Road Cycling Essentials

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Need a bike for a 14 mile commute, is that too much to be doing before/after a 10 hour day? At the moment i drive but will be working within the congestion zone soon, and at unsociable hours where the tubes aren't running...

If i'm not absolutely out of my mind by riding into London, what would people recommend around the £800 mark? (Leaving £200 for accessories...already have lights/helmet from MTB)
 
Im considering ditching my Bob Jackson fixed for the same frame in a geared version.

However the frames probably sellable for ~£200 and a new one is upwards of £500, bah.
 
Squidger said:
Need a bike for a 14 mile commute, is that too much to be doing before/after a 10 hour day? At the moment i drive but will be working within the congestion zone soon, and at unsociable hours where the tubes aren't running...

If i'm not absolutely out of my mind by riding into London, what would people recommend around the £800 mark? (Leaving £200 for accessories...already have lights/helmet from MTB)
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I ride ~12ish one way :) through central london - croydon to paddington.

and it's not that bad! you get used to it and in my case it's around 30 minutes quicker than a train!

also -;

http://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXRT58ALUTIA/planet-x-rt-58-alloy-shimano-tiagra-road-bike

plus w/e kit you need!

GOOD set of lights + GOOD lock are a must around london.

also get a set of good tyres

vittoria zafiro, rubino, gp4000's etc.
 
Squidger said:
Need a bike for a 14 mile commute, is that too much to be doing before/after a 10 hour day? At the moment i drive but will be working within the congestion zone soon, and at unsociable hours where the tubes aren't running...

If i'm not absolutely out of my mind by riding into London, what would people recommend around the £800 mark? (Leaving £200 for accessories...already have lights/helmet from MTB)
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If you are reasonably fit then 14 miles is fine (is that each way or round-trip?)

I've been riding in and out of London every day for years doing anything from 10 to 25 miles each way. 50 miles was too far on a daily basis, but 30 miles a day is a good run out.

Riding in London is fine. Traffic generally moves pretty slowly and infrastructure is reasonable. Just keep looking around, be patient and don't go up the left side of any large vehicles despite the fact that everyone else will be.
 
[DOD]Asprilla;26160052 said:
If you are reasonably fit then 14 miles is fine (is that each way or round-trip?)

I've been riding in and out of London every day for years doing anything from 10 to 25 miles each way. 50 miles was too far on a daily basis, but 30 miles a day is a good run out.

Riding in London is fine. Traffic generally moves pretty slowly and infrastructure is reasonable. Just keep looking around, be patient and don't go up the left side of any large vehicles despite the fact that everyone else will be.
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good advice that!

http://www.strava.com/activities/130277543

smashed my best time, work-to-home! 18mph avg on strava.. 18.7 on garmin! quite happy muwhaha.. left a guy on a carbon pinarello with tubs miles behind, another muwhaha.. ;)
 
[DOD]Asprilla;26160052 said:
If you are reasonably fit then 14 miles is fine (is that each way or round-trip?)

I've been riding in and out of London every day for years doing anything from 10 to 25 miles each way. 50 miles was too far on a daily basis, but 30 miles a day is a good run out.

Riding in London is fine. Traffic generally moves pretty slowly and infrastructure is reasonable. Just keep looking around, be patient and don't go up the left side of any large vehicles despite the fact that everyone else will be.
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Fairly fit, a while since I've been on two wheels though...

Re-calculated the route, it's 11.5 miles each way...
 
Squidger said:
Fairly fit, a while since I've been on two wheels though...

Re-calculated the route, it's 11.5 miles each way...
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Also, in London, the shortest route might not be the quickest and the Super Highways aren't necessarily the safest either (I hear bad things about CS7 and Bow Roundabout has seen a number of accidents).

I do exactly 10 miles each way and for that I use a singlespeed, since most London is relatively flat. At that distance it's a sprint, and whist it might not be for you immediately it will feel like it if you keep it up for a year.

Where are you going from and to?
 
[DOD]Asprilla;26160243 said:
Also, in London, the shortest route might not be the quickest and the Super Highways aren't necessarily the safest either (I hear bad things about CS7 and Bow Roundabout has seen a number of accidents).

I do exactly 10 miles each way and for that I use a singlespeed, since most London is relatively flat. At that distance it's a sprint, and whist it might not be for you immediately it will feel like it if you keep it up for a year.

Where are you going from and to?
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Edgware to Waterloo, i'll be avoiding main routes and Bow R/Bout is supposedly lethal...
 
20 miles this evening, 17.7mph average, pretty happy with that! Felt a bit bonky about 16 miles in so slowed down a bit, so might have pushed closer to 18mph with better fuel - I'd had McDonald's for tea, winning. Got a top 10 place on a 6 mile segment, average of 20.6mph, which was surely helped by the fact that I was pushing very hard to catch a commuter I saw a hundred yards or so ahead on a long straight. I caught him and flew past and then had to try to keep going lest he overtake me again; I was very glad to get to the next turn and not have him follow me, haha. He had a rucksack on and everything, so it's hardly glory days. He was in some team shorts with a q8 logo on them, and I'm sure I've seen him about on my Saturday rides.
 
physichull said:
Aye looking forwards to it. Going cycling with a mate on Friday in north Wales, somewhere near Llandegla and Llangollen, probably do horseshoes pass.
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I really want to do North Wales sometime. Take a week and do a bunch of it. It looked great on the ToB last year.

Btw, I might be looking for someone to ride with on the 26th if you're around.
 
25km recovery and a few km on the MTB today as my legs felt quite tired on the bike.

Just rolled around really at <200w and had a coffee.

Seriously impressive when the professionals do it back to back for 5 days straight before a rest day.

Going to pack my shoes for the UK I think, my dad might want to go for a ride, I'll take his tourer and he can ride my Giant to give him a chance.
 
Bloody hell it was cold this morning.

Any way. The contract has been signed and returned, my commute to work will be changing fairly dramatically very soon.
 
platypus said:
Bloody hell it was cold this morning.

Any way. The contract has been signed and returned, my commute to work will be changing fairly dramatically very soon.
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I've done the same, contracts signed, but I have to wait until May 12th which is pretty rubbish. Currently thinking along the lines of a Cube Peloton, I've requested £750 as didn't want to commit the full £1k!
 
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