Wow!! It's been awhile...

We have been so busy training, working on the business and doing 100 other things that the blog has been left on it's own.  We have seen several key changes in the past 6 months.  First, we were able to add Fuji to our bike line.  This is a great pick up for us, because it allows us to provide bikes for all level of rider and offer economical prices for those that want to start with something basic.  We currently have several Kestrel and Fuji bikes listed at rock bottom pricing so that we can move some bikes through our account.  The 2012 models should be in stock mid October.  We are currently working on setting up an account with Spy Wear sunglasses.  This could be a cool partnership.  We have finally made cycling and triathlon gear modeled after our original Threshold Cycle design.  They are available on our website http://www.thresholdcycle.com/Threshold-Gear/

We also added more TYR triathlon gear for those that have been looking for some well priced, high quality Tri Gear. 

From everything we have heard, the rides for 4K for Cancer went well and it was a positive experience for those that participated in the rides.  We look forward to partnering up with them this year.  It will be more exciting this year because we will be designing several different jerseys and kits for the riders and training rides. 

Feel free to check out the website and let us know if your looking for something that isn't listed on there. 
http://www.thresholdcycle.com/

Sorry It's Been Awhile

We have been very busy with our jersey designs for 4k for Cancer.  We have the first round arriving directly to them some time next week.  That will be exciting for them to see. 

We participated in the Rose Bowl Triathlon last Saturday.  We crossed our fingers that the rain would stay away long enough for us to safely finish the race and it apparently worked.  We got there in the morning and the roads were wet, but they eventually dried up by the time the race started and it was a nice and cool race.  My new Kestrel Talon SL road bike made the ride very exciting as I blew past all the runners that passed me during the run. http://www.thresholdcycle.com/BIKES/2011-KESTREL-TALON-SL-ROAD-BIKE.html

We are in the process of setting up an account with Gu Gels and Pro Bar. 

We have also partnered up with the Riverside Stake to sponsor their annual Tin Man triathlon.  This year, we will be providing t-shirts free of charge to all of their participants.  It's a free race and you still get a t-shirt from it.  Who does this kind of stuff?  Yes, us.  http://www.thresholdcycle.com/

We are offering great prices on our TYR line.  We have been providing swim suits, training equipment, parkas, bags and goggles to the local high school and club swim team.  http://www.thresholdcycle.com/SWIMMING-GEAR/ 
If you are looking for anything TYR related, contact us and we will give you a great price. 

If you are reading this, would you please select to follow it so that we can obtain quality links.  It will help our rankings on our website when Google ranks us. 

Thanks,

Threshold Cycle

Exciting Things

Well, it's been a couple of weeks since the last posting.  If your following this and expecting more frequent posts, I am sorry. 

We are working on a lot of things right now.

-still working on a large project with 4K for Cancer which should start coming together
-just got an order from a company for a custom kit design for their group
-agreed to provide t-shirts for the Riverside Tin man triathlon on May21st.
-working on our own tech shirts and t-shirts for upcoming events and our website
-constantly working on the website to add more products and to improve pricing where we can
-training for the Rose Bowl triathlon on March 19th, although the weather has not been helpful lately
-playing with our vinyl cutter and making custom stickers
-placed more swimwear orders for a local high school

Check out the website and let us know what you think.  Let us know if there are products that you are looking for and aren't really seeing on other websites or ours and we will see what we can do to add them to our website. 

Post Tour de Palm Springs

Well, here is the post ride review.  Glad it's over!! 

Okay serious, it was a long day.  Friday night was spent getting things packed and gear ready.  This is the first event where I didn't prep my bike, clean it, go through and adjust everything because I swear every time I do something at the last minute it doesn't work right or I don't get the right adjustment and I spend way to much time fixing it when it wasn't that big of a deal to start with.  So this time I knew my cleats on my shoes were pretty worn out but figured I didn't want to mess with the alignment and have issues all day as I road so I left them alone.  That was my first bike mistake.  I should have replaced them.  After walking around the first SAG stop, I wore down the remaining edge of the cleat on my right foot and had a heck of a time clipping in once we started riding again.  It must have popped out a good 50 times during the rest of the ride.

Instead of replacing my cleats which would have taken 5 minutes and saved me a lot anxiety, I installed our new vinyl plotter and spent most of the night playing with it.  I thought that it would be cool to have our website on the back window of the car so that's why I was up so late.  There is definitely a learning curve with the software and applying the stickers of that size.  So around midnight I finally got done putting the sticker on and packing my stuff.  At 4am my alarm went off and I was in a hurry to get Spencer in time.   I wanted to eat a heavy/hearty breakfast, but because I was running late, I went for a bowl of cereal.  It sure didn't last long.  I bonked (run out of energy) early in the ride and paid for it the rest of the day.  I had a case of gels and figured that would make it okay.  Plus they would have SAG stops along the way with stuff to eat.  I decided to skip the first 3 to shave off some time, but now in hind sight I should have at least stopped at #3.

Then the day got even more challenging.  Besides the 20-30 flat tires we saw and a hand full of crashes, as I was riding around mile 48-49 just before SAG #3 the road was worse than anything I could imagine riding on.  The road was worse than cobblestone.  I eventually groaned and bounced through it but towards the end of it I got over to the oncoming traffic side where it was a little smoother, but I think it was too late.  Being a self proclaimed tough guy, I decided to skip SAG #3 at mile 50 or so and kept going.  I should have stopped and got something to eat at which time I would have noticed that I had a broken spoke.  Instead, I charged past it and about a half mile later I realized that something was clanking each time my back tire went around.  I stopped and saw that I had some serious tire wobble and felt my tire rubbing on my brake pads. I considered going back to the SAG stop to have a mechanic tighten my spokes, but as I stopped over I save a spoke sticking off to the side a good 8 inches or so.  So I decided to break off the remaining portion of the spoke and see how long it would last.  The nipple dropped into the wheel and rolled around as I rode with a nice rattling noise that everyone could hear.  I then loosened my rear brake pads assuming that it would be enough distance to no longer rub. 

So I am now riding with a busted up wheel, jacked up cleat that I am afraid will only last so long and am afraid to unclip in fear of not being able to get it back in.  So I rode on.  I finally stopped at the SAG #4 and got something to drink and eat.  I continued on.  I finally made it to the last SAG stop around mile 90 and threw ice in my jersey to cool off.  The heat was starting to get to me.  My legs were cramping from mile 80 on.  You stretch your calves and your quads cramp up, you stretch your quads and your calves cramp up.  They were playing tag it seemed.  At the last stop I noticed that my wheel was still rubbing on the brake pads after it had been opened up completely.  So I decided to take off the pads to give me more clearance.  It made a huge difference.  I suspect that they had been rubbing from mile 50 but I had my head phones on so I probably didn't hear it. 

I finally made my way back into town.  It was nice to finally come in and be done.  My computer said 102.66 miles.  I made my way over to the car and couldn't decide whether to eat now and puke later or puke now and eat later.  We loaded up and got out of there and I relaxed in the bed the rest of the evening.  I am sure that if I had sleep more things would have gone a lot better.  If I would have eaten more in the morning and throughout the ride things would have gone better.  If I would have had a function cleat and wheel my focus and performance would have been more effective.  All in all I am glad I did it.  How many people can say that they road 102 miles on a Saturday?  I am not in a hurry to sign up for another one right away.  Time to transition in running and again and get ready for the triathlon season.  I am sure that people were shocked to see a tall fat guy blowing past them especially on the down hill portions.  Sorry, I almost forgot to share how slow I was.  It took 6 hours and 40 minutes.  That's counting our getting out of town part too.  It dropped my average speed down to 15.2 mph.  


The best part was hooking onto group charging past.  There were flat sections that we were crusing at 30+ mph.  Some of these people were hard core for sure. 

If I were to suggest some changes for the ride, it would be to let only the 100 milers leave at 7am not all 100 and 55 milers.  The congestion getting out of the start area delayed us almost 20 minutes and then we had to coast through town until we got through the lights which cost us a good 10-15 minutes. 

Our next event with be the Rose Bowl Triathlon on March 19th.  Come check us out.  We will be handing out flyer's again and hopefully putting up some better results.

Website it UP!!!!

Yes, the website it finally up.  It feels like it has been a long time waiting for us, but I am sure to you it's no big deal.  We are working on it each day to add more products and ensure that we get as much on there to draw in more business and meet our customers needs. Let us know what you think.

Check it out.  http://www.thresholdcycle.com/

We are trying to keep the website user friendly yet utilizing the latest apps and plug in gadgets out there. 

On a different note.  We are preparing for the Tour de Palm Springs tomorrow.  It's been something that I have really looked forward to getting through it.  The wind and rain the past couple of months have really added to the challenge of getting on the big and pedaling everyday.  Then to add our jobs, our new business, our families and everything else, there hasn't been a lot of free time. 

The plan for tomorrow is to arrive early, check in and then check out the area.  Once that is done we plan on handing out flyers to those that are already there.  Once the ride starts I plan on riding until I compelte all 102 miles.  Spencer will likely break off at the 55 mile mark and head back.  He will likely camp out somewhere for a little while and hand out more flyers and possibly set up a make shift booth to sell some jersey kits. 

Look for us tomorrow.  We will be wearing our new custom jersey kits and testing out how tough we really are.  We look forward to see you there and checking off another event in our activity card. 

Inaugural Jersey Ride

Today we went for a 60 mile ride down in Riverside, San Bernardino and Norco area along the Santa Ana river trail.  The morning started off pretty cold, but it warmed up nicely until a nice breeze came in to add a decent head wind as we headed south.  We rode with several different groups as they passed up.  We used it as an opportunity to talk to other riders about our new company and the things we are trying to do. 

The coolest part for me was when we were both sporting our own Threshold Cycle kits.  Jersey, bib shorts and matching arm warmers.  We are excited to ride in them at the Tour de Palm Springs next week for 100 miles.  It will be a nice milestone for us to ride that far. 

The Latest and Greatest

It's been a couple of days and as you can tell since our last posting. I am not a professional blogger.  Some exciting stuff is happening. Some of it we can share and soem we have to keep it under wraps for now.  We received our custom jersey kits in the other day.  All I can say is they look very cool, especially since they are the first of many to come and we knocked it out with the designers in a couple of hours.  Can't wait to put them on and ride together at the Tour de Palm Springs next Saturday Feb 12th. 

We finally received our first shipment of TYR gear for our first major purchase.  If you know anyone that is on a team, club or group that is interested in huge savings for TYR gear let us know.  We can also buy for individuals too.  This includes all their TYR triathlon line of products, all their swim wear and any closeouts that they may have in inventory.  If your interested in parkas, goggles, wetsuits, skin suits, fins, kick boards, bags, equipment bags, stop watches, swim caps, visors, etc.  Let us know and we would be more than happy to get you a quote.  We know that many are pro Speedo supporters, but for the prices we can offer you it might be smart to cross the line and check TYR out.

We are also working on some different projects with jerseys, t-shirts for different things.  We offer amazingly low prices on custom jersey kits and everyone that has seen the material and finished product has been impressed. 

WE ARE ORDERING PARTS AND GEAR FOR PEOPLE!!  It may shock some of you, but we finally have some accounts set up so that we can order wheels, seats, shoes, helmets, tires, handle bars, gels, water bottles, and everything in between.  This is the more exciting part.  We have worked hard to get certain accounts so that we can offer great prices and a wide range of products. 

The last major step is our website.  It seems like this has dragged on forever.  We are so close.  We are finishing up some back end things and then we will put it out there.  We will continue to add products to it as time goes by.  Keep in mind if you are looking for something specific let us know and we can get you a price on it and order it.  We are ordering things right now just through word of mouth. 

We appreciate all of you that take the time to read and follow us.  It's just another media that we can use to help our business gather exposure and grow.  Our true goal is to build it into a huge company which enables us to be involved with our community through supporting and hosting different events and activities.  We will let you know when our website is up so that you can check it out. 

New Jersey Design

Check this out.  We designed our first jersey set so that we can wear them in the Tour de Palm Springs next month.  We rushed this one since we decided late last night to do it and our manufacturer goes on vacation next week.  It is my opinion that it turned out better than I thought it would, given the time constraints and rough idea we gave them.  I send them the basic design idea and logo's around 9pm and by 12:30am all the revisions were completed and I was able to give them approval to make them. 

This is just an example of what we/our design team can produce for individuals, clubs, groups, teams, and events.  Obviously, the quantity ordered changes the pricing but our prices are really reasonable considering the quality of material and design and what others charge.  In most cases, this set would cost someone maybe $150.  That is what the Tour de Palm Springs is charging for their jersey and bib shorts.  That's not counting $15-25 for arm warmers.  We can kill those prices.  We have a design team that can take your ideas and put them on fabric.  We would be more than happy to quote you on jerseys.  Feel free to give us a call. 

If your reading this, we are also looking for some feedback on the jersey design.  We plan to make additional designs later and maybe some of your ideas will help us in future designs.    

 

Types of Riding

As I sit here thinking about what I should write without making my wife squirm, the thoughts of being on my bike enter my mind.  I have often thought about the different riders I see as I drive or ride around.  I often wonder why they do it.  I have seen those that do it because they enjoy the fresh air and ride as if they are in slow motion taking in every ounce of sunlight and observing everything around them.   I have seen that poor guy on his bike that hasn't got the memo to shift gears so he is pedaling at 150 RPMs and only going 5 MPH or he's pedaling at 30 RPMs and only going up the hill at 3 MPH.  Someone please teach him to shift gears according to the terrain. I have seen those that use their bikes as a means of getting from point A to point B.  I have seen those that have seriously customized their bikes so that they look cool or I kind of gather that in some cases they stripped another bike to get this one working.  I have seen the old couple riding together in town that always seem happy with their Townie bikes (they look pretty comfortable).  I have seen those that sport nice gear and expensive bikes, but upon further review you realize it's all show and no go.  Then there are those that are using it as a means of exercise riding a bike that worked for them 10 years ago and the poor bike really needs some lovin'.  They ride with a fierce look of determination as beads of sweat sail off their face.  Then there are those that ride because they are competitive and have this personal best taunting them.  They ride all the time and know exactly how far various markers and stretches are throughout their loop.  They know the average time and speed it takes for them to ride through each part.  They analyze each ride to figure out where they lost time and where they may have made up time. 

Although there are different motivations, clothing, equipment it is safe to say that deep down inside we all love riding bikes.  For most, we learned to ride as children and often times learned the hard way.  As we got older we lost that zeal for riding and in some cases got fat and or lazy.  By the time we got older we became self conscious, worried that we don't have the right gear, the right clothes or we might not ride that well.  Get over yourself and get on a bike.  Borrow, buy, commadear one, but get off the couch and ride.  It helps you to feel better, increases your heart rate, I am sure we all want to sport some super tight spandex that we otherwise would never even consider putting on.  In fact, very few of us look at that sexy in it.  We are hoping to get more to ride with us on the weekends.  Most Saturday mornings we ride on the southeast corner of Moreno Valley and often times through Lake Perris.  The speed, participants and distance vary depending on who is with us and their abilities. 

Come particpate and ride with us.  We can ride with all different abiltiy levels.  Let us know if your interested.   

Thanks for checking us out.

Jeff

Welcome to Our Blog

Thanks for checking out our blog.  This is our first attempt at blogging so please be patient. 
We started with an idea several months ago and are on the verge of seeing it all come together.  We have ridden together for a few years and participated in several triathlons.  We were frustrated with the lack of shops that supported triathletes in our area and decided to do something about it.  Our solution was to start our own bike company to fill the void.  The plan for Threshold Cycle is to focus on bikes, gear and apparel for cyclists and triathletes.  In meeting that need, we have become authorized dealers for Argon 18 bikes, Fuel Belt and are in the process of working things out with TYR, and Kestrel.  We are in talks to provide custom jerseys, shorts and arm warmers for 4K for cancer ride this year.  We hope to develop a long lasting partnership where we support their apparel and gear needs.  Check out their website -  http://cycleinspireunite.org/ .  We are thrilled with the opportunity to work with them. 

If there are swim teams looking for swim gear, equipment, parkas, goggles let us know.  We are willing to offer great prices on TYR gear, especially for teams when in our local area. 

If you are looking for custom cycle jerseys, shorts, long sleeve jerseys, pants, or arm warmers let us know.  We have developed a great relationship with the manufacturer and are able to provide top quality with amazing looks and pricing.  They have a design team that can start from scratch or they can take an existing design or idea and replicate it.  We can get any quantity, but obviously the more you order the better the price. 

We are also in talks to help sponsor some of the local triathlons. 

Our website will be up shortly.  www.thresholdcycle.com

We appreciate those that have shown their support and excitement as we have worked on things.  You can find us on Facebook, feel free to follow us there and become our friend.  We offer our Facebook friends special savings. 

Thanks again,

Jeff