It's not difficult but if you're doing that every time then you might as well just change the tyres.
Cycle commute!
- Thread starter Malt_Vinegar
- Start date
I cycle to work on a Merlin Malt 1 - LX (07 model):
Link
Changes include:
Link
Changes include:
- Schwalbe 1.5" inner tubes
- Schawlbe 1.5" City Jet tyres
- SPD pedals and shoes
- WTB Rocket V Titanium saddle
- Crud Catchers front and rear
- 2xCateye EL530 lights on the front
- 1xCateye LD1100 + 2xCateye LD100 lights rear
- Cateye Micro Wireless Computer
Soldato
- Joined
- 8 Mar 2007
- Posts
- 3,586
- Location
- Swindon, Wiltshire
About 3 miles, I try to take as much off road as possible though and usually takes 10-20 minutes depending on the weather and how fast I cycle.
Here's the ride (although I have the 2005 one, I couldn't find a pic of it so here's a 2007 one so you get the idea)
Getting myself a 2005 santa cruz bullit next week though due to having come into some moneys
so stay tuned.
Here's the ride (although I have the 2005 one, I couldn't find a pic of it so here's a 2007 one so you get the idea)
Getting myself a 2005 santa cruz bullit next week though due to having come into some moneys
so stay tuned.
- Joined
- 20 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 17,154
- Location
- In a house
I was hoping those made up wheels would be considerable lighter weight than the Zac 2000 rims that are on there at the moment! (standard ones)
Soldato
- Joined
- 26 Dec 2003
- Posts
- 6,961
- Location
- Cambs UK
Just get some hybrid tyres mate, much easier
Hmmm why do you all have mountain/sporty/special bikes?
Nobody has a normall city bike like this :
http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/4284/gazelle20next20smallqy0.jpg
?
The majority ( say 90% of all bikes, if not more) are city/granny bikes here.
Nobody has a normall city bike like this :
http://img511.imageshack.us/img511/4284/gazelle20next20smallqy0.jpg
?
The majority ( say 90% of all bikes, if not more) are city/granny bikes here.
- Joined
- 20 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 17,154
- Location
- In a house
Are they riding 20 miles a day on those??
Apart from anything else, I had this bike in 2001 when i used to ride a lot, so now im using the same bike as it was expensive, and a nice bike to ride
Oh, and not to mention that if I was to ride that, i would look like a complete ****
Because we are english (Brits) and when it comes to functionality we are clueless. 
We'd much rather buy a full racing bike with cleats trying to negotiate heavy traffic and death. We dont have a bike culture over here like everywhere else in Europe, only place i've seen it is in Oxford.
We'd much rather buy a full racing bike with cleats trying to negotiate heavy traffic and death. We dont have a bike culture over here like everywhere else in Europe, only place i've seen it is in Oxford.
because we dont want to look like women ?
Wearing helmets on normall slow bike commuting doesnt make you look like a woman then
? When I was in the london suburbs all guys looked like gals they all wore helmets and even lined up behind cars in a jam instead of driving past em. That's looking like a woman 
.Mum does, 14 km to work work then 14 km back again.
What's so tough about it just pedal for 45 minutes aside that it's great on sunny days, nice relaxing ride on cycle paths.
Lol, indeed, how can you do your local grocery's on a mountain bike? You'd have to wear it in a backpack or whatever instead of just plopping the box (of grocery's) onto the back of your bike or in a side bag in the back.
Last edited:
I ride to work for fitness reasons, not speed reasons
A lighter bike would mean a lower work rate.
I also use the bike for serious off roading at weekends
- Joined
- 20 Oct 2002
- Posts
- 17,154
- Location
- In a house
Wearing helmets on normall slow bike commuting doesnt make you look like a woman then
Mum does, 14 km to work work then 14 km back again.
What's so tough about it just pedal for 45 minutes aside that it's great on sunny days, nice relaxing ride on cycle paths.
Cycle paths??? dont have a huge load of them available!
I wear a helmet whatever riding I am doing. If I was on a woman bike i still would. However, I could'nt find mine this morning unfortunatly so had to go without.
If i cant locate it i will be buying a new one before i do any more riding.
Besides, the only riding i do that isnt for fun is going to work, in which case, i just lob my laptop and cables into a backpack and head off. Why would you go shopping on a bike?!
I ride to work for fitness reasons, not speed reasons
A lighter bike would mean a lower work rate.
I also use the bike for serious off roading at weekends
I can understand for entertainement purpuses, not though for home-work and home-shop commuting though.
Ohwell guess it's also got to do with cheapyness, we prefer to buy a cheap used 50 € bike than to spend loads of cash on some expensive bike.
Hell, my mum used to ride to work on a 10€ bike for 2 years b4 it finally went.
It's nearly completly flat here anyways so no problems riding upto 15 miles anywhere.
Pretty much sums up why people choose cheap and easy transportation and dont use stuff like public transport and cars.
Wearing helmets on normall slow bike commuting doesnt make you look like a woman then
.
its painfully obvious you have no idea what its like in this country. There just a bike culture over here. You go to amsterdamn, and people are on bikes everywhere
go to london / leeds / manchester / birmingham etc.. and you'll see maybe the odd pedestrain cyclist, and maybe a few motorcycle couriers but hardly any cyclists. Because not many people ride bikes, most people who ride bikes are doing so for fitness reasons or whatever
people dont have "commuter" bikes over here.
C ycle paths??? dont have a huge load of them available!
I wear a helmet whatever riding I am doing. If I was on a woman bike i still would. However, I could'nt find mine this morning unfortunatly so had to go without.
If i cant locate it i will be buying a new one before i do any more riding.
Besides, the only riding i do that isnt for fun is going to work, in which case, i just lob my laptop and cables into a backpack and head off.
Ahhh k, just used to cycle paths pretty much everywhere here, you can get between most cities using mostly cycle paths.
Is it that unsafe there tho that you have to wear helmets
?Because a 2-3 min bike trip beats 10-15 mins of walking.
No need to carry grocery's either.
Ohwell, I guess I don't, just sounds stupid to me why sit in traffic 20 minutes (assuming urbanised area) or walk for even longer when a bike can do it in 10-15 mins, it's cheaper n faster.
Last edited:
Ahhh k, just used to cycle paths pretty much everywhere here, you can get between most cities using mostly cycle paths.
Is it that unsafe there tho that you have to wear helmets
on my journey into leeds city centre there is not a single cycle patch or lane, and leeds is what the 3rd biggest city in the UK ?
i hardly see any cyclists, maybe 1 per day. As for safety, because thers no bike culture over here motorists are generally intolerant of cyclists and bully them out of the way or just plain ignore them. As such riding a bike in most UK city centres is usually fairly risky
7 miles to work on a double suspension effort from Halfords - can't remember the brand... it's the one they import from Spain.
I can normally do it in about fifteen/twenty minutes. But I have managed it in under that. Although I wasn't in much of a mood to do anything once I arrived at work...
I can normally do it in about fifteen/twenty minutes. But I have managed it in under that. Although I wasn't in much of a mood to do anything once I arrived at work...
I ride about 6 miles a day on a CB Cape Wrath d27 for my commutes too and from work. Yes I use knobbily tyres (since I'm often out at the weekends and can't be bothered changing the tyres all the time) and it doesn't hurt my speed that much. I can easily crack 30mph on the light downhill sections so they're not that bad.
I'm also a really aggressive rider when commuting since it's the only way to get any road presence. I've got flashing LED's, high vis jackets and superb bright white spotlights, but I still get cut up and bullied about by cars on a daily basis. Since changing my riding style to be more obnoxious, I don't see it any more.
Oh - and lets clear this up now, I might ride like a **** but you won't find me jumping reds or riding on the pavement where I can avoid it.
I'm also a really aggressive rider when commuting since it's the only way to get any road presence. I've got flashing LED's, high vis jackets and superb bright white spotlights, but I still get cut up and bullied about by cars on a daily basis. Since changing my riding style to be more obnoxious, I don't see it any more.
Oh - and lets clear this up now, I might ride like a **** but you won't find me jumping reds or riding on the pavement where I can avoid it.
Soldato
- Joined
- 13 Jul 2006
- Posts
- 3,371
- Location
- Hell!! \m/
I have a crappy store dept one I got for £100 (I was a school kid with little money) With some tweaking it's not too bad, although it's heavy it's not too bad when you have tonnes of caffine. After this I might get either a hardtail or racer with about £300.