Forum Replies Created
-
Replies
-
For really proper deep cold
For really proper deep cold down just above zero, Galibier Barrier Deep Winter gloves work well and aren’t expensive:
https://galibier.cc/product/barrier-black/For weather down to about 5-7C I use a pair of these Columbus running gloves. They’re almost completely windproof, and that seems to be the key factor. You can still use your phone with them, too. I’ve never paid full price, they often seem to be on half price sale in the summer:
https://www.columbiasportswear.co.uk/p/mens-trail-summit-running-gloves-1827821.html
I’d be very skeptical of
I’d be very skeptical of having a bike fit in your circumstances. They’re very expensive and as several people have noted, don’t necessarily make you feel more comfortable on the bike.
After a bad experience buying a frame recommended by a bike shop that was just too big, so I could never get a comfortable position, I used an online bike fit calculator (now archived) and it worked well, giving a range of fits depending on your style, rather than a single ‘perfect’ solution. This one is ok too:
https://www.jensonusa.com/bike-fit-calculator
This gave me the basics, and I got a frame that was the right size, and played around with stem length and crank length until it felt perfect. Since that experience I am confident in picking bikes without testing them, because I know the stack and reach and top tube length that suits me. It has worked brilliantly ever since and every bike I’ve had since then has fitted like a glove. I’d recommend taking the time to measure yourself and get a ‘ball park’ figure, then try riding a bike in the recommended size and see how it feels. No amount of ‘ideal’ sizes produced by so-called ‘expert’ bike fitters beats your own experience of riding a bike, which you can extrapolate to others.
That’s a photo worthy of
That’s a photo worthy of Gregory Crewdson! Chapeau!
Don’t overlook stainless
Don’t overlook stainless steel if you want that shiny and durable bike. It’s much stronger than titanium and in theory that means you should be able to build a stiffer, lighter bike out of it.
Signed! Ridiculous that a
Signed! Ridiculous that a borough council – whether ‘Royal’ or not – can block planning of a decent A-road network of cycle tracks in London.
The A to B website is really
The A to B website is really good on this:
https://www.atob.org.uk/
I moved my junction box to
I moved my junction box to down by the bottom bracket, just below the bottle cage.
I took the cable from the front mech and plugged it into one side of the junction box, and got a 150mm cable from the junction box to the front mech. The cable from the downtube to the stem was in fact long enough to reach the left shifter, taped neatly onto the rear brake cable. Then I used a 550mm cable from the left shifter to the right shifter. Much neater! And dead easy. You can basically plug anything into anything in any order, so it’s a doddle.
As others have said, there
As others have said, there should be nothing wrong with an ‘as new’ 2013 bike. Your bike shop was just trying to flog you a new bike!
Those a both decent wheels, but the Hunts will be more serviceable, if you can stand the loud freehub (I sold mine because of it!). Otherwise, talk to DCR wheels, Spokesman, Cycle Clinic, or any of many independent wheel builders, who can probably do you a lighter, stronger set for less than Hunt or Mavic. And they’ll probably replace them free or at a discount if you crash or break them.
Indeed! I’ve got the ‘Kitten
Indeed! I’ve got the ‘Kitten Block’ extension for Firefox that blocks links to the Daily Hate and Express websites, in case I accidentally click through a link. Highly recommended for all!
https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/kitten-block/
Yes, Racing 3 and higher have
Yes, Racing 3 and higher have cup and cone bearings, Racing 5, 7 etc have cartridge bearings.
I certainly noticed the
I certainly noticed the improvement swapping between Fulcrum Racing 5 (winter) and Fulcrum Racing 3s (summer), so why not buy a second hand pair of 3s to use for ‘best’ and keep the 4s for winter? Shouldn’t cost more than £200 if you’re patient – even for the more recent ones with the wider (c17) rims.
Sure, I should have said ‘don
Sure, I should have said ‘don’t overlook stainless’ if you’re looking at titanium. But as for tube shaping, most of these bikes use round tubes, there’s not much shaping going on with these very high strength steels and titanium alloys. The tuning comes from playing with the butting, tube diameters, geometry, and so on.
Go stainless, not titanium.
Go stainless, not titanium. Reynolds 953 0r 931 is twice as strong as titanium, so you can build a lighter frame. Looks pretty well identical.
I record commutes on a Cateye
I record commutes on a Cateye Velo 9, wired old school cyclocomputer. Cost less than a tenner, batteries last years, and turns itself on and off automatically. Survived a fall down the stairwell at work. Gives totals and averages. But can’t be uploaded to Strava or anywhere else.
Yes, should be fine. Just
Yes, should be fine. Just keep an eye on the thickness of the braking surface, it shouldn’t drop below 1mm thick or you’re in danger of blowing the rim off.
One of these might come in handy:
https://www.proopsbrothers.com/bicycle-rim–dixieme-douzieme-deuxieme-gauge-d8005-446-p.asp