Pedal Power Thread

danmon_81 said:
Thats a good ride!!! 2 KOM's and plenty of top 5's!!!!
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All out efforts on shorter rides make you a faster rider. It means the intervals of effort on the long rides become easier.

I have a bit of competition with my neighbour. He grabbed one of my KOM's earlier in the day so I went out and bagged 2 of his in the evening! It hurt, but it's worth it.

Really need some long sloggy climbs now. The longest round here is only about 2-3 miles.
 
TheBigYin said:
and anyway - its kph! ;)
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Are you sure? The metric unit of distance is the meter (m) with the modifier for 1,000 being k, so the correct contraction of kilometre is km rather than k! kph could mean 1,000 units of anything per hour (although, strictly speaking, the unit should be expressed in m/s since the SI unit of time is the second rather than the hour! :p ). Not 100% sure but I have a feeling that MPH is supposed to be capitalised to avoid confusion among us pedants!!!:bang:
 
TriggerHappy said:
30kmph average on your own? That's a very nice ride!
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if thats avarage for whole distance done then it is great!

danmon_81 said:
Stop using bloody kmph!!!!! I'm too young to work it out!! I dont care about rule #24!!! ;):D
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whats wrong with kilometers per hour ??? ;p



2 days ago almost killed myself ...was approaching roundabout and approach was going down down so was gaining speed. slowed down a bit and wanted to take roundabout at quite fast rate... definitely too fast!! turn was thight and I wasnt turning as sharp as I should ;D had to use my feet to bounce of fence on a side of roundabout other wise I would fell from the bike on to the fence and then pavement ;D

coming back to speed...on straights am always trying to keep over 30km/h
at the moment I can keep at around 30-32 - unless up the hill; plan is to make it average of at least 35 on straights



what are your speeds on straights - without pushing it to the limits / on average ?
 
I tend to be around 23k(m)ph on the flats. I live in a pretty hilly part of Shropshire so I use the flat sections as my recovery zones, typically, and then have a little fun on the descents and use any energy I've conserved on the hills to try and keep a fairly respectable pace. Once the hills pass about 10% I'm terribly weak on them unfortunately.

This is a fairly local hill climb that I really want to do, but the first 1km is about 15% before flattening out over the next 3. I'm pretty sure I don't have anything like the strength needed to push myself up a kilometre at that gradient, though I could do the latter 3 fairly comfortably.
 
That's a tough question, there are not many sections of road that are true flats. Factor in headwinds and you will never really know.

If I'm riding on my own then I will try and hold between 20-25 mph.

When on or leading the club runs this is not possible, I have to adapt to the ability of the group riding. There are 3 levels of ride on the Sat club runs though. It has been known for the advanced level chain gangs to average over 25mph on the flats, now that is super fun.
 
anyone thought of organising a bike meet ? I am based in London so London based for me ;)
 
I'll throw in some Bike porn into this thread :),


Untitled by Kiteninja (Morgan Lee), on Flickr

Untitled by Kiteninja (Morgan Lee), on Flickr
8589031604_166ba09403_z.jpg


Its not as new looking now but still looks great, need to upload new pics of its last 2 months of bashing to work everyday and the odd trail :).
 
Commute this morning was nice now the wind has dropped - it felt like someone had lit the afterburners and I was flying along compared to the rest of this week! But I was going at full tilt, heart pounding, when a pheasant hidden in the field next to me suddenly started squawking and flapping - my heart nearly burst through my chest it scared me so much :lol:
Ground was still a bit wet which made me wish that I'd put my new mudguards on last night like I had planned to :bonk:
Anyone got any experience of fitting SKS chromoplastics? Particularly getting them to fit around disc brakes?
 
bastic said:
anyone thought of organising a bike meet ? I am based in London so London based for me ;)
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Sounds interesting! Just as long as we don't have to bring any large film cameras as well...

TopBanana said:
Commute this morning was nice now the wind has dropped - it felt like someone had lit the afterburners and I was flying along compared to the rest of this week! But I was going at full tilt, heart pounding, when a pheasant hidden in the field next to me suddenly started squawking and flapping - my heart nearly burst through my chest it scared me so much :lol:
Ground was still a bit wet which made me wish that I'd put my new mudguards on last night like I had planned to :bonk:
Anyone got any experience of fitting SKS chromoplastics? Particularly getting them to fit around disc brakes?
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I have seen chromoplastics on the same bike as mine (charge scourer 2012) and they do fit with disc brakes. I don't have any personally though.
 
TopBanana said:
Commute this morning was nice now the wind has dropped - it felt like someone had lit the afterburners and I was flying along compared to the rest of this week! But I was going at full tilt, heart pounding, when a pheasant hidden in the field next to me suddenly started squawking and flapping - my heart nearly burst through my chest it scared me so much :lol:
Ground was still a bit wet which made me wish that I'd put my new mudguards on last night like I had planned to :bonk:
Anyone got any experience of fitting SKS chromoplastics? Particularly getting them to fit around disc brakes?
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Pheasants are a real nuisance around me. I've developed a system for avoiding them that involves aiming directly at them. If you try and go around them it's 50:50 whether they run away or towards you so the only guarantee seems to be that they will move left or right.

Another wildlife incident a couple of days ago was a narrow escape for a female blackbird who flew out of a hedgerow very low and barely missed my front wheel. I can imagine that a blackbird on a collision course with metal bladed spokes spinning at 25kmph doesn't end well :lol:
 
I bet it would make a nasty sounding crunch if you hit a blackbird!
 
The Road Bike Pro app I use on my iPhone to track rides has today received an update to add the calculation of gradients.

On today's 23km ride I spent 23% of my time going uphill, for which the average gradient was 6%.

I do love my stats :D

Even better, I got the app when it whilst it was available for free from the App Store. Having used it I'd happily have paid for it though.
 
This seems to me like an ideal place to ask for some suggestions regarding bike purchases, if you lot would be so kind! I need a bike for getting to/from work and for general pleasure - I'm quite lucky to live within 5 minutes of the seaside and a decent flat promenade that goes for miles! Probably looking at a hybrid or road bike, somewhere up to £400-450. I'm not going to go to Halfords and get a cheapo sale item, I'm looking for those that know what they're talking about to guide me somewhat :)
 
I'm also after a recommendation :0)

I've decided that I can no longer live with the rock hard handgrips that I have on my hybrid. Even with padded mits, they are incredibly uncomfortable.

Any recommendations for a softer grip? I've been looking at the Peaty Lizard Skins; does anyone have experience of these?

Cheers

Nick
 
Cyprino said:
This seems to me like an ideal place to ask for some suggestions regarding bike purchases, if you lot would be so kind! I need a bike for getting to/from work and for general pleasure - I'm quite lucky to live within 5 minutes of the seaside and a decent flat promenade that goes for miles! Probably looking at a hybrid or road bike, somewhere up to £400-450. I'm not going to go to Halfords and get a cheapo sale item, I'm looking for those that know what they're talking about to guide me somewhat :)
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Is all your riding going to be on Tarmac roads?
Will you be riding in all weathers?
How do you feel about 2nd hand?
 
TriggerHappy said:
Is all your riding going to be on Tarmac roads?
Will you be riding in all weathers?
How do you feel about 2nd hand?
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Mostly tarmac, although some of the roads and paths around here are a bit dodgy!
If it's really piddling with rain I'll probably jump on the bus as there's a stop nearby, light rain would be doable.
I'd prefer to buy new, I know it's going to be more pricey but if anyone knows anyone near Bexhill and the surrounding areas I'm sure I can take a look!
 
Cyprino said:
This seems to me like an ideal place to ask for some suggestions regarding bike purchases, if you lot would be so kind! I need a bike for getting to/from work and for general pleasure - I'm quite lucky to live within 5 minutes of the seaside and a decent flat promenade that goes for miles! Probably looking at a hybrid or road bike, somewhere up to £400-450. I'm not going to go to Halfords and get a cheapo sale item, I'm looking for those that know what they're talking about to guide me somewhat :)
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Cyprino said:
Mostly tarmac, although some of the roads and paths around here are a bit dodgy!
If it's really piddling with rain I'll probably jump on the bus as there's a stop nearby, light rain would be doable.
I'd prefer to buy new, I know it's going to be more pricey but if anyone knows anyone near Bexhill and the surrounding areas I'm sure I can take a look!
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I looked at the Trek and Giant hybrid bikes when I was considering what to get. Both were very nice and for your budget you'd be able to get a decent spec one - you really need to find a bike shop and have a look / sit on them as you have to like it and be comfortable with it. Sorry can't help with bike shops near you. The Trek in matt black looked very nice :).

The other decision to make, is do you want drop or flat bars - drop bars will be a road bike, flat bars can be road or hybrid, but I'd probably opt for a hybrid in that case.

Hope this is of some help ...
 
Nodder numpty hell.

Watching a plum on a mountain bike wobble between a bus (indicating right) and a lorry through a gap barely big enough where the traffic merges into one lane outside of Collier's Wood Station. At least the guy next to me agreed that it was dangerous and than MTB wobbler was an idiot.

Hybrid idiot outside Balham Station whom signalled to let ancient old lady in tiny car turn left whom then shot up her inside when she hesitated for 1 millisecond, causing her to brake sharply and nearly cause a cyclist pile up behind her.

Knackered dahon headphones girl- bike wheels are not supposed to wobble like that- it may look pretty describing a wave but that bike is going to get you hurt. Not that you will hear with your headphones on.

Purple lycra fat bottom lady shoaling at every junction and set of lights and then wobbling the whole width of the road. Learn to control your bike!

MTB headphone idiot- just pay attention or you will end up dead. Either by a bus, truch or another cyclist strangling you with your headphone cord for your inconsiderate ways.

Not to mention all of the RLJ'ers, shoalers and the cabbie weaving in the bus lane up to Queenstown toad so that cyclists couldn't get past.

As you can tell, I had a good one this morning. I may just start cycling in the winter and other bad weather...
 
I've noticed that some bikes have strange telescopic devices at the front for holding the wheel in. Are these new fangled things available in the shops? :nuts:

06042008102.jpg
 
Cyprino said:
This seems to me like an ideal place to ask for some suggestions regarding bike purchases, if you lot would be so kind! I need a bike for getting to/from work and for general pleasure - I'm quite lucky to live within 5 minutes of the seaside and a decent flat promenade that goes for miles! Probably looking at a hybrid or road bike, somewhere up to £400-450. I'm not going to go to Halfords and get a cheapo sale item, I'm looking for those that know what they're talking about to guide me somewhat :)
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I'm not the best person to advise you, but here goes.

I was in a similar position to you, and couldn't decide what to get. I think a Hybrid or Cross would have been more sensible, but I wanted a road bike and ultimately was happy to live with the compromises.

On that basis I only really looked at road bikes, from around £300 up to a grand.

The most frequent advice, much as you see on this forum re cameras, was to get a bike that was a good fit for your body. Secondly (though this was more in debate) if you are new to this, buying from a good local bike shop can be invaluable in terms of the advice you might get.

As for bikes, lots of people, again as on here, tend to recommend the bikes they have (nothing wrong with that per se, but often done with little experience of other bikes).

Of the reviews I read earlier in the year, if you have Decathlon near you for £300 the Triban 3s seemed to get universally good reviews and seemed the best bang for your buck at that price new.

After that a lot of the big brands (Giant, Trek, Cannondale etc) seemed much of a muchness from £500 up. I see you slightly slate Halfords, who do have a mixed reputation it would appear for bike assembly, but their Boardman range is meant to be good.

I ended up going to my local shop and asking what they had in store from last year's range and ended up buying that.

The one thing most people mentioned was to try and aim for a carbon fork (I think most bikes for £450 will have one but to check, and then differences seem to be groupsets and or wheels that come with the bike.

There do seem to be pretty puncture resistant tyres now days so I'm less concerned than I was previously about punctures (I know I'm going to regret writing this).

Road bikes also have different geometries, making them more or less sporty (so some better suited for racing, some with more relaxed position etc). That is why it is important to try the bikes out if you can. I really don't know what I'm talking about here but you should ask someone who does.

Things to consider:

Do you want to be able to attach mudguards
Do you want to be able to attach panniers
Do you want to be able to swap to large tyres \ wheels in winter?

I ended up with a road bike but I never use the drops, maybe one day I will, but I doubt it.

Good luck.
 
akr said:
I'm not the best person to advise you, but here goes.

I was in a similar position to you, and couldn't decide what to get. I think a Hybrid or Cross would have been more sensible, but I wanted a road bike and ultimately was happy to live with the compromises.

On that basis I only really looked at road bikes, from around £300 up to a grand.

The most frequent advice, much as you see on this forum re cameras, was to get a bike that was a good fit for your body. Secondly (though this was more in debate) if you are new to this, buying from a good local bike shop can be invaluable in terms of the advice you might get.

As for bikes, lots of people, again as on here, tend to recommend the bikes they have (nothing wrong with that per se, but often done with little experience of other bikes).

Of the reviews I read earlier in the year, if you have Decathlon near you for £300 the Triban 3s seemed to get universally good reviews and seemed the best bang for your buck at that price new.

After that a lot of the big brands (Giant, Trek, Cannondale etc) seemed much of a muchness from £500 up. I see you slightly slate Halfords, who do have a mixed reputation it would appear for bike assembly, but their Boardman range is meant to be good.

I ended up going to my local shop and asking what they had in store from last year's range and ended up buying that.

The one thing most people mentioned was to try and aim for a carbon fork (I think most bikes for £450 will have one but to check, and then differences seem to be groupsets and or wheels that come with the bike.

There do seem to be pretty puncture resistant tyres now days so I'm less concerned than I was previously about punctures (I know I'm going to regret writing this).

Road bikes also have different geometries, making them more or less sporty (so some better suited for racing, some with more relaxed position etc). That is why it is important to try the bikes out if you can. I really don't know what I'm talking about here but you should ask someone who does.

Things to consider:

Do you want to be able to attach mudguards
Do you want to be able to attach panniers
Do you want to be able to swap to large tyres \ wheels in winter?

I ended up with a road bike but I never use the drops, maybe one day I will, but I doubt it.

Good luck.
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This is a pretty comprehensive post, really. It covers all the main points of advice.

The best prices will be on 2011/2012 versions of bikes. For some reason manufacturers insist on releasing new bikes every year, usually with little change besides a new paint job, so look for previous year's bikes since new is your preference.

Aside from that it's all about the fit of the bike. The nicer it is to ride, the more you'll ride it and that's what it's all about.

Other points to consider are what's the maximum tyre size the frame and forks have clearance for? Hybrid and cross country bikes can be fitted with much wider tyres for snow/ice/mud, but if you don't plan to ride in those conditions there's little point.

Some road bikes won't have mounts for a mudguard, which you will probably want for commuting, but there are other means of attaching mudguards to most bikes.

If panniers are part of the plan you're probably best looking at touring and hybrid bikes, though they're more of a niche need that probably doesn't apply to you.

At the low end of the market you want to make sure you get a good quality frame. Wheels, group set, bar, stem, seat post etc. are all easy upgrades to do incrementally if you wish, but the frame provides the base for everything. You should be able to get a nice aluminium frame at that price without much bother.

The only other thing I can think of mentioning is with regard to the different manufacturers of groupsets. On road bikes at least the ergonomics of the shifters differ considerably between Shimano, Campagnolo and SRAM. Try and sit on a bike for all three and see which feels comfiest in your hand and which has the most natural feeling gear shift as this is such an important point of contact with the bike. My preference is for Campagnolo, but it's just like the Canon-Nikon-Olympus etc. debate really.

One final point is to consider the extras you may need. Lots of bikes don't come with pedals. If you want to go the clipless pedal route you'll need to factor in the cost of these plus a pair of cycling shoes. A comfortable helmet is essential. A track pump is also pretty essential for getting enough pressure in road tyres. You'll at least want a pair of padded bib shorts or undershorts to be worn like boxers if the lycra look isn't for you. Other accessories to consider are spare tubes, bike tool, mini-pump, tyre levers and a puncture repair kit.

Something like this would fit the bill: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/felt-z100-2013/
 
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menthel said:
Nodder numpty hell.

Watching a plum on a mountain bike wobble between a bus (indicating right) and a lorry through a gap barely big enough where the traffic merges into one lane outside of Collier's Wood Station. At least the guy next to me agreed that it was dangerous and than MTB wobbler was an idiot.

Hybrid idiot outside Balham Station whom signalled to let ancient old lady in tiny car turn left whom then shot up her inside when she hesitated for 1 millisecond, causing her to brake sharply and nearly cause a cyclist pile up behind her.

Knackered dahon headphones girl- bike wheels are not supposed to wobble like that- it may look pretty describing a wave but that bike is going to get you hurt. Not that you will hear with your headphones on.

Purple lycra fat bottom lady shoaling at every junction and set of lights and then wobbling the whole width of the road. Learn to control your bike!

MTB headphone idiot- just pay attention or you will end up dead. Either by a bus, truch or another cyclist strangling you with your headphone cord for your inconsiderate ways.

Not to mention all of the RLJ'ers, shoalers and the cabbie weaving in the bus lane up to Queenstown toad so that cyclists couldn't get past.

As you can tell, I had a good one this morning. I may just start cycling in the winter and other bad weather...
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lovely ride you say ;D



my new DMT Dragons arrived but too small ;(
will be sending them back.
shame as they are great and cheap!! 59.99£..
 
bastic said:
lovely ride you say ;D



my new DMT Dragons arrived but too small ;(
will be sending them back.
shame as they are great and cheap!! 59.99£..
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It wasn't my best! ;)

Good luck with finding that perfect pair of shoes.
 
Thanks...
Will be hard to find any...
Unless I splash out and spend 20£ more on same...
 
Thanks for the help so far people, went into one of the local independent shops today and had a look at their stuff and spoke to one of the guys, found the Trek 8.4 DS as a nice looking option - (http://www.trekbikes.com/uk/en/bikes/town/dual_sport/ds_series/8_4_ds/#). It's a bit beyond the initial budget though... Might be able to persuade myself! Definitely think a hybrid is a better way to go instead of a road bike. The 8.4 DS a hybrid running 700c wheels and sort of knobbly tyres so it'll do for some light trails etc if needed. It can also take the larger 29er wheels if I want to go on more 'rigorous' trails :) Thoughts?
 
As you may remember a while ago I said I'd signed up to Fizik's saddle test at my local bike shop. Having tried 3 so far, and still getting numbness where no man wants to lose feeling, I went back in today to try the final saddle that might be suitable. By some fluke a representative of Selle Italia happened to be in the store trying to sell their latest saddle fitting system. I volunteered myself to be a live model for his demonstration and in return I know where I fit in with their saddle fitting system so if this Fizik saddle fails to fit the bill then I may know what my next saddle could be. Hopefully I can find somewhere willing to take a return on it if the problem persists.
 
Is it realistic to get a decent road bike for less than £200?

Currently have a 7yo mountain bike, although it has road tyres on. It's a bit heavy, and the gearing system is not that smooth, and seems you take a lot of effort!!

My biking is not that much. Round the village with kids, or once every week or two to a neighbouring village which is 5-6 miles in total. If I got a better bike I may use it more.
 
cambsno said:
Is it realistic to get a decent road bike for less than £200?

Currently have a 7yo mountain bike, although it has road tyres on. It's a bit heavy, and the gearing system is not that smooth, and seems you take a lot of effort!!

My biking is not that much. Round the village with kids, or once every week or two to a neighbouring village which is 5-6 miles in total. If I got a better bike I may use it more.
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Probably possible, but not easy. You'll certainly be looking at 2nd hand at that price. Of course, everyone's definition of decent is different and it largely depends what you have previous experience of as to how nice (or not) it feels.
 
So, I am planning ahead for the Dunwich Dynamo in July and I am going to need a front light to see by. Would prefer something that takes batteries that I can carry a spare for and that does not involve a bloody great battery pack- I already have enough stuff taped to my bike! Would one of the cree torch things be good? I have seen all sorts of things on ebay etc but the selection is quite crazy!
 
menthel said:
So, I am planning ahead for the Dunwich Dynamo in July and I am going to need a front light to see by. Would prefer something that takes batteries that I can carry a spare for and that does not involve a bloody great battery pack- I already have enough stuff taped to my bike! Would one of the cree torch things be good? I have seen all sorts of things on ebay etc but the selection is quite crazy!
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Whereabouts in London are you?
 
Just this weekend gone through the usual palarver on my Trek 7.3 winter commuter:
Chain worn -> change it
Cassette now jumping -> go out and buy a new one
Chainring now jumping -> rrrrRRRGHHHHHHlifguiopwerghiowegjhio

Anyroad, its a shimano SG-X which seems to be impossible to get spares for (only the middle ring is worn I don't use the others) but I've taken a punt on an Alvio one which seems to be the same (38t, 104mm BCD) so just waiting for it to arrive.
 
SickAsAParrot said:
Just this weekend gone through the usual palarver on my Trek 7.3 winter commuter:
Chain worn -> change it
Cassette now jumping -> go out and buy a new one
Chainring now jumping -> rrrrRRRGHHHHHHlifguiopwerghiowegjhio

Anyroad, its a shimano SG-X which seems to be impossible to get spares for (only the middle ring is worn I don't use the others) but I've taken a punt on an Alvio one which seems to be the same (38t, 104mm BCD) so just waiting for it to arrive.
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In future it's probably worth distributing the wear across all 3 (I assume it's a triple as you said middle) chainrings. Most gears overlap at certain points so there's no reason to exclusively ride on a single ring and you'll avoid the problem in finding a replacement for much longer :)
 
menthel said:
The opposite side to you Lukas- near Wimbledon.
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Uuuuu posh part of London then;)

Am thinking about cycling more one weekend so need to look for options;)
 
cambsno said:
Had seen this one, but any views on this http://www.halfords.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/product_storeId_10001_catalogId_10151_productId_912087_langId_-1_categoryId_165710#tab2

Looks ok to my untrained eye.
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I don't know enough to really comment, gears look in a slightly odd location, not the lightest but lighter than my mountain bike by a fair bit. Do you definitely want a road bike and not a hybrid, if it is mainly for going out with the kids etc? Would you use the drops?
 
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