Road Cycling Essentials

Status
Not open for further replies.
My summer road gloves are fingerless with leather palms. My neoprenesque winter gloves combined with cheap tape and cheap brake hoods means it rubs the inside of my right thumb.
 
I've had the Edge 800 (upgrade from a 705) about a month now, I've already had to return one.

Few things to point out:

The glass at the edge of the screen is really fragile. After taking it out for my first MTB ride, I had some small specks of dirt at the side between the glass and the screen. This used to happen all the time on the 705 and I simply removed it with a finger nail. Do the same on the 800 and the screen edges just crumble. I'm not the only one as you can see on the Garmin Forums. I now cover the unit when I'm going MTBing, as it's not such a problem on a Road Bike.

Secondly the new update they just released has somewhat broken the ability to use the device with a computer...
 
Nexus said:
snip
Click to expand...

Yeah i've been reading the forums about the issues. Seems at the very least that Garmin are replacing devices with the glass issue (I'm always on the road so shouldn't be an issue), and it seems the latest firmware issue can be "avoided" by making sure you've reset your last ride before attaching it.

Why did you have to return yours?

I've returned one 705 and my current one will probably need to be returned as well.
 
No ride for me today. I ran from Clapham Junction home to Beckenham yesterday, with the Crystal Palace hill appearing at about kilometre 9. My legs barely hold me up today, so the rain was a good enough excuse not to ride today :D
 
Looking to pick up a road bike here soon and looking at the Scott Speedster S40 at the moment - can get for just over £500 which seems a good deal.

Haven't cycled for over 9 months, no motivation to cycle in the gym at all - gets boring when you don't move :p
 
[DOD]Asprilla;18173677 said:
Some people at work think I'm dumb or insane to cycle in all weathers yet most of them think it's perfectly rational to drive to a gym to sit on a static bike.

What a weird world we live in.
Click to expand...
I cycle in all weathers, and I also use a static bike (albeit in the comfort of my own home, I don't drive anywhere to do it). Does that make me doubly weird? :P

No cycling for me until Saturday next week though, I'm heading up to the Lake District for some good old fashioned walking :)
 
Well, my new bike is finally here and on the road. :D

First new bike for 6 years, upgraded from my Giant XTC3 mountain bike which has severed me very well, doing about 10,000 miles in that time.
I've used it as a commuter for the last 3 years doing Dudley to Redditch for a year or so, I was doing 50 miles a day.
Now I live much closer to work so milage is down a little, but now have access to some great scenic rides so hoping to have my milage back up.

Now have a Specialized Allez 2011 not the best or most expensive bike ever, but after selling my Giant cost me £120, so not a bad move IMO.
Treated myself to a new set of lights, Cateye 600EL front and a Cateye 300 rear.

Also bagged some new Altura trousers, and a new Cateye cycle computer into the mix.

After having the MB for so long, moving to a proper road bike is a bit strange, the gear change in particular, but I'm sure I'll soon get used to it.
Have to say how much lighter the new bike is, guessing the carbon forks help there.

Will report back once I've put a few miles on the bike as to how I'm finding it. :D
 
Nice - which Allez did you get?
I'm currently waiting on a 2011 Allez Elite, expecting it next week \o/

I'm also living in Redditch at the mo - where in Redditch are you?
 
This entered service today:

IMG_6705.JPG


It's the girl's 1980 Raleigh Richmond mixte in Reynolds 531 tubing. I've given it an overhaul with the wheels off my Viscount and a 5-speed freewheel. It's not a bad little bike; very light. It could do with a set of drop bars in my opinion, and the centre pull brakes really highlight the dent in the wheel, so I'll have to do something about that.

The Viscount is currently in full South London combat mode. Trying the bars down and saddle forwards for a bit of serious purchase on those pedals:

IMG_6690.JPG


Packing a Fenix L2D up front for plenty of light or strobe the whole road out:

IMG_6691.JPG


New rims are the 32 spoke 700c Velo Orange with fixed gear at the back (52/18) and 700x20 tyres:

IMG_6695.JPG


I still think they look a bit skinny, so might change them for some 25's at some point. And why do Raleigh insist on using those spazzy blue valve caps?
 
[DOD]Asprilla;18173677 said:
Some people at work think I'm dumb or insane to cycle in all weathers yet most of them think it's perfectly rational to drive to a gym to sit on a static bike.

What a weird world we live in.
Click to expand...

I tried it a few times after moving out from UK , as I have a gym downstairs.

I get bored far too quickly, no motivation to carry on going as I'm not moving :p so looking to buy a bike.

Will be difficult to get used to at first because of the temperature here during the day getting to 35C, but night time should be OK :)
 
SDK^ said:
Nice - which Allez did you get?
I'm currently waiting on a 2011 Allez Elite, expecting it next week \o/

I'm also living in Redditch at the mo - where in Redditch are you?
Click to expand...

Allez 24 in silver, should have been £550, but sold my MB for £330.

Thought it was time I upgraged a few of the bits as well. I weighed my old cateye twin lights I'd had for the last 6 years & the battery pack alone weighed in at 950g :eek:
The EL600 is only 125g, so bit of a saving there.

I live in Oakenshaw South, good access to loads of rural rides within 10-15 mins of riding out,
plus I've found since moving here the area seems to have quite a good cycle network of lanes & paths.
 
Riding in the wet has made my bike very dirty, so yesterday afternoon I finally got round to giving it a clean. I'd be more inclined to clean it more often if I had a garden area with a hose, but as I live in an apartment block it is a bit more problematic to give it a good clean.

I invested in one of these to help aid my cleaning:

It was absolutely brilliant, only took a couple of full loads to get my bike fully clean. I did really hurt my elbow and knee though as I slipped on a wet slab of stone (which had a layer of plant growth on it), adding to the embarrassment of doing it right in front of someone who had parked their car with the beam highlighting me in the dark.

Spent this morning sorting out my caliper brakes, and annoyingly one of my brake pads won't go far enough down onto the rims, so I have to grind away a bit of the pad so it doesn't contact my tyre.
 
Well a cold weekend and black ice everywhere meant another weekend in the garage on the turbo. Downloaded the 'Hunted' and 'Angels' Sufferfest vids. Both are good, although the hunted has a 20 minute interval which is a bit dull. Angels is probably the best one I've ridden so far - its climbing related with some really good footage.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top Bottom