Education We Like to Ride Bicycles

Hey Sam,

Depending on where you work it can take ages. My local NHS department hold the quick record at turning a voucher round in 2 days, the local council hold the other record at 9 months.

Certain things cant be purchased through the scheme, such as, cycle computer / speedo, car rack, child seat, anything used for racing.

Other than there your employer will usually limit the max spend (usually £1000), this doesn't apply to all employers though.

I'd recommend a local bike shop over the likes of Evans just for the service.

EDIT,

Here are two pics of my new bike as it's starts it's upgrades

Before - not bad for £100.



After - chopped seat post, Rock Shox Revelations and Hope Mono M4's fitted.

 

Is that a Truvativ FiveD chainset ? I broke mine.

 

It is mate, it won't be staying though. The only original part when i'm done will be the frame I think. Just need to work out what I'm doing and source all the parts.

When it's done it will be more like a full sus dirt jump rig.

 

They use this $2 square taper bb (you prob knew that though). However I broke the actual chainset, one of the arms. All I did was fall off, quite usual impact damage.

 

So why not just buy a new arm (if it was left - none drive side) for maybe £20.

I run a bike shop so we see left crack arms falling off the time, the bolt on the left side unwindes it's self causing play in the arm which then rounds the square hole causing the arm to fall off.

 

i wanna buy this bike, is it any good?

http://www.gumtree.com/p/for-sale/super-fast-track-triathlon-bike/77337271

I want it because it looks pretty... am I being ripped off? for 500?

 

says £400, i'd buy that @ £400, can't see what chainset he's using but I don't recognise it, aerobars are not for everyone though, they take some getting used to

 

It all looks a bit mashed together. I'm not a road or tri cyclist but the main thing that jumps out at me is why does he not include a picture of the drivetrain? Is it because it's worn to hell and he doesn't wanna stump up the repair bill which I expect to be in the region of £100-£200 min depending on parts.

 

Now he's saying he'll give it to me for 300...

I'll be having a look at it tomorrow... I'd only want to buy this if it seems like a good deal. I looked at the frame make and they sell for the 1000s... right?

When you say drive train what kind of things should I be looking out for?? rust?

Thanks for your help ^^

 

If he's that willing to lower it by 100 I'd approach with extreme caution. Could be robbed and he's trying to move it on quick.

 

You looking for wear, the teeth of both cogs should have quite a square profile /''\ kinda thing, if it's more /\ leave it. By looking for this you can find his fav gear.

Also look at how the chain sits on the big front ring, is it sitting between the teeth evenly, hold the pedals vertical, then hold the chain at 3 o'clock on the front chainring, if you pull the chain to the front of the bike is should only move from new a few mm if that, if you can streach it and see easily through it, it's very worn (the bigger the gap the more it's worn and in need of repair.

Yes the make is quite good, if I remember right they are still made in Italy (though like I said I'm not into road, so i could be wrong), there is no saying this in one of their better frames though.

Finally he is willing to drop it £100, considering he wrote on the add he has had a lot of interest in it already he shouldn't need to do this.

Personally I'd walk away.

EDIT, just had another look at it, I think it's been built from stuff he has laid about, look at the big bit sticking out the top of the stem. If he wanted the bike to be more aerodinamic he should / would have cut this off.

I repeat my previous statement, i'd walk away. But maybe wait for a roadie to stick their head in here.

EDIT 2, Unless your name is Guy Salmon you gonna get called Guy an awful lot.

 

Yea, If you say it like that I'm starting to become more suspicious...

He's had it on gum tree for a few weeks and each ad he's said he's desperate...
Starting from 500 on the 26th march, 480, and then 400, and then he offered me 300...

I asked him how old the parts are... He said they are all about a year old... "all shimano mavic rims and in good condition"

To be honest I think you are right, one of 2 things....
he's interested in tri, put together a diy tri bike cos tri bikes are really expensive... and now he's finished or given up on tri...


or, he's put a bike together using all of his old unwanted parts and trying to flog it...

The shimano rims are 70-90quid each themselves... i think...

Either way... I'd be happy buying it for 200quid...

 

Good luck, try and get the bike to a local bike shop and get them to look it over, preferably one not of his choosing as depending on how well they know him them might fill you full of sh!t and convince you to pay a higher price.

On a side note, anyone got any Hope Pro 2 hubs or Saint cranks / rear mech & 9spd shifter?

 

Nice one Jamie . There wasn't a huge ammount of time difference either between you and the top . You gonna do the odd race or planning to do a whole season?.

I raced there years ago in 2002! (feel old saying that), managed to get on the podium in the hard-tail category, wish i'd had a DH bike though.

The gits swaped the letters around to censor the team name me and my mates made up on the day... "Mark O (Team: Mank Wonkey), rounded out the top three with a time of 2:04.49"

Didn't think it would it would still be on the interwebs still... www.bikemagic.com/event-news/grassroots-racers-mow-down-aston-hill/2807.html

This is the bike I had at the time, check out the dodgy hazzard Deemax wheels




@Cookie Monster - Looks like a nice buy for £100!. Don't be a tight arse though, you must get stuff at trade price . I do have a pair of Hope Bulbs on D321 (same as EX729) if you are after a wheelset, don't wanna sell them silly cheap though as i'd rather keep them otherwise. Are the Saints for that bike?, I would stick SLX cranks on there TBH, strong\stiff enough and lighter and cheaper than Saints. Go for the Double with bash version as it has the steel pedal inserts like the Saints.

 

It's an amazing bike at £100, it's totally unused my the looks of it. The cassette looks brand new and there is still the green grease inside the rear mech.

Yeah I get stuff at trade, but if I can get it cheaper then I'm a happy bunny.

I have a set of green Spank Subrosa rims I wanna build onto Pro 2's. I dunno why I want Saint's really, probably just because they look the sh!t and the gold will match my M4's

 

Yay, this thread is properly lively again!

Just wanted to drop by quickly and ask what you lot thought would be a better choice for my new build:



2005 Specialized Allez Comp Cr-Mo - nothing original.

I'm trying to decide between either Dura-Ace or Campy Record (or Super Record, dependant upon what price I could get it at) brifters, front and rear derailleur, cassette, and chain. I'm reasonably set on FSA K-Force cranks and Revl brakes though, as they're considerably lighter than what Shimano or Campy can offer. Seat is almost certainly going to be a Specialized S-Works Toupe, and I'm really leaning towards Dura-Ace pedals, but Speedplay Zero's do look tasty (with a Ti axle)...

Already on the bike: Zipp 202's, EC90 bar, Crank Brothers Cobalt headset (only one lighter that I could find was double the price, and only a couple grams weight savings), Specialized S-Works seatpost (may be changing out for a Ritchey Superlogic Carbon or EC90 - half the weight of the Spec), Schwalbe Durano 700x22 tubular tyres. Stem is just a stand in until I figure out the correct length, but an EC90 will be coming. Bar tape is undecided, but I'm thinking either a glossy-black Fizik wrap, or the offering by Serfas that is a black leather-like material with white stitching down the middle. Watterbottle cages are undecided as well, but a set of Ti cages that I saw on offer from Axiom did look kinda fun at 20g each, which isn't much heavier than the lighter carbon cages out there, and doesn't look like absolute ass. The fork will be staying, but will have to be resprayed seeing as it is a Bontrager with Trek badging (it's a XXX Race Light - which happens to be one of the lightest forks I was able to find without going too exotic). Colour scheme will closely match the frame, keeping the blue and white together with a black border on the transition - making it look more traditional, rather than completely over the top.

I'm hoping that in the end it'll be a very subtle, understated road bike that handles insanely well and climbs like an absolute champ. It'll be my first real road bike as well, despite how insanely over the top I'm taking it (it's a multi-month project as it sits now - frame, fork, wheels last month, hopefully half the gruppo this month, then the rest next month, just in time for summer). I doubt I'll actually race it, but I am definitely open to the option.

As the bike sits in the picture it is just a hair over ten pounds. No matter which way I take the gruppo it'll only add about four pounds on top of what I already have. So, here's hoping I can manage a sub-fourteen pound Columbus-steel tubed bike! Not even UCI legal, all-right.

 

Don't bikes always come out of storage when the sun comes out where you live? Fair weather cyclists mate

Where do the discs go?

 

I'm planning to fit in the odd DH race this year as I am fairly new to DH (just over a year).

I am doing the national 4X series this year again but I'm not enjoying it as much as I have done so hence the move towards DH which I appear to be better at.

2002 does sound like a long time ago I didn't even know Aston Hill existed back then as I wasn't into bikes at all.

 

I feel ive actually the worsed bike here but hey ho!

2006 Carrera Kraken

Suntor shocks 60mm travel i think :s
Truvelo IO disc brakes
Shimano Deore front and rear derailleurs
Shimano Deore shifters
unsure what the rims are but tyres i swapped the cheapy ones they came with for some panaracers then to the conti hybrids on there at the moment as it was for commuting.



Annoyingly after a bought a new helmet my card got scammed from the site (CRC) so doubt ill be using them again!

 

So, what you're saying is that the earth isn't actually on a tilt, and that the entire globe goes into full winter lock-down for six months of the year? Or that people don't ride during the winter? Nifty!

I don't feel that there is any real benefit in running disk wheels for the type of riding I do.