Road Cycling

Soldato
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So I got a few quid for my birthday, what helmets people recommend for around the £100 ish mark? Mine is an old MET one thats a bit shabby and needs replacing, but looking online is a minefield there are SO many!
 
Soldato
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So I got a few quid for my birthday, what helmets people recommend for around the £100 ish mark? Mine is an old MET one thats a bit shabby and needs replacing, but looking online is a minefield there are SO many!

They’re all made to a pretty similar standard but I’d definitely get one with MIPS for the extra protection. You’re really best served trying a few on to see what suits your head but I really like my Giro Synthe. Specialized helmets make me look like a mushroom by comparison.
 
Soldato
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Hondon de las Nieves, Spain
I'm looking to buy a Gravel/Cyclocross bike. Have recently changed jobs and the new office is only 7 miles away. Still home based at the moment but like the idea of a bike for days when it's sunny and to go for long rides to reduce the strain on my legs that a long run would cause if i did it too often.

I could go to work on the road, but then i could also go via a canal towpath, we also have some nice sections around where having a gravel bike would be preferable to a pure road bike (Preston Guild Wheel for anyone local).

I'm looking used and whilst i could spend up to £500 or so, i would prefer to aim lower if possible, with an aim to spend ~£250 to make sure it's worthwhile and then buy something better in 12 months once i know it'll be used. However Gravel/Cyclocross bikes are less common, especially in a size big enough (i'm 6'3).

I was wondering whether i could just buy a road bike and add some slightly bigger tyres to it? I see plenty of Giant Defy/Specialized Allez's around this price point, and a few websites suggest a max tyre width of 28mm, but then what about clearance from the higher tread?

I have also seen a Scott Speedster S40 for sale very locally for £185 which seems ideal for me, however i'm wondering if i could add bigger tread tyres to this?


As a side point, what kind of cost should i be considering for new wheels/tyres? I would intend to keep the originals as spares for any times i wanted a long road ride.

Also, final question (i'm sure i could've structured this post better), how extreme can gravel bikes handle? I noticed when i did the Grizedale marathon, the race was along some lovely wide tracks and it seemed to suggest it was part of the Grizedale bike trail. Is that something i could consider with a bike like this or would that be into mountain bike territory? It didn't seem difficult from what i saw, but i wouldn't want to have to keep turning around as the trail got worse
 
Soldato
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What isn't going to happen? I've seen lots of road bikes for sale around the £200-£250 mark which look like they fit the bill, including the Scott bike at £185. Unless there's something i'm missing?

I accept Gravel bikes are a little more expensive due to the rarity of them, but i've still seen loads under the £500 mark.
 
Soldato
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So I got a few quid for my birthday, what helmets people recommend for around the £100 ish mark? Mine is an old MET one thats a bit shabby and needs replacing, but looking online is a minefield there are SO many!

I need a new helmet also. Since lockdown started last March I've not had my haircut and it turns out trying to put a helmet on with an afro is essnetially impossible. Need to buy a new helmet that can fit my massive head. Otherwise I have to wash my hair the night before a ride and wear a durag to flatten it enough to wear a helmet... then by the end of the ride it's all sprouting out the sides and I look mental :p
 
Soldato
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I need a new helmet also. Since lockdown started last March I've not had my haircut and it turns out trying to put a helmet on with an afro is essnetially impossible. Need to buy a new helmet that can fit my massive head. Otherwise I have to wash my hair the night before a ride and wear a durag to flatten it enough to wear a helmet... then by the end of the ride it's all sprouting out the sides and I look mental :p

Ha! just get a haircut!!

Additionally, ive just managed to get hold of a second hand Tacx Flow from FB for £50 locally, which was a total bargain, but im against using my wheel and good tyres on it often, I have a spare wheel off my old specialised which im guessing i could just get an 11-28 105 casette or similar and a tacx blue trye to make things easier?

anyone got an old cassette knocking around they want to sell me that would fit the bill?
 
Soldato
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Not having bundles of luck trying to source a replacement cable guide for my Cube. Bike shops saying they never replaced one. There's effectively a notch worn into it by the cable. I suspect it doesn't glide through this notch very easily and as a result ends up snapping in the shifter.

I'm thinking maybe sugru to try fill the notch or maybe I just stick an outer piece of cable (though it won't quite fit the cable guide). Anyone happen to have other bright ideas?

OucUOgz.png
 
Soldato
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What isn't going to happen? I've seen lots of road bikes for sale around the £200-£250 mark which look like they fit the bill, including the Scott bike at £185. Unless there's something i'm missing?

I accept Gravel bikes are a little more expensive due to the rarity of them, but i've still seen loads under the £500 mark.

Sorry should clarify you won't get anything that'll last very long at that budget unfortunately. Gravel bikes are the in thing at the moment so command a premium and bikes now second hand at that cost seem to generally be pretty poorly maintained.
 
Soldato
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Sorry should clarify you won't get anything that'll last very long at that budget unfortunately. Gravel bikes are the in thing at the moment so command a premium and bikes now second hand at that cost seem to generally be pretty poorly maintained.

Thanks, that makes sense. In the short term, would you think a road bike with slightly wider grippier tyres would be sufficient assuming i stick to roads/dry hard trails. Then maybe look for something else in the future?

I'm not hugely sold on being off road, i just liked the idea of using the canal to go to work, however i could also get there by road and i've no idea when the office will re-open anyway. I'd just like something a little sooner to get me out there. I did a 27 mile run on Tuesday evening and my legs still feel a bit too heavy to run (and mindful of recovery on joints). I used the Wattbike at the gym today to loosen them up, but being able to go for a proper ride would've been nice.

Can you put slightly wider tyres on existing rims or would it need entirely new rims?

This was the bike specifically i'd seen, it seemed a decent price for the spec and at least gets me something to get out on, then i can re-evaluate in the future. It's an old model, but i presume that's not a huge issue as long as it's looked after and it appears to be.

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/816673672551617/?ref=search&referral_code=marketplace_search&referral_story_type=post&tracking=browse_serp:e1f5cbd3-e856-4881-af2e-62601325bad0
 
Soldato
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You won't be able to put bigger tyres on a caliper braked bike like that as they just wont fit under the brake unfortunately. Could try some really puncture proof slick tyres in a 25 or 28 at a push, but if it's at all muddy you'll be having an awful time!
 
Soldato
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You won't be able to put bigger tyres on a caliper braked bike like that as they just wont fit under the brake unfortunately. Could try some really puncture proof slick tyres in a 25 or 28 at a push, but if it's at all muddy you'll be having an awful time!

Yeah, i guess i might just get something at the cheaper end like this and use it on the road and see if i actually use it enough and then take things from there, whilst maybe preferring a disc based bike at a higher budget to open up more opportunities in the future.

In all realism i intend cycling to be down the list of activities, so if i was ever to go somewhere off road/muddy i'd likely chose to go running anyway. Maybe i just need to compromise at this point whilst the market calms down and re-assess in the future. Plus it can get me into things like bike maintenance etc without destroying anything decent.

We have lots of country roads around so sticking to roads isn't an awful thing, i can just be an annoying road cyclist :p
 
Associate
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Yeah, i guess i might just get something at the cheaper end like this and use it on the road and see if i actually use it enough and then take things from there, whilst maybe preferring a disc based bike at a higher budget to open up more opportunities in the future.

In all realism i intend cycling to be down the list of activities, so if i was ever to go somewhere off road/muddy i'd likely chose to go running anyway. Maybe i just need to compromise at this point whilst the market calms down and re-assess in the future. Plus it can get me into things like bike maintenance etc without destroying anything decent.

We have lots of country roads around so sticking to roads isn't an awful thing, i can just be an annoying road cyclist :p

If you are going to ride on the road (and you should, it's great fun especially if you have access to good country lanes) then the Scott will be fine as an entry point bike. However, if you want to ride it on gravel/canal paths it is unsuitable as it will probably not take more than 25mm wide tyres.

If you want to do both you would be better off saving up for a bike like the Boardman ADV 8.9 or Giant Contend AR etc.
 
Soldato
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If you are going to ride on the road (and you should, it's great fun especially if you have access to good country lanes) then the Scott will be fine as an entry point bike. However, if you want to ride it on gravel/canal paths it is unsuitable as it will probably not take more than 25mm wide tyres.

If you want to do both you would be better off saving up for a bike like the Boardman ADV 8.9 or Giant Contend AR etc.

Cheers. I've actually recently started a new job and in my induction, the HR person mentioned that it might be possible to access the C2W scheme earlier than my probationary period ends. I'll send her a message just to try and clarify as obviously that opens up my options (within the limits of stocking obviously).
 
Soldato
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Associate
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Gah, it's so difficult to know what's reasonably priced and what's inflated due to the current situation.

I saw a Cannondale Caadx with 105 groupset
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/334082413862?hash=item4dc8dd1526:g:3esAAOSwFXZg9Zed

To my uneducated eyes it looks a decent bike, but then looking at historic sales prices for similar age/spec they're all over the place between 300 and 700!

It's supply and demand. It would be like looking at any sought after product when their prices have risen. Yes the bike is priced higher than it would have been previously, but if you want it now then that is the market value. You could wait, but cycling is becoming more popular and there are supply issues from manufacturers and import issues with Brexit. As such who knows if the "current situation" will change dramatically to allow for bike prices to drop. Potentially.
 
Soldato
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May have been impatient and saw that the Ultimate with rim brakes was in stock so put in an order. I would've rather had 105/Discs but it could have meant waiting until next year.

I mean this may all be moot if my work turn around and decide to not accept it. I'm 50/50 whether I want to leave so this may hurry that choice up :o
 
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