The Cyclist's Camera

Today I want to talk about a piece of cycling gear that is all too often found sitting on a shelf in the closet at home instead by your side where it belongs. Whether you favor the off-road rush, relaxation of touring or the high speeds of smooth pavement a good quality digital camera should be an essential part of your cycling gear, so you can relive those precious moments for years to come.

With today’s technology you don’t need to break the bank to produce fantastic pictures. Even at the lower end of the price scale you can buy a great digital camera that will produce 5 to 8 mega pixels of resolution with all the features you’ll ever need. Unless you intend to make a poster sized print, resolution over 5 mega pixels is not really noticeable, so don’t get too hung up on resolution.

Instead consider things like compactness, ease of use, shock resistance and weather resistance. And of course how much zoom capability you want.

Often a matter of personal preference and feel, you’ll want something that is easy for you to use in the field. You don’t want to be scrolling through menus as you watch the race leader zoom off into the distance, or constantly push the zoom button because it’s located where they shutter button should be.

When selecting the amount of zoom capability you want stick with the optical zoom numbers. Many cameras offer a combination of optical and digital zoom, but be careful when using digital zoom because as the zoom increases the resolution decreases and your perfect shot could wind up being nothing more than a grainy blur. Look for a camera that won’t automatically switch to digital zoom when you reach the maximum range of your optical zoom. And if you tend to take a lot of action shots, high quality image stabilization is essential.

Whenever you get new camera use it, and use it a lot. Get familiar with all of the features so selecting the correct setting becomes as natural as depressing the shutter button. One of the real benefits that digital photography has brought to outdoors enthusiasts is that you can produce literally thousands of photos and it doesn’t cost you a cent. Unlike the days of film anyone can afford to take several shots of the same image, using a range of features and settings, and decide later which one is a keeper.

Capturing memories of your cycling adventures is something that should be just as important as the activity itself. Whether it’s a picture of dad deciding to dust off the old mountain bike, your companion sitting in a pile of mud after a slight miscalculation, or the race leader crossing the finish line with arms raised in victory, having your camera at the ready will keep those memories alive for a lifetime.

©2009 Lloyd Fridenburg – All rights reserved click here for copyright permissions

Buying & Selling Used Bikes and Parts

Winter still has a firm grip on Southern Ontario but rest assured that we are winding down to the last few weeks. If you’re like me you’re spending more than enough time in the garage looking longingly at your summer recreational equipment that has been in hibernation for much too long. That of course includes your cycling equipment.

What better time to take a look at your gear and do a bit of preseason maintenance. Remember that slow leak you decided to fix in the spring, or the low gear that slips out of the sprocket on steep climbs; now is the time to get your cycling fix by carefully going over your bike part by part so it’s ready to go as soon as the snow leaves.

Perhaps you’ve found some damaged parts or you have a twisted frame from that last fateful fall ride. Whether your buying or selling there is a ready market for used bike parts and you can often generate a lot more cash by selling parts than by selling, or trading in your old bike.

I stumbled across a great article that discusses this topic in detail and thought the best way to get you the information you need is to share this link with you http://tinyurl.com/d3o7uf

The article talks about the pros and cons of buying and selling parts online. You’ll learn what to watch for and where to look.

Take heart; it won’t be long now and you want to be sure your bike is prepped and ready to go when the weather breaks in Southern Ontario.

Lloyd