Be Excellent To Each Other

I'm 6 foot and a bit, and find a 19inch frame most comfortable, in MTB set up, with 700C frames, you might want a bigger frame. Don't forget you can put on/off road tyres on 26inch wheels as well.

You can mess about with the seating positions and stretch to handlebars easily enough, and also don't forget to swap the saddle for a ladie's saddle. Apart from that, there's no real reason to buy a "Woman's bike".

As of this month, my salary is £5000 higher than it used to be, YES!

Admittedly, that is still lower than what I was earning before I made a very grown up and sensible decision and took this job right before they decided to close the bloody place!

It was confusing for me too. As I'm not particularly tall I just ended up getting the medium mens size which was the smallest they did.

Yeah, the Cycle ("to" - Ed) Work scheme is excellent for tax relief. I wouldn't have been able to splurge £450 on a bike and accessories otherwise. They should give you 10% extra to spend on accessories, too.

Yes we are also able to get accessories. I will have to try and find time to go to a Harlfords then. I also have to find time to go look at computers since I think I may be about to convince the missus that I deserve a PC for playing the sims on.

I'm 5'10, possibly 5'11 and ride a 20" frame. But I don't think all bike manufacturers measure it the same way — mine is from a German company, so they're probably all weird.

racist.

I thought the size bike you're supposed to get is exactly the right height that if you slip off the saddle, your feet hit the floor before your clackers hit the frame. So it matters less for women.

Either it doesn't matter or I need a bike ∞ high.

Also probably best if, when you adjust the seat so your legs are almost straight at the lowest point of your cycle, you don't have to then fuck about adjusting the handlebars to match.

I ride more in the arse up, head down style, though...

Yep, as do I. But if you didn't feel comfortable riding like that, you'd have to do something about it by, probably, raising the handlebars.

Bike people ahoy!

You remember a few weeks back I sorted out my front gears with much great success thanks to your wisdom? Well an odd thing has happened.

Last week I had to replace the inner tube on my rear wheel which meant I had to take the wheel off. Have done this many times with no issues. However since I put the wheel back on I've had issues with the rear gears "slipping" as it were. Ie the gear keeps on trying to change when you have heavy pressure on the peddle. Only with certain combinations mind when you are on the smallest cog on the front.

In front gears 2 and 3 there is a reluctance for mid range gears to change.

Have tried fiddling with no joy. What I have broken and how do I fix it?

Today I was involved in a bit of a scrape on my bike. I'm fine, the twat in the BMW made an expensive mistake by skidding to a stop next to me at the traffic lights a wee bit too close. He's now got a lovely scrape up the side of his car where he hit my bar end.My guess is something to do with the gear cable tension though I'm single geared so could be wrong.

Is it quick release? I imagine so, but I remember that I once managed to get my wheel back on my bike not centred, and it upset the gears.

Aha! Yes it is!

I will investigate in the morn!

Cheers.

Wheel's probably not gone in just like it was. Lift the rear wheel, and turn the pedals whilst clicking through the gears. Adjust the tension of the gear cable at the shifter end. should sort it.

Not much joy. Cable isn't in great nick either.

It's probably a bike shop job. As I now do so much cycling I'm wondering if I should just say "hang it" and get a new bike. I've done about 1000 miles this year already so I do cover a fair amount of ground. Most of it is on-road but I do go out in all weathers including rain and snow and some of the roads around here get covered in lots of mud and the water doesn't drain away. I'm not a fair weather cyclist by any means (I was like a pig in shit when it was -5 in Feb and my water bottle froze).

My current bike cost about 200 quid in 2002.

I can't afford a fortune, I just need something that is more up to the kind of miles that I do and that is a little bit tougher. What should my budget be and what should I look at. I know I'm actually fitter than alot of cyclists I see but every fucker can overtake me because they have lighter and newer bikes.

So BEEX, spend my money for me. I'll post pictures if you do a good job.

Here's my current bike back in March when I did my 50 miles ride.

Take the current one to the shop and get it fixed, and keep it for off-road stuff. Then get a proper road one. I can't imagine doing all those miles on a heavier bike than you need!

Grim.., the roads, the roads! I spend alot of time going down lanes that aren't driven down much and can have a thick layer of mud over them after it rains. You go down some of those hills with sharp bends at the bottom, if you don't have the grip you are going to be off.

Likewise the kind of potholes you only get in the country. There's been several occasions where I know I would have come off if I hadn't had fat grippy tyres. I see the road bike bods riding and it's funny how you only see them on certain roads. It's because they'd be off in no time if they went down the roads I go down.

And like I say, I go out in all weathers. Funny how the road lot all pack up if it as much as drizzles. I did a 25 mile ride in that week when it snowed in Feb and loved it. Had enough grip (just) and the bike was up to the job.

Spoke to someone earlier and he actually said Halfords might be worth a look (spits). Apparently there are some deals to be had. Might pop in tomorrow if I get time.

New bike ahoy! Just back.

Got this beast.

http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/category/bikes/mountain/product/fury-9876

Bit more than I wanted to spend but it's not like I'm the kind of person who only rides for a few weeks a year.

If you ride a lot like I do, then a good bike is a necessity, not a luxury. That's a nice one you've got there, but I'd really put some road tyres on it (even the ones with smooth crowns and knobbly sides might be an idea) as you'll waste so much energy on the roads with those beasts.

Will have a look at that. Been out for a quick 20 mile jaunt. Fucking got a puncture 4 miles in which was a bitch to change! New tyres and a fucking presta valve. Took nearly half hour to sort all in all as the tyre just wasn't coming off.

Nice to ride. Fantastic to have more gears. I noticed the front disc has some wobble which means that twice every wheel rotation it alternativly brushes the brakes. In the shop the man noticed this and said it would "bed in" but to me it looks like the disc is slightly off angle. It's not bent because it's brushing alternate sides so I think the angle needs adjusting. I have no idea about discs though (other than 3 inch).

But other than that it's great. Weight is about the same but it's easier getting up the hills and is nicer to ride. Wasn't really a proper test though. Perhaps next weekend if I get time.

Will post pictures in a bit!

[edit] Here we go:

You really do have to manhandle some tyres off the rim as they have kevlar beads which makes them very stiff when they're properly seated.

Disc rub can be annoying - most disc systems are self adjusting nowadays and should last a couple of years (less with the mileage you're doing, obv) without much need for touching. I suspect it's unlikely to be a poorly aligned disc as it would rub on every rotation. It could be a loose disc - grab the arms of the rotor - if there's any movement, tighten it obviously, but don't go mental with a cordless drill driver. If it's a duff caliper get them to change it under warranty - basically it could be a sticky piston that isn't returning properly which shouldn't be happening on a new bike.

Ah but it does rub on every rotation. Once for each pad. Looks like its just not quite parallel to the pads so rubs 1 per side for each rotation. Or perhaps the pads aren't quite parallel.

I need a new bike, now my last two bikes have been hybrids, and that's what I was thinking of getting this time too, (Was thinking of something like this)

But then I thought, it might be nice to get a mountain bike, I mean I do live just a few miles south of Dartmoor now, I could use it properly and stuff, but I would hate not having the speed on the road (I used to 'spin out' on my previous hybrid on the flat, never mind going down hill) so that would mean I would need to get a hybrid at some point in the future too.

So what should I do? Buy two bikes or just stick with buying a hybrid?

And what do you guys think of that Dawes Discovery?

Malc

I had a look at the hybrids today after what Grim.. said. Frankly there is no way I'd want to be out in December on one of those, or even autumn come to that. The main roads would be fine but up on Dartmoor I'd only want a mountain bike, the same way I need one around here. The guy in the shop said hybrids are more for decent roads, light trails and riding to work. Of course you are taking a speed hit, but I'd rather take a speed hit than end up bouncing down the road on my head because I've skidded on mud that some turnip muncher has left on the road when he drove his tractor out of a field.

Surely the speed hit isn't that big? Sure the racing bikes go flying past me but I generally keep up a good pace. Will be interesting to see if my average speed improves on my regular routes.

That sounds wrong. Something must be moving - you can't have an alternate rub from each pad. Put the bike upside down and spin the offending wheel. It's unlikely to be the disc, but check it anyway. If it's the pads, then the caliper could be out of alignment and that's easy to adjust. If it's the pistons holding the pads then take it back to the shop. Bottom line is brake discs should work out of the box when new - if they don't get the shop to fix them.

I've ridden my mountain bike 90% on roads so far. I don't give a shit about any speed I may have lost — I enjoy myself and get a good workout. Mountain bikes can cope on the roads, but I wouldn't want to take a road bike off the tarmac.

My front disc has started squeaking, though apparently my model is prone to it. I need to get round to having a look at it properly. Hm.

My forks squeak a bit, too, annoyingly. I will also need to figure out what that could be. I keep them clean, and have lubricated the stanchions. Need to have a good look at them, too.

I think I'll finally pick up that book you suggested, chap.

Cheers. I'll have an investigate. From memory the disc seemed pretty secure so it's probably an alignment thing.

I love the fact I don't have to weave around road imperfections and I can barrel down flights of steps if need be.

More than that, sometimes you don't have a choice. The edges of the roads around here are shit. If you have cars passing you on the outside, you can't really weave to avoid a pothole without risk of being killed.

Likewise when I was down near Lyndhurst at Easter and was run off the road by an idiot in a camper van, despite the fact I hit my foot badly I was still OK as the bike stayed upright and the suspension took the shock of me going into the gaping hole at the side of the road.

You sad mountain bike losers. I'd so pwn you on the roads.

I get totally pwnd by the racing bike riders, however.

Like I so often say about the racing bikes, you never see them out in the bad weather or even in the winter that much. The only thing that has stopped me cycling at least one a week in the past year has been illness and the week I got married. Granted some weeks I've done shorter runs due to bike problems or high winds* but I'm not restricted at all.


* Trying to cycle in a 50 mph crosswind last year was "interesting". I got up onto the New Forest and it was so hard the rain was stinging my face and I couldn't cycle in a straight line. After about 10 minutes of that I gave up and turned back.

Pro tip: if you're driving a lorry and decide to overtake a cyclist while he's already overtaking a line of parked cars in a town centre, you encounter an oncoming bus and decide to move over into said cyclist instead of dropping back, forcing him to look for a gap that isn't there, don't act all innocent when he calls you up on it at the next set of traffic lights, you UTTER FUCKING CUNT.

Why do you have so many problems on the road where I have pretty much none?

Ok, I've just signed my own death warrant, there.

I wish I knew. Very few cycle paths around here, unfortunately, though, if that forms any of the reason. Either that, or simply more clueless, twattish drivers.

The problem I have with lack of speed is that on my old bike, in top gear, going along on a level road my legs would go around faster than the resistance provided and I would "spin out" (I don't know if that's the correct term, but it's the feeling you get when you are in a too low gear trying to go as fast as possible). When I still lived in Exeter I was looking at that discovery because that had far higher gear ratios than the previous bike (RIP). However now I live on the edge of Dartmoor, and I there is no way I would want to take anything other than a full mountain bike on the moors, but given that I was frustrated with a hybrid before on roads, I would be really frustrated by a full mountain bike. So I wouldn't be able to do any "fun" rides on roads, or be able to use it for commuting and stay sane. I would have to buy a second bike for that. (which would still be a hybrid rather than full road, as I can't stand the fragility of a road bike)

Malc

I run a 44*11 top gear and rarely "spin out" on roads.

Took the bike back to Halfords. They took the front disc off and it was slightly warped. Replaced with a new disc.

The new disc still brushes slightly when you are riding it (oddly its fine when you are not) but I now assume that is because it now needs to bed in. Its nowhere near as bad as before and you can clearly see that the disc runs true.

Anyone know anything about disc brakes?

The front brake on the new bike now has inconsistent braking. Almost like it slips slightly on braking. You so apply pressure and the braking is uneven.

The discs look and feel clean. The bike is due its 6 week service but Halfords can't do it this week. If it's easy I can sort it myself but I guess I might be better waiting for them

No idea, sorry.

I have found an awesome web app for showing the elevation of a route, though. You just plot your route using Google Maps and it gives you a graph. I was surprised to find that I'm climbing 600ft on the way to work every morning!

Heh. This is my favourite ride into chester:

100ft? You might as well jog that instead.

Is the disc warped?

Pfft! Some of those hills are killers.

One of the later levels in Trials HD.

Doesn't look like it. The first one was but they replaced that. This slipping is less than one rotation. It happens quite quickly.

I just ordered a mountain bike maintenance and a cheap stand. I'm sure I can master my bike maintenance myself.

It's worth checking the obvious like the loose bolts on either the rotor or the caliper but I wouldn't put it past being another faulty rotor like last time. They get these things manufactured very cheaply and sometimes get bad batches - I had to replace two Hope rotors when I first built my bike as they were warping - the last one I got off them (FOC, obv.) had twice the torsional stiffness from a completely new rotor design and Hope admitted it was a design flaw on the old one. Other than that, it might possibly be contamination on one of the pads (oil or something similar - general dirt shouldn't have a detrimental effect) which really means new pads. ProTip always keeps lubricants away from your pads - any thing like oil, wd40, gt85 or anything silicone spray based lubes, don't get it on your pads. The only other thing could be a slightly faulty caliper - one of the pistons isn't operating correctly for whatever reason. This is a warranty repair I reckon as there's no way in hell you'd have the correct tools to strip a caliper.

Failing that, keep pestering Halfords, as from my experience, squeaks and noises should disappear after a few minutes as most calipers are self adjusting nowadays.