“Skid Lid, Melon Protector, Bump Cap, Brain Bucket” … these are just a few of the names assigned to the holy HELMET.

As surprising as it can sound, not all riders wear a helmet.  Back in the day, it was considered “geeky” and some wanted their mullets to blow in the breeze.  Even today, we notice some adventure riders without the protection and it begs the question – Why wear a helmet?  Does it actually protect you in the event you fly over the handlebars?

Helmets have come a long way in respect to their design and impact absorbing compounds.  Imagine this – initially they were created using leather straps and wool in the early 1900’s! Most riders didn’t recognize them as necessary until around the 1970’s when professional cycling started to take hold and the overall design majorly changed to foam and featured cooling ventilation.

It goes without saying that we are strong advocates of wearing a proper fitting helmet.  We stock a wide variety of styles for mountain, road and leisure riding. Prices can range from $80.00 to $450.00, depending on style.  The reasoning behind the range breaks down into ventilation, tailored fit and the research it takes to develop the newest and most ground breaking models.  Helmets should feel comfortable with no tension against your temples and should sit level and low on your forehead, just above the eyebrows, ensuring good coverage. Some models we carry feature a tension dial at the back of the helmet that is easy to adjust. This tightens and loosens the inner cage that sits against your head and fits the helmet to you. 

Cutting edge technology called MIPS was introduced in 2007 and is now a standard in the industry even beyond the sport of biking.  Multi-Directional Impact Protection is made to reduce the negative effects of rotational motion on the head when you experience a crash.  The low friction layer is held into the helmet by multiple rubber bands and can reduce the overall impact to your brain should you have an unfortunate incident.  Other companies like TREK introduced WaveCel technology that is also carried in our locations.

Pro tip from Lynn (Sales) – Remember that helmets have an expiry date and typically after 2-3 years, they need to be replaced.  Sweat, pollution and general wear and tear can degrade the interior compound and make the helmet less durable.  Additionally, after any impact it is important to replace your helmet.

We have a wide variety of helmets to choose from so let our friendly staff assist you with a fitting and answer all your questions!

The CC Team

Nestled in the prime and popular riding area of Bragg Creek is Calgary Cycle 22X. For those that may not be aware, this is our 3rd location and is situated beside Creekers Restaurant in the Shoppes of Banded Peak Plaza. 22X features a repair shop to keep you on the trails and yes you can book at this location for those amazing CC $5 Buck lifetime tune ups! You will also find clothing, helmets and a selection of bikes for adults and for the kiddos.

Wondering about how that full suspension really performs? Check out the extensive trail networks (over 166KM) of West Bragg Creek, Moose Mountain or Prairie Mountain on one of our rental options. In the spring and summer months you can book online and ride a Norco, Santa Cruz, Revel or Trek mountain bike in both hardtail and pedal assist options. Heading into the winter season we are geared up to have our Fat bike fleet ready to rent from both the 22X location and Pure Cycle (coming soon) located on Canyon Meadows Drive. Rental prices range from $69.95 to $89.00 per day and can be booked online through our website under “Rentals."

Book a Rental Here: https://site.booxi.com/calgarycycle-1

Looking to find out what the trail conditions are like before you go? Be sure to contact the Bragg Creek store directly or search the Bragg Creek Trails Association website at www.braggcreektrails.org

For many years, Calgary Cycle has partnered with this association as well as Moose Mountain Bike Trail Society, and the United Riders of Crowsnest to fundraise, give back and support the volunteers who ensure local trails are expertly maintained. If you use these trails, it helps immensely to offer up either your time with a trail upkeep day or through a cash donation.

Pro Tip from Jason (22X Store Manager) – If you are keen to keep turning the pedals this fall and winter come in and see us… we have a great selection of fat bikes, studded tires, footwear, gloves and accessories to keep you pedaling throughout the winter.

Keep in mind 22X is open Wednesday through Sunday. Store hours are posted on our website. For more information or for assistance to book a rental contact 22X today!

-CC Team.

Before we know it, snow will be on the ground.  It will be time to switch gears and focus on winter sports as well as other ways to stay active. Fear Not! Calgary Cycle is equipped to keep you pedaling in the cooler weather and showcases Fat bikes from Norco, Trek and Devinci.

Cold weather and icy riding conditions require proper outdoor gear and for ultimate traction; studded tires which are now in stock at all of our 3 locations. These winter fun machines can operate without the use of studs; however, it does enhance the handling of the bike. Studs can be purchased already installed on the tire OR you can choose to take on the project yourself, which on average takes 2 hours per tire. Fat Bikes will perform best in about 2-3 inches of snow and should be ran at approximately 15 PSI when riding slippery hard packed conditions.  The lower the pressure, the less chance for the bike to sink into the snow. In deep snow you can go as low as 5 PSI with a tubeless set up.

When preparing for your frosty ride, we recommend using quality material base layers, as you can increase your body temp quickly once hitting the trails.  Look for moisture wicking fabric and avoid anything that doesn’t quickly dry.  We offer a wide variety of performance clothing such as lined riding pants, excellent wind and water resistant gloves and winter beanies. If you have problems keeping your hands warm we can solve that too and stock bar mitts that sit on the end of your handlebars and provide an additional layer of protection against the elements.  Our locations also stock specifically designed winter footwear from flats/clip in - so you can forget about frozen feet!

Since the season is right on our doorstep, stop by soon as we have limited stock. Sizes range from XS to XL frames. Click that “follow” button on Instagram or check out our website for online shopping and information on our Fat bike rentals that will be available through our Bragg Creek location.  Get on the trails with a Bigfoot 2 at just $69.00 per day OR want to ride the hottest new technology?  Try a Bigfoot 2 VLT Fat Bike for $89.00 and crush even more laps in the snow.

If you can’t carve out time to get out of the city we can solve that dilemma and will be running rentals from our south Canyon Meadows location:

-Bigfoot 3 Fat Bikes and Trek Roscoe 7 PLUS bikes at $49.00 per day.

-Bigfoot 2 VLT options at $89.00 per day. Sizes will range from Small to XL.  

Even though its more common to see Fat tire bikes in the snowflake months, this style of ride is totally fun to pedal all year round and can tackle gnarly terrain, sand and much more!

Pro tip on maintenance by Derek (Owner) -  Be sure to hydrate post ride with your favorite lager!

For more information contact us at one of our shops or stop in so we can fully understand your needs and get you geared up!

Beginning in January we partnered with Bragg Creek Trails Association to raise money for some of our favorite local trails! For every $10 donated participants gained one entry into our raffle draw for a chance to win their choice of an s-kit Santa Cruz Bicycles Bronson or Blur.

We are stoked to announce that this was our BIGGEST trail fundraiser to date. In total, we had 1384 entries, which means we raised a WHOPPING $13,840!

This week we presented Ken Young from The Bragg Creek Trails Association - Board of Directors with a cheque for the total amount raised, and drew the name of our raffle winner for the grand prize!

Congratulations to our lucky winner Lori Vollmerhaus! Lori has been a Bragg Creek local for 30-years and has chosen a Blur as her prize!

We want to give a massive thanks to everyone at Santa Cruz Bicycles for making this fundraiser possible!
 

Before Christmas, we kicked off another great trail fundraiser, this time with the help of our friends at Crowsnest Coffee!

Support your choice of 3 great trail organizations by purchasing a bag of amazing Crownest Coffee Signature Bushtown Blend! $5.00 from the sale of each $18.00 bag purchased will be donated towards 1 of 3 trail organizations, MMBTS, UROC, or GWBCTA. Select which organization you want to donate to by choosing the group in the product drop-down menu on our website. The fundraiser will be ongoing as supplies last!

3 Choices and Organizations:
- Special K Blend Donates $5.00 to Moose Mountain Bike Trail Society
- Merlin's Brew Donates $5.00 to Bragg Creek Trails
- Buck 50 Beans Donates $5.00 to United Riders of Crowsnest

Coffee can be purchased through the link below:

https://bit.ly/3n8o2ui