Cycling

dom, if you never take the bike off road then just change the tyres for some slicks, that'll make so much difference, and save a lot of cash more in the process. For the commute an mtb offers a better, (albeit less efficient) riding position for safety and general comfort.

Get a pair at about 1" wide with some basic grooves cut in them, to improve efficiency more get a set of SPD's, (clipless shoes/pedals) this will help loads.
 
Hmm - never been a fan of clipping my feet to the pedals or using special shoes, though my CAT boots seem to grip fairly well...

Slicks - err, hmm, not sure! My bike's bad enough in the wet for braking as it is!!! What about these:
Continental City Contact Tyre With Inner Tube - MTB
or these:
Continental Travel Contact With Presta Inner Tube - MTB

I already have "less knobbly" tyres on there but they've got >620 miles on them and the shop suggested I change them at the end of this month anyway, so I guess I can go for anything within reason.

Certainly I like the upright riding position - although at 6ft3 it's a PITA with headwinds - the prevailing wind is against me for the first third of the way home from work! :(

Oh hang on - what about these:
Vredestein S-Licks Tyre
I can even get them in girly blue to match the bike! How would these fit on my rims (I use 26x2.1 tyres at the mo (I think!) and the rims are about 3/5 the width of the tyres when inflated)
 
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domfjbrown said:
Out of curiosity, for an average to maybe half-way decent-ish MTB (eg my Specialized HardRock) going at 30 mph on average MTB tyres on the road, would a roadbike be significantly faster for the same power input??? I'm sure I can go faster than I do on mine - 16.4 mph average on the way to work today (half of it on a loooong uphill haul) can be bettered I'm sure - even with full inflation I'm sure I'm losing a lot in the tyres...
Click to expand...
I used to average 20mph in London on my road bike, which had 19mm tyres. You'll also find that few MTBs can keep up with one on road because of higher rolling resistance, more weight and less efficient position (unless the MTB rider is very good!), also, road bikes tend to have bigger chainrings/gear ratios (my road bike has a 54 front chainring, which is a bit painful now I'm in the hills!). As for potholes, it isn't a good idea to hit them with such skinny wheels - I used to jump them.
However, unless you've got the space for a 2nd hand racer, just get some semi slicktyres (make sure there's some rain-treads!) and you'll speed up by 1-2mph!
 
Heavymental said:
If you want any more sites for 2nd hand give me a shout and I'll post all the sites I used during the course of my search.
Click to expand...

Yes please :cool:

Sounds like secondhand is still the way to go. Where did you gets yours from (private/trade etc)?

Cheers,
batfink
 
http://www.bikemagic.com/classifieds/search.asp?keyword=road&t=Search Results&cp=1&sp=&v=2

http://www.bcf.uk.com/classifieds/2003/classified_contents.shtml

http://www.cyclingtimetrials.org.uk/index.asp?Area=Class

http://www.racingbiketrader.com/salegall.htm

http://www.rightzone.co.uk/scripts/classi/atl.cgi?ct=2

http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/classifieds/classifieds.asp?v=2

http://www.veloriders.co.uk/phpBB2/viewforum.php?f=3

http://www.welshcycling.org/sales/sales.html

http://www.cyclingplus.co.uk/forum/forum.asp?FORUM_ID=8&sortfield=lastpost&sortorder=&whichpage=1

http://www.bikepedlar.co.uk/second_hand_bikes.htm
(doesn't seem to be working at the momentââ'¬Â¦try the homepage. This is where I got mine)


Hope these help...I also had adtrader, tradeit and loot in my faves. These are well worth looking at too although you have to get past all the "Gents Raleigh Lizard £50ono". Some of the above don't change very much but its worth having them in your faves and clicking through them every day.

I got mine off bikepedlar.com for a good price but it was the first decent road bike I'd seen on there. I did look at Evanscycles.com and some of the other dealers but the "Special Offers" are not so special. You don't save a great deal. My criteria was a bike in VGC that retailed at about 1k for around 500. Bike I got retailed at about £900 and I got it for £450. Took a bit of looking but its worth it and if you live in Middle England there are plenty about...my problem was being stuck in West Wales.

Go to the cyclingplus website for advice on any purchases or any questions that come up during your search. They really are a knowledgeable bunch. If you look through the archives you'll find plenty of advice for beginners without needing to post the same old FAQ.

Good luck.
 
Philip King said:
Dom the Vredestein S-Licks Tyre look OK, I'd go for the Specialized Turbo Pro Tyre,(http://www.wiggle.co.uk/?ProductID=5360008370) myself, a little narrower, this will not effect the braking as this is done on the rim.
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What about braking performance (or lack of!) in the wet? The centres on those tyres look awfully smooth...

LeonardSmalls - I'm not sure how good I am, but I seem to be fairly OK at getting up hills that stump a lot of riders in Exeter; saw someone yesterday who looked MUCH fitter than me giving up and pushing their bike up East Wonford Hill - I went past all the way without standing on the pedals (I find it harder to ride like that!). 1-2mph more oomph would be nice though :)
 
I shouldn't worry about braking performance Dom, unless you're pushing it into some heavy corners at high speeds you'll not notice much difference. You have to keep more of a look out for potholes and bumps in the road and manhole covers which can be slippery. You'll notice the difference in how fast you can go. Not so much like driving a tractor.

Heres some more good sites.

http://www.bikepimp.co.uk/
Compare prices of bike stuff using this. Although Kelkoo saved me 3 quid on my latest tyre.

http://www.jimlangley.net/wrench/wrench.html
Definitive bike repair/tweaking site.

http://www.slowtwitch.com/mainheadings/techctr/descending.html
Few cycling techniques worth a read.

http://www.preloved.co.uk/fuseactio...ure/CAT-Cycling/SUBCAT-Bicycles/0abd8a67.html
And some more second hand bikes.

see you on the cycling+ site chaps :D
 
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Having struggled to find anything in my size on the secondhand market (I wold prefer to buy locally since it'll be my first road bike), I came across one of these :

Giant Bike

Giant OCR3 for £340 reduced from £400. Slightly more than I originally planned spending, but seems like VFM. Any opinions on whether this world be a decent purchase ?
 
Batfink,
Buying 2nd hand can be a pain as you've obviously discovered! Solid choice the Giant for that price. Oft suggested and oft decided upon with few complaints. Make sure you test the competitors in that price range at the shops if you can incase something else suits you better. Also make sure you get the sizing dead on. Don't rush this bit. Pick the bike shops brains and make sure you're happy with the fit and setup.
Should be able to get some other stuff chucked in too. Maybe a £25 helmet, a pair of cycling shorts, pump, puncture repair kit, multi tool or a lock. All of which you'll definately/probably need at some point.
Enjoy your riding and the rain!:(
Tom
 
I haven't read through the whole thread so appologies if this has already been stated.


As people have already said. You want a road bike. However these come in two forms (generally speaking), Race and Touring. The differences are down to the geometry of the frame. Race will have straighter forks, and steeper head set/down tube geometry. For Race bikes the geometry is usually around 74 deg with 1" or less rake on the front forks. Touring bikes will be 72 deg with 1.5" + rake on the front forks. This means Touring bikes don't feel so stiff and will soak up more bumps than a Race bike. It also means that Race bikes are more power efficient and sharper steering than Trouring bike. Obviously you want a Race bike not a Touring one.


GTM
 
Heavymental said:
Batfink,
Should be able to get some other stuff chucked in too. Maybe a £25 helmet, a pair of cycling shorts, pump, puncture repair kit, multi tool or a lock.
Click to expand...

I'm hoping to get at least a helmet and a puncture repair kit thrown in. Any negotiation tips ?

Other things I'll need are:
Cycling shorts (definitely)
Cycling top or 3 (nice to have)
Decent shoes and clipless pedals (nice to have)

Can't think I'll be able to get all those thrown in though!
 
Negotiation tips? Same as anything else really. Be bold and ask what they'll throw in for you. They may well not budge on it as its already on sale and Giants aren't that hard to shift but depends on your local shop staff really. Just have to see what you can get. Pay by cash maybe a good idea. Helmet and puncture reapir kits sounds a fair enough freebie though. Gloves might be good given autumn seems to be here and don't forget some good chain lube. Finish Line Cross Country is a good one (not just for xc bikes)

Aldi is the place to go for cycling stuff. They have cheap gloves, shorts, shirts and other stuff. I bought a shirt in there the other day. Not great looking so I'll probly use it as a spare but pretty good for £2.99! Also bought a gilet which is good and a pair of shorts. Again...not best quality but alright when the others are in the wash. Less than a fiver again. If you're into it I also bought a heart rate monitor for £15. Pretty bargainous given the cheapest of the Polar ones are about £50. Does the job and has a couple of good extra features.

Good online bike stuff is probikekit.com and wiggle.com although try kelkoo and bikepimp (link posted earlier) for specifics.
Good luck!
 
Heavymental said:
Finish Line Cross Country is a good one (not just for xc bikes)
Click to expand...

Yak.

My least favorite lube.. I only purchase when its all they stock..

No offense mate :)

Here's my favorite lube - cheap too! (which means you can shove it on with a trowel - never a bad thing!!)

''multi lube''

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/

I used to use Rohloff in the winter, but the above will be used this winter instead.

NB
I cant see the shop chucking in shoes, but you might get free SPD's if you buy the shoes aswell. Sounds fair!
 
After a nightmare 2 hour journey to travel 20 miles, I got there near closing time (why does everyone decide to crash their cars when I go places??).

The guy I spoke to seemed to know what he was talking about, but was also trying to steer me towards a bike with carbon forks (ORBEA Enol ???) which was £100 more. For someone who is a novice and hasn't ridden a road bike for over 10 years, I have no idea whether a carbon fork is really going to be worth it.

He also tried to "sell" me their set-up service - measuring me up etc for the bike which would be £35 and would normally be taken off the price of the bike, but not off the bikes that are reduced! I don't think it's worth it for a "budget" bike. He suggested I go back when there is more time, dressed for the occasion, and go out on a test ride on the bikes I like.

Other than that, I was impressed by the store (AW Cycles in Reading) and the staff seemed generally very helpful. They had a good range of bikes (although the ones I looked at were "bottom of range") so I may go back when I have more time.
 
None taken Chris! My suggestion came from the most suggested reply when I asked on the cycling+ site about lubes. Seems ok to me but I haven't used many.

Batfink...probly a good idea to go back like he suggested when you have time and attire to test ride. Like you say I don't know how much a set-up service will be worth it if you're not going to be doing too many miles, it is useful to get it setup nicely for you but you'll be able to adjust it once you've ridden it a bit, if you can afford it its money well spent. Otherwise spend the £35 on those shorts.

Orbea are nice bikes I think but like you say the carbon fork probly won't make much difference. Best way is to test ride and see if it feels £100 better than the Giant. But bear in mind you'll still have to buy all that stuff after the bike which mounts up. Might be better off spending the extra 100 quid on kit.

Anyway, just test ride them and I'm sure the descision will be clear. You'll be able to do more than 20 miles in 2 hours on your bike!
 
dipping ito this thread to see what you guys have so much to talk about it's quite worrying that there seems to be a fervent discussion about peoples favoutie lubes. is there really that much chaffage in those obscene shorts you people insist on wearing?
cheers


julian
 
domfjbrown said:
Out of curiosity, has anyone tried riding one of those Olympics bikes in a velodrome? Is the cambre of the track as steep as it looks? I bet I'd fall off!
Click to expand...

Indeed I have. Over the winter of 2001/2002 I did a full winter season on the Velodrome at Calshot. As I live in Hampshire it was relatively easy to get to on a Thursday night.

It is 141meters around with a 46 degree bank. The corners are so sharp that the G forces push you against the crossbar at racing speeds.

But you can ride around the top of the banking at about 8-10 mph.
People tend to fall off because they go too slow due to fear. Once you are used to it riding in a bunch a 30 mph with no brakes is great fun!!
 
julian2002 said:
dipping ito this thread to see what you guys have so much to talk about it's quite worrying that there seems to be a fervent discussion about peoples favoutie lubes. is there really that much chaffage in those obscene shorts you people insist on wearing?
cheers


julian
Click to expand...
Not much chaffing if you use GT85..
At £1.99 for a big tin (don't buy from it from bike shops if you only want to pay that!) you can spray it around to your hearts content.
After 20+ years of using not much else other than GT85 on my bicisickles I'm not willing to pay the extra for specialist lubes when all you need is PTFE and plenty of cleaning!
 
Had a day off yesterday so finally took the plunge and bought myself an "entry level" bike. After looking long and hard for a second-hand bike, I came to the conclusion that everyone wanting to sell a bike was a giant (6'2" or more - I'm only 5'9") so I had to buy new. Got myself an ORBEA Larrau. Had a few freebies thrown in for good measure too (helmet, lock, puncture kit etc)

Seems ok for the money. Gearing isn't as good as I would have liked (entry level Shimano STI), but you can't be too choosy at the bottom end of the market. It's a fairly light bike and the frame seems v. good (lifetime guarantee too!).

Storage could be a bit of a problem in a 1-bed house - not many options (more than a 1-bed flat though!). No garage or garden-shed to choose from. It's currently stored under the stairs with it's front wheel off. Think I'll have to get something to lift it off the floor though - it can't be a good thing to have it resting on the front forks. I could put it in the loft, but that would be a pain in the a*se each time I want to get it out.
 

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