BikeParts.com Guide to the Colorado Classic – Stage 3 in Golden, Colorado 

August 15, 2019

We are just days away from the start of the 2019 Colorado Classic.  This fabulous, three-day invitation-only event is sanctioned by USA Cycling and will kick off in Breckenridge on August 21 and conclude in Golden on August 23, prior to the start of the last day of racing for the USA Pro Challenge. It is the first time since 1988 that some of the best men and women in the world will be sharing courses at a major, international stage race in Colorado.  And, Colorado sports enthusiasts and cycling fans around the world wait with anticipation of yet another phenomenal pro race.  With stunning Colorado backdrops, high adrenaline, high altitude thrills of pro cycling, what’s more to like? 

Anticipation.  The Colorado Classic is the only women’s stand-alone stage race in the Western Hemisphere on the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) calendar and USA Cycling’s Pro Road Tour and we are thrilled to watch it play out! The women competing in the Women’s USA Pro Challenge will include top national riders and Olympians. The women will race for the same prize money as the men and it will help lead the way for future equal winnings in races.  More than a race, the Colorado Classic will act as a movement to inspire women, challenge and redefine female professional cycling, and ultimately, empower women of all ages to break the mold, and fight for their goals.

Given that BikeParts.com / Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop is located on Washington Street in the heart of downtown Golden, Colorado, we’re poised to give you the rundown on the best ways to experience this fantastic event. 

The Stage
First, take a look at what Stage 3 in Golden, Colorado is all about. On paper, Stage 3 in Golden looks like a sprinter’s delight with seven swift laps of a nine-mile circuit that starts and finishes under the iconic Golden arch downtown. But don’t be fooled as the short steep climb up the historic Washington St. is enough for a mini-QOM on the last lap, combined with additional rollers, add up to over 4,000’ of vertical. Look for breakaway attempts and sprint trains after the non-climbers have waited for two days to get on terrain that suits them.

Highlights of the stage include 3 intermediate sprints and time bonuses; QOM up Washington Street at the start of the last lap; Short steep hill on Washingtons Street right after the Start/Finish

And a great place to spectate is at Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop! Of course, there are many other great course-side viewing options as well.  Yet, you’ll want to swing by Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop because we have a dazzling display of road bikes, mountain bikes, cycling accessories, and cycling apparel.  It’s enough to make your head spin! It’s the delightful appeal that only a local, mountain town bicycle shop can provide.  

Where to watch
Stage 3 will include three Fan Zones where you will get the best view of the racing. This includes the Start/Finish area; 15th and Washington and the Expo at Parfet Park. 

There are other events as well! 

Golden Women’s Community Ride – August 23rd, 5:30pm, a community ride, and everyone is invited. The ride will start under the Arch and make a quick trip to the Lions Park Ballfields where Movies and Music in the Park will start at 7 pm.  Activities celebrating women athletes will take place before the movie. Come celebrate the city’s deep commitment to women on bikes!

Golden Movie Night  – August 23, free in Lion’s Park, starting at 7 pm with music from the Sweet Lillies followed by a showing of Mary Poppins Returns at dusk under the stars, around 8:30 p.m.  Also, expect some updates on the race — in person!  

The Golden Farmer’s Market  – August 24th, 8 am – 1 pm.  Get some shopping done before the race starts!

Colorado Classic 5k presented by Altra — August 24, free fun run for anyone, any age starting at 9:00 am in Parfet Park and ending at the race finish line under the Golden Arch.

Shopping: Make good use of your day and stop by the shop. Browse through our road bikes and mountain bikes like Giant, and Specialized and check out our specialty bike parts.  Our highly-rated bike parts and components have become favorites among many. You may want to make the day memorable and pick up a select few bike parts, cycling accessories, or cycling apparel. Or, ask us for details on what to do near Golden and the best local places to ride in Golden. We know the best road rides and mountain bike trails for every type of rider.  Call ahead or visit us at BikeParts.com

We’re loving the good vibe the Colorado Classic brings to the sport of cycling!  Wishing all racers the very best!  

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Holiday Season – Cyclist Survival Strategies 

November 15, 2018

Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year’s – the holiday season is quickly approaching!  While the holiday season brings times of joy and celebration, it is often tainted with juggling holiday parties, kids events, family gatherings, and travel.  While all fun activities, they can contribute to a stressful experience.  

As athletes, we all know that there is only an infinite amount of stress the body can handle.  Holiday stresses of staying up too late, eating tempting treats, and overall training fatigue can create a loss of training motivation or just plain not riding.  Not fun, given exercise can aid in reducing stress.  So, what is the balance during the holidays to reduce stress, maintain fitness, and still hit all the holiday parties and complete those endless shopping lists?  Have a strategy! No different than approaching a race or ride with a strategy, it’s best to have some “go to” plans to navigate the holiday season. 

Avoid stress. First and foremost, address holiday shopping stress! Can holiday shopping really be stress free?  Yes -shop online! At BikeParts.com, we offer a huge selection of road bikes, mountain bikes, bike parts, BMX bike parts and more – all at your fingertips. So, sit back, relax, and enjoy stress free holiday shopping for your self, riding buddies, and friends. The only time you will find your heart rate rising in on the killer deals you will find at BikeParts.com.

Manage Expectations.  Are your expectations for the holidays realistic? Asking yourself this question is the first step to managing holiday stress. Make a list of what you expect from yourself and your family during the holidays. Hidden within these expectations you might find your potential holiday stressors — the things specific to you that can cause stress.  Once identified, you can then write down what changes you can make to prevent or defuse stress. 

Eat well.  The holidays offer irresistible food temptations adding extra pounds to our waist lines and robbing us of precious energy.  Instead of reaching for the holiday goodies, opt for nutritious snacks.  Focus on good nutrition and choose your bike nutrition when you need it most- on the bike.  Being mindful of your food choices can positively affect your energy levels and help maintain your ability to ride and perform better. You might enjoy reading our post Battle of the Bulge – How to Fight the End of Season Weight Gain for more ideas on developing a plan to keep you on track during your most tempting moments. 

Schedule your rides.  The flurry of holiday activities makes time precious.  You may not have time for a lengthy ride, so schedule your ride time and make the most of the time you have. Shift your focus to what you can control and let go of things beyond your control.  What can you control? The intensity, duration, and consistencies of your workouts.  You can also control the elements surrounding your training, as in, your bike parts, bike functioning, and being well prepared nutritionally to get the best out of your workouts.  

Avoid guilt.  If you just can’t find the time or motivation to ride during the holiday season, avoid beating yourself up with guilt. The strategy for dealing with guilt is just to accept it and move on.  Give yourself a break mentally and physically knowing the holiday season doesn’t last forever.  If you just can’t find the time or motivation to ride during the holiday season, at least feed your velo passion with pictures of new road bikes , new mountain bikes, and cool bike parts.  This will feed your spirit and breathe life into next year’s bike season.

There you have it! Strategies to survive the holidays.  Maintaining a holiday fitness plan doesn’t have be hard.  Be flexible, mix it up, and enjoy!

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Surviving the Holidays with Tips from BikeParts.com

December 14, 2017

Stress Free Gift Giving for Cyclists at BikeParts.com

While the holiday season brings times of joy and celebration, it is often tainted with juggling holiday parties, kids events, family gatherings, and travel.  While all fun activities, they can contribute to a stressful experience.  

As athletes, we all know that there is only an infinite amount of stress the body can handle.  Holiday stresses of staying up too late, eating tempting treats, and overall training fatigue can create a loss of training motivation or just plain not riding.  Not fun, given exercise can aid in reducing stress.  So, what is the balance during the holidays to reduce stress, maintain fitness, and still hit all the holiday parties and complete those endless shopping lists?  Have a strategy! No different than approaching a race or ride with a strategy, it’s best to have some “go to” plans to navigate the holiday season.  

Strategy 1: Eat well.  The holidays offer irresistible food temptations adding extra pounds to our waste lines and robbing us of precious energy.  Instead of reaching for the holiday goodies, opt for nutritious snacks. Eating poorly during the holidays can affect mood and motivation towards training.  Focus on good nutrition and choose your bike nutrition when you need it most- on the bike.  Being mindful of your food choices can positively affect your energy levels and help maintain your ability to ride and perform better. You might enjoy reading our post Battle of the Bulge – How to Fight the End of Season Weight Gain for more ideas on developing a plan to keep you on track during your most tempting moments. 

Strategy 2: Plan your time.  Primarily, maintain focus and control.  The flurry of holiday activities makes time precious.  You may not have time for a lengthy ride, so make the most of the time you do have. Increase your focus.  Focus on what you can control and let go of things beyond your control.  What can you control? The intensity, duration, and consistencies of your workouts.  You can also control the elements surrounding your training, as in, your bike parts, bike functioning, and being well prepared nutritionally to get the best out of your workouts.  If you find yourself pulled from ride time to do last minute shopping, consider shopping online.  Our post, Stress Free Holiday Shopping for Cyclists, offers tips to minimize stress and optimize gift giving.  

Strategy 3: Relax: If you just can’t find the time or motivation to ride during the holiday season, at least feed your velo passion with pictures of new road bikes , new mountain bikes, and cool bike parts.  It will feed your spirit and breathe life into next year’s bike season.  In fact, the post, Missing training – Adjusting the plan, reminds us, “ It’s easy to beat yourself up over missed training, but if you have been steady with training, give yourself a break. Gaining fitness doesn’t happen in one or two days and losing fitness doesn’t happen in one or two days. It takes months of steady training to gain good fitness. A few days missed or logging a fewer less hours than planned for a week is a small blip on the radar.”  And if you are still feeling a tad guilty, read more – 3 Cycling Strategies to Manage Stress During the Holidays 

Surviving the holidays doesn’t take much but it does take a plan.  Be flexible, mix it up, and enjoy!  Happy Holidays from Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop / BikeParts.com! 

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Stress Free Holiday Shopping for Cyclists

December 7, 2017

Cycling Gifts at BikeParts.com

Imagine this: Your heart rate increases. Your blood pressure spikes. You hit a sudden wall of fatigue. Are you racing at the front of the pack? Trying to close the gap on the rider in front of you? Sprinting to the finish line? Actually, no. You are holiday shopping!

While this may seem not possible, according to the post, From Our President: ‘Tis the Season for Stress-Free Shopping, a study conducted last year found that holiday shopping stress can increase your heart rate the same way that vigorous physical activity does. And as cyclist, the only time we want our heart rate rising is when we are on the bike.

Is there a solution? Can holiday shopping really be stress free?  Yes -shop online! At BikeParts.com, we offer a huge selection of road bikes, mountain bikes, bike parts, BMX bike parts and more – all at your fingertips.

Sit back, relax, and enjoy stress free holiday shopping for your self, riding buddies, and friends. The only time you will find your heart rate rising in on the killer deals you will find at BikeParts.com

Remember, if you need it for your bike, then we have it! Because we sell our bike parts online, we are able to help customers all over the world. Happy Holidays!

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Stocking Stuffer Ideas That Also Keep Your Favorite Cyclist Safe  

December 8, 2016
Stocking Stuffers at BikeParts.com

Stocking Stuffers at BikeParts.com

Most of us want to give holiday gifts that have value. Not just cute little trinkets but items that really make a difference.  

Unfortunately, oftentimes holiday stocking stuffers fall into the camp of cute but not really useful.  But, at Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop, we’ve compiled a list of inexpensive bike parts to make your stocking stuffers useful, as well as, coveted gifts.  

Consider this – have you ever thought that what a cyclist keeps in their back pocket of their jersey or their saddle bag as a necessary item of safety?  Cyclist riding road bikes and mountain bikes often find themselves in isolated locations.  With that being said, it’s important to be as self reliant as possible.  Our list of stocking stuffers will bring a grin to their face and also keep them safe! 

  • Tubes: This is one gift you absolutely positively will get used. Make sure you get the right size of tube. If you aren’t sure, stop in the Peaks Cycling Store and ask one of our friendly staff to help you. Or, visit us online at bikeparts.com  
  • Bottles: Every cyclist has a ton of bottles, but that’s not the same as having good bottles. Buy a good bottle and stuff it with other goodies.
  • Warmers: We’re talking about head warmers, ear warmers, arm warmers, leg warmers, and shoe covers – all the necessities to keep your favorite cyclist warm and comfortable out on those chilly winter rides.  They nice thing about these is that they fit nicely in a holiday stocking in as much as they do a cycling jersey!
  • Nutrition: Think energy bars, gels, and chews.  Instead of chocolate, fill the stocking (or water bottle) with nutrition, bars, gels, and drinks that your cyclist can use on the bike.
  • Lube: Every cyclist goes through it and we’ve got tons of it.
  • Bicycle tools: These are much needed for on the fly bike repairs and maintenance.  Key items to include are a patch kit, tire levers, pump, and a multi tool.

Spend your holiday money wisely! Invest in bike parts and cycling accessories that delights your favorite cyclist and also keeps them safe and sound.  Doing this pretty much guarantees that you’ll make Santa’s nice list for next year! 

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Riding in the Snow – 5 Ways to Make it Work for You

December 17, 2015
BikeParts.com Rider Enjoying Winter Cycling
The snow is here! And lots of it!  Many cyclist wonder, can I ride in the snow?  And the answer: of course you can!
The important thing to remember about riding in the snow isn’t whether it’s possible—everything is possible.  It’s simply a matter of being smart about riding in uncertain weather conditions. Here’s how to make snow riding work for you.
  1. The more tread on your tires, the better. You can ride in snow on slicks, but we wouldn’t recommend it.  At Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop, we have a large selection of tires for road bikes, mountain bikes, and cyclocross bikes.  Stop in and pick up a new set of tires just for your winter cycling adventures.  Speaking of tires, let some air out of your them, whatever sort they are. Ride them soft: you’ll get more grip.
  1. Focus on a relaxed and responsive riding position.  Sure, it’s natural to tense up with icy or snowy conditions, but if you focus on relaxing your hands and arms, while keeping your weight back on the bike, you may find it easier to steer the bike from your hips and less from your upper body. This makes directional changes smoother and easier with your whole mass on the bike, rather than by sudden sharp steering inputs at the handlebars.
  1. Don’t be a speed demon! Slow down and enjoy the views! Celebrate the adventure of riding in different weather conditions.  A good rule of thumb to remember is to keep your bike in good working order, maintain care of your bike parts and don’t be too ambitious about your speed.  All this allows you to truly enjoy the experience.
  1. Go fat! Fat bike that is!  Fat bikes are wonderful for riding in the snow.  Many fat bike models today are similar to “normal” mountain bikes, which have slacker head tube angles, lower stand-over heights, thru axles, and tapered head tubes. The main difference is the tires. The wider tires have more traction in both dirt and snow. They climb better than almost any mountain bike. If you’re new to fat bikes, you may enjoy reading about some Top Fat Bike FAQ’s or Why Go Fat. Or, stop by the shop and demo a fat bike!
  1. Dress for the occasion.  Because it’s cold out, it is tempting to overdress.  Avoid that temptation! Depending on the type of ride, the duration of your ride, and the elements, your cycling apparel options make the difference between a suffer fest or a great ride. Take an inventory of your cycling clothing and ask yourself, what clothing do you need to wear in different weather conditions?  Do you have waterproof and wind resistant clothing? Do you have enough of the basic cycling necessities, as in leggings? Arm warmers? Knee warmers? Scull cap? What about your base layers?  Do you have enough of them or do you need to add in some fleece lined clothing?  Lucky for you, at Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop, we can help you with all of your cycling apparel needs! In fact, we’ve got quite a lot of new cycling clothing in store right now!  Or, check out our How to Dress for Winter Cycling –Video for ideas dressing warmly for your winter rides.
Your experience will correlate directly to your level of preparation.  It’s true, winter riding requires more diligence and commitment; but the flip side is a sense of wonder and adventure that accompanies the wintertime cycling scene.

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5 Training Strategies to Survive the Holidays 

December 3, 2015
Happy Holidays from BikeParts.com

Happy Holidays from BikeParts.com

The holiday season can wreak havoc on maintaining any kind of structured training plan.  Even when you make a solid commitment to staying fit through the holidays, even the best made training plans go awry.

Holiday parties, work demands, family obligations, illness, injury, and weather challenges all take a toll on training.  How do you make the best of it?  Stress out? Freak out? Beat yourself up? No! Get your game on with strategies to survive the holiday season.  These strategies will help you maintain fitness, manage your weight, and set you up right for the New Year. 

Strategy 1: Eat Well.  The holidays offer irresistible food temptations adding extra pounds to our waste lines and robbing us of precious energy.  Instead of reaching for the holiday goodies, opt for nutritious snacks. Eating poorly during the holidays can affect mood and motivation towards training.  Focus on good nutrition and choose your bike nutrition when you need it most- on the bike.  Being mindful of your food choices can positively affect your energy levels and help maintain your ability to ride and perform better.  

Strategy 2: Log your intake and outtake.  Many cyclist already track mileage or training time, but consider keeping a food log to track your caloric intake as well.  A free and favorite app to help do this is Lose It! Users get a customized weight loss plan and then use the app to track food, measure activity levels, and connect with peers for group support to reach their goals.  A great way to stay motivated to eat right.  An added gain, is that it can sync up with most of the popular fitness tracking devices and wireless scales on the market. It also has a large food database for easy reference making it easy to track your caloric intake on the go.  

Strategy 3: Maintain focus and control.  The flurry of holiday activities makes time precious.  You may not have time for a lengthy ride, so make the most of the time you do have. Increase your focus.  Focus on what you can control and let go of things beyond your control.  What can you control? The intensity, duration, and consistencies of your workouts.  You can also control the elements surrounding your training, as in, your bike parts, bike functioning, and being well prepared nutritionally to get the best out of your workouts.    

Strategy 4: Buddy Up! Use the ride to catch up with friends, training partners, and others.  Ride with friends, join a spin class, or host your own trainer session.  Committing to a time, place, and a friend creates structure keeping some consistency to your training. 

Strategy 5: Relax: If you just can’t find the time or motivation to ride during the holiday season, at least feed your velo passion with pictures of new road bikes , new mountain bikes, and cool bike parts.  It will feed your spirit and breathe life into next year’s bike season.  In fact, the post, Missing training – Adjusting the plan, reminds us, “ It’s easy to beat yourself up over missed training, but if you have been steady with training, give yourself a break. Gaining fitness doesn’t happen in one or two days and losing fitness doesn’t happen in one or two days. It takes months of steady training to gain good fitness. A few days missed or logging a fewer less hours than planned for a week is a small blip on the radar.”

There you have it! Strategies to survive the holidays.  Maintaining a holiday fitness plan doesn’t have be hard.  Be flexible, mix it up, and enjoy!

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10 Reasons to Visit Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop During Stage 7 of the USA Pro Challenge

August 20, 2015
Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop in Golden, CO

Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop in Golden, CO

The 2015 USA Pro Challenge is on!  With only 3 days before the final stage, pro cyclist will race a short loop north of Golden before tackling the main obstacle of the day, the 4-mile climb of Lookout Mtn.  The final stage from Golden to Denver on August 23 is proven to be stellar spectating.  And what better way to have the best spectating experience during the race than to stop by the Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop during Stage 7 of the USA Pro Challenge.  Here’s why!

1. When most walk into our Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop in Golden, Colorado, they are confronted by a dazzling display of road bikes, mountain bikes, cycling accessories, and cycling apparel.  It’s enough to make your head spin! Enjoy the delightful appeal of a local, mountain town bicycle shop.
2. Located in the heart of Golden, on Washington Avenue, Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop is strategically placed offering you one of the best places to watch the pro cyclist through Golden, Colorado.
3. Not only that, Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop will be open this Sunday 9-11 and 1-4.
4. We’ll have food and drinks for a USA Pro Challenge party on Sunday.
5. Best yet – we will be selling USA Pro Challenge T-shirts in the store all week.
6. You love the USA Pro Challenge and so do we! We’ve been involved in supporting the race since the inaugural race. Support the locals who support the race!
7. Make good use of your day. During the break between the women’s race and the men’s race, you can get your bike fix on!
Browse through our road bikes and mountain bikes like Giant, and Specialized and check out our specialty bike parts.  Our highly rated bike parts and components have become favorites among many.
8. In fact, make the day memorable and pick up a select few bike parts, cycling accessories, or cycling apparel.
9. Get your bike questions answered.  We love answering questions and talking about the latest and greatest. Asking good questions about your bike and bike parts leads to having the right bike and gear that not only gets you on the bike, but keeps you riding.
10. Last but not least, the best reason to visit Peak Cycles Bicycle Shop during the Pro Cycling Challenge is because we love cycling! As avid local cycling advocates as well as sharing our expertise on the web at bike parts.com, we encourage cyclist of all levels to embrace our fabulous sport.
See you Sunday and good luck to all racing the USA Pro Challenge!

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