Road Cycling Essentials

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My Cervelo P3

Finally got round to getting my P3 exactly the way I want it.

When I bought it it came with 3T aura bars which were nice and comfortable but reasonably weighty, and the big annoyance was that they had upturned bar ends, which did suit the Magura RT6 brakes, which are designed to be flat, they also look way way better this way, and we all no if it looks good it must be fast!

So first I swapped the bars with a 3T Brezza, flat bar ends, and s-bend extensions. This meant re cabling the hydraulic brakes which was good news as both hoses were way to long. The front was hanging out the side and causing a bit of drag. I shortened this so now it comes right out the top of the brake and up to connect to the stem where its got a small zip tie.

The rear hose also previously entered the frame through the side of the top tube, which is a bit odd, as there is space for it to enter in the top along with the gear cables. So I re-threaded it through the top and shortened it so it sits nice and tight to the frame.

All in all way cleaner, more aero and a couple hundred grams lighter.







 
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As above. I'll try not to stare at it too much else i get jealous :p

They seem to have dropped the price of the Merlin PR7 back to £300, but now it says "DUE TO EXCEPTIONAL DEMAND THIS BIKE IS NOW SOLD OUT UNTIL MARCH 2015". So people looking for a budget road bike over winter will have to look elsewhere. I wonder if we'll see a refresh on Decathlon's lineup by then...
 
.B.E.A.U.T.I.F.U.L.!.

It just looks so fast. Sat there. Not moving. But so fast! :D

Great work on the cables - the front shot is incredible, it's just so slim!

Commute this morning, nothing to report - rest day yesterday and I'm sure my Sufferfest blast has helped my endurance and trying to push my 14mph average aim! Pretty sure it's a placebo but it's encouraging me to do more! ;) :D
 
Ho-hum...

Finally got my bullet-proof Carrera LRS3 recommissioned for my commute into work (was previously driving, then bus, now bike) and had my first ride in to work this morning...

10.6 miles, in around 50 minutes. Considering I haven't ridden a bike for more than 200m in around five years, I don't feel like I want to die at the moment... which is nice.

Here's a question for you experts:

What sort of waterproofs do you use that are breathable, but also wash and dry quickly (i.e. what can I rinse under a tap and hang up to dry during a working day, if there is even such a thing)?

Many thanks!
 
mrthingyx said:
Ho-hum...

Finally got my bullet-proof Carrera LRS3 recommissioned for my commute into work (was previously driving, then bus, now bike) and had my first ride in to work this morning...

10.6 miles, in around 50 minutes. Considering I haven't ridden a bike for more than 200m in around five years, I don't feel like I want to die at the moment... which is nice.

Here's a question for you experts:

What sort of waterproofs do you use that are breathable, but also wash and dry quickly (i.e. what can I rinse under a tap and hang up to dry during a working day, if there is even such a thing)?

Many thanks!
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Fair few of us don't bother with waterproofs for bottom half, just get wet and dry off, but top half I have a number of jackets, DHB on Wiggle do a number of options, I have the minima S for packing away and a more substantial one in grey with green zips (no idea on name) that works in harsher rain. Generally you will get wet, either from the outside if it's breathable, or from the inside with sweat.
 
In terms of proper cycling kit, I dont have anything waterproof for my bottom half.
My commute to work is only 4 miles (and I drive 95% of the time :p) so if i'm cycling to work I dont wear any bike kit, just normal work trousers with goretex waterproof overtrousers.
Got them for £5 on ebay, army surplus. They are brilliant but look a bit daft in camo green :(
 
As above, I don't really bother with waterproofs for my legs. That might change if we get heavy rain in January though :p

It's a bit of an annoying time of year as anything decently waterproof/resistant will probably be too warm to wear most of the time. I've got a water resistant and breathable jacket I got from Aliexpress based on someone's recommendation on here and it's pretty good. It would be far too warm to wear if it weren't for the zips on the sides that I can undo to improve the ventilation.

TLDR: Get a DHB softshell as recommended and if there's one that has vent zips then you totally should go that route.

Unfortunately, especially on a journey longer than a couple of miles, you'll probably find that your clothing needs change quite a lot over the course of the year.

edit: Got Strava? :p
 
touch said:
In terms of proper cycling kit, I dont have anything waterproof for my bottom half.
My commute to work is only 4 miles (and I drive 95% of the time :p) so if i'm cycling to work I dont wear any bike kit, just normal work trousers with goretex waterproof overtrousers.
Got them for £5 on ebay, army surplus. They are brilliant but look a bit daft in camo green :(
Click to expand...

4 mile commute and you drive a car 95% ? #savetheplanetmurderdrivers ;)
 
SoliD said:
Fair few of us don't bother with waterproofs for bottom half, just get wet and dry off, but top half I have a number of jackets, DHB on Wiggle do a number of options, I have the minima S for packing away and a more substantial one in grey with green zips (no idea on name) that works in harsher rain. Generally you will get wet, either from the outside if it's breathable, or from the inside with sweat.
Click to expand...

touch said:
In terms of proper cycling kit, I dont have anything waterproof for my bottom half.
My commute to work is only 4 miles (and I drive 95% of the time :p) so if i'm cycling to work I dont wear any bike kit, just normal work trousers with goretex waterproof overtrousers.
Got them for £5 on ebay, army surplus. They are brilliant but look a bit daft in camo green :(
Click to expand...

FrenchTart said:
As above, I don't really bother with waterproofs for my legs. That might change if we get heavy rain in January though :p

It's a bit of an annoying time of year as anything decently waterproof/resistant will probably be too warm to wear most of the time. I've got a water resistant and breathable jacket I got from Aliexpress based on someone's recommendation on here and it's pretty good. It would be far too warm to wear if it weren't for the zips on the sides that I can undo to improve the ventilation.

TLDR: Get a DHB softshell as recommended and if there's one that has vent zips then you totally should go that route.

Unfortunately, especially on a journey longer than a couple of miles, you'll probably find that your clothing needs change quite a lot over the course of the year.

edit: Got Strava? :p
Click to expand...

Thanks guys - I suspected this would be the case, but as I'm new to cycling (and spend far too much time looking at Cervelo P3s and the like) I was somewhat hoping for something impossible... :D

And no - I used RidewithGPS because a bro uses it... will this ruin my gainz?
 
mrthingyx said:
Thanks guys - I suspected this would be the case, but as I'm new to cycling (and spend far too much time looking at Cervelo P3s and the like) I was somewhat hoping for something impossible... :D

And no - I used RidewithGPS because a bro uses it... will this ruin my gainz?
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RideWithGPS is like curling in a squat rack :p

It's fine... you just can't be in the cool kids club with it is all ;)

Depending on how much you're willing to spend some of the more expensive soft shells are actually fairly reasonable and within a month it'll probably be cold enough that you won't completely boil in it.
 
RidewithGPS is way better than Strava for planning rides. Strava is way better for logging rides, checking progress, etc. Quite why the two of them have started trying to encroach into each other's territory is beyond me.
 
Vonhelmet said:
So what's the deal?
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Dont draw attention to yourself and you'll probably be fine.

If you get caught doing something stupid (jumping a red light, riding the wrong way down a one-way, etc) expect to have the "riding without reflectors" offence slapped on top too.
It's clear from the article that they are not out with the intention of catching out and fining cyclists, shown by the fact that the fines dont have to be paid if the riders buy lights instead.
 
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mrthingyx said:
Here's a question for you experts:

What sort of waterproofs do you use that are breathable, but also wash and dry quickly (i.e. what can I rinse under a tap and hang up to dry during a working day, if there is even such a thing)?

Many thanks!
Click to expand...

SoliD said:
Fair few of us don't bother with waterproofs for bottom half, just get wet and dry off, but top half I have a number of jackets, DHB on Wiggle do a number of options, I have the minima S for packing away and a more substantial one in grey with green zips (no idea on name) that works in harsher rain. Generally you will get wet, either from the outside if it's breathable, or from the inside with sweat.
Click to expand...

FrenchTart said:
TLDR: Get a DHB softshell as recommended and if there's one that has vent zips then you totally should go that route.
Click to expand...

Ok first up, you're riding a MTB/Hybrid so should be able to mount mud guards (if not got them already) - they'll help your legs a lot!

I started commuting on my hybrid 14 months ago, back then I wore trackies, baselayers and superdry 'windcheater' style jackets in the worst weather. For waterproofs I wore some cheapy £16 ones from mountain warehouse (They're now £20. I also use overshoes and 'cycle clips' to hold the legs in)... And still do!

Now I'm on a road bike with cleats etc I've gone through several different jackets, so here's my list and reasons for each:

  1. Superdry 'Windcheater' - Had these already, some with extra thermal layers. Very waterproof, but close fitting arms/neck so I was overheating quite quickly. Will use these again in the snow/torrential when temps are low.
  2. Next up I needed a lighter 'rainproof' layer that was also bright enough. I had an Adidas Originals I used until I realised my White/red/black £180 jacket was getting grubby and oily... It's waterproofing also began to 'wear out'.
  3. When I changed from hybrid to road bike I started to buy specific clothing for cycling/comfort/performance etc. I have become a big DHB fan. First up was the DHB Active Waterproof. Great waterproof layer, but very much 'boil in the bag' as it's a single layer with no vents/zips. Some days I was wetter from condensation than rain! I'll continue to carry this in the spring when temps are higher for some shower protection. It's light and packs into a pocket.
  4. I looked towards multi-layered more expensive jackets and as the DHB I wanted (see more below) wasn't available in high-viz, I tried the more expensive Altura Nevis II. I was very disappointed! The cut/fit wasn't very suited to cycling and for a £60 jacket I wasn't happy enough with it and returned it (thanks Wiggle!).
  5. The next jackets I looked at were the DHB Flashlight and DHB Flashlight-XT. The XT I wanted (due to the extras over the non) but the price was too high (they've come down some since).
  6. The main jackets I was looking at were high-viz, I thought I needed it on the road, but once I realised reflection rather than high-viz was probably more important during the winter months of commuting I went back and looked at the DHB Commuter I had originally wanted. It had all the features I wanted (adjustable hem, grip strips, rear and side vents, front pockets and adjustable wrists) at a more reasonable price (£30). There had never been any of the yellow high-viz in stock since I started looking so I emailed Wiggle to ask... The range was EOL from DHB and there would be no more... I checked what Large's were in stock and the website only listed 1 Black one so I ordered it quick! :eek:

I've not been disappointed with the jacket, anyone who's owned DHB jerseys/tops knows what to expect from their fit and the way the rear hem is cut and 'grips' it is ideal. I guess my only 'con' is the fact it's Black and there's very little reflective detail on the front - but I've got lights anyways... The side arm 'stripes' are brilliant, the wide material is some of the most reflective I've seen - even now under ambient daylight you can see it reflecting/shimmering under indoor lighting. I maybe should have bought an XL to give me a looser fit over more base layers in the winter, but the tight fit will make sure I'm warm and the wind won't get through! Can't recommend this jacket for commuting enough - or any of the DHB range for that matter! :cool::D
 
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FrenchTart said:
Depending on how much you're willing to spend some of the more expensive soft shells are actually fairly reasonable and within a month it'll probably be cold enough that you won't completely boil in it.
Click to expand...

I bought the Altura Vapour wind/waterproof jacket for about £60 and I can confirm that it is in fact very, very waterproof. It's also a bit 'boil in the bag' at this time of year though. It's fine if I do a short 2 mile commute to work but anything longer (like my usual 'need to get a proper workout on the way to work' 15 mile route) and it's too sweaty with a cycling jersey underneath. Come proper Winter it'll be amazing though as it really stops the wind.

In this weather I just take a change of clothes and a towel, then just dry and change at work if needed. Cycling tops dry out really quickly when hung up in the office and there's always the dryers in the toilets!

I also found that unless it's properly raining hard, just fitting mud guards made a much bigger difference to my dryness levels.
 
Vonhelmet said:
Oxford fines a bunch of people for riding without lights.

All well and good, but I note that the article quotes the highway code which says you have to have amber pedal reflectors if manufactured after 1/10/85... Now, I'm pretty sure we all have bikes manufactured after this date, and I'm also pretty sure none of us have amber pedal reflectors. So what's the deal?
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If I got fined for having no amber plastic on my pedals I'd be furious! my 520s don't even have that option lol.
 
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