Road Cycling

Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
8,420
Location
Hereford
@Roady - Yeah I forgot the SPD are the mountain bike ones. She's really not getting along with them though as the cleat is so small. Probably move her to the 3 bolt ones eventually but she she's happy with the shoes.

My Wheels have finally been ordered! Excited to get them at last. I've never built a set of wheels up before. Am I right in thinking the cassette tool I bought for changing the cassette on my Kickr will do the trick when changing over the cassette and disc rotors to the new wheels? One thing I don't have is a torque wrench(?) to tighten it up to 40nm.
Does she find clipping in hard, or just 'finding' the cleat to clip into it? I don't recall SPD being tricky to clip into, fairly sure you can have them very loose. I always found a flatter pedal better when commuting with them, more surface area. Think the double sided pedals I used where an earlier version of these - https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/deore-m6000/PD-M530.html

Cassette lockring tool, *should* be the same (if both same brand). Shimano tend to use the same for their centrelock rotors too. Some (all?) SRAM cassette lockrings are a different size to Shimano, so don't think that would fit if you have a SRAM freehub and a Shimano centrelock rotor for example. Campag is different again... I'd say you don't need a torque wrench for cassettes (I never have), nor have I used one for centrelock lockrings... Just done them up as tight as I can (the rotors, not the cassette). But if you do want to get a torquewrench big enough for 40nM they are generally not cheap. If you're less serious about being pinpoint accurate, then I actually got an 'Amazon basics' 20-100nm one when I needed 60nM on a trainer component and it worked great. Although very cheap in comparison to others so hard to recommend if you need accuracy!

Went to meet the once a year Bundy 200 today, couldn't face meeting them at 8.30am and I've only started doing 3 your rides the last few weeks so wouldn't last the whole thing.

Old boys are strong AF, I was feeling it even doing 96 miles. It was a bit of who's who of Scottish riders from the past and the last few miles was like a road race.

This boy raised the bar though.

Mega considering the distance, time and other factors. Big group? That would've been fun to sit behind! Mega climb in the middle I've never heard of! Devils Beef Tub WTF :cry:

Started off looking at the 130 and I ended up buying a 1030 :o

On to saddles.. I popped into my local store and had my sit bones measured, looks like I could benefit from a wider saddle. I understand that it's an individual preference but what brands/styles have worked for those in the saddle for 4+ hours?

Obligatory weekend British countryside pic:

O7oASGj.jpg
Great pic, but how is it so flat around Sheffield?! Unless that's not Sheff!? :D

Saddles are a very personal thing, it really does boil down to trying as many as you can - or as most of us do - buying several and 'evolving' and you go, generally buying something similar which looks cool/friends rave about/someone on a forum with the same niggles said was good, etc.

I'd always used quite flat and long saddles, settling on the Fizik Arione. Rode them for several years, aways suffered, just less on that than some others. Big quads so thought the flat & narrow helped me. New bike came with a wide nose and a centre cutout, was an absolute revelation and have been through a couple eventually settling on the Specialized Power I'm riding now. It's almost the opposite I was riding at the start, being quite wide, snub nosed, not very flat and a centre cutout... :cry:
 
Soldato
Joined
14 Apr 2004
Posts
11,851
Location
UK
Does she find clipping in hard, or just 'finding' the cleat to clip into it? I don't recall SPD being tricky to clip into, fairly sure you can have them very loose. I always found a flatter pedal better when commuting with them, more surface area. Think the double sided pedals I used where an earlier version of these - https://bike.shimano.com/en-EU/product/component/deore-m6000/PD-M530.html

Cassette lockring tool, *should* be the same (if both same brand). Shimano tend to use the same for their centrelock rotors too. Some (all?) SRAM cassette lockrings are a different size to Shimano, so don't think that would fit if you have a SRAM freehub and a Shimano centrelock rotor for example. Campag is different again... I'd say you don't need a torque wrench for cassettes (I never have), nor have I used one for centrelock lockrings... Just done them up as tight as I can (the rotors, not the cassette). But if you do want to get a torquewrench big enough for 40nM they are generally not cheap. If you're less serious about being pinpoint accurate, then I actually got an 'Amazon basics' 20-100nm one when I needed 60nM on a trainer component and it worked great. Although very cheap in comparison to others so hard to recommend if you need accuracy!


Mega considering the distance, time and other factors. Big group? That would've been fun to sit behind! Mega climb in the middle I've never heard of! Devils Beef Tub WTF :cry:


Great pic, but how is it so flat around Sheffield?! Unless that's not Sheff!? :D

Saddles are a very personal thing, it really does boil down to trying as many as you can - or as most of us do - buying several and 'evolving' and you go, generally buying something similar which looks cool/friends rave about/someone on a forum with the same niggles said was good, etc.

I'd always used quite flat and long saddles, settling on the Fizik Arione. Rode them for several years, aways suffered, just less on that than some others. Big quads so thought the flat & narrow helped me. New bike came with a wide nose and a centre cutout, was an absolute revelation and have been through a couple eventually settling on the Specialized Power I'm riding now. It's almost the opposite I was riding at the start, being quite wide, snub nosed, not very flat and a centre cutout... :cry:
Hah :D This was further out towards Dinnington/Maltby.

The guy recommended I try the Specialized Power but they're expensive to keep exploring!
 
Associate
Joined
22 Dec 2005
Posts
1,196
Location
Cardiff
I get on with a Fabric Scoop shape (I use the line race shallow which was less than £50). They have a variety of price points so you could pick up the cheapest version they do and see how you get on.

 
Soldato
Joined
23 Nov 2004
Posts
10,646
Mega considering the distance, time and other factors. Big group? That would've been fun to sit behind! Mega climb in the middle I've never heard of! Devils Beef Tub WTF :cry:

I think it was around 18 or something by the time we left Moffat. They had up to 30 at one point, even so the wind was savage all day. The first 100 miles was apparently around the 4 hour mark. Bodies all over the road. It wasn't fun to sit behind mate, I went to find the back and was met with about 10 guys in a line on the white line of the road. Easier to sit top 5 in the echelon and roll through.

My legs came good eventually compared to the start of the run

The tub is a hard climb, so long but a steady gradient so just spin your way up it. The Mennock pass is harder as it ramps up near the end IMO.
 
Soldato
Joined
14 Apr 2004
Posts
11,851
Location
UK
I get on with a Fabric Scoop shape (I use the line race shallow which was less than £50). They have a variety of price points so you could pick up the cheapest version they do and see how you get on.

These and charge scoop seem to have a lot of favourable reviews.

My colleague and their friend regularly ride over 200km and they use Bontrager Anja (even though it has a large cut out for women, they find it extremely comfy). I picked up a cheap new one taken off a trek. Perhaps we should start a saddle club, then we'll have enough in circulation to test lol.
 
Soldato
Joined
22 May 2003
Posts
10,855
Location
Wigan
I’ve just been out & riding.

Replaced my back tyre after 12 months as it had squared off and was a little slippy in the wet. Bike rides so much better on a new one.

Apart from that handicapped myself by riding my winter bike on the bunch ride on Sunday… it looked like rain and was wet, then only rained for 10 minutes, fun smacking down with full mudguards, rim brakes and 25mm tyres vs the guys on full summer bike setup! I’ve built up some fatigue now. Maybe time for a little rest.
 
Soldato
Joined
18 Oct 2002
Posts
8,420
Location
Hereford
The guy recommended I try the Specialized Power but they're expensive to keep exploring!
I would just put it as the 'evolution' that started from the Phenom which came on my Diverge, so maybe start elsewhere to see how you get on. I bought another so actually have 2 of them (before both replaced by Powers), happy to dig out and do a deal if you're interested.

Perhaps we should start a saddle club, then we'll have enough in circulation to test lol.
Always good to share around, we're all individual but also likely go through saddles which don't suit us, that others will find perfect... So great idea!

  • I have an Arione Open which is actually good - may consider changing back to that on the Zwift setup so would keep that - sitting more upright on the Power inside is not ideal
  • I have a couple of giant branded and other no-names I'd gladly shift
  • I had a Charge Spoon (bit like the Fabric Scoop?), but that might have gone a while ago when I sold a bike, can check
  • I have at least 1 Selle Italia, think it's this SLR Superflow or an earlier version of it, or this Max Flite Gelflow
  • I have an Arione I think is an R5 (I have a broken R1)
 
Soldato
Joined
20 Feb 2004
Posts
21,201
Location
Hondon de las Nieves, Spain
I'm scared to try another saddle. The saddle that came with my Canyon seems really comfortable but it could just be my own ignorance not being sure what to look at!

I'm a bit like that, the saddle on my old bike didn't seem to cause as much discomfort as my new saddle. However, as you say they're so expensive that it could be a very expensive experiment to find another. Unsure whether to persevere with the new one, or just switch back to the old.

Had a bike fit this morning. Was done by a local physio and just done by eye/manual, rather than one of the fancy ones which record all kind of measurements. Bonus being a i can claim it back from work as "physio" rather than spending £200 elsewhere! Plus he used to be a triathlete for GB so feels like you're in good hands!

He's lifted my saddle, moved it forward a bike and also dropped the stem. Said i might benefit from a shorter stem too as mine is bizarely long apparently. Explains why i tend to hold the edges of the bars rather than being properly up on the hoods as it's a further reach. The previous owner was obviously an ape!

Hoping the weather stays dry to get out tonight for a decent ride.



Annoyingly, he had both a wheel on turbo and a Kickr core with climbr, i was chatting about considering buying one and he told me i was stupid to consider a cheap turbo and i should just buy the Wahoo and not tell the wife. Definitely a bad influence!
 

fez

fez

Caporegime
Joined
22 Aug 2008
Posts
25,023
Location
Tunbridge Wells
I'm scared to try another saddle. The saddle that came with my Canyon seems really comfortable but it could just be my own ignorance not being sure what to look at!

Keep getting tempted by the fancy 3d printed ones but the cost of them :eek:

I think at some point in the coming months I will go get a good bike fit and no doubt be told to get different shoes, saddle, bars and stem etc
 
Soldato
Joined
20 Feb 2004
Posts
21,201
Location
Hondon de las Nieves, Spain
Hit 47 miles for the week. I think that’s a record for me!

Definitely benefiting from getting my wife a good electric bike. Since she can happily “potter” at 25mph means I’m not always slowing down to match her speed like on her old bike and it certainly pushes me.
 
Soldato
Joined
28 Apr 2011
Posts
14,761
Location
Barnet, London
62.2 miles yesterday, didn't lotion up but actually, it was a little chilly when I started at 8:30... bib shorts were clearly a little higher than normal, so I have a nice red strip around my quads now :cry:

50 miles with my usual club riders this morning, but it felt soooo much hotter today, even at 8am. I put lotion on this time though, so all good.
 
Soldato
Joined
1 Mar 2010
Posts
21,778
Cheaper tyre patches - had a number of punctures recently, bought a sheet of weldtite rubber/£1.50, bargain I thought.
at home then did an IPA cleanup/sanding/waiting 10 minutes/weighted during drying, for several inners
two inners I patched blew out, came back to the bike in the heat yesterday(is that contributory?) and tyre was flat(one weeks use), and another patched tube I put back in at home would not inflate.

have picked off the patch on lower tyre, for a new repair, but I'm wondering if this patch rubber is not flexible enough and ripped because it did not expand with the rubber of inner.



52209087120_179cf25e2c_o_d.jpg
 
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