikes on the Internet. But the bike blogosphere is dense, and it takes a strong will to wade through it. Thankfully, we've done a lot of research for you.

We humbly present, in no particular order, our top ten favorite bike blogs. Each has its own niche and character. Take them for a spin and see which one fits you.

City Riding

For the Love of Bikes: Great commuter blog with a focus on new products, simple graphics and clean photos. (NYC)

Bikes And The City: One of our favorite bike blogs is back! Bikes, boys and coffee. Meli reminds us to appreciate riding in the city, proves that we can look great on a bike and that there is somehow a connection between biking and coffee. (SF)

UrbanVelo: This regularly updated blog and bi-monthly zine has loads of reviews, news and community updates for urban riders. It's a great place to get the scoop on new gear and developing trends. The magazine, which differs from the blog, is also available for free download. (Pittsburgh)

Anything / Everything Bike

Bike Snob: Surely the most widely read bike blog in the world. BikeSnob is a bike culture denier and bully. When he's not being mean (the funny looking and fashion forward are his favorite targets) he's kind of hilarious. When he is being mean, he's completely hilarious. If you want to know what's going on, grimace and read it. (NYC)

Bike Hugger: Short and frequent blips and full length reviews on a wide range of all things bicycle. Byron focuses on performance, technology, innovation, racing, road riding and a little commuting.

Trackosaurus Rex: Clean and elegant presentation of beautiful bikes and gear. The focus is on urban and road riding but with over 600 pages there's a bit of something for everyone. (LA)

Advocacy

Copenhagenize: The ultimate international bike advocacy blog. Mikael reports on innovations and advancement around the world in urban planning and bicycle commuting. He also shares great advocacy videos from every corner of the earth. (Copenhagen)

Bikeyface: A personal cartoon blog about the adventures of an anonymous Boston commuter. Emphasis on advocacy and safety with personality.

SFStreetsBlog: Cycling and pedestrian advocacy site that monitors local and national transportation issues. A great source for what legislation and infrastructure may affect your commute, and how best you can respond to those changes. Also has city specific sites for NYC, LA, DC and general national coverage.

Magnificent Octopus: Beautifully designed bicycle advocacy illustrations. (Great Britain)

Commuter Threads

Pop quiz: Is a bib something worn by roadies or babies?

Okay, it's both. But neither one is much help on your morning commute. The good news is we've got threads made just for you and your ride.

Introducing the 2012 Levi's Commuter Series. Stylish and functional shirts, pants and jackets to be worn all day, on and off your bike.

We are proud to feature the line and want to invite you down to the shop to see the goods. Levi's has married the needs of urban riders with their knowledge of design. Simply put, the results are awesome.

We are currently wearing and stocking:

Drop by to say hello and check them out.

 

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