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BTwin are excellent and great value. Road.cc and I agree on this, and I’m comparing with a pair of Rapha shorts (which are also very good but cost twice as much (small sizing too)).
http://road.cc/content/review/193172-btwin-aerofit-cycling-bib-shorts
I have the non-aerofit version in both bibs and waists. Same pad as the aerofit. Comfy even on gravel tracks, no issues with 2-3 hour rides and I’m a heavy rider
If you like your Triban
If you like your Triban Decathlon have a disc-braked “adventure” road bike on the way.
If I was buying new for the purpose you suggest I’d look at the Fairlight Faran but might be out of your price range.
Also worth looking for 2016 model discounts on something like a Genesis CdF or CdA (the CdA is brilliant value and really nicely finished – takes wide tyres, mudguards, and has rack mounts).
Friend has a white and red painted one, looks great. Base model is Claris but there is a Tiagra build too.
Hunt wheels are in your price
Hunt wheels are in your price bracket for the summer bike. That’s what I’d be getting with that budget, or possibly ones from Kinesis – as a heavier rider and crap roads I’m interested in durability more than weight saving
As to the bike Full Carbon and Winter Bike seem a bit diametrically oppposed. So few carbon frames come with decent mudguard mounts, and fork crowns often aren’t drilled for dyno lights.
Your needs might be different but a winter bike for me means:
Full-length mudguards bolted to frame/fork (i.e. no SKS Raceblade bungee types_
Dyno lighting
BSA bottom bracket
Robust rather than lightweight with neutral handling (slack frame geo)
Disc brakes
Personally quite tempted by the Holdsworth Stelvio as I like to run 32mm+ tyres for the gravel bits of my commute.
Its a very sharp climb anti
Its a very sharp climb anti-clock out of Freshwater but you will likely have the wind at your back.
Military Road can be a real slog into the wind going clockwise but views are spectacular and final climb over Freshwater Down is easier. With two of you it will be OK as you can swap turns on the front.
Personally I wouldn’t bother heading up to Cowes – I’d go Yarmouth – Newport – Blackwater – Rookley – Godshill – Niton – Freshwater instead. Quite lumpy heading out of Newport.
The direct route (A3054) from Yarmouth – Newport can be a bit fast and intimidating – if you decide to skip doing Cowes take the “Middle Road” via Calbourne instead. Lovely rolling road and great scenery with a fast descent to Newport.
Niton Down clockwise is a long easy climb, like Freshwater Down it is steeper/shorter anti-clock.
If you go as far as Shanklin clockwise then Cowleaze Hill is a real slog, as is the climb out of Ventnor to the Whitwell road.
So much awesome
So much awesome
Arse.
Arse.
With that build level I’d imagine it will get parted out so I’d be watching Gumtree/eBay for eTap groups, the power meter, wheels, and computer. Gotta be £1k in parts s/h there.
Insured or microdotted?
With the good weather I’ve
With the good weather I’ve been experimenting with distances. Surprised to find that parking further out for a longer ride in is sometimes quicker. Makes sense I suppose – once your average speed driving drops below 15mph its going to be quicker to cycle no matter the distance.
On the plus side this means more New Forest and more gravel for me 🙂
For Mallorca there’s a
For Mallorca there’s a Barcelona to Alcudia ferry, which drops you right at the foot of the rides out to Formentor and Lluc. Also lovely there in October – sea will still be plenty warm enough and weather usually calm. Eurostar to Avignon and then train to Barcelona?
Might be worth checking on
Might be worth checking on Komoot for “road less travelled” routes. Be warned though – its proper lumpy. And stay away from the coast road, driving standards are appalling.
I have the option to do 22
I have the option to do 22 miles each way if I want, usually drive part of the way and settle on 10-12 miles EW. I’m not the fastest so I’m looking at an easy 3+ hour total commute (there and back) for the 22-miler and just don’t have the time to do that. Fortunate to be able to mix it up in the week depending on the weather and how I feel.
I do find I arrive really alert and have productive days, particularly after longer commutes. Also do a ride before any work from home days if I can.
I run a CX bike for a mixed
I run a CX bike for a mixed gravel/cycle path/road commute and I’m pretty happy with the flexibility it offers, particularly if you factor in a spare set of wheels. My route varies with distance so if I’m fancying a longer gravel ride I’ll run 33mm CX tyres or swap to 32mm Gatorskins if its mostly road.
CX bike is likely to be a bit more pointy than a road bike and also have more bottom bracket clearance. Compared to my old road bike I feel I’m a bit perched on top of the bike rather than part of it but this helps with handling.
CX is a compromise but the whole reason I have it is for disc brakes and clearance for big tyres. They’re also cheaper than buying a comparable gravel/adventure bike (because fashion/marketing).
Often the case that CX bikes come with crosstops (extra brake levers fitted to the tops of the handlebars – closer to the stem than they would be on a flat bar bike). They can really help with transitioning from flats to drops and are great for commuting. Downside is they tend not to be available for hydro setups (Hope do some I think?) and do affect lever feel and braking performance a bit.
I looked at the CAADX and almost bought one but it wasn’t clear if I could put mudguards on it and was put off by the pressfit BB. Current bike is a Merida Cyclocross 500 (similar spec to the Ride 500 but with discs). All I’d change on it is the chainset – for the type of rides I do an ultra-compact would make more sense.
As terrible as the whole thing is I think I’m a little relieved to know that this is at the least a clear message to drivers, 3 years in prison isn’t to be sniffed at, I just wish they’d change the law so that offenders could have their right to drive taken from them permanently.Does her 4.5year ban include the three years she’s been sentenced to (not that she’ll do three years I’m sure).
Martin Porter tweeted that the ban starts after she leaves jail. Also 6 points on her license so that’s one mobile phone offence away from another ban.
Bloody hell.
Bloody hell.
CMPG, you’ve got competition Judge Gregory Perrins in the hero stakes.
People have killed and had lighter sentences.
Mungecrundle wrote:
More into motorcycles than cars. Ducati in the garage if you please, though Triumph Thruxton R in Cafe Racer guise has recently got the juices flowing…. Cars are great. They go where you want when you want in comfort and safety usually full of children, shopping and stuff for days out. I’m lucky enough to cycle commute and avoid the daily frustrations of traffic jams so the car is a means to recreational opportunities that would otherwise be out of reach.A guy at work has a Thruxton R, utter bike porn. Had a Paul Smart Ducati repro before that. Always liked motorcycles but never learnt to ride one through self-preservation. I think the thing with bikes is the pinnacle of performance is within the reach of almost anyone. Not the case with cars. Anyone working can have a Ducati or MV Agusta if they want, that’s not the case with Porsche & Ferrari. Same applies to bicycles.
Used to be a complete
Used to be a complete petrolhead in my 20s/30s. Mostly Toyotas, Hondas, and VWs. Spent huge amounts on money on tuning, track days, road trips, etc.
Now I’m a family man its still there but channeled in different ways. Never thought I be slavering over German & Swedish 80s estates the way I did over sports cars and hot hatches but that’s my reality now. Partly its from being utterly fed up with the cost and complexity of modern cars – so much to go wrong and never, ever cheap to fix. So I’m in the market for a Volvo 940 as a daily driver and something like a Merc 280TE as a weekend car. Even Peugeots get a look in with the 504 & 505.
