Road Cycling Essentials

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Jonny ///M said:
Can't really comment too much,all I know is that the guy who I replaced passed level 2 cytech just doing the assessment on the day. He said that was basically stripping and rebuilding a frame and noting any faults/defects and how to fix it with a wheel build at the end. He did that with 4 years experience in a small bike shop and is now the head mechanic in an alpine bikes. Fork servicing can be sent to mojo/TFtuned or whatnot so you don't need to go to that extreme.

Cytech is the most recognised if you wanted to get a job out of it but ideally you want to do level 2. Even then a lot of shops will go on experience over qualifications.
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Thanks for the advice there Jonny :) I don't have a great deal of experience as yet as i just started doing some volunteer work at a bike recycling project. I did read on the ATG site that you can just do the one day assessment if you already have relevant qualifications or experience but i'm not even near that yet!!

The Cytech course would be the level 2, 10 day course and from what i've heard you don't actually need much or indeed any experience before starting it. The fork and hydraulic brake servicing as well as advanced wheel building are level 3 modules which won't really apply to me at the moment.

What you say about Cytech being a better recognised qualification is why i am considering it over the C&G. I won't know whether i'll be going on the course for a while yet as it depends on a funding application so i've got a little more time to research and decide.
 
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JoeMama said:
Thanks for the advice there Jonny :) I don't have a great deal of experience as yet as i just started doing some volunteer work at a bike recycling project. I did read on the ATG site that you can just do the one day assessment if you already have relevant qualifications or experience but i'm not even near that yet!!

The Cytech course would be the level 2, 10 day course and from what i've heard you don't actually need much or indeed any experience before starting it. The fork and hydraulic brake servicing as well as advanced wheel building are level 3 modules which won't really apply to me at the moment.

What you say about Cytech being a better recognised qualification is why i am considering it over the C&G. I won't know whether i'll be going on the course for a while yet as it depends on a funding application so i've got a little more time to research and decide.
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Good luck with it whatever one you end up choosing. I wish I had the chance to go on either of them tbh. Most of the stuff is easy once you have the tools. The cycle trade would be amazing if it was just bikes...customers and suppliers are the biggest pain in the arse.


I need to get myself that surface hoody! Looks pretty nice.
 
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Jonny ///M said:
Good luck with it whatever one you end up choosing. I wish I had the chance to go on either of them tbh. Most of the stuff is easy once you have the tools. The cycle trade would be amazing if it was just bikes...customers and suppliers are the biggest pain in the arse.
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Thanks :) I'll let you know if it goes ahead. Luckily we've got the full Park Tools set at our disposal. Most of the work on new bikes seems fairly straightforward but we get a lots of really old bikes to work with which can sometimes be a bit of a pain, especially if all seized up and with damaged components. Saying that though, we had a 1978 tricycle in a few weeks ago and that was a lot of fun to work with!!
 
I received an email from On One this morning; the Pompetamine is scheduled to be built on Wednesday next week, so with any luck I could have it by the end of next week. Pretty excited about finally getting it!

One thing that I have realised is that I'm going to need to get mudguards for it. I'm guessing Crud RoadRacers will fit the bike fine? Or does anybody have a better suggestion? I could also do with a saddle bag, if anybody has any recommendations?
 
I just got one of these for a mate's birthday:

http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Ortlieb_Mud_Racer_Medium_Saddle_Bag/5360028252/

It's capacious (will fit a tube, co2 inflater & canister, multitool, levers and wallet / mobile / keys) without being too big. Most importantly though, it's waterproof for winter. I got caught out before with two punctures and subsequently that Park Patches aren't kept dry by their little plastic box and once wet don't peel off their paper backing.

If it wasn't that I was a tart and like matching my Fizik i:pak on my Fizik saddle and my Fizik sponsored bib shorts, I'd have one of these.

I use an Ortlieb rucksack and panniers so I know they know a thing or two about waterproofing, and the build quality is excellent.

As for guards, what size tyres are you having on? platypus might have some Crud RR2s going spare......
 
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Thanks for the saddle bag suggestions, I'll have to have a think about what I need to be able to carry in it and choose accordingly.

Tyres on the Pompetamine are 700x24c, presumably the Crud RoadRacers will accommodate them? I'm also going to need some mudguards for my Specialized Sirrus, and from what I can tell the RoadRacers won't go with the 700x28c tyres that are fitted to it - it looks as though the 35mm version of the SKS Chromoplastic fits the bill quite nicely.
 
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I've got a Topeak Aero Wedge with the quick clip (medium) and i'm very happy with it. Takes a tube, park patches, multi tool 3 co2s, a larger co2 pump plus some money but also expands to take loads of extra stuff for a longer ride.

Managed to fit my wallet (not small) keys (ditto) 3 mule bars, 2 torq energy drink single measure powder things and some sun cream over the summer :)
 
I rode my new hybrid to work today for the first time, it's outrageous how unfit I am! I shaved a good 10 minutes off my commute time though which is handy, I needed that extra time though for the cold shower to cool me down on arrival :p

Very impressed with the speed that the bike carries though, seems almost effortless to be flying along on the flat parts.

Hopefully my new pedals have arrived today so I won't have to spend ages trying to get my feet in the toe clips.
 
For mudguards I've got one of these on my Trek 1.2: http://www.wiggle.co.uk/p/cycle/7/Crud_RoadRacer_Mk2_Mudguard_Set/5360052637/

I've assembled it but haven't got round to fitting it yet.

I popped the inner tube on my rear wheel mounting a tiny curb on Monday/Tuesday on the way to work. Getting 700x23 tyres off was so difficult even with the aid of tyre levers! Once I had it sorted, I decided to return home as I was only a few mins walk away so I could pump it using a track pump then I noticed my front tyre was completely flat as well! It took me 1.5 hours to get everything sorted as my brakes started rubbing on my rims, which I discovered is to do with some small levels on the brakes that cause it to open/close so you can remove the tyre easily!

However my rear brake is out of action still. One pad is higher than the other (even though they are as far down the brake arm as they can go) and one rubs on the tyre if I apply the brake. I can't figure out what I need to adjust to fix it so it doesn't rub the tyre. I also don't know if it has been like this since I've got the bike or if it was like this since I removed the tyre to replace the inner tube. From a bit of reading it could be the wheel is mounted off centre (the wheel is bent) which might explain it, but I have no idea how to repair that!

:(
 
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BlackDragon said:
However my rear brake is out of action still. One pad is higher than the other (even though they are as far down the brake arm as they can go) and one rubs on the tyre if I apply the brake. I can't figure out what I need to adjust to fix it so it doesn't rub the tyre. I also don't know if it has been like this since I've got the bike or if it was like this since I removed the tyre to replace the inner tube. From a bit of reading it could be the wheel is mounted off centre (the wheel is bent) which might explain it, but I have no idea how to repair that!
:(
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That does sound like your wheel is off centre. Should be just a simple case of loosening the wheel nuts and repositioning the wheel centrally then tightening up. Sometimes if it's a little but to one side you can just loosen the wheel nut on the other side, push the wheel over and hold in place whilst re-tightening that nut.
 
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