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Current News for
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 That's why Chain Reaction stocks over
125
mountain bikes, 90+ hybrids, 70+ kids, a number of track & fixed-gear, and, yes,
over 300 road bikes.
And, we dare say, we've got the best bikes out there.
From TREK, LeMond and Gary Fisher. Bikes backed by the best company in the
business, many of which are still built here in the US (yes, Wisconsin is
known for more than just great beer, cheese & brats).
Our staff in Redwood City and Los Altos are trained to not only get you fit
exactly right, but make sure you’re on the right bike, too. We’ll explain
everything with minimal jargon, and even try to make it fun. Because buying
a bike is fun!
The right bike will dazzle you every time you ride. It will send your head
spinning, your heart pounding, and make you want to get out and ride every
time you see it. It's our job to make that happen for you. |
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HUGE SAVINGS ON 2006... AND MANY
2007 ROAD BIKES
DAYS
TO GO...OR LESS, AS SOME MODELS & SIZES ARE ALREADY SOLD OUT! |
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Why wait for next October when you can get a 2007
TREK road bike on sale today? Savings from $100-$700 on many popular
models, including the 1500 & Madone 5.9SL shown above. And yes, the
2007 5.9SL is available with a triple crankset, for the same
sale price! What other 2007 models are on sale? Madone 5.5, 5.2SL,
2100 WSDs (women specific design), plus every 2006 road bike in
stock! |
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Sign up for our email list to get advanced notice
on our sales.
We've just added a new e-list, just for super-duper specials... sometimes
new components exchanged on bikes, sometimes special purchases.
We've also put up a page detailing the various
elist groups we offer. |
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 04/15/07-
WHY WE RIDE, EPISODE #91
Because there's ALWAYS a train about to leave the station, heading where
you want to go.
On the upper parts of Old LaHonda I came across a group of four heading in
the same direction. A "train" I gladly latched onto, as it would make the
run to the coast a whole lot easier (since there was a pretty strong
headwind).
And that's what's so cool about riding a bike. You can catch a "train" like
that if you're looking for company, or you can go it alone for that
inwardly-thoughtful experience.
Trains are leaving constantly, and are always populated by nice folk like
Susan, Mitch, Tommy and a guy whose name I forgot (amazing, given how bad I
am with names, I can even remember 3 of the 4). (4/16- Susan just emailed me
to give me his name- Joe) If you find the pace of a
particular train a bit fast, you'll probably come upon one of the
slower-moving freights pretty soon. If you're on a deadline and need a
high-speed express, no problem, it's coming up fast behind!
Popular local "train stations" on the Peninsula would include Roberts Market
in Woodside, the top of Old LaHonda, and San Gregorio General Store (shown
above). The trains run most-frequently on weekends between 9am-noon.
IT'S TIME TO RIDE!
If you're a Chain Reaction customer (or live close enough to be one), you
know that this is one of the best places on the planet for cycling. We've
got great mountain biking, road biking and family fun all around us... in
many cases, you can leave from your front door!
JOIN THE FUN!
Chain Reaction can supply you with the right bike, properly fit, and back it
up with exceptional service. And Cycle California magazine has a great page
with links to the
various club & rides in the area. We've also put together a page
with past "Why We Ride" episodes. |
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This
website has over 2,000 photos, most taken from various rides we've
done & reviewed. But I keep coming back to this one as my
all-time favorite.
It shows perhaps the most important things that we, as cyclists, can
do. Passing the torch to a new generation, showing others that
cycling is a timeless, wonderful thing.
Ultimately, I hope it's what Chain Reaction will be known for.
--Mike-- |
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Need your bike repaired,
and Chain Reaction's completely
booked up? It happens during the busier times of the year, when
we're only able to work on bikes we've sold due to our backlog.
Fortunately, there's The
Bike Doctor! He comes to your home or where you work, and
his prices and quality of work allow us to recommend him without
hesitation. |
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 2 LEFT!
Madone SSLXs... TREKs
flagship bike featuring their absolute top-of-the-line frameset (the
one made for Lance with boron reinforcement in the bottom bracket to
make it even stiffer).
The stock bike comes with
super-duper-extraordinary-light Race XXX-Lite carbon clincher wheels,
$3000 off during our end-of-season bike sale! $6999.99 while they
last.
We've also got a full size run of Madone SSLs in stock, same
equipment, but with the "standard" OCLV 55 super-duper frameset,
with aluminum Race X-Lite clinchers at $1000 off, just $4999.99, carbon clincher
version also $1000 off at
$5999.99. |
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Sign up on
our
email list to hear
 about future repair classes,
including
our
Emergency
Roadside Repair
clinic.
We've also got
email lists for sales, Tour de France & travel info & road bike rides.
And your email address will never be sold nor given to anyone else.
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 Finally
bikes built just for women, with shorter top
tubes, women-friendly saddles & ride positioning, ultralight aluminum
frames a more! Road & Mountain
Bikes! Great prices, too.
If you're 5'10"
or shorter, chances are you've never had a bike that really fit
well. No more! (And no, not all the bikes are pink) |
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Why Buy Your Next Bike from
Chain Reaction?
We thought you'd never ask! From
our expertise in helping you select the right bike, get it properly fit, a
dedication to your bike that goes on for years... a whole lot of things. But
click on this link for the details! |
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You! Your
TREK SSL Project One Madone, first on the beach in Maui, and later
that same day at 10,023' atop Haleakala. Every ride is an adventure
with a TREK Madone!
Read all about climbing Haleakala
(and how not to make a wrong turn and add an extra 1700', ouch!).
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Handbuilt in the USA means
what it says! Shown here is a
framebuilder in TREKs Waterloo, WI
 facility,
in a photo taken by your faithful webmaster.
And we've got a "factory tour" page
on-line. We even have one of our photo-heavy ride descriptions of a
typical noon ride in the area. Not shown is
their new, 160-acre private mountain biking park with 5 miles of singletrack
to test their latest creations. |
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 Check out our
Gateway to France, with many articles & photos about cycling in France, viewing the Tour de France
and more!
We've also got a
page on touring companies
doing trips to the TDF!
Also practical stuff like
where to get money
exchanged at the best rates, and taking the Eurostar between Paris &
London. |
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WHAT'S AN "UGLY" BIKE RIDE?
(From an almost-daily diary entry
a while back). 01/18/04- THE UGLY
BIKE RIDE
is takin g on appearances of becoming
a regular Sunday afternoon tradition. I rode the normal
Tuesday/ Thursday morning loop essentially backward, going down
the west side of Old LaHonda, back up 84 to Skyline, and then
that dreaded piece of road heading north on Skyline towards
Kings Mtn (the very same road that is so fun in the opposite
direction).
Read more about it
in the almost-daily diary! |
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Sonora Pass web pages- a Chain Reaction
exclusive! |
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 CHAIN REACTION SUPPORTS
Team in Training, Aids and MS Society Rides
Every year, millions of dollars are raised for research by cyclists
riding for Team in Training (Leukemia Society), Aids and the MS Society,
and Chain Reaction helps riders by pledging 5% of all of their purchases
(bikes & accessories) from the time they register with us until the ride.
This is in addition to our 10% discount on accessories purchased with any
bike from Chain Reaction! |
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Top-10 Reasons NOT to buy a TREK!
(Satire)
Killer squirrels
go after cyclists! Now with expanded coverage, including
stories submitted by YOU! The latest includes Killer Chickens, Chipmunks, Deer,
Ducks & Cougars.
Every Tuesday & Thursday
morning
at 7:45am, join us for a quick ride up King's Mountain Road in Woodside!
Mid-life crisis
for bike shop owner results in bizarre behavior. |
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WE
COULD SHOW YOU MORE PHOTOS OF LANCE ARMSTRONG FROM THE TOUR DE
FRANCE, but this one, with Australia's Stuart O'Grady
being tended to by the medical car during a stage in this year's
Tour de France, hits home. Because Chain Reaction, along with many
other better shops, are part of a support team that wants to make
sure you have every chance possible to really enjoy cycling.
(More) |
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Remember
your first time up Old LaHonda?
October 9th 2006 we decided to
throw something pretty tough at Kevin- Old LaHonda Road. Probably
the prettiest and least-traveled (by cars) route to the top of the
Skyline (above Woodside), a twisty, tree-covered 3.75-mile climb of
around 1100ft or so. (More) |
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7th ANNUAL TURKEY DAY RIDE PHOTOS ON-LINE
Is there something special that
can be pulled out of just about any ride? I think so, and our
Thanksgiving ride was no exception, as we learned the secrets of
"Machine Gun Man" off Stage Road in Pescadero. Also showed a few
more people the face carving in the rock on Old LaHonda..
Details on our Turkey Day ride
page.
Make plans to attend our 2007 event! |
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Photos
from the Tour de Peninsula fun ride!
An annual favorite for many years, featuring a "long" version at
33 miles, with lots of opportunities for shortcuts (which are
actually encouraged). |
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Chain Reaction sponsors
"Soda Stop" at Sequoia Century
 During the Sequoia Century on June
4, Sal Contreras (in
the middle of the photo) staffed our "secret" refreshment
station, dealing with 400 pounds of ice and 600 cans of Coke,
Pepsi, Mtn Dew, Sierra Mist... you get the picture, the stuff
you really wanted after a long, hard climb, when
watered-down lemonade just doesn't do it for you.
This was Sal's third year handling the "soda stop" chores
for us, and we're very appreciative of his efforts (as were a
whole lot of thirsty riders!).
The Sequoia Century is the area's premiere organized ride,
typically held the first Sunday in June. Details at their
website
www.WesternWheelers.org. |
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Road
Bike Rides! This website is known for
them, from our extremely challenging Sonora
Pass ride to the easy-going Bicycle Sundays on Canada
Road. Check here for an
overview of the many road rides on our website!
Mountain Bike & Family Rides!
We've got Arastradero Preserve and
Waterdog Lake, both offering beginning to intermediate
challenges, and Bayfront Park,
Waddell Creek and Bicycle Sundays
for great family outings!
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Please note that
we cannot sell bikes through the "mail" or
Internet due to a combination of various aspects of our dealer agreements and the fact
that bikes really should be purchased locally to ensure proper fitting and follow-up
servicing. |
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What Chain Reaction is known for- |
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Apparel-
We offer a tremendous selection of apparel for men &
women. Pearl Izumi, Sugoi, Primalwear, Giordana, Nike, Bellwether, TREK, Shebeest,
Hind, Castelli & more. Great prices, too! |
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Accessories- One-stop shopping is a reality at
Chain Reaction. We have a larger selection of locks, pumps, tools, lubes, cassettes, tires
& wheels than just about anyplace else. |
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Service-
Our
expert staff knows what's what, and won't try and bluff their way through if they don't.
It's easy enough with an experienced staff like ours to find an answer to just about any
question! |
Road bikes-
[Editors note- this piece was first written in 1996, before road
bikes became "popular." A bit of a joke to us, since they always
were big at Chain Reaction!] Yes,
road bikes. While most other shops have very few, 50%+ of the bikes Chain
Reaction sells are road bikes. This puts us in very elite company, which, to us, seems
very strange. We live in an exceptional area for road bikes! No matter where you live in
the bay area, chances are high that a 20-minute bike ride will get you away from the city
and into the country. Unfortunately, one of the things that's always held back road bikes has
been a snobbish attitude among employees at those shops that do sell road bikes. This is
really unfortunate. We've gone to great lengths to make road bikes as accessible as
possible, and fit each and every one to the individual using the New England Cycling
Academy's Fit-Kit. People who never believed they could be comfortable on a road bike are
frequently amazed at how easily they can survive that first metric century! |
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Prices-
There's no reason to go anyplace
other than Chain Reaction! We work hard to try and ensure the best pricing possible for our customers, as well as keeping
things in stock. One of the big inside jokes in the bike industry is that it's easy to
advertise a really low price on something if you never have it in stock; we won't do that.
In fact, we sell merchandise to the employees of a national chain just down
the street (but we won't name names!). |
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