Thanks to covering the North American Handmade Bicycle Show for Versus.com I was able to get a few really good one on one interviews with builders that may never of happened. Here is the first with Sacha White of Vanilla Workshop.

Make sure to subscribe to the Bike Shop Girl podcast on iTunes.

Thanks to Brad from UrbanVelo.org for the use of his photo for official business.

Proper technique in lubing your chain will help prolong the life of your drive train also a clean bike is a happy bike!!

1. Pick a lube.  There are dozens and dozens of decent lubes out there depending where you ride.  I could write a whole post about the different lubes and when/where to use them.  For now consult a good riding buddy or a local mechanic.  Here in Charlotte I like to use ProLink for everyday riding, in the winter rainy months or when I head up to Asheville in the winter I swap over to a more wax based lube.

2. Keep old towels/socks/tshirts around for this need.  If you want to recycle you can wash them with a good degreaser and reuse!

3. Wipe down the chain.  Grasp the chain lightly with your rag, pedal and remove as much old lube/dirt as possible.

4. Clean your pulleys, chainrings, & cassette as needed.  If you have tons of grit left over on these moving items it will just go right back on your chain.  Clean the chainring with your rag, between the cassette cogs with a flat head & clean the pulleys by gently placing a flat head while back pedaling.  Make sure not to whap yourself with the chain or spokes!

5. Apply lube by squeezing the bottle gently until there is a slow stream coming out the tip of the bottle, back pedal slowly about 4 revolutions to get the whole chain lubed.

6. Wipe off the access. (Refer to step 3) This is huge for mountain bikers.  If you leave a ton of lube sitting on your chain it is asking to get dirty again.  Depending how dry your chain was to begin with you might want to leave on over night but remember to wipe it off before your next ride.

I originally posted this at BlueCollarMTB.com but is much needed for every cyclist.

There are three comfort zones or places your body touches a bicycle.   As long as you can bear the weight of your body okay between those three places without numbness, pain or pinching then you can ride all day long.

Today we will be touching upon the saddle.  This is also the hardest thing to explain or go super indepth about in only one article.  Think of this as the first of many thoughts on saddles or reviews.  Please read through and email about specific questions you have about saddles to continue the discussion.

The very first thing to know about those comfort zones, especially your seat, they are very personal!  A good bike fit is important and so is the feed back to who ever is helping you with your seat alignment.

Depending on the type of bike you are riding, the distance and the angle of your upper body to lower body will change how narrow/wide or soft/hard you need. The wider seats are comfortable and soft but after 5-10 miles.  The hardest seat is going to be supported by your sit bones and not be supported by your soft tissues.

In this series I will do my best to cover these topics :

• Various levels of saddles from your beach cruiser to road racers.
• Sit bone measuring devices and what it all means.
• Saddle bike fit.

Thanks to Melissa for writing in for this topic.  Hopefully over the series I can find answers to your questions about bicycle saddles.

Bike fit is a whole section of itself so please talk to your local shop that has fitting knowledge.

As the trend is showing, for 2010, bike companies have taken note and are adding more women’s bikes to their line up.  Specialized has added two high end road bikes to their line and wow they are beauties!

The newest and fastest women’s bike goes by the name Amira. Engineered for speed, efficiency and light weight, the Amira uses advanced FACT IS construction, women’s performance geometry and a stiff, oversized head tube with a taper to deliver race-ready performance like no other women’s bike on the market.

Amira Expert starts at $3300 and the Comp list at $2700.  With both of these bikes the frames are full carbon, outfitted with 10 speed Shimano parts.  Dependent on the bike it may be 105 (mid line parts) or Ultegra (higher end parts.)  For a full carbon 10 speed bike <$3500 these bikes are both great.  I’ll be keeping my eye out for one to test ride for a better ride report.

As the month of July is coming to an end, we have had to say good by to the Tour de France, and look towards summer ending, schools starting and some amazing bike rides.  Personally, I will be doing my first real triathlon in August.  What will you be doing?  Here are a few good ideas to start with.

Rambling Rose Winston-Salem, NC Triathlon : August 23, 2009
Ramblin’ Rose women-only triathlons are designed to celebrate the empowerment of women. In its fourth season, the Ramblin’ Rose Triathlon Tour is the perfect way to celebrate the triathlon experience! Join us in Winston-Salem, Charlotte, and/or the Triangle and experience the exhilaration of participating in a Ramblin’ Rose! All Ramblin’ Rose events benefit local Girls on the Run chapters. For more information, go to www.endurancemag.com/ramblinrose

Women’s Mountain Bike Weekend – Ellijay, GA http://mulberrygap.com Aug 21-23 in
Mountain biking, cabins, hot showers, hot tubs, and (lots of) excellent food! RSVP to diane@mulberrygap.com

Win for KC Women’s Tri –Kansas City, MO http://www.winforkctri.org/ August 1, 2009
WIN for KC has become one of the largest and most well-respected initiatives of its kind in the United States, engaging thousands of girls and women in sports and fitness activity and advocacy. It remains one of the largest community action programs affiliated with the Women’s Sports Foundation. To learn more about WIN for KC please visit our website at www.winforkc.org

Flirty 30 Alleycat Birmingham, AL August 15, 2009 http://bikeskirt.com/2009/07/16/flirty-30-alleycat-is-a-go-august-15/
Ok gals, it’s time to get your racing gear on!  Elisa is turning the big 3-0 next month, and to celebrate we’re having a GIRLS ONLY ALLEYCAT on August 15 here in Birmingham!!  I am so excited about this, and received our first race prizes in the mail today!  I’m bursting to tell you all about how amazingly adorable and awesome they are, but I’ve decided to keep everything a secret.  Believe me, you want this.