Road Cycling Essentials

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bloodline76 said:
Seems like the best place to get advice. Thinking about picking up a road bike for commuting to work at the weekends. Just been checking out the bay to pick something up second hand.

What sort of size do you think I should be looking at? I am 6'2" and my inside leg is about 34.5". Looked online and it suggests 58-60 size frame. Sound about right?

Any named makes that I should look out for? Thanks
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going by my recent encounters, i am also looking for a road bike,, im 6'2 and i was suggeested a 58 at first, so went to a bike shop and they asked me to try a 58 out and it was too small,, i then tried a 60 and it was a good fit. my inside leg is about 31 though, i would suggest you goto a shop and sit on one, and they will tell you to look at the front hub in 3 positions to clarify
 
Vonhelmet said:
Get on over to Rivington, Belmont and Anglezarke. That'll sort you out!
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You're having a laugh aren't you? Trying to get up that hill heading up towards Atherton at full pelt nearly killed me. Getting stopped at the lights at the bottom didn't help though after trying to keep my speed up since the start of that segment.

Still, I'm finding my commutes far more entertaining than they used to be :)

I'm going to try and get a couple of proper rides in this weekend, instead of the same old distance I do to and from work everyday.

How did your trip south of the A580 go?
 
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Vonhelmet said:
Get on over to Rivington, Belmont and Anglezarke. That'll sort you out!
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+1

Thats where i shall be heading tommorow or sunday.... maybe both days

Getting up towards clitheroe and slaidburn is where its at for hills, i went there last weekend and it was pretty tough going
 
Kimi said:
I spent £130 on mine from singletrack bicycles, Minoura B60-R. I didnt know where to start so i check bike radar and they gave it 5/5 so i snapped it up.

People say its really boring, which i can imagine, but i had a trainer video i was going against and really enjoyed it
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Hey Kimi this is the trainer I picked up last week! It is hard work, had me sweeting buckets within 20 minutes!
 
touch said:
do you mean it has guides for gear cables on the top tube? or just a single guide for the brake?
Sounds like an odd setup. Tell him to singlespeed it. You only need 1 gear for CX anyway :D
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Sorry I wasn't very clear. It has all the cables routed along the top tube but he is running STIs. Looks funny with the cables leaving the shifter and staying horizontal to the top tube(old exposed cable shifters).


It doesn't have any decals but my workmate,who is known to chat ****, said he was told it was an Enigma but he had contacted the factory directly and sourced it. It does seem as though it's a bit of a random bike but I don't believe that story.

Edit: Spent an hour in Kelvingrove park with my gf tonight teaching her to ride a bike again, taught her how to physically ride it a few months back but this is how to use gears and when to change. Also why you can't change gear whilst stood still. Like being at work again:)
 
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[Damien];22907414 said:
You're having a laugh aren't you? Trying to get up that hill heading up towards Atherton at full pelt nearly killed me. Getting stopped at the lights at the bottom didn't help though after trying to keep my speed up since the start of that segment.
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Try the climb up Bag Lane to Park Road, or up from the station to Four Lane Ends. Those are quite good ones to get started on. There's a few good hills around Haigh as well, before you work up to Bob's Smithy and the like ;)

[Damien] said:
How did your trip south of the A580 go?
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Good, ta, though very dark in places so I was taking things quite cautiously as I literally couldn't see at times. My lights are more for being seen than seeing by at the moment. I'll definitely do that run again when I get better lights, as there were some good long stretches without junctions or lights to interrupt things. Quite nice and flat, as well, which is usually what I'm after in the week! Crossing the A580 at the Greyhound was a bit sketchy - I wouldn't fancy that every day!
 
Yeah, I'll have to give them a go. I don't mind the little bridge coming from the A574 to the A572. I quite enjoyed trying to beat my PR's on that, and was well surprised at getting the KOM. I'm really not built for any inclines too long to sprint up though.

That roundabout at the Greyhound isn't too bad when I usually cross it, because there's always other vehicles heading round you can be shielded by. If something goes pear shaped and you can't get around first time you try you're screwed though. Then it's the ride/walk of shame to the crossing and standing around like an idiot waiting for gaps in the traffic that never come.

I much prefer that roundabout than the one I used to take to work, which is the M6 J21/A57 one at Martinscroft. I got hit by a car coming off the sliproad on that once. No major damage, just a sprained wrist and buckled wheel.
 
Finally got round to replacing my old SPD-SL's

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Looks like they needed it :o
 
Woo'

Reached 1500km for the year to date.

I would like to think I'll make it to 2500, as I only started riding in late March time and had time off over winter :o
 
The ride was supposed to start at 8. Due to one thing and another I'm now waiting at a junctuon less than 2 miles from home for the handful of people who are actually turning up today. Rule 87 ffs! I'm gonna head out on my own in a minute.
 
Vonhelmet said:
The ride was supposed to start at 8. Due to one thing and another I'm now waiting at a junctuon less than 2 miles from home for the handful of people who are actually turning up today. Rule 87 ffs! I'm gonna head out on my own in a minute.
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Where are you riding?
 
Weather is awesome but I can't ride today. :(

I've got a sore lump where the sun don't shine (saddle sore?) which means pedalling while seated is a very painful experience so I think it may be best to rest it.
 
InQ said:
Where are you riding?
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A6 and round Rivington. It turned out to be a very slow one, because my neighbour was hungover as hell so didn't come, and the other guys brought along a mate who is coming back from an Achilles tendon injury and op. We took it slow and it was all very flat, until I parted company and got in a hill at the end.
 
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