Andrew
SANTA CRUZ BIKES ARE HERE !!!
We are pleased to announce that we are the Wagga and Southern NSW dealer for Santa Cruz Bikes !!!
Having previously sold Santa Cruz from 2007 to 2014, it was an easy decision to make this our premier MTB brand again…
Currently the most recognizable brand in the MTB world, Santa Cruz have established themselves as the boutique brand ridden by some of the best riders on the planet. With iconic designs across the different disciplines of dirt riding, this bicycle company is all about performance, durability and credibility.
What separates Santa Cruz from the hundreds of other bicycle brands out there has been their dedication to the development of their patented Virtual Pivot Point Suspension System (VPP).
VPP has been engineered across their range of suspension bikes to accurately give the greatest performing suspension platform regardless of whether you are a DH rider, Enduro / All Mountain slayer or an everyday trail rider.
Wheel size and geometry are obviously the other 2 key areas of making good bikes, and Santa Cruz just keep producing progressive frame designs to suit the different riders and wheel sizes out there. In a world where every MTB park and trail is getting more aggressive, Santa Cruz are at the forefront of good design to keep up with this, but also make sure the bikes handle and pedal correctly for intended use.
Santa Cruz’s impressive models include the following (please click the links)
- V10 Downhill
- Megatower and Nomad Enduro bikes
- Bronson and Hightower All Mountain bikes
- Tallboy and 5010 Trail bikes
- Blur and Highball XC bikes
- Chameleon Plus hardtail
- Stigmata Gravel bikes
The thing we have been most impressed with whilst building up the newest range of Santa Cruz bikes is the attention to finish on the carbon frames and the design for internal cables. Every brand is doing internal cables now, and quite frankly, many brands are making it way more complicated than it should be. Santa Cruz have made it as easy as possible with an internal carbon tube or “spine” that is actually part of the frame. It’s just one of those little things we notice in the workshop that makes a difference at service time. Added to this is the smart pivot and bolt system that uses grease nipples to keep the suspension hinge running smooth for the life of the bike… If you are looking for a boutique bike, this feature alone separates Santa Cruz from the pack of highly desirable products out there on the market.
Santa Cruz warranty is also fantastic with lifetime guarantee on frames, pivot bearings and carbon wheels (for original owners).
We also keep Reserve Carbon wheelsets in stock for upgrade during build phase of Santa Cruz bikes, or for outright purchase. These things are insanely strong and priced better than you think !!!
Like any good boutique offering Santa Cruz have different build options for their models to suit peoples budgets and tastes. Certainly we have noticed that compared to many offerings available is that each Santa Cruz build kit is smartly spec’d, meaning budget orientated options are not just “poverty packs” with nice frames, and components that do not match. So it doesn’t matter if your budget is $7000, or $15,000 the bike represents a balanced, quality item
In Australia, Santa Cruz are only offered in carbon frame options from “S” build and up. So please check out the Santa Cruz aussie website for more details. There is also some great info available to sink your teeth into before making the journey in store.
We look forward to talking customers through their ideal bike and spec, and with our range of bikes now on the floor, now is the time to get in and speak to us about the best bike you have owned so far !!!
CRAZY SPOT SPECIALS – Performance MTB, Road and E-Bikes
Our End of Season Sale is in full swing, and whilst plenty of bikes have walked out the door with happy customers (and at silly prices)…There is still some great bargains to be had across the range.
We have some crazy specials on mid to high end E Bike, road, gravel & MTB’s…check them out…
Norco Sight C2 2018 – was $6,799…SALE $4000 (medium 29)
Norco Range A3 2018 – was $3,799…SALE $2499 (medium 27.5)
Giant Propel SL-1 – was $7,999…SALE $5,999 (medium)
Giant Trance Advanced Pro 1 29 – was $6,299…SALE $4,799 (large)
LIV Langma Pro 0 – was $6,299…SALE $4999 (small)
Giant Trance E+ SX – was $8,399…SALE $6,499 (large)
Giant Revolt Advanced 0 – was $4,299…SALE $3,399 (m/L)
LIV Envie Advanced Tri 2018- was $4,299…SALE $2,699 (s &xs)
Giant Reign 1 – was $5,499…SALE $3999 (large 27.5)
Norco Sight C3 – was $5,199…SALE $3799 (large 29)
LIV Valle E+ – was $4,799…SALE $3,299 (xs)
Giant Trance E+ 1 – was $6999…SALE $5399 (medium)
LIV Intrigue E+ 3 – was $5999…SALE $4,499 (XS)
With the aussie dollar sliding in recent times the price of bikes will only be looking to increase over the next year, so now is the time to grab a bargain on that new machine…
Most of these units are one off specials…so don’t miss out, secure yours today !!!
Want to know if we have what you are after in store? Give us a call, we are keen to clear the current range !!!
Cannondale Synapse Clarence
In Conjuction with our End of Season Sale we have our remaining stock of 2019 Cannondale Synapse Endurance bikes on massive clearance…
Synapse E-TAP was $8,499 sale $5,499 (56cm)
Synapse Ultegra Di2 was $5,999 sale $3,800 (56cm)
Synapse Ultegra was $4,499 sale $3,200 (54,56,58cm)
Synapse Ultegra W was $4499 sale $3,200 (51cm)
Now is the time to secure a bargain on these fantastic endurance road bikes…first in best dressed !!!
All bikes come with our customised fitting service included free of charge to make sure that your purchase is the best it can be.
END OF SEASON SALE !!!
All 2019 Bikes and accessories…minimum 20% off !!!
It’s that time of year again…the big yellow sign is up in the window…every current model 2019 bike in the store is on sale…
When we have a sale, we don’t muck around. We just strip the price and offer great value for money.
Most of the bikes in store are still our 2019 range, so there is heaps of yellow tags covering the shop.
Kid’s bikes, recreational bikes, road bikes, BMX bikes, MTB performance bikes and E Bikes…they are all on sale !!!
Don’t see a yellow tag on a bike? Ask us how much it is…
Highlights of the special include:
- Giant MTB E Bikes…all minimum 25% off
- Cannondale Road Bikes…a massive 30% off
- LIV Women’s road bikes…all minimum 25% off
- BMX bikes from WTP, Fly and Mirra…minimum 20% off
- Scott Performance MTB…minimum 20% off
- Fox PROFRAME MTB helmets…20% off
- car transport by Thule, Ezi Grip and Yakima…all 20% off
- 100% Sunglasses 20% off
- Clothing…all styles 20% off
- Clothing specials rack…all items $20…some silly bargains to be had
Keep an eye on our social media platforms for highlight specials as we show off some ridiculous specials on some items…
So now’s the time to get in and grab a bargain, once they sell out, that’s it for another year…
Want to know if we have your size or that special model? Contact us to secure that bike you want now !!!
Phone us business hours 02 69214 536
LOOK AFTER YOU BIKE CHAIN
If you only look after and maintain one thing on your bike – it has to be your chain…
There is an absolute stack of products and info on the market dedicated to bike care – its important stuff and certainly one of those product lines we like to advise people about – not just let them grab it off the shelf and take to the check out – the right products for the right kind of cyclist means plenty of on going use for your pride and joy.
What’s the one area of bike care that all kinds of cyclists get wrong?
THE CHAIN !!!
We try and always think of care products in 2 categories – for the chain, or for the rest of the bike – the chain is that important !!!
No matter what bike you have, the chain is the primary area of the bike you need to be able to look after at home with the right products and advice. Regardless of how much expert servicing we do for you in the workshop to the rest of your bike, you need to be able to do at least some chain care at home. The chain simply needs more attention than just at service time.
Let’s start with why the chain is so important…stretch…if a chain is well cared for then it doesn’t stretch as quickly. A chain is made up of pins, rollers and plates (links), and as a chain wears these small parts don’t all fit together as snugly – like a door hinge that starts to wear out and get sloppy. This then means the chain stretches a very small amount per link as you push down hard on the pedals. So over 100 or so links this becomes a noticeable amount of stretch and slop which leads to the chain not sliding as nicely across cogs when changing gears. Gear change becomes less crisp, slower to react and noisier.
This stretch also leads to the front and rear cogs of the bike wearing…as each link stretches doesn’t sit down onto each tooth of the cogs correctly, this slight misalignment causes the teeth to wear with every rotation. Enough wear can lead to dangerous slippage when the chain and cog cannot grab as you put power down, especially bursts of power or up hills. It doesn’t always have to be the die hard customers doing lots of miles – this issue can just as regularly come from recreational cyclists, because these customers are maybe thinking it isn’t as important to care for the chain on their weekend machine.
So why does the chain stretch and wear???
There is really only 2 reasons – 1. metal on metal friction from use over time is unavoidable but limited by using the right lubrication. 2. grit & dirt is the major issue most people have with chain wear. Grit kills chains quicker than simple mechanical wear – heaps quicker, grit and dirt act like sand paper on a chain as it constantly rotates around causing that wear and slop we have spoken about…so keeping the chain clean is actually more important than keeping it well lubed.
Here are some great tips to get into a regular routine for chain care in between visits to the workshop.
- Wipe your chain regularly – with a simple dry rag, if a chain is wiped every 2 rides, this stops the grit off every road or trail from attaching to the chain. The grit sticks to the oil on the chain and it mashes it up. So if you wipe it every 2 rides you keep on top of this process. Simply hold a rag firmly over the bottom half of the chain as you turn the pedals backwards – keep your hands and the rag away from the cogs however… you will get a noticeable streak of black tar off the chain. Repeat every 2 rides. Keep a rag next to your bike storage , make it easy and accessible.
- People think they will wipe off all the oil needed for the chain by wiping for 20 seconds – you won’t. A chain is like a sponge, each link and roller holds a nice drop of oil or lube – even if it feels reasonably dry to touch. Wiping for 20 seconds only wipes off the oil that has leached to the surface of the chain (where is isn’t really doing its thing). The oil inside each link will continue to do its job but you are getting rid of the oil and grit on the surface. More oil will leach out on the next couple of rides, so repeat the process.
- Wiping the chain every 2 rides will mean that you might get 6 rides (3 cycles) before the chain does have a dry and crunchy feel – now its time to put more oil.
- Never oil a dirty chain – take the extra few minutes to give the chain a really decent wipe before putting more oil on the chain – oiling a chain that is already gritty and dirty doesn’t allow the oil to get into the rollers where is needs to be… the oil sits on the surface and only makes that mashed up gritty chain killer worse- THIS IS A MAJOR ISSUE WITH ALL CYCLISTS – get out of thinking that you have done your bike some good by just throwing a bit of oil on it for good measure…don’t have time to wipe the chain? you don’t have time to oil it then!!!
- Wiping the chain can only keep on top of it for so long. If the chain starts to get more of a gunky film that is hard to remove on it, its time to clean the chain, either with a good brush and some degreaser, or a specific chain cleaner – all of which we can talk to you about in store… any degreasing of the chain should be an in depth process however…do not just spray a bit of degreaser on the chain and cogs and wipe off before re-oiling… make sure you rinse off any cleaning products with water very well. We have seen the results of not getting old oil and degreaser off the chain properly…the result is something like glue.
- Do not use WD40 or CRC…neither have any proper use on a chain…are you trying to oil or degrease your chain? People think the good old “service in a can” does both… they kinda do but they flick off the chain quickly and then there is nothing left – leading to rust…the one thing people are trying to stop by using them.
- Chain before other cleaning. If you are going to give the chain a good clean and degrease do this before any other cleaning, as there will be some degreaser that splatters on the rest of the bike. Rinse the chain, wash the rest of the bike how you like, dry the chain with a rag, and then oil it.
- Oils ain’t oils… sorry for stealing the slogan, but whilst there is a crazy number product for oiling and lubing chains there is essentially only a couple of categories: 1. Oil based or “wet” lubes are for riders in wet muddy conditions or road riders who want the bike to feel really smooth, these lubes are often about the consistency of olive oil and are really good at keeping things quiet and lasting a long time between applications. Wet lubes can get very gunky and build up on the chain if not cared for. The 2 rides and wipe process is really important with these oils and we are always talking to customers about keeping on top of the process. 2. Dry based lubes work really well on MTB’s and bikes that are going to get dirty in dry dust. Even our recreational customers should probably aim at using dry lubes because they tend to need less care and you can be a little slacker with wiping the chain. They often have a wax or Teflon sediment in them that leaves a smooth dry film on the chain that dirt finds harder to stick to. They never last as long however and are thinner, which means they need applying more regularly. That’s when the suggested wipe before you re-oil is really important. Many MTB riders will apply, ride twice, wipe and re-apply to keep it all smooth, because they can feel dry and rough quickly, but it’s all in the name of stopping a dirty chain. 3. Ceramic lubes tend to be a oil or waxed based lube, just a better version of them with some ceramic compounds that run really smooth – if you own a high performance bike, they are worth a look.
Remember that you can always make the journey in store to talk about your chain – and the quicker you can get into thinking of your chain as something you need to take control of all the time and in between visits to our workshop the better.
Sign Up To Our Newsletter !!!
If you are already receiving our newsletter via email – thank you for signing up !!!
We appreciate you giving us 5 minutes of your time to read through what’s happening at Wagga Cycle Centre
Been on the mailing list since the start?….you are already in the draw to win one of 3 in store gift vouchers valued at $150 each…
If you are viewing our newsletter via our website, then now is the chance to sign up via the links throughout the site… and be part of the draw !!!
Gift Vouchers can be used on anything store wide from bikes and accessories to workshop…
We will be continuing to use our newsletter for lots of things relevant to products and happenings in the store…don’t worry, we wont be bombarding you…we want you to open our emails…not get sick of them and flick past them !!!
Please checkout our social media links for lots of quick bites of info and pictures that people love to see as they scroll through their phones. But for a little more in depth topics we want our newsletter to provide you with something good to read from a local business .
Keep an eye out after June 21 as we compile a list of all those signed up to the mailing list and draw out some vouchers…we will notify winners via direct email and social media on Saturday, June 22
Regards,
Andrew
SMP Saddles – A Bike Riders Best Friend
Problems with the seat you ride on? There are seats out there that will help you ride better…
There would hardly be a customer we have dealt with that hasn’t has a problem with a seat at some stage through their cycling adventures. There is literally thousands of saddle options available from narrow to ultra wide, from firm to super soft to try and your rump from screaming at you.
Here at Wagga Cycle Centre we keep a large variety of saddles in store to help weekend riders through to die hard roadies. We advise customers which seats will suit them and their riding style, along with discussing any specific issues they are having with their current seat.
Our in store bicycle fitting program for serious cyclists also takes the seat into account when making adjustments to riding positions and pedaling techniques.
The number of issues that people have with seats varies greatly and is specific than “it’s too hard” or “my bum gets sore!!!”. There can be issues such as sore sit bones, numb genital area, sore glutes and thigh rub affecting all sorts of riders out there. Your rump is a series of muscles that needs to get used to a seat, no different to doing weights at the gym, you build up and condition to the stress. But a seat is dealing with some pretty important and sensitive areas of the body.
This is where Selle SMP saddles come into play.
Developed in Italy, SMP have actually been around for 70 years, but their current range of saddles that we highly recommend have been one of the best developments with seats in the last 10-15 years. SMP-4-Bike is the most iconic saddle shape on the market, and it can draw lots of looks and lots of questions. Whether you are a serious road rider, triathlete or a recreational rider, the idea behind the interesting shape of SMP seats is the same. Shape is the key to SMP, not just how soft or wide it is. Here is a quick break down of what is happening:
- The curved shape of the seat: as a person leans forward to reach their handlebars, the hips tilt forward and as a result human “sit” bones actually poke slightly backwards. This means they will push into the curve of the seat and have something to support them (think of a runner with their heals on the starting blocks). With traditional flat seats more muscles are being tensed up to hold you in position instead of leaning into the seat. Certainly the vast majority of people say they feel like their rump is more relaxed when sitting on the SMP, this curve is the main reason for this.
- large flow channel: after the sit bones have something to nicely push and stabilise against, the flow channel takes the pressure away from the sensitive areas of the genitals and the pudendal artery / nerve area. This is a great way of avoiding the numbness that many people associate with their seat and bike riding. This issue has been a major talking point with men’s health and the affect on men’s testicles. SMP seats are certainly a great way of avoiding some of the underlying problems with men spending a lot of time in the saddle and the affects on reproductive potency and testicular health.
- front curve / nose: the front curve and nose of the seat help to stabilise the user as they lean forward, and SMP have done a great job of making this section of the seat soft to avoid pressure whilst still doing the job well.
Many specific issues people have had with seats can be eliminated with the SMP philosophy… forget men’s and women’s specific seats… eliminate the actual issues that affect you. SMP stands out in a market full of seat brands promoting generic remedies…
Now that you have a bit of a grasp of why SMP saddles have their iconic shape, the great thing is that this philosophy has been applied to a massive range of saddles – many of which we keep in stock.
SMP have too many models to list and hold in store, but we make sure to keep the most relevant models and the models that have provided the best feedback from real riders out there:
Performance models $300-$400: Leather covered with firmer padding for riders doing many miles – check out SMP Lite 209, Drakon and Avant.
Sport models $100-$190: Vinyl covered with medium padding levels – aimed at riders on their road bikes and more serious recreational riders – check out SMP extra, Well and Well Plus
Recreational models: called TRK seats with wider and softer vinyl covers – aimed at hybrid riders, mountain bikers, comfort bikes and E-bikes – $99-$150
SMP saddles can be purchased and taken home by a customer, but as a bike shop committed to not just selling product, but to also making sure it works correctly, we always offer to fit the saddle for customers. There is quite a technique and measurements to take into account to get the most out of SMP saddles, and admittedly, the advice available from SMP website regarding fitting often needs a bit more of the personal touch to get right for users.
Here at Wagga Cycle Centre we provide all SMP seat fitting at no extra cost. We also provide demo models of some of our most popular models so that riders can get a feel for the right saddle over a number of rides.