The Cycling Thread: Part 3

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Does anyone use any sort of bike stand for converting a bike as an exercise bike in the winter months??
 
Front £19

Rear £13

£32 total :cool: More than bright enough for the road. I have two sets of each one for my winter road bike and one for MTB.

I also have these on my winter road bike :)


I ordered that front light and it came last week.

It's slightly different to the one I bought last year but it was £15 cheaper @ £20 ish.

Not had chance to try it yet but for my country lane commutes I'll feel safer with 2 especially as the 1st one I have gives you one minutes warning before the battery runs out.

Bought a Smart 1 watt rear too this year for £10.

Those spoke reflectors are in Lidl currently at about £3.99.

I'll get some pics of my lights set up later.
 
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Fighting the strong urge to buy a fixie at the moment. I live in a very hilly area, which means it should be totally unsuitable. But there is something appealing about it.

I don't want a fashionista one with flat bars etc.The Specialized Langster or revolution track bike have caught my eye.


It sounds like you have turned into a serious cyclist. No real need for a SS but like me I have been thinking of getting one to replace the hybrid for the winter commute.
 
Any suggestions for covering a chip in the side of the top tube of an ally frame (thanks Halfords :()? Went to pick it up yesterday after the front mech was replaced to find that they'd added a second chip on the opposite side to the one they put in last time...

To my surprise they're trying to source a replacement bike but apparently this year's Subway is now discontinued. If I can find a way of neatly hiding it I may just settle for compensation instead.

Oh, & it looks like the mech hasn't been adjusted at all. :facepalm:
 
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What is the point in a ss or fixie bike? Is it just to force you to work harder going up hills or am I missing something? I don't really see the point in them when you could just choose not to change gear on a normal road bike.
 
As I understand it you always get losses of energy transfer with the chain having to go through the derrailleur mechanism, and even more so because the chain is only lightly tensioned the chain is always lose on some part of the cog so you can't physically put as much effort into pedalling.

On a single gear bike the chain can be tensioned for optimum energy transfer.
 
Any suggestions for covering a chip in the side of the top tube of an ally frame (thanks Halfords :()? Went to pick it up yesterday after the front mech was replaced to find that they'd added a second chip on the opposite side to the one they put in last time...

To my surprise they're trying to source a replacement bike but apparently this year's Subway is now discontinued. If I can find a way of neatly hiding it I may just settle for compensation instead.

Oh, & it looks like the mech hasn't been adjusted at all. :facepalm:

Nail varnish?
 
What is the point in a ss or fixie bike? Is it just to force you to work harder going up hills or am I missing something? I don't really see the point in them when you could just choose not to change gear on a normal road bike.

It's more about forcing you to keep working - uphill, downhill and on flat.

As long as you're fit enough, they are really practical. There is no mechanical bits to go wrong, and they can be ridden in all weathers without worrying getting crap in your gears.

The bike can be super light weight too.
 
Of course you can still have gears without derailers. I went for an 8spd Alfine hub geared bike for my winter commuter:

IMG_0105.jpg


Still not as low maintenance as a single speed but certainly much less faff than derailer gears.
 
Nail varnish?
I was thinking more of a tape to completely hide it rather than try to touch it up. They've actually gouged a chunk out & scratched either side, so even painted to match the frame would still be visible. But I suspect tape would look a bit crap & well.

If they can't replace it like for like then I guess I'll have to push for a higher model instead.
 
Of course you can still have gears without derailers. I went for an 8spd Alfine hub geared bike for my winter commuter:

image


Still not as low maintenance as a single speed but certainly much less faff than derailer gears.

Hub gears have always interested me. There's some clever technology where they can auto change and maintain cadance.

Lovely winter bike btw :)
 
Going to the first session of my 6 session bike maintenance course tomorrow night. I just hope that when I've finished the course I'll be able to carry out a routine service and basic repairs.
 
What is the point in a ss or fixie bike? Is it just to force you to work harder going up hills or am I missing something? I don't really see the point in them when you could just choose not to change gear on a normal road bike.

Single speed? Lighter, lower maintenance. You can knock pounds off the weight of a fully geared bike. For flattish commuting they make a lot of sense, especially in the winter. I know a guy who rides SS for mountain biking in Wales. But then, he is an MTB skills instructer spending every day riding :laugh:

However,

Fixie = nutter

Why would anyone want a bike you constantly have to pedal? For weirdos, 'look at me' types and people with strange beards (obviously).

Tried riding one once. Awful experience. Never again.
 
Going to the first session of my 6 session bike maintenance course tomorrow night. I just hope that when I've finished the course I'll be able to carry out a routine service and basic repairs.

:thumbsup:

I find bike maintenance very therapeutic, as well as saving money. Something very satisfying about fixing and mending stuff.
 
SanPedro said:
:thumbsup:

I find bike maintenance very therapeutic, as well as saving money. Something very satisfying about fixing and mending stuff.

I have all the tools and a maintenance stand but my DIY skills are limited. Really looking forward to learning all about it now.
 
:thumbsup:

I find bike maintenance very therapeutic, as well as saving money. Something very satisfying about fixing and mending stuff.

Same here, although i have only gotten into it since i have gotten back into mountain biking. Having built two bikes up now i feel quite competent in having a go at most mechanical issues. When i was purely road biking i just used to have the LBS do any maintenance or repairs (except for punctures) as i wasn't that interested in it tbh.
However with mountain biking being caught out in the wilderness with a mechanical and not having a clue how to rectify the problem is just asking for a world of hurt and possibly a long walk back to the car :rolleyes:

I was out on Saturday in the Peaks with some of the retrobike guys and it was pretty amazing tdh, some long hard ascending and great descending - quite rocky in places and very technical with some steep drop off's.
I feel quite ashamed that the peaks are literally an hours drive from my house and this is the first time mountain biking in them - hopefully i will rectify this now :)
I used the Giant MCM which is a '97 frame but modern parts and it felt great, very comfortable riding it all day and the suspension and disks performed well, so did its rider :D
 
Maintenance classes = Youtube for me :laugh:

I'd rely on YouTube if my DIY skills were adequate but they are unfortunately pretty dire. I'm hoping having a tutor in front of me showing me what to do helps me learn better than watching a video.:blush:
 
I'd rely on YouTube if my DIY skills were adequate but they are unfortunately pretty dire. I'm hoping having a tutor in front of me showing me what to do helps me learn better than watching a video.:blush:

I'm in the same boat, have had a play with a few bits after You Tube research and they've kind of worked but would love to get a few lessons so I have more confidence in what I'm doing rather than feeling it's a bit of a botch job which took about 10 times longer than a "pro" would do.

Having said that, the feeling when I managed to actually get some of my repairs to actually work (re-aligned derallieur, re-tensioned cables to (mainly) work better) was rather amazing...
 
Going to the first session of my 6 session bike maintenance course tomorrow night. I just hope that when I've finished the course I'll be able to carry out a routine service and basic repairs.

So how did it go?
Bike still in one piece? ;)
 
What is the 2.2 measurement ? Also what are Michelin tyres like ?

there seems to be some good discounts at chain reaction
michelin mtb | Buy Now at ChainReactionCycles.com

The ones i think look decent for my needs are these
Michelin Mountain Dry 2 Reinforced Tyre | Buy Online | ChainReactionCycles.com
the only thing is it says 26 x 2.3, would these fit my rims?

Thanks

Just thought id post that i went for the Michelin Mountain Dry 2 and im well chuffed with them.
Really fast rolling and grip great on the roads, Haven't had much time on trails but done a bit on the canal and they seem great. Got them at 42psi and they Seem to dampen bumps well, Also Loving the 2.3 profile :thumbsup:
Couple of pics
IMAG1158_zpsda80355b.jpg

IMAG1159_zps4a43082a.jpg

IMAG1161_zps04c1c587.jpg
 
:thumbsup:

I find bike maintenance very therapeutic, as well as saving money. Something very satisfying about fixing and mending stuff.

Been repairing and maintaining my bikes for years and have enjoyed it and enjoy it even more now that I've bought a decent bike stand.

Its the one bit of kit that you don't realise how much you missed it, until you buy one.
 
I've been commuting for a couple of weeks and had my first incident last night - I was cycling along a main road when a taxi driver pulled out of a junction straight in front of me. I had time to pull the brakes (was travelling about 20mph) but was going too fast to stop, so I crashed into the driver's door.

He was very apologetic, fully admitted liability and gave his details with no problems. I also got the number of a witness, a passenger he was bringing to work, just in case his story changes.

I was pretty shaken up, but the bike doesn't seem to have been too badly damaged - the front wheel twisted but didn't buckle when it hit the car, and one of my light holders snapped off. Chain also came off and got jammed between the cassette and the frame, which was a bitch to get back out. Fortunately I had a multitool to tighten up my stem/headset, or I'd've been walking home. My helmet hit the edge of the roof of the car but it wasn't too hard.

My wife was very upset and was giving it the "I told you so" routine. She's been worrying about me starting back cycling since I first mentioned it to her a while back. Not even the promise of thighs of steel is swaying her. :D

Anyway, as it happens, my bike was booked in for a service this morning, so I dropped it in and asked them to check for damage as a result of the accident, along with the usual wear and tear. My wife is adamant that I should be calling up this guy and demanding he pay half of the costs, whereas I'm kind of "meh, it needed to be checked anyway". I know it was entirely his fault - he said the sun was in his eyes so he couldn't see me - but I also have some sympathy. I was very angry just after it happened, but still had another 12 miles to cycle to get home, so by that time the adrenaline rush had died down and I was thinking a bit more clearly.

What I was thinking of doing was only contacting him if they identify damage specifically caused by the crash. If there's nothing needing done besides the usual servicing, I will leave it there. Anyone think I am being foolish? I'm not a big fan of the whole claim culture but some people at work are saying I am being stupidly naive - lots of stories about people getting brand new bikes after similar accidents, etc. I'm not really comfortable with that.
 
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Just thought id post that i went for the Michelin Mountain Dry 2 and im well chuffed with them.
Really fast rolling and grip great on the roads, Haven't had much time on trails but done a bit on the canal and they seem great. Got them at 42psi and they Seem to dampen bumps well, Also Loving the 2.3 profile :thumbsup:

That's pretty high for trail use (IMO). They'll roll fast on hardpack and roads but may get a bit sketchy on rocks n roots n stuff. Being chunky 2.3s you can probably run at 35psi to give you more grip... especially where it's needed on the front. Risk of pinchflat punctures is less with big volume tyres :smashin:
 
@kav, I think you are doing the right thing. If there is any damage you will have a report by a professional which you can then send to the driver. You werent hurt and the sun at this time of the year is pretty horrible so it sounds like it was a genuine accident. On my bike yesterday I almost didnt see someone crossing the road due to the low sun.

My pet hate at the moment is drivers that overtake on a narrow road then immediately want to turn right but cant due to oncoming traffic so slam on their brakes in front of me and theres no where for me to go. On one stretch of road on my commute it happens about once a week.
 
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