I never use the drops on the way up a hill, does that make me weird? I use the tops when going up a proper hill; it makes breathing easier as you aren't compressing your stomach / chest / diaphragm, and it opens your hip angle allowing your to put down more power per stroke.
First bike in 10~ years - Hybrid?
- Thread starter Andr3w
- Start date
Soldato
Caporegime
Hoods or tops for climbing, drops for descending and going fast on flat ground.
So with your help i've decided on the Boardman CX Comp.
http://www.boardmanbikes.com/cx/cx_comp.html
I'll hopefully be picking it up on saturday from Halfords (urgh!) then giving it to Begbie on Sunday to make sure it's not going to fall apart on me
Good choice.
those tyres are pretty much bomb proof.
I've been using schwalbe kevlar guarded tyres since I started 2-3years ago and never had a puncture yet in about 2000 miles.
had tyrago like those on my old boardman but prefer the schwalbe land cruisers
Tyrago tread should be something like
and land cruiser are like
Land cruisers seem to roll better on road because of the centre strip on the tyre being all one line. (going through a puddle only the centre strip on the tyre leaves a thin wet trail)
just as good grip off road.
something to consider in a few hundred miles once your rear tyre starts getting worn.
BTW if your taking cycling seriously you should start doing regular stretching exercises http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/eight-stretching-exercises-for-cyclists-26074/
Rather than making you more supple cycling does the opposite and makes your hips tighter, if you have a job that involves a lot of sitting down then your likely to already have crap flexibility in your hips as it is.
http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/eight-stretching-exercises-for-cyclists-26074/
also get a cycling computer even if it's just a crap cheap basic one for about £20, being able to see how fast you are pedalling (cadence) is a god send.
you should be hitting around 90 cadence for optimal performance and minimal strain on your muscles/joints.
cycling at low cadence is a back killer, especially if your going up hill.
and if your not riding in cycling gear then get some under shorts to wear instead of regular underwear your bum will thank you for it.
something like http://www.evanscycles.com/products/endura/mesh-boxer-ec027240
even 4 miles might seem difficult when you first start cycling but don't give up ! it's amazing how fast your body adapts.
also get the strava app for your phone to log your rides, all the geeky stats will encourage you to ride more.
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Wow great advice thanks!
Just got back from Halfords and I had a really weird experience!
The chap there was very helpful, really enthusiastic and actually owned one of the more expensive Boardman Road bikes. We discussed mud guards and racks/bags etc and he actually went into depth about some of the items rather than just saying 'this will work'.
He had the Boardman road/mx and another one I can't remember in stock, but not the CX. He measured me up and I ordered the bike, hoping it'll be delivered on Friday if not i'll have to wait till Monday!!
Just got back from Halfords and I had a really weird experience!
The chap there was very helpful, really enthusiastic and actually owned one of the more expensive Boardman Road bikes. We discussed mud guards and racks/bags etc and he actually went into depth about some of the items rather than just saying 'this will work'.
He had the Boardman road/mx and another one I can't remember in stock, but not the CX. He measured me up and I ordered the bike, hoping it'll be delivered on Friday if not i'll have to wait till Monday!!
Soldato
it would be wrong to assume that all halfords are bad 
some employees will know their stuff, as long as you're able to tell the difference between a sales man and a guy who genuinely likes the sport and wants to help I don't really go to halfords or any other retail shop for advice as such but my previous experiences were never good - went as far as arguments about tyres(haha) at evanscycles with a sales guy trying to sell my mate an expensive pair of contis.
some employees will know their stuff, as long as you're able to tell the difference between a sales man and a guy who genuinely likes the sport and wants to help I don't really go to halfords or any other retail shop for advice as such but my previous experiences were never good - went as far as arguments about tyres(haha) at evanscycles with a sales guy trying to sell my mate an expensive pair of contis.The ONLY thing he tried to sell (and wasn't pushy at all) was the 1year bike maintenance for £20. It included two services and various other things, I didn't say yes as I'm not sure it's needed.
Other than that he only recommended various mud guards and he said he recommends them from his own experiences etc.
Other than that he only recommended various mud guards and he said he recommends them from his own experiences etc.
If they know one end of a bike from the other then that could be a good purchase IMHO. It will at least give you the chance to learn about maintenance as you go rather than having to get fully clued up shortly after getting in the saddle.
they do a free service after a few weeks anyway to check the bike over.
if something breaks on your bike in my experience halfwords will replace it at their expense.
had a bolt snap on my seat post got a new seat post for free.
went to halfords a few times when my gears were going crap and had them readjusted for free.
I think they tell you the warranty only covers the frame but that's BS in my experience and looking on the net people have had free bottom brackets when they have started to die prematurely
BTW the adjuster barrels on your cables...
Do not tighten them
Loads of people buy a bike and think they are supposed to be tightened all the way like a screw....
they adjust the tension on the cable so adjusting them without knowing what your doing will mess up your gear indexing or brakes
if something breaks on your bike in my experience halfwords will replace it at their expense.
had a bolt snap on my seat post got a new seat post for free.
went to halfords a few times when my gears were going crap and had them readjusted for free.
I think they tell you the warranty only covers the frame but that's BS in my experience and looking on the net people have had free bottom brackets when they have started to die prematurely
BTW the adjuster barrels on your cables...
Do not tighten them
Loads of people buy a bike and think they are supposed to be tightened all the way like a screw....
they adjust the tension on the cable so adjusting them without knowing what your doing will mess up your gear indexing or brakes
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Man of Honour
I've tried a few mudguards on my 4 bikes and I recommend SKS
I don't. What advantages does insurance has? Is it for the bike itself? Or if you hit another car etc?
Yeah the £20 might be worth it, but they have to fix anything that's broke. And most other stuff is simple enough with youtube videos etc.
Man of Honour
Mudguards - get Chromoplastics. They're awesome.
Insurance - I use Cycleguard. They weren't a major hassle when a car hit me (and the guy being the awesome tool he was denied responsibility..and my witness decided to never return my calls).
Insurance - I use Cycleguard. They weren't a major hassle when a car hit me (and the guy being the awesome tool he was denied responsibility..and my witness decided to never return my calls).
I don't bother with insurance since I don't leave my bike unattended anywhere.
Just become a british cycling member if you want liability insurance
Pretty sure the 10% halfords discount stacks with any other discounts too but probably to late for you if you already paid
you could have essentially got a british cycling membership for free + like £10-£20 for the trouble of signing up when you take into consideration the halfords discount and the fact your spending £600 on a bike
Just become a british cycling member if you want liability insurance
Pretty sure the 10% halfords discount stacks with any other discounts too but probably to late for you if you already paid
you could have essentially got a british cycling membership for free + like £10-£20 for the trouble of signing up when you take into consideration the halfords discount and the fact your spending £600 on a bike
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I would leave it chained up occationally, such as going into Cafe's etc when out and about.
Thanks.
I don't bother with insurance since I don't leave my bike unattended anywhere.
Just become a british cycling member if you want liability insurance
Pretty sure the 10% halfords discount stacks with any other discounts too but probably to late for you if you already paid
you could have essentially got a british cycling membership for free + like £10-£20 for the trouble of signing up when you take into consideration the halfords discount and the fact your spending £600 on a bike
I'll look into the british cycling this afternoon!
Caporegime
Given that I now have about £1,500 worth of bikes in a shed (decent metal one, but nonetheless a shed) I was keen to make sure my insurance would cover them, and it will be a serious consideration each time I renew from now on.
Man of Honour
Insurance isn't just about leaving your bike unattended or liability - it's also about covering you and your bike if you're in an accident.
Soldato
Got Bikmoplus insurance here. Heard good things from a few people and completely cover all my gear with no questions asked. It's not cheap as some but in the scheme of things it's not too much either considering I'm leaving the bikes in a detached garage.
Guess I spoke far too soon about Halfords being good.
They only ordered the frame, not the whole ******* bike. Had a phone call from them, they don't have any in the local area or even in their distribution warehouse.
Waiting for a call back.
Absolute joke. I put a £10 deposit down (granted its only £10) but its a 30mile round trip, another 30mile round trip to get my deposit refunded if needed.
They only ordered the frame, not the whole ******* bike. Had a phone call from them, they don't have any in the local area or even in their distribution warehouse.
Waiting for a call back.
Absolute joke. I put a £10 deposit down (granted its only £10) but its a 30mile round trip, another 30mile round trip to get my deposit refunded if needed.