The Best Part of the Bike is Team TweedA rider’s need stems from the experience that an individual rider wants to have while out on a bike – whether it’s riding without training wheels for the first time or winning an Iron Man.
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Specialized – A Passion for Riding and Innovation
Long before Specialized discovered dirt, they had a passion for pavement. Thankfully they didn’t stop innovating back in 1981 with the original Stumpjumper – the first mountain bike that riders could find at their local bike shops – which now resides in the Smithsonian Institute. Specialized Bicycles, founded by Mike Sinyard in Morgan Hill, CA, designs and manufactures a complete line of high-performance bicycles and components, including its Body Geometry line of medically proven cycling accessories and it’s women specific bikes. Specialized is a company of devout cyclists whose goal is to create cutting edge, functional and technically advanced products that provide a performance benefit for cycling enthusiasts. Fantastic women’s bikes for on and off-road. Specialized pays attention to the fine differences - a completely different palette of colors and graphics and ergonomic frame geometry configured for the female body, light components, comfortable seat and extraordinary designs.
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Cannondale — Machines Built to Expect the Unexpected
Cannondale engineers know that if they can build a machine worthy of World Cup DH podiums – they can accomplish everything in between. Cannondale is based in Cannondale, CT and manufactured in Bedford, PA, USA so the engineers grew up riding hard-trails through rock-garden riddled singletrack and this translates to bikes that can handle any terrain. From complicated carbon fiber monocoque design to welded aluminum – Cannondale engineers work in tandem with their professional riders to develop products that are specifically optimized for their demands. Packed with proven technology, Cannondale bikes are ideal for everything from quick laps around the park to long steady efforts. If precision, strength, speed and amplitude define your ride, come in and let us show you Cannondale's 2008 bikes.
BMC — Dive Into the Fascinating World of Swiss Precision
Welcome to the world of BMC, where passion, Swiss precision technology and innovative design merge into fascinating products. The lighter a bike is, the less energy it takes to move! The fascinating challenge of every development engineer in the cycle industry is to build a frame that is as light as possible, but at the same time has high stiffness, stability, safety and can optimally transfer your energy to the ground. BMC bikes create fascination through their unique design and technically perfect form – innovative, eye catching, precise, and clean styling.
Let us build the ultimate bike to fit YOU!
Don't know what you want? Try a demo!
Hickory & Tweed has a full line of full suspension demo bikes with the latest technology from Cannondale, Specialized and BMC for you to try on your favorite trails.
If you're thinking about a custom bike, call us at 914-273-3397 or contact us via email at bino@hickoryandtweed.com
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Looking for a Good Bike Mechanic?
Any shop can sell you equipment — what makes Hickory & Tweed's Bike Shop different is our staff.
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Bino Cummings, who has been part of the Tweed family for years and an outdoor enthusiast manages the Bike Shop. Bino studied bicycle mechanics at Barnet Bicycle Institute (BBI) in Colorado Springs, CO, the world famous training ground for bike mechanics, and is a certified Comprehensive Bicycle Mechanic. Whether it’s the latest equipment or techniques and procedures for bike maintenance and repair, Bino is the person to talk to.
Bino Cummings
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Brad Mena, as the seasons change, Brad moves from the Ski and Board shop to the Bike shop as one of our top mechanics. Brad is an avid mountain and road biker and commutes to work on bikes several days a week.
Billy Lowitz, an avid skier, mountain biker and road rider, has returned to the Tweed and is helping us greatly with the sports that he loves.
Brian Scherer, another avid bike and ski enthusiast can be found upstairs selling bikes in the spring and summer and skis and boards in the fall and winter.
Brad Mena
Billy Lowitz
Skip and his awesome bike team - Bino, Brad, Billy and Brian – enjoy riding together and you can find them at the events that the Tweed sponsors. Join us for the Wednesday Night Flings — the rides start in our parking lot Wednesday at 6 PM through mid September — and look for us at the 13th annual Blue Mountain Fat Tire Festival June 8th at the Blue Mountain Reservation.
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Planning a ride? Here's What Else You May Need.
Once you have a bike that fits and is tuned, it’s time to gather the other essentials for a safe and enjoyable ride.
Helmet: Giro bicycle helmets are made with In-mold Composite Sub Frame covered with a thin plastic outer shell and large vents to keep your head cool. Helmets come in many colors and if you ride at night, we recommend, light and bright colors, which are best for visibility. Fit is the most important consideration in selecting a helmet. Find one that fits snugly out of the box (not tight, just snug) and fine-tune the fit by adjusting the straps and adding pads where necessary to take up any space between the helmet and your head. Once crushed, the inner composite sub frame does not recover, which is why helmets must always be replaced after a crash.
Frame pump: The Road Morph or the Master Blaster DX frame pumps are essential for emergencies on the road and trail. A speedier solution are co2 cartridge pumps, such as the Ultraflate Plus from Genuine Innovations - they can fill a tire in seconds, where a hand pump can take minutes!
Basic Tools for the Road and Trail: For the most common breakdown, a flat tire, carry a spare tube and tire levers (to easily remove the tire) and a patch kit for repairing a tube or if you have a second flat. A chain tool will allow you to fix a broken or damaged chain. And, a mini-tool (some include chain tools) with 4, 5 and 6mm Allen wrenches and screwdrivers will allow you to adjust most of the bike's bolts. And, always carry some cash for food and a cell phone to call someone in case of a problem that you can't fix.
Floor pump: For everyday use you'll want a Joe Blow Pro floor pump. It'll make filling your tires faster and easier and will save wear and tear on your frame pump. This pump is extremely durable, which is why you’ll find it in all of our garages!
Cyclo-computer: One of the joys of cycling is being able to cover lots of ground and a Garmin Edge 705, the ultimate cyclo-computer, can tell you how far, how fast and how long you've ridden. Several Garmin models have extra functions such as heart rate, cadence (how fast you're pedaling), altitude, and temperature, but the Edge 705 has actual street and topographical maps and will give you directions so you’ll never be lost again.
Vehicle rack: The trails or roads you bike aren't always riding distance away, so you may want a Thule rack designed to safely carry your bike no matter what type or style of car, truck or van you drive. Thule has racks and cargo carriers to fit your needs and your sports. Let us help you find the right rack for you.
Hydration system: Camelbak hydration systems are a great option for quenching your thirst while riding. Insulation keeps your beverage of choice cooler (or warmer) longer and the drinking tube makes sipping more convenient. The capacity on larger systems is almost twice as much as you can carry in two large water bottles and the hydration pack provides a place to stash food, ID, small tools, keys and more.
Eyewear: Protect your eyes with sunglasses designed for cycling. It's not just glare you have to be concerned about on the road or trail; airborne debris kicked up from other bikes or passing vehicles can be hazardous, too. Oakley shades provide increased safety, including UV protection so your eye will be less fatigued at the end of a long day and slightly higher brow coverage for when you're bent over. We also carry eyewear from Specialized, featuring NXT lenses, a photochromatic lense that changes color depending on the ambient light conditions.
Lock: Bike security is important. Get a good lock from Kryptonite and use it correctly to prevent bike theft.
Socks: Even something as simple as socks can enhance your riding if they're specifically made for cycling. Pearl Izumi socks are designed to provide comfort for logging the miles on your new bike.
We can suggest other great accessories and help prioritize your purchases.
Pre-Season Service To Increase Enjoyment, Reduce Problems
You have a bike and helmet and are ready to ride. Right? Wrong.
Before you head out on the road or trails, you want to bring your bike in to have our expert mechanics do a thorough inspection to ensure that all systems are working well. We recommend getting your bike tuned at least once a year, and more frequently depending on the amount of riding you do. We also offer a “race prep” so that you can go into your next event, be it a road or mountain bike race, a sprint triathlon, or even a full blown Iron Man!
1. Frame – We wipe down the frame and look for flaking paint that may indicate that a crack has developed. Although frame failure is rare, it can happen. (It's most likely if you crash or ride hard all the time.)
2. Rims - Wipe down the rims, to clean residue that affects braking and then closely inspect the rim sides for wear from braking which will affect your safety.
3. Wheels – Why do we spin the wheels? They should be round and true. If they wobble, spokes may have loosened and the wheel should be trued and tensioned.
4. Tire Pressure – We check your tires to make sure they are inflated to the proper pressure (it's usually written on the sidewalls) and inspect them closely for wear and tear. Just like a car, if they're bald or the sidewalls are damaged or cracked, we will replace the tire(s).
5. Wheel Bearings – We check for lateral play in the hubs to determine if the wheel bearings should be adjusted.
6. Chain - The chain is checked and prepped by applying a bike-specific lubricant, letting it soak in for a few minutes, then wiping off the excess with a rag.
7. Chainrings - We inspect the chainring for broken teeth. Newer chainrings are designed to have some teeth that are slightly shorter than others because the shorter teeth provide a specific release point where the chain can easily drop from the large ring to the small, improving the shifting.
8. Derailleur Cables - Some derailleur cables run beneath the bottom bracket, drop a bit of light oil on the contact areas.
9. Cables – All cables are examined for rust and fraying, signs that replacement is needed.
10. Handlebars – We make sure your handlebars have end plugs because open-ended bars can hurt you if you crash.
11. Headset – (Not your iPod) We check the play when the front brake is applied and the bike is rocked back and forth. If there's any play, this could indicate that the headset (steering bearings) needs adjustment.
12. Crankarms - By holding onto the crankarms and feeling for lateral play in the bottom-bracket bearings, we determine if the play indicates adjustment is needed.
13. General Bolt Check – Next we check that the key parts are tight by putting a torque wrench on them and trying to tighten them: stem bolts, derailleur mounting bolts, derailleur pulley bolts, brake bolts, seat-post bolt, seat bolt, crank bolts, chainring bolts, pedals to mention a few.
14. Clipless Pedals – We check the hardware on your pedals and the cleats themselves for wear (worn-out cleats can make it difficult to get in and out of your pedals, and cleats can pull out inadvertently during hard pedaling).
Let Us Help
Let our expert service department perform required maintenance to ensure a safe and fun ride. Feel free to ask us any questions regarding inspecting your bike for maintenance and safety. We're here to help!
Got Kids?
Now you can take them with you on those family rides.
Burley’s Solo and D’Lite trailers attach to virtually any bike and are a great way for the whole family to ride together. The tow behind trailers can carry one or two children and up to 100 lbs. For younger kids, we carry the Limo Child Seat by CoPilot that also attaches on the back of most bikes and provides a smooth ride for kids up to 40 lbs. We also offer the Adams Trail-a-bike, which converts your adult bike into a tandem, allowing your child to go on longer rides with you, while still being active.
As gas prices keep rising commuters turn to bikes
Dust off your old one or buy new wheels
Four-dollar-a-gallon gas is good for biking – people across the country are dusting off their old two-wheelers -- or buying new ones -- to cope with rising fuel prices.
''People are riding bicycles a lot more often, and it's due to a mixture of things, but escalating gas prices is one of them,'' said Bill Nesper, spokesman for the Washington. D.C.-based League of American Bicyclists. ''We're seeing a spike in the number of calls we're getting from people wanting tips on bicycle commuting,'' he said. Nesper said he expects a record number of people will be pedaling this year. There's almost nowhere for the numbers to go but up: The group says less than one-half of 1 percent of Americans ride a bike to work. The League of American Bicyclists promoted Bike-to-Work Day on May 16.
Support environmentally friendly transportation and fight global warming and high gas prices by bicycling. Pollution-free, affordable and a healthy way to get around. An enjoyable way to make a positive difference, plus, you'll arrive refreshed and ready to take on the day!
We can convert your current bike into a commuter with the addition of a rack, panniers, lights, and any other equipment you might need.
* Hickory & Tweed is a registered trademark of Hickory & Tweed, Inc. Armonk, NY