About Bek
SLO Cyclist's publisher and recovering road snob, Bek makes sure everything runs smoothly around here. She's also the one who reminds us not to take ourselves too seriously--unless it involves black socks. Black socks are always serious.

The Best Bike Shops in San Luis Obispo County

12 August, 2014 Bek

Need a brand new helmet? Don’t need a brand new helmet, but want to feel more awesome? Go get a brand new helmet! Or bar tape, or kit, or saddle, or . . . OK you get the idea. I started this blog to chronicle cycling and triathlon-ing around San […]

How to Clean White or Light Handlebar Tape with Toothpaste

11 August, 2014 Bek

So you’ve found the sparkly, white handlebar tape that mesmerized you while you were winding it onto your bars has grown dingy and lackluster. Bike snobs everywhere might tell you, “Throw it in the trash can and buy a real color!” Don’t listen to them! If you love white handlebar tape as […]

How to Remove Rust from a Bike Frame

5 August, 2014 Bek

The terribly shot picture to the left documents the beginning of my first real bike build. Between the yellow Italvega frame and whatever it is that’s behind it, sits my powder blue, 80s Schwinn World Sport as it was when I found it about a year ago. Since sort of […]

Brooks Cambium C15 Saddle – The 100 Saddle Giveaway!

4 August, 2014 Bek

The Brooks Cambium C15, despite having been announced a couple of months ago, is still generating plenty of buzz among Brooks and non-Brooks enthusiasts. Although Brooks has released previous versions of road racing saddles, such as the C17 and C17s, the C15 is a narrower version (try a more comfy […]

Show Your Support for Women’s Cycling: Buy into Project X

2 August, 2014 Bek

When I was riding for my collegiate cycling team, we were invited to a road riding camp limited to Wheelwomen. Three pro cyclists, Ina-Yoko Teutenberg, Amber Neben, and Jessica Phillips Van Garderen, gave up their time to help us newbies learn the ropes. They led rides, offered clinics on nutrition and […]

The 5 Stupidest Ways to Drop Weight on a Road Bike

29 July, 2014 Bek

So you’ve got extra grams on your bike. Minute particles of weight that are absolutely unnecessary *cough* to drag over that next mountain with you. But what are these magic parts that, if tossed in the garbage can, would immediately help you in your pursuit of faster? Whether or not you […]

Testing the Lezyne Gauge Drive HP with ABS Pen Gauge

24 July, 2014 Bek

I was first introduced to Lezyne products through my collegiate racing team–we were sponsored by the local to SLO company, and got some pretty cool gear. Now that I’ve moved on to the real world, where I have to actually pay full price for stuff, I’ve gotten quite picky about […]

When & Where to Watch ESPN’s Slaying the Badger

21 July, 2014 Bek

In a cycling world where helmets were never normal, but down tube shifters were, Greg Lemond became the very first American to win The Tour de France. Add to this fact that he did so without much help from his teammate, 5-time Tour winner Bernard Hinault. Despite promising LeMond that […]

10 Things That Suck About The Tour de France

21 July, 2014 Bek

Don’t get me wrong, I love Le Tour de France. There’s nothing quite like the crazy speeds, expensive gear riders often just toss by the side of the road, and carnage on the mountains. While I suffer from Tour de France withdrawals every year at its close, there are always a […]

Essential Oils for Cyclists & Triathletes

17 July, 2014 Bek

Recently, a friend of mine (yes, that’s her info on the poster above–had to give her a shout-out!) started getting into the whole essential oils thing. Although at first my endurance-athlete centered brain dismissed her claims of better sleep through Lavender and greater healing through “Thieves” (there’s a backstory, apparently), I […]

Best Sunscreens for Cyclists and Triathletes

15 July, 2014 Bek

Although the best sunscreen for cyclists is to leave no skin exposed, let’s face it–as cyclists, we love to show off our hours in the saddle with deep tan lines. Riding with arm and leg “sun skins” (like the ones below) will help prevent sun damage, but some of us might […]

How to Use Glue Less Patch Kits

10 July, 2014 Bek

So there’s a lot of sentiment out there that might tell you that glue less patch kits are merely for temporary flat repair–good for a few miles, but ready to go flat again at any moment. Well I’m here to try and dispel those nasty feelings. In reality, glue less […]

How to Race Road Bikes – Tips for New Racers

9 July, 2014 Bek

What could be better than redlining in the middle of a peloton for a few hours and then digging deeper to sprint toward glory at the end of the day? But you can’t reach the top step of that podium without taking the first step–deciding to race on the road! […]

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