BioBus Bike Blog

UA Crew member Karen tells us the story of how she came to own the Kona Zing. An awesomely fun road bike, take a peek at the brand new, freshly launched 2011 Kona Zing:

When I was 13, my mom bought me my first real bike when I agreed to go on a 300-mile bike adventure with her. Before that, I had just had bikes from Wal-Mart and garage sales that cost $5. Those bikes were fine for short family rides, but I knew I’d need something a little better than that to make it 300 miles.

So after a few training rides, we went to the local bike shop and had the owner tell us all about a variety of different bikes before I settled on a 21-speed Iron Horse hybrid. The seat was a little cushy, the tires smooth, and the frame shiny. After my first 10-mile jaunt, I knew that bike was perfect for me. It survived thousands of miles over the past eight years, but every bike has its time and my riding style had outgrown a heavy, steel hybrid.

After eyeing the all the new roadies at the Bike Shop on 109 Atlantic Avenue, I knew it was time for an upgrade. Of course, I had a list of requirements my new bike would have to meet, and after test riding a few, I settled on the Kona Zing. While Kona is known mostly for its mountain bikes, this road bike lives up to its name. After the first few strokes of the pedal, I was zooming down Commercial St. with much more ease than my previous ride. The slightly dropped handlebars (with blue suede bar tape), the lightweight aluminum frame, and thin tires make all the difference.

After a quick tour of the North End, I instantly fell in love with the sleek black and blue velocipede and bought it on the spot. My college student bank account stung a little bit at the checkout, but for a quality road bike, you’re not going to find a much better deal. After a month of riding my Zing around Boston, Cambridge, and Somerville, my only complaint is that it doesn’t handle the potholes and bumpy roads very well. But it more than makes up for it in every other aspect. I’ll always remember how much I loved my first bike, and it served me well. But after every ride with the Zing, I’m a little happier.

Looking to buy a bike? Now is the time.

In case you haven’t heard, this weekend in Massachusetts is tax free. That’s right–no tax on any goods you buy on Saturday or Sunday, August 14 and 15. To sweeten the deal of no tax, Urban AdvenTours is offering an extra discount on top of the tax free holiday. We will match the tax rate discount of 6.25% on any bike or accessory in the store. So that’s an extra 10-20% off* of anything in the shop! What better time to buy a bike or that Chrome bag you’ve been eying?

To take advantage of the savings, stop by The Bike Shop at Urban AdvenTours at 109 Atlantic Avenue during our hours of operation (10:00 AM – 8:00 PM) on Saturday or Sunday to score a sweet deal on a new set of wheels and all our biking accessories.

You can also come visit us at the CambridgeSide Galleria on Sunday morning, August 15th, where we’ll be helping out with CYCLEKids’ awesome Run & Ride event. See you this weekend!

*Payment must be made on the day of purchase during the tax free weekend for the discount to apply.

You’ve seen our “I ‘bike’ Boston” t-shirts on our guides and all over the city. But when it’s hot out and you’re going for a long ride, a t-shirt can get hot. After numerous requests for a UA jersey, we’ve designed two to keep you fashionable and cool on those summer centuries. Pre-order yours today to get 25% off!

To go with the jerseys, we have another new arrival – a customized Urban AdvenTours helmet. Snazzy red and white Lazer 02 helmets with our logo and name will protect your brain and keep you looking cool.

What else do you need to be a stylish Boston biker? Not much else. Come into the shop to try stuff on and get suited up!

As a way to celebrate the start of summer and all the bike fun we’ve been having at UA, we’re hosting a Friends and Family Night on July 1. From 5-8 PM, friends and family members of our crew can come to our bike shop at 109 Atlantic Ave. for sweet discounts on new bikes and gear.

Just how sweet? At least 30% off on all of our new bikes–that means you can buy a Giant TranSend DX for $279.99 for (Reg. $499.99), a Masi Soulville SS for $449.99 (Reg $729.99), or a Giant Bowery for $399.99 (Reg $649.99).

Not only are there amazing deals to be had, you get hang out with our friendly staff members and talk bikes (or not) over some free brews from Harpoon.

That’s right. Free beer, major discounts on bike stuff, and cool people. Sounds like a good Thursday night.

Our UA Crew member Parker recently swapped up to a new set of wheels. Here’s his review of his new ride, the Kona Jake:

For a year or so I have been riding a women’s road bike (Giant OCR) that most would call too large for me. I got used to it after a while and dealt with it like i deal with my limited budget. Recently I have been able to get back into the new bike market and started thinking about what would suit my range of needs. These include: speed, weight, durability, reliability, commutability and about 10 more ‘bilities. I use the bike mainly for commuting but would like to be able to do some light road racing/longer rides.

My search started with tried and true steel road bikes–that’s what I have been used to and that’s what’s familiar. Poking around online for months I found plenty of options in my price range, mostly consisted of piecing together my own build, but was never completely sold on one setup.

About a month ago I started to look at cyclocross (CX) bikes, which are modified road bike frames running standard 700c wheels and 9-10 speed brake/shifters but with beefy tires and cantilever mountain-bike-style brakes. They are the result of a sport of happily loony people that race around circuit tracks in the mud and over large obstacles. To add to their pride in the sport and its seemingly sideways nature, their season is always in the fall/winter.

UA Crew member Niko racing CX for Boston University

I took my first ride on a CX bike a month ago on the Kona Jake. It all felt pretty familiar to me, drop bars, “skinny” tires, 10 speeds. My first ride was mixed, it felt a lot like a road bike with some knobby tires. It was smooth and comfortable (Chinatown streets are now bearable) but at the sacrifice of some speed because of the larger mud-based tires. It seemed to me a perfect rig to throw on some smaller slick tires and call it a perfect commuting/’round town rig; so I picked up a 2010 Kona Jake.

Unboxing and building up the bike was a treat; I would compare it to Christmas 1993. The bike popped out of the box with its electric blue accents providing a pleasant surprise in person. The welds on the sturdy 7005 pipes looked consistent, industrial and certainly not upsetting to the eye. Making the frame a bike, Kona added a Shimano Tiagra group-set, FSA Omega Cranks, and Kore Brakes. Torqued down, tuned and adjusted I headed out on my first ride.

It seems to accelerate very smoothly and with some added pep due to it’s lightweight components. The shifting is also clarified due to the industry standard group-set that shifts consistently and crisply. The wheelset, shod in 700×35 tires, put the power to the pavement well while also soaking up the bumps and debris in the road. It corners excellently; sharp without the slightest sign of twitchy misleadings and with the high set bottom bracket there is no chance of clipping the road with a pedal.

After riding 23c tires my entire “road career” I had mixed feelings about the fat tires shod in knobs for the mud. As days go by I enjoy more and more the security of being able to hop off curbs, hit potholes (not intentionally), and in general not have to worry about Boston road conditions. I think I will keep the tires for more dedicated off-road ventures but I will be sure to keep a larger profile tire in my stable.

In conclusion I am becoming more and more satisfied by the day with my purchase. No bike is perfect right out of the box, at least for me, but the 2010 Jake came as close as you can get. For the price you can’t get more in a bike. If you are also in the market for a fast ride around town that is capable of touring/light-racing/commuting make sure to come by the Bike Shop at Urban AdvenTours and try out one of our CX bikes. We have the Kona Jake and Masi CX Speciale in stock and are able to order any cross bike from all of our dealers: Kona, Masi, Giant, All City, and Surly.

Keep the rubber down,
Parker Musselman
UA Staff

With the addition of our Show Room at 109 Atlantic Ave. we’ve got lots of great new products in the shop. Here are some insider points and tips from the people who use the gear all the time, our staff!

Chris suggests: Chrome Citizen Buckle Bag

I’ve had a Chrome messenger bag for two years now and I am thoroughly pleased. Everyone first notices the seat belt buckle on the strap, but there is way more to the bag then that. Designed for cyclists, the strap and shape of the bag compliment your body’s form when cycling around town. The bag also has an inner rubber lining making it waterproof which is absolutely necessarily when you are riding around town with your laptop, clothes, books, rare baseball cards, Egyptian artifacts. These bags are made in the US and they are built tough. Mine has survived mud, snow, and falling out of my third story window. Go for the gold standard and get a Chrome.

Len’s Favorites: Surly Long Haul Trucker

Great bang for the buck! This is an excellent touring bike with a good quality chromoly frame/fork and components – XT hubs; 36 spoke hole rims. Great gear selection for hills and underload. Try it, you’ll like it….keep on truckin’ down the road ahead!

Shimano pedal combination PD – A530 – platform and SPD cleat

Very convenient if you ride alternately with cleated/non-cleated shoes. Whichever side you are using stay pointed to the sky. Just don’t try using both sides at the same time!

Park “Campagnolo” compatible chain tool CT-4.2

Their price cheap relative to the $200 masterwork offered by Campy. The real rub is component makers creating proprietary hardware that cannot be easily serviced in most areas of the planet!