Sometimes a product comes along that is very difficult to describe, or explain in words how to use or why you need it. When I first saw the XDK Slug, A Hydration Pack Tool I knew I had to have one.
Now I am a rarity, a road rider who uses a CamelBak. I know a CamelBak on road bike just yells FRED, but hear me out. I was first introduced to them while riding in Washington State. Off-road riders are constantly in mud, so CamelBaks were used for both for hands-free drinking, and reasonable clean access to water. A lot of the off-road riders would train on the road, so they kept the CamelBak habit. I am on a tandem a lot, so hands free is nice for that. Finally, our kids were tandeming with at a very early age, and a strapped on pack let them drink without playing the "drop-the-water-bottle" game. So our work-out storage includes hooks for four hydration packs and extra's.
Now the Omegaport lid is a great improvement over the original CamelBak. You can easily add ice (especially nice at quick shop ice machines!), and clean and dry the bladder. But for some, it can be very difficult to open. In our household, I am the official CamelBak "opener". (Along with bike mechanic, roof rack bike loader, tire inflation specialist, etc.) With the Slug, which inspired the video below, I have 1 less official job at home. Now if someone will just invent a PowerBar opener. . . .
CamelBak and XDK are just two of the hundreds of brands of Bike Accessories Indianapolis, in-stock now at Bicycle Garage Indy North, in Indianapolis, and Bicycle Garage Indy South in Greenwood.
Now I am a rarity, a road rider who uses a CamelBak. I know a CamelBak on road bike just yells FRED, but hear me out. I was first introduced to them while riding in Washington State. Off-road riders are constantly in mud, so CamelBaks were used for both for hands-free drinking, and reasonable clean access to water. A lot of the off-road riders would train on the road, so they kept the CamelBak habit. I am on a tandem a lot, so hands free is nice for that. Finally, our kids were tandeming with at a very early age, and a strapped on pack let them drink without playing the "drop-the-water-bottle" game. So our work-out storage includes hooks for four hydration packs and extra's.Now the Omegaport lid is a great improvement over the original CamelBak. You can easily add ice (especially nice at quick shop ice machines!), and clean and dry the bladder. But for some, it can be very difficult to open. In our household, I am the official CamelBak "opener". (Along with bike mechanic, roof rack bike loader, tire inflation specialist, etc.) With the Slug, which inspired the video below, I have 1 less official job at home. Now if someone will just invent a PowerBar opener. . . .
CamelBak and XDK are just two of the hundreds of brands of Bike Accessories Indianapolis, in-stock now at Bicycle Garage Indy North, in Indianapolis, and Bicycle Garage Indy South in Greenwood.
I am completely at home taking care of the different types of bicycle brakes I have used over the years; side pulls, center pulls, cantilevers and linear-pull/V-brakes. I have had them on the bikes I have owned, assembled and maintained. But disc brakes are a completely new animal for me. I don’t own a disc-equipped bike (yet, of course!), and they only came into wide-spread use after my days as a full-time mechanic. However, I had a unique opportunity to learn more about Hydraulic Disc brakes when Josh Prater, one of the service leads for Bicycle Garage Indy, scheduled a training session for 

Traditional suspension systems will mount one end of the shock on in a fixed position on the frame. With Full Floater, Jose Gonzalez, Trek Bicycle's Director of Suspension Technology, connects the two ends of the shock to live members of the suspension; the EVO link at the top, and the extension of the chainstay at the bottom. First introduced in 2008, the Full Floater now takes full advantage of the DVRC short, and Active Braking Pivot for a very efficient, compliant suspension system. (Follow this link to YouTube for
This week, Sales and Service staff at both BGI North and South had the chance to participate in a Trek Off-Road Tech Update with Ken Derrico of Trek Bicycle. We have put a few of the pictures up on our
Along with it's carbon frame building technology (Lance and Madone, need we say more!), Trek is highlighting four Suspension technologies; Fox Dual Rate Control Valve (DRCV), Active Braking Pivot (ABP), Full Floater Shock Mount, and EVO 1-piece rocker links. We will talk first about the DRCV shock first, and cover the rest future posts. 

First and lightest are shell gloves, intended for cool morning rides (50 degrees and up). The
For those days just around freezing and above, insulated gloves are best. Wear these when you expect to wear gloves the entire ride, or are riding in coolest part of the day, like morning bicycle commuting in Indianapolis. Louis Garneau Gel EX-Z are typical of this class combining laminated fleece for good dexterity, a padded gel palm and a long snug cuff to meet the end of your jacket.
The
Technical thermal mittens are the best protection in extreme cold (below freezing) riding. The Pearl Izumi AmFib Lobster Glove is one of the most popular of this class. Pearl Izumi AmFib fabric (also available in regular gloves) is wind resistance and breathable, and the split finger design gives good dexterity for the controls of both road and off-road bikes. When riding this cold, you may want breathable liner gloves as well, like the Smart Wool Liner Glove. Liners can also protect your hands if you have to change a flat in the cold!
Drop by Bicycle Garage Indy and take a look at

