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Can’t help on the routes, but
Can’t help on the routes, but I like an hour each way. Anything less and you are spending longer changing and getting the gear ready (at this time of year).
Back in the noughties I worked in Sutton and built up to riding from near Shoreham a couple of times. 2 and half hours each way, early starts and a long day, but very rewarding.
Lol@code.I wouldn’t want to use my sportif bike and wear out the drive-chain etc and it’s cheaper for some to haves wet/winter cheaper bike.
I wouldn’t not care if I was a multimillionaire.
Cheaper to use my turbo trainer. Something about being outside that kills the turbo trainer experience.
Giant Speedshield Defy actually fitted to my old Trek 1200 winter bike. Have not tried the universal yet.
If I had money, I’d have a winter bike, probably some CX thing with disc brakes and wide grippy winter tyres, and mudguards.
Not having the money, I just get on with it. I am lucky in that I don’t have to ride if it is raining, so can avoid the worst of it. Also lucky in that down on the south coast, it doesn’t actually rain all that often, although the roads do stay wet for a long time.
But I think a lot of folks make more out of the winter and bad conditions than is necessary. On another forum, someone said he had discs because he “didn’t want to replace his wheels every year” ! Really? Is he using cardboard wheels?! I ride about 5,000 miles a year, so need a new chain and cassette annually anyway. If you clean your bike after a soaking, they don’t just disintegrate having spent 3-4 months in less than perfect weather.
I think you will notice a big
I think you will notice a big difference. A friend has a Domain (not sure of exact model, was about ÂŁ2k 2 years ago) and loves it. Made it into a modern audax bike and did Paris Brest Paris on it, in 90 hours.
If you have an Evans near you, they will let you have a proper demo. You need to leave your credit card details and book it, but you can have it for a few hours at,least.Recovery takes longer too.
Recovery takes longer too. If I ride hard – which for me is up around 18-20 mph for an hour or so – it takes me at least 3 days to get over the effort. I can still ride the next day, but there is nothing there.
I have had these from Ebay
I have had these from Ebay for a few years, value for money is outstanding.
The only issue with mine is there is no warning of battery charge level, so you have to remember how long you have had it on and at what setting, or be very thorough with the charging. It literally just goes out, so you need to have a back up light, and if you are on unlit roads the back up needs to be as bright.
I didn’t realise E-bikes were speed limited. I was unable to keep up with one recently, so I don’t think they are pointless, and I was over 15 mph at the time. Do they need MOT and insurance too? They probably aren’t designed for EXACTLY what you are looking for.Is it the slow speed of climbing that is making you feel unsafe? If you’re normally tanking along at 20-25 mph then you’re clearly a fit and able cyclist. Can you try different routes to avoid the hill(s)?
They are limited to 250W power and 15.5mph speed. You can get 1000w one which theoretically can go more than 45mph. The law says that they need MOT and insurance, but they looking into this more closely there are no category for this type of vehicle. So it is a grey area. I’m fit, but there is little I can do about the speed difference on the hills. I go 10mph they can go 50mph. I’m kind off a hazzard and I understand that I have the right to cycle on that road at 10mph, but If get ”kissed” from behind with 2tone vehicle at 50mph I really won’t care who is right or wrong…There are no roads to take. Either I take the motorway or the countryside road. Motorway is 70mph and bikes are not allowed as I understand and country roads 30-60mph.I can’t see what the speed difference when you’re climbing has to do with it. Maybe if it was a 20% gradient and you were out the seat and right on your limit at 3 mph, so you are wobbling more and less able to hold a straight line.
The thing you are afraid of – being rammed from behind by an inattentive driver – can happen regardless of your speed, or their speed. It is their carelessness that is the problem (and maybe yours if you swerve accidentally into their path). Don’t think of yourself as a hazard, you have as much right to be there as they have. Is there really no other route? If it’s a 20 mile one way trip it must be possible to go some other way.
Get some high viz clothing and a strobing rear light, if you haven’t already.
Merlin cycles do a road bike
Merlin cycles do a road bike for around ÂŁ300 which gets good reviews, but it has drop handlebars I think.
There are lots of reviews here that cover that budget, although I don’t think you’ll get anything less then ÂŁ300 new. If it was a drop bar bike you were looking for, I would say Ebay or secondhand, there are plenty of hardly-used bikes around. People buy them and then decide they don’t really like it for whatever reason, and that is the best way to get a bargain.
And have you considered drop bars? IMHO they are way better than flat bars, you have the option of maybe 6 different places to put your hands whereas flat bar bikes tend to force you into just one position.
I didn’t realise E-bikes were
I didn’t realise E-bikes were speed limited. I was unable to keep up with one recently, so I don’t think they are pointless, and I was over 15 mph at the time. Do they need MOT and insurance too? They probably aren’t designed for EXACTLY what you are looking for.
Is it the slow speed of climbing that is making you feel unsafe? If you’re normally tanking along at 20-25 mph then you’re clearly a fit and able cyclist. Can you try different routes to avoid the hill(s)?
Giant Propel will do 3-5. I
Giant Propel will do 3-5. I Everested on mine in May, having onload it 6 weeks. 27 hours, longest ride I had ever done by a massive amount. Looks the dogs too!
And some kind of cx for 1 & 2, but I would personally have a proper mountain bike because I think cx is too compromised for proper off roadingCheck with Giant. I have a
Check with Giant. I have a Propel which has an aero seat post (think that is different to the D post?) but they have a specific light for it; I am guessing they are clever enough to have something tailored to your seat post. Mine was about 22 quidAt the start of my search I
At the start of my search I had 10 or 12 on a shortlist and if you’re strict with your budget you can get loads of very similarly specced bikes within 50 or 100 quid. I even put pics of them all on my screensaver at work, and couldn’t see a lot of difference. Most of them were black for a start. So once I spied the Propel it just seemed right – great colour scheme and it looked different.john kirk wrote:Been looking
Been looking at the Transonics as well. (just online for now)Out of the different braking layouts of the 3 I like the idea of Giants own system on the Propel… just seems to make perfect sense. A simple, slim solution hidden neatly inline with the frame.
A part of me wants to go for any brand other than the largest bike manufacturer in the world.
but… on paper and visually the Propel looks hard to beat ?I totally agree with you; I didn’t want to get something from the largest manufacturer either, but if you take that out of the equation, I couldn’t find a better value bike, or one I wanted as much.
The brakes are the best non-disc brakes I have used too, never mind the elegance of the solution. Way better than under the bb.
Have a look at the Aero Giant
Have a look at the Aero Giant v Propel thread, I’ve just posted about my Propel. One of the things I liked about it was I hadn’t seen many, I understand how if you are surrounded by them you may want something different.I tried a Supersix which was a great bike, but not better in any important way than the Propel that I could tell, so I let the unimportant ways dictate my choice – looks and colour!
Sensa got a great review for one of their bikes a few years ago (Romagna I think?) but all the reviews I have seen lately are less complimentary. If you can get to the shop and have a look at one, maybe a demo ride, give it a try. They were just too far away for me.
I got mine on CTW, with the savings it was as good a deal as Canyon/Rose etc.
I’m the same weight as you, but double your age. If I knew then what I know now…!
I bought a Giant Propel
I bought a Giant Propel Advanced 1 in April. Absolutely love it. I Everested on it in May (27 hours) and have ridden it up the Blockhaus in Italy this summer (4 hours climbing, 90 minutes descending đź‘ż ) so it climbs well enough and won’t break you into a million pieces if you ride it for more than 30 minutes. I think it weighs 8.25 kg.Evans are a good place to demo bikes, if you really want to try some out, but they don’t stock Giant as far as I know. I tried a Fuji Transonic (aero, similar to the Propel/Reacto) which was fine, looked slightly more radical but felt harsher than the Giant. I also tried a Cannondale Supersix which again was good, but by this point it would have taken a lot to get me off the Giant.
My local Giant store would only let me try a ÂŁ2.5k Propel, which was absolutely way beyond anything I have ever ridden, a stunning piece of kit. So much so, I thought long and hard about finding the way to pay for it. That version of the Propel has good wheels and makes do with 105.
The Reacto looks like it has similar drive train; I’ve had no real problems with the Giant wheels although they seem to be a little more prone to pinch punctures than the Campag wheels on my old bike.
“The sport is racing “?
“The sport is racing “? Really? Careful, you might find life is better without your head up your arse
