Bike retail Archives -

Yes there is a correct way to wear a bicycle helmet

August 2, 2019 Nicola Bicycle helmet, Bike retail, Women cycling

I live in a country where it is compulsory to wear a bike helmet, but I’m not here to debate whether that’s good or not, however if you do wear one it’s important to know the correct way to wear a bicycle helmet. I often see other riders who wear their helmets back off their forehead and hope that they never have an accident because it really isn’t protecting their precious head. Make sure it fits The first step in wearing a bike helmet correctly is to make sure you have the right size and fit for you. Don’t buy

Budget guide to indoor trainer setup – you don’t have to spend thousands

July 18, 2019 Nicola Bike retail, Indoor trainers, Interval training, Women cycling

Indoor trainers have evolved in the last few years to become very sophisticated with price tags to match, but you don’t have to fork out thousands, so here’s my budget guide to indoor trainer setup. My preference is to ride outdoors and I’m lucky enough to live in a temperate climate where this is quite feasible, but it’s good to have a back-up to keep you bike fit. One major benefit of indoor trainers is time efficiency – one hour spent on a trainer is the equivalent of two hours on the road because there’s no coasting so you’re constantly

How to Dress for road cycling in cold weather

May 30, 2019 Nicola Bike retail, Lycra cycle clothing, Women cycling

In my home town of Sydney, the weather has turned from an ‘Indian Summer’ straight to winter in a the last few days, so I thought I’d share my tips on how to dress for road cycling in cold weather. In short it’s all about the layers. I’m lucky enough to live in the lovely city of Sydney, where our weather is fairly temperate all year round, but it does get a little cold in the middle of winter. That means I’m a big fan of layers for colder temperatures, and I vary my layers depending on just how cold

Last minute christmas gift ideas for cyclists

December 18, 2018 Nicola Bike retail, Christmas gift

If your stuck for last minute Christmas gift ideas for cyclists then you’ve come to right place. Here’s a few suggestions for all those obsessed road cyclists in your life. Local bike shop gift certificate Support your local bike shop (or the favourite shop of the person you’re buying for) and head on in for a gift certificate. Most bike shops will be open right up to Christmas Eve and will be happy to help you out. If you know what they’d really like you can always buy an actual gift from the local bike shop. Most will offer an

Christmas Gift Guide for female road cyclists from Women Who Cycle

December 4, 2018 Nicola Bike retail, Christmas, Christmas gift, Women cycling, women's bikes

Christmas Day is just three weeks away so it’s timely to share this year’s Christmas Gift Guide for female road cyclists. I always enjoy compiling this list and choose things I’d like to receive from Santa Claus. I hope it helps you find that perfect gift for the cycling-obsessed roadies in your life. S-Works Women’s Tarmac Disc This gorgeous bike is my top pick for this Christmas. It’s an amazing machine and there’s also a more affordable version of it available from Specialized as well. S-Works Women’s Power Mimic saddle This is a new women’s saddle from Specialized that I

Ten things I’ve learned about road cycling in ten years

November 27, 2018 Nicola Bike retail, Brain health, Heart health, Mental health, Women cycling

I recently celebrated my tenth anniversary of road cycling, so I thought I’d share the most important things I’ve learned about road cycling. Taking up road cycling was the second best decision I ever made. The first was when I chose my life partner, the gorgeous Phillip. Riding makes you fit The past ten years have been my fittest ever. Before I took up riding I tried various forms of exercise like gym membership, aerobics classes, jogging and power walking but it wasn’t until I started riding a road bike regularly that I could truly claim to be fit for

Skills: you need to master changing gears on your road bike

November 21, 2018 Nicola Bike maintenance, Bike retail, Bike skills, Women cycling, women's bikes

For me a really fundamental part of riding is to master changing gears on your road bike. It took me a few years to really feel comfortable with all those gears on my bike, but over time I learnt about them and it really transformed my riding. And I, like so many other new riders used to ride in a ‘big’ gear when I first started riding a road bike. It seems that when we start out we expect it to be hard to turn over the pedals so we tend to use a gear that challenges our legs. What

A women’s guide to carrying your bike in or on your car

August 21, 2018 Nicola Bike retail, Women cycling

There’s a myriad of options for carrying your bike in or on your car. I actually carry my own precious road bike inside my car because I drive a hatchback, and can fold the rear seats down, and slide it in, but if you’ve got more than one bike to carry, or don’t have a car with plenty of space, you’ll need to look at some other plan. Here’s Women Who Cycle’s tips on the various options in the marketplace: Inside your car If you own a van, station wagon, hatchback or SUV you’ll probably have the option to safely

Dressing for road cycling in cool weather is all about the layers

June 5, 2018 Nicola Bike retail, Lycra cycle clothing, Women cycling

Dressing for road cycling in cool weather is all about the layers. I’m lucky enough to live in the lovely city of Sydney, where our weather is fairly temperate all year round, but it does get a little cool in the middle of winter. That means I’m a big fan of layers for colder temperatures, and I vary my layers depending on just how cold it gets. In the past I had a tendency to overdress, but I’ve been making a concerted effort to get it right this autumn and winter, and so far so good. A good rule to

You need good lights for a road bike to see and be seen

April 3, 2018 Nicola Bike retail, Commuting by bike, Women cycling

Like many road cyclists, I ride early in the morning to avoid traffic, and to leave the rest of my day free to work or play, so I use lights for a road bike to see and be seen. This means that for several months during the year I leave home in the dark. One thing that constantly amazes me is that I see other cyclists riding around with inadequate or even no lights on their bikes. They are also often decked out in dark clothing on dark bikes. I’m not sure if they are trying to be really ‘cool’