Road Cycling

mrthingyx said:
A van almost had me two weeks ago... And it wasn't even dark.
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I just ordered a ProViz Switch after seeing how reflective a colleague's reflect360 was - even during the daytime in a well lit office the thing genuinely looks like it's covered in bright LEDs when standing in front of a computer monitor. Breathability and fit isn't supposed to be great for longer rides, but should be alright for shorter commutes I'm hoping!

Linky: https://www.provizsports.com/en-gb/switch-mens-cycling-jacket-yellow-reflective.html
 
Jonny ///M said:
Last thing I did was pull the lever on and release it quickly, flicking it kinda, in the upper position, level and then pointing down. That got a surprising amount of bubbles out from the reservoir. Kept doing it until I got no more bubbles.
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I've been lever flicking all the way through but I think orientating the bars in multiple places, alongside also repositioning the caliper itself helped me and wasn't something I'd done much of before. So thanks for that! #protip :D

Saytan said:
i honestly dont know how people do it every day without punching someone.
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The general populace generally frustrate/irritate me. They're just so ignorant. Same with car drivers really but public transport seems to attract the real premium knuckle-draggers of them all.

mrthingyx said:
Oh, sure - I do feel *better* on the cost/lurgy scales... I'm just knackered most of the time. :D
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You'll get used to it, for me now not feeling knackered (being rested and 'normal'?!) is such a weird feeling. I don't like it! For me 'rested' is a week with less than 80 miles ridden, so a week of only commuting or half a weeks commute and a zwift ride lol

resurgam said:
Riding on the weekend or later evenings after work in spring/summer is OK - I'm in Selly Oak, so it's only a few minutes to get out west or south, depending on where I want to go. Hillier routes being out west.

I work in Shirley/Solihull though, so commuting's not ideal, given the bits of the city and the major roads I've got to get across.
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Yeah that would be a pretty horrific commuting area, I was impressed when I saw @merlin ride his commute in from Halesowen! :o

UTmaniac said:
Don't recall reading anything on the horrid BikeRadar "format improvement" from Asprilla recently, but that could be my memory! https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CLCAPRKRTC/carnac-parky-reflective-toe-cover maybe?
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Haha shame if he's gone, was always a good to have a moan with! Than again we've lost quite a few of those long standing regulars recently - FT & Von to name 2 more. :(

Looking on his Strava its actually a Sugoi shoecover - https://road.cc/content/review/109993-sugoi-zap-shoe-covers
 
Varwen said:
I just ordered a ProViz Switch after seeing how reflective a colleague's reflect360 was - even during the daytime in a well lit office the thing genuinely looks like it's covered in bright LEDs when standing in front of a computer monitor. Breathability and fit isn't supposed to be great for longer rides, but should be alright for shorter commutes I'm hoping!

Linky: https://www.provizsports.com/en-gb/switch-mens-cycling-jacket-yellow-reflective.html
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I have something similar. They are very good!
 
Robzere31 said:
Missing my daily commute miles this winter.

I've cycled to work the past 10 years through all manner of weather, however after last years accident I'm still wary of the conditions & my winter riding confidence is still to return.

Thank god for Zwift, otherwise I'd be doing nothing :(
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At least you got back to riding it in the better weather, providing you're still ticking the miles over (Zwift is great for this) then there's really not much you'll be missing from winter riding... Except getting as wet/filthy/cold! ;)

Berger said:
Need to watch the toe overlap on the flaps!
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Mine are bad for this, but I am riding a 54cm frame and 172.5mm cranks. I've not got big feet either! Think it's just the fairly short geometry of my Diverge though (it's similar to the Tarmac rather than more stretched like most endurance/CX frames) :rolleyes:

Varwen said:
I just ordered a ProViz Switch after seeing how reflective a colleague's reflect360 was - even during the daytime in a well lit office the thing genuinely looks like it's covered in bright LEDs when standing in front of a computer monitor. Breathability and fit isn't supposed to be great for longer rides, but should be alright for shorter commutes I'm hoping!

Linky: https://www.provizsports.com/en-gb/switch-mens-cycling-jacket-yellow-reflective.html
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Let me know how you find it. I've got a Reflect360, the material is amazing, even better when it gets wet as it gets even more reflective but as a jacket it's not that well designed. Quite flappy body/arms, tail not quite dropped enough, front not that short so bunches up etc etc. The neck is nice and high and the pit/body vents are good and adjustable. But even with them it's quite boil in the bag so not a great example of a multiple layer jacket compared to others I've worn. I only ride it in cold weather for that reason. The Proviz seems to be more of a reflective 'jacket' with adjustable elements which allow it to be used for cycling, rather than a cycling specifically designed jacket. DHB did one with more of a cycling design and I should've got that one instead, my experience of their previous jackets (owned 3) is far far better. DHB Flashlight full beam (unsure if they'll do a new version soon?) - https://www.wiggle.co.uk/dhb-flashlight-full-beam-jacket/

DHB also do a Flashlight (non-full beam) jacket which have a lot of colour on them and the fit/cut really orientated towards road riding. Although they don't have as much reflection, there's a couple of large panels on them. The Red is better than the Blue as the blue has a black body so really not great to be ultra visible. But as for actual design, I'm not convinced as they don't seem to have much ventilation, there's no pit or body vents.

Paid £35 for my 360 in a sale, wouldn't pay more than 40/50 for it personally.
 
Those of you with S / XS / XXS hands then the Rapha lobster Overmits are on the wiggle black friday - https://www.wiggle.co.uk/rapha-overmitts/

Other XS/XXS Rapha stuff there too (base layers mostly):
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/rapha-v-neck-base-layer/
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/rapha-merino-mesh-base-layer-ss/
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/rapha-merino-base-layer-sl/
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/rapha-winter-base-layer-ls/
https://www.wiggle.co.uk/rapha-merino-base-layer-ls/

Annoying as I do fit an S top in some Rapha kit and would chance a base layer, but not an XS...!
 
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Bought my dad the Pixelite performance jacket as it came with the rear pockets and the cut looked better.

I gave it a try on and the cut was pretty good, I’d be between sizes slightly (M/L) but it seemed decent to me and <£100 isn’t that bad for a jacket you could wear every day over winter.

The reflective areas are cut down compared to the others but there where needed if you’re in a riding position rather than commuting style more upright.
 
Saytan said:
i'm bored

let's play a game

you have £2500 to spend on a bike

what would you buy right now?
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I genuinely don't know what I'd buy! :o


I like the Orbea Orca aero M30 in the silver/black/red colour but wouldn't be able to fit in good wheels within £2500.

Giants always seem decent with the carbon wheels and ultegra within the budget.

Don't like the new Supersix or Foil, but do like the newest Tarmac.
 
Well that wasn’t so much fun.

10% chance of rain.

Set off from home, winter bike feeling good. Get 2/3rd of the way to bunch ride. Ping, hmm was that a rock between the tyre and mudguard. Bike feels OK, is tyre flat, no, going uphill not ridden for ages so feels a bit tough but OK. Over the top, descend at 55-60kmph.

Starts raining.

Get close to meet bunch, out of saddle, tough going and little noise.

Check bike. Broken rear spoke, rubbing brake. :(

Widen brake out as far as possible and ride hour home. ****** down rain.

Headset loosened off a bit. Thinking of putting a spacer under the top cap just incase it’s fouling slightly on the frame. FSA make microspacers specially for this. Or the stem is slipping up the steerer and that’s how it becomes loose? It’s a cheap Deda with bolts on the same side not opposite each other... worth adding carbon paste to the steerer (seen mixed feelings about doing this). Maybe slipping up, torque them up higher than 5nm but don’t want to crush the fork...?

I think it’s best if the wheel is totally rebuilt now.

I had shop A build the wheel and after a year the tension in the spokes was v low and a little noisy.

Shop B backed them all off and started again and the wheel felt to have higher tension.

Now the spoke has broken at the hub end on the drive side.

Do I have shop B rebuild from scratch with all new spokes (assuming they were fatigued when they altered the spoke tension and then have just broken, rather than they increased tension higher than really required which has led to them breaking) or do I try my luck and go for shop C?
 
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Had a bit of a nightmare this morning. Puncture, replaced inner tube. That punctured?! Patched it, but the inner valve bit came out of the valve whenever I tried to remove the pump. Patched the first inner tube and got myself home.

So... a few questions -

If that happens again, how can I stop that inner element of the valve coming out? It felt like I couldn't screw it back in tight enough, so the pump kept unscrewing it when I tried to unscrew the pump from valve.

I think there is a slight split in the side wall of the tyre. Given I use inner tubes, do I need to replace the tyre?

Now it's patched, do i need to replace the inner tube still? (I'm assuming I do..)
 
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AndyCr15 said:
Had a bit of a nightmare this morning. Puncture, replaced inner tube. That punctured?! Patched it, but the inner valve bit came out of the valve whenever I tried to remove the pump. Patched the first inner tube and got myself home.

So... a few questions -

If that happens again, how can I stop that inner element of the valve coming out? It felt like I couldn't screw it back in tight enough, so the pump kept unscrewing it when I tried to unscrew the pump from valve.

I think there is a slight split in the side wall of the tyre. Given I use inner tubes, do I need to replace the tyre?

Now it's patched, do i need to replace the inner tube still? (I'm assuming I do..)
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You need a valve key to tighten up the valve up so it doesn’t continue to unscrew. Yes replace the tyre as the pressure may cause it to bulge at the split. No, patched inner tubes are ok to use.
 
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