I reckon, firstly, if you want to do that, just buy a moped, and secondly, that whoever made that video needs to acquaint themselves with the decimal point. 2.6% maybe - but 26%? - bollocks.
I reckon, firstly, if you want to do that, just buy a moped, and secondly, that whoever made that video needs to acquaint themselves with the decimal point. 2.6% maybe - but 26%? - bollocks.
Yeah but you can't fold your moped up and take it on the train.
Bit of advice needed from you guys in the know I'm after a bike in the £500 bracket and I have been looking at a Giant Defy 5, Fuji Sortif 2.5 Compact or a Boardman which one would you recommend cheers
I reckon, firstly, if you want to do that, just buy a moped, and secondly, that whoever made that video needs to acquaint themselves with the decimal point. 2.6% maybe - but 26%? - bollocks.
Yeah but you can't fold your moped up and take it on the train.
Bit of advice needed from you guys in the know I'm after a bike in the £500 bracket and I have been looking at a Giant Defy 5, Fuji Sortif 2.5 Compact or a Boardman which one would you recommend cheers
You might be better off having a look on ebay, you can find some right bargains.
The Allez Elite is a cracking road bike. Not Carbon but its light and responsive. I rode one for 2 years before upgrading to carbon.
Obviously you have to know your size and what you're looking for but I'd seriously consider going second hand at that budget rather than buying a cheap "new" bike.
Bit of advice needed from you guys in the know I'm after a bike in the £500 bracket and I have been looking at a Giant Defy 5, Fuji Sortif 2.5 Compact or a Boardman which one would you recommend cheers
You might be better off having a look on ebay, you can find some right bargains.
The Allez Elite is a cracking road bike. Not Carbon but its light and responsive. I rode one for 2 years before upgrading to carbon.
Obviously you have to know your size and what you're looking for but I'd seriously consider going second hand at that budget rather than buying a cheap "new" bike.
Great advice. Look for someone who's upgrading - there are loads of great bikes out there to be had at silly prices on eBay. If you know pretty much what you want, you're bound to find it on there. Be careful you aren't buying something that's been nicked though. I'd only get a bike from someone who can show you they've bought it legit.
Good choice - though if you live up to your username, you might want to be aware that it has a reputation for being a bit twitchy on descents
One of my pals used to ride a 1.1 - his first bike. He thought it was really lightweight and found it hard to control on descents. Then again, we started out riding at the same time and were both big old lumps then. His second bike weighed a damn sight less, so I suspect it was just that he couldn't control a bike properly.
Just looked it up - comes with a pretty narrow gear range (50/34 - 12/25). Not sure what you're like on hills, but it might be a bit tougher than you're used to. Certainly explains why my mate looked like a beetroot at the top of every hill...
Anyone out this weekend? Did just over 125k at just over 30k an hour with 1000m of climbing. Pretty pleased with that - though tempered slightly by the fact that the clanking noise I've had coming from my bottom bracket for the past month now sounds like someone hitting the bike with a spanner on every crank turn. I think it's time to cast my trusty, loyal caad8 aside and trade her in for a Synapse 5...
Spent Saturday afternoon at Herne Hill velodrome, after the initial unease at riding a fixed wheel bike with no brakes I really got into it. I'd recommend any keen cyclist to have a go at track racing if you get the chance, it really dragged the competitive nature out of me. The race tactics and energy needed for sprint finishes were totally different to any other type of cycling I'd done before. Will hope to get out for a couple of 20-30 milers in the week and then hopefully a 100 miler on Saturday if my mate still fancies it.
I am off to the Alps on Saturday, cycling from Antibes to Annecy over the course of 5 days....am not sure I'm in good enough shape not to suffer too much...it's going to be tough....I'll load it on Strava for those of us on there...
Also, I am charity fundraising on July 12th, attempting to cycle up (and down) Mt Ventoux 3 times in one day, raising money to fight bowel cancer, after one of my mates died of the disease in January... I'll be posting this again close to the time, but in the meantime, if anyone would like to sponsor me, they can do so here: www.justgiving.com/mattowen1970
I'd love to do the Alps one day. Some friends are taking about doing l'Etape next year. If that comes to fruition, depending on where it is, I might go down through the Pyrenees to Barcelona.
One for the bike mechanics amongst you. Just bought myself a nice new set of Mavic Wheels and am looking to fit them asap. My question is, how tricky is it to switch the the casette on the rear wheel? Is it just a case of having the right tools or is there more to it?
One for the bike mechanics amongst you. Just bought myself a nice new set of Mavic Wheels and am looking to fit them asap. My question is, how tricky is it to switch the the casette on the rear wheel? Is it just a case of having the right tools or is there more to it?
You need a chain whip and a wrench. Easily done. Just dont miss out any of the spacers!!!! I always take my cassette off to clean it in degreaser every couple of weeks, just to keep things working nicely.
Or just buy a new cassette, then leave your old back wheel as it is and use it on the turbo trainer or in bad weather when the road dirt with eat into your rims under braking.
Pretty simple. There are YouTube videos that show how. Takes about 15 minutes first time, ten minutes when you've done it before.
What Mavics did you get?
Nothing fancy just a pair of Aksium's.
Didn't think to check Youtube.
Think I'm going to take John Boy's advice and buy a new casette. By the time I've bought the tools and sworn at the bike several times the new casette won't be that much dearer!
was out on a mountain bike ride yesterday, came round a bend on a single track trail & there in front of me was the biggest pile of bear poo I have ever seen & it was still steaming!! certainly added some spice to the rest of the ride as we got the hell out of there....this biker was even luckier though..
Jeez, well that was a weekend of cycling to forget.
Made the decision a couple of weeks ago to drop my running mileage and start cycling again and have been gradually building up the miles, the speed and the climbing. Am no where near where I was when I was cycling regularly 18 months ago but am still managing an av of 17mph over 50 miles on my Welling to Higham and Shorne loop.
Anyhow, havent had a mishap in over 15,000 miles of cycling until this weekend.
Was on the Pilgrims Way between Otford and Old Terry's Lodge on the bit where it goes single track and was staring down the face of a big white van coming at me at mph. I had literally two seconds to decide upon death or very serious injury or to throw myself left into the hedge. The hedge won.
Badly cut up forearm and bicep, badly bruised ribs and a couple of bramble thorns in my backside. Lovely. Thankfully no damage to bike but was badly shaken up. I'm very lucky it wasnt worse.
My parents gave me a lift home on Saturday evening. Went back to collect my bike on Sunday when the ex-wife phoned to say she was in A&E with my daughter who'd gone over the handlebars of her bike and was waiting for 6 stitches to be put in her knee.
Finally made the return journey on the bike between Bexleyheath and Welling and was then nearly taken out by a Ford Focus on Central Avenue turning into Station Approach. Just didnt see me and literally saw my life flash before my eyes and prepared myself for the impact of going over the bonnet but somehow, still dont know how, but I managed to stay upright and swerve around him. Jesus, I've had a gut full this weekend
Ouch. Brutal weekend! Had one of those last year - hit a pothole and pinch flatted at the bottom of a hill at 60kph - flew through a hedge and landed in a field (bike got stuck in the hedge). Got some hefty scratches and grazes but limped home. Next day, some silly cow in a little 4x4 Isuzu Trooper pulled straight out on me from her driveway - luckily I was only going about 10kph at the time and swerved round her & hit the kerb but stayed upright
It happens in bursts though - I went through a dreadful period of accidents and almost accidents a couple of months ago, but touch wood haven't had anything serious for a while now.
Get back in the saddle - you know it's the only way
Should have kept my mouth shut. Near death experience this morning courtesy of an abject f***ing arsehole of a bus driver on Tooting Broadway - deciding he was going to overtake me (despite me travelling at nearly 40km/h) then swinging left across my path without indicating
Literally one second from death (barriers outside the tube station - i would have been crushed between them and the bus). Pedestrians giving him absolute pelters for it, I pick myself out of the gutter to give him abuse and he just smiles and drives on. I thought one woman was going to kick the doors in she was so desperate to coat him for it.
Took me a while to get over that, but I carried on as I had a ride in regents park planned with my mate.
Honestly - it is amazing more people don't get killed.
Bloody hell LA, glad you're ok. That sounds horrific.
As it turns out, you know they say bad sh*t happens in threes? I've got the third thing out of the way now too. Went for a run yesterday lunchtime, nearly got run over on the drive through to McDonald's in Commercial Road so tried to dodge around but got my foot caught in a pot hole and down I went.
Got no skin (no associated Tottenham jokes here please on my forearms or elbows now. Very uncomfortable sitting at my desk since.
Was out on the old, 2 lane highway between Banff and Lake Louise last week on my road bike with a friend. 40kms in and in the middle of nowhere we were stopped by a Park Warden with lights flashing - we were less than 100yds from a huge Grizzly Bear. We had to cycle slowly alongside the truck as it inched past the bear on the other side of the road - it looked over towards us but didn't seem too bothered. I don't think it's possible to get any closer to a bear like that and survive - definitely an interesting experience!
Bit of advice needed from you guys in the know I'm after a bike in the £500 bracket and I have been looking at a Giant Defy 5, Fuji Sortif 2.5 Compact or a Boardman which one would you recommend cheers
I'm thinking the same thing, have been looking at the vitus mach 3VR or the B'TWIN Fit 500 Ltd Road Bike, not sure what's the best.
Comments
Struggled on and got in the swing of it but was too sore to carry on after lunch.
Most importantly I beat my work colleague though.. Despite him shooting ahead early on
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Specialized-Allez-Elite-Road-Bike-/151305102761?pt=UK_Bikes_GL&hash=item233a7ca5a9
The Allez Elite is a cracking road bike. Not Carbon but its light and responsive. I rode one for 2 years before upgrading to carbon.
Obviously you have to know your size and what you're looking for but I'd seriously consider going second hand at that budget rather than buying a cheap "new" bike.
One of my pals used to ride a 1.1 - his first bike. He thought it was really lightweight and found it hard to control on descents. Then again, we started out riding at the same time and were both big old lumps then. His second bike weighed a damn sight less, so I suspect it was just that he couldn't control a bike properly.
Just looked it up - comes with a pretty narrow gear range (50/34 - 12/25). Not sure what you're like on hills, but it might be a bit tougher than you're used to. Certainly explains why my mate looked like a beetroot at the top of every hill...
Unlike this bloke
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/7095134.stm
It's not as if the bike is anything to look at!
Will hope to get out for a couple of 20-30 milers in the week and then hopefully a 100 miler on Saturday if my mate still fancies it.
Also, I am charity fundraising on July 12th, attempting to cycle up (and down) Mt Ventoux 3 times in one day, raising money to fight bowel cancer, after one of my mates died of the disease in January... I'll be posting this again close to the time, but in the meantime, if anyone would like to sponsor me, they can do so here: www.justgiving.com/mattowen1970
Cheers
I'd love to do the Alps one day. Some friends are taking about doing l'Etape next year. If that comes to fruition, depending on where it is, I might go down through the Pyrenees to Barcelona.
Enjoy your mini-tour - pretty jealous!
What Mavics did you get?
Or just buy a new cassette, then leave your old back wheel as it is and use it on the turbo trainer or in bad weather when the road dirt with eat into your rims under braking.
Didn't think to check Youtube.
Think I'm going to take John Boy's advice and buy a new casette. By the time I've bought the tools and sworn at the bike several times the new casette won't be that much dearer!
http://www.fitzhugh.ca/jasper-man-survives-grizzly-attack/
Made the decision a couple of weeks ago to drop my running mileage and start cycling again and have been gradually building up the miles, the speed and the climbing. Am no where near where I was when I was cycling regularly 18 months ago but am still managing an av of 17mph over 50 miles on my Welling to Higham and Shorne loop.
Anyhow, havent had a mishap in over 15,000 miles of cycling until this weekend.
Was on the Pilgrims Way between Otford and Old Terry's Lodge on the bit where it goes single track and was staring down the face of a big white van coming at me at mph. I had literally two seconds to decide upon death or very serious injury or to throw myself left into the hedge. The hedge won.
Badly cut up forearm and bicep, badly bruised ribs and a couple of bramble thorns in my backside. Lovely. Thankfully no damage to bike but was badly shaken up. I'm very lucky it wasnt worse.
My parents gave me a lift home on Saturday evening. Went back to collect my bike on Sunday when the ex-wife phoned to say she was in A&E with my daughter who'd gone over the handlebars of her bike and was waiting for 6 stitches to be put in her knee.
Finally made the return journey on the bike between Bexleyheath and Welling and was then nearly taken out by a Ford Focus on Central Avenue turning into Station Approach. Just didnt see me and literally saw my life flash before my eyes and prepared myself for the impact of going over the bonnet but somehow, still dont know how, but I managed to stay upright and swerve around him. Jesus, I've had a gut full this weekend
I'm remembering now why I took up running...
It happens in bursts though - I went through a dreadful period of accidents and almost accidents a couple of months ago, but touch wood haven't had anything serious for a while now.
Get back in the saddle - you know it's the only way
Literally one second from death (barriers outside the tube station - i would have been crushed between them and the bus). Pedestrians giving him absolute pelters for it, I pick myself out of the gutter to give him abuse and he just smiles and drives on. I thought one woman was going to kick the doors in she was so desperate to coat him for it.
Took me a while to get over that, but I carried on as I had a ride in regents park planned with my mate.
Honestly - it is amazing more people don't get killed.
As it turns out, you know they say bad sh*t happens in threes? I've got the third thing out of the way now too. Went for a run yesterday lunchtime, nearly got run over on the drive through to McDonald's in Commercial Road so tried to dodge around but got my foot caught in a pot hole and down I went.
Got no skin (no associated Tottenham jokes here please
That's a dreadful run of luck. By the way this is going I'll get totalled on the commute home tonight!
Trying to visualise Leroy, John Boy et al but not succeeding
:-)