Road Cycling Essentials

Status
Not open for further replies.
My bike is in need of a decent service and I'm thinking of getting the tools and learning to do it myself rather than pay.

Can anyone advise if this tool kit would be any good? http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=40997

And if I've forgotten anything important from my shopping list? Thanks.



Shimano 105 5701 10 Speed Chain £15.99

Shimano 105 5700 10 Speed Road Cassette - 11-28 £31.99

Shimano Ultegra Brake Pads 6403 £6.99

X-Tools Bike Tool Kit - 18 Piece £34.99

Deda Elementi Mistral Bar Tape £7.99

Weldtite Lithium Grease £3.99

Muc-Off Nano Tech Bike Cleaner - 1 Litre £6.99
 
Last edited:
Rusty_Noob said:
This one hurt, very relentless pace.
Click to expand...

I haven't forgiven HHNF since day one of the sufferfest where I got shot to pieces and felt so ill afterwards that I spent the rest of the day lying down!!

I did there is no try this evening:
http://www.trainerroad.com/cycling/rides/232145

Almost got used to my new FTP - legs were a bit tired from squats in the gym last night and really felt it towards the end, but pretty happy. Also lost another 1.5kg so below 72 now, I don't think I want to lose too much more but if I can keep raising my power it'll certainly help on the hills!
 
Hmmm, after two days of stuffing my face with fast food working away I got out on the bike.

First time up the local CAT 3 since October, rivers of sweat running off me by the top of it, kicks up really steep at the end.

Rear mech started to play up part way through the ride with gears slipping and not changing properly. Trimmed it off the shifter to ensure it stayed in gear OK, but its not perfect. Wondering if the cable is just past it, as I have done over 3000km on it now and it wasn't new when I got it.

I have fitted and trimmed the front mech before which was OK, but not the rear, will give it some head scratching tomorrow night and watch some youtube videos.
 
It's not too difficult to sort the rear out. Just takes patience.

Make sure your limit screws are set properly.
Screw in the derailleur barrel adjuster all the way.
Loosen the cable release bolt.
Pull through the cable so there's a tiny bit of slack when it's at the highest gear (smallest cog) then tighten up the bolt.
Take up the slack with the barrel adjuster (so you've got wiggle room both ways when indexing).
Then move up and down the gears, tightening/loosening the barrel adjuster as required for smooth shifts (make sure you test up and down each gear as well as all the way up and down).

After that any minor adjustments can be made on the fly while riding using the shifter barrel adjustor.
 
Last edited:
minty said:
comedy pic from sunday! what can i say, i just love pulling stupid faces whenever i go past the photographer :D
Click to expand...

5637176422_61afd0a4bd_z.jpg


:D

[DOD]Asprilla;23840626 said:
If this is for the new bike the Arundel cages is where it's at. I've got their Mandible cages; no rattles. Ever.
Click to expand...

uniQ said:
They get good reviews, I quite fancy a pair of 3T ones to match the rest of the finishing kit but they're an eye watering £50 a pop :eek:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/3t-carbon-bottle-cage-with-titanium-bolts/
Click to expand...

Ok, feel free to call me an uncultured savage if you like, but what's wrong with plastic? Surely the 0.0000056 nanograms you save with carbon isn't worth 50 quid?...


Edit: Anyone seen this challenge on strava? I'd like to see anyone with a job pull that one off...
 
Last edited:
[Damien];23840937 said:
Ok, feel free to call me an uncultured savage if you like, but what's wrong with plastic? Surely the 0.0000056 nanograms you save with carbon isn't worth 50 quid?...
Click to expand...

you uncultured savage lol, nothing is wrong with plastic and i dont get the obsession with CF either but hey each to their own, i do like the way it looks but im not going to pay over the odds for it!
 
It's not about the weight. I bought Mandibles because they are bloody secure (am I the only one here who has had a bottle thrown before?) and they look cool.

Ti bike has Ti cages and cylcocross has plastic cages. The plastic ones are irritating as my coffee thermos rattles around in them.
 
Last edited:
I've got two carbon bottle cages but only because they match the bike and they were free as part of the old C2W free accessories.

All I do is worry; if scum knew they were £30 each they could have them off with a multi-tool in less than 30 seconds.
 
[DOD]Asprilla;23840997 said:
It's not about the weight. I bought Mandibles because they are bloody secure (am I the only one here who has had a bottle thrown before?) and they look cool.

Ti bike has Ti cages and cylcocross has plastic cages. The plastic ones are irritating as my coffee thermos rattles around in them.
Click to expand...

All about function, I've lost bottles before too. I'll be looking at those Mandibles for my new bike.
 
I've got a couple of these and I even ask myself why I paid that much for a bloody bottle cage. They do the job though and I've never had a bottle rattle or come out.
 
[Damien];23840937 said:
Edit: Anyone seen this challenge on strava? I'd like to see anyone with a job pull that one off...
Click to expand...

I didnt think it was that bad? Certainly more achieveable than some of the other challenges i'v seen.
It works out at 2 hours a day, im sure there are a lot of people on here who do that with just their commute to work.
I'm planning half an hour a day + 8hours each weekend (probably 2hours sat + 6hours sun), should be fairly comfortable.
 
touch said:
I didnt think it was that bad? Certainly more achieveable than some of the other challenges i'v seen.
It works out at 2 hours a day, im sure there are a lot of people on here who do that with just their commute to work.
I'm planning half an hour a day + 8hours each weekend (probably 2hours sat + 6hours sun), should be fairly comfortable.
Click to expand...

I'm just bitter because I'm not going to be able to get out at all this weekend or next sat so I doubt I'll pull it off. :(

Also, Pete, if you read this do us a favour and let the lads know that I'll probably not see them now until Jodrell Bank on the 10th. If I'm still ok for a lift find out what time we're meeting.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom