Road Cycling Essentials

Status
Not open for further replies.
willhub said:
Well I use Shimano 105/Ultegra groupset, Mavic Aksium, Shimano R550 and Ambrosio Evolution wheels, and I sometimes do around 300 miles per week, and the wheels are bomb proof better than uber cheap wheels.

Over the years I've noticed cheap stuff fail more than quality stuff.
Click to expand...

As I say, everyone's mileage varies. Although I will concede that cheap bottom brackets always seem to die young!
 
Saundie said:
Burls?
Click to expand...

Indeed. Service so far has been excellent with every question answered quickly and fully, and very detailed designs produced as I request changes.

Was also speaking to Bob Jackson about a custom steel frame but they were essentially putting me off going custom and just suggesting I get a 1.5" head tube extension, which to my eyes would look really ugly. Also, I probably would have gone ott with the paint and lugging on a Bob Jackson which would have defeated the point of it being a winter club runner / all year commuter.
 
They didn't refuse they just weren't very forthcoming when it came to going custom. Every time I asked the just kept saying they could do other things that were cheaper instead of discussing complete custom.
 
Don't allow Jonny69 to poison your mind with his talk of steel frames! The Burls is the way forward for you. What sort of bike are you going to be putting together, a TT bike?

Today has given me further proof that I am not cut out to be any sort of mechanic; it took me over an hour to change the brake pads on the Pompetamine :(
 
Indeed, I am also of the opinion that titanium is where it's at. I just need to get the motivation to get over to Corridori to spec up a Van Nicholas Yukon.
 
Steel is a great frame material, nothing else gives you those lovely elegant slim tubes and if it's decent steel then it's not that much heavier than Alu and Ti. Both steel and Ti should last 30 years.
 
I cleaned my bike this morning and I've never put any photos up so here it is. I managed to fall off it the other day :o I recommend not wearing your cleats out so much that you slip out when standing up!

feltz6_1.jpg


feltz6_2.jpg


feltz6_3.jpg


feltz6_4.jpg


feltz6_5.jpg


feltz6_6.jpg
 
olv: You've got it in the wrong gears for photographs!

In other news, I'm just getting back into cycling after ~10 weeks off from it. The 10 weeks is due to a number of changes in my life (finals --> post-finals celebrations --> graduation --> finding a flat to live in after moving out of college --> two weeks in France --> first two weeks of my new job) that meant I either didn't have a bike to hand or was too busy.

I'm easing back into it with ~20 mile rides spaced out by a few days, hoping to ramp up pretty soon. I can really tell I've lost fitness. Did my first ride on Wednesday last week, and got caught out in the rain (which, incidentally, was the first time that I can recall being caught in rain on my nice road bike - which is the one I was using - despite already having 1,400 miles on it at that point).

Either there was oil on the road, or I'd forgotten/never learned the limits of the bike in rain, because I locked up the wheels on the approach to a roundabout and came off. The skewer quick-releases, brake levers and bar tape are all scratched, and the left brake hood was bent inwards but I was able to just hit it back into place. Functionally everything is fine, but it's still annoying. I've got very minor patches of road rash on my left side which are still healing, but otherwise also fine. My right hand was pretty sore for a few days, must have landed hard on that. Had I not been wearing gloves I probably wouldn't be writing/typing for the next few weeks; my last spill was ~18 months ago and not wearing gloves meant that typing with my left hand was pretty difficult for the following month; luckily I learned my lesson then and now always wear gloves.

I've got a 10 mile commute which, for the first 9 days I did by car as I had enough other changes to get used to, but yesterday I cycled it; as of next week I will continue doing so as much as possible.
 
Saundie said:
What sort of bike are you going to be putting together, a TT bike?:(
Click to expand...

Audax frame. Ti's biggest benefit is comfort, you just don't feel the road beneath you.

Not sure if I'll ever get round to getting a TT since I'd need to start going to yoga lessons to make it worthwhile. I'd certainly need to go custom if I did get one. Following my bike fit my measurement are: BB centre to saddle centre is 765mm; virtual TT c2c 545mm; 74deg seat tube. That means I need a head tube of around 175 to 185 in order to avoid a massive drop from saddle to bars.

A TT frame would generally have a head tube of around 110-120mm which would generally mean I'd have a saddle to bar drop of around 180mm!
 
olv said:
Sorry I'm not up to date on correct bike photo etiquette. :p
Click to expand...

Should be in the highest gear. Cranks should be rotated so the far crank is hidden behind the seat tube. Also, your wheels should be rotated so the valve stems are at the bottom.

Finally, remove any accessories; I rightly got stick for leaving on my saddle bag and the quick release for my computer, although I did remembered to take the lights off.

Seriously.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom