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In the current weather I have
In the current weather I have duct tape over the vent holes on the soles, then I put my overshoes on.FWIW, I have two pairs, one waterproof and one warm and waterproof. Wool socks aren’t sufficient in the winter otherwise.
Well obviously, Brad should
Well obviously, Brad should have given the interview to the BBC in Italian then. Sorted.Home county:
Home county: ManchesterJanuary: Derbyshire
February:
March:
April:
May:
June:
July:
August:
September:
October:
November:
December:I can think of how to keep up with this until about May or June, after that I’m going to have to invent reasons to go away for weekends with the bike in tow!
Not sure, the Izoard appears
Not sure, the Izoard appears to have an integrated seatmast making comparisons a little more difficult. The top tube is the same length but there is 2cm difference in the centre-to-centre distance. Not sure why this is, does the Izoard have less ground clearance for the BB? The seat tube is also slightly steeper on the GT.For test ride purposes, I guess you could mount the saddle slightly forwards, but the difference c-2-c might mean that once comfortable on the Izoard, you would be looking at raising the saddle height on the GT (to achieve the same level of knee bend given that the bottom bracket is closer to the saddle), but that in turn would increase your body’s ‘drop’ to the bars. Also, you might like the handling of the Izoard, then find that the GT’s slightly higher centre of gravity doesn’t suit you.
Then again, I know nothing about this stuff. Someone with more knowledge will be along imminently, I’m sure!
I know, but I’d still take
I know, but I’d still take the Merlin.The Merlin in this thread is
The Merlin in this thread is cheaper and comes with Tiagra.Oh, and it’s a MERLIN!
I’ll try playing this year,
I’ll try playing this year, mostly turbo work so far though!13/01/2013 – 109km
1 point – 109 km
Well I gave up cycling when I
Well I gave up cycling when I was still in my teens due to knee pain whenever I put the pressure on. It just got too frustrating that I was being short-changed by my joints when my legs/lungs wanted to ride faster. I saw a BCF race physio at the time, and he couldn’t work it out. I couldn’t afford to go finding specialists etc. Cue years doing other stuff.A couple of years ago, with a bit more disposable cash, I decided to give it another go. I opted for Speedplay pedals and Specialised Body Geometry shoes specifically to allow my position to be changed and fine-tuned over time. I was still getting the pains, so booked an appointment with Nick. I spent about 4 hours between him and Nicola, and ended up with Specialised’s highest arch support, a pair of varus wedges in the shoes and a further pair within the cleats to support the outstep-down/instep-up neutral position of my feet. Also adjustments in cleat position to reflect my heel-in stance, a recommendation for 10mm more reach in my stem to give my back room to stretch out a little (this also proved wise) and some exercises to equal out the muscular tension exerted on my kneecap by the inner and outer quads (can’t remember their technical names – vastus medialis oblique or something).
The exercises proved to give the most immediate relief, but the open space between the ball of my foot and the sole of the shoe without all the other stuff means that without the additional support, I would have simply run into the next problem a couple of weeks down the line as my knees were knocking inwards on every downstroke as my ball pushed to the sole.
All this cost me about £120, which I thought was money very well spent. Admittedly, I also have custom orthotics (paying for those hurt me!) but Nick suggested that as they are heel-focused, and cycling being a forefoot activity, I not wear them on the bike.
I am thinking of booking another session with them actually, due to a weird shooting pain in my heel if I ride more than 2/3 times a week.
I realise it’s cash that is hard to come by these days, but even if it’s a small loan or a 0% credit card (make sure to pay it off!), I think looking after your health has to take priority over nicer bits on the bike.
Try discussing it with him, make sure you explain the financial constraint, I suspect they might be able to provide some useful input.
Good luck.
I was wary about coming back
I was wary about coming back to cycling due to knee issues, but I got everything sorted. There is a Sports Therapy clinic in Chorley, Lancashire which I’ll wager can help you. I appreciate it might be a long journey (where are you?) but a phone call ought to ascertain whether it will be worth it. It’s NJD Sports Injury clinic. They’ll look at your body/physical issues etc before turning attention to the bike, position, shoes, pedals, cleat setup etc.That’s good of them – just to
That’s good of them – just to check though, they sent you the correct hanger, or a new frame?Ewww.
Ewww.My frame was from Graham
My frame was from Graham Weigh just over the border into Wales, but he reckoned that his/Ribble/Dolans frames were all the same item. The R872 looks a bit different, and as has been said, seems to be the same as the De Rosa R838, but I’ve had no problems with mine.Only issues I’ve ever heard of re Ribble were related to the online customer service rather than the products themselves.
Oh, and following on from my
Oh, and following on from my comments about my minor (but costly) crash, one other thing I’m thinking (for me personally); you may have seen some content on this site about disc brakes and how they are starting to trickle into the road bike market. Now despite a lot of people taking a love/hate stance on the matter, I don’t have a particular leaning towards either conventional caliper rim brakes or discs. However, I am drawn to the fact that with discs, the wheel rim is no longer the braking surface. This raises the possibility of wheels lasting much longer due to less wear and tear, providing they don’t implode in a pothole somewhere. Add to that the fact that wheels probably make the biggest difference to performance, and it becomes clear why spending money in this area may reap rewards.Hence, my thinking for my next bike is:
Nice frame, properly fitted to me and my lack of flexibility – this may end up being a custom size, so perhaps Ti or steel as carbon gets £££££ for custom. Fair amount spent here.
Nice wheels with disc brakes – something like Dura-Ace C24s, expensive but hopefully last some time.
Replaceable (i.e. not too expensive) groupset – Shimano 105 or equivalent.Regarding the domane, they do look to be very good bikes, but that’s become a hotly-contested part of the bike market these days. Check out the Specialised Roubaix as an example or indeed the ‘sportive offering’ of most of the other manufacturers.
Good luck!
Just a thought, yoga could
Just a thought, yoga could help build the muscles back up in that area? In the name of control and all that.Blimey that’s awkward, I’m
Blimey that’s awkward, I’m always nipping to the toilet a few times (and wondering whether that will be enough) before a ride to avoid being caught short. Is it worth either 1. taking a bike lock and riding a route near places where you can find a toilet at short notice, or 2. taking your own toilet roll if in remote areas?Gkams advice also seems sensible.
I hope it is indeed temporary. Good luck.
