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MarcMyWords
However, you do state that you’ve already bought the SPD pedals. I think SPD adapter kits are available for the 3-hole bolt pattern on most shoes.
Thanks for your post – I do have the pedals but they were only about £15 so if something else is better, I’m happy to sell them on / give them away and start again for the right pedal and I’m hearing lots and lots of positives about Speedplay.
Ah, ok. I chose them because they give you a large pedalling platform (check out the size of the cleat compared to others, they’re double-sided and the float is not spring-loaded. It’s neutral, which means that the pedal doesn’t keep trying to pull you back to it’s central position. I’ve had knee issues in the past.
Check this out – I don’t think this has spd on the list, but the comparions are interesting all the same:
http://www.speedplay.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=roadcompare.compareroadI use Specialized Body Geometry shoes, but that’s partly because the sole is laterally tilted, with a built-in 1.5mm varus wedge. I actually require about 4.5mm varus wedging, which is difficult to achieve while leaving enough room in the shoe for your foot, so that built-in amount has value to me.*
There are shoes with 4-hole bolt patterns specifically for Speedplay, which are worth looking at because they allow you to do away with the adapter kits that allow you to use speedplay on shoes with 3-hole patterns. This is good because it reduces the distance between the sole of your foot and the pedal axle. These shoes are usually at the pricier end of the scale though. Off the top of my head, I think Lake, Northwave and Sidi each have a speedplay-specific shoe.
*If this is jargon is sounding like a mystery, check out the Specialized Body Geometry websites to understand more. You may be one of those people who can use any fitting shoe without a problem, but you could also be the kind with more specific requirements. It would be a shame to spend your money on something that turned out to be unsuitable.
Let me know if you have any other questions.
I have Speedplays and swear
I have Speedplays and swear by them. Some find the force required to engage a bit heavy but I have 2 pairs and have no problems with either. As regards maintenance, every 6 months I squirt a bit of bearing grease into the grease port, and wipe off the old dirty stuff that comes out of the other side. I also squeeze a couple of drops of dry lube onto the cleats (since these, rather than the pedals, have the spring-loaded parts) every few rides. Thats it, it really isnt a hassle.However, you do state that you’ve already bought the SPD pedals. I think SPD adapter kits are available for the 3-hole bolt pattern on most shoes.
stumps wrote:Personally i
Personally i think drivers who ride bikes make the roads safer as they know first hand what its like to be on a bike whilst cars pass by.This. I’d be mortified if I was responsible for some of the craziness that I see when on my bike.
Hi trikeman, long time no
Hi trikeman, long time no see. I don’t have a complete bike to sell, but I’ve got a frameset, finishing kit, and possibly wheels (not decided on those yet) which are taking up space. The frame is carbon from Graham Weigh in Deeside, with a nude carbon finish. As he says, it’s the same frame you’d get from Ribble, Planet-X etc. Strictly speaking, it’s a 52 in compact geometry. I used it with a fair amount of exposed seatpost and a 110mm stem to give me something close to an equivalent 56cm, but you could just as easily set it up slightly smaller. The finishing kit is a mixture of RSP, Deda, Charge saddle etc. I also have an adjustable angle stem if back backs are your thing.fukawitribe
I’ll do this once more then i’m off – i’m rapidly becoming an unfortunate XKCD cartoon…Someone is WRONG on the internet!
Oh yesh 😀
(Alas I was that man last night)
Thanks for reminding me of xkcd, I’ve just been laughing at a few. Doc Brown on halloween is class!
fukawitribe wrote: I’ll do
I’ll do this once more then i’m off – i’m rapidly becoming an unfortunate XKCD cartoon…Someone is WRONG on the internet!
Ha, no I had wondered that,
Ha, no I had wondered that, but I think Harriet and Dee probably turn over a decent profit (my wife likes it!) so are firmly ensconced in that plot. Punta Velo is indeed on Warburton Street, but directly opposite, and upstairs. (I wouldn’t fancy lugging all those cargo bikes up narrow stairs) He’s only been there a couple of months.It’s got me thinking about a nice steel frame with Chorus (well it would have to be all-Italian) and some nice wheels.
Do you remember why Neil Walton cycles closed though? Those daylight cool-as-a-cucumber raids by a gang of bad boys just walking out with £20k of mountain bikes was awful. When it happened the second time, that was them done for as they couldn’t get insurance. It was a shame, I built my first good bike from there after buying a 653 frame from Harry Halls.
I’m not so sure. A suitable
I’m not so sure. A suitable (for you) saddle should feel good from the off, unless it’s something like a brooks as mentioned above. I’m all for hardening up and riding the bike, but life, and your chances of having kids, are too short-lived for sore bollocks.Check that the saddle is the
Check that the saddle is the right width for your sitbones. Many manufacturers do a range of three in differing widths.To your now-refined question,
To your now-refined question, the Trek Domane sounds like a good bet -also sounds like you’ve already tried one.Good luck!
Congleton isn’t too far, and
Congleton isn’t too far, and is also on the list, although more of the kinds of house we would like seem to crop up around Tarporley. We’ve not really seen places we like in handforth.Tarporley to glossop is over 40 miles, so that’s an 80 mile trip excluding climbs. We’re moving out of the city for a bigger place and a garden for the babies growing up.
Looking on ridewithgps, there seems to be a few local routes with around 3000 ft or so, which I suppose is what I have now – it’s 10 flat miles from south Manchester to Wilmslow, for example, so a 40 mile ride might have 3000 feet ascent in the middle 20. As you say, there’s also a lot of routes across to Wales. Interesting that you say there’s cyclists everywhere out that way.
Thanks guys. If I’m honest, I think the other half of this is that is I like the club I’m with. Not only are they a good bunch, they also, unusually, go out at 8am which is better than telling my missus that she’ll lose me to the bike for most of Sunday.
Anyone who can fix anything
Anyone who can fix anything is an ‘engineer’ these days. I work in IT and Microsoft award ‘certified systems engineer’ status if you pass the required exams.The survey, anyway, sounds like bollocks.
Lots of cool stuff suggested,
Lots of cool stuff suggested, but buying online (canyon for example) for your first road bike has danger written all over it.Bikegirl – question for you, where are you based? People here should be able to suggest good local road bike shops (although you may already have some lined up).
Re the carbon/alu price
Re the carbon/alu price crossover, opinions will vary but I think generally people on here will tell you that cheap carbon is not as good as good alu. Try this: find a carbon bike for £1000, then test ride it. Find a good alloy bike (cannondale CAAD is a good example) and repeat. My experience was that the carbon soaked up the road buzz, but it felt reluctant to accelerate. The alloy will ensure you feel the road surface, but when you jump on the pedals, the thing will practically light up. The great news is, you can sort the road buzz with such things as a carbon seatpost, lower tyre pressures, better bar tape etc.Ah ok, apologies if that came
Ah ok, apologies if that came across as patronising then! I don’t know anything about the Norco, but from the other bikes I’ve ridden, I wouldn’t go for carbon at £1500. Admittedly, I only paid £1600 for a good carbon bike (Trek Madone 4.5), but that was reduced from it’s usual price of £2k. The big overlap of good aluminium and cheap carbon means that at £1500ish, I’d be looking more at a good alu bike.Alternatively, do you have a branch of Edinburgh Bicycle co-op nearby? They have the titanium Van Nicholas Ventus at about £1500, and titanium is a different handling feel again.
Actually, talking of my discounted bike, what’s your timescale for a decision? Shops start to apply the discounts around September/October time to make way for the next year’s stock, so that’s worth bearing in mind.
Finally, (sorry to introduce ANOTHER option!) you could spend, like, £300 on a cheap aluminium bike, ride the nuts off it until you have firm opinions on all the little details I mentioned, then blow £2k on a seriously nice piece of kit! Cervelo R3 105, anyone?!
