Education We Like to Ride Bicycles

Is that the frame where the rear shock is in the top tube sort of? Get some pics up of that frame sounds fun!

My full susser is visiting the painting shop at the end of the month, having it powdercoated some fun new colours. Front triangle is going to be sort of dark grey, almost graphite, and the rear triangle is going to be a vivid purple - I have managed to remove the metal giant logo from the head tube - as it's an old giant frame still has a logo not just some writing, this is going to be purple to match the back then seated back in place. Have also picked up a new rp23 shock. Quite excited to get it all done! have to strip the bike soon so it's ready.

 

Seems a lot of MTB guys on here, anyone into Road Bikes or Cyclo Cross?

 

I want to swap my road bike for a cyclo. Just going to finish doing my road bike up as it's a retro bike then I am going to sell it and get either a Kona Jake or the Orange cyclo. Both my bosses have Kona Jake the snake cyclos (one a 2009/2010 in team colours and one is a 2013) and I love them. I find that I don't really put down loads and loads of miles on my road bike, and when I do ride it I find it quite unforgiving, which is why I want a cyclo, as can still do all the distances I do on my road bike on one but would be more comfortable, and can take it round some of the trails that I ride on my mtbs!

 

I ride road, but my bikes not really seen any changes yet as I only got it last year, and I have no reason to upgrade it. I would consider upgrading the wheels but thats something thats just not financially viable in the near future.


Its my Specialized Allez Sport which I love very much. (I'm the one with the helmet on). I was helping to guide a group of 15 of my Mum's organization's members down to Brighton from Tooting which is a great ride, although the route in question is more of a cyclists route than the BHF L2B ride as its pretty much all hills, great if you love the climb, not so great if you're trying to keep everyone together. The guiding was also the reason for the bag as I had paper maps, and some basic tools in there.

The photo was taken from the support car with my Mum and Fiancee in it who drove down the whole way stopping at intervals to a) take my brother to get his bike fixed after he destroyed his crank arm and provide bananas water etc. Was a great day out.

 

I would like to get proper cyclocross bike at some point maybe in the summer , I've got a road bike, Hybrid and a Singlespeed which are all geared up for the road.

Well this is the progress I've made so far in my Lunch breaks and a few mins during the day .

Took old wheels off and stripped the rim tape as my new wheels didn't come with any.

Untitled by Kiteninja (Morgan Lee), on Flickr

Untitled by Kiteninja (Morgan Lee), on Flickr

Both of those will probably go up for sale, I think I have some one interested in the rear but want to sell as a pair really.


Untitled by Kiteninja (Morgan Lee), on Flickr

New wheels .

This is how far I've got stripping it down

Untitled by Kiteninja (Morgan Lee), on Flickr

I've got a new 36T middle ring & a bash guard on the way so have taken off the front derailleur big ring & middle ring, all 3 of those are in the spares box, its an XLS 9speed triple front in really good nick so might try and flog it.


Untitled by Kiteninja (Morgan Lee), on Flickr

Chains off and in the bin, next up will be to take off the rear deraileur and clean that and put that back on, route some new cables as the old ones are a bit frayed and I've got a few spare sets kicking around.


Untitled by Kiteninja (Morgan Lee), on Flickr

& the sunken shock which is a rather nifty feature , needs re-pressurising and setting up for my weight.

Bits I'm waiting for are some new Rotors & titanium screws, Hayes bleeding kit, Titanium Skewers, titanium and ally flat pedals, new grips, middle ring and a bash guard, come on Mr postman I want to ride this on saturday .

 

I'm picking up a Boardman CX Team tomorrow, I was looking at a full on road bike but with the tracks around here the extra tyre width of the CX would be appreciated I think.

 

More progess on the bike today but also more progress on this

sketchup of the light Me & a guy from work are working on .


LIGHT by Kiteninja (Morgan Lee), on Flickr

This is how much machining we've done , manual mill is slow.


Untitled by Kiteninja (Morgan Lee), on Flickr

 

If anyone is interested in a good entry level roadbike with an awesome frame and loads of free bits, please see my for sale ad!

http://forums.bit-tech.net/showthread.php?t=266663

 

Just getting stuff together as I'm hitting Glentress tomorrow for 3 days. MDK, you doing the milling yourself? Did I not buy a grill you made off you years ago? We may need to chat.

 

can anyone help with a tyre reccomendation please.

i bought a genesis cdf during the summer, but everytime i go out at the mo i'm getting punctures from glass, shells and all sorts which is getting rather annoying.

i'll need a 35c tyre cyclocross tyre with decent puncture protection, anyone make any reccomendations?

cheers

 

I've got both road and CX bikes, I commute on the CX (with road tyres) as the geometry is more relaxed so it's easier to ride and having wider tyres is comfier but I sacrifice speed for it.

I've got an Allez Sport too, just couldn't beat the fit against anything else for the price.

It's stock too, I find the Sora groupset isn't quite as nice as the 105 on my CX bike (which I commute on also) but my it has much smaller tyres so is way more fun for fast weekends rides.

I almost bought one of those through the Cycle 2 Work scheme, but they didn't put mudguard mounts on the front fork so it ruled it out as I'd want to commute on it also. Shame as it's a super bike apart from that.

Depends where you're riding on tyre choice... Offroad I'd recommend a set of Schwalbe CX Pro, I've them and the grip is just great.

I've only really ride forest trails on my CX bike as there's not much else in Norfolk except farmland and beaches! And have the confidence to be able to keep up with friends on mountain bikes with my bigger tyres. Get to leave them for dust on the via fire roads

Not so great for commuting, which is where I change over to Schwalbe Marathon Plus

 

I ride road and cross country. Only been on one ride so far this year due to the heavy rain and flooding.

I've got a Specialized Allez sport that i've had for a couple of years and use for long rides and commutes in the summer. I've upgraded the wheels to Fulcrum Racing 3s and running an Ultegra groupset. (The person I bought it from wanted the latest Dura Ace kit)

I'd love to upgrade my frame to something else but funds a kind of tight at the mo.

 

Well the bike is built to a standard that I can take it out and play and test out how I've got the suspension set up .


Untitled by Kiteninja (Morgan Lee), on Flickr

Untitled by Kiteninja (Morgan Lee), on Flickr

Untitled by Kiteninja (Morgan Lee), on Flickr

Untitled by Kiteninja (Morgan Lee), on Flickr

12.9KGs in all so far

There is still a few bits to go like the pedals, rear rotor and also I'm not sure if I'm going to put a dropper seat post on it or not still unsure on that one but its all good so far .

On-wards to the next one .

 

Looks great Morgan, you've inspired me to get a home mech stand and get some work done on my commuter/MTB.

I think I'm going to give it a paint job at some point soon, as its a bit scratched and pitted, and once that,s done it will be new cable time I think.

As I put in the Latest purchase thread, I found a really good local bike store that I've been dealing with and its great to have somewhere to chat bikes and repairs so good times.

 

Can anyone recommend a decent work stand? Under £50, can't afford the park tools one!

 

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BIKE-BICY...sure_Cycling_BikeLocks_SR&hash=item5af9fbab13

Ebay special, it's not as good as a Park stand, but unless you're using it all day every day it's plenty for home mechanic work.

 

Is it just me or does anyone else have a completely irrational fear of having your nads caught in that shock's stroke if you have to get off in a hurry and the rear wheel suddenly hits a rock?

Also I'm looking for a commute bike. Previous bike was inappropriate but I got it anyway because it looked leet, but got stolen when I forgot to lock it up outside a caff.

Any suggestions please. Elderly lardarse but a former downhiller so has just enough bike handling skills and lack of consequent actual ability to get himself into trouble. Something versatile & fast but not spindly. It's been ages since I looked into the minutiae of bikes so the choice is overwhelming

 

That could be an issue if you ride with no trousers on....

As for a bike:

What is your: Height, commute distance and budget? Elderly Lardarse doens't narrow it down. Are we talking 60 and 140kg and 5 8 or less extreme?

If you want cheap, but with a MTB feel, look at a Carrera Subway. They are essentially a rigid MTB with slick tyres. Great if you want that MTB feel, not so good if you're going long distances. They also share a frame with the Carrera Kraken and Fury MTB's. Best part though, they don't look cool so there is far less "steal me" factor, especially if you're prone to leaving it outside a cafe with no lock.

This is my Carrera subway frame attached to the remnants of my old MTB that I have swapped over just to keep it running. (Although at this point it was not complete, and I was literally riding it around to test out the BB and Headset were on properly, hence the crazy high seat and lack of front mech).

 

carbon frame, whizzy carbon rims....NINE SPEED! Heathen hehe.

Is a nice ride Morgan

 

Was penny pinching as I had a 9spd XT mech but its turned out really cool