Education We Like to Ride Bicycles

Watches can be a pita if your zone training, having to look at your wrist all the time. You can use some pipe lagging to mount it to your bars in some cases though.

The (expensive) Garmins have all the toys, HRM, route tracking so you can compare gradients and climbing distance and cadence. Cadence is probably less useful for mtb than for road riding.

 

well I had a quick look this evening:

http://www.evanscycles.com/categori...Wheel Size=700c Wheel!price_from=500;sort=asc

out of the one's there - what brand can you guys reccomend? I have heard of Cannondale, Specialised, Trek, Scott and GT (in order of good to bad in my humble opinion).

Any thoughts/tips?

 

All of the brands you just up there are pretty much on par with each other apart from GT which i feel have slipped behind in the past few years, but making a good come back with this years selection and the new sponsorship of the Atherton team.

Best of the best IMHO is Yeti and Santa Cruz.
Other smaller honorable brands such as Cove, transition and new to the frame market Nukeproof.
I wouldnt bother with Evans as there staff are not very helpful and after sale service is poor.

There the PC world of biking.
Your much better off going with a smaller Independent local bike shot.. will be cheaper, better service and they will out there way to help you more.

 

Yeah I thought cadence would be more useful for road cyclists. The Garmins are too expensive for what I'm after and offer a lot of functionality I will never use. Are the Cateye range any good?

 

For basic computers the cateyes are great but I'm not really sure there is much justification for buying one brand over another these days. You can probably just the cheapest one that you like the look off and that has the features you need.

I never replaced my last computer after it went under the wheels of a bus. For the most part the online calorie estimations are adequate with in a few hundred kc. If you need something (slightly) more accurate in kC tracking and a good track of distance/speed you can always use an app on your smart phone.

 

How much are you looking to spend? I got the Polar RCX5. Two main reasons for getting this: it has the latest wireless technology in it, previous generations suffer interference when near overhead high voltage power lines or other users of the same hardware AND it was more difficult to download data from the watch, now it is very straightforward. Secondly having a GPS instead of a speed sensor on your bike means you can use it for running/rowing as well.

Something I found later from using this Polar product is that your training files automatically upload onto your training account online when you sync with your PC. I thought that was gimmicky and stupid at first but it's really helpful and a useful resource. It keeps track of all your previous training sessions and your training load. You can use it to plan future training sessions, do training programs, keep track of your strength etc

 

As little as possible really. It's an expensive hobby when your starting off and I still have a few other essentials to buy which are not all that expensive on their own but soon add up. Part of the reason I bought the bike is I find running dull as ****. The bike requires skill, takes me to more interesting terrain, I can cover longer distances and more importantly, it's good fun. So it will used mostly for cycling.

 

My GF and I recently bought a coupla mountain bikes online. Nothing extreme. Already have a racing bike I dunt use cos I dunt like cycle on UK roads much but we have been using the mountain bikes. Saracen Tufftracks.

 

Well, you can get basic models for like £30-40, not sure what the user interface is like, can ask some mates if you want.

Also a buddy of mine just sent me this, thought some of you might enjoy it:

 

I've been quite busy lately with work, volunteering, group rides, and other activities with some organisations and groups I work with, so I have a mountain of pictures awaiting post-processing and posting, but I felt you lot would get a kick out of a few snaps taken from the prom ride last night as it was one of the most fun and memorable rides I've ever been on.

What is a Prom Ride though? Simply put: it is a group ride themed like a high-school prom night. Riders are encouraged to get dressed up in their best tux, find a date, and be as cheesy as possible whilst the group takes a leisurely ride through a densely populated area in the hopes of spreading laughter, joy, and happiness. So crank up some White Snake and follow me on a journey through the 2012 Calgary Prom Ride!


Needless to say, I chose the costume of "That One Punk Guy Nobody Likes That Plays Crappy Music". When I rolled up to the starting area I had some Dead Kennedys absolutely cranked from my little stereo. The general consensus was that I got my costume down perfectly


Starting point. There were roughly 70-80 of us starting the ride, which very quickly ballooned to over 100! Just before the group set off I switched the music out of my stereo over to a non-stop mix of some of the best (worst) power ballads of the 80's and 90's, starting off with Queen's "We Are The Champions" right out of the gate. Everybody was cheering, laughing and applauding the music, needless to say. Through the ride I had a flock of people that stuck right near me that were singing, dancing, laughing and just loving the cheese blasted out of my little stereo. It was spectacular.




This is a Bobbin Shopper that my boss and I have been planning for a while and were just able to build it up in time for this ride. It was such a hit that there was a line forming for people to ride it and get their picture taken on it! Incidentally the girl pictured on the bike isn't my boss...


This is what 100+ people on bikes taking over a primary traffic thoroughfare looks like. Amazingly enough drivers would stop and cheer us on, not minding being slowed down by the cyclists! It was a bit of a unique experience.






We picked up a few more people after this shot was taken, but still: we're packed against that building a few deep!


To keep the group moving together and therefore quite a bit safer (keeps vehicles from pulling into the midst of the group) we had a dedicated team of "corkers". Essentially their job was to block off the cross roads, allowing for the bikes to go through intersections uninhibited. Is it illegal? Yeah. But are you going to really mess with over a hundred people united together in one place? Not likely. Plus the police were cheering us on! The woman in the red shirt and suspenders was one of the key players in corking intersections, as she is doing here. Much praise and thanks was directed her way.




Yeah, we had several live bands as well. One at the starting area, one on the ride, and one at the party afterwards.


So after an all too short ride (couple hours) everybody arrived at the finish, and a great party was thrown. Much alcohol and awkward dancing ensued and was enjoyed by all.




I decided to keep my stereo on and just people-watch for a while (I'm not a drinker, so I didn't want to stick around for too long anyway), but found much to my surprise that a group of people gathered around me and started dancing and singing to the music! People were making requests, yelling encouragement, and spreading smiles and joy all around. Random passers by would stop and watch, laughing. It was quite the thing.

But it had to end, so after a good while of this I made the announcement that it was time for me to depart which was received with much sadness. But in keeping true to my costume I barked out a mighty "Deal With It" (not really, I actually apologised and explained that I had to be up early) and cranked up some more Dead Kennedys, riding away into the sunset (I did actually do that, though).

Finally, I know that I didn't have a helmet on, but the general pace was 10kph or lower, and I couldn't get my hands on a helmet that would fit the costume beforehand, so I reluctantly made the decision to go without one. It took quite a bit of convincing to reach that conclusion though, let me assure you.

 

Bit of advice required from all you 700c commuters,

I have a Forme Calver X race (cyclocross bike), it's running Schwalbe Racing Ralphs which are great, my commute to work is 7.5 mile each way, 6 days a week on tarmac / cinder track / very light dirt. In the 3 weeks or so that I've had the bike I'll be kicking somewhere around 300 mile worth of riding, in that time I've close to wore out the rear tyre as the compount is so soft.

I want to change the tyres ASAP, but I don't know what to get, I probably need something with:

1. a bit of tread,
2. harder compound so it lasts a bit longer,
3. puncture proof would be amazing,

I'm swinging towards a Kenda Small Block 8 as I run these on both my mountain bikes and love them, but from a practical side I'm looking at a pair of Schwalbe Maraton Plus. Cost isnt really an issue, but if they are only gonna last 6 month I'd rather they were not £30 a tyre.

 

While I don't use them on the trail I am currently running a Marathon Supreme up front and a Dureme in the back. I ride them mostly on tarmac and cobble roads but they have held up quite nicely and even in snow this winter.
My commutes are probably around 60km each week but I have had them for 10 months now and close to 2500km. No significant wear yet.

For me they are not as light-rolling as the Supremes, but coming from a mountain bike they should feel really fast for you with enough grip for some light off-roading. A lot of people that use bikes for long treks either look at the marathon plus, the marathon mondial (former XCR) and the dureme as a faster alternative.
Personally I like the combination of the two threads, a narrow one for when you are on the road and a more aggressive thread for when you get some soil to sink your teeth in.

Look up other people's opinion on these, because I am just a Dutch guy on a citybike.


EDIT: Also; check out this review

 

Is ride quality of any concern? If so, then pick two of the above and you'll find a tyre that'll do you well. Otherwise, just about any cheap entry-level tyre will have tread that'll last for a bit of on-road usage, but they'll feel terrible and have horrible grip off the road, but if you need that psychological benefit of raised tread then that will be your best bet. If you just want durability and quality with a nice ride, then any of the Schwalbe 700c tyres are a wonderful choice. Just pick the one that fits within your budget and you won't regret it. Otherwise I would say check out the Specialized Nimbus due to it's cost (the normal, wire-bead flack-jacket version can be had for about $30 retail) and longevity (lasts on the rear of my fixie for six months - just for comparison a Panaracer touring tyre only survived 10 days before the tube exploded through the casing under the same usage, so no worries about durability there).

If you still aren't convinced by slicks, then take a glance over at the CX (cyclocross) side of the market, as there are some gems to be found there for the right buyer. I personally love the Continental Cyclocross-Speed tyres, as they are quite fast rolling and have very good traction under hard-pack conditions - plus they're quite durable (they last me about 6 months of winter riding before they tear apart). They also happen to be suspiciously cheap for how good of quality they are.

Keep in mind that as you look at cheaper tyres, you will get a drop in performance and ride quality. The cheaper you go with these better brands, the more squishy the tyre will feel and the less responsive it will be on the road, plus any form of in-moulded puncture protection will "deaden" the tyre, causing loss of feedback from the riding surface. I doubt you'll notice it much unless you start doing silly stuff at speed, but for people like me who routinely push their tyres hard enough in corners to do a double-wheel drift, this makes a big difference! If I were you I would snoop around in the back of the shop where you work for an old set of used tyres (customer take offs or what have you) and slap them on for a bit. This will give you an idea of how the tyre feels, and a general idea of how tyres from that brand feel, before you go making your purchase decision (I constantly do this).

I'm sure you'll figure it out though, good luck!

 

My Father has the same bike, and commutes between Den Haag and Rijswijk on it..

I still think he's a bit of a wuss for not riding a proper omafiets.. People look at me funny for riding one in London... especially at the empty Palm crate on the back

 

Mine is too heavy to really go fast, but I can easily go 25-30km/h on it.
I'll keep my eyes open for your father then. I'm in the area.

 

My current bike atm is a barclays / Boris bike.

These things while cheap £1/24hrs,£5/ 7days are slow, heavy, 3 gears (of which I only use the highest) 90% have buckled wheels and I've had issues with crap brakes and under inflated tires.

Still, beats public transport!

 

Anything beats public transport in Nottingham!

 

Just as a note to that tire discussion. I have a pair of Michelin Dynamic Sport with no thread. They are dirt cheap and seems to have held up to the abuse I give them. I do a lot of riding in the city, some of it on gravel and with a kevlar insert they have been absolutely puncture proof. As stated they are slicks but I have had no problems with grip even in the wet and I tend to trash my tires in the traffic.

Sent from my GT-I9300 using Tapatalk 2

 

Or £45 for an entire year and you get a one of those magnetic little thingies to take bikes out rather than going to the machine to get a print out every time.

That second gear irritates the bejesus out of me.. sometimes top gear is too high, but the other two literally do nothing. grr.

 

So, this may have just happened:


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