What’s the Difference between a Schraeder Valve (SV) and a Presta Valve (PV)?

Schraeder Valves are generally found on most children’s bikes and some adult bikes, And Presta Valves are commonly found on roads bikes with narrower tyres and some mountain bikes as well as hybrid bikes

Carbon Fibre, Steel, Aluminium, What’s the difference?

Steel Framed bikes are generally more comfortable than Aluminium bikes, this is because an Aluminium bike is much stiffer which causes the bike to accelerate very quickly as there is no flex in the frame when you apply pressure to the pedals, however this also gives the bike a stiffer ride due to the little flex in the frame. Steel on the other hand does have alot more flex than aluminium which results in a more comfortable ride, however steel bikes are heavier than Aluminium bikes. Carbon Fibre bikes are light, strong and comfortable. This is because carbon fibre starts life as a flat sheet and is formed into tubes. When these tubes are created they can change the properties of the tube, so a bike frame can be made to be very stiff as you apply power to the pedals but it can also have flex in it to allow a comfortable ride reducing vibrations just like a steel frame. Add to this a very low weight and Carbon Fibre is one of the leading materials for frame design.

What size wheels do my bikes have?

The wheel size of a bike is printed on the sidewall of the tyre, in the case of a mountain bike or child’s bike it will be written like: 26x1.95 or 14x1.75. On a road bike or hybrid style bike it will be written like this: 700x32C or 28x1 3/8

How do I know what size bike I need?

You can take a look at our size guide for this Click Here for Size Guide

How often should I replace my cycle helmet?

If the helmet has been dropped or involved in an accident then you should replace it.  The Manufacturers also recommend you replace a helmet every 3 years.

Why do I have to collect a Trek bicycle in store?

Unfortunately we are unable to post out a Trek Bicycle. Trek ask us to make sure you are being sold the correct bike for your size, and that you are getting a bike that is properly set up and ready to ride. This also gives us the opportunity to explain how your new trek works, and to make sure you are happy with it.

What’s the difference between a freewheel and a cassette?

A freewheel is when the rear cog set and freewheel mechanism are combined, this unit called a freewheel then screws onto the hub (left hand side of picture below).  A Cassette is a set of cogs but with no freewheel mechanism built in. The freewheel mechanism is part of the hub. The cassette unit slide onto splines on the free hub and is secured with a lock ring. Cassettes are the more modern approach and range between 7, 8, 9 and 10 cogs where as freewheels are more commonly found on older bikes and lower end bikes using 5, 6, and 7 cogs

All tyres have a size, the size is stated on the sidewall of the tyre, this in the case of most mountain and children’s bikes it is written like 26x1.95, the "26" is the diameter which in this case is 26 inches, and the "1.95" is the width. As long as you keep the diameter correct, a different width is usually possible. For instance fitting a 26x2.125 instead of a 26x1.95 is usually no problem at all.

On modern road and hybrid bikes the tyre size is usually stated like 700x28c in this case the "700" is the diameter and the "28c" is the width again small differences in width should cause no problems.

There is usually another number on the tyres along the lines of 622-23 (or reversed as 23-622); this is the actual measurement of the tyre which in this case would translate to a 700x23c tyre. And in the case of the 26x1.95 tyre it would be 559-49

All inner tubes do a range of sizes, for example an inner tube can fit a range of tyres between 26x1.5 and 26x2.2, so providing you tyre size is within that range the inner tube will fit it.