Ah yes, my return. Determined to put some good winter miles in now. I will live Rule 9.
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[Other Sport] Cycling geeks
- Thread starter Pantani
- Start date
Ah yes, my return. Determined to put some good winter miles in now. I will live Rule 9.
Bold Seagull
strong and stable with me, or...
I think adjusting derailleurs is a dark art, maybe not up there with truing a wheel, but it's up there. I've still got a situation where I can only use gears 1-9, or the slightest adjustment it's only 2-10. Why I can't get 1-10 I don't know.
As for your problem, the first thing to have a look at is probably the cable tension (and give the cable some oil by getting some down the housings). There should be an adjuster on the rear of the mech. Just try a 1/4 turn each time and shift through the gears to see if it makes a difference. If it gets worse, go the other way.
There are plenty of very good YouTube video's for doing this.
sten_super
Brain Surgeon
I can't believe that you've got away with this for 40 minutes. Curtailed by a puncture?! Surely you had your puncture repair kit/spare inner tube and micro pump at hand, got it all fixed in 5 minutes and were then back on your merry way?
Disclaimer: While I am able to change an inner tube, it takes me in excess of 10 minutes.
In all seriousness, I'm full of admiration - I'm a horribly fairweather cyclist and have done less than 150 miles since my little 'un was born 7 weeks ago. On the upside, we are staying with the in-laws for 10 days over Christmas and I've just invested in a bike rack for the car so that I can use the bike as a chance for some escapism over the festive period!
I actually did, which probably makes it worse! But I was temptingly close to Lewes station and feeling a bit coldy. Don't tell stat brother!
Thanks Bold. It's the clicky clacky noise that's worrying me the most but presumably that's because it's slightly out of alignment. If only I had a bike stand!
Afternoon Geeks.
I've just signed up to cycle to prague next summer in the name of charity. For starters I need to look into acquiring a bike and I figured this'd be a good place to ask about a decent 'entry level' road bike that's going to be comfortable enough and up to the task without costing an arm and a leg as realistically it may not get all that much use after the trip.
I've just signed up to cycle to prague next summer in the name of charity. For starters I need to look into acquiring a bike and I figured this'd be a good place to ask about a decent 'entry level' road bike that's going to be comfortable enough and up to the task without costing an arm and a leg as realistically it may not get all that much use after the trip.
Bad Ash
Unregistered User
The bike stand does help with derailleur tweaking, or alternatively a turbo trainer comes in quite handy. However, even then you can think you have it shifting perfectly, but find when on the road and the chain is under strain it shifts nothing like it does on the stand with no strain.
I've recently had the pleasure of fitting Q (oval) chain rings. Getting the shifting to work on those was interesting, it involved adding some shims to move the front derailleur towards the rear mech slightly to give it the required clearance.
Bold Seagull
strong and stable with me, or...
Budget?
For £300 this isn't the lightest, but has always had good reviews - http://www.decathlon.co.uk/triban-300-road-bike-white-id_8239800.html
For under £500 the Boardman's at Halfords are well worth a look, my brother in law recently got one and is really happy with it - http://www.halfords.com/cycling/bikes/road-bikes/boardman-road-sport-2014
For under £1000 you can get a lovely full carbon from Planet X http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/FBPXSLPRIV10/planet-x-pro-carbon-sram-rival-road-bike
First port of call is to get to some bike shops and try a few. You might think as a novice you won't notice the difference but you will and it will make you realise that it can be a personal choice. Or you go for a punt off the internet after trying a few.
Bloody hell that's a bit of a shlep for someone who's not into cycling! I should think you'd want to spend around the £500 mark. I got my planet X through cycle to work for circa £500 even though it's worth a grand.
I'd be surprised if after buying a bike, training for and completely the event, you then decided cycling wasn't for you.
London to Paris maybe, but not Prague.
Do you have any idea of the route, as between us and Prague is the Alps. (unless you go north and down).
As Bold says get on some bikes, try them out, see how they feel.
Nail down your budget, but bear in mind you'll be needing 'proper' kit too.
I guess those lycra jibes are coming back to haunt you
We'll all point you in the right direction, no question ever gets left unanswered.
My commitment to the road this autumn/winter has been based on a Sportive this weekend, in Basingstoke.
That motivation has served me well, so my next logical step, to keep me going, is to sign up for the Puncheur in March.
Bad Ash
Unregistered User
Stat is right, don't forget to budget for those other items:
Clothing - bib shorts, jersey, gloves, overshoes, socks, shoe, helmet, snood, skull cap, arm warmers, leg warmers, rain jacket, windstopper
Others - Cleats, pedals, lights, track pump, bike pump, repair kit, torque wrench, bike stand, spare chain links, chain link remover, spare inner tubes, bottle holders (carbon), bottles, Garmin, speed sensor, cadence meter, heart rate monitor, power meter, mud guards, turbo trainer, rollers
The cost of the additional items can dwarf the costs of the bike!
Clothing - bib shorts, jersey, gloves, overshoes, socks, shoe, helmet, snood, skull cap, arm warmers, leg warmers, rain jacket, windstopper
Others - Cleats, pedals, lights, track pump, bike pump, repair kit, torque wrench, bike stand, spare chain links, chain link remover, spare inner tubes, bottle holders (carbon), bottles, Garmin, speed sensor, cadence meter, heart rate monitor, power meter, mud guards, turbo trainer, rollers
The cost of the additional items can dwarf the costs of the bike!
Reckon I can do without that lost personally. I must ask about buying specific cycling shoes, will a pair of old trainers not suffice?
The most direct route doesn't take you anywhere near the alps thankfully.
In re. to afterwards I already donate a fair portion of my free time per week to boxing which I enjoy and keeps me in good shape and I don't have the time on top of that to get into something else like cycling, plus it's rather boring for my personal tastes.
Bad Ash
Unregistered User
Well, yes it was a serious point, but I was stretching the point a little the further down the list in at attempt at humour. However, having re-read it I realise I have pretty much everything I've listed there other than a torque wrench, and that's on my Xmas list!
The shoes are an interesting one, you can certainly ride a bike with a normal pair of trainers. The arguments for wearing proper cycling shoes (with cleats) are generally that you have a better transfer of power and a more efficient stroke. Bike shoes have a solid inflexible sole for maximum power transfer, whereas the rubber from the trainer will absorb some of the power you put into the stroke. I would say the quicker and more powerfully you're pedalling the more reason there is for proper shoes. A gentle cycle at a sedate speed would see less benefit.
There's 11 things on that list I don't have!!
Indurain's Lungs
Legend of Garry Nelson
Don't cycle any distance in trainers. Your feet will be killing you in no time - you can opt for some "in between" shoes that are more trainer like but have a stiff sole and cleats.
You're going over 1,000 miles chappy. I wouldn't do that without cycling shoes and appropriate pedals. Plus you'll need to make sure the bike is in tip top condition before leaving and learn a fair bit about maintenance. How quickly are you aiming to do this ride?
Bad Ash
Unregistered User
Someone hasn't read and memorised THE RULES.I forgot to list a saddle bag! Oh and a tri bag for the top tube
Bad Ash
Unregistered User
A timely article for [MENTION=12486]Husty[/MENTION] http://www.cyclingweekly.co.uk/news/latest-news/the-best-cheap-road-bikes-143004
Speaking of the rules, has anyone been to Rule 5 on Ditchling Road? I was in Brighton this weekend and came across them because they are a Morvelo stockist and I wanted to try on a jersey. However I decided to go to Precision Cycles instead (then catch the train to Falmer from Hove), only to discover once I got there that they are running down their Morvelo stock (so only had a couple of items which were too big) because they are starting their own clothing range. However, I did have a lengthy discussion with one of chaps in there about his new road bike build, which was pretty interesting; a custom made to measure Ti frame, Di2 shifting, hydraulic disc brakes, tubeless wheels with solid through axles. I didn't ask him the cost!
On the Morvelo front, I swapped the large bib shorts for a medium and they fit fine, so I have to eat some humble pie and take back my previous rant. That being said I do think the looser elastic thigh gripper has made the fit more tricky to get right.
Speaking of the rules, has anyone been to Rule 5 on Ditchling Road? I was in Brighton this weekend and came across them because they are a Morvelo stockist and I wanted to try on a jersey. However I decided to go to Precision Cycles instead (then catch the train to Falmer from Hove), only to discover once I got there that they are running down their Morvelo stock (so only had a couple of items which were too big) because they are starting their own clothing range. However, I did have a lengthy discussion with one of chaps in there about his new road bike build, which was pretty interesting; a custom made to measure Ti frame, Di2 shifting, hydraulic disc brakes, tubeless wheels with solid through axles. I didn't ask him the cost!
On the Morvelo front, I swapped the large bib shorts for a medium and they fit fine, so I have to eat some humble pie and take back my previous rant. That being said I do think the looser elastic thigh gripper has made the fit more tricky to get right.