Author Topic: More questions for the Cyclists (Read 6048 times)

Fat Rat · « **Reply #40 on:** September 10, 2012, 08:59:27 »

Quote from: "jonH"

6 stone is a stunning amount to lose - took me over a year to lose 3 and I'm cycling like a loon,

The trick is to get really fat before you start

Thanks for the tips fellas

Sven · « **Reply #41 on:** September 16, 2012, 22:41:34 »

Just wanted to say thanks to all those who offered advice on this thread. I was thinking about a new bike when this thread was started. I went & had a look at the specialised Sirrus after reading the recomendations on here but I wanted to do a bit of lanes/tracks as well, so prefered the specialised Crosstrail.
Bought one last Friday & have to say its brilliant. Remindes me of the V-strom, in that it's just good at everything! I'm sure there's better bikes that specialise in a particular area, but this one just seems to do it all rather well.
Was up at 6 o'clock this morning & out on a trail by 7. Had a couple of cracking hours - done 20 miles & averaged 13 mph, not bad for first time out & all off-road. Back by 9 o'clock to wake the Mrs up with a coffee. Think I could get to like this lots...

Locky · « **Reply #42 on:** September 16, 2012, 23:04:10 »

Quote from: "Sven"

Just wanted to say thanks to all those who offered advice on this thread. I was thinking about a new bike when this thread was started. I went & had a look at the specialised Sirrus after reading the recomendations on here but I wanted to do a bit of lanes/tracks as well, so prefered the specialised Crosstrail.
Bought one last Friday & have to say its brilliant. Remindes me of the V-Strom, in that it's just good at everything! I'm sure there's better bikes that specialise in a particular area, but this one just seems to do it all rather well.
Was up at 6 o'clock this morning & out on a trail by 7. Had a couple of cracking hours - done 20 miles & averaged 13 mph, not bad for first time out & all off-road. Back by 9 o'clock to wake the Mrs up with a coffee. Think I could get to like this lots...

Just googled that bike Sven , looks a nice bike for the money . Well done on the 20 mile ride . Been on call this week and not used mine at all . Back on it tomorrow after work , can't wait ..

beep · « **Reply #43 on:** September 17, 2012, 09:41:18 »

Good bike Sven! As mentioned I've got one of the earlier ones. My biggest criticism is the wheels, which only had weedy 1.8mm spokes when I bought mine, but it looks like they've rectified this with newer models, using proper 2mm spokes - doesn't sound much but it makes quite a difference. I broke three spokes earlier this summer and ended up swapping the wheels with a much older bike I was about to recycle.

Apart from that it's a great bike, once you've swapped the silly pedals for something better.

13mph is a very decent average offroad!

Sven · « **Reply #44 on:** September 17, 2012, 12:57:28 »

Thank Beep.
Yeah, the new ones come with 2mm spokes so should be OK. I went for the sport disc version, as they come with lockout forks as well as the hydraulic disc brakes. Both seem really good.
I did think the pedals looked a bit odd, but I'll see how they go. Don't seem too bad so far.
As for my average speed, well I do live in Norfolk & there ain't many (any!) hills in Norfolk.

jonH · « **Reply #45 on:** September 17, 2012, 13:09:45 »

The wheels you typically get with any bike are rubbish unless you're spending thousands.

13mph ave for 20 miles is pretty good going. I managed 15.2mph on a 68-mile sportive on saturday and that was on the road!

gromit · « **Reply #46 on:** September 17, 2012, 19:21:05 »

In Holland they have loads of bikes as it is basically flat. They get pinched a lot too, especially by drunk pot heads in Amsterdam, the point is they just go down the police sale rooms and buy another one for £10.00 and ride it till it stops and then do the same again , called recycling !!

Well the point is I think the police have siezed goods sales regularly here too so you may get a good bike for a bargain price.

Hint ......they are basically like a motorbike without an engine so you should be up on what to look for ... don't kick the tyres though as they usually fall over.

Gromit

gbrchill · « **Reply #47 on:** September 18, 2012, 11:09:31 »

Just bought son a new (old) bike for getting to and from college, he'd grown out of the previous bike. £30 on gumtree for a clunker that is unlikely to get stolen. If it does we will go back to gumtree for another bargain.

imacwalker · « **Reply #48 on:** September 19, 2012, 20:26:07 »

I've been commuting on a cycle bike- doing about 120miles a fortnight on the thing- its a ridgeback velocity 12, its in matte black similar to the v-strom, I'm also 6ft5, rugby player massive build and to be honest it feels spot on- and can be found for around 300quid-

top tip is to replace the handlebar stem with a fixed set up

beep · « **Reply #49 on:** September 20, 2012, 09:24:08 »

Quote from: "imacwalker"

I've been commuting on a cycle bike- doing about 120miles a fortnight on the thing- its a ridgeback velocity 12, its in matte black similar to the V-Strom, I'm also 6ft5, rugby player massive build and to be honest it feels spot on- and can be found for around 300quid-

top tip is to replace the handlebar stem with a fixed set up

I used to have one of these before I got the Crosstrail. In many ways it's a better bike, in fact it still lives on since half of it's components are now on the Crosstrail (wheels, seatpost, seat, mudguards, rack, bar ends...). But like you say the old style quill/stem is really poor, you can see it flexing! Also found the Ridgback a bit to harsh for the canal path near me, which is rough to say the least. In end it proved to rough even for the Crosstrail, I've had to go to a mountainbike now!

Locky · « **Reply #50 on:** September 25, 2012, 21:53:48 »

Aldi bike gear this thursday http://www.aldi.co.uk/uk/html/offers/of ... sday12.htm

Juvecu · « **Reply #51 on:** September 25, 2012, 23:23:58 »

Thanks, I might pop in for a look. The merino shirt might be a bargain for using on the Strom even

The compression underwear is probably the same they sell for motorcycle and ski gear, works well enough.

Fatbelly · « **Reply #52 on:** September 26, 2012, 09:35:57 »

Juvecu · « **Reply #53 on:** September 26, 2012, 09:44:29 »

What's that about, Fatbelly?

Sharpy · « **Reply #54 on:** September 26, 2012, 09:52:10 »

Quote from: "Juvecu"

What's that about, Fatbelly?

Anything to do with cylcists is my bet..... The man has issues.

Juvecu · « **Reply #55 on:** September 26, 2012, 10:01:30 »

You must be talking about a different Fatbelly?

Ours is kind and loving, always willing to help and respects everyone's opinion no matter which modes of transport they prefer. He's never been grumpy in all the time I've been on this forum!

Fatbelly · « **Reply #56 on:** September 26, 2012, 10:11:26 »

Abercol · « **Reply #57 on:** September 26, 2012, 10:27:13 »

Lookout lads! He's smiling.....always a bad sign.....

yospeh · « **Reply #58 on:** September 27, 2012, 22:06:15 »

its kina not like a moto selection !

you want a basic bike that you won't worry about laving overnight on the street.
so forget about brand names and models and whatnot

second hand is the way forward, cheap as chips and face it, its such basic tech you don't need to worry about 'hidden' problems. Its all so easily sorted out.

riding round london is more like a mountain bike course than the tour de France so get a mtn bike and put slick ish tyres on, 10 pound in decathlon rotherhithe. They hve wider stronger rims than a racer and the tyres have bigger air pockets, so stronger and better for the potholes and kerbs, if you pump em up hard the rolling resistance is not much more than a racer anyway.

don't get disc braks. cable discs are shit compared to v brakes, and the dics warp which is a pain, the ydraulic ones are great but, try and bleed those feckers with their 'borrower'/gnome master cylinder...

come to druid st se1, I'll sort you out mate

Locky · « **Reply #59 on:** October 07, 2012, 11:38:32 »

Is Fat Rat using pedal power yet ?