Trail's End Cycling Center

09/30/2026

Tires cracking? Maybe the plasticizers have evaporated. Plasticizers? What the...?

Rubber plasticizers are chemical additives mixed into the tire's elastomers to reduce internal viscosity, soften the cured matrix, improve flexibility and grip.

These plasticizers will age in rubber bike tires. Aging occurs when these internal softening additives migrate, evaporate, or break down over time. From a structural point, the tire may be safe to ride, but these tires have likely lost a lot of grip. What this means is that braking force and cornering may be compromised.

In the automotive world, tires have date stamps and Department of Transportation (DOT) numbering. This is a stamped code on the tire sidewall that shows where and when the tire was made. Some companies like BMW say that tires on their vehicles should be replaced after 4 or 5 years. For all cars, tires need to be replaced when they reach their 10th birthday.

When it comes to bike tires, most tire manufacturers and cycling experts recommend replacing bike tires once they reach 5 to 6 years of age due to chemical breakdown in the rubber. That chemical is the rubber plasticizer.

Me? I generally wear out road, gravel, and mountain bike tires in less than a year.

No, we are not just trying to sell tires. We wnt to make sure that our customer's bikes are safe and that handling and braking are effective.

07/26/2026

Online/direct from manufacturer bike purchase?

Recently, a good friend mentioned in a post that she was considering a bike purchase from a direct-to-consumer (DTC) brand. The company she mentioned sells high-end bikes but does not sell through bike dealers. This was quite a shock since she belongs to a local bike club that supports our shop quite well. Conversely, we support this club very well too. We are always happy to speak at their meetings, offer giveaways for special club events, and even host local club events like their annual Poker Run. Randy was their Director of Training for many years.

Aside from forgoing personal attention and the assistance of a knowledgeable bike shop staff to help you select your next bike, here is what you are giving up when you purchase directly:

1) Lifetime adjustment service. We have offered this perk to bike purchasers for 15 years. This can save at least $150 a year in service costs.

2) Complimentary fit service. Our staff of certified fitters currently charges $175 for a bike fit. We include a bike fit with a bike purchase.

3) Pre-delivery assembly and adjustment. Some DTC brands advertise that their bikes are adjusted before shipping and that all the buyer needs to do is fasten the handlebars and attach the front wheel. Well, we see many of these bikes in our shop for "final" adjustments. And, if you have a torque wrench and training, you may be fine installing bolted-on parts.

4) Best price. Many DTC brands tout the fact that their bikes save you money. In fact, we can be very competitive with many high-end bike sellers. The reality is that the DTC bike company has increased their profits considerably since they do not sell bikes at wholesale levels to dealers. Trust me, you are not purchasing your bike at a wholesale price from any DTC companies.

5) Training. It is surprising how many of our customers with DTC bikes know little about customizing their Di2 or eTap electronic shifting systems, how to shift with a Shimano Toggle front derailleur, take off and re-install a wheel with a thru-axle, or even know the right way to charge their eBike. And what that small orange or red thing is that came with the bike (hint: it's a disc brake pad spacer). We have your back.

Additionally, when TECC sells a you bike, we extend a 10% discount on accessories to the purchaser. So, if you need a helmet, shoes, pedals, or a pump, we take 10% off the price of an accessory for up to 30 days after bike delivery.

When purchasing a new bike, it's not just about the bike. It's about customer support and service. And support for the local cycling community. You're not just purchasing a bike; you are entering into a long-term relationship with a company that (hopefully) supports you as well as the cycling community.

06/23/2026

Can it get any weirder?

As we are closing today, a customer comes in with a Giant Trance X Advanced carbon fiber MTB. Just acquired from a friend. Says that someone had used CA (Superglue) to stop the dropper post from sliding down in the seat tube. Mary Ann and I cannot budge it. It is an externally routed KS Dropper. The owner disassembled the dropper's actuation lever and attempted to remove the upper post by loosening the upper lockring. No go. The post is already a goner.

He says that the bike has been to four other local bike shops who tried to free it but gave up and turned him away. He even tried three local body shops. Says one of the bike shops and at least one of the body shops referred him to us (thanks!).

Before we closed for the day, I dribbled a large amount of CA glue softener/debonder down the seat tube. We made no promises when he left the bike with us. The customer's Work Order states that we will need to destroy the stuck dropper post in our attempt to remove it and the possibility exists that we may even damage his carbon frameset. He is fully aware of the consequences.

More to follow tomorrow morning...

06/20/2026

Just delivered!

Our customer just took delivery of the first Scott Fastlane 20 eRoad Bike we ordered! The owner pre-ordered his bike in November 2025. Originally scheduled to arrive in January 2026. After several changed delivery dates, it finally arrived just after Memorial Day.

A Class 3 road bike that tips the scales at around 25 lbs! The TQ drive motor engages so seamlessly, you may think that the power going to the rear wheel is solely coming from your legs. Full carbon fiber with a Syncros carbon wheelset, Shimano105 2x12 wireless Di2.

We have had a bunch of recent inquiries about ordering the new Fastlane. Sadly, the 2026 allocation is completely sold out, all sizes, all levels. We should see them again in a few months.

Call us to reserve yours.

06/16/2026

Fathers' Day is this Sunday. What father doesn't like or need more bike tools? Bike accessories? Or maybe a new bike? Stop by for some great Fathers' Day ideas.

Send a message to learn more

06/07/2026

"I have fabric stuck in my tire..."

Today, we had the most weird phone call and service request in 15 years.

A woman called and said that she had fabric stuck in the tire/wheel of her daughter's folding eBike. Reminded me of the great opening scene from the movie "My Cousin Vinny" where a local tells Joe Pesci the vibration in the front-end of their Cadillac is due to having "mud in his tires". Mary Ann tells her to bring it in.

She and her daughter show up about an hour before closing time. Yes' she had something stuck in her rear wheel hydraulic brake caliper, jammed between the caliper, brake pads, and brake rotor. It was a black shawl about 6 feet in length. I tried the usual: rolling the bike backwards with weight on the saddle while we tried to pull it free. Nothing budged.

Removed the caliper fixing bolts and tried prying the hydraulic brake caliper upwards. Nothing. I removed the caliper mounting adapter and pulled some more. Nothing.

Finally, I took a soft-faced hammer and tapped upwards on the caliper. It started to move!. To make it easier, I removed the Cotter pin holding the brake pads and H-clip in place and resumed tapping. The hydraulic brake caliper was finally freed from the rotor! The pads and H-clip fell to the ground with a freshly shredded and tattered shawl.

Installed a new H-clip to replace the badly deformed one, re-surfaced the brake pads and re-installed everything. Amazingly, the rotor was completely intact and true.
The tires on this eBike have a contrasting-color wear indicator that shows when the tire needs to be replaced. There is a bright orange spot now showing through the tread. My sense is that when the shawl became wedged and stopped the rear wheel from spinning, she skidded to a stop and wore the tire down to the wear indicator.

Mary Ann comes into the shop. When she sees the tattered fabric on the floor, she asks, "Is there anything you cannot fix?" Well, maybe a broken heart.

I really don't need these mental calisthenics on a daily basis.
The bigger question is why do we see so many odd and unique repair situations only on eBikes? Hmmm.

Send a message to learn more

04/19/2026

Janet Breunig Mountcastle, look familiar? We posted this article about a month ago. Glad we caught it in time.

"My bike doesn't shift well."

Shifting issues can be caused by a bunch of things: derailleur out of adjustment; bent derailleur hanger; worn chainrings, chain, or cassette; worn out shifter; bad shift cable, cable housing, or damaged ferrules. Electronic shifting has its own set of possible issues. Let's just look at mechanical shifting for now and a problem that plagues Shimano 10- and 11-speed STI shifters.

We have see plenty of frayed rear derailleur cables. But the ones that will stop you dead are the ones that fray and break, or get stuck INSIDE the shifter body. If your derailleur cables exit through the side of your Shimano shifter and not the bottom, you may have a shifter that is prone to eating up cables. These cables have a fairly sharp radius where the cable exits the left/inside horizontal edge of the shifter, just before the cable enters the ferrule and cable housing. Left unchecked, the cable can part, leaving cable fragments inside the shifter. If we catch it soon enough, the cable will look like the one in the attached photo.

This is a Shimano OptiSlick cable that came from a Customer's Felt paired with Shimano 105 ST-R7000 2x11-speed shifters. The cable was replaced just over two years ago. He came in concerned that the bike shifted poorly into the smaller cogs. When we disconnected the cable from the rear derailleur and added some cable slack, we had a difficult time pulling the cable out of the shifter body. When we finally pulled the cable clear of the shifter body, we saw this rat's nest.

How to prevent it...

Well, I wish we had a good solution. For countermeasures, we always coat the last 50mm of the cable near the swaged end stop just before it goes into the shifter's cable seat with some Shimano Cable Grease (yes, there is such a thing). The part number for Shimano Cable Grease, sometimes called Special Grease, is Y04180000. The other thing that we have seen improve cable life in these Shimano shifters is Shimano OptiSlick cables (p/n Y60198100). These are not simply just coated cables. The friction-reducing compound is applied in a way more like powder coating and adheres better to cables than anything we have seen, including Shimano's Polymer coatings. But the best solution is regular service.

If in doubt, have us inspect your shifter and shift cable. Catch a worn or frayed cable before it grenades into tiny cable shards inside your shifter.

03/19/2026

"My bike doesn't shift well."

Shifting issues can be caused by a bunch of things: derailleur out of adjustment; bent derailleur hanger; worn chainrings, chain, or cassette; worn out shifter; bad shift cable, cable housing, or damaged ferrules. Electronic shifting has its own set of possible issues. Let's just look at mechanical shifting for now and a problem that plagues Shimano 10- and 11-speed STI shifters.

We have see plenty of frayed rear derailleur cables. But the ones that will stop you dead are the ones that fray and break, or get stuck INSIDE the shifter body. If your derailleur cables exit through the side of your Shimano shifter and not the bottom, you may have a shifter that is prone to eating up cables. These cables have a fairly sharp radius where the cable exits the left/inside horizontal edge of the shifter, just before the cable enters the ferrule and cable housing. Left unchecked, the cable can part, leaving cable fragments inside the shifter. If we catch it soon enough, the cable will look like the one in the attached photo.

This is a Shimano OptiSlick cable that came from a Customer's Felt paired with Shimano 105 ST-R7000 2x11-speed shifters. The cable was replaced just over two years ago. He came in concerned that the bike shifted poorly into the smaller cogs. When we disconnected the cable from the rear derailleur and added some cable slack, we had a difficult time pulling the cable out of the shifter body. When we finally pulled the cable clear of the shifter body, we saw this rat's nest.

How to prevent it...

Well, I wish we had a good solution. For countermeasures, we always coat the last 50mm of the cable near the swaged end stop just before it goes into the shifter's cable seat with some Shimano Cable Grease (yes, there is such a thing). The part number for Shimano Cable Grease, sometimes called Special Grease, is Y04180000. The other thing that we have seen improve cable life in these Shimano shifters is Shimano OptiSlick cables (p/n Y60198100). These are not simply just coated cables. The friction-reducing compound is applied in a way more like powder coating and adheres better to cables than anything we have seen, including Shimano's Polymer coatings. But the best solution is regular service.

If in doubt, have us inspect your shifter and shift cable. Catch a worn or frayed cable before it grenades into tiny cable shards inside your shifter.

03/10/2026

Artificial vs Genuine Intelligence...

We received a call today from a cyclist who purchased a replacement tube for his bike from Amazon, and wanted to know if we would take it in trade for the correct tube for his bike. Mary Ann responded that we do not take items in trade from other manufacturers or other retailers.

But wait, it gets even better.

Mary Ann aksed if they had sent the wrong size. Apparently, he took a photo of his tube and asked Chat GPT what type of tube he needed (Presta or Schrader). Chat GPT told him to order a tube that has a Schrader valve, which he did.

When Mary Ann asked him again if Amazon had sent the wrong size, he responded that his rim has a smaller hole and the valve on the tube he received will not fit the rim. Hmmm. Do you see the problem now?

So, you still think that AI is the future? We get it that people want to save some $$$ by purchasing online. And I am sure he will not put a dollar value on his time, or the effort has has to go through to find the correct tube and the time it takes to return this tube to Amazon.

We can't make this stuff up.

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03/05/2026

Randy Profeta, TPU Tubes? May be fine for some riders.

What's up with TPU tubes?

We've had several roadies ask if we have TPU (Thermoplastic Polyurethane) tubes at our shop. Yes, we do stock a few of the more common sizes and will be adding more. So, what's the story?

Well, TPU tubes are slightly lighter than a lightweight butyl (black rubber) tubes and way (weigh?) lighter than standard butyl tubes. TPU tubes also are better at air retention than butyl and far better than latex tubes when it comes to not losing air pressure over time.

Latex was the "go-to" for riders looking for a lightweight "racing-style" tube for several years now. Now TPU is the darling of the tube world.

TPU Tubes:
* Fold up smaller than butyl tubes,
* Are 2-4x lighter than butyl. This reduces inertial and rotational weight,
* Have higher heat resistance. Important if you are still using rim brakes,
* Are recyclable for those who are environmentally conscious.

While some riders on FB claim that TPU Tubes are more puncture resistant citing more puncture-free rides, this may be more anecdotal and hasn't been backed up by scientific testing. Some mfrs do claim better puncture resistance, though. I've ridden butyl tubes for several years without punctures, then had three punctures in 30 days (about 200 miles) of riding.

TPU tubes can be patched, and this is a good thing since they are 2-4x more expensive that butyl tubes. They do require a special patch kit though (and, yes, we have these patch kits).

Some TPU tubes have removable valve cores and some do not. Conti TPU tubes, one of the most expensive, have RVCs (removable valve cores). Conti has RVCs, but cautions that their 7-layer TPU tubes are for disc-brake use only. FWIW, several other brands of ultra-lightweight TPU tubes are designed for disc-brake use only, so read the package. Do your research.

I use standard butyl tubes on my road bikes and have at least one road bike with tubeless-ready tires with sealant, but I'm willing to give TPU a try. All of my MTBs are set up tubeless with sealant.

When Hutchinson came out with their road tubeless tires about 20 years ago, I was an early adopter and a big fan. They offered a similar road feel to tubular (sew-up tires) and could be run at 5-10% lower air pressure than tube-type tires. The downside with tubeless road is that tubeless sealant is less effective at sealing punctures at higher pressures than MTB tubeless setups which I have also been riding and racing since Stan's NoTubes began offering tubeless MTB conversion kits about 25 years ago.

If you have had any experience with TPU tubes, please share some comments here. I am not a weight we**ie but I am intrigued by the possibility of improving air retention and better road feel.