Cycling

Joel, I'm sure I'm older, fatter and slower than you and guess what - I have Carnacs.

Spooky.

 

Yep. Shoes are definitely on my shopping list.

Michael - those shoes look a lot bigger/heavier than most cycling shoes I've see so far. Won't they contribute to additional weight slowing me down (although they look far better for walking in when not on the bike!)

 

batfink, my shoes are bigger and heavier than your typical cycling shoe but I use them for commuting and when I'm going around town on the weekend so I don't need a hard-core cycling shoe and it's nice to have ones you can walk and look normal in aswell. The sole, whilst a lot more rigid than a normal shoe, is nothing like as rigid as a racing shoe but still makes a big difference when cycling.

Michael.

 

wow, a whole thread on cycling and I missed it!

I dont know where to start really..

1) Yes, get a road bike not an MTB if you want to be a triathlete.
2) Get a helmet. Really, get one, and wear it.
3) Only other piece of equipment I wouldnt ride without is cycling shorts. You will get a very sore and painful arse if you ride for any distance without them. Its the padding. Also because they are skin tight they dont catch on the seat when you move around. Loose long trousers are worst of all, they get caught in your gears.

Cycling shoes are great, but you can ride without them. Plenty of people do. A stiff sole is what you want. SPD's are great, but again you can come back to shoes and SPDs at a later date. Id start off with some straps, theyre as cheap as chips and not bad. I rode with them for years.

Make sure the frame is the right size. Cant believe no-one has mentioned that. The wrong size frame can give you back ache or worse.

heart rate monitors, gps and other toys - they are great but just ride the bike and the improvements will come.

Get used to when it goes dark at different times of year. Normally in everyday life we dont care so much. You need to know this because riding without lights is lethal, and probably for you more than the other person.

Finally, stuff the bike in the back of the car and go off somewhere scenic for the day. Take a fiver in a pocket somewhere and stop off for a sandwich and a drink. The scenery, the sense of freedom, exploring and the fresh air are what loving cycling is all about.

Hope you enjoy

Chris

 

Hello batfink, just go to any local cycling club they will put you on the right track on bike size-type etc, most of them hold club races midweek where any one can ride! get yourself along, please exuse any balls ups as this is my first Yes a forum virgin!

 

Tin Teardrop, are you a Captain Beefheart fan by any chance?

(Sorry, off-topic, cycling's a mystery to me.)

-- Ian

 

Anyone got any recommendations on brakes then? Maybe some that work in the wet, as mine are totally useless, mght as well not bother applying them in the wet, as I found out tonight, hum, that was fun, I did allow for this, but when it takes 3 car lenghts to slow down that's prity bad.

 

I use Magura hydraulic rim brakes, but for ultimate wet performance you need discs (as there's much to be said for not dragging your braking surface through puddles and mud and stuff...

 

Decent modern rims and quality blocks work fine in the wet. I haven't had a problem for ages. IMO discs brakes are really only needed for seriously "off road" mountain biking. They weigh more too.

Michael.

 

Actually, something like the Magura Louise weighs rather less than a rim brake setup, and you can use a lighter disc-specific rim.

 

When they start using disc brakes in the TDF, I'll believe they're lighter

Michael.

 

Have a look at wiggle.co.uk (Butler Cycles) they have an excellent offer on Avid brakes and leavers just now, so good in fact I bought full set myself!

 

Than road bike calipers maybe not (but there's also significan aerodynamic concerns there. But compared to a V-brake setup they're lighter.

I don't disagree that spuds are the best for ultimate pedalling efficiency, but they simply don't fit into my kind of riding. The other day I was on top of the pennines, and slogging it polaris-style across the moors. I perfected the technique of riding as far as possible with momentum into the mud puddle, then jumping for it, which would be kind of difficult with spds. A pair of stiff-soled shoes and good pedalling technique (ball of foot, spin, pull up on the way up (it can be done with platforms, just as bunnyhopping can) gets you most of the way there though, and close enough for me. My racing days are over (best result 14th in XC, 3rd in Dual Slalom) so I'll stick with these (which are light, as they're alu rather than steel caged. Paid for by the winnings from dual slalom...).

 

Hi.

You have a mountain bike?

Ive always had masses of braking from every brake type Ive had, even inexpensive canti's.

Ive used canti's in mid winter in snow and rain on proffessional level downhills, and found there to be plenty of braking.

V's, discs etc offer more, but it sounds like you have a problem with your bike.

Have you tried taking your bike to a shop to get the brakes proffessionally set up?

It could be something as inexpensive as setup or cables.

Chris

 

Hi Chris, yep its an ageing mountin bike, standard brakes, now I'm a litltle confused with the brake types these days, its not a "road" bike caliper system, this one is a couple of steps on, pulls from the centre to 2 sprung levers on each fork which have pads attached, I hope that made sense, I would call them V brakes (cos of the shape of the cable) but I am probably wrong. (actually just looking on the net I think they're Cantilever brakes).

In the dry they are fine, but in the wet they are awful, must admit, I'm not the kind of person to go out and buy expensive stuff for the bike, as I see it as a "cheap" mode of transport, so if a new set of brakes cost over £40 that's more than the bike is worth.

Yep I've used Wiggle for a few bits and bobs, found them to be quite reasonable, can't seem to fine the blocks for my type of brakes though, they seem to only do the new stuff.

One thing that I have always thought was strange is why rims are smooth, wouldn't it give better grip if the rims where grooved in some way?

 

More expensive rims have circumfrential grooves as the brake surfaces are machined into them.

However, in the case of a bike rim it doesn't make much difference, as the rubber adheres to it regardless.

If you want good stopping power from cantis, get some koolstop red eagle IIs: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/v2_product_detail.asp?ProdID=5300003397

Boosters can also help. I had excellent stopping power with Eagle IIs in Marin Lite cantilevers with a booster, with the same very firm modulation I like in the boosted maguras (although the maguras are a league ahead in terms of power available, and hydraulics require so much less maintenance than cable brakes, without changes in performance).

 

Lee,

I hope Im not telling my granny how to suck eggs here -

What is the gap between the brake pads and the rim?

If you have them so they are almost touching - perhaps a milimetre between the two, when you pull the brake lever you stop - FAST!

Spongey brakes are often the result of having too great a gap between rim and pad.

Its a doddle to adjust with nothing more than an allen key.

Chris

 

Yes, but if you have decent brakes likes my Shimano XTs, you can adjust the rate of application at the brake lever

 

Nope not at all Chris, I'll take all the advice I can get on this, couple of problems, my rear wheel isn't true, so I can't have the brakes too close, the brakes are quite spongy bit too much give in them, I can adjust them from the levers, my blocks are mounted with allen key headed bolts not the stud type (like Ian's link shows) so blocks are harder to find.

I probably should get the rear wheel sorted but I think its beyond adjustment and a new one is too expensive, I have got another bike project on the go, I've aquired a Muddy Fox Pathfinder, which having a smaller frame is more suited to a short ass like me and is in better nick, but I'm having the same problem sourcing brake parts, I also need a seat post for it, again this seems to be a problem as the hole is smaller than all the posts that I find listed. (25mm I think mine is) yep that's right, someone knicked the seat, scabby a'holes.

Can you retro fit Hydrolic brakes or does it have to have special mountings, I know discs need a special hub as I was looking into disc brakes, but hydrolic brakes seem like a cool idea.

 

Lee, if you can still ride your bike then the rear wheel is not beyond adjustment, but I wouldn't advise trying to do it yourself unless you're extremely patient and feel like learning a few new swear words

Michael.