Road Cycling Essentials

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i'd say acceptable - pretty well put together although a few of the bolts were a bit loose and the gears needed re-adjusting pretty quickly. Having said that you should be checking all the bolts regardless and the most gears will need a bit of time to bed in so not unreasonable...
 
[DOD]Asprilla;17419328 said:
That's a wicked bike; chuck on some guards and it's a brilliant all season commuter at an excellent price!
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I'm planning to put guards and a rack on it, and use it for some light touring around the south coast (weekends mostly). My current bike will remain my commuter, especially during the winter once they start gritting the roads. Unfortunately I don't yet know when I'll be getting the Pompetamine, my order is on hold while they await stock of "one or more parts". Still, all good things come to those who wait, eh?

Edit: good news; On-one emailed me to let me know that the bike has gone into build, and I should get it tomorrow. Happy days :)
 
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Saundie said:
Edit: good news; On-one emailed me to let me know that the bike has gone into build, and I should get it tomorrow. Happy days :)
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Good news indeed!

For my Bryant, they are expected in the US at the end of this week, possibly the beginning of next and I expect processing and shipping to be about 10 days.

Unfortunately the guards are on two week back order so I might be looking at another month before she gets here.

Still, can't complain whilst the weather is still good enough for the Cervelo. This morning was a nice steady cruise in.
 
[DOD]Asprilla;17426130 said:
For my Bryant, they are expected in the US at the end of this week, possibly the beginning of next and I expect processing and shipping to be about 10 days.

Unfortunately the guards are on two week back order so I might be looking at another month before she gets here.
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Part of me wanted to hold on until I could get a Byrant, but my patience with my hybrid wore thin last week and I resolved to buy a new one. I'm looking forward to hearing your opinion on the belt drive, and how it stands up to your incredible pace!
 
I think commuting on the Bryant is going to be a more relaxed affair; different geometry, fatter tyres, more weight and fewer gears with big steps between them is going to make a massive difference.

Besides, I'm not that fast. I regularly get my ass handed to me on the morning commute. I think that if I was still commuting along embankment though central london I'd be about average, there are some seriously quick guys (and girls) down there in a morning. I have a decent average, but I struggle to reach 30mph whereas some folks go hunting scooters in a morning for fun. I also think my averages are skewed by the fact that only 1/3 of my commute is in London with the traffic jams and lights that it entails.

The main point of the Bryant is that I won't be spending my evenings / weekends in the garage as winter weather takes it's toll on the drive train.

Edit: platypus would leave me for dead, for instance.
 
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Every day this last month or so now I've been racing a black nissan micra home, driven by a most beautiful woman. She smiles every time she sees me now, probably because I blast off at 25-30mph so I invariably beat her to the lights due to Cambridge traffic, and cycle alongside her a fair bit. Makes the commute a tad more fun ;).
 
[DOD]Asprilla;17426860 said:
I struggle to reach 30mph whereas some folks go hunting scooters in a morning for fun. I also think my averages are skewed by the fact that only 1/3 of my commute is in London with the traffic jams and lights that it entails.
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There's only one part of my commute where I can hit 30mph, and the road is so potholled that it feels awful to do so. It takes me about 20 minutes to travel 3.5 miles at this time of year because I get stuck at lights. Today I got stuck behind three other cyclists in a cycle lane; the lead guy was doing at 10mph, and there simply wasn't enough room to overtake them all safely. It gave me a brief insight into how drivers feel when I'm coasting at 25mph.

platypus said:
She smiles every time she sees me now, probably because I blast off at 25-30mph so I invariably beat her to the lights due to Cambridge traffic, and cycle alongside her a fair bit.
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I'm waiting for the inevitable "It was pure romance, right up until I clipped her wing mirror and was thrown into an oncoming motorcycle" ;)
 
platypus said:
Every day this last month or so now I've been racing a black nissan micra home, driven by a most beautiful woman. She smiles every time she sees me now, probably because I blast off at 25-30mph so I invariably beat her to the lights due to Cambridge traffic, and cycle alongside her a fair bit. Makes the commute a tad more fun ;).
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Saundie said:
I'm waiting for the inevitable "It was pure romance, right up until I clipped her wing mirror and was thrown into an oncoming motorcycle" ;)
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Or more likely, "i gazed in to her eyes as i flew over the bonnet when she decided to turn left in front of me".

Big ride on sunday so on the hunt for a water proof jacket just in case lancashire weather lives up to its usual weekend standards.

Endurar or Altura are 2 current contenders. Gore too expensive for what i want.
 
[DOD]Asprilla;17427376 said:
Montane Featherlite Velo?

It's purely a weatherproof so no insulation and packs very, very small.
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Got one of those(as a freebie from somewhere).
Looking at a proper waterproof. Last weekends rain would have gone through the Velo as if it was tissue paper.
Got a couple of shops in town i can look in but wonder what peoples thoughts are. Being in the recumbent, means i will get full force of rain on my chest so something a bit thicker is required.
I do like the Velo, great to stuff in my camera bag.

At least i have a decent selection of shorts now. Got normal, 3/4 and full length bib shorts to choose from on the day.
 
Siliconslave said:
what light combos are people using for commuting - i'm tempted by the blackburn flea 4 but wouldn't mind something for the back of my helmet as well - people with them seem to stand out so much better when i'm driving...
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I have a Cateye HL-EL135 and a Fenix LD20 up front, and a Cateye TL-LD130 and a Blackburn Mars 3 at the back. No idea what it looks like from other vehicles, but as far as the front lights go, I can see well enough to be able to avoid potholes.

Shoei said:
Got a couple of shops in town i can look in but wonder what peoples thoughts are. Being in the recumbent, means i will get full force of rain on my chest so something a bit thicker is required.
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I have a dhb Southsea jacket, though I've only worn it a few times it seems to do the trick of keeping the water out. Can't comment as to how much more water resistant it is over the Montane Featherlite, however. I went for it mostly because of how it looks and the good reviews.
 
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