Forum Replies Created
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The Stelvio isn’t a long way
The Stelvio isn’t a long way away is it? And I drove up the Gotthard Pass last summer, stunning, would love to ride it one day.
Not in your list, but I have
Not in your list, but I have a Propel. I love the thing, did an Everesting on it last year, 27 hours all told, so comfy enough! My logic before I bought it was I don’t do many 100 mile rides a year, maybe 5 or 6. I do however do hundreds of 1-2 hour rides, and 50 or so 3 hour rides. It doesn’t have to be as comfy as a sofa for most of the time, but luckily it works ok for me on longer rides.
I found Evans the best place for trying before I bought, you have to book the ride and pay a deposit etc, but they can get pretty much anything they have in the warehouse in any of their stores in under a week.
At the time, there was nothing else that looked as good as the Propel. It had full Ultegra, and the own brand wheels and tyres have been as good as anything else I could have got at the time.
Another that can’t see the
Another that can’t see the original question.
I would not rely on just doing intervals, there is nothing like riding the actual distance to help you prepare. Intervals will give you the ability to ride 100 miles more quickly than not doing them, but riding for 6-7 hours (or more) puts different stresses on you that you may not even be aware of if you only do 3-4 hour rides. Your neck and back will ache, maybe your wrists too. How many stops do you need? How much extra stuff do you take? The saddle or shorts that have been perfectly ok on short rides may be a lot less so on longer rides.
I did the Fred Whitton this year, with lots of hilly rides and intervals from Christmas onwards. I also did one 110 mile ride a few weeks before, all the others were 40-60. With the benefit of hindsight, I’d do at least 2 more full distance rides.
Wiggle, Evans and Chain
Wiggle, Evans and Chain Reaction all sell small saddle bags with that kit in, for around that money I think. One thing with pumps is if you leave them on the bike, they get covered with grit rain and road shite like the rest of the bike, and eventually the seals go. You don’t want to find out your pump doesn’t work any more when you’re miles from home…
Pockets are fine, but it’s easy to fill them up and have no space for anything else, and you have to remember to pack it all every ride. If you have it in your saddle bag it’s always there ready. Plus there is less chance of your better half getting pissed off with you leaving it “lying around all the time” and tidying it away somewhere you can’t find it…
Somehow anything below 13cm looks kinda 90s or even 80s, which is a thing to avoid.Said Boss Hogg ?!?!?
All socks except of the low cut ones look stupid with shorts.I agree, there’s a lot of utter twaddle and hype about socks in cycling. They should just appear over the top of your shoes, anything else looks like fashion-victim land to me. There was a guy doing the Fred who knee-length ones which really really really looked wrong. How can socks “support” ?!
I’d agree with Cygnus, say
I’d agree with Cygnus, say something quite a distance away, and then if you get no response you have time to repeat it until they do hear.
I always say to them “I never know how loud to shout” and they always appreciate being made aware that you are approaching.
Skoda Octavia hatchback –
Skoda Octavia hatchback – seats down in 2 mins, sling the bike in whole. Or both wheels off and still seats 5.If you’re used to MTBs. you
If you’re used to MTBs. you may want to try a few road bikes out before you splash out. Evans Cycles are the only shop/retailer I could find (when I was buying a year ago) that let you demo bikes. Smaller bike shops do have demo bikes and will let you have them for a good period of time, but they tend to be higher end (my lbs demo fleet starts at £2.5k. I took it out anyway, and was so impressed thought long and hard about finding the extra £1500…) Evans will let you try anything in the shop, or you can order it in from the warehouse a few days later. You’ll have to book, leave a credit card deposit and your contact details, but you’ll get a much better idea of how the bike feels on proper roads, and whether it is stable or twitchy etc etc.
I would think the best advice is a cx/gravel bike, or one that can take wider tyres and mudguards than a more pure “racer”. Wider tyres give more cushioning over broken tarmac, and mudguards make a big difference when it is raining or the roads are still wet. These bikes are versatile and can do soft roading like canal tow paths with no changes, or with more grippy tyres can go almost anywhere an mtb can.
I decided to sign it anyway as I think a discussion on safe passing is worthwhile.This is SO my point!!! Anything that makes even one driver NOT pass when it is dangerous, NOT pass when it is too close, NOT pass when it makes someone else more vulnerable is worth bringing to the attention of as big an audience as possible.
I risk getting into “discussions” with motorists because I NEVER let a close pass go, I always shout and gesticulate. It might just be seen as some lycra-clad middle aged man getting angry, but I don’t care. If we never say anthing about it, nothing will ever change. I have seen cars after the one that close passed me giving me more room, almost every time. There was one time when the second car got even closer, I think they thought they were putting me in my place, or something…
I’m in! I’ve shared it on
I’m in! I’ve shared it on Facebook, the more people who see it the betterA colleague got a Giant Defy
A colleague got a Giant Defy on our CTW scheme last year as a winter bike. I think it was about £800, it can take mudguards so he uses it as his winter bike. He finds it very smooth and a good all rounder, but he still likes getting on his more expensive carbon speed machine when he thinks the weather is good enough. You could do a lot worse than a Defy!
I’ve never ridden an endurance/sportive bike, so am a bit sceptical. When I got my bike last year I looked at the kind of rides I do, and 250 out of 300 in the year before were 2-3 hours. I therefore decided I didn’t need a comfort orientated bike and went for a Giant Propel. It’s the best bike I’ve ever had, I love the thing, comfort wasn’t so bad I couldn’t do a 27 hour Everesting on it a month after I bought it.
If you can, try a few different types of bike to see what you really like. Evans do a good demo scheme where you can try almost anything they sell. You have to book it, give them a deposit etc, but you can then try as many as you want, within reason. Most shops only have demo bikes that are the wrong side of £2k, which is still great to try but if that’s double your budget there isn’t much point.
You could do c2c here in the
You could do c2c here in the UK? Or how about the South Downs Way in a day if you have an mtb.
From DC rainmaker – http:/
From DC rainmaker – http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2010/05/understanding-sport-device-gps.html
Give Evans a call and ask
Give Evans a call and ask them how long you can trial it for. Definitely don’t have to buy; I tried one at their Brighton store and on a separate occasion a different one at the main outlet near Crawley. I bought a Giant in the end! I think it’s plenty of time to get an idea of what the bikes are like; one shop would only let me scoot around their gravelly car park, although to be fair that bike was about to go off to a show.
