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(the latter is really good for visualising different setups and is stem-aware)
If you really want to get detailed then this might be worth the effort
because you can input your fit data as well as bike geo data
Depends. If the frame is
Depends. If the frame is comfortable and sized right and has the features you want then upgrading can be worthwhile. By features I mean the braking system you want, tyre clearance you want, practical aspects (mudguard and rack mounts).
Just know that other than wheels the upgrades are going to be barely noticeable, unless it’s a few years old. For example, in the Shimano world the groups are all ergonomically very similar now, differing only on weight and number of gears:
Sora is 9-speed Tiagra
Tiagra is 10-speed 105
105 is heavier than Ultegra but that’s the only difference
Ultegra is slightly less exotic and slightly heavier than Dura-Ace
(that’s before we get in to discussions around mechanical vs electronic shifting and discs vs rim brakes)
First step if you’re happy with overall performance and comfort is to look at wheels and tyres, and match them to the sort of riding you do. They really have a noticeable effect on both speed and comfort in my experience. Just switched to some Veloflex Master 25s and Vision Team 35 Comps – by no means exotic but consistently 5% faster according to Strava and delivering less road buzz than the Gatorskins/RS11s I had fitted previously.
Don’t underestimate the time it will take you to do the upgrades yourself, or the amount of enjoyment. I love spannering my bikes almost as much as I do riding them but you should budget £100 for the required tools and workstand to DIY.
Just looked – you can get
Just looked – you can get Gravelkings in 23c or 26c – you might squeeze the 26s in. The SKs are also available in 26c.
Veloflex Master 25 – very
Veloflex Master 25 – very supple, very lightweight, relatively easy to fit compared to other Open Tubulars.
Panaracer Pasela – more of a touring tyre but cheap as chips – probably the best option for your needs. Spa Cycles usually have them.
https://road.cc/content/review/234138-panaracer-pasela-pt-folding-tyre
Possibly the Panaracer Gravelking (its not a gravel tyre, has a file tread) but I’m not sure if that goes down to 25c
Conti GP Classic has dark brown sidewalls with cursive script logos – only available in 25c, might come up bigger depending on rims
Vittoria Corsa Gs
Challenge do a range of “open tubulars” with tanwalls. Only buy if you’re a master at fitting tyres.
I’ve got Veloflex Master 25s and Gravelking SKs, love ’em both. The SKs aren’t available in 25s though.
Which shifters?
Which shifters?
Having a slow grind home isn
Having a slow grind home isn’t great, is there any way you can find a steeper route to get it out the way? I had the option of lumpy versus 5 miles on a fast B-road at 2% and I usually took the lumpy route. I hate straights, it’s like swimming lengths.
I’d say 9 miles is about the limit of a commute on a hybrid, even with bar ends you may find you don’t have enough positions, and there’s nowhere to go if it’s windy. I did that for a while and hated it, which is how I ended up with my first road bike.
I’ll always pass on the
I’ll always pass on the outside. If, (if!) a driver checks his mirror before moving off he is more likely to check his offside mirror. As I usually ride with a fork mounted daylight running light hopefully that will also have attracted his attention.
A bit like driving without a seatbelt I have an absolute mental block about passing down the nearside, I think it comes from when before I cycled and nearly left-hooked a cyclist.
When I learnt to drive I was taught road positioning as follows:
1) line up the shut line of your bonnet (back when cars had higher/wider wings) with the edge of the kerb, when looking straight ahead.
2) in a queue, always stop so that the front edge of your bonnet doesn’t obscure the contact point of the rear tyres of the car in front with the road.
As car design changes it’s less easy to pick up these visual cues. One thing I have noticed is modern Mini drivers seem to consistently underestimate how much room they’ve given you when overtaking. Never driven one but I wonder if the low seating position and relatively high window sills are responsible for this. Probably just BMW genetics rubbing off…
Winter commuting is great.
Winter commuting is great. Get dyno lights, panniers, and decent kit and bask in the glory of being seen as even more of a weirdo/badass than usual. Summer commutes I didn’t enjoy quite so much, particularly the way the weather has been at the moment. April/May & Sept/Oct are the best months down south.
I was fortunate I had good facilities at work and a variety of routes/distances as my commute was always a part-drive/part-cycle (I lived 22 miles away)
I’d have a day off only if I got all three of the unholy trinity (cold, wet, windy) and even then would ride sometimes.
Sotonia have great kit if you
Sotonia have great kit if you like red and white 🙂
Eastleigh is a great place to move to – you’ve got the whole of the Itchen and Test Valleys on your doorstep and that means hills. South Downs to the north, New Forest to the west. Hop on the train at Eastleigh down to Brockenhurst and you’re right in the centre of the New Forest with great on and off-road routes in all directions. Stay on the train and get the ferry from Lymington and you’ve got the very cycle-friendly Isle of Wight to play on.
There’s purpose-built trails at Moors Valley near Ringwood. If you’re into longer rides the area west of Fordingbridge (20 miles from Eastleigh) is brilliant – rolling terrain, lots of very quiet back roads.
Southampton claim to be working hard on improving cycle access and to be fair there’s a fairly safe and mostly shared-use route out west from the City Centre to Totton, which gives you access to the New Forest from the South East.
Bike-wise if you want to take full advantage of the New Forest you’re probably looking at discs and 28mm tyres. Most of the routes across the forest are flat hard-packed gravel, think enduro or bike-packing if you come from the off-road world or gravel/adventure if you’re a roadie.
I’ve got a stainless frameset
I’ve got a stainless frameset – a Bowman Layhams “audax” frame. Impressively stiff, very comfy. Even on 25s it does a great job of ironing out road buzz. Having had a number of carbon, aluminium, and steel frames its the stiffest and most comfortable frame I’ve ridden. Looks fantastic too, with bare stainless detailing. No hesitation in riding that all day.
Bowman are starting a custom stainless build programme soon, depends on how long you want to wait.
Just a thought, but if you are fitter than you have been, then maybe the action of laying down more power through your feet than they are used to is causing the discomfort.Do you do any work on pedalling technique?… this features a lot in some TrainerRoad workouts I’ve done, and they teach you to give each leg ‘micro-rests’ in part of the pedal stroke. I’ve found practicing that can relieve numbness I suffer, though it doesn’t sound as bad as yours.
But reading the other comments, if its a numbness that takes a while to pass that would indicate to me that its nerve-related, possibly originating somewhere else… interesting to note that dropping the saddle has improved things.
Definitely putting out more power, I’m beating long-standing Strava PBs from 3 years ago on a bike that’s heavier and much less “racy” (steel audax vs carbon CX)
My pedalling technique is probably crap. I do try to vary it whilst riding and shift on the saddle a fair bit too. Riding with open-toed sandals done up sufficiently tight I have noticed that my right foot (larger, dominant) is sliding further forward than my left. I’ve been working on consciously pushing harder with my left to improve balance so we’ll see how that goes.
In my experience, cramp on the upper, outer calf is linked to a saddle that is too high. If the saddle is too high, there is also scope for messing around with the nerves that run down to your leg.As a starter for ten, I’d lower your saddle. One simple test that I use is whether or not you can ‘get on the rivet’ effectively – ie if you really want to put some power down can you get down on the drops and move forward on the saddle and pedal in a circular motion (pedal circles not pistons). If you can’t drive your pedal powerfully down and back, in a motion reminiscent of a bull pawing the ground, then your saddle is too high. Conversely, if that motion feels cramped, your saddle is too low.
Are the carnsk the same length as they were for your bike fit? Finally, just because someone has measured you up, it doesn’t guarantee a spot-on, niggle-free position, especially if the soggy carbon-based thing sitting on the saddle is changing shape
You might also benefit from some stiffer soled shoes
Cranks are the same length and the stack/reach of the new bike is identical to the old. Same contact points too.
Like the description about power whilst on the rivet I’ll give that a go.
Rich_cb wrote:
Have a little look at this diagram, does your numbness correlate to any of the shaded areas shown? It doesn’t have to be exact, anatomy is quite variable.Areas shaded brown/buff/tan I would say is the majority of the numbness and stiffness.
Definitely middle toe with a tiny amount in the toe next to the little toe plus superficial peroneal cramp plus stiffness in dorsal rami L1/L2/L3
Interestingly the numbness seems to progress throughout the day once off the bike. I work from home but being a bit of a posture-obsessive I bought my old work chair from my ex-employer and have the desk height exactly the same.
I think there’s an element of
I think there’s an element of psychology to it too. As a kid it was the done thing to ride up hills standing up (3-speed SA hubs left you with little choice!) but also when you’re spinning away and feel like you’re getting nowhere it just feels good to stand for a few seconds and mash away. You see the pros do it, particularly in the grupetto, and I’ve often thought it’s to relieve the boredom.
Conventional wisdom is that
Conventional wisdom is that climbing seated is faster. Do you mean he was on the lower part of the drops?
Position-wise I prefer climbing seated but with my hands in the drops – it feels more comfortable and gravity should do the job of braking if needed. With a 34-tooth cassette I usually just sit and spin, the only time I’m really out of the saddle is if there’s a short ramp in the middle of a longer climb and I don’t want to change gear/cadence. Not something I can maintain for long – my handling skills aren’t good enough to get the bike swishing from side to side like Marco did.
