Don
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- 20 Oct 2002
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- Oxfordshire / Bucks
when I did the workout last year, I had to fold up my turbo and put the bike away after every ride!
Road Cycling Essentials
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when I did the workout last year, I had to fold up my turbo and put the bike away after every ride!
- Joined
- 3 May 2004
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- Kapitalist Republik of Surrey
A Molteni mug and I asked Santa for anything Eddy Merckx related.
My '40s boneshaker is getting a pair of vintage track hubs to be laced into the original wheels and will be going fixed gear instead of the 3-speed Sturmey and Dynohub. I haven't told it yet though
I’m looking at getting in to Road Cycling in the new year. It’s been a few years since I was last on two wheels (and I had an engine between my legs then 
).
The main reasoning for getting a road bike is to use with a Turbo trainer for HIIT work in addition to weightlifting/powerlifting, though it has the upside of allowing me to get out and about and involved in a new hobby too.
I’m trying a friends this weekend to see if I actually get on with it as a form of HIIT first but would be interested to know if there’s a particular time of year that would be best to look for a used road bike? I expect to get more bang for buck buying used.
In addition to the usual places like eBay, Gumtree, preloved I’ve also come across onceridden & bikesoup. Is there anywhere else worth looking? (in addition to any local shops)
I'll come back with a budget when I am certain, from my limited reading an aluminum frame and carbon forks should be on the list and I *think* (based on Wiggle's guide) a 56cm frame should be the sweetspot for me at 5'10 with a 30" leg.
).The main reasoning for getting a road bike is to use with a Turbo trainer for HIIT work in addition to weightlifting/powerlifting, though it has the upside of allowing me to get out and about and involved in a new hobby too.
I’m trying a friends this weekend to see if I actually get on with it as a form of HIIT first but would be interested to know if there’s a particular time of year that would be best to look for a used road bike? I expect to get more bang for buck buying used.
In addition to the usual places like eBay, Gumtree, preloved I’ve also come across onceridden & bikesoup. Is there anywhere else worth looking? (in addition to any local shops)
I'll come back with a budget when I am certain, from my limited reading an aluminum frame and carbon forks should be on the list and I *think* (based on Wiggle's guide) a 56cm frame should be the sweetspot for me at 5'10 with a 30" leg.
Don
- Joined
- 20 Oct 2002
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- 34,639
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- Oxfordshire / Bucks
I would say Xmas day onwards
should be able to pick up a bike that they've just replaced on Christmas day !!
should be able to pick up a bike that they've just replaced on Christmas day !!
Yeah I need to look at guards - I've seen nothing mentioned anywhere (and forgot to ask the LBS!) about mudguard mounts as ideally I want to fit SKS chrom's (require mounts?) to it rather than Crud Road Racer IIs (I've got at the mo, don't require mounts). Giant do their own which look very similar (have mounts), but I would prefer the SKS with their well known reputation.
Insurance claim was a lot of luck, but mostly guidance (mostly from my mrs who works in insurance) to word things in certain ways that I'd answer the questions to the insurers they would be asking - including lighting conditions of the road, how frequently I ride the road and what steps I had taken to make myself visible. Not exactly questions they directly ask, but they try to gather that information from both parties so if the police get more involved they have it (and it matches the info given the police by either party). Obviously my story matched their clients otherwise I doubt I would've had such a quick turnaround!
Speaking to your friends and trying out their bikes is defo the way forwards - failing that a visit to a local LBS would confirm your thoughts on frame size.
There are very good alu bikes out there, certainly if you're buying 1/2/3 years old you'll find looking for carbon forks will really limit your search area. A good groupset is probably more important, especially if you're looking at a lot of HIIT stuff on the turbo.
Either now or this time of year/autumn/winter as you get the previous years' models being sold off to 'make way' for the next seasons.
The Giany Defy 1 2015 I'm getting retails at £899, my LBS have the 2014 model (slightly different groupset as Shimano changed 105?) for £849 (it retailed at £1000) - to give you an idea of how much discount you can expect this time of year! (£150!)
Mine has had some LBS love (getting fixed), but it'll be getting a turbo tyre, new bar tape and an easier life as a turbo bike than being on the road (as it's being replaced on saturday!) Might even get it a sweat guard if it's well behaved!
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Associate
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That guy could do better.
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Associate
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Agreed. That pink top is atrocious
Wife isn't up to much either.
*my sarcasm detector seems to have failed*
Agreed. That pink top is atrocious
Agreed, it doesn't seem like he has any coordination with his gear, bike and helmet colours! [/tart]
She doesn't mind being seen in public or photographed for a newspaper in public with him in lycra! There's hope yet!
Reading more into guards the SKS chroms people struggle to fit them over 25mm tyres the Defy comes with, the RRII's are listed as ok, although a faff to fit around 25mm again, 23mm is ok but fiddly (I've already experienced when fitting to my current) and they're not listed as a full winter set. The Giant ones are listed and recommended as a longer term set than the RR's, a better fit than the chrom's/raceblades and on par with them all for actually guarding from spray... Price isn't terrible so as long as my LBS I'm getting the bike from have them I'll be getting a set of them!
Unless anyone else has come across mudguard reviews that read different?
I've said it before and I'll say it again... When it comes to mudguards, if you have a bike with mount points, buy SKS chromoplastics. If you have a bike without mount points, sell it and buy a bike with mount points and buy SKS chromoplastics.
However... Don't giant do some own brand mudguards for their bikes?
Also, fwiw, I can fit 28mm knobbly tyres under my chromoplastics on my TDF, so I'm sure you can manage 25mms on the defy unless it's got a really silly fork or seat stays.
However... Don't giant do some own brand mudguards for their bikes?
Also, fwiw, I can fit 28mm knobbly tyres under my chromoplastics on my TDF, so I'm sure you can manage 25mms on the defy unless it's got a really silly fork or seat stays.
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More wine is the solution!
Yeah the Giant ones do almost seem to be designed around the SKS chroms with an area cut out - it's the clearance between the frame/tyres/brakes which seem to be a problem on most of the Giant bikes - hence them having their own guards with the area cut out... I'm not sure if they make them intentionally incompatible but at least their guards are sold around the same prices and in multiple places!
My LBS don't stock the Giant guards and recommend the SKS raceblades they have, they don't have the chrom's in stock and as I'm looking for a more permanent solution than the RR's and raceblades I've ordered a set of the Giant guards from Wheelies... Fingers crossed they arrive on monday so I've only got the weekend and monday morning commute without guards (and a wet bum!)
If the weather looks like it's going to be terrible I may take my Crud RR's off my old bike and attempt to fit them on the giant, but it seems a waste of time (as the faffing around with RR's will prob take me an hour+!) to then go and change them a day or two afterwards!?
Thinking about it I'm pushed for time already tomorrow with maybe only an hour or so to ride the new bike in the daylight after picking it up, if the weather is bad (anyone?) I may be better to spend the time on the trainer and not my new bike!?
Then Sunday go for a nice long easy ride (with a hangover) on the new bike?
First 'ride' last night (since being knocked off on Monday) - did 20 mins on the turbo stretching and making sure my leg & wrists are ok... Nothing to report (didn't bother with Strava or tablet as it was raining), but everything feels ok, although I've put on 3-4 pounds this week from not cycling/cake day/biscuit time of year!
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Man of Honour
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- 16 May 2005
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Race blade suck so you've definitely made the right choice avoiding them.
Just let your shiny new bike get really muddy whilst you wait for new guards. Then clean it
Just let your shiny new bike get really muddy whilst you wait for new guards. Then clean it
Not a bad idea, start off on the right foot and clean it every weekend after my weeks commuting?
On another note - Garmin VIRB arrived yesterday (from IWOOT) after we were worried it had gone missing... IWOOT customer service are useless and no tracking even on their parcels requiring signatures...! Did a quick test of the quality last night and very, Very, VERY impressed (1080p after all)! It'll be wrapped up now and I'll get a bike mount in the new year, not intending to use it every day (as have got it predominantly for Snowboarding not cycling) but will record some nice summer rides!
On another note - Garmin VIRB arrived yesterday (from IWOOT) after we were worried it had gone missing... IWOOT customer service are useless and no tracking even on their parcels requiring signatures...! Did a quick test of the quality last night and very, Very, VERY impressed (1080p after all)! It'll be wrapped up now and I'll get a bike mount in the new year, not intending to use it every day (as have got it predominantly for Snowboarding not cycling) but will record some nice summer rides!
Man of Honour
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Totally ill at the moment. It's making it really hard to motivate myself to get those last few miles in to hit my 10k target :/
The awesome weather is really helping too.
The awesome weather is really helping too.
Soldato
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- 23 Dec 2009
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I did not want to, but with all the rain and my commute to the station starting again on Monday, I had to fit some mudguards to my Plug, SKS Raceblades. Not a good look but one that is necessary.
Question is, do I fit the bell from my other commuter?
Question is, do I fit the bell from my other commuter?
I've not been out since last weekend. Between the weather and work I've just not had it in me. I may get out tomorrow afternoon, but if it's icy I'll give it a miss.
Not ridden this week for one reason (hangover) or another (weather).
Canyon is giving me jip. After all the delays the bike is missing a bar end plug, has a small scratch on the top tube (black sharpie solved that) the back plate for the FD grub screw hasn't been installed allowing that to scratch the frame and my mudguards are missing the front frame mounts.
Never buy from Canyon, they are terrible. Bikes are great, service isn't worth the effort.
Canyon is giving me jip. After all the delays the bike is missing a bar end plug, has a small scratch on the top tube (black sharpie solved that) the back plate for the FD grub screw hasn't been installed allowing that to scratch the frame and my mudguards are missing the front frame mounts.
Never buy from Canyon, they are terrible. Bikes are great, service isn't worth the effort.
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