Road Cycling Essentials

[Gribs]

I'm fairly sure nobody on here jeers other cyclists or laughs openly at them.

I was laughing at some fit looking triathlon/duathlon types as they wobbled slowly round a corner and up a gentle hill in Rawtenstall this morning. They don't really count as cyclists though

 

[Phantom Shadow]

Having gone on a few group rides, my last 50 miles solo was just so boring.

Exams in a few weeks then I'm back home down south for the summer, so email has been sent off to enquire about joining Redhill cycling club. Knew I wanted to get involved in club riding, last few group rides have confirmed that. Must work on climbing though, dropped like a rock on every incline. Was able to cycle off the front on any descents or flattish sections though so it evens out.

Also checked tightness of pedals, still lots of creaking coming from the bike under power. I do have a bottom bracket sitting here ready to go on as after riding through floods over winter it was feeling gritty and giving resistance when I had the crankset off. Couldn't undo the bottom bracket though so it's just been sat waiting for the last month.

 

[touch]

looks like he carrying quite a bit of muscle, bet he could sprint like a mofo.

I'm heavy, but with quite big thighs.....cant sprint for ****

 

[arknor]

I'm glad to see larger guys on bikes, because I'd rather see fat people exercising than not, even if some people are jealous of others that can afford to buy expensive kit for a couple of months then Gumtree it .

not jealous just ridiculous when they get a show off bike probably feeling like they are driving a ferrari but they are in no condition to make use of it.
like a learner driver getting a ferrari

anyway I could have had a carbon bike but as said in thread owning one makes me nervous.

my current bike has a scratch on the top tube and a huge scratch down one of the seat stays, so I thought probably not a good idea

 

[touch]

not jealous just ridiculous when they get a show off bike probably feeling like they are driving a ferrari but they are in no condition to make use of it.

How many people are really in a condition where they make proper use of their bike?
I know i'm certainly not! The bike would go a lot faster than i'll ever be able to make it go.
I dont care what people think about my bike though, and i dont care what bike anybody else is riding.

anyway I could have had a carbon bike but as said in thread owning one makes me nervous.

You're going to have to become Amish soon to avoid all of the dangerous carbon things.
Modern planes, high-end cars, beams in large buildings and bridges are all made of carbon fibre.
I hope none of it gets scratched

 

[Phantom Shadow]

£300 - £1,000

 

[grudas]

not jealous just ridiculous when they get a show off bike probably feeling like they are driving a ferrari but they are in no condition to make use of it.
like a learner driver getting a ferrari

anyway I could have had a carbon bike but as said in thread owning one makes me nervous.

my current bike has a scratch on the top tube and a huge scratch down one of the seat stays, so I thought probably not a good idea

it isn't ridiculous at all.. I'd have got an expensive bike at the start if I could afford one! I don't think I can push the max out of my £300 triban and I'll get no chance to get the max out of my new-soon-to-be PX carbon..

and carbon is not as weak as you'd think.. I've smashed and bashed my front fork all over the place! jeez spokes popped out of my rims but the work is still as new.. with scratches, dings and so on..

 

[arknor]

it isn't ridiculous at all.. I'd have got an expensive bike at the start if I could afford one! I don't think I can push the max out of my £300 triban and I'll get no chance to get the max out of my new-soon-to-be PX carbon..

and carbon is not as weak as you'd think.. I've smashed and bashed my front fork all over the place! jeez spokes popped out of my rims but the work is still as new.. with scratches, dings and so on..

scratches can weaken it though and you should see the scratch on the seat stay of my current bike lol
looks like someone rubbed a brick all the way down it, any carbon would likely have been damaged beyond the gloss.

my fork will be carbon but the fork on my current bike is about the only part of it without any deep scratches

 

[Berger]

I don't think it's the "riding well" part that gets me but the "not using it aside from once a year on the one day it is sunny" part.

I can see your point - and yeah, there's no reason really why someone with lots of cash shouldn't spend whatever they want on whatever they want. I think it's hard not to judge a little though whenever you see someone struggling up a 1% incline with their 4k bike and ridiculously overpriced gear.

Its only overpriced if you think it is!

I perceive the extra cost of buying Rapha/Assos/Castelli as worth it as the materials and fit of the clothing is better than cheaper items.

I'd rather spend $1000 on clothes and ride some mediocre wheels than $500 on clothes and have some marginally better wheels for example.

The clothing for me improves my ride and makes me feel good about riding which is what I want.

Plus I look super awesome at the coffee shop with my tan lines and shaved guns.

 

[Participant]

I don't think it's the "riding well" part that gets me but the "not using it aside from once a year on the one day it is sunny" part.

I can see your point - and yeah, there's no reason really why someone with lots of cash shouldn't spend whatever they want on whatever they want. I think it's hard not to judge a little though whenever you see someone struggling up a 1% incline with their 4k bike and ridiculously overpriced gear.

This is a PC forum though so probably we are more skewed towards the types that judge people based on their spec versus their knowledge/ability/need.

A wealthy person that can afford to buy something expensive that they only use a few times a year gets my respect, not my scorn. Just like it would be stupid to judge people that own an expensive sports car but have very little in the way of driving skills and just take it to the coast four times a year.

There's no sense behind the 'match your kit to your skill' rule. I'd always buy the best I could afford straight away, and this is an often recommended and widely accepted tactic amongst the sensible and not-bitter .

 

[FrenchTart]

Its only overpriced if you think it is!

I perceive the extra cost of buying Rapha/Assos/Castelli as worth it as the materials and fit of the clothing is better than cheaper items.

I'd rather spend $1000 on clothes and ride some mediocre wheels than $500 on clothes and have some marginally better wheels for example.

The clothing for me improves my ride and makes me feel good about riding which is what I want.

Plus I look super awesome at the coffee shop with my tan lines and shaved guns.

Well, clothing is a slightly different kettle of fish I guess. I'm only just warming up to the idea of spending more money on clothing so I'll accept that you could perceive the difference between higher end stuff and low end stuff somewhat more easily than with some of the mid-to-higher end bike components.

A wealthy person that can afford to buy something expensive that they only use a few times a year gets my respect, not my scorn. Just like it would be stupid to judge people that own an expensive sports car but have very little in the way of driving skills and just take it to the coast four times a year.

There's no sense behind the 'match your kit to your skill' rule. I'd always buy the best I could afford straight away, and this is an often recommended and widely accepted tactic amongst the sensible and not-bitter .

You're a bit obsessed with the idea of people being bitter.

Whilst in PX I saw a guy have to be shown how to shift on his brand new couple of grand bike as he had no idea. Then when told about the free service within 6 weeks he mentioned that it was unlikely that he would ride it that soon. After that he took it out to his car, failed to fit it in his boot for 30 minutes and then brought it back because it was "scratched" (which he had clearly done whilst faffing trying to fit it into his car). Apparently that was the second time he had returned a bike due to the frame being scratched. When he left I asked the staff to show me the "damage" and it was almost imperceptible. That kind of thing is what I find to be really dumb.

My earlier wording about "growing into your equipment" or whatever may not have been the best. I would probably not recommend anyone to only spend a few hundred pounds on a bike if they could afford more (assuming they were ever going to use it) but whether or not you have spare cash floating around utilising it badly isn't something that should be seen as a virtue.

 

[touch]

Apparently that was the second time he had returned a bike due to the frame being scratched.

I dont blame him!
We all know that a scratched carbon frame is a deathtrap. It could explode at any moment killing the rider and all his family!

 

[FrenchTart]

I dont blame him!
We all know that a scratched carbon frame is a deathtrap. It could explode at any moment killing the rider and all his family!

Lol

It wasn't a carbon btw

 

[tedmaul]

Sometimes I do think the main thing about cycling is forgotten enjoyment.

Surely everyone should be encouraging cyclists in whatever shape or form ?

This.

Most of us are riding bikes that we never take to the limits of what they can really do in the hands of a good bike rider.

If someone is a bit over weight and has a £4k bike they ride twice a year when it's sunny and they love to do that, good on them i say. Pretty sure they'd think most of us are the freakshow - going out in crap weather in a vain attempt to beat our 'personal best' or some imaginary friend on a Strava segment. How sad does that look to the normal folk?

Never really understood this judgemental thing some cyclists have. The only reason i ever really look at the bikes etc that others have is because i enjoy being a bit of a bike geek and seeing what other people have and hearing what they think about it. i don't think i've ever thought 'they shouldn't have stuff that nice', or even the opposite 'they're a much better rider than the kit they have'. Those attitudes just don't really make any sense to me.

 

[Shamrock]

Me too. My new Tri clubs colours are pink and white, so it's bang on.

Pics!

 

[Fuzz]

My clothes cost as much as my bike I think. I am quite literally head to foot in Castelli and I love it. Wouldn't buy anything else.
It's the same off the bike in outdoors environments, Arcteryx or go home.


*cough, all the gear but no idea

 

[rogan]

I technically have over £600 worth of Rapha kit by RRP, not that I even paid 1/4 of it thanks to the sample sale.

Hope that doesnt make me a poser aha!

 

[SoliD]

Damn weather, raining today, was supposed to be OK at some point today!

Going to remove my dead tub from my disc wheel, first experience of buggering about with tubs so this could be interesting!

Also agree with Berger, expensive gear fits and feels so much better, and generally has better tech/thought out layout. (see gabba wind/showerproofing) well except for my Castelli Nano Tech knee warmers where they have put one of the labels in such a ridiculous place under the knee where it cut me on the first ride through rubbing. All that money spent and they couldn't put it in a better position.

 

[tedmaul]

well except for my Castelli Nano Tech knee warmers where they have put one of the labels in such a ridiculous place under the knee where it cut me on the first ride through rubbing. All that money spent and they couldn't put it in a better position.

It's not just me then!

I actually have noticeable scarring on the back of my right knee now where it keeps rubbing and causing sores. I've tried cutting the label out but there's still a bit left attached to the seam which you can't remove without damaging them, and it still causes the problem sometimes.

Really irritating and a shame, as they are great apart from that.

 

[Berger]

WRT components, couple of the local team guys race with Force 22 on their bikes. I can't say it slows them down!

Once your bike is down close to legal weight I don't think it matters if you have Ultegra or DA, Force or Red on your bike.