The Cycling Thread

[Dipper]

Originally Posted by kaivalagi

Thanks for the advice, I'll take a look about for best prices / deals etc on the Gators, so far > £25...

You can get wire bead for around £20 but it really is worth the extra for folders if you can stretch to it. Top tip for riding in the wet or Winter, drop the tyre pressures by 5-10 PSI to give a bit more rubber on the road.

Originally Posted by Dipper

You can get wire bead for around £20 but it really is worth the extra for folders if you can stretch to it. Top tip for riding in the wet or Winter, drop the tyre pressures by 5-10 PSI to give a bit more rubber on the road.

But not too much or you'll increase the chance of punctures!!

Definitely go for the folding option. They are hard enough to put on as it is!

[pookie]

you guys should try tubeless wire bead mtb tyres for fun

Luckily havent had any problems with the tubed road wheels tyres.

I'm stuck with a crisis of conscience again. I've got my mountain bike that I've put some slick tyres on and it is much better for my pretty flat circuit that I do. I just find I'm running out of gears (I know I've been round the houses on this before and the resounding answer seems to be "pedal faster" but the guys that are doing the laps faster than me are pedalling slower!) I keep wondering what I could do with a road bike. I can't find anywhere that rents them, all cycle hire places I can find seem to hire generic mountain bikes.

Ideally I want to try out one of them by doing a lap of my circuit on one but do cycle shops offer demo bikes? none of the websites really suggest so.

I'd be game for investing say £300 in a road bike to try (it will get used 1-2 times a week for likely the same circuit, I don't currently plan to take to open roads as I hate traffic)
is this a reasonable aim to try out a road bike (or is it a case of the optimal value for money point is closer to £800 or something before you start getting into the law of diminishing returns) and I'm assuming the smart money would be on second hand to minimise losses if/when I come to sell it on (either through lack of use or upgrading (heaven forbid)) I realise I'm at peak time now so I'd lose some anyway.

I'm torn, sense says I should just STFU and ride what I've got to my ability but there is part of me that says I could do better (and feel better) if I had something better.

As usual any thoughts and advice appreciated.

[Kenzie]

Hi Brettus, I picked up one of these recently, great bike plus it's light and has disk brakes.

http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bike...-2012-large-21

[Ch00]

Try Evans cycles they offer demos on all bikes.

[MisterTommyH]

Just took the bike out for a short spin to use the hose at my folks and thought I'd be lazy and not wear helmet, padded shorts or spds.

It's a mile off-road, so the helmet was probably stupid, but lack of it did decrease my confidence.

Padded shorts.... didn't really have much effect over that distance.

SPDs - oh my god.... so easy to slip off the pedals without them (i have reversible pedals). I'm thinking now that I'll probably never use the non-spd side, so might aswell swap them over for dual spd to save the hassle of having to get them set the right way every time i clip in.

And Evans do offer a free demo on all bikes, but you have to put down a £50 fully refundable deposit. Wasn't an issue for me, but some people don't like this.

[punyXpress]

le Tour still alive and well yesterday at Middlesmoor ( near Cray ) in Yorkshire Dales: . . .



. . . all downhill from now.

[kaivalagi]

Originally Posted by Brettus

I'm stuck with a crisis of conscience again. I've got my mountain bike that I've put some slick tyres on and it is much better for my pretty flat circuit that I do. I just find I'm running out of gears (I know I've been round the houses on this before and the resounding answer seems to be "pedal faster" but the guys that are doing the laps faster than me are pedalling slower!) I keep wondering what I could do with a road bike. I can't find anywhere that rents them, all cycle hire places I can find seem to hire generic mountain bikes.

Why not get a new rear cassette a few less teeth on the sprockets and/or larger rings for the chainset? Chances are you'd still have the lower gears you may want anyway and have the higher gears you need....How many miles has your bike done? Would it be up for a fresh new drive train at some point soon anyway?

Or...if you want to try out a roady do you not have someone you can steal one off for a whizz around the block before commiting to anything?

I went for a hybrid and found the lower gears were too low so went for a lower teeth count on the back, and although I'll struggle to use the 2 highest gears in near enough any situation (waiting to see once I have replaced the trail tyres though) I find it much better for me and my commute having closer ratio higher gears to work through etc

[maviczap]

Originally Posted by kaivalagi

Why not get a new rear cassette a few less teeth on the sprockets and/or larger rings for the chainset? Chances are you'd still have the lower gears you may want anyway and have the higher gears you need....How many miles has your bike done? Would it be up for a fresh new drive train at some point soon anyway?

Or...if you want to try out a roady do you not have someone you can steal one off for a whizz around the block before commiting to anything?

I went for a hybrid and found the lower gears were too low so went for a lower teeth count on the back, and although I'll struggle to use the 2 highest gears in near enough any situation (waiting to see once I have replaced the trail tyres though) I find it much better for me and my commute having closer ratio higher gears to work through etc

Yes, this is the simpler solution.

I can't remember what bike you have Brett, so post a pic of your chain & rear sprockets, so I can advise.

Most MTB chainsets are going to probably have a big chain wheel of about 42 teeth.

Rear cassette between 32 or 36 teeth, way to big for slick tyred MTB.

To up the gearing you'll need to change the front chainset, and as Kai found out, MTB & Hybrid chainsets mostley use 110mm BCD chainsets

(explanation here) http://www.blackspire.com/site_asset...CD%20Guide.pdf

If your chainset has bolted chainrings, you could just buy bigger chain rings, but probably just as cheap to buy a new chainset.

So find out the BCD of your chainset and buy the same size, but with bigger chainrings. You'll probably find a cyclocross or compact double chainset will be thev same, but uses 46,48 or 50 tooth outer chainrings. I doubt you'll find a triple chainset with a big outer chainring in 110 BCD, but you aren't using the tiny Granny ring, so a double chainset will be fine.

Then depending on what speed set up you've got on the rear, then buy a closer ratio cassette block to replace the one you've got now.

You'll need to replace the chain as well.

If this seems complicated, go to your local LBS.

But don't forget the cycling season is drawing to a close & places like Halfrauds will be looking to shift stock in a month or so's time, so bargains are to be had.