Pedal Power Thread

I've just got my bike out again for the first time in 15 odd years! I hate cycling. The GAS is nearly as bad, if not worse, than photography gear! I NEED a new bike and all the gadgets [emoji1][emoji1]
 
I've watched this a few times now and I still can't believe the size of that guy!!! :eek:
 
Thieving bar stewards stole my bike from the shed last night. Thankfully not my new one which hasn't arrived yet.
No amount of words describe how I feel right now, sorry for the post just had to vent my frustration
 
Gits !!!

Currently my road bike lives in the dining room, need to work out a way of bringing the tracer in without being killed in my sleep [emoji38]
 
they do get the whole "colour co-ordination" thing right do those German companies... little bit "over-branded" for my liking tbh, but at least the collars and cuffs match (strangely not something I could say of most of my experiences with their Fräuleins....)
 
Cube make nice looking bikes I think.

As for white bar tape, its just not worth the arse ache! ;)
 
it's not too bad on the Dolan - the "fizik" microtex stuff (same stuff as the saddles are covered with) actually scrubs up pretty easily - failing that a wipe over with a baby-wipe at the end of the ride keeps it clean and reasonably hygienic...
 
stupar said:
Thieving bar stewards stole my bike from the shed last night. Thankfully not my new one which hasn't arrived yet.
No amount of words describe how I feel right now, sorry for the post just had to vent my frustration
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Have you got make/model and any pictures Stuart?

Bikes seem to be frequent sellers on a few of the local sale groups so ill keep an eye out
 
Keith the bike was a Boardman comp 650B
Defining mark was the Schwalbe Big Ben tyres which are a rarity in that wheel size.
Pic below
 
stupar said:
New bike a coming for me this week (hopefully tomorrow if my letter of collection comes through). Decided to stick with Boardman so picked this years comp MTB

Boardman_650b_Comp_xl.jpg
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Was it this one that was nicked mate ??

ETA: too bloody late as usual Mark...
 
Yes that was the one.

As for the cube bike it was the colours that attracted me
 
Sadly that is too pricey expensive for the sake of just one bike.
I've started to modify the hut by replacing screws for coach bolts.
Next will be a ground or wall anchor as well as an IP camera on inside the living room window over looking the shed
 
stupar said:
Sadly that is too pricey expensive for the sake of just one bike.
I've started to modify the hut by replacing screws for coach bolts.
Next will be a ground or wall anchor as well as an IP camera on inside the living room window over looking the shed
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Man maths lesson

[problem] bike store too expensive for one bike..........buy more bikes [/problem]

:D
 
So after shelling out £450 notes.....what are you going to lock it with? If they know there is something worthwhile bolt croppers or a cordless angle grinder will easily get them in.

No, The Big Yin has the solution ;)
 
Buck said:
I've started doing a bit more cycling and as well as feeling better for it I actually enjoyed it!

I have "normal" pedals on my MTB (Specialized Rockhopper) and was thinking of getting some SPD pedals and shoes. Will these be a decent "entry level" pedal - http://www.evanscycles.com/products/shimano/m424-spd-mtb-pedals-oe--ec050914 and then get some shoes for them too?

Thanks
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Absolutely, and once you get used to the clipless pedals (remember that you have to get your feet out at traffic lights...it soon becomes obvious after a few dives), you will never go back to ordinary pedals. Just gives so much more power to the pedalling. If you can adjust the cleat pressure you want it as light as possible to start off with, but it will become easier as the cleats wear slightly. Having the frame will help for days without the cleated shoes.
 
shreds said:
So after shelling out £450 notes.....what are you going to lock it with? If they know there is something worthwhile bolt croppers or a cordless angle grinder will easily get them in.

No, The Big Yin has the solution ;)
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I know a guy who's got one of those secure shed things, and inside he's got it booby-trapped with an "alarm mine" (just stick that into ebay's search, you'll get the picture) and a (he assures me) blank 12gauge shell... might not save the bikes but it'll give someone a holy-hell-of-a-scare...
 
2nd on this weeks leaderboard, 1st ride in over a year, after 2 knee ops, legs went at 20 miles.

Phil
 
TheBigYin said:
I know a guy who's got one of those secure shed things, and inside he's got it booby-trapped with an "alarm mine" (just stick that into ebay's search, you'll get the picture) and a (he assures me) blank 12gauge shell... might not save the bikes but it'll give someone a holy-hell-of-a-scare...
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That would be illegal

Also blanks can cause serious harm even death
 
Phil Bennett said:
2nd on this weeks leaderboard, 1st ride in over a year, after 2 knee ops, legs went at 20 miles.

Phil
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I never think to look in the "club" page... god only knows how I'm on the top of this week - you lot must have been lazy sods :lol: - still, you'll catch up over the weekend, I don't think my distance is going to be anything to write home about.
 
Buck said:
I have "normal" pedals on my MTB (Specialized Rockhopper) and was thinking of getting some SPD pedals and shoes. Will these be a decent "entry level" pedal - http://www.evanscycles.com/products/shimano/m424-spd-mtb-pedals-oe--ec050914 and then get some shoes for them too?
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shreds said:
(remember that you have to get your feet out at traffic lights...it soon becomes obvious after a few dives),
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Just watch out for the danger time, which is the point were you've been using clipless pedals for long enough to be confident with them but not quite long enough for unclipping to be second nature in an unexpected emergency. Nearly did the comical keeling over side ways while stationary trick a few times myself at that point.
 
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Decided to go out tonight for a ride :)

As a beginner, did my best ride yet (y) at 15 miles and only stopped for a minute when my chain slipped and jammed ! (Will look at the mechanism one evening this week)

I even joined the TP cycling group so you now have someone else to prop up the bottom of the table! :D


I noticed that my speed seemed to lag behind some of the others. Admittedly a lot of this will be my relative fitness but also I'm out on my MTB on MTB tyres. I have no plan to buy a road bike yet but wondered if the two bikes make a big difference in performance?


My next step as mentioned in an earlier post will be to get some SPDs and some shoes as I guess my trainers will absorb a bit of the energy?!
 
There will be quite a big difference between an MTB and a road bike. Not ridden an MTB for some time but even just swapping between winter training and summer wheels on my road bike will give me 0.5 to 1mph gain on an average ride. My summer wheels aren't anything special, just a bit lighter.
 
MFlip said:
There will be quite a big difference between an MTB and a road bike. Not ridden an MTB for some time but even just swapping between winter training and summer wheels on my road bike will give me 0.5 to 1mph gain on an average ride. My summer wheels aren't anything special, just a bit lighter.
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Cheers Mark

I'm sure my MTB is relatively heavy and higher rolling road resistance as well as a less profiled riding position. I'm telling myself that this equals harder work which equals a better work out?
 
Well it'll be a harder workout for a given speed. There's a saying in cycling along the lines of 'it doesn't get easier, you just get faster' It's generally used when talking about your fitness improving but the same will apply if you ever move from MTB to Road. At the end of the day it's about how much you want to exert yourself. The main advantage of a road bike to me is I can go further faster for the same amount of effort. As a result I get to see more and that makes it more (even more :) ) enjoyable.
 
Buck said:
but wondered if the two bikes make a big difference in performance?
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Big difference

My average (when I'm properly fit as opposed to recovering from a 4 month injury/illness/layoff like at the moment) on the roadbike is around 15.5mph, average on the MTB is under 10mph

Of course, that's partly due to riding the MTB around dirt-tracks, bridleways and muddy towpaths, where the roadbikes on tarmac, with fewer stops, starts, and manouvering to do, but a hell of a lot of is down to the rolling resistance of 26" wheels, with 2.5" wide knobblies at around 35psi and a bike that weighs over 35lb, compared to 700c wheels with 25c road-tubeless tyres running 115psi rear, 105psi front, on a bike that's just over 16lb...

FWIW, I find it easier to go out for 5+ hours and ride 80 miles on the roadbike, than to go for 3 hours and 30 miles on the MTB.

just typing this reminds me how much I actually hate riding the MTB compared to the roadbike - just wish I could actually bend far enough to ride the roadbike at the moment.
 
As a half way house, get some 26" road wheels shod with say 26 x 1.25 road tyres. You will not believe the difference.

Wheels and rolling resistance make more difference than most things on a bike.

Like cameras and lenses, bikes and wheels/tyres might be a similar analogy.
 
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shreds said:
As a half way house, get some 26" road wheels shod with say 26 x 1.25 road tyres. You will not believe the difference.

Wheels and rolling resistance make more difference than most things on a bike.

Like cameras and lenses, bikes and wheels/tyres might be a similar analogy.
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I don't generally bother trying to save weight on my road bike, I'm no pro so figure I can loose a few kilos before I start worrying about spending £s shaving grams of my bike. Wheels are a different matter though. Loose a few hundred grams from you wheel set/tyres and it will feel like a completely different bike. Loose the same from you frame/groupset and doubt you'd notice, how big my last meal was will probably have more effect.
 
MFlip said:
Is the CaadX any easier than the road bike as a half way house? I find mine feels much more upright, although not sure if this is just perception as it's higher off the ground.
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To be honest, the CaadX is set up as pretty much exactly the same riding position (with relation to the saddle/pedals/bars triangle) as the Dolan. It's just a little bit higher overall because the BB is higher on the CaadX.

The "better with a more upright stature" on the bike is quite simply explained, in that the treatments for Pericarditis and Costochondritis that I've been having have caused a secondary problem with Gastro-oesophageal reflux disorder - basically, if I lean forward, I get the mother and father of all heartburns - to the extent that it's caused a degree of scarring in the gullet. I'm now off all the NSAID's and on treatment for the after-effects - it's getting better - day-to-day i'm fine, but if I get into a decent "tuck" on the roadbike, or if I try and ride a little faster on the uphills (where you kind of engage your core muscles) the effect is to create pressure on the gut, and the acid starts to boil up and cause problems again...

I'm getting better week on week with it, and I'm pretty sure another month or so will see me back on the roadbike with no lasting ill-effects, so it's not really worth spending money on altering any of the bikes at this point.
 
Glad to here it's getting better. Not sure what I'd do if I couldn't get out on my road bike for more than a week. I normally get sent out by the other half if I haven't managed to fit a ride in for a few days because I get too grouchy :whistle:l.

Must actually measure my Cross and Road bikes. They were fitted by the same shop but have a feeling they might have tweaked the measurements when I had the road bike set up.
 
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