The Tour de Cure fundraising contest has come and gone and a winner has been selected.

Saturday morning was kind of a big milestone for me in that I made myself go ride what I consider my first local bike shop group ride. I know that may sound crazy to some of you but I’ve been putting this off for a while and I’m not sure why. Actually, I do know and I’ll explain.

A reader left a comment on my last blog post that I thought was a good topic to write about so here it is. The topic is balancing your cycling with the need to also devote time to your family. It’s a delicate balance that can be easily upset if you’re not careful. Here’s my perspective on it.

Today marked the first day of riding with the new wheels and chain so I was eager to get out and ride today. The temp was right at 50F when I left the house at 5:15 AM but, thankfully, there was no wind. It’s the small victories.

Last week was another good week of riding with a great ride on Saturday of 26 miles. Saturday wasn’t without issues though and it came from a source I’ve had problems with in the past. My wheelset. If you’re a heavier rider and having wheel problems you may want to check this out.

Ok folks, I’ve been working on this one for a while and am now ready to launch the first contest here on Biking to Live. Not only can you win something cool but you can help me by supporting the Tour de Cure and their fund-raising efforts for the American Diabetes Association.

Finding a good local bike shop can be challenging. You hear too many stories where customer service isn’t good, prices are outrageous, or they have a poor selection of cycling gear. I see it here too and that lead me to look around when shopping for tires last weekend.