• 570-413-8080
  • 115 PA-423, Pocono Pines, PA 18350

Bicycle Repair

Pocono Bicycle Repair shop near me

bike suspension services
  • No Comments

The Importance Bicycle Suspension Servicing
The Importance Bicycle Suspension Servicing 900 601 Fetty's Cycle Service Fetty's Cycle Service

Why do you need it? How do you know to service them?

As a lifelong cycling enthusiast, I have found that nothing changed my cycling experience more than the advent of suspension. The early suspension forks had rubber elastomers that offered little other than some vibration dampening, but even then it was obvious that this was a revolutionary step forward for offroad riding. Control became a real thing instead of pinballing down rocky trails.

Fast forward to today and most places you ride off road the majority of bikes are full suspension. This has been a huge step forward for comfort and rider control, but it does add new levels of complexity to machines that were already often neglected by all but the most dedicated owners. 

The problem with suspension is that like drivetrain it gradually wears and loses efficiency. This makes it so you might not even notice the decline in performance. What most riders don’t realize is that even if you barely ride your bike, its performance is not going to be optimized unless you have your suspension rebuilt yearly.

Fox Racing Shox has a simple formula for all their current shocks and suspension forks. Suspension components should be rebuilt every 200 hours of use or once a year, whichever comes first.  

This means that no matter how little you ride your bike the suspension should get a basic rebuild once a year. This isn’t as severe as many riders would make it out to be though. A basic rebuild involves changing fluids and inspecting the seals, shims stacks and other parts for wear or damage. Then replacing anything that needs it.

On the extreme other end of the spectrum, cross country riders who put a lot of time in the saddle might need their suspension rebuilt every month or so. Some aggressive DH riders find that they need their shocks rebuilt after every race weekend.

Ask any mechanic and they will likely tell you that the suspension components are the most likely part of any vehicle to have its routine maintenance neglected. Unless you have the sensitivity of a test pilot it’s pretty easy to miss the gradual wear till something stops working properly. No one wants to have to finish their ride by walking home because a fork or shock is blown out.

There are numerous things you can do to help ensure that your bike’s suspension stays functioning at full capability. Some of them are as simple as following your suspension component manufacturer’s recommendation for periodic maintenance.

When you know your bike is due for a suspension service you can make an appointment with your tuner to drop off your bike when you know you will not have time to use it, or you could even dismantle it for them and bring in your suspension components to save time. Some suspension tuners even provide services during race weekends at events. Dropping it off during a race weekend can be a great way to get it back right away.

The worst thing you can do is ignore your suspension. Any misalignments or damage is only going to get worse over time and the more damage that is done before a rebuild the more expensive and potentially longer it is going to take to get back up and running.

Check in with your local shop and see what their schedule is for suspension rebuilds or if they send them out, then you will know how long you can expect to be without your ride, and you can schedule a time when they have less work orders competing with yours. If you fall into the once a year rebuild category this would probably best be done during your local off season.

Thankfully full suspension bikes are here to stay and their current state of reliability is quite impressive. With a little bit of consideration and planning you can keep your bike riding like new for years to come.

  • No Comments

Benefits of Regular Bicycle Service Tune Ups
Benefits of Regular Bicycle Service Tune Ups 1247 741 Fetty's Cycle Service Fetty's Cycle Service

Bicycle Service / Tune Ups 

Bicycles are refined pieces of advanced engineering. Like any precision machine, bicycles benefit greatly from regular service and maintenance. 

Bikes that are regularly used can easily develop less than optimum function in multiple systems without their rider noticing the incremental changes that occur over time during use. Even bicycles that are not regularly used can develop issues from sitting that affect their overall performance and their owner’s enjoyment of them. 

While much of the basic maintenance can be done with a few tools, anything more can require special tools and training to ensure the best results. Why invest in a high quality bicycle unless you are going to provide the care necessary to keep it in prime working condition? 

Gears to Wheels- Power Input and Output 

Caring for your bike’s drivetrain involves much more than just making sure that the gears are shifting properly and the tires have enough air. While these are essential to proper operation there are many more moving parts that need to be considered. 

Ensuring that all of the components are functioning takes special tools and know-how. The difference between a well maintained drivetrain and a poorly cared for, worn one is obvious in function and power output efficiency. The well maintained drivetrain will function smoothly, put power to the ground efficiently and quietly do its job without you thinking about it. 

To ensure optimum function you need to assess every bearing, gear and pawl between your pedals and the ground. This involves work outside of the scope of the average home mechanic. Regular bicycle service tune ups can be the difference between recording a PB or a DNF. A well maintained properly functioning drivetrain ensures that as much of the power you input is felt in the bicycle’s output as possible. 

Tires and Wheels- Ride Quality, Traction and Handling 

Everything changes gradually on your bike. Not only from riding, but also from age which causes rubber to dry, lose elasticity and grip, and can cause greases and oils to break down. This can be very hard for many riders to sense causing them to ride components till they are well past their prime. 

Tires are consumable components which need regular replacement and wheels need basic maintenance to help ensure that they function properly and have a long life. They should be inspected before every ride to make sure that they have sufficient rubber, are inflated to the right pressure, have no cords showing, and no visible cracks. There is nothing you can do to your bike that will as profoundly alter its handling for the better as having the right tires for your riding type, style and conditions. 

Properly trued wheels with clean and greased bearings and drivers are one of the most important pieces of maintenance you can have done. It will help improve performance while saving you money on replacement parts by improving your ride quality, reducing rolling resistance and improving handling. 

Ergonomics- Ride position, Handling and Stability 

The benefits of regular bicycle service tune ups goes beyond just making sure that your bike is functioning at its best. It gives you a chance to consider how you interact with your bike. When your bike is functioning mechanically its best it is easier to notice where your interface is less than optimum. Where you touch the bike with your feet, and hands as well as in the saddle affects your performance. Regular maintenance gives you opportunities to make changes when the baseline of your machine’s performance is reset were changes to your setup can be more honestly assessed. 

Changes to your handlebars, pedals, cranks, saddle, etc. are best made when the rest of your setup is known to be functioning at its peak. This ensures that any changes are considered for their own pros or cons and not for issues in other systems and components. 

There are not any drawbacks to regular bicycle service tune ups. They save you money and time by keeping your components functioning within their optimum range, prolonging their life and helping to prevent damage. Regular tune ups help ensure the safety of you and your investment. What better way is there to ensure your continued enjoyment of a valued possession? 

About Fetty's Cycle service
  • No Comments

My Story
My Story 500 335 Fetty's Cycle Service Fetty's Cycle Service

The journey of this whole business really has a neat and pretty humble beginning.   Myself personally have over 15 year’s experience in the bicycle industry.  I started at a young age working in a very successful brick and mortar bike shop, and was very fortunate that the owner kind of took me in.  It was at that  bicycle shop where I have learned stuff that I really still use to this day.  My mom and dad bought me some of my first bicycle specific tools at around age 13-14, a few of which I actually still use every day.  There were so many things I learned along the way, that I never dreamed that I would use to operate this business.

The whole concept of Fetty’s Cycle Service really started organically when several years ago some of my very good customers NOW, caught wind that I was knowledgeable with bikes.   I would either pick the bikes up and take them with me or work on them onsite with what was a pretty small mobile operation compared to what we have now.  For the First year, I was super fortunate for some of those really good customers to carry me thru.

After that first year I really saw the potential in this business.  I knew that customers loved not having to take their bikes back and forth to the bike shop.  And I knew that I really enjoyed traveling around and meeting new customers, getting to work on bikes and helping folks get to enjoy their bikes and cross something off their list with minimal effort on their part. We are really just changing the way that folks view what a bicycle shop can be.

Since those first days, we have evolved to now operate out of our fully equipped Ford Transit connect van. We have greatly expanded our website and our online booking platform.  You can always give us a call or text, but a great feature about this is that you can go online any time and book an appointment to get your bikes serviced on your schedule.  Estimates are most usually free.  We are fully stocked with parts to repair most any bike.  We carry everything from tires and tubes, to brake pads, Chains, water bottles, flashy safety lights and tons more inventory.

Like I mentioned, we do sell new bikes from Raleigh and Diamondback and a few smaller brands as well as racks for your car to carry the bikes.   One common question we get is how are you going to sell me a bike at my house that fits me correctly?  Once the customer calls, we will discuss things like height, weight, riding style and budget.  I will then take a few models out of my inventory and bring them to you.  We can discuss then more details and get you the best bike for you.  I will get you fitted correctly and you have a new bike ready to enjoy!

Really the biggest takeaway from this business is service and convenience, if nothing else.   Over the years and the relationships I have developed, I have really grown to take the customers satisfaction personally. The only real complaint we get is that folks wish they would have found us sooner.  Usually once a customer uses us, they don’t go back to the traditional way.  As long as my customers are satisfied and they keep spreading the word, I am confident we will be around for a long time.

Enter your
text here