Become A Superhero – Join us for a silent auction to help those that can’t!

A Silent Auction to Benefit

the At Children’s Project

Wednesday June 27th

BECOME A SUPERHERO Join Us For A Silent Auction To Help Those That Can’t Wednesday June 27, 2012 ALL DAY Kyle’s Bikes, 1840 SW White Birch Cir. Ankeny Kyle’s Bikes is hosting a silent auction on behalf of AT CHILDREN’S PROJECT & WORTH THE HURT A host of packages, food, and beverages will be at Kyle’s Bikes. Event to conclude by 7:30 pm EXCULSIVE OLYMPIC MERCHANDISE, ATHLETIC GEAR, APPAREL, AND MORE ALL UP FOR BID Please help me, Jason Bernstein, as I set out to run an ultra-marathon (52.4 miles) in San Francisco, CA. I am doing this event on behalf of Worth the Hurt. This is a new company attempting to help athletes generate donations for a charity of their choice. My charity, AT Cure, is a small tight knit family charity.   The disease Ataxia-telangiectasia is a terminal genetic disease that combines the worst qualities of Multiple Dystrophy, Cerebral Palsy, Cystic Fibrosis, Immune deficiencies, and cancer. Children are often confined to wheelchairs by age ten and do not survive their teens. This disease affects nearly 500 families’ nation wide and currently there are 4 families affected in Iowa.   I sincerely appreciate your support in my effort to reach $10,000 in donations before my event in July.   On behalf of those kids that can’t, I have dedicated my entire season to helping them with every event, and every step I take. I challenge you to find a cause and make a difference in other families that need it. Feel free to donate online under my name at www.worththehurt.net Online donations are welcome under my name at the above website.

Today’s Employee Profile.

This is the second installment of our employee profiles. Say hello to Alex.

1. Name? Alex P.

2. Hometown? Urbandale, IA

3. Education Background?  Mechanical Engineer student at South Dakota School of Mines and Technology.

4. Current Position? Assistant to the Head Mechanic

5. What got you interested in cycling? I started mountain biking when I was younger and my passion for cycling just grew from there.

6. What do you like best about working at Kyle’s? Awesome knowledgeable co-workers and the privilege  to assist people to help them get out on their bikes.

7. How long have you worked here? 1 1/2 years.

8: If you could have any bike in the store, which one would it be? Specialized Demo 8.

9. What is your bike accessory you can’t live without? Bike Computer.

10. Where do you see your self in 5 years? Working for Specialized designing bikes.

You want me to do what?

Just another typical day at Kyle’s. Hearing that sigh as I walk in the door. “The intern is here”. Not spoken in an upbeat manner but a “Oh great…the intern is here”. After the usual greeting from the mechanic staff, we do the morning roll out of the bikes. After scraping my right calf on what appeared and felt like 60 grit sandpaper and uttering a few choice words to myself, I was ready for what I hoped would be a highly educational day in the trenches. I’m doing an internship right? What is an intern? Websters defines an intern as an advanced student or graduate usually in a professional field gaining supervised practical experience. So that was my goal today. Tear apart a bike, clean and lube the components, and put it all back together. Luckily for me, it was my own personal bike that I was about to put in to little pieces on the floor of the shop. Apparently, using the wrong tool for the job will get someones attention and the “educational process” begins. All in all, it worked out in the end. And no extra parts were left behind on the bench. A big thanks to Darrick and Kobi for their guidance in my time of need. Oh what will tomorrow bring?

PS. Today’s food/coffee run was to IHOP. Who eats waffles for lunch?

Be safe and keep it upright! Happy Trails…..Crazy Mike

Kyle’s Bikes is more than just a bike shop.

Here at Kyle’s, we sell bicycles. But don’t let our name fool you. Kyle’s offers a wide range of products and services that you might not expect from a bike shop. We are a 1-stop location for not just the tri-athlete but also the occasional runner that needs a new pair of running shoes. With our advanced computerized gait analysis, our shoe guru will make sure you get the perfect fit for your running style. We offer a wide range of shoes to include Asics, Saucony, Brooks, Mizuno, and Altra. Come in and get fitted with your dream shoes. They’ll make you fly like the wind.

Be safe and keep it upright! Happy Trails…..Crazy Mike

Kyle’s Bikes hires an intern.

Just a little bit of information to introduce myself. My name is Mike Doyon and I’m crazy. I would have to be crazy for accepting a un-paid internship at Kyle’s Bikes. My official job title is Retail Management Intern but all I’ve really done so far is fix tires and make food runs. I understand that everyone must start at the bottom, but really? I am 1 year away from graduating from college with a Bachelors in Sports Management and I have been lumped in with the mechanics. Just kidding guys. We have the best and most knowledgeable bunch of guys any bike shop could want.

Part of my duties as an “intern” will be to provide a daily look at the life and times here at Kyle’s Bikes. I will be delving deep within the vast crevices of the minds of not only our owner Kyle, but will be providing profiles of our highly motivated and highly technically advanced staff.

OK so the 1st profile is on me. Why? Because I write the blog. My name is Michael J Doyon. I am 47 years old and live in Polk City, Iowa with my wife Laurie. We have 4 beautiful daughters, and 5 amazing grandchildren. I am a Senior at Grand View University in Des Moines. I started cycling last July on an old Schwinn Mountain bike. After 500 miles and being laughed off the trail (literally), I decided it was time for an upgrade. New road bike (purchased from Kyle’s), 2000 miles later…I have immersed myself in to the cycling culture. It has literally changed my life. So if your on the fence about buying a bike, it will change your life for the better. Keep an eye on this blog for daily happenings and I may post various discounts on certain items we have here in the store.

Be safe and keep it upright! Happy Trails…..Crazy Mike

Workout of the Week.

We were featured tonight (Jan 24) on WHO13 TV’s Workout of the Week. Check it out: http://www.whotv.com/news/who-story-workout-gait-20120124,0,832315.story

New Year’s Hours

Happy New Year everyone!

We’re going to close a little early Saturday, 4:00 pm instead of 5. And we’ll be closed Sunday the first.

So Saturday = 10-4

Sunday = Closed

Bicycles and Icicles 4: The Quest for Peace

A winter service tradition from Kyle’s, complete with the movie sequel tag line (this one is from Superman 4, but you already knew that.)

Mechanics with nothin’ to do means lower prices for you.

Kyle’s Bikes wants you to get a jump on preparing your bike for the spring.

Now through the Monday after the BRR ride. There’s no date posted for BRR yet, but as in years past, do the ride, drop the bike off with us after.

Pro Tune Up—Big Overhaul reg $200, now $125

Our most comprehensive service

Includes labor for:

• Brake adjustments, front and rear, pad installation(if needed)
• Derailleur adjustments, front and rear
• True wheels
• Adjustment of all bearings(hubs, bottom bracket, headset)
• Lubing everything(chain, cables, pivots, pulleys)
• Removal and deep cleaning of cranks, chain, cassette, derailleurs

• Bike disassembled, frame cleaned, and waxed
• Bearings overhauled, not just adjusted
• Cables replaced (if needed)
• Handlebars taped/grips changed(if needed)

• Component Parts & Incidentals(if needed) are extra, labor for installation is included

(Possible incidentals include: brake pads, cables/housing, tape/grips, chain, cassette, bearings, bottom bracket)

This is our fourth winter with this promotion, and we learned a few things doing a lot of these tune ups the last few years. We noticed that unless it’s been done fairly recently, new cables and housing are darn near required and are a great way to make a bike shift and brake like new. New bar tape is a sure fire upgrade, and by removing the old tape, it allows us to more easily adjust the position of the brake levers on the bars, providing a more comfortable position. The last item most folks leave on too long is the chain, a lot of you are riding around on stretched out chains. So most bikes are going to get new cables and housing ($25-40) and tape (road bikes only of course, $15-25), and quite a few will need chains ($20-60). So someone could safely plan on $50 or so for additional parts. This is a fantastic deal and a great way to make your bike ride like new. The $125 covers virtually all the labor that we could perform on a bicycle. Now is a great time to upgrade anything you’ve been thinking about, plus we’ve got great deals on most parts.

Simply bring your bike in(1840 SW White Birch Circle in Ankeny), no appointment necessary. 515-965-0333 with questions.

Christmas lights Ride with LCC

Coming this Wednesday, December 21st at 7pm we’ll be partnering with Lake Country Cyclists to host a Christmas light ride around the neighborhoods by the shop. It’ll be a fun, easy, and social ride. Show up a little after 6:30 for cocoa and cookies, and we’ll leave on the ride at 7.

Come one come all, it’s gonna be fun.

Indoor training is back.

Computerized indoor training is back! We’ve just now gotten everything back out and set up. With the running shoes and how we’ve redone our clothing, we obviously had to set the trainers up a bit differently.

We’ve moved the hybrids out from the wall, rearrange some other stuff, and BAM! all sorts of space for 5 trainers. Check out a better view:

A bit better view, still slightly in process, but it’s good to go now. Let’s take a look at the other side:

Now that you’ve had the tour, time to talk pricing. We’re doing the same deal as last year, $10 per session, with the season pass + rebate option for $250.  The season pass is good now through at least March 1st (weather dependent), includes bike storage, and a $125 rebate in the form of a Kyle’s Bikes gift card when spring arrives.

As always, the first ride’s free, come check it out.