Happy Friday! Today’s photo is from a recent mountain bike ride in the Chuckanuts. Rides in the Chuckanuts have a little bit of everything – steep climbs, steep descents, roots, rocks, views – all the ingredients necessary for a memorable day.
Do you have any photos you’d like to share? Send them to us via Facebook – we’ll feature the best ones in an upcoming Photo Friday. The only requirement is that they’re outdoor related – biking, skiing, snowboarding – we like it all! Have a great weekend.
Looking for a bike to shred Whistler or Stevens Pass this summer, but want to have money left over for lift tickets and gas? The 2012 Specialized Status may be just the bike. The Status replaces the venerable Big Hit as Specialized’s budget downhill/freeride machine. With 200mm of travel, beefy wheels, wide tires and wide bars, this bike is ready for a summer of bike park action.
The Specialized Status is available in two configurations – the Status I ($2299) comes with a single crown X-Fusion front fork, while the Status II ($2850) comes with a dual-crown Rock Shox Domain. Both bikes are fully capable of handling the roughest terrain around – much of the technology on the Status was derived from the DH World Cup proven Demo.
With the Whistler Bike Park opening on May 18th (less than seven weeks away), now is the perfect time to check out a Status. If your ideal summer day consists of lap after lap of A-Line and Dirt Merchant, or maybe some laps on Goat’s Gully up in the Garbanzo Zone, then this is the bike for you.
We currently have both the Specialized Status I and II in stock – come on in take a look!
Do the rising gas prices or recent nice weather have you thinking about bike commuting? Why not give it a try? Commuting by bike instantly grants you membership to the world’s least exclusive, easiest to join club. Anyone is welcome, and if you have a bike, you’re in. There are no membership fees, secret handshakes, or formal meetings. All you need to do is get on your bike and ride – before you know it you’ll be talking about bikes at the dinner table, or explaining to your coworkers why you’d rather ride to work than drive. Once you start having dreams about riding, it’s official – you’re addicted. But don’t worry – bike riding is a healthy addiction, one that we fully support/enable (of course, we’re totally addicted too…).
Even if your commute is only a couple of miles, when you start riding you’ll have a whole different sensory experience. The smell of salt water carried on the wind off of Bellingham Bay, early morning fog rolling through the Chuckanuts, the sounds of downtown – it’d be hard to notice these scenes from inside a car. On a bike you’re not cut off from the outside world – you become part of it, a participant rather than a spectator.
One of the best parts about bike commuting in Bellingham (or anywhere) is interacting with other commuters. There’s something about seeing a fellow bike rider that makes you want to wave to them, or at least give a nod to demonstrate that you recognize their efforts. This is especially true when the weather is foul – the nod to another bike rider shows them that you know what it’s like, that you too have chosen to ride instead of drive. As you ride more you’ll start to recognize the truly hardcore commuters, the ones who ride no matter the weather. Before you know it, you’ll be right there with them, pedaling through a hail storm, smiling the whole time.
So dust off that bike and join the club – there’s always room for one more. Pedal on!
How’s your bike doing? Did you put it away as soon as the rainy, gray days of winter approached? Or have you been riding it through the recent snow, sleet, rain and mud? Either way, with the days getting longer, and nicer weather (hopefully) just around the corner, now is the perfect time for some bike maintenance. We’ve put together a short list of components which may be in need of your attention.
Brake Pads 
The mud and road grime encountered during winter riding can act like sandpaper on your brake pads, causing them to wear at a much quicker rate than in the summer. Worn out brake pads can cause damage to your rotors or rims – a little preventative maintenance will help prevent costly repairs.
With all types of brake pads, be on the lookout for uneven wear. If the pad is wearing at an angle the pad or the brake caliper may be misaligned.
Tires
Tires are what keep you on the road or trail. Worn tires provide decreased traction, and can be more prone to flats.
Chain / Drivetrain 
How’s your bicycle’s drivetrain? Clean and lubed? Or is it caked with a greasy, muddy mess? A bucket of warm soapy water, a brush and some elbow grease is all you need to make your chain, chainrings and cassette happy again. Scrub, scrub, scrub ‘til you get the muck off, rinse it with water and then apply your favorite lube. Wipe off any excess and you’re ready to ride.
It’s also a good idea to check how worn your chain is – if you don’t have your own chain wear indicator (a highly recommended tool for the avid cyclist), stop by the shop and we’ll measure your chain for free. Replacing your chain in a timely manner allows you to get more life out of your chainrings and cassette.
Suspension
Have you have ever had your fork serviced? Most manufacturers recommend servicing your fork at least every 100 hours of riding, if not sooner. Start the season off right with a fork rebuild from Fairhaven Bike & Ski. We’ll change the oil, change the seals if necessary, and make your suspension feel buttery smooth again.
Conclusion
Checking your brake pads, tires and drivetrain and suspension is a quick way to ensure your bike is ready for spring. Don’t want to work on your own bike? Need a complete overhaul? We don’t mind getting dirty – bring your bike to us! Our experienced mechanics will get your bike dialed in and ready to roll quickly and efficiently.
Mt. Baker Ski Area is unique in this age of glitzy, cookie-cutter ski resorts. At Baker it’s about the skiing (or snowboarding), and that’s why we love it. You can’t buy a fur coat or a diamond ring at the base area, which is how how we think it should be. To show our appreciation, we’ve started a list of our favorite things about skiing at Mt. Baker.
Snow:
Mt. Baker Ski Area is legendary for the amount of snowfall they receive each year. With an average annual snowfall of 701 inches, even a low snow year beats most Colorado ski resorts by 100+ inches. And the snow that falls on Baker is amazing – it might not be the lightest, but the way it cakes onto the mountain, forming pillows and spines everywhere you look, is unbeatable. As the season progresses gullies and ravines fill in, and the shape of the Mountain evolves. Massive storms roll off the Pacific, dumping enough snow to transform the slopes. It’s like shaking an etch-a-sketch – the slopes are covered with a thick layer of fresh snow, a blank canvas for skiers and snowboarders to leave their marks. Visit Mt. Baker and you’re almost guaranteed to need powder skis, the fatter the better.
Fairhaven Bike & Ski 