Road Cycling

Much colder this week isn't it! Actually got out my longer fingered windproof autumn/spring gloves. Not quite into deeper thermal ones yet but am in thermal shorts now... Some thicker jerseys. We had what looked like frost here yesterday morning as it was down to 3 degrees on the commute. Kinda 'beating the sun' to work at the moment only really seeing it after 8am!

Afternoons the wind has been really cool still, again seem to be missing the sun at 5.15pm and can feel the temperature dropping... It's coming! :eek:

UTmaniac said:
Prime Day (13th???) cycling deals have started, keep an eye on https://www.hotukdeals.com/tag/cycling to see if anything comes up that really is a deal.

eg. Garmin Varia is £120
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Great deal, also a Wahoo KICKR V5 on Rutland for £750.

Seems lots of hard tail MTB deals, a few Gravel bikes but nothing spectacular...

fez said:
I've found that even when someone is following me for a while it doesn't lose them at all. Its also really useful for knowing just how close they are to you.

I think one of the best features is that it flashes faster as a car approaches which if nothing else makes them wonder if you have got some sort of tech on board perhaps recording them. Who knows. Either way, it definitely makes me feel safer and I can't put a price on that. Even if its only a few %.

Not arguing with Roadys opinion on them, just my personal feelings.
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Really no need to argue with me - you said it yourself - it's my opinion! I have them on everything, right or wrong, you'll get one! :D

To be honest, I'd jump on one for the gadget/fun part. But it's the actual practical 'use' I would have of it I'm failing to really justify. For me spending the money on a rear camera would be better spent... But also as the new GoPro mini one looks great, natural evolution to the Session they did and pulled before it could evolve. Just crazy money. I'm bascially after an update/upgrade over my original Garmin VIRB, it's very old now (8 years) and still records 90% of my riding.

The Varia RCT715 is very neat and probably the route I'd go - a camera, light and radar combined. Just really neat. But feel it needs some generations and evolution to make it a worthwhile combo product as it's lacking at the moment (crap battery, average/poor camera). Just think what we all need, is a Varia with all the features everyone loves, but with a quality camera in the mix too. The ultimate!
 
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Roady said:
Much colder this week isn't it! Actually got out my longer fingered windproof autumn/spring gloves. Not quite into deeper thermal ones yet but am in thermal shorts now... Some thicker jerseys.
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I didn't know what to wear the other day. Was too hot for much of my ride with long bibs on and a thicker long sleeve jersey but was still cold in the shade and going fast. Very annoying.

Roady said:
The Varia RCT715 is very neat and probably the route I'd go - a camera, light and radar combined. Just really neat. But feel it needs some generations and evolution to make it a worthwhile combo product as it's lacking at the moment (crap battery, average/poor camera). Just think what we all need, is a Varia with all the features everyone loves, but with a quality camera in the mix too. The ultimate!
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Its a shame its not a better product. Reviews are largely negative, especially for the cost.
 
I'm quite tempted to try and make my own bars/drink. Sounds like its not very hard and waaaay cheaper than the off the shelf stuff.
 
High5 tubes regularly on sales from the rainforest £4-£5 for 20 tabs, I break the tabs in half most of the time (outside of summer) to make them last twice as long. If it's hot summer I consider I'm sweating more so need more of the salts and don't.

NAKD bars I like also on there, buying in deals/bulk (18 bars for £7-£9 or 48 bars for £20.10). Easily makes them affordable! Without those deals they're cheaper in supermarkets, could regularly find packs of 4 for £1.50 in multibuy deals.

The times I've tried my own food/drink it either tasted rank (drink - squash with salt in), or so much hassle & messy (rice cakes) I didn't bother again. Flapjacks are about the only thing I did that worked well, but I love them anyway so was just eating them like cakes!
 
I need to replace an Hope Vision Two front light for unlit cycling. The battery pack has finally given in, at about 13 years old though can’t say I’m too unhappy. Any suggestions for a separate battery powered one? Hard to choose from all the Exposure/Hope equivalents these days.
 
Still love my Exposure Race mk11 but they are crazy money. Although they look to be similarly priced to the Strada now (Race was off road/trails and Strada is road), when I got it was significantly cheaper than the Strada (£145 price matched against elsewhere) back in 2017.

https://www.wiggle.co.uk/exposure-strada-mk11-rs-front-light - good price for a quality light. Will get years of use/abuse!

I always like the Cateye but broke so many of the clips & lights themselves, just too plasticy. The Bolt1200 one with the metal/silver part did look more study and see lots of them around. Leyzne batteries always seemed to die on me after a couple of years. The Lifeline ones Wiggle do did get some good reviews, so maybe they're the budget option. I've not read much about lights for a few seasons so there's bound to be other options now...
 
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AndyCr15 said:
The first puncture was 10 miles in.... second was 55 miles in... and then the third 65 miles in... and I only carry two tubes!
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So the three weeks since this, everything was fine, but then rain on Friday means punctures on Saturday :cry: Two yesterday, although tbf, one was a puncture, then when doing that (front) I thought 'let me check the back for bits of stone stuck in the tyre' and I noticed one of the cuts had got big enough that there was a little bulge of inner tube pressing into (out of?) it. I thought it was a bit of stone at first, but cleaned out the much and realised it was the tube. I should really have deflated, inserted something inside the tyre, but I tried carry on and sure enough, about 2 miles later it sort of 'popped'. Mended the tube (as the hole was nice and obvious) had a gel and used the packet to line the tyre, which got me home. Was almost funny at 6am this morning when I was woken by the tyre finally deflating again... that sound of tyre crinkling as the air leaves :rolleyes:

Looking at some reviews I'm going to order some Michelin Pro4 Endurance V2 for the winter and see how they go. Tbh, if I can get more than 1,300 from them, maybe I'll keep them on all year round. Mind you, in Girona I bought 4 of the tan wall Vredestein's that I like... so I guess I'll need to use those next summer.

This morning is the first Sunday in 36 weeks that I've not ridden... the decision was it's too wet, which was fine with me, with my tyre issues!
 
kidloco said:
Has anyone tried the new superlightweight innertubes? I'd seen the ones sold in the UK by Pirelli and Tubulito but at £30 each I thought they were far to expensive.

Then I got an email from the slow-shipping Chinese marketplace and thought it was worth a punt.
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How have you got on with these? I'm needing to order some more tubes and don't know whether they're worth a try? Tbh, I'm more looking for resilience than lightweight...
 
fez said:
I'm quite tempted to try and make my own bars/drink. Sounds like its not very hard and waaaay cheaper than the off the shelf stuff.
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I buy electrolyte powder from Amazon for around £5 for a 100g bag. One to two scoops (1g I think) that comes in the bag and a good splash of whatever squash we have open. Tastes fine to me. Looking at my order history shows I buy a bag every year.


I still buy hydration tabs for long rides where I expect to refill whilst out but using the powder works out cheaper.
 
My wife kindly bought be a new very lightweight rain proof jacket, trousers, jersey (though too small), socks and some low profile mudguards.

However, I've noticed my......gooch is a little saw and I think it's chaffing from cycling. Any recommendations on seats or seat covers, and shorts with good padding?

Edit - I already have shorts with padding, think I just need reinforcing lol.
 
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doodah said:
My wife kindly bought be a new very lightweight rain proof jacket, trousers, jersey (though too small), socks and some low profile mudguards.

However, I've noticed my......gooch is a little saw and I think it's chaffing from cycling. Any recommendations on seats or seat covers, and shorts with good padding?

Edit - I already have shorts with padding, think I just need reinforcing lol.
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You really don't want any additional equipment other than a good pair of bib shorts (which you should never wear underwear with) and a good saddle. Almost all issues will then come from a poorly fitting bike. Perhaps try some chamois cream - Assos make the best!
 
Do you guys change your tyres from summer to winter? I had a few moments earlier where the front felt a little squirrelly but I don't know if it was just a gust of wind hitting the wheel or what. Are winter tyres that much better? I won't be going out when its really wet or icy. I just wonder if there is more grip out there and I am missing out on it.
 
Had a lovely close pass today, coming down the A32 on an NSL bit and a car decided to pass me whilst a car was coming the other way, little village just ahead and managed to catch up to the car and gave them a fairly significant outburst, and they pulled over where I explained with some more swear words my POV and they actually apologised quite a bit. They did start with you don't need to swear at me so much and that was responded to quite fiercely, but was odd to get a) someone pull over and b) get an actual believable apology. Shook me up a bit more due to the speed they came past than how close they were with the other car coming the other way.
 
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