PEDAL ASSIST ELECTRIC BIKES
A REVOLUTIONARY SEGMENT
In recent years, a silent revolution has been taking place on our streets and trails, quietly transforming the way we commute, exercise, and explore the great outdoors. At the heart of this change lies the pedal-assist e-bike, a remarkable fusion of human power and electric power that's reshaping our perceptions of transportation and recreation.
At first glance, a pedal-assist e-bike might appear almost like its traditional counterpart. Yet, beneath its familiar frame lies a sophisticated electric motor and battery system designed to seamlessly integrate with your pedaling efforts. Unlike throttle-controlled electric bikes, pedal-assist e-bikes provide a boost only when you pedal, amplifying your pedaling power and making cycling a more accessible and enjoyable experience for riders of all ages and fitness levels.
Based on feedback there are a variety of reasons as to why these bikes are so popular. Customers are able to continue their riding after experiencing an injury or change in fitness or increase the length of rides and frequency because of having the boost. In addition, we have customers who stopped riding years ago, but because of this technology are now re-entering the sport. This feedback runs contrary to some opinions that by riding an e-bike, you are not getting enough exercise. E-bikes commonly are equipped with levels of assistance, so you can manipulate how much power you are receiving. The range of battery life does depend on the model, however the vast majority can clock in over 60km on one charge.
Another great benefit to riding an e-bike is contributing to an Eco-friendly planet. By offering a cleaner alternative to gas vehicles, these electric-assist wonders help reduce carbon emissions all while getting fresh air!
Pro-Tip from Uwe, Service Technician at CC Canyon Meadows – “ Do not plug your E-bike in for recharging right after a ride. The battery needs to cool to approximately room temperature before charging for optimal battery life.”
Calgary Cycle offers an array of E-bikes from all our popular brands. Choose from fun and comfortable pathway options to hardtail warriors and the luxe full-suspension bikes. Come and visit us to check out and learn about all the selections!
The CC Team
Pedal Perfect!
A Sizing Guide For Kids Bikes
As Spring has officially arrived in Alberta, now is a great time to consider if your child still fits on their current bike. It can happen quickly in the early growing years that their 12 or 16-inch bicycle unfortunately becomes too small. Many parents can be uncertain if their child needs a new bike or whether they can just make some adjustments to the existing one. Here are some Calgary Cycle expert tips on how to decide what is the best path.
Measure the child’s inseam and take note of their riding posture while they are pedaling. The inseam measurement is the length from the crotch to the floor. This measurement helps determine the minimum seat height for the bicycle. If you notice that your child’s knees are coming up quite high, towards their armpits, then the bike is almost certainly outgrown, unless you can adjust the seat height up to a safe level. As a friendly reminder seat posts do have a safety limit labeled on the post.
Within our 3 CC locations, we carry 12,14, 16, 20, and 24-inch bikes for kids. A general estimate
sizing guide is:
12 Inch Wheel: Ages 2-3: Inseam 15-18”
14 Inch Wheel: Ages 3-4: Inseam 15-20”
16 Inch Wheel: Ages 4-5: Inseam 16-22”
20 Inch Wheel: Ages 5-8: Inseam 19-25”
24 Inch Wheel: Ages 7-11: Inseam 23-28”
Children taller than 4'8", can transition into adult-sized bikes with either 26-inch or 27.5-inch wheels and a small frame. Although some parents may see value in purchasing a bike for their child to grow into, we advise against this practice. It could potentially hinder the child's confidence if they struggle to fully control their turning, stopping, or putting their feet down. Additionally, ensuring that the child has stand-over clearance above the frame is essential for safety and comfort.
Pro Tip from Erin, Sales Associate for Calgary Cycle – Age does not always lend itself to the size of a bike, so be sure to bring your child into the store for a proper fitting.
When it's time to buy a new bike, seek out models with adjustable seats, brakes, and handlebars. This flexibility allows for growth adjustments, accommodating changes in height as needed. At Calgary Cycle we offer a selection of Trek and Norco brands for kid's pedal bikes. Additionally, we stock Strider and Kids Ride Shotgun balance bikes, which don't have pedals. Since sizing can vary between brands, our helpful staff is on hand to ensure you find the perfect fit.
Another factor to consider is whether you want to introduce gears and handbrakes. Bikes can feature various braking systems, from coaster brakes (activated by pedaling backward) or rim brakes to highly efficient disc brakes. They may also offer twist grip gears or a trigger shifter for gear changes. Calgary Cycle has a range of kids' bikes available at different price points, ensuring there's something for everyone to enjoy hitting the pathways. Don't wait – visit us today!
-The CC Team!
Light It Up!
A Guide to Riding Lights
For many cyclists, especially commuters in Alberta where daylight hours are limited, investing in quality bike lights is essential for safety and visibility. Having a quality set of bike lights is an excellent investment to aid in being seen and maximizing your lines of vision. Even though bikes come with standard reflectors on the seat post and wheel area these really are not the most effective nor do they meet legal requirements to ride at night.
“If you are serious about being seen, you need to invest in a good light.” – CC Canyon Meadows Sales Manager, Mike’s pro advice.
Lights come in a variety of lumen strengths starting generally around 200 lumen, best for daytime riding. For dusk and night riding as a commuter in the city limits a minimum of 500 lumen is suggested as well as having a rear tail light. With 500 lumens and setting out in the early hours in the city when others are on the pathways, and you can easily distinguish pedestrians and oncoming riders.
Calgary Cycle is an authorized Trek dealer, therefore the Bontrager brand of lights is carried in all our 3 locations. We also feature brands such as CatEye, Topeak, Magicshine, Serfas, Lezyne and Outbound.
Trek has created a unique design in lighting called KINDBEAM so that when you are approaching someone on the path or in traffic situations, others are not blinded by your lights. The shape of the lens focuses the light down and wide. The lens within the light has a dual purpose for both spotlight function and also to produce a wide fan.
For mountain trail riding the suggestion from the team at Calgary Cycle is a bit different because you need to be able to see through the trees and around corners. This requires vivid and wide illumination. Having a light mounted on your helmet in addition to your handlebar really does make a huge difference in your ability to navigate the trail. By having a light on your helmet, it will follow where your eyes are focused while the handlebar light is going to produce the distance and wide flood of light that you need. Right now, our absolute favorite item for getting your MTB rad on in the dark is - Outbound Lights. Check them out at any of our locations.
Remember – we sell all types of lights and are happy to walk you through the options, Alberta winters can be dark and long, so let’s get LIT.
The CC Team.
Lock it or Lose it!
The Importance of Locking Your Bike and Selecting the Proper Lock
Thousands of bikes are stolen in Calgary every year. Many are taken from people's garages, public parks, and bike storage units in condos. Calgary Cycle works closely with the Calgary Police bike unit and has seen some instances of success with recovering bikes. Obviously, we all want to avoid having these situations happen, so here are some friendly reminders and general lock information to help guide you in choosing the right lock for you and your bike.
Many of the lock brands come with a rating scale on their packaging. This number indicates the durability and deterrent level. Our 3 locations have carried the Kryptonite brand for many years which features a 1-10 rating scale. Locks with a lower rating are more geared towards instances in which your bike is not out of your sight for long periods. The higher the rating the more secure and dense, however, keep in mind these locks are typically heavier and not always able to mount on your bike. U-locks are the most secure option – and come in different sizes to offer flexibility in where you can lock the bike such as to a stationary object or to the bike parts themselves for example locking a wheel to the frame. Some additional options are chain locks which are a medium security option and easier to wrap around the bike or a folding lock that is convenient from a versatility aspect and can also fit neatly into a backpack.
How best to lock your bike can vary depending on what you're securing it to. It can be beneficial to use both a U lock and cable in combination so that you can secure more area. All these tips apply to E-bikes also and with those models be sure to remove any easy-to-grab items before you leave the bike, such as the computer screen (if applicable). Be sure your battery is in the lock position. Get creative in where you think is best to lock it and make the lock harder to “work on” by facing the keyhole down and off the ground. Think about somewhere that may have security cameras around, or perhaps an area that has store security guards in the vicinity. Consider locking your bikes even within your home garage, as this can be the biggest opportunity since it’s easy to be working in the yard and have the door unattended. All these little tricks can make your bike less attractive to thieves. Also, consider not leaving your bike in quiet areas where there is less foot traffic and thieves have more time and privacy to work on cutting the lock.
We do encourage our customers to register their bikes with BIKE INDEX for additional help if stolen. This platform uses the bike's serial number and general details so that if it does get swiped there is a whole global community that can be on the lookout for it, including other bike shops.
Pro tip from Store Manager Erik @ CC Canyon Meadows: Make sure you use up the space within the U-lock so it’s a tight fit and harder to tamper with. On cable locks, the same theory applies but means that you use as much of the cable length as possible, run it through both the frame and the wheels, and lock it to the stationary item. And remember! Make sure you're clever about what you lock your bike to and that it is not something that can be meddled with.
Further questions about locks? Come and see us at any of our 3 locations!
What's Happening at Calgary Cycle - Winter 2023/24
The 2023 year for CC started with some great school initiatives designed to encourage kids to ride and take care of their bikes! We partnered with Banded Peak School in Bragg Creek, as well as Guardian Angel School in the Aspen Landing neighborhood. Kids from different age ranges learned about the importance of proper fitting helmets and how to lock your bike securely when riding to school. We demonstrated how to change a flat tire and covered the different types of bikes available based on what terrain they can take on. These mini-education sessions allowed the kids to also try out pedal-assist e-bikes, learn about emerging technology, and have some fun! We look forward to 2024 and offering more bike maintenance classes to other area schools!
Should you have an interest in organizing one of these programs for a school you work at or have a contact, please feel free to reach out to our general email inquiry line at: info@calgarycycle.com
As we enter into the winter months, Calgary Cycle is now offering a range of fat bike RENTALS! What could be better than taking a fat bike out for the day that you are curious about, thinking about buying in the future or maybe because you don’t currently own a bike! Bragg Creek 22X is offering a selection of Norco Bigfoot VLT as well as Trek Farley fatties. Head to our website under “Rentals” to book online and secure your bike!
Pro Tip from Jason, Store Manager at 22X – Always be prepared! We have trailside repair kits available for rent to take with you on your adventures.
The winter months are a GREAT opportunity to get your bike in for a tune-up. This means you are ready to ride before the Spring season rush. Contact either our Bow Trail or Canyon Meadows locations to get your ride ready to roll. Suspension-related services are available at both locations and if you need a full overhaul check out the Calgary Cycle Suspension Center located at CC Bow Trail.
Don’t forget all the Calgary Cycle locations have amazing winter gear to keep you warm and dry.
See you on the trails!
The CC Team