Road Cycling

Soldato
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Yeah I looked earlier in this thread and could have had the 104 for £185.

Regretting not doing it now as it was a bargain.
Yup, they where a steal at that price! To be fair the deal I got on mine (thanks @Jobe !) I did question as so many deals on them, but when the R8000 or even the 6800 (like mine) where not in those deals I knew I made the right choice - can't even tell it's a 6800 arm on R8000 crankset! :cool:

Noob question time, but which crank power meter would go on my 2019 Boardman HYB 8.9? (2020 model is linked I think).

If I could get one for under £200 or so, I might be tempted.
If you're running SRAM Apex then you can't use 4iiii. Stages do a GXP compatible one but you may need to change the spindle depending on your BB too.

I'm unsure of the spider options, there will be some but I'd say go the pedal route, easier and more deals.

Just cleaned my bike and I think it just be 1kg lighter given the amount of mud that came off. Would waxing the chain make any sense in winter?
Unsure, but have heard so many mixed reports about waxing. Not many seem to recommend it for british winters. Dirty & dry no problem, dirty and wet sounds like it's worse than a wet lube, unless you're low miles and like lots of maintanance (swapping and re-waxing chains every week or two).

I went out yday and it was a lovely day, nice to be not raining. I was fine for 3 hours then the last 45 mins was pretty :(

<snip>

Still, one of the most enjoyable rides of the year, I didn’t have a jacket on spring is just round the corner!
Jacket? What is that nonsense, it's all about Softshells!? ;)

To be fair the only real 'jackets' I use are for rain. I don't consider the windproof softshell jerseys I wear as jackets. Some of them are more like insulated hardshells from the windproofing. Like on saturday was a Castelli 'Team' winter jersey - looks similar to the 'Arctic' which they don't seem to do anymore... That, with a windproof gilet (double windproofing!) and a base layer I generally find good down to around zero for a club ride - which is generally fast with hill efforts. I don't overheat even climbing hard. But if ambient gets over 10 degrees I will melt...

https://www.strava.com/activities/3082238858

Did a social on saturday, glorious day here too although did cloud over and rain for 15-20 mins while we where quite high up and exposed. Made it pretty miserable with gusty winds too, but didn't last. Roads mostly dry before and soon after, even glorious sunshine at the end & ride home made it an enjoyable one. Winds mostly held off, but wouldn't have wanted to ride yesterday... Wasn't even safe to drive around here, bunch of trees down & lots of damage. Thankfully the 21 new fence panels I fitted last September all survived! :D

Group of around 14 of us, at least 8 I didn't know and hadn't ridden with before. Couple of good riders, just bizarre to not then see a bunch of them on Stava afterwards! Ever find that?! Only my mate (who's garmin time is b0rked) and 1 other I know. Especially as 1 guy doing much of the work on the front was training for TT'ing and riding with a Quarq. Nice Pinarello but he wasn't that chatty. Another guy in his 20's was insanely powerful and had only been riding 8 months! Very good climbing even for a bigger guy, I held his wheel on the main long climb at around 300W but had to reign myself in. We both significantly dropped the group then and on various other ramps. The pace picked up on the run back in which was good fun - as I seemed to have the legs for it! Enjoyed the kicker at Clehonger, then a little through-and-off towards town. Then (not sure how) destroyed them all in the usual sprint! Didn't realise my legs where *that* good (or my kick for that matter...) :cool:
 
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Soldato
Joined
9 Nov 2005
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8,618
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Southampton
Noob question time, but which crank power meter would go on my 2019 Boardman HYB 8.9? (2020 model is linked I think).

If I could get one for under £200 or so, I might be tempted.

Your cheapest option might be a Powerpod, not crank based but bar based, often ~£225 at Probikekit.

Was anyone else here tempted by those £600 PlanetX XLA Rival1 hydraulic disc bikes over the weekend? Took a lot of restraint to not buy one at that price as a winter bike and longer term commuter. Temptation gone now as med/large frames sold out!
 
Soldato
Joined
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Hereford
Linky to PX?

Powerpod is pretty worthless if you're looking to ride with power data, structure training and such. It's just so vague without having perfect real world conditions to continually test things for your baseline/any changes to equipment. Then all it takes is to choose the 'wrong' type of course, or get niggly conditions and it'll be so inaccurate you may as well be riding with RPE & HR.

You either have to be only slightly interested in power on a 'try it and see if I like it', before committing to a PWM. Or using on a second bike to compare it to known power, like on a 'training bike' compared to power on a race/TT bike, riding alongside a DFPM testing aero setups. Or say able to ride in quite controlled variables/conditions - tricky in the UK, unless you where quite sheltered/inner city maybe? Maybe a track/velodrome? But unsure how it handles inside conditions.

Basically the reading up I did on it, testing aero setups seem to really be the ideal market for it.
 
Soldato
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https://www.planetx.co.uk/i/q/CBPXX...ydraulic-disc-rem-norwegian-blue-edition-bike

Oh, they have 1 medium frame back in stock, must resist... Must resist. Such a bargain but must resist.
Thanks, good price but really unsure that suited to a 'do it all'/comfort or comuter ride? Seems to read as quite a stiff CX frame. No mention of mudguard mounts but think I see some on the fork. Can't see any on the rear. Has 'massive mud clearance' and comes with 32mm tyres, no mention what it'll go upto (not that 32mm isn't enough). Wheels are 2.5kg and 28 spoke, so should be pretty bombproof but also narrow (from what I can tell, lack of info everywhere on them). Same wheelset was £55 new back in 2016 so I would say they are extremely budget! Not tubeless either. I'd be looking to switch them out, or have a replacement set for any 'fun'.

There's a carbon framed XLS version for only £50 more with 2 colour options in a 54cm. That's where my money would be going, seems to be the same frame as on the £800-900 bikes.

Found the 45l Axiom Monsoons on eBay for £63 all in and figured they'd suffice!
Bargain!
 
Soldato
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Hereford
Does anyone have/use the Cyclik Fly12 light/camera? Are there any alternatives to it?
Alternatives? In what respect? For an 'action cam' there are loads of (arguably better) alternatives, but for a combined camera & light option there are very few (and it's probably the best). But you'll get a better camera and a better light buying them as separate units.

I'm using the original Garmin VIRB and I've recorded pretty much every ride since January 2015. It's been an amazing piece of kit considering the abuse it's had, it's been so good that even with the rubbish luck I had with poorly made Garmin head units I've still not slated them at every opportunity. I'm on my 4th battery and my rubber port cover is looking quite abused/worn (will fall off at some point in the next year or so). @Lethal` had the same issue with his I think? Nothing some gaffertape won't solve! Some dust behind my lens and lots of marks on it but for something that's recorded 3000+ rides (75%+ of those short commutes) it's been superb. The footage is great, considering I've got it on Eco mode (720p) and battery life is still nearly 4 hours (a week of commuting for me). I only paid £72 for it in a Black Friday deal too! They really don't make them the same as this now, but if I was on the lookout for an action cam then Garmin would be on my shortlist even after the waste of money I felt their head units are.

GoPro would be the obvious (better) alternative (apart from battery life & price) and I came very close to getting a 'Session' (I still might) but GoPro dropping that platform/mini-design has so far stopped me.
 
Soldato
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You get 4 hours from one battery?! That's a lot. I thought 2h40m or so from mine was good. Yes - the battery cover has pretty much split in half and I kinda fancied something smaller form factor anyway. I was using a YI 4k for some time until that stopped charging recently (2 years later). Amazon refunded me. Quality wise it was really decent but I was never that keen on the 1h30m battery life. Ideally I want something that can last 3h+. Cycliq quality is kinda poor and the unit is bulky. Drift Ghost X looks interesting but reviews don't sound too great.

I've currently got an old Gopro Hero 4 sitting at home. I'm considering buying a battery bacpac for it but not sure how much battery life that would add. On an initial test it did 1h15m on the standard battery. Too short.
 
Soldato
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Shepley
I have a Cycliq Fly6. The quality is fine but I've given up using it because the hassle of cropping videos and reporting drivers is not worth it for what you get back in response from the police (i.e. nothing) and it made no difference to general driver behaviour. I just use an Exposure TraceR and a backup Knog light in case it dies.
 
Soldato
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3,067
I refuse to put a camera on my bike because I would honestly spend every single night of my life editing and reporting things. That's how shocking it is with drivers here. A battle that simply cannot be won and I'll be damned if I am wasting any of my time or my money to fight a war that cannot be won. Life's too short (will be very short as I'll likely be killed on day on the roads).

A car hit me the other week. Smashed its wing mirror all over my arm and it shattered all over the road. I barely stayed upright but got away with it in reality.... By the time I turned the bike around they put the foot down and sped off.... I approached the vehicle behind me who witnessed the whole thing and she put her window up, looked past me and drove off without making eye contact as she obviously didn't want the hassle of it. I am beyond giving a flying **** about others as this place is too far gone and the "other people" are simply not worth wasting my existence with.
 
Soldato
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Hampshire
I was out riding last Saturday morning and was close passed by a cop car. If those that uphold the law seemingly dont care, then we are screwed

Over Christmas a friend and I rode to Brighton and back, 100 miles total so a few uncomfortable passes but the worst was on an nsl by a police car when the other lane was completely empty. We'd separated a bit at this point but when we got back together it was first thing we said to each other as we both experienced it. Guy I was riding with is also a copper....
 
Soldato
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I reported an unmarked police car that close passed me before. The driver apparently got a warning. The force would not confirm or deny whether it was an unmarked police car. I'm 99% sure as I could see the hidden lights, what looked like a radio on the driver's chest and the 2011 car didn't have an MOT, it had never had one (police cars are mot exempt). It wasn't the closest of passes but it just irked me that it was a police car.
 
Soldato
Joined
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Hereford
You get 4 hours from one battery?! That's a lot. I thought 2h40m or so from mine was good. Yes - the battery cover has pretty much split in half and I kinda fancied something smaller form factor anyway. I was using a YI 4k for some time until that stopped charging recently (2 years later). Amazon refunded me. Quality wise it was really decent but I was never that keen on the 1h30m battery life. Ideally I want something that can last 3h+. Cycliq quality is kinda poor and the unit is bulky. Drift Ghost X looks interesting but reviews don't sound too great.

I've currently got an old Gopro Hero 4 sitting at home. I'm considering buying a battery bacpac for it but not sure how much battery life that would add. On an initial test it did 1h15m on the standard battery. Too short.

That really is too short.

I get a week of commuting and some to spare out of my VIRB which I've always said is nearly 4 hours, but if I actually tally it up comes out at just under 3h (including average stopped times into my commutes - ((3*25)+(3*15)+(4*10)). Still loads better than most of the cameras on the market, but it is a replaceable 2200mah so generally quite a bit 'better' (although big!).

There's so many 'knockoff's around action cameras that I really wouldn't touch one with a barge pole without copious amounts of good reviews from trusted sources (DCR & GPL to name the 2 main ones).

Cycliq have always been known as pretty poor cameras. It's a neat concept and some people like them but I'd really hoped the camera and batteries would improve as they evolved the device but it hasn't. The footage from the current units is only just on par with my 5+ year old VIRB (16MP 1080p camera) with less battery life. The light isn't even that bright compared to things like the tiny TraceR. Disappointing!

I have a Cycliq Fly6. The quality is fine but I've given up using it because the hassle of cropping videos and reporting drivers is not worth it for what you get back in response from the police (i.e. nothing) and it made no difference to general driver behaviour. I just use an Exposure TraceR and a backup Knog light in case it dies.
I don't view or even crop my videos, it's there to act like a 'dashcam'. If something happens, I have the footage, nothing more.

I have a 64gb card in there and every couple of weeks I need to clear it down to make room. I mean to do it weekly when I'd actually 'remember' which day I had a close pass but in reality I don't. I generally copy off to a USB HDD, then I scan the footage when the folder is a little full and note the reg plate on the filename of any close passes. I'll sometimes save some group rides and climbs. Any others I delete. When I get time I copy all those renamed files to my NAS box into the same folder, then all the close passes are listed by reg number and I can 'see' multiple instances of the same regplate together - with the intention to report regular offenders.

In reality the 4 'incidents' I've reported online with camera footage I've had zero responses to. One got a confirmation of recipt, nothing more.

The time I got properly knocked off I went to the Police station and filled everything in, kinda got a satisfactory response (took all details and they contacted me later to confirm it had been followed up, then speaking to the guy he did comment the Police had spoken to him). But that took 4 hours of my time (and several more of dealing with his insurance company, but I got a good payout). I've not reported anyone for a couple of years now, I consider it just a waste of my time unless it was serious enough, then the 4+ hours of my time going down to the Police station would be worth it. :rolleyes:

I refuse to put a camera on my bike because I would honestly spend every single night of my life editing and reporting things. That's how shocking it is with drivers here. A battle that simply cannot be won and I'll be damned if I am wasting any of my time or my money to fight a war that cannot be won. Life's too short (will be very short as I'll likely be killed on day on the roads).

A car hit me the other week. Smashed its wing mirror all over my arm and it shattered all over the road. I barely stayed upright but got away with it in reality.... By the time I turned the bike around they put the foot down and sped off.... I approached the vehicle behind me who witnessed the whole thing and she put her window up, looked past me and drove off without making eye contact as she obviously didn't want the hassle of it. I am beyond giving a flying **** about others as this place is too far gone and the "other people" are simply not worth wasting my existence with.
OUCH! That is abysmal.

I agree with the first bit and totally get where you're coming from. I'm in the same mindset - but equally running a camera every ride to 'catch' it when 'it' happens. At least then me or my family should have video footage to aid the authorities in tracking down the offender.

I've generally found drivers around here quite good. The time I was properly knocked off the driver stopped and so did many others. The one time I was run off the road by a tractor the driver behind stopped and checked I was ok, the other time nobody else saw it. One time I've been clipped (nothing as serious as yours) a following driver asked if I was ok. Several close passes and 1 minor clip where 'offenders' were held up in traffic I've had apologies. Only a couple of times have I actually had abuse on the roads. Have had far more from ignorant pedestrians on shared use.

EDIT: See if you can contact these officers? Might have more luck than me - https://road.cc/content/news/263995-more-50-drivers-stopped-north-east-scotland-close-pass-operation

EDIT2: https://road.cc/content/news/266851...r-hit-wing-mirror-during-close-pass-operation :rolleyes::eek:;)

Guy I was riding with is also a copper....
2 of my neighbours are also coppers, both of them have commented on how poor the reporting system is. And if you consider that's West Mercia who are the force who pioneered the 'close-pass' inititive - https://www.west-midlands.police.uk/your-options/close-pass-cycling

Although interestingly that reporting site(nextbase) has totally changed since last time I used it. Hmmm!
 
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Soldato
Joined
24 Apr 2013
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3,067
They done those op close pass things around here Roady and it hasn't made a difference. All they do is give people a "talking to" and on there way.

I had a lady who used to dangerously target me most mornings on my commute. She would pass me as close as possible (at 60 on a NSL!) and blast her horn to the point I used to genuinely worry if it was her coming up behind me each morning on my way to work. I had her name, reg plate, times every day she done it. I knew where she worked and I even knew which space she parked in every day at her work at the council offices right next door to the police HQ!...

The police haven't touched her. Not interested in following it up. The traffics chap said the most he could do is have a word with her really. I'll not be wasting any more life, energy, effort on reporting things to the cops.

A bus pulled along side me to pass as a lorry was emerging up ahead (he seen it, but went to pass regardless). He was side by side with me and just started coming back over. His bus physically touched my shoulder and pushed me off the road onto the verge.... I near came off in a proper ditch on the verge and managed to correct it and get back on the road.
I challenge the driver and he flipped me the V's over his shoulder and then drove off.....
Reported that one to the bus company and the lady took heaps of info and seemed engaged.... Then a week later I get a email saying they closed my incident case ref and sent me a survey asking how they dealt with the situation.
I have no idea if they even done anything to that driver. They never replied to any of my follow up mails to that and seems they swept it under the carpet and moved on.

So you can see why through various experiences I have ultimately gave the **** up with humans in every regard.
 
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