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HOT SUMMER WEEKEND SALE

The temperatures in Texas keep climbing but our prices are dropping. To help you beat the summer heat we are having a weekend sale. Use code "HOT SUMMER" to save 35% off all items in our store this weekend. But hurry when the clock strikes midnight Sunday 7/31 just like the temps are prices will return to normal. Happy shopping.

Kart Madness

Our friend Chris Koster ripping it up in his Grease Monkey Wipes Go Kart

TOP 10 REASONS TO STOP AT A STOP SIGN

The Austin Cycling Association's recent newsletter provided some reminders about why all cyclists should stop at stop signs. Here are their Top 10 Reasons:

1. It is the safest way to negotiate a stop sign controlled intersection. Period.

2. It is the law and you are breaking the law when you don't stop. A ticket for running a stop sign in Travis County can set you back $200.00.

3. Want respect from people in cars? Respect the rules of the road.

4. You're a good rider. You can spot potential dangers at an intersection without stopping, so you glance around and roll through. This approach works every time until the time that it doesn't. Then, what is the cost? A broken arm? A broken neck? Worse? A quick stop for time to double-check is worth it.

5. Future generations of cyclists are watching you. Help parents who are teaching their child to ride safely around the block by setting a good example.

6. Every time you maneuver your bike at slow speeds and every time you stop and start your bicycle, you deepen your relationship with your bike. You know how the bike feels the moment before you need to put your foot down. You know where to put your pedal for a smooth transition from stopped to moving. Eventually, your body does all of these things so naturally that you can focus your attention on the conditions of the intersection. That is safer for you and for everyone else on the road.

7. Fitness. Once you're safely rolling, take a few hard pedal strokes. You'll be surprised at how quickly you are back up to cruising speed. That little burn in your legs is what getting stronger rider feels like.

8. Clipping back in sounds cool, especially in a group.

9. Get flipped off less.

10. When not racing Mark Cavendish stops at stops signs. It's true. I read that somewhere.

The bottom line is that your safety is your responsibility. By being good road users, Austin cyclists can be part of establishing an ethos of safety. Ultimately, isn't that more fun for all of us?

--David Tietz, ACA Ride Director

Looking for a good ride this weekend?

This Sunday (3/27) join the crew from Jack & Adam's for their monthly shop ride that leaves from the Steiner Ranch Steakhouse.  The ride leaves promptly at 8:30. This week is also the booster for the April 10th High Five Events Round Rock Express ride and they'll be giving away some free entries to that event.  Following the ride the brunch at the steakhouse is 1/2 price to all riders.

So if you are looking for some fun and a cheap brunch head over to the Steiner Ranch Steakhouse tomorrow morning.

Enjoy the ride.

Tim

Who says cyclists aren't tough?

Azizulhasni Awang won a bronze medal at cycling’s Track World Cup on Saturday, and boy did he earn it.


The Malaysian rider managed to get back on his bike after a high-speed crash in the Keirin final and stagger across the line, but it was only afterward that the full extent of his injury became clear.

Pictures showed a large splinter of wood from the track had gone right through his left calf.

Awang was given third, but missed his moment on the podium because he was on his way to hospital. His bronze was enough for him to capture the series title ahead of Britain’s Chris Hoy, who won Saturday’s race.

Hoy was one of only two riders who completed the race without falling. He said he did not realize what had happened behind him until he crossed the line. “I was punching the air and showboating as I always do and when I came by the scoreboard I saw the officials pointing,” Hoy was quoted as saying by the Press Association. “I saw one guy, then two and then three, but with the noise of the crowd I couldn’t hear.

“It was pretty nasty.”

The crash involved four riders: Awang, Poland’s Kamil Kuczynski, Edward Dawkins of New Zealand and Juan Peralta Gascon of Spain. Awang got back on his bike, while Dawkins pushed his over the line. Peralta ran to the finish line without his bike and was disqualified. “Awang is always in there with the rough and tumble so it’s almost inevitable it’s going to happen to him at some point,” Hoy said.

New cobbles sections included in Paris-Roubaix

The Hell of the North Gets Harder

Organizers of the Paris-Roubaix classic have included five new cobblestone sectors which are expected to make the 259-kilometer race known as the Hell of the North even harder.

The 108th edition of Paris-Roubaix, which will take place on April 10, will feature 31 cobblestone sectors totaling 53.4 kilometers.

Organizers, who completed the new route on Thursday, wanted to make the section leading to the demanding Tranchee d’Arenberg forest cobblestone path more difficult.

Riders will also experience a new section about 70 kilometers from the finish which “should be one of the strategic moments of the race,” organizers said.

Confidence

This is something taken from Joe Friel's blog.  Good stuff...

I believe that the most important thing an athlete takes to the start line on race day is confidence. It may even be more important than fitness or form. There are several things I do to help build confidence in those I coach. But the bottom line is that it has to come from inside. I can’t instill it; I can only encourage it and provide an on-going training experience that fosters it. Here are two little things I’ve learned along the way about how athletes can build their own confidence.

One of the things you can do to promote self-confidence is to build a bank account of successes. It’s easy. Every night when you go to bed, after you’re turned out the lights, you have the only time in the day when there are no external interruptions. This is a good time to run a quick check of the things you did that day in training. Find one thing you did well. It may not seem like a big deal. Maybe you climbed one hill well or had a good set on intervals. Relive that moment several times until you fall asleep. You just made a deposit into your confidence bank account.

Some of the deposits will be big, some will be small. But your account needs to grow each and every day. The week of a race you can start making withdrawals. Any time you feel a bit of anxiety about the upcoming race go back and pull one of those vivid success memories out of your account. Relive it. When the little voice in your head says you can’t do it make another withdrawal immediately. When someone expresses doubt about your chances of success make a withdrawal. When you step to the starting line make a withdrawal.

Never deposit the bad things or unwelcome moments in training. Never. Let them go. They’re trash. Stay focused on the positive experiences. Deposit only them in your account. Withdraw only them.

The second thing you can do to boost confidence and therefore performance is to “act as if.” Always assume the posture and disposition of a confident athlete. Always. Act as if you are confident. You’ll be amazed at what that does for your confidence.

So how does a confident athlete act? Look around and find athletes who exude confidence. What do they do and say that’s unique? Study them. What you will probably find is that they stand tall and proud. Their heads are up. They look people in the eyes when talking. They don’t denigrate others to try to elevate their own self-esteem. They move slowly, precisely and fluidly. Like athletes. It’s obvious they think of themselves positively.

Now you may not feel that way all the time but act like it anyway. Fake it till you make it. It’s remarkable how taking on the posture and demeanor of confidence breeds confidence even when you’re not feeling that way. It’s not possible to be confident with a defeated posture and demeanor. It’s like saying “yes” while shaking your head “no.” The two don’t go together.

So that’s the conversation I have with the athletes I coach when they need to build confidence. I’ve seen it work. Give it a try.

Great Grease Monkey Wipes Review

The Bottom Line

Grease Monkey Wipes are a handy little thing to keep around, whether in your garage or in your bike bag. You'll be thankful you've got them when your hands are covered with grease and there's no easy way to get them clean. One little foil pouch produces a hanky-sized wipe with enough cleaning power and durability to take the grease right off your hands. And it's just the right size to throw a couple in your bike bag for those repairs on the road.

Pros

• Powerful cleaner to take grease away quick
• Durable wipes offer plenty of stamina for tough scrubbing
• Fresh citrus smell makes your nose happy
• Convenient size pouches for throwing in your bike bag
• Larger cannister works good for your garage

Cons

• Nothing to gripe about with these!

Description

• 7"x8" wipes
• Made of durable cloth-like material
• Fresh citrus smell
• Sold as individual-use pouches or in larger cannister

Guide Review - Review: Grease Monkey Wipes

Picture yourself eating ribs. Your hands are sticky with BBQ sauce. Somebody hands you a wet-nap and suddenly all your problems are solved. This is what Grease Monkey Wipes do for you when you're working on your bike. Think about the truly greasy hands you get when you're cleaning your chain or working on anything with bearings. Grease Monkey Wipes are the wet-nap that takes that grease right off your hands.

I had the chance to try out some of the Grease Monkey Wipes in the individual packets. They didn't look like much at first, just little foil packets roughly the size of a business card. So I put them by my tools and kinda forgot about them until the day came that I had to work on my chain, and got my hands totally covered with grease. You know, the kind where you're trying to open the doorknob with your elbows because your hands are so nasty? Yeah, like that. So I got one of the Grease Monkey Wipes, tore the packet open, and unfolded the nice-sized 7"x8" wipe.

The first thing I noticed was that the wipe was made from a durable cloth-type material that stood up to a rigorous wiping for several minutes on my palms and fingers and in and around my knuckles without ripping. Way better than the flimsy stuff an actual wet-nap is made from. The second thing I noticed was a fresh and pleasant citrus smell, just the same as the smell that permeates the tubs of commercial hand cleaner the mechanic uses down at your local shop. The third thing I noticed was that it took the grease right off my hands. This is the kind of oily, dirty soiling that just scrubbing at with soap and water wouldn't have made a dent in. And the Grease Monkey Wipes took it right off like nothing.

So was I impressed? Yes. This is a handy thing to keep around, either in your shop or especially in your bike bag. If you're out riding and have a breakdown that you gotta fix, these wipes will clean you up fast, so you're not having to either ride with greasy hands or having to wipe them on your jersey to keep a grip on your handlebars.

Oh Floyd...

Disgraced rider Floyd Landis, the man who was stripped of his 2006 Tour de France title for doping and accused Lance Armstrong of cheating, has retired, the American said.


"I'll never start on a line on a road and try to get to another line on a road faster than another guy. That's over," Landis, 35, told ESPN.com.

Landis won the Tour in 2006 but failed a dope test for testosterone during the race and was stripped of the title.

He denied any wrongdoing until last May, when he admitted to doping and accused former team mate Armstrong, a seven-times Tour champion, and others of doping when they were both riding for the U.S. Postal team.

Landis took part in a few races in 2010 as an independent rider but failed to secure a proper contract.

By George I think he likes it

It goes without saying that George Hincapie is one of the most recognized riders in the world, with numerous world championships, national championships and professional victories to his credit.  Not only that but apparently he likes Grease Monkey Wipes.    I knew I liked him for a reason.

Doping scandals mar cycling year—again

PARIS (AP)—In many ways, cycling’s year was summed up by two key days. The first was when Alberto Contador took the Tour de France lead with a clever attack on a steep uphill climb in the Pyrenees. The other came just 48 hours later, when drug testers took a urine sample from the future Tour winner that contained traces of a banned substance.

In what was regarded as the defining moment of the Tour, Contador’s attack helped him drop runner-up Andy Schleck in the very tough climb of the Port de Bales during stage 15.

Schleck actually attacked first, but his chain came off and the three-time Tour winner sped ahead—taking the yellow jersey from his Luxembourg rival and gaining a 39-second advantage that would become his exact margin of overall victory a few days later on the Champs Elysees.

Many observers criticized the move, saying Contador had broken the sport’s unwritten rule about not taking advantage of unlucky breaks a rider can’t control—especially when he was wearing yellow.

The epic battle between Contador and Schleck during arguably the most thrilling Tour since Lance Armstrong won the fifth of his record-seven titles in 2003 at the expense of Jan Ullrich, was widely seen as the birth of a new great rivalry.

Fans and pundits cheered for the two champs and were bracing for a mouthwatering new era for a sport still reeling from years and years of doping scandals. But the celebrations didn’t last for Contador.

Only two months after triumphing in the heat of the French summer, the news broke that Contador, who also won the Tours of Spain and Italy in 2008, had been provisionally suspended by cycling’s governing body after small amounts of the banned muscle-building and fat-burning drug clenbuterol where found in one of his Tour samples.

It later emerged that a urine sample taken from Contador also showed abnormally high levels of plastic residues that could indicate he received a transfusion of his own blood during the race.

A tearful Contador denied everything, claiming his positive test resulted from eating contaminated meat. Whether or not he is eventually convicted of doping, great harm was done.

If Tour officials do strip his title, Contador would be just the second cyclist to be forced to relinquish it. The first was American Floyd Landis, who was stripped of his 2006 Tour title after a positive test.

UCI president Pat McQuaid continued to claim that cycling is the “cleanest of all sports,” while Italy’s anti-doping prosecutor Ettore Torri said in October he is convinced that all cyclists are doping.

A decision on whether Contador doped is expected early next year. But WADA and the UCI could appeal if they feel that justice was not done. That means Contador’s case could end up with the Court of Arbitration for Sport.

Should Contador be banned, next year’s Tour could be deprived of its two most influential figures after Armstrong said last summer’s Tour was his last.

The American got off to a strong start but blew a tire on cobblestones in stage 3 then failed to recover in time from three crashes during the eighth stage, just before the tough Alpine climbs.

“With the first crash, my body never felt the same after that, and the second was the nail in the coffin,” Armstrong said. “So you could look at it like that, and yeah, it was one (Tour) too many.”

Armstrong finished in 23rd place, nearly 40 minutes behind Contador. He has not officially retired and will compete in smaller races next season as an ambassador for the fight against cancer.

Armstrong’s last ride in the race which made his name and wealth started amid controversy following accusations by Landis, his former teammate, that he had used performance-enhancing drugs to win.

The allegations against Armstrong and others ignited a federal investigation in the United States that reached new heights last month when American agents traveled to France for two days of talks with police officers and other officials from various European countries.

Armstrong has denied using drugs and his lawyers said the investigation is a huge waste of taxpayers’ dollars.

Despite the years of drug scandals, the Tour de France still attracted massive crowds, worldwide television audiences and reported increased income. In Luxembourg, a new team found big sponsors and a budget big enough to lure away some of the sport’s biggest stars from rival squads.

The new outfit reunites the Schleck brothers and Fabian Cancellara, and their main objective will be victory in the Tour de France.

Cancellara was accused in 2010 of using an electric bike after his wins in the Tour of Flanders and Paris-Roubaix, but nothing was proven. The accusations prompted the UCI to implement bike checks during the Tour, and Cancellara, who was cleared and escaped sanctions, eventually won a fourth time trial world title in September in Australia, where Thor Hushovd powered to victory in the road race.

Also worth noting in 2010 was Ivan Basso’s victory in the Giro d’Italia for his first major title since returning from a two-year doping ban. Several other riders who served doping-related suspensions, including Denmark’s Michael Rasmussen and Italy’s Riccardo Ricco, are set to return next year.

Ricco, who tested positive for blood-booster CERA at the 2008 Tour de France after winning two stages, signed with the Vacansoleil team.

“I’ll just say that the leaders of this team were naive,” McQuaid said. “If I am the sports director, Ricco never joins my team.”

Team Radio Shack Munches on Quiznos

DENVER (AP)—Lance Armstrong’s team has signed up to race in Colorado’s inaugural Quiznos Pro Challenge.

Race organizers announced Wednesday the first five teams to sign up for the event, which will be held in August. Lance Armstrong’s TeamRadio Shack is led by manager Johan Bruyneel, who has nine Tour de France victories as race director.

The other teams who have committed are HTC-Highroad, BMC Racing Team, Slipstream Sports/Team Garmin-Cervelo, all of the United States, and Liquigas-Cannondale of Italy.

Armstrong was instrumental in establishing the new race. It features seven stages through 11 cities, including Vail, Aspen and Denver.

Vanspeybrouck best of 'Boonen & friends' charity race

Pieter Vanspeybrouck (Topsport Vlaanderen) won the second edition of the charity cyclo-cross event 'Boonen&Friends' around the Silver Lake in Mol, Belgium.

The 'Boonen&Friends' cyclo-cross race collects money for the project 'Move to Improve' which supports people with physical disabilities caused by brain damage. Last year they raised 40,000 Euros at the event.

The extreme cold of the last week turned the course into a toboggan-run but that didn't keep the riders from racing. Last year's winner Maarten Wynants (Quick Step) finished second ahead of Wouter Weylandt (Quick Step). The all-star race was won by triple cyclo-cross world champion Erwin Vervecken.

The Belgian won ahead of Dutch former professional and Sky directeur sportif Steven de Jongh and former CSC-Tiscali rider Koen Beeckman.

Tom Boonen, who has been training for the start of the 2011 season after a year wrecked by injury, started with a bang. He led the field from the start but quickly noticed the course was rather slippery and dropped back. After a flat tyre for last year's winner Wynants, the road to victory was paved for Vanspeybrouck. The latter is a former junior Belgian cyclo-cross champion.

Vervecken had to work hard for his victory in the all-stars race which was held just before the pro's race. De Jongh fired away after the start and for a long time it seemed he would win the race of retired cyclists. “Everybody expected me to win because I retired only recently.

When De Jongh created a gap right after the start I didn't think I would be able to close it down. I died twice during the race but in the end I managed to catch him,” Vervecken told cyclo-cross.info.

Big names like Michael Boogerd, Johan Museeuw, Eric Vanderaerden, Tom Steels and motorcross star Stefan Everts felt far less comfortable on the frozen course and finished at long distance from winner Vervecken.

Museeuw had a severe crash. He went over the handle bars and crashed in the snow. The former Spring Classics specialist abandoned the race little later.

Grease Monkey Wipes featured on local Fox affiliate

Here is a nice video of Grease Monkey Wipes co-founder, Tim, training with the Austin Cycle Camp.

Contador signs with Saxo Bank team

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP)—Three-time Tour de France champion Alberto Contador will race for the Saxo Bank-SunGard team next season.

Team manager Bjarne Riis said Tuesday that the Spanish rider signed for two years. Contador, who said last week he would leave the Astana team at the end of the season and study his options, confirmed the announcement on his website.

“I think I’ve chosen the best option and I have confidence in Riis to build a great team in 2011,” Contador said. “I’m eager to start this new adventure together with a team and sponsors who have placed their trust in me and I want to show that they have not made a mistake.”

Contador gives the team a new leader after Tour de France runner-up Andy Schleck and his brother Frank announced last week they would leave the team.

Riis, who declined to disclose the financial details of the deal, said he believed Contador could improve as a rider.

“Alberto is a world class rider and it’s with great pride I can present him as a member of the team for the next two years,” the Dane said. “I believe we have not seen his full potential yet.”

“Contador is always in the game to win and I respect that and like his ambition to win the three great tours in one year,” Riis said.

He also announced that Saxo Bank would remain a co-sponsor of the team next year. The online investment bank had previously said it would end its support at the end of 2010.

“Bjarne Riis has delivered excellent results over the past couple of years and has an impressive plan for 2011,” Saxo Bank co-founders Kim Fournais and Lars Seier Christensen said. “We believe it’s important to recognize an unprecedented opportunity when you see one and therefore, we have decided to continue our sponsorship for one more year.”

SunGard, an IT services company based in Wayne, Pa., had previously agreed to co-sponsor the team next year.

Contador said support of the team sponsors “has also been decisive in choosing this proposal.”

Great Story from One of our Customers

Just thought I'd share a funny story with you. I saw y'all on TV, and as soon as I had a chance to purchase your product, I did. Well, the other day was Cow Appreciation Day at Chik-fil-A. Don't know if you know about that, but if you dress HEAD TO TOE cow, you can get a free meal there.

I didn't have a lot of money to make a costume, but I sure wanted that free food.

So in order to me Head to Toe, I used a permanent marker on my arms and legs to make cow spots. The reason I knew I could do this and not look goofy for days later was that I was positive that Grease Monkey Wipes could take off the marker. And I was right.

We love the Wipes on our home, and use them often. Thanks, Grease Monkey Wipes, for giving me a good day. (We won't even talk about how I had to go through the mall in cow gear!)

Love, Gari S.

(What a fantastic story from one of our customers.  Do you have a story like this? If so send it to us and maybe you will be featured on our blog in the near future.)

2010 Tour de France at a Glance

PARIS, June 28 (Reuters) - The route for the 2010 Tour de France starting on Saturday: July 3: Prologue - Rotterdam, 8.9 km

It will be the first time the Tour de France starts with a prologue since the London grand depart in 2007. The route will be flat and is likely to favour a specialist like Swiss Fabian Cancellara. July 4: Stage 1 - Rotterdam - Brussels, 223.5 km

A flat stage that is likely to be decided in a mass sprint. July 5: Stage 2 - Brussels - Spa, 201 k

The peloton will go through the Ardennes region with sections from the Fleche Wallonne and Liege-Bastogne-Liege classics. Pure sprinters may find it hard to keep it up with the favourites. July 6: Stage 3 - Wanze - Arenberg Porte du Hainaut, 213 k

Four cobblestone sections feature in the final 30 km. July 7: Stage 4 - Cambrai - Reims, 153.5 km

A flat, short stage that will be welcome by the peloton after the previous day. A mass sprint is likely. July 8: Stage 5 - Epernay - Montargis, 187.5 km

A stage for the sprinters, but the favourites could let a breakaway go all the way. July 9: Stage 6 - Montargis - Gueugnon, 227.5 km

Team HTC Columbia are expected to control the stage to favour sprinter Mark Cavendish. July 10: Stage 7 - Tournus - Station des Rousses, 165.5 km

The stage goes up and down, with six climbs on the menu. Not one for the pure climbers though. July 11: Stage 8 - Station des Rousses - Morzine Avoriaz, 189 km

The first high mountains stage. Champion Alberto Contador should make a move to prove a point, although he might want to wait a bit before taking the leader’s yellow jersey. July 12: Rest day - Morzine Avoriaz July 13: Stage 9 - Morzine Avoriaz - St Jean de Maurienne, 204.5 km

Two category one climbs and one out of category on this Alpine stage. But the top of the Col de la Madeleine is 32 km from the finish, so the favourites are unlikely to attack as they will want to avoid being isolated in the descent to St Jean de Maurienne. July 14: Stage 10 - Chambery - Gap, 179 km

The descent from the Col du Noyer is a very tricky one. In 2003, Joseba Beloki crashed and Lance Armstrong had to cut through a field to avoid a mishap. July 15: Stage 11 - Sisteron - Bourg les Valence, 184.5 km

A favourable terrain for the sprinters. July 16: Stage 12 - Bourg de Peage - Mende, 210.5 km

The stage ends with the climb of the Cote de Mende and a likely battle between the favourites. With sections of the climb having a gradient of over 10 per cent, some could suffer. July 17: Stage 13 - Rodez - Revel, 196 km

One of the last chances to shine for those who do not like the mountains. July 18: Stage 14 - Revel - Ax 3 Domaines, 184,5 km

The final climb comes shortly after the demanding ascent to the Col de Pailheres. One for the big guns. July 19: Stage 15 - Pamiers - Bagneres de Luchon, 187.5 km

The final descent is extremely tricky. One could lose the Tour there. July 20: Stage 16 - Bagneres de Luchon - Pau, 199.5 km

Although the last ascent is far from the finish, there are four tough climbs: Aubisque, Tourmalet, Aspin, Peyresourde. In 1969, Eddy Merckx tackled these four climbs to win after a 180-km solo breakaway. July 21: Rest day - Pau July 22: Stage 17 - Pau - Col du Tourmalet, 174 km

The Col du Tourmalet will be ascended for the second time in three days as the Tour celebrates the centenary of the Pyrenees in the race. Obviously a stage for a good climber. July 23: Stage 18 - Salies de Bearn - Bordeaux, 198 km

One for the sprinters. Teams will battle it out for the teams classification as well. July 24: Stage 19 - Bordeaux-Pauillac, individual time trial 52 km

A completely flat time trial, the only one in this year’s Tour. July 25: Stage 20 - Longjumeau - Paris Champs Elysees, 102.5 km The usual final parade featuring eight loops on the Champs Elysees.

Total distance: 3,642 km

This is about as newsworthy as a study that shows beer gets you drunk

GENEVA (AP)—Team RadioShack has confirmed that Lance Armstrong will ride in next month’s Tour de France.

Team director Johan Bruyneel says Tuesday that seven-time Tour winner Armstrong will be joined by Andreas Kloeden of Germany, Americans Levi Leipheimer and Chris Horner, and Janez Brajkovic of Slovenia.

Also racing for RadioShack will be Portugal’s Sergio Paulinho, Yaroslav Popovych of Ukraine, Swiss rider Gregory Rast and Dmitriy Muravyev of Kazakhstan.

The 38-year-old Armstrong finished second in the Tour of Switzerland on Sunday, performing well in the mountain stages and the time trials.

Armstrong crashed at the Tour of California in May but escaped serious injury.

The Tour’s 97th edition begins July 3 in the Dutch port of Rotterdam.

Summer Tee Shirt Sale

Announcing the Grease Monkey Wipes summer tee shirt sale. 

All in stock tees 30% off, no discount code needed.

Hurry supplies are limited and this offer will only run for a limited time.  So get on over to http://bit.ly/9ntymO
and get yours today.


Thanks and enjoy the ride.


Tim